Lone Star Book Blog Tour: The Oxygen Farmer by Colin Holmes (review & giveaway)

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“You run on full caffeine, huh?”
“Well, the world’s been spinning pretty fast lately.”

The Oxygen Farmer by Colin Holmes is an interplanetary mystery and an all-around engaging story. While worldbuilding, plot dynamics, and action are important in sci-fi, in-depth characterization is key also, and the author nails it. All of it. Fantastic!

It is 2077, and Millennium Edward Harrison, or Mil to most people, has been an oxygen farmer on the moon (Luna) for years, hailing originally from Houston, Texas. What in the galaxy is an oxygen farmer? Well, if you are on any surface other than Earth, a steady and reliable supply of oxygen must come from somewhere. Better call Mil!

Unfortunately, times are changing, and new tech has arrived. At almost 80 years old, Mil, along with his oxygen farm, is being phased out. But this irascible, stubborn, and highly ingenious man has other ideas, especially when he stumbles upon a mysterious, off-limits, and highly radioactive zone on Luna called Slayton Ridge. Once Mil opens that hatch to investigate, danger, death, and destruction gain traction and then skitter wildly across the following chapters.

With such superb storytelling and characterization, putting aside The Oxygen Farmer for even a moment is torture. Mil is a wonderful protagonist because he is flawed and sarcastic, has been through the emotional familial ringer, and is incredibly hard to annihilate. He can be loveable too, in a grouchy kind of way. This man is like a cat with nine lives, but he’s on the downhill side of life number ten. The other characters are equally developed and shine brightly throughout. Characterization is key, remember?

Colin Holmes has created a completely fresh story line under the sci-fi genre, which is not easy because this genre is quite saturated, but the imagination is not, thankfully. The overall plot and technology in The Oxygen Farmer are in no way farfetched and feel all too possible right now!

The secrecy and purpose of Slayton Ridge on the moon began way back in the 1980s. These secrets are explosive, terrifying, potentially catastrophic, and a dream come true for mystery lovers. The suspense and tension build steadily throughout the beginning, before hurtling full speed ahead as Mil and a few others sidestep, fly, and flat out run ever closer to the truth.

The Oxygen Farmer is a humdinger and perfect for any reader who loves a good puzzle, great characterization, and a meteoric plot like no other. While this story is labeled as science fiction, it encompasses many genres (even some romance) and will snag anyone’s attention and imagination based on the compelling title alone. The ending is spectacular.

“The Man from the Moon had returned to Earth.”

Enter the giveaway below on or before November 22, 2023, for a chance to win a signed copy of The Oxygen Farmer by Colin Holmes.

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.