Gleaners


Fiction - Science Fiction
277 Pages
Reviewed on 04/11/2024
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Now 77, I still have my teeth and enough hair to comb – though it’s white these days. Helen, my wife, lover, and life partner for the past three decades passed on in 2019. I still miss her deeply.
I’ve run high tech production in Hong Kong and Haifa, assembled nuclear weapons in Korea, worked in computer software, financial services, newspapers, and consulting – and enjoyed my working life.
Helen’s death brought me to my daughter’s Florida home, where I still live. I have a nice cabana to myself, just steps from the pool. Not a bad way to start the day.
After retiring from a consultancy I helped launch, I’ve spent my working hours as a writer. Five of my books are available on Amazon (The Narrow Man, Buddies, OLDOGS, Incident at Aviano, and Gleaners), and work on my sixth (Operation Tollbooth) is underway. Buddies won a Royal Palm from the Florida Writers Association. I’ll produce at least one book a year until God stops me. For more on the books, visit my website – www.kipcassino.com.
Here’s more to paint a picture: I’m a Vietnam veteran and a Villanova grad.. Born in New York City, I’ve lived around the world. Two sons, three daughters, eight grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter (so far). My companion these days is a little lady named Diamond – a seven-year-old rescued Shih Tsu.
Finally, the most important thing to know about me is that I love to write.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite

Elizabeth Wyler is called into a hospital room to coax the sole survivor of a mysterious fire into giving her details of the accident. She refuses to believe the unusual story he tells about moving fires and singing people but when she meets Oliver Raine and hears his equally outlandish tale she begins to suspect there may be more to it than meets the eye. She is completely unprepared for what her findings reveal as she is thrown into the middle of an extinction-level battle for survival where the odds are stacked firmly against the human race. Will she join the team fighting to save the planet or is it already too late? Only time will tell in Kip Cassino's Gleaners.

A covert agency fights a race of ancient aliens who feed on the unsuspecting human population in Kip Cassino's science fiction offering, Gleaners. As much as Cassino's storyline feels like something that is on the fringe of credibility he does an excellent job of crafting an origin story for his otherworldly antagonists that conveniently fits into the notion of evolution. His lead characters are quite the pair with Elizabeth and Oliver creating a chemistry that simmers throughout the novel and gives it the unpredictability that action junkies feed on. The conversations between the characters are extremely detailed for a story where whizzing bullets and broken skulls are more of a certainty than a highly intelligent debate. The true testament to Cassino's uncanny storytelling ability is the way he sets about Elizabeth's evolution as the tale unfolds. If you are a fan of close-quarters combat and high-octane action then you will not be disappointed with Gleaners.

Keith Mbuya

Nothing could have prepared Elizabeth Wyler, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles, for the steep turn her life was about to take. It had all started with a story she got from one of her patients, Sergeant Leo Moore of the LAPD, which led her to meet Oliver Raine, an ex-war veteran. Both men had seen and experienced very strange phenomena associated with ancient alien creatures, which Raine was currently studying. Elizabeth is abducted with a large group of homeless people below the San Gabriel mountains. Luckily for her, Raine comes to her rescue. However, she barely makes it out alive. The perpetrators are servants of ancient dragon-like creatures that came into the world millions of years ago. These creatures have existed this long by gleaning life from human beings, all with the help of their cannibal race of servants. Determined to avenge her ordeal, Elizabeth joins Raine at OPIN, an organization dedicated to fighting the creatures threatening human life on Earth, but these are powerful and very resourceful creatures. Find out more in Kip Cassino’s Gleaners.

Kip Cassino whisked me away from reality and hurled me into a world of endless imagination. The vivid depictions had me feeling like I was right in the middle of all the action in Los Angeles. One moment I was watching Raine fight his way out of his cell block, reclaiming his freedom and power. The next thing I was staring in horror as Raine helplessly watched innocent people suffer at the hands of his evil captors, reminding him of just how powerless he was. The suspense and plot twists had me eager for more as I turned the pages. I never knew where the story was headed. There are thrills, horror, action, adventure, mystery, and so much more. Cassino brings out the cast’s traits and emotions wonderfully, allowing me to connect and empathize with them. Fans of science fiction novels with a touch of fantasy will find Kip Cassino’s Gleaners an interesting read.

Bryone Peters

Gleaners by Kip Cassino is a thrilling and riveting story about giant serpents and the quest to stop them and their offspring from harming Earth’s inhabitants. The serpents arrived on Earth after traveling on a meteorite when it crashed on Earth millions of years ago. Their offspring soon started gorging on the life they encountered, developing an appetite for humans. In addition, they found humans and other beings who would do their bidding and look after their young. Now, an agency has gained intelligence on the existence of these strange creatures. Dr. Wyler, the protagonist, is captured by the slaves of the humans working for the serpents and experiences the horrors of these 'gleaners.' She joins the agency, choosing to fight the serpents or die trying.

Gleaners by Kip Cassino will keep you hooked. The dialogue is absorbing, the scenes are intriguing, and the plot is fascinating and well-researched. Cassino's ability to craft this story is brilliant. The ability of the giant snakes to survive below the Earth’s crust and simultaneously result in earthquakes was wonderfully creative. I see the novel's premise as sheer genius because it seemed so believably conceivable. The author displays impressive knowledge of nuclear physics and descriptions of atomic devices and weapons. The story contained some startling twists that kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. Kip Cassino has a brilliant way of building suspense, drama, and tension to fill readers with the burning desire to see how things end.

K.C. Finn

Gleaners is a work of fiction penned by author Kip Cassino in the science fiction, adventure, and interpersonal drama genres. It is best suited to mature readers owing to the presence of graphic violence and scenes of a sexual nature. In this thrilling read, humanity faces an ancient and formidable threat lurking in the shadows: the Gleaners, beings who arrived on Earth sixty million years ago with the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. These clandestine overlords feed on the fringes of civilization, poised to eradicate humanity if provoked. Psychiatrist Elizabeth Wyler is thrust into the conflict when she becomes a target of the Gleaners and reluctantly joins the fight against them. With unimaginable resources and power at their disposal, Elizabeth and her allies must confront the Gleaners to ensure humanity's survival.

Author Kip Cassino's thrilling and immersive novel is sure to keep sci-fi fans on the edge of their seats throughout. I loved the added layers of suspense and political intrigue that are woven into the plot to create a gripping narrative that explores themes of power, survival, and the resilience of people under pressure. As Elizabeth Wyler confronts the reality of a hidden enemy threatening humanity's existence, the stakes are raised to a level of palpable tension enhanced by the physical, visceral descriptions of the characters and their emotional reactions. Cassino's atmospheric words and dynamic character development draw readers into a world where the line between friend and foe is blurred, danger lurks around every corner, and the pacing of some of the twists is satisfying and surprising. Through Elizabeth's journey, readers are also compelled to ponder the ethical implications of unchecked power and the importance of standing up against tyranny, creating a strong final message that enriches the novel as a whole. Overall, Gleaners is a thought-provoking and action-packed read that leaves a lasting impact, and I would highly recommend it to fans of immersive sci-fi adventures.