Recently, I reviewed another story by this author entitled The Photo Jumper. It was a great first novel, and I loved it. Remember Me,
Tony's second novel, raises the bar and presents a story a reader can become
completely absorbed in.
I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't let go until I got all the
way to the end. Tony combines a time travel story with a romance, creating a
dilemma for one of the two principal characters, Eli Leb.
This tale opens in a dystopian future and moves to the present time and then
progresses at a rapid pace, which left me exhausted by the end. It isn't a long
book at around 130 pages for the Kindle edition. However, for that short
length, there is a lot of character development, action, and suspense.
Eli Leb starts out as a young man learning the art of survival from his
mother and her colleagues at a military base near Boston. The Earth has been
ruined, and survivors are forced to forage for supplies. When they leave the
base perimeter, the people who have survived are in danger of being set upon by
victims of a man-made plague that turns them into what are called
"Lurkers." Eli learns not only about survival, but studies numerous
disciplines, including heavy doses of science.
When Eli comes of age, he is selected to take a one-way trip back in time to
stop the development of the plague by stopping Dr. Edrie Kazimira, the
scientist who is blamed for the release of the contagion that plagues the
dwindling population in the future.
Upon arrival, Eli is confronted by a world he could only dream about as a
young man and sees that everything is not as he originally envisioned. Dr.
Kazimira appears not to be the mad scientist Eli learned about as a youngster,
not by a long shot.
One of the many high points of Remember Me is character development.
Everything is not revealed all at once, especially for Edrie. We learn about
her in the same way Eli does, just a little at a time through most of the
story. Eli learns about himself, and Edrie experiences a lot of great growth as
their relationship grows. All is not smooth for these two people, who have
issues in their past they want to keep to themselves, but eventually, the
secrets have to come out.
But there is also a wildcard in the mix. That's all you get on that - read
the book.
My favorite plot point is Eli's dilemma. He has been charged with saving the
future of all of humanity by stopping Edrie from completing her task and
creating a contagion that will end humanity. But he finds Edrie is not the mad
scientist he was led to believe, and after a time, he even falls for her.
Edrie's journey takes a little more time because she is pinpoint focused on
completing her task. This causes a lot of uncomfortable moments for the couple,
but the reader cannot help but hope that all will work out in the end.
Eli's dilemma is the main theme and what drives the story forward.
My takeaway from Remember Me is to remember that the sacrifices one
makes now can greatly impact the successes in the future. Live today but also
live for tomorrow.
Tony Bible is only beginning to publish stories to fascinate and entertain.
This is an author who bears watching. His tales are thoughtful and inspiring,
and I look forward to his future work.
Remember Me is a great story in which the author explores people and
how they deal with dilemmas in their lives, and how choices can affect what
happens in the days to come. The characters are realistic people who have goals
that often are not compatible. The world-building is well done, and Eli's
discoveries about the distant past make this a highly entertaining tale. The
details of this story are amazing, and the science presented results from
painstaking research on the author's part. The romantic aspects are plausible
and not over the top; there are times when things move smoothly, and there are
some bumps in the road, as would be expected in real life.
Highest Recommendations for Remember Me!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing stories like no other.
Tony’s passion is writing science fiction and fantasy with an emotional
punch. Raised with humble beginnings in Georgia, his early childhood limited
travel. The only way to experience other places was with voracious reading and
imagination. He draws inspiration from fantasy/fiction genres, dreams, comics,
the supernatural, and roleplaying games. He applies his degree in world history
to deliver relatable but unpredictable storytelling that readers demand.
Tony is never not writing, but breaks away to burn new recipes in the
kitchen, neglect chores to obsess over football, and play with his dog. He is
based in San Antonio, TX, happily married, raising two children and works in
the financial industry.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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