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Sent to Watch
“Sent to watch, but not to affect”—such is the Noninterference Protocol that binds all of the agents in the Interplanetary Intelligence Service, whose mission is to infiltrate leading nations on primitive planets to help the Confederation of Civilized Planets determine when a world is ready to be formally contacted and offered membership in the Confederation.
Unni Vlaytork and her two fellow agents Ori Svavapass and Urelt Sraymlat are assigned to a faction on “Earth 48” known as the British Empire during the Georgian Regency. They find themselves at odds with their agency’s Noninterference Protocol when a cruel and aggressive starfaring empire is discovered in another part of the galaxy. The agents conceive a plan to accelerate the technical development of the planet, hoping to have Earth 48 admitted to the Confederation before the invaders arrive. Two of the agents are to marry, have a son, and groom him to be a future prime minister who would carry out the necessary reforms. The success of the plan hinges on hiding this apparent violation of the Noninterference Protocol from an inflexible superior officer. But there is another complication: both Ori and Urelt are in love with Unni.
Unni Vlaytork and her two fellow agents Ori Svavapass and Urelt Sraymlat are assigned to a faction on “Earth 48” known as the British Empire during the Georgian Regency. They find themselves at odds with their agency’s Noninterference Protocol when a cruel and aggressive starfaring empire is discovered in another part of the galaxy. The agents conceive a plan to accelerate the technical development of the planet, hoping to have Earth 48 admitted to the Confederation before the invaders arrive. Two of the agents are to marry, have a son, and groom him to be a future prime minister who would carry out the necessary reforms. The success of the plan hinges on hiding this apparent violation of the Noninterference Protocol from an inflexible superior officer. But there is another complication: both Ori and Urelt are in love with Unni.
314 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2021
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4 people want to read
About the author
David J. Lebenstein
1 bookDavid J. Lebenstein grew up on Long Island. He is a geoscientist and has worked in the petroleum industry and in environmental remediation. Since his youth, Lebenstein has had an interest in history and planetary science. He is an amateur musician and a composer.
Lebenstein has been married for over thirty-five years and is a father and a grandfather.
Lebenstein has been married for over thirty-five years and is a father and a grandfather.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 18, 2023
Sent to Watch by David J. Lebenstein is a sci-fi book where the central characters come from an interconnected Universe with multiple Earth-like planets. All of these characters - Ori, Unni, Sraymlat, Ortees, Vlaris - are a part of the team of spies assigned to observe the leading nations on Earth 48 (our Earth during the 19th century) by the Interplanetary Confederation. Their mission is to keep an eye on the technical and cultural progress of the planet and to figure out which of the nations on it will emerge as the leader. But they are not allowed to interfere with the trajectory of development on the planet. They have to adhere to the strict Noninterference Protocol of the Interplanetary Confederation that states - Sent to Watch but Not Affect.
The book is about how some of the members of the Earth 48 team choose to ignore the Noninterference Protocol to protect the planet from a hostile empire (the Vittmians). They decide that two of the spies on their team will have a son and groom him to become the Prime Minister of Britain. This PM will then speed up the cultural and technical progress of Earth 48 to allow it to become part of the Confederation of Civilised Planets before being invaded by the Vittmians.
Most of the tension in the book comes from the conflict within the Earth 48 team. Only some members are on board with breaking the noninterference rule. The members also disagree on which nation will emerge as the leader. All of this intrigue and politics, the possibility of an intergalactic war and other challenges that the Earth 48 team members face while trying to put their plan into action make this book a joy to read.
Mr. Lebenstein has succeeded in creating relatable, engaging and lifelike characters. But his writing falls short of bringing the alien worlds in the book to life. There are over 51 Earth-like planets in the book that are members of the Confederation of Civilised Planets, for which Mr. Lebenstein has described the history, culture and other aspects. But it is all too distant, dry and contrived. More detailed descriptions from the point of view of one of the characters in the book would have made this technologically advanced Universe, filled with intelligent life, much more tangible since the whole story is told from the aliens’ point of view.
The other reason the plot feels contrived is the lack of clearly defined technical and cultural levels. The basis for the spy operation and admittance to the confederation are these technical and cultural levels, which Mr. Lebenstein mentions multiple times. But there is no clear description of these levels, not in the glossary or elsewhere in the book. The characters refer to these levels from time to time, and from the dialogue, guesses can be made about what they mean. For example, nuclear capability on a planet means they have achieved Technology Level 10 or Cultural Level 6 means that discrimination based on the colour of one’s skin is prevalent on the planet. But the whole thing would feel much more grounded and less confusing if at least the most relevant levels had clear definitions.
Despite all this, the book isn’t a task to read because the pacing of the book is marvellous. The slow build-up of tension and rising stakes keep one glued to the last page. Unfortunately, the ending doesn’t justify this brilliant build-up. On reading the final page, the thought, “Wait, that’s it?” pops in the head. The book feels incomplete.
I think the book is a fairly entertaining read despite some shortcomings, so I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
The book is about how some of the members of the Earth 48 team choose to ignore the Noninterference Protocol to protect the planet from a hostile empire (the Vittmians). They decide that two of the spies on their team will have a son and groom him to become the Prime Minister of Britain. This PM will then speed up the cultural and technical progress of Earth 48 to allow it to become part of the Confederation of Civilised Planets before being invaded by the Vittmians.
Most of the tension in the book comes from the conflict within the Earth 48 team. Only some members are on board with breaking the noninterference rule. The members also disagree on which nation will emerge as the leader. All of this intrigue and politics, the possibility of an intergalactic war and other challenges that the Earth 48 team members face while trying to put their plan into action make this book a joy to read.
Mr. Lebenstein has succeeded in creating relatable, engaging and lifelike characters. But his writing falls short of bringing the alien worlds in the book to life. There are over 51 Earth-like planets in the book that are members of the Confederation of Civilised Planets, for which Mr. Lebenstein has described the history, culture and other aspects. But it is all too distant, dry and contrived. More detailed descriptions from the point of view of one of the characters in the book would have made this technologically advanced Universe, filled with intelligent life, much more tangible since the whole story is told from the aliens’ point of view.
The other reason the plot feels contrived is the lack of clearly defined technical and cultural levels. The basis for the spy operation and admittance to the confederation are these technical and cultural levels, which Mr. Lebenstein mentions multiple times. But there is no clear description of these levels, not in the glossary or elsewhere in the book. The characters refer to these levels from time to time, and from the dialogue, guesses can be made about what they mean. For example, nuclear capability on a planet means they have achieved Technology Level 10 or Cultural Level 6 means that discrimination based on the colour of one’s skin is prevalent on the planet. But the whole thing would feel much more grounded and less confusing if at least the most relevant levels had clear definitions.
Despite all this, the book isn’t a task to read because the pacing of the book is marvellous. The slow build-up of tension and rising stakes keep one glued to the last page. Unfortunately, the ending doesn’t justify this brilliant build-up. On reading the final page, the thought, “Wait, that’s it?” pops in the head. The book feels incomplete.
I think the book is a fairly entertaining read despite some shortcomings, so I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
May 29, 2024
It was really boring. Very slow burn. Didn't enjoy it one bit
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews