Stealthy Steps

From Goodreads:

“My name is Gemma Keyes. Other than my name, I am utterly forgettable--so those who never paid much attention to me in the first place haven't exactly noticed that I've disappeared. Vanished. Oh, it's much more complicated than it sounds. And let me tell you, invisibility comes with its own set of problems.

I should tell you about Dr. Samuel Bickel, world-renowned nanophysicist. We used to work together, but I'll be candid with you: He's supposed to be dead. Well, he's not. (Imagine my surprise.) Instead of the proverbial "six feet under," he's subsisting in an abandoned devolution cavern beneath the old Manzano Weapons Storage Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base here in Albuquerque.

"I need to show you what I'm protecting here, Gemma," he insisted.

I stared into the clear glass case. I could hear . . . humming, clicking, buzzing. A faint haze inside the box shifted. Dissolved. Came back together. It reminded me of how mercury, when released on a plate, will flow and form new shapes. Only this, this thing was flowing and forming in midair.

"Do you see them?" Dr. Bickel asked.

"Them?" I was confused. My mouth opened to a stunned "o" as the silver haze resolved into blue letters.

H E L L O

Dr. Bickel hadn't pressed any buttons. Hadn't said anything to them. Hadn't gestured.

He grinned. "Ah. They've noticed you. They know they haven't seen you before."

"Well, I wish they wouldn't notice me!"


And I need to warn you about General Cushing. The rank and name likely conjure images of a lean but muscled old soldier, posture rigid, face cemented in unyielding lines, iron-gray hair cut high and tight.

Let me disabuse you of that impression.

General Imogene Cushing is short and a tiny bit plump. She wears her silvered hair in an elegant braid knotted at the nape of her neck, and she knows how to smile sweetly.

With the deadliest of sharks...

You wouldn't suspect a two-star general, an Air Force O-8, of being a traitor, would you?”


~~~~~
Stealthy Steps was an intriguing read. The tone is very informal and personable, which works with the diary-like feel of the entire narrative, and gives Gemma a very distinct voice and personality. I was very impressed with how Gemma's past was carefully woven into the narrative and clearly showed how those events drove her actions and influenced her need to be resourceful.

There is some very dense scientific information dumping in the first few chapters, but even Gemma calls Dr. Bickel on it and it became part of his personality. I would have liked to see more of their non-conflict interactions, just to establish their relationship a little better.

The genre itself--Christian science fiction--was bound to be somewhat compelling, due to the juxtapositions of faith versus tangible discovery, but what I really enjoyed was that Gemma was a lapsed Christian who struggled with the situation she found herself in and what it meant for her life. Her doubt leaves room for character growth in the next few books, as she becomes more sure of herself and the circumstances she's now forced to live in. Overall, this story is interesting and I will happily read the sequels.


Gentle Reader Alert:I found nothing of concern.