What do you think?
Rate this book
Nel Bently #2
Drifters
Archaeologist Nel Bently left Chile in the wake of murder, vandalism and UFO sightings. No sooner has the school semester started when cops are at her door. Accused of a murder she’s not certain is her fault, Nel has no choice but to go on the run. She starts a game of connect-the-dots across North America following her gut and clues left by her elusive alien-benefactor-turned-almost-girlfriend.
Running from the law isn’t easy with her field pack and a handful of scorned exes to depend on. Between starvation, untraceable texts, and a harrowing journey through the wilderness, Nel is forced to question everything about the science she loves and the people she trusted.
Running from the law isn’t easy with her field pack and a handful of scorned exes to depend on. Between starvation, untraceable texts, and a harrowing journey through the wilderness, Nel is forced to question everything about the science she loves and the people she trusted.
- GenresScience Fiction
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2016
16 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
V.S. Holmes
28 books75 followersV. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author of dark, speculative fiction, from fast-paced hard sci-fi to slow-burn gothic fantasy and everything in between. He has two finished series: Stars Edge: Nel Bently Books, a queer archaeological sci-fi, and the dark fantasy Blood of Titans. Smoke and Rain, the award-winning first book in his fantasy quartet, became an international bestseller in 2018. Travelers is also included in the Peregrine Moon Lander mission as part of the Writers on the Moon Time Capsule. In addition, he writes game content for Stone Blade Entertainment and published short fiction in several anthologies.
He is currently working on a folk horror, inspired by death, sex, and their Frisian and Celtic heritage.
Beyond the keyboard, he lives in western Massachusetts, and like to garden, feed the birds, and watch the river change with the seasons. V worked as a contract archaeologist for over a decade before becoming an electrician. V is a trans guy, among other flavors of queer, and married to a fellow archaeologist. They enjoy quiet evenings with food, games, and films with a sweet lab-rottweiler, Rory and the not-so-quiet brown mutt, Millie.
He is currently working on a folk horror, inspired by death, sex, and their Frisian and Celtic heritage.
Beyond the keyboard, he lives in western Massachusetts, and like to garden, feed the birds, and watch the river change with the seasons. V worked as a contract archaeologist for over a decade before becoming an electrician. V is a trans guy, among other flavors of queer, and married to a fellow archaeologist. They enjoy quiet evenings with food, games, and films with a sweet lab-rottweiler, Rory and the not-so-quiet brown mutt, Millie.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 16, 2019
“When there's nothing but darkness on the horizon you have one choice: fight or fall. These incredible authors delve into seven all-too-possible futures.” Their blurb should set the tone for you – a serious collection of amazingly great stories, all gathered by some very talented authors. Below is one of my favorites included in this collection! Lots of variety here, so be ready to fully enjoy!
*** Reviewing “ROOKIE” by SJ Bryant ***
Nova tightened the final bolt in the Falcon-X engine, one of the biggest ships in the garage, as her Class 4 Laborbot Cal confirmed that everything was working. The mechanic next to her asked why she didn’t let the laborbot do the work and Cal immediately responded that they were a team. Actually, Nova considered Cal her best friend, one who never let her down. She went to Koba’s office to get paid for her work – rent was due and she was in a hurry to get back to her ship so she could search for more Bounty Hunter jobs, earn a good reputation, and maybe one day be accepted into the legendary Bounty Hunter guild: The Jagged Maw. Koba threw a credstick at her, but 100 credits were missing! He had reduced her pay because she took 2 weeks to rebuild the entire engine – even though he told her it only needed an oil change. He had lied to her! Regardless, she needed the full 300 credits to pay her rent! He warned her the authorities would take his side, and she knew it was true and walked out.
Axel, a 10-year-old street urchin, fell into step with Nova. He offered to help find work, but she didn’t want to owe him so she headed to the dangerous labor yards. He went too to keep an eye on her, he said. The employers offered hardly any pay for the work. She needed 100 credits, not 3 or 4! And she had to have it by the end of the day! She had to look elsewhere.
Still short on the money she needs for her spaceship parking rent – and she’ll lose her spaceship if she can’t pay it -- Nova works out a deal to complete a very risky and probably illegal job. But she is tricked over and over by the criminals she is forced to confront in her efforts to save her few remaining possessions. Her survival is at stake, and the only friends left in her life are a scrawny urchin she isn’t sure about, her Class 4 Laborbot with an attitude, and the AI that operates her spaceship. Is this enough to get past her current dilemma, or does she need to find a way to do the right thing no matter what?
An awesome story with characters you will not forget! The reader will be instantly hooked on these fabulous stories! And there are more where these came from!
*** Reviewing “ROOKIE” by SJ Bryant ***
Nova tightened the final bolt in the Falcon-X engine, one of the biggest ships in the garage, as her Class 4 Laborbot Cal confirmed that everything was working. The mechanic next to her asked why she didn’t let the laborbot do the work and Cal immediately responded that they were a team. Actually, Nova considered Cal her best friend, one who never let her down. She went to Koba’s office to get paid for her work – rent was due and she was in a hurry to get back to her ship so she could search for more Bounty Hunter jobs, earn a good reputation, and maybe one day be accepted into the legendary Bounty Hunter guild: The Jagged Maw. Koba threw a credstick at her, but 100 credits were missing! He had reduced her pay because she took 2 weeks to rebuild the entire engine – even though he told her it only needed an oil change. He had lied to her! Regardless, she needed the full 300 credits to pay her rent! He warned her the authorities would take his side, and she knew it was true and walked out.
Axel, a 10-year-old street urchin, fell into step with Nova. He offered to help find work, but she didn’t want to owe him so she headed to the dangerous labor yards. He went too to keep an eye on her, he said. The employers offered hardly any pay for the work. She needed 100 credits, not 3 or 4! And she had to have it by the end of the day! She had to look elsewhere.
Still short on the money she needs for her spaceship parking rent – and she’ll lose her spaceship if she can’t pay it -- Nova works out a deal to complete a very risky and probably illegal job. But she is tricked over and over by the criminals she is forced to confront in her efforts to save her few remaining possessions. Her survival is at stake, and the only friends left in her life are a scrawny urchin she isn’t sure about, her Class 4 Laborbot with an attitude, and the AI that operates her spaceship. Is this enough to get past her current dilemma, or does she need to find a way to do the right thing no matter what?
An awesome story with characters you will not forget! The reader will be instantly hooked on these fabulous stories! And there are more where these came from!
January 15, 2019
Another clever and cocksure tale
Holmes pulls it off again with her absolutely driven Nel. Nothing, from hypothermia to the FBI, is going to stop this girl. Grit, friendship and deciding what to fight for when the future is bleak gives this a surprising emotional oomph to layer over the down-to-earth survival story.
I read it straight through and wanted more.
Holmes pulls it off again with her absolutely driven Nel. Nothing, from hypothermia to the FBI, is going to stop this girl. Grit, friendship and deciding what to fight for when the future is bleak gives this a surprising emotional oomph to layer over the down-to-earth survival story.
I read it straight through and wanted more.
August 2, 2019
Charged with a murder she didn't commit (or perhaps did, she can't quite remember) Nel Bently goes on the run from the law. With only the barest of directions from her former patron, the IDH (Institute for the Development of Humanity) she makes her way north without knowing exactly where it is they want her to go. While trying to keep a low profile, she has to use all her skills to survive the wilderness.
This is another breathtaking adventure in the Nel Bently series. There's less of the nitty gritty of archaeology in this book compared to Travelers, but it's still a fun read. A little less Indiana Jones, a little more X-Files, I would say. And that's not a bad direction to go in at all.
Nel is grieving and angry, ready to lash out at the whole world, but she realises she may have to rely on other people to survive. This is hard for her. But she just won't give up.
The ending made me really look forward to the next book in this series.
This is another breathtaking adventure in the Nel Bently series. There's less of the nitty gritty of archaeology in this book compared to Travelers, but it's still a fun read. A little less Indiana Jones, a little more X-Files, I would say. And that's not a bad direction to go in at all.
Nel is grieving and angry, ready to lash out at the whole world, but she realises she may have to rely on other people to survive. This is hard for her. But she just won't give up.
The ending made me really look forward to the next book in this series.
May 17, 2017
As I have come to expect from Ms. Holmes, she has surely delivered an action packed gut wrenching and emotional roller coaster ride with this second installment of the Nel Bently Series.
Following Nel as she runs from the police, nearly starves to death, and finally, prepares for the job of a lifetime, this book left me wanting more and feeling like I needed an emotional rest.
The survival aspects of the first half of this story were well planned and realistic, though I wished the author would have given us a little bit more here. A little bit more emotion and deeper descriptions.
I really enjoyed learning more about Nel’s past, including her inability to commit to a relationship even when she truly cares about the woman she was with.
Once the survival part was over I thought the story might lag but was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events and the intense emotions. I cannot wait to read the next book. I need to know what happens to Dr. Bently when this light sci-fi amps it up in the next installment!
Following Nel as she runs from the police, nearly starves to death, and finally, prepares for the job of a lifetime, this book left me wanting more and feeling like I needed an emotional rest.
The survival aspects of the first half of this story were well planned and realistic, though I wished the author would have given us a little bit more here. A little bit more emotion and deeper descriptions.
I really enjoyed learning more about Nel’s past, including her inability to commit to a relationship even when she truly cares about the woman she was with.
Once the survival part was over I thought the story might lag but was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events and the intense emotions. I cannot wait to read the next book. I need to know what happens to Dr. Bently when this light sci-fi amps it up in the next installment!
Read
April 18, 2025Hello! I wanted to share a bit of the inspiration and content warnings for this book! Nel's adventures are archaeological sci-fi following a lesbian archaeologist as she explores, dismantles, and decolonizes her field and her world. I wanted to explore what it means to be human, and how where we come from--both as a species and as individuals--impacts where we're going. Drifters picks up shortly after the first book and follows Nel through the wilderness of New England and the far wilder landscape of grief and isolation.
Content warnings:
- action violence (gunfights, threats)
- grief
- adult language
- law enforcement
- consensual w/w sex
- consensual sex with a small age gap
- food poisoning/illness
- minor amputation
- descriptions of dead animals (hunting)
- alcohol use
Content warnings:
- action violence (gunfights, threats)
- grief
- adult language
- law enforcement
- consensual w/w sex
- consensual sex with a small age gap
- food poisoning/illness
- minor amputation
- descriptions of dead animals (hunting)
- alcohol use
February 15, 2022
After the ending of the previous book, ‘Travelers‘, that hit our hearts, left us confused and eager to know more, V. S. Holmes comes back to the story without fan-fair, and what we mean by this is that the author throws memories of the deaths on the first book, the conflicts inside Nel and her duties as a teacher to the reader with full force.
The author can make and does an excellent job when it comes to portraying emotions and making the reader connect with the characters and their feelings.
The atmosphere of the book changes with dynamism and when many characters are in the same scene, we can feel the conflicts of interest between them and how differently they manage situations. Impressive!
OK!!! You won’t have to wait long for the book to go full-gear thriller and mystery as the “what-the-hell is happening here?!” factor hits the fan. Is someone is trying to frame Nel, or did she kill the victim without being there?
If it was her, why is she receiving cryptic texts from the Institute telling her to keep running from the cops? Are they trying to help? If so, how? Where’s Lin and does she has something to do with this whole situation? Is she going to come back to Nel? Is she going to save her? Is she even trying to help? There’s a lot for us to discover in this book, and all while trying to keep pace with our awesome MC. Anything is possible at this point, and with this book.
The tense humor and sarcasm are very present in this book, to relieve the high level of thriller in the book. That, and to relief the level of Nel’s anger, that we finally get to see in full throttle.
The coping mechanism that Nel uses when it comes to Mickey is understandable, sometimes funny, but it makes us raise questions. Is Mickey really dead, or is it Nel’s imagination? We will see.
We have a pure, unaltered thriller on our hands, with chases and running all the time, unplanned fugitive hiking, wounds, wolves and coyotes and lots of angry cursing to keep our MC’s live, and sanity, intact, for the most part.
V. S. Holmes made a great job here. Not only on the thriller department, but also in the realness of it all. When it came to the running, chasing and the woods, the author did make it look exhausting and dangerous. With description of bruises, close encounters with Death, sometimes in the dumbest ways, the pain, the sore muscles, the hunger, everything you can, and can’t, imagine, told in detail. AWESOME! You will feel miserable for Nel. Oh god, so much suffering for one person.
There are precious little mentions here that required heavy research, like the influence of the weather on the battery, how the human body functions in starvation, the rationing of the water bottle and the time it would end, the honey and the peanut butter, the stomach tightness and the vomit, little things that do not pass unnoticed on the eye of an engaged reader.
Oh, we loved how the big plot twist came on the book, and to our surprise, quite early too, and how well crafted and disguised it was. Behind all the tension, all the running, it came out from nowhere! LOOOOOOVVEEEE IT! Ingenious! And we have to say that twice, as the author pulls the stunt again, turning the book to a completely different direction, up, towards space. LOL
A razor-sharp story where our MC runs, barefoot on top of the blade. Excellently told, as we can feel every emotion, every droplet of panic on the dangerous scenes in the book!
This book is AWESOME! One of those you can’t turn your eyes away from. *Claps*. Mysterious characters that we know already but somehow are completely new, love stories, heartbreak, exes, chase, bullets, wounds and infection, rotten meat, the FBI and… sexy aliens. HA! Original in so many ways. Deep, solid, gripping, heart warming, heart-breaking and with steamy doses of lesbian sex. Oh, and curses. Lots of curses. What is there not to love?!
Still thinking? Grab your copy now! Hahahahahahah.
The author can make and does an excellent job when it comes to portraying emotions and making the reader connect with the characters and their feelings.
The atmosphere of the book changes with dynamism and when many characters are in the same scene, we can feel the conflicts of interest between them and how differently they manage situations. Impressive!
OK!!! You won’t have to wait long for the book to go full-gear thriller and mystery as the “what-the-hell is happening here?!” factor hits the fan. Is someone is trying to frame Nel, or did she kill the victim without being there?
If it was her, why is she receiving cryptic texts from the Institute telling her to keep running from the cops? Are they trying to help? If so, how? Where’s Lin and does she has something to do with this whole situation? Is she going to come back to Nel? Is she going to save her? Is she even trying to help? There’s a lot for us to discover in this book, and all while trying to keep pace with our awesome MC. Anything is possible at this point, and with this book.
The tense humor and sarcasm are very present in this book, to relieve the high level of thriller in the book. That, and to relief the level of Nel’s anger, that we finally get to see in full throttle.
The coping mechanism that Nel uses when it comes to Mickey is understandable, sometimes funny, but it makes us raise questions. Is Mickey really dead, or is it Nel’s imagination? We will see.
We have a pure, unaltered thriller on our hands, with chases and running all the time, unplanned fugitive hiking, wounds, wolves and coyotes and lots of angry cursing to keep our MC’s live, and sanity, intact, for the most part.
V. S. Holmes made a great job here. Not only on the thriller department, but also in the realness of it all. When it came to the running, chasing and the woods, the author did make it look exhausting and dangerous. With description of bruises, close encounters with Death, sometimes in the dumbest ways, the pain, the sore muscles, the hunger, everything you can, and can’t, imagine, told in detail. AWESOME! You will feel miserable for Nel. Oh god, so much suffering for one person.
There are precious little mentions here that required heavy research, like the influence of the weather on the battery, how the human body functions in starvation, the rationing of the water bottle and the time it would end, the honey and the peanut butter, the stomach tightness and the vomit, little things that do not pass unnoticed on the eye of an engaged reader.
Oh, we loved how the big plot twist came on the book, and to our surprise, quite early too, and how well crafted and disguised it was. Behind all the tension, all the running, it came out from nowhere! LOOOOOOVVEEEE IT! Ingenious! And we have to say that twice, as the author pulls the stunt again, turning the book to a completely different direction, up, towards space. LOL
A razor-sharp story where our MC runs, barefoot on top of the blade. Excellently told, as we can feel every emotion, every droplet of panic on the dangerous scenes in the book!
This book is AWESOME! One of those you can’t turn your eyes away from. *Claps*. Mysterious characters that we know already but somehow are completely new, love stories, heartbreak, exes, chase, bullets, wounds and infection, rotten meat, the FBI and… sexy aliens. HA! Original in so many ways. Deep, solid, gripping, heart warming, heart-breaking and with steamy doses of lesbian sex. Oh, and curses. Lots of curses. What is there not to love?!
Still thinking? Grab your copy now! Hahahahahahah.
February 21, 2021
The Review
A fantastic elevation of the first book, this sequel really delves into Nel as a hero as she must fight for her very survival. Still reeling from the loss of a beloved friend and uncertain who she can truly trust, Nel is thrust into a situation that forces her to quickly learn to trust and lean on others.
Leaving behind some of the more detailed looks into archeology in this novel and instead of adapting a more X-Files style of storytelling, the author does a great job of building suspense and character growth into this narrative. The action of course jumps off right from the beginning chapters, and readers are given a more personal glimpse into Nel’s mindset and character growth in this sequel. The dialogue between Nel and a figure from her past as she fights for survival becomes some of the more intimate but engaging moments in the narrative, framing the events of the previous novel and the narrative moving forward in a much deeper and more connected light than ever before.
The Verdict
A memorable, thrilling, and heart-pounding read, author V.S. Holmes’s “Drifters” is a must-read sci-fi adventure. The exploration of Nel’s character and how she deals with the pressures set before her make for an interesting character study, while the twists and turns lead readers to an exciting finale that sets up the next adventure in the series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this explosive sequel today!
A fantastic elevation of the first book, this sequel really delves into Nel as a hero as she must fight for her very survival. Still reeling from the loss of a beloved friend and uncertain who she can truly trust, Nel is thrust into a situation that forces her to quickly learn to trust and lean on others.
Leaving behind some of the more detailed looks into archeology in this novel and instead of adapting a more X-Files style of storytelling, the author does a great job of building suspense and character growth into this narrative. The action of course jumps off right from the beginning chapters, and readers are given a more personal glimpse into Nel’s mindset and character growth in this sequel. The dialogue between Nel and a figure from her past as she fights for survival becomes some of the more intimate but engaging moments in the narrative, framing the events of the previous novel and the narrative moving forward in a much deeper and more connected light than ever before.
The Verdict
A memorable, thrilling, and heart-pounding read, author V.S. Holmes’s “Drifters” is a must-read sci-fi adventure. The exploration of Nel’s character and how she deals with the pressures set before her make for an interesting character study, while the twists and turns lead readers to an exciting finale that sets up the next adventure in the series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this explosive sequel today!
January 31, 2019
my rating 3,5 *
I am struggling with this rating, because the book has some excellent parts, and some things that just do not feel right for me.
Why is Nel so annoying at times?
I had some difficulty with the time-line (or is it just me).
The thing is... at the end the story builds up, gives me a promise of a whole new adventure, one that I do not want to miss. Because I'd like to figure out why Nel is the way she is, strong and sensitive, rude and cold, distant to most people and so close to a few. Who is the real Nel?
I guess I might find out in the next book.
I am struggling with this rating, because the book has some excellent parts, and some things that just do not feel right for me.
Why is Nel so annoying at times?
I had some difficulty with the time-line (or is it just me).
The thing is... at the end the story builds up, gives me a promise of a whole new adventure, one that I do not want to miss. Because I'd like to figure out why Nel is the way she is, strong and sensitive, rude and cold, distant to most people and so close to a few. Who is the real Nel?
I guess I might find out in the next book.
April 6, 2021
I've never read any archeology-genre books before, but the Nel Bentley series seems like the plane to stay! Very engaging, and I feel like I was really immersed in Nel's world as she moved from a dig site in Chile (first novel) to the woods of New England.
November 16, 2019
Nel's struggle to stay ahead of the police was really well done. The ending was confusing to me, but overall the book is well done and a fun read.
December 12, 2020
I knew this was an "on the run" book, but it didn't really hit me that this was going to be a survival story. It was still good, survival stories just aren't my favorites.
August 6, 2021
Completely different from book 1, this time Nel is on the run. It's "I shouldn't be Alive" combined with space intervention by aliens. Rollicking.
November 9, 2019
When I bought this (for 99 pence), it consisted of just 5 stories, not 7 as some reviewers reference.
Of these, I scored one at 5 stars, three as 4 stars and one as 3 stars, so an average of 4 stars for the collection.
Not short stories, but full novels, so great value. I'll be seeking out sequels for some of these titles, for sure.
Of these, I scored one at 5 stars, three as 4 stars and one as 3 stars, so an average of 4 stars for the collection.
Not short stories, but full novels, so great value. I'll be seeking out sequels for some of these titles, for sure.
September 30, 2019
A good series of short stories perfect for a few hours reading. New authors for me and I will be looking some of them up. Shame Richard Parry's book wasn't included as the original list said it was in the set - his books are always good.
January 7, 2020
I bought this book because there was a particular author I liked that was included. At publication time, he had been dropped and so had another author. Their stories were the best. The other stories are okay, but didn't really keep my interest.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews