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The Sentinel
Since the day he was dropped off at a Federation camp by parents who used him to gain political favor, cybernetic killing machine Soldier Fourteen existed only to carry out his orders. But when commanded to kill a baby girl, he defies his commander and deserts the Federation, seeking a place in the universe for himself and the defenseless innocent he’s promised to protect.
Dear Author,
This man is a protector, a fierce and rugged man with a checkered past and an absent family… and yet he holds our new daughter with such tenderness and care. He loves my entire clan of a family nearly as much as he loves me, and despite his horrid birth family, he has become the brother, the son, the cousin, the uncle that they never knew they were missing.
He loves us all, and protects us all… even when the proverbial s*$% hits the fan.
Please tell our story, how he came to be so gentle and loving of my family, OUR family, yet can be so fierce, so distant, from the rest of the world.
Photo Description:
A sepia tone photograph shows a handsome man, bare-chested, who sits cradling a baby in both hands. He has short hair and a muscled body, and he gazes adoringly at the baby.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Dear Author,
This man is a protector, a fierce and rugged man with a checkered past and an absent family… and yet he holds our new daughter with such tenderness and care. He loves my entire clan of a family nearly as much as he loves me, and despite his horrid birth family, he has become the brother, the son, the cousin, the uncle that they never knew they were missing.
He loves us all, and protects us all… even when the proverbial s*$% hits the fan.
Please tell our story, how he came to be so gentle and loving of my family, OUR family, yet can be so fierce, so distant, from the rest of the world.
Photo Description:
A sepia tone photograph shows a handsome man, bare-chested, who sits cradling a baby in both hands. He has short hair and a muscled body, and he gazes adoringly at the baby.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
57 pages, ebook
First published June 14, 2013
53 people are currently reading
725 people want to read
About the author
Eden Winters
86 books671 followersYou will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!
Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.
She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures, she has written over thirty gay romance novels, lost count of novellas and short stories, has won Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.
When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s cosplaying for children's charities or hanging out at the farm being a mother, grandmother, and vegetarian.
Her natural habitats are hardware stores and on the backs of motorcycles.
Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.
She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures, she has written over thirty gay romance novels, lost count of novellas and short stories, has won Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.
When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s cosplaying for children's charities or hanging out at the farm being a mother, grandmother, and vegetarian.
Her natural habitats are hardware stores and on the backs of motorcycles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
August 31, 2018
3.5 Stars
It’s very hard for me to say no to a gentle giant and this right here totally gave me what I wanted.
Take one soldier, conditioned and raised to be a killing machine with hardly any free will. Toss in circumstance that lets him disconnect briefly with the hive mind and suddenly he feels a connection and an obligation to an orphaned baby. Mix in an escape to a remote planet and there he falls for another who completes his family.
This was touching and sweet - the programmed mentality never fully leaves but the hardened soldier opens his heart to so much more as this chronicles his life over many many years.
The ending was the ultimate in romantic feels and brought a smile to my face!
It’s very hard for me to say no to a gentle giant and this right here totally gave me what I wanted.
Take one soldier, conditioned and raised to be a killing machine with hardly any free will. Toss in circumstance that lets him disconnect briefly with the hive mind and suddenly he feels a connection and an obligation to an orphaned baby. Mix in an escape to a remote planet and there he falls for another who completes his family.
This was touching and sweet - the programmed mentality never fully leaves but the hardened soldier opens his heart to so much more as this chronicles his life over many many years.
The ending was the ultimate in romantic feels and brought a smile to my face!
Read
October 8, 2018I won't rate this story. I refuse. Because I hated it. But also loved it on some weird, primal level.
Eden Winters pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it for good measure.
The epilogue was brutal in the most benign way possible, and the last couple chapters fucking slayed me. I sobbed for reals, dabbing at my eyes with my sweatshirt for lack of a tissue.
This seems to be a pattern. Winters' Duet had me crying my eyes out in the middle of a public pool (I got a lot of concerned looks, and one older woman said, "Oh, honey, he's not worth it"), but at least it ended with a gorgeous, fulfilling epilogue. This book? Not so much.
The Sentinel is a brilliant story, but it's too depressing by far. Years and years of Stone and Connell's life were glossed over. I wanted so much MORE for them. Sometimes forever is not such a good thing.
Eden Winters pulled my heart out of my chest and stomped on it for good measure.
The epilogue was brutal in the most benign way possible, and the last couple chapters fucking slayed me. I sobbed for reals, dabbing at my eyes with my sweatshirt for lack of a tissue.
This seems to be a pattern. Winters' Duet had me crying my eyes out in the middle of a public pool (I got a lot of concerned looks, and one older woman said, "Oh, honey, he's not worth it"), but at least it ended with a gorgeous, fulfilling epilogue. This book? Not so much.
The Sentinel is a brilliant story, but it's too depressing by far. Years and years of Stone and Connell's life were glossed over. I wanted so much MORE for them. Sometimes forever is not such a good thing.
June 23, 2013
3.5 stars
I didn't love this as much as the other reviewers. GULP!! Sometimes I feel that I'm being very nitpicky. Sorry
Until half-way, I loved it -- I thought the scene where Fourteen first met the baby, the emotion he felt for this helpless human child was so intense. It was a powerful scene. I choked up because of it. Here was a soldier who trained not to feel human emotion but he remembered one time ago, where he had a 'Sister', and this baby reminded him of that time, that he was willing to become a deserter.
I also loved how protective he was towards his baby (this was the case where the word "Mine" -- and later "mate" wasn't so annoying!) and Connell. I loved the 'not-smooth' conversation (because Fourteen still learned the words) and Fourteen learning about kissing, about affection, about love.
However, the story then move in pretty much fast-forwarded speed. Suddenly Pearl (the baby) was two years old, four years old, ready for dating, ready to get joined (= married), Connell got old, etc, etc. I just lost the connection I had with the characters. I disliked the fact that .
Also, I guess I was expecting 'more threats' against Stone in the new place when I read the story about him being a protector. Like maybe the Federations found out and he must fight the soldiers and such. Fighting beast was nice but not as heavily-action sequence that I wanted it to be (plus it happened off screen).
And while I'm a sucker for epilogue (I LOVE them A LOT, I crave for them), but this was an example of where the epilogue was not as satisfying.
I didn't love this as much as the other reviewers. GULP!! Sometimes I feel that I'm being very nitpicky. Sorry
Until half-way, I loved it -- I thought the scene where Fourteen first met the baby, the emotion he felt for this helpless human child was so intense. It was a powerful scene. I choked up because of it. Here was a soldier who trained not to feel human emotion but he remembered one time ago, where he had a 'Sister', and this baby reminded him of that time, that he was willing to become a deserter.
I also loved how protective he was towards his baby (this was the case where the word "Mine" -- and later "mate" wasn't so annoying!) and Connell. I loved the 'not-smooth' conversation (because Fourteen still learned the words) and Fourteen learning about kissing, about affection, about love.
However, the story then move in pretty much fast-forwarded speed. Suddenly Pearl (the baby) was two years old, four years old, ready for dating, ready to get joined (= married), Connell got old, etc, etc. I just lost the connection I had with the characters. I disliked the fact that .
Also, I guess I was expecting 'more threats' against Stone in the new place when I read the story about him being a protector. Like maybe the Federations found out and he must fight the soldiers and such. Fighting beast was nice but not as heavily-action sequence that I wanted it to be (plus it happened off screen).
And while I'm a sucker for epilogue (I LOVE them A LOT, I crave for them), but this was an example of where the epilogue was not as satisfying.
June 20, 2013
Oh WOW. Words fail me.
This was an extraordinary story.
The world Eden Winters took me too was amazing.
The story she told me was riveting.
The love these men shared was beautiful.
The ending could not have been any more perfect.
This is another of those stories that leave me feeling wrung out. Not since reading A Solid Core of Alpha have I felt such a strong reaction.
Go grab your tissues and read this story.
This was an extraordinary story.
The world Eden Winters took me too was amazing.
The story she told me was riveting.
The love these men shared was beautiful.
The ending could not have been any more perfect.
This is another of those stories that leave me feeling wrung out. Not since reading A Solid Core of Alpha have I felt such a strong reaction.
Go grab your tissues and read this story.
June 22, 2013
Eden Winters made me cry like a baby.
September 15, 2019
Fourteen is programmed to do a job. He doesn't ask questions he just does it. But when he encounters a sweet baby girl, he just can't pull the trigger.
Connell is just living his life day to day. He has no mate beside him to get him out of bed in the morning or come home to at night. But when a stranger appears with a baby, he knows he has to help. And there's nothing better than falling in love with them both.
Wow! A short sci-fi story that packs a punch. I picked this up because I was looking for something sweet to read. This was definitely a sweet and emotional read and while it wasn't a conventional HEA it left me satisfied.
Connell is just living his life day to day. He has no mate beside him to get him out of bed in the morning or come home to at night. But when a stranger appears with a baby, he knows he has to help. And there's nothing better than falling in love with them both.
Wow! A short sci-fi story that packs a punch. I picked this up because I was looking for something sweet to read. This was definitely a sweet and emotional read and while it wasn't a conventional HEA it left me satisfied.
September 9, 2019
I loved, loved this story so much. Despite it being short, it had all the feels - pain, angst, love, despair, happiness and sense of belonging. It takes a small baby to bring the humanity back to a soldier whose will has not been his own for years. The decisions that he makes from that moment on bring him to the man who will be his family, who will teach him how to love and cherish, who will love him no matter what. The story is told from dual POV which was a nice surprise. I liked that Fourteen despite his being the fierce protector was still innocent when it came to emotions. Their daughter Pearl together with Connell taught him how to be more human. The ending had a bit of fantastical feel to it and was happy sad at the same time. The epilogue was really something else. One decision by an unlikely person changed the Fate of the whole planet and was never forgotten. *sigh* So good. I totally recommend it.
February 26, 2020
If you've read Consorts of the Red King you've met Connell & Stone. This is their origin story and I'm sure you'll be happy with it, if not this is a pretty nifty novella introducing part of Eden Winters post-Earth universe. Enjoy.
July 17, 2016
Wow! That was amazing, everything about it was amazing. Rarely do you find a novella that gives you a complete story, this one definitely did. The world building was unbelievable I could easily visualize the setting and everything that happens. Reading The Sentinel was like watching a movie in my head and the emotions of these two men poured off the pages.
It’s such an extraordinary story in every way I could never do it justice with my review. I don’t have the ability to express how it affected me in words.
Highly recommend especially to sci-fi fans but with a warning....tissues close at hand are a must.
February 7, 2017
This novella is simply awesome. The talent of the authors contributing to the 'Love Has No Boundaries' project is totally amazing!
Fourteen is a soldier of the Federation: A muscled killing machine whose skin-tight fighting suit is a miracle of nanotechnology that is able to protect him, heal his wounds, feed him and control his brain to keep him in line with the Federation's commands.
During a fight on a remote planet, Fourteen is wounded and the com-link with his command fails. So for the first time in years he's on his own, not following any commands. He runs into a cave, chasing after whoever has shot him - and stumbles upon a dying mother and her crying baby.
Flashing back to his own childhood, that is usually repressed by the Federation's programming, he feels the urge to save the helpless child and rescues it, going against his commands - deliberately deserting the Federation.
Fleeing with the child to a remote settlement of humans, Fourteen and the baby are rescued by a young fisherman who lives outside the actual settlement, because the homophobic settlers don't accept him in their midst.
The young man's name is Connell, which Fourteen understands to be 'Colonel', accepting the young man as his superior and feeling safe with him. Connell doesn't realize the misunderstanding at first and gladly invites the handsome soldier and his baby into his home.
Staying with the young man to raise the child, Fourteen learns the man's language and eventually understands the values of love and family.
This story really blew me away. A rainbow family themed sci-fi story! Can it get any better?
The ending was quite odd (), but the epilogue saved the 5 stars rating for me, turning this novella into a genuine sci-fi fairy tale, like an Ancient Greek legend. I was totally impressed.
5 stars!
Fourteen is a soldier of the Federation: A muscled killing machine whose skin-tight fighting suit is a miracle of nanotechnology that is able to protect him, heal his wounds, feed him and control his brain to keep him in line with the Federation's commands.
During a fight on a remote planet, Fourteen is wounded and the com-link with his command fails. So for the first time in years he's on his own, not following any commands. He runs into a cave, chasing after whoever has shot him - and stumbles upon a dying mother and her crying baby.
Flashing back to his own childhood, that is usually repressed by the Federation's programming, he feels the urge to save the helpless child and rescues it, going against his commands - deliberately deserting the Federation.
Fleeing with the child to a remote settlement of humans, Fourteen and the baby are rescued by a young fisherman who lives outside the actual settlement, because the homophobic settlers don't accept him in their midst.
The young man's name is Connell, which Fourteen understands to be 'Colonel', accepting the young man as his superior and feeling safe with him. Connell doesn't realize the misunderstanding at first and gladly invites the handsome soldier and his baby into his home.
Staying with the young man to raise the child, Fourteen learns the man's language and eventually understands the values of love and family.
This story really blew me away. A rainbow family themed sci-fi story! Can it get any better?
The ending was quite odd (), but the epilogue saved the 5 stars rating for me, turning this novella into a genuine sci-fi fairy tale, like an Ancient Greek legend. I was totally impressed.
5 stars!
August 16, 2022
I normally don't read sci fi and didn't expect that's what this was. The picture and prompt caught me and so I thought I'd give it a try. And then realized - this story is amazing. Fourteen has been through so much, had a horrific childhood and a terrible family. To go through what he did and still manage to break training, oh man, the power of love. Yes, it made me cry. And the ending is perfect!
July 23, 2013
Yet another story from the LHNB event, it's been wonderful folks!! The standard has been extremely high, and I've still got a load of stories to read. Really liked this one. 4.5 stars and
14, a cybernetic soldier in the Federation's army, has found a mother and baby on a planet that they (the Federation) are in the process of ridding of life, simply because they're in the way. The mother unfortunately dies, but 14 promises her that he will save her baby, and he does!!
It's such a lovely story I'm sure you'll want to read for yourselves, but there is certainly more story than sex, and the world building the author has done is wonderful. You'll get to meet the inhabitants of the planet where 14 takes the baby to escape the clutches of the Federation, and most importantly, you'll get to meet Connell, who becomes everything to 14 and their daughter, and almost makes 14 feel human again.
Many thanks to Brett for the prompt, and to the author for the wonderful story.
April 9, 2014
This was well-written, with crisp, quite elegant prose and an agreeable authorial voice.
However, I really dislike far too obvious manipulation of my feelings. There are very few tearjerkers I tolerate, and this didn't belong to them. Instead I had this distinct "Old Yeller" feeling.
I agree with Ami that up to roughly 40-50% the story was fine. I was even prepared to forgive the author a potential death in combat to save the girl and the lover. But the way this went? Nope. I really hate being manipulated like this.
However, I really dislike far too obvious manipulation of my feelings. There are very few tearjerkers I tolerate, and this didn't belong to them. Instead I had this distinct "Old Yeller" feeling.
I agree with Ami that up to roughly 40-50% the story was fine. I was even prepared to forgive the author a potential death in combat to save the girl and the lover. But the way this went? Nope. I really hate being manipulated like this.
November 20, 2014
4.5 stars. God dammit you made me cry! Great Scifi romance about a robotic soldier who learns how to love. The ''I'll be back' was such an Arnie flashback. Loved it. Then the ending... Sob. So goooood! I need a tissue.
June 15, 2013
Once again I'm still sniffing. This was totally unexpected. From the picture and little blurb from Jen, I wasn't expecting a big paranormal, futuristic soldier. As I began reading, I thought I might be disappointed. Oh contraire. This was a beautiful, heart wrenching, sweet, sexy little read that will warm your heart and obviously make you spill tears.
Thanks to Eden for sharing.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Thanks to Eden for sharing.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
July 7, 2013
I normally don't read futuristic/sci-fi stories, but a friend recommended that I should read it and I'm glad I did. The story was wonderful, the author's descriptions made me able to visualize these characters and the world created so easily. What I didn't expect was the emotional impact of the story, very few stories really deliver that so unexpectedly. Amazing story.
June 28, 2013
Beautiful, just so beautiful. From the spark of humanity that slept under Fourteen's man-machine exterior to Connell's courageous trust... and of course, Pearl, the little treasure that brought them all together. This is a wonderful, moving and poignant story.
January 4, 2014
I don't really know what I was expecting. Certainly not a short story that reminded me of a 1980s romanticized science fiction anime. Nor a cybernetically enhanced soldier that reminds me of:
Who is able to overcome his programming and become the gentle giant of a father to a baby girl. But let's ignore the use of onomatopoeia (bong, bong, bong; vrk vrk vrk) and very cheesy elements of all our favorite '80s science fiction movies still on VHS. Don't go into this expecting the type of cutting edge science fiction reminiscent of current high-definition 1080p blockbuster films.
Instead, this was more of a story about love and family, that utilizes science fiction elements to achieve what needed to be done.
I started out kind of hesitant during the first chapter. But that hesitance gave way to other emotions while reading further: humor, melt-into-a-puddle warmth, fat ugly tears and hope.
I am a fan of Eden Winters Diversion series, and came into this with cautious expectations. And in the end, I was not disappointed! Read this, now!
Who is able to overcome his programming and become the gentle giant of a father to a baby girl. But let's ignore the use of onomatopoeia (bong, bong, bong; vrk vrk vrk) and very cheesy elements of all our favorite '80s science fiction movies still on VHS. Don't go into this expecting the type of cutting edge science fiction reminiscent of current high-definition 1080p blockbuster films.
Instead, this was more of a story about love and family, that utilizes science fiction elements to achieve what needed to be done.
I started out kind of hesitant during the first chapter. But that hesitance gave way to other emotions while reading further: humor, melt-into-a-puddle warmth, fat ugly tears and hope.
I am a fan of Eden Winters Diversion series, and came into this with cautious expectations. And in the end, I was not disappointed! Read this, now!
July 18, 2013
What an amazing world Eden has created here and the romance was a slow build that culminated in surprising and very fulfilling ways. Adding the child to the mix made this story stand out even more. Loved every minute of this journey with Connell and Fourteen to their Happily Ever After which takes on a special meaning in this story!
July 12, 2025
Anyone remember the movie Soldier? 1998, Kurt Russell is a soldier trained from infancy, fighting some galactic war, takes refuge with a refugee group living primitively on some abandoned planet and his socialization from merciless institutionalized drone to popular hero commences. *guessing no one raises their hand at that question* You shouldn’t remember it, it is a terrible and forgettable formulaic action adventure laced with sap to draw every audience member in - and a guilty pleasure of mine every time I catch it on SyFy or TNT on a lazy afternoon. Tweak the plot, change Connie Nielsen’s character to the male equivalent (maybe Orlando Bloom could be cast instead), swap the adolescent boy for an infant girl, add a dash of gay love and you’ve got The Sentinel.
Overlook the preposterous details - because The Sentinel is a sappy diverting distraction. Yes, strapping an infant in a back sling and going fishing has never gone as smoothly as it does in this book. Why in the futuristic sci-fi world a highly developed, technological Federation is pitted against villagers living as if it were medieval times - I have never figured out, but go with it. Any obstacle to our heroes playing house is very conveniently confronted and eliminated - I don’t want the melodrama dragged too far out, so I am happy about it. And everyone holds hands and dances into the sunset … under a rainbow.
If this story was anymore than 57 pages, I would have groaned and rolled my eyes from at least the 50% mark on. However, it is only 57 pages and sweet and supplied what I was looking for when I picked it up. Perfect for a lazy afternoon.
Overlook the preposterous details - because The Sentinel is a sappy diverting distraction. Yes, strapping an infant in a back sling and going fishing has never gone as smoothly as it does in this book. Why in the futuristic sci-fi world a highly developed, technological Federation is pitted against villagers living as if it were medieval times - I have never figured out, but go with it. Any obstacle to our heroes playing house is very conveniently confronted and eliminated - I don’t want the melodrama dragged too far out, so I am happy about it. And everyone holds hands and dances into the sunset … under a rainbow.
If this story was anymore than 57 pages, I would have groaned and rolled my eyes from at least the 50% mark on. However, it is only 57 pages and sweet and supplied what I was looking for when I picked it up. Perfect for a lazy afternoon.
July 8, 2013
What a wonderful story! I love SciFi and this is definitely that but with so much twist it feels fresh and unique. I loved the last several chapters - and what a unique way to end!
October 28, 2014
This was such a wonderful read!
July 15, 2013
What an absolutely brilliant story. For me, this is exactly what I look for in good science fiction, well, one possible successful combination of many: great technology, its effect on humans, and showing the consequences of us learning to deal with it or how to defeat it. And in this case, the whole process is driven by emerging emotions and a dedication to love and family that I loved to watch develop and blossom. It is rare to find such a truly epic story in only fifty-three pages, but Eden managed it perfectly. The fascinating characters and amazing storyline swept me away and held me spellbound to the last page.
Fourteen is a soldier. He has no name, other than the number he is given for each assignment, and his only loyalty is supposed to be his commanding officer and the Federation that took him from his parents at a young age and indoctrinated him. They need soldiers to keep colonist rebels in line since any hint at independence is squashed ruthlessly. Following orders is all he does, and the constant data and communication stream fed into his brain by implants is all he knows. Until one day they fail, and he has to learn to think for himself. The process of how that happens, and what he discovers was fascinating to follow. His humanity emerges again bit by bit, and the newborn girl he rescued from being shot pays a huge part in that.
Connell is a colonist on the planet Fourteen ends up on once he flees the Federation. He's a great guy, scared to death of the soldier in his exosuit, but tolerant enough to give him the benefit of the doubt when he sees he rescued a baby girl. Connell's emerging feelings confuse him at first, but as soon as he figures Fourteen is interested, he becomes unstoppable. The life they share is beautiful, and the only real problem is that Fourteen doesn’t age (due to his solar-powered suit and cybernetic implants). Even that obstacle can be overcome, but you'll have to read the story to find out the details.
If you like brilliant imagination and very creative science fiction that takes you to a time far, far away from ours, if you enjoy reading about the blurring of the lines between man and machine, and if you're looking for a read filled with emotion, great insights, and a wonderful love story, then you will probably like this free short story as much as I did. It's one of the best science fiction books I have read so far this year.
Fourteen is a soldier. He has no name, other than the number he is given for each assignment, and his only loyalty is supposed to be his commanding officer and the Federation that took him from his parents at a young age and indoctrinated him. They need soldiers to keep colonist rebels in line since any hint at independence is squashed ruthlessly. Following orders is all he does, and the constant data and communication stream fed into his brain by implants is all he knows. Until one day they fail, and he has to learn to think for himself. The process of how that happens, and what he discovers was fascinating to follow. His humanity emerges again bit by bit, and the newborn girl he rescued from being shot pays a huge part in that.
Connell is a colonist on the planet Fourteen ends up on once he flees the Federation. He's a great guy, scared to death of the soldier in his exosuit, but tolerant enough to give him the benefit of the doubt when he sees he rescued a baby girl. Connell's emerging feelings confuse him at first, but as soon as he figures Fourteen is interested, he becomes unstoppable. The life they share is beautiful, and the only real problem is that Fourteen doesn’t age (due to his solar-powered suit and cybernetic implants). Even that obstacle can be overcome, but you'll have to read the story to find out the details.
If you like brilliant imagination and very creative science fiction that takes you to a time far, far away from ours, if you enjoy reading about the blurring of the lines between man and machine, and if you're looking for a read filled with emotion, great insights, and a wonderful love story, then you will probably like this free short story as much as I did. It's one of the best science fiction books I have read so far this year.
September 13, 2013
Everything good, and sweet, and beautiful about love is here. Everything. Told in an uncomplicated, sensible, intelligent way.
The ending? Talk about a true HEA. It's the second one I read in recent weeks. Which makes me very happy. But not happier than
The ending? Talk about a true HEA. It's the second one I read in recent weeks. Which makes me very happy. But not happier than
August 15, 2016
I really enjoyed the first 75% of this sweet romance. Unfortunately I didn't like the sudden rush through the years and the further course of the story while the remaining 25% of the book.
The epilogue was a nice idea though.
3,5 stars
The epilogue was a nice idea though.
3,5 stars
April 13, 2017
Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love Has No Boundaries Anthology: Volume 12. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!
OK, that epilogue bumped this from a 4 to 4.5 stars! Creative, sweet, different, and pretty much as complete a story arc as one could hope for!
Eden's story In Dreams from last years event, Love Is Always Write: Volume Five, was good too if you wanna check out more of her work!
November 26, 2017
Would have been much better if it had been longer and more developed
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 4/10
This is a creative story idea that practically begs to be a full-length novel or at the very least, a 100-page novella. At the length it is, time flies by at such a pace that everything seems incredibly rushed--the backstory, the men’s meeting, their entire relationship, the rest of their lives… There’s almost no conflict because of the story’s pacing. (There are actually several small conflicts, but because Winters packs so much into so little space, the exploration of those conflicts is over almost immediately after they begin.)
I think this had the potential to be quite good if it had been developed more. (Much more.) I tend to prefer longer stories anyway, but particularly here, I felt as though the latter half of the story, in particular, was woefully underdeveloped.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 4/10
This is a creative story idea that practically begs to be a full-length novel or at the very least, a 100-page novella. At the length it is, time flies by at such a pace that everything seems incredibly rushed--the backstory, the men’s meeting, their entire relationship, the rest of their lives… There’s almost no conflict because of the story’s pacing. (There are actually several small conflicts, but because Winters packs so much into so little space, the exploration of those conflicts is over almost immediately after they begin.)
I think this had the potential to be quite good if it had been developed more. (Much more.) I tend to prefer longer stories anyway, but particularly here, I felt as though the latter half of the story, in particular, was woefully underdeveloped.
July 1, 2013
Loved the setting, the world building, the sentinel himself. I am not sure I get how Connell 'exists', but happy to see these boys together forever, however impossible it might be.
Loved the epilogue too.
Loved the epilogue too.
June 23, 2013
a truly lovely story. Great world building. I loved the last few chapters and the epilogue especially. Thank you, Eden!
June 16, 2024
This story is available for free, as part of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Love Has No Boundaries event.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but it had some flaws. Specifically, I had some problems with the author's writing style, some of the plot choices and the short length did this decades-spanning story no favors.
The early sections from Fourteen's POV were so badly written that I nearly DNF'd but Connell's POV was much better written and Fourteen's POV sections improved once he's spent time with Connell. I think the author didn't know how to write from Fourteen's emotionless soldier perspective but things smoothed out after Fourteen has spent time living with Connell and it makes sense that he's acting more human and less like a programmed machine.
I really liked the setting of the story. The author did a great job conveying the harshness of the coastal area where the MCs spend most of their time. Their lives are very basic and they reminded me of Dark Ages lifestyles so that was a nice touch. The inclusion of baby Pearl was also very well done. The author had a midwife conveniently take the baby during nights that allowed the MCs to move their romance forward, but I thought it was a realistic scenario. Fourteen isn't a safe parental option at the beginning of the story and Connell needs to spend his days fishing in order to put food on their table so they weren't in positions to properly raise a baby. But I did appreciate that .
The story's big downfall is it's length. I liked the worldbuilding and how the author gave the MCs interesting backstories and incorporated details about the universe's history and ways of doing things as the story progressed, but everything was rushed and surface level due to the short length of the story. I would have loved to get more details about everything.
The other issue with the short length is that the story spans many decades, which means the author has to constantly do time skips and many scenes are rushed. I won't say that Fourteen's character development was rushed in terms of the narrative timeline but it did feel rushed when it happened within just a few dozen pages.
I also thought the author went a bit overboard with the angst in this one. Throughout most of the story, the main conflict is that Fourteen is essentially immortal due to his special suit injecting him with stuff and healing him. The difference between this and being a cyborg is important because it meant that the majority of Fourteen's health came from him putting on this suit that directly interacted with his body. He didn't have special implants. So having Fourteen spend nearly the entire book angsting about . Fourteen decides at the very end .
Well, the answer to both of these questions is: it wouldn't have been as angsty if the author had resolved these issues earlier. That's why we have to suffer through the angst fest of .
Asides from the author's unfortunate decisions regarding the conflict plotline and the short length of the story, I did enjoy this unique sci fi romance and it's definitely better than many others out there.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but it had some flaws. Specifically, I had some problems with the author's writing style, some of the plot choices and the short length did this decades-spanning story no favors.
The early sections from Fourteen's POV were so badly written that I nearly DNF'd but Connell's POV was much better written and Fourteen's POV sections improved once he's spent time with Connell. I think the author didn't know how to write from Fourteen's emotionless soldier perspective but things smoothed out after Fourteen has spent time living with Connell and it makes sense that he's acting more human and less like a programmed machine.
I really liked the setting of the story. The author did a great job conveying the harshness of the coastal area where the MCs spend most of their time. Their lives are very basic and they reminded me of Dark Ages lifestyles so that was a nice touch. The inclusion of baby Pearl was also very well done. The author had a midwife conveniently take the baby during nights that allowed the MCs to move their romance forward, but I thought it was a realistic scenario. Fourteen isn't a safe parental option at the beginning of the story and Connell needs to spend his days fishing in order to put food on their table so they weren't in positions to properly raise a baby. But I did appreciate that .
The story's big downfall is it's length. I liked the worldbuilding and how the author gave the MCs interesting backstories and incorporated details about the universe's history and ways of doing things as the story progressed, but everything was rushed and surface level due to the short length of the story. I would have loved to get more details about everything.
The other issue with the short length is that the story spans many decades, which means the author has to constantly do time skips and many scenes are rushed. I won't say that Fourteen's character development was rushed in terms of the narrative timeline but it did feel rushed when it happened within just a few dozen pages.
I also thought the author went a bit overboard with the angst in this one. Throughout most of the story, the main conflict is that Fourteen is essentially immortal due to his special suit injecting him with stuff and healing him. The difference between this and being a cyborg is important because it meant that the majority of Fourteen's health came from him putting on this suit that directly interacted with his body. He didn't have special implants. So having Fourteen spend nearly the entire book angsting about . Fourteen decides at the very end .
Well, the answer to both of these questions is: it wouldn't have been as angsty if the author had resolved these issues earlier. That's why we have to suffer through the angst fest of .
Asides from the author's unfortunate decisions regarding the conflict plotline and the short length of the story, I did enjoy this unique sci fi romance and it's definitely better than many others out there.
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