Trouble in Peaceful Haven by C.R. Leverette

The Synopsis:

Movian Jenks is a man haunted by his past.
On the world of Antridi, the Peaceful Haven settlement was established as a throwback to simpler times, modeled after the ideals of the Old West ways on Earth. But as the town was being built, a duo of bandits showed up and changed Movian’s life forever.
Two years later, the town has thrived and life has continued, but Movian is haunted by his demons. And when troublemaker Darin shows up, things become even more complicated for all the townspeople of Peaceful Haven.
Set against the backdrop of an alien world, this sci-fi western offers a story of revenge, adversity, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Review:

Even though peace and comfort are sought out in our everyday lives, sometimes trouble will come knocking on our doors, despite the warning signs, and turn our worlds upside down.

In this short story, we are taken to a futuristic, alien world because Earth is no longer inhabitable. But instead of learning a whole new world, we zero in on a specific town, whose locals are trying to duplicate the peaceful and simple setting of an American Old West town. However, as in so many Westerns, trouble comes anyways with gunslingers and horses.

Movian is a character with many regrets and a healed future just out of his reach. Struggling to maintain their peaceful haven, he is met not only with conflicts caused by the outsider, but also of his own morals and decisions that could ultimately free him from guilt or plunge him even deeper into his regrets.

The complexity and thought that went into carefully threading these characters and plotline together is impressive for such a short story (71 pages). There are a few unforeseen twists and the moral conflict of forgiveness versus revenge is a tough one. The Christian content is also sprinkled around the story and makes it refreshing to read. The content is clean, though the action descriptions are a bit high.

Overall, I was very pleased to read Trouble in Peaceful Haven and recommend it as a refreshing, action-filled story. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.