Gabriel stared at the capsule, Knowles’s last two words resonating in his head. Zero point. Before he had a chance to ask the doctor what she meant, she continued. 

“Zero point doesn’t refer to the mythical energy source, or the grade point average of some of the grunts I’ve met. It’s a term referred to by the Pakistani philosopher Aban Gurmani about a decade ago in his book. He used the term to signify a rebirth, but not like being born again. More of a…” Her voice trailed off as she looked up at the ceiling. “A new beginning. A starting point. Nowhere to go but up. When I was involved in the planning stages of the augmentation program a few years ago, I was reading Gurmani’s book, and I thought it was an apt description of what we do.”

Steve Umstead. Gabriel: Zero Point (Kindle Locations 312-318).

 Everyone lives two lives. There is the life before and the life after. What happens between those two points varies from person to person, and we are not always aware of what that moment was, but it always happens.

Gabriel: Zero Point, by Steve Umstead, tells the story of  just such a moment. Commander Evan Gabriel is promising young officer candidate for the North American Federation Navy, and he catches the eye of some powerful men who think he has it in him to be something more than just another officer. Evan is put to the test in this novella and comes out the other side a new man, the man who will grow to be a pariah and hero for the rest of his days.

This Prequel to The Evan Gabriel Trilogy is a nice addition to the series and, as always, is exceptionally crafted by the author. The pace is quick and the action is heavy, but the reader learns more about Commander Gabriel and why he is the man he is in the rest of the books. It is a quick read, just right for a lazy afternoon, and I would definitely recommend it. At $2.99 it is a bargain book for your e-reader that you shouldn’t do without.

Please look for the book on Amazon here.

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