A Review of "Guardian 2632" by Nora Weston

Buy it now at Melange Books!

 Dr. Zane Grayson leads a secret government agency called Guardian TMF. They are tasked with monitoring events from the past in the hopes of changing them to improve the future. Dr. Grayson developed laws that ensure no one makes unauthorized scans of the past, or they will face possible execution. The problem is that Zane himself is caught up in illegal time surfing. It's become an obsession, an addiction, and when he stumbles upon a woman named Juilia while he's scanning 1998 Pittsburgh, he knows without a doubt that they share a connection...except he doesn't recall ever seeing her before.

While dodging his girlfriend Marrissa, corrupted TMF Elites, and mutated Merc soldiers, Zane keeps scanning Julia's life, only to learn that she's suffered from an abusive marriage and had a child. Worse yet, her lousy husband, a dirty cop, made one bad decision too many. He and Julia were both killed by a drug dealer's thugs.

Zane now must move mountains to ensure he gets back to 1998 and saves Julia before it's too late.

I'm normally not a sci-fi reader, but this tale, with its strong romantic plot, kept me interested. The author really brought the futuristic details to life in all the technology. Ms. Weston writes the technological aspects clearly, so that even sci-fi novices like myself don't fumble over them. My favorite was Gabriel, Zane's interactive computer. He had a snarky attitude all his own.

Of the few things in the story I could nitpick about, one was the dialogue. Much of it was expository, revealing information that could have been told more effectively in narrative. Though, at times, Zane's dialogue did help to show his obsession in finding Julia. Also, there was an interesting twist near the climax, but I kept expecting another twist at the end that didn't come.

My verdict: I enjoyed this read about a man who will do anything to save an innocent life. The characters were well-defined and complex. The emotional undercurrent was strong, and I hope to read more of Nora Weston's work really soon! Pick up your copy at Melange Books today!