Heather’s Bookshelf: The Gamekeeper
Author: J. Porteous
Released: 05/20/19
Genre: Dystopian SciFi
“I knew it, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. Jessica was here because of my decisions, my choices forcing her down a path she didn’t choose herself; if anything had happened to her it would be my own fault. I’d already filed one child, I didn’t know if I could face failing another. ‘We’ll find her. We’ll bring her back to Hope.”
“The Gamekeeper” follows the title character as he makes his way through a future world that has been left in ruins. He’s a loner that has come up with rules to keep himself alive in the shambles of what used to be Britain. When he encounters a young girl and her dead father, he goes against his instincts and his rules to try and save her.
The Gamekeeper is a survivor. He’s an observant tracker and a skilled hunter. He also lives with the nightmares of his past. When he encounters Jessica, he makes the decision to try and get her to safety without breaking her heart or her spirit by telling her that he has already found her father’s dead body. He sets out with the innocent girl toward a nearby settlement, The Community. When they arrive, they find incredible terror while encountering one terrible danger after another. The most pressing of which seems to be coming from a murderous cult known as the Children of Ash.
Trigger Warning: violence, murder, adult language
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The two main characters were each interesting and endearing in their own ways. The author did a great job in writing them in a way that keeps you engaged and caring about what happens to them. He also gave them each their own distinctive voice. Jessica is the epitome of innocent and naïve. Her interactions in the mall turned sanctuary epitomize these characteristics. The Gamekeeper’s “apocalypse smarts” and survivor capabilities are on display throughout the story, but it’s his evolution from a loner to Jessica’s keeper that really makes the tale. The revelation of what happened to the world and The Gamekeeper’s family were also intriguing and well-written. I also liked that the author incorporated how vile people could be (even at the end of the world) with just a glimmer of hope shining through.
I have recently read A LOT of dystopian scifi’s recently and this one stood out to me. Some of the elements reminded me of zombie tales: Dawn of the Dead & The Walking Dead Video Game (minus the zombies), but emotion behind the main character and his connection to Jessica kept me interested and engaged. The end of the story and especially the epilogue were lovely and fulfilling.
(I ended up checking out this book on mixed platforms: written and audiobook via Audible: I found this narrator really enjoyable- he had a nice tone to his voice and was pleasant to listen to)
I received a written and audio copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A dystopian scifi with intriguing character relationships that shine in a desolate and dark world
Want to learn more about the author? Check out my interview with J. Porteous:
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or on Kindle Unlimited
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
