Kat Stans always knew she wanted to be a doctor. Davd Palfy always knew he wasn't about to get truly involved with anyone. The computer that runs the colony has other ideas for both of them. When Kat is assigned by the head of the Enforcers to hunt down and return a 'shirker'-any colonist who tries to escape the computer's authority-she sets out to complete her assignment. This shirker, Davd, a handsome and mysterious fellow enforcer, is more than she bargained for, and sparks fly when he turns the tables on her, capturing and kidnapping her away from all she knows.
Donna writes science fiction, paranormal and small town romances about women coming into their strength and having the courage to find and accept love.
Now that she has retired from going into an office every day, she created an office at home and writes full time. Talk about living the dream!
She was the girl at the party who was yearning for the quiet corner and a book to read (go Rory Gilmore!), and has been writing in her head since she learned to read. Getting those stories down on paper (or in her laptop) has been more fun than she ever imagined it could be.
The possibilities of science fiction have always drawn her and she’s read them all, there just needed to be a little more romance in them. She finally got up the courage to write them herself and is delighted to be able to share these stories with you.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter of RWA and the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.
The stagnated colony theme was interesting and somewhat unique, although elements felt borrowed from the dystopian Wool series. Kat's loneliness is palpable at times, and I loved the interplay of close family and friends. Given how the book started, I was surprised Puter wasn't a more malevolent presence. A great deal of this novel felt young adult turned into new adult, complete with awkward sexual situations. The romance didn't click for me, but I thought the suspense regarding the thwarted planetary expansion was interesting.
In Rth Rising, Donna Steele creates interesting characters in a daunting computer-controlled environment. When protagonist, Kat, is assigned to find and return a run-away to their domed compound, her quarry takes her in a new direction, and gives the young woman--and Steele's readers--a new perspective.
After the destruction of the planet Rth and the creation of a new place to live on the planet M-27A, Puter, the computer, is keeping busy setting the number of children everyone is allowed as well as the careers their lives will follow.
Everything anyone needed was provided by Puter.
The original colonists had him programmed on Rth.
Kat’s grandfather, Chi, discovers that Puter is already on the task of decreasing the population; Puter has a program installed by somebody who did not want the colonization to happen. When Chi tries to uninstall the program, Puter kills him.
Kat has always wanted to be a doctor like her grandmother, so when Puter sets her path as enforcer and removes her right to have babies, she is devastated.
"43035KPS, Kat Stans," Puter intoned. "Enforcer, no children."
As if that wasn't shattering enough, Kat’s parents split soon afterward.
Davd Palfy, an enforcer, has had a traumatic childhood, so when he discovers that there are people escaping Puter and living independent of the dictates, he decides to help more people escape. He balks at his life-script now forcing him to have a child Puter designates for him. When he disappears, Kat is sent to find him and bring him back. Things don't go as planned, however. He is the one who captures her and decides to keep her for his own.
"You're not ready to travel yet. You need to eat. Replace the blood you lost." "I didn't know you cared," he said, his voice sounded low, sexy. "I don't. But I don't know the way home without you." "Ahh," he placed his hand over his heart. "You wound me." "Not as much as the liger did."
Rth Rising is an interesting book and I liked some of the interactions between the characters, like the example above. However, the book’s style proved to be a bit boring: too much unimportant information disseminated slowed it down. While it had some futuristic elements in it, there were some elements from the supposed Rth that were clearly from Earth, like the fairy tales (Cinderella, Les Miserables, Treasure Island, etc.). I rate it 3 stars.