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The Wildcat’s Burden
Written by: Christopher Hoare
Science fiction / Fiction / Time travel
Rated: Very Good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton

Gisel Matah is back! She has a public and powerful leadership role now that has her in the center of the action, but can she handle the responsibility and her personal life, too?

Gisel proved herself as a reliable and crafty soldier at a young age. She’s since been promoted in the ranks, and now has a governorship in her twenties. Being a woman in charge of an entire populous in a world where men rule and women obey causes conflict on its own. Creating alliances and dealing with men in powerful positions is a daily challenge for Gisel, as is having to keep secrets from her husband.

The Wildcat’s Burden is full of action. Allies and enemies and traitors and underground supports fill every page of this adventure that plays out over a handful of weeks. It’s hard to know who to trust, and when the reader thinks he has it figured out, another twist comes into play. It’s a personified chess game, where any move can be counter attacked in a moment and the final champion isn’t clear until all the dust settles.

This story takes off on the first page and doesn’t let up until the last word. So many characters in this novel bear a “burden” to help the cause they believe in, whether rightly or wrongly, but the reader can only admire their passionate stance and watch to see how the scenarios play out.

Author Christopher Hoare has created a unique world that mixes futuristic technology with a time before technology. It’s an interesting mix of a future world with a new world as Gisel and her people from the Iskander try to find a way to live on the young Gaian planet. Hoare has developed the female protagonist to be wise beyond her years. She’s intelligent, strategic, and yet still a woman. The entire novel is visual and intriguing. Never a dull moment.

This is Christopher Hoare’s fourth novel in the Iskander series. Arrival is the beginning of Gisel’s adventure, currently followed by Deadly Enterprise and continuing with The Wildcat’s Victory. The books don’t have to be read in order to enjoy the overall storyline, but allows for insight into characters that move with Gisel through time.

Chris Hoare writes full time and lives in Alberta, Canada at the eastern edge of the Rockies with his wife of almost 40 years, Shirley, and two shelter dogs.

I recommend reading The Wildcat’s Burden if you enjoy exploring old worlds with a modern twist, time travel, military strategy, and a bit of romance. The Wildcat’s Burden is a great story that gives the reader the scoop behind Gisel’s life.

Title: The Wildcat’s Burden
Author: Christopher Hoare
Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-55404-729-1
Pages: 271
Price: $5.99