jbronderbookreviews

Shepherd of Destiny by Kiel Barnekov

The Force of Evil has continuously attempted to complete the destruction of humankind since the dawn of time. Certain events throughout history that could have gone very wrong have been shepherded to good outcomes. This is the story of how Good overcomes Evil, one event at a time.In the year 2028, Kristian Barnett, billionaire through inheritance of his parent’s estate, and CEO of Barnett Industries which develops, manufactures, and implements advanced transportation systems globally, falls ill at the age of thirty-three with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Dr. Savannah Richards, Neurosurgeon and Research Scientist at the Stanford Neuroscience Health Center has developed a means to preserve the brain of a patient whose body has been irrecoverably destroyed but whose brain is unharmed. Concurrently, Dr. Ansley Barnett, wife of Kristian Barnett, is leading the development of a cyborg body indistinguishable from a human body for DARPA. Soon after Kristian’s brain is removed and placed in stasis, he is approached by The Guardian. The Guardian is a spiritual being who watches for timelines that are going astray and threatening the existence of humanity. The Guardian enlists Kristian’s mind, untethered from his corporeal body, to control the actions of individuals key in keeping a timeline on its predestined course. In his current spiritual state, Kristian is able to travel to any period in the past or the future with The Guardian in order to affect changes to a timeline gone astray.With Kristian’s spirit in tow, The Guardian travels back in time to the U.S. Civil War to counter a threat to the timeline in which the Union won the war is in jeopardy. Should Kristian fail to complete his assignment from The Guardian, the history of the United States is changed and the country will not survive World War II.Aaron Adams, also suffering from advanced ALS in the year 2038, is approved for Dr. Savannah Richard’s brain preservation procedure. But prior to the procedure his mind is scanned and stored for download to a cyborg body. Aaron is approached by The Guardian as his mind is also separated from his corporeal body. His assignment from The Guardian confronts a rift in time that threatens the outcome of World War II, and ultimately, the free world.Kristian Barnett and Aaron Adams, under the guidance of The Guardian then travel forward to the year 2052. The founding CEO of a high-tech information management company and two multi-billion-dollar telecommunication moguls have developed a new smartphone supporting an advanced communications technology. This technology enables the ability to control a user’s thoughts and actions without the knowledge or consent of the user. The new smartphone and communications technology are promoted to the Military as a means of controlling the actions of an enemy. The intent of the billionaire cabal is to use the technology to ultimately establish a dystopian world in which the billionaire elites and their ruling class government puppets would live in opulence while the masses were enslaved to serve their masters. Aaron and Kristian must disrupt a demonstration of the technology to senior government officials including the Secretary of Defense. The threat of human domination by evil tyrants is far from over and the eternal battles between good and evil continue.

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About the Author

Kiel Barnekov, was born in 1951 in Washington D.C. His father was a federal government intelligence executive and captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve. His mother was a federal government employee at several agencies. His paternal ancestors were Swedish nobility who immigrated to the United States in 1840. His maternal ancestors immigrated from Ireland. Mr. Barnekov grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from George Mason University. He is now living in Ormond Beach, Florida, having realized his long-time dream of living near the ocean.

On his website – http://www.KielBarnekov.com he shares that even as a young child he was always conjuring up stories and filling them with colorful characters, sharing them with anyone and everyone who would listen. Although his career was in airline and airport technology, with his family’s support, he has returned to his creative roots. As a professional storyteller, he is adept at using imaginative thinking and creative flair to bring his stories to life in engaging and entertaining ways.

Mr. Barnekov’s first book, Shepherds of Destiny, is available on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback.

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My Review

5 Stars

Kristian Barnett and Aaron Adams are two men with severe cases of ALS that are many years apart. Although their bodies are compromised their brains are not. They both go through a procedure to remove their brains and place them in cyborgs. But they find when they are no longer in their bodies they are contacted by a being called The Guardian.

The Guardian keeps the timelines running on the same course to keep evil from ruling the world. The men are given a task to go back to the Civil War and World War II to keep everything running smoothly. But their own timelines are about to be affected when the technology for placing the brains in the cyborgs is threatened.

Billionaire Kristian is suffering from ALS but with the help of his scientist wife has the potential to regain his life again. Of course the military is going to pull the project, even if it was Kristian’s money that funded it. I loved this part of the story. There is so much thought put into this that I could see it happening in ten years in real life.

Then there are the timelines. It is amazing to me how one even can be pivotal in the world and how just one little thing could have changed history for the worse. I love how we see this in two separate timelines. It really drives home how important little things in history really are.

This is an amazing story. It has a little bit of every gerera in it. The medical knowledge of ALS, the scifi bit of cyborgs, and I loved the history of each timeline. This is one heck of a ride and one I recommend checking out. For a first book I admit that I was blown away.

I would like to thank Sherri Rosen for the opportunity to read and share this book.