Tamsyn by Veronica Scott Series: Planet of the Last Resort #2
on December 21, 2023
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 93
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Busy running her ranch outside Rosewater, Tamsyn Wendover doesn’t pay much attention to the goings-on in town. But when one of her ranch hands is bitten while trying to help a child, she’s drawn into the mysterious flu outbreak spreading over the planet. As the deadly flu worsens, striking the town and the ranch, the chaos intensifies and Tamsyn is drawn into the desperate fight for survival.
After the pulse-pounding adrenaline rush that was Arrival, the Planet of Last Resort series takes a step back in time and shows the situation as it happened on the planet from a different perspective. Veronica Scott has explored blending genres in early series associated with her The Sectors series and in the spinoff, Planet of Last Resort series, one gets a soft horror mixed with sci-fi romance.
Tamsyn is book two in the series, but transpires earlier in time. Personally, I thought reading Arrival when the situation hit new ‘arrivals’ right in the face was the way to go for the start, but I appreciated getting Tamsyn next and seeing from her story how the situation began and grew.
Tamsyn is a rancher with a foreman and three ranch hands working the farm her grandparents purchased when they came as first settlers. The small town of Rosewater nearby has grown a little, but is still isolated. Other first settlers, including two fairly wealthy families who run most of the businesses, and a few newer arrivals have made it a nice thriving community.
Tamsyn’s parents pass away and it’s just her running things. She lives for the ranch and making it prosper with the minimum of help she can afford. So, when rumors and news gets out from the cities and other communities about an aggressive ‘flu’ she barely registers this. What she does notice is when live group vid chats with other ranchers around the planet show some of her friends being mysteriously out of touch. More and more of them.
She also is shocked when a festival in town leads to one of her hands and a couple towns people reacting strangely to some animal bites- that were an odd behavior for the animals. The medical staff are augmented by out-of-town security force and everything is hush hush. She can’t get any info about her worker.
Slowly, those affected by the original bites and those infected from being attacked by those injured snowballs so that peaceful Rosewater is under a siege of sorts. News comes that this is happening all over the planet. Tamsyn sees her neighbors true character come out when everything breaks down. One turns into a bullying warlord type taking over and forcing people to follow his law, but even he finds this aggressive infection is strong, deadly, and nigh unstoppable. Tamsyn is doing what she has to do as her world falls apart around her.
This latest was zombie apocalypse stuff (less gruesome than the earlier book) and I enjoyed getting the story from this quiet, but strong woman protagonist’s point of view. Late in the novella, Tamsyn’s story connects to Arrival– Melly and Jeff’s story. And, the next book begins with new characters who were introduced in Tamsyn’s novella. Another series I’m now hooked on by a favorite author.
About Veronica Scott
USA Today Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author.
Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.
MISC FACTS ABOUT VERONICA
Seven time winner ~ SFR Galaxy Award
Proud recipient ~ NASA Exceptional Service Medal but must hasten to add the honor was not for her romantic fiction!
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – I’ll improve your process (mwahahahaa)!
Elvis Presley’s best friend once serenaded Veronica on a local TV telethon…now that could be a novel…
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
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I love every book in this series. I can’t wait for the conclusion!
Oh yay, fellow fan!!! I’m all caught up and waiting right along with you. 🙂
Zombies…this sounds good!
Oh yeah, zombies on a far future colony world. It’s a sure winner for me. 🙂
I think I might like this one. I’ve read some books from this author and liked them.
I agree, Mary! These would grab you really good.
This sounds like a story I’d absolutely love! I just wished it was on audio!
Yeah, oddly enough, she hasn’t had any of her books put on audio as far as I know. I get her newsletter and haven’t seen it mentioned for the future, either.
That sounds interesting with how this one goes back in time and shows how things started. And that sounds nice how this one connects with the first book when Tamsyn meets those characters at the end of this novella. This series is probably a bit too dark and gruesome for me, but it sounds like a well written series and I am glad to hear you enjoying it and read your thoughts about it.
I thought the way it told the story from someone on the planet’s perspective after getting the one with the new arrivals was great. Yeah, there are some gruesome zombie moments. Thanks for stopping by, Lola!
Gah. I’m so picky with zombie stuff.
I’m picky in the sense that it can’t be too far into horror. Borderline like this, I can do.