"Shadows of the Unseen" Sci-Fi with Heart by Christine Steendam
- Feb 27, 2015
- 2 min read
“Shadows of the Unseen” written by Christine Steendam is reminiscent of F Paul Wilson’s “Sims” with a romantic twist. Steendam is known for her Oceans series, a romance series set on the high seas. She transitioned smoothly from the deck of a ship into the future and addressing the challenges of an artificially created race of laborers.
“Shadows of the Unseen” is set in the unknown future where clones have been created to act as laborers, cars finally fly, and the earth has finally been united under one flag. And that flag is flown by Royce Williams, the father of the clones. The story centers on Royce’s grandsons, August and Saber. Saber who is the heir and prince of everything, and his brother August who isn’t but still gets to enjoy the ride. Saber is working on a solution to the issue with clone’s free thought, while August is busy finding love. All of this is happening while a resistance movement is growing among the clones.
It is only a matter of time before Saber is leading the resistance and August is standing at his Grandfather’s side as his new heir.
Saber is a likeable most of the time character. The kind of guy you are glad is around but you wouldn’t grab a beer with. His brother August is the quintessential younger brother, kinder and less willing to make his own decisions.
It is a lot of fun watching the two of them dealing with the constant barrage of ethical conflicts, family problems, and romantic issues. In an evening I barreled through the story, each chapter led smoothly into the next.
I highly recommend this book to those female readers who generally shy away from science fiction. Steendam skillfully focuses on the people while letting the science fiction’ness of the story remain as a setting not a plot driver.
For those readers more accustomed to the genre, you will enjoy the flying cars, world full of beautiful clones, massive social conflict, and when the protagonist exercises some serious violence.
Check it out in print and e-book on
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