Sleeper Protocol

Kieran Roark awakens in a wheelchair, unable to remember anything. As part of a classified experiment, he will have one year to learn his identity and recover his memory, or he will be euthanized by the state.

Scientist Berkeley Bennett has one mission: manipulate Kieran’s emotions in an attempt to bring back his memory. But when she falls in love with him, she is forced to make a harrowing decision that may cost Kieran his life.

What Kieran knows could save Earth from a coming war. Whether he believes the future is worth saving is another matter. Racing across an unfamiliar world in a body he does not recall, Kieran needs to discover who he was and, more importantly, who he is.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Kevin Ikenberry writes of a future that is peaceful after many years of war, death, and alien invasion in his book Sleeper Protocol. However, some people think that the peace will only last as long as it takes the next wave of alien invaders to reach Earth. Those people want to prepare the world to fight, an action that most have forgotten. And that is exactly where Sleepers come into play.

 

Kieran is the main character of this novel, though readers don't know his name and neither does he. He's the first Sleeper to be awakened for a program that brings soldiers back from the dead in a new and improved replicated body. This is a unique situation because readers get to experience and learn who Kieran is at the same rate that he does. He's on a journey of discovery and readers get to witness him reuniting with himself. This platform creates a strong foundation for a character connection. Especially since he was woken up to save the world. Kieran was a hero in his former life and the people of the future need that heroism. Though Kieran is a bit naïve, falling in love quickly and being too trusting of those around him, he's a good man. He's honest, open, and very loyal.

 

The plot of Sleeper Protocol is like nothing I've ever read about before. Three hundred years into the future, aliens have invaded, flying cars are everywhere, and peace is abundant but on the verge of collapse. The Defense Counsel needs to awaken soldiers from the past in order to inspire the population to fight for their planet. A new experiment has begun in which deceased soldiers are awakened and given a walkabout - a time to find out who they are and integrate. Kieran is the first and he's under heavy observation. Berkeley is sent to make an emotional connection with Kieran in order to promote his integration. Unexpectedly they fall in love, compromising the mission. Also unexpectedly, the Artificial Intelligence embedded in Kieran's brain begins to think she's alive and fights back. Though I fully enjoyed the story, some of the explanations of protocol and missions and technological processes were confusing. It took a bit of the fun away from the story. My favorite part of the novel was Kieran's innate guidance to return to where he originally came from. I found the fact that home transcended death fascinating and original. Sleeper Protocol is a high stakes novel that fights for survival and promises a sequel.

 

Rating: 3/5 Cups