The Garrison: Lockdown
Vijaya Schartz
Triskelion
November 2005
251
$5.99
1-933471-24-7
Sci-Fi
Zurin Five is a mining planet with the distinction of also housing a massive underground high security prison. Under the leadership of Captain Cole Riggeur, a small cadre of personnel runs the mostly automated prison. The day that all of the civilians disappear is one fraught with treachery and danger. Planet-wide tremors have become worse and now threaten the reactor core at the bottom of the facility. In a desperate attempt to save his subordinates lives as well as those of the prisoners, Captain Riggeur takes a new recruit with him to attempt to manually repair the damage to the core.
Rhonda Alendresis had no desire to become a soldier in this drab setting, but when her sister mysteriously died at this prison, she took it upon herself to investigate further. She never dreamed that she and one other would hold the lives of so many people in their hands. During their trek to the core, both Cole and Rhonda realize that first impressions aren’t always true impressions.
Cole has been amazed by the resilience that a woman has shown, especially a free spirit like Rhonda. She has held up and contributed to their well-being, but the worst is yet to come. With each level they find evidence that the most dangerous criminals are no longer locked up and may have the run of the facility. Among them is a shape shifter with revenge on his mind. He intends to bring the Captain to his knees one way or another.
I was immediately drawn into this world by the vivid descriptions and the powerful characters within. The plot fascinated me as science fiction often does. The plot within a plot was very well written and did not at any time become confusing. Both Rhonda and Cole had complete personalities and acted true to them throughout. I was pleased to see a number of secondary characters that were just as fleshed out as Cole and Rhonda were. The relationship between the two main characters was slow to begin and heated up quite well in the stressful circumstances that they found themselves in. They each had their emotional blocks and dealt with them, as well as the physical threats that hounded them through the halls of the prison.
Because of the fast-paced plot, the complete characters, the amazing relationships, and the vivid descriptions, I gladly give The Garrison - Lockdown 4 out of 5 com pads.
Serena Polheber, reviewer, gottawritenetwork.com
April 14, 2006
copyright SP & GWN
