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S. A. Gibson
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Pratima's Engines: A Short Story Kindle Edition

by S. A. Gibson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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Pratima goes on an undercover mission for the Library. This India of the future has no modern technology.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    7 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    49 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 12
  5. Publication date
    February 25, 2016
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Protected Books World Characters

Character Appearances

Protected Books World Characters

Welcome to the Protected Books World.

This roadmap can show you where your favorite characters appear in the different stories. Thanks to the co-authors who share the credits on some of these titles. Some of the major characters to follow include, William, Pratima, Asante, Beneda, Lakisha, Kalapati, and Henrietta. Some of these stories are full-length novels while some are short stories. There are several additional stories published in the Protected Books world, however they do not contain any of these named characters.

Please enjoy. I welcome your feedback. Thank you.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01C7YAKY2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (February 25, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 25, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2901 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 49 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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S. A. Gibson

S. A. Gibson

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S A Gibson is a doctoral candidate in the field of education and has studied communication and computer science. He has lived in Northern and Southern California. He has published articles and book chapters relating to computer science, artificial intelligence, mediated intelligence and human communication. His Facebook page is ProtectedBooks.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jacqueline C. Simonds
5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant Writing, Pitch-Perfect World Building
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is, in fact, 2 short stories: “Pratima’s Engines” - which describe a Librarian in India seeking out a Duke with banned weapons; and “Lakisha Decides” where a young Gullah girl meets a Librarian who will assist her in many ways. Both are excellent and serve as introductory pieces to larger series.

I found “Pratima’s Engines” to be particularly intriguing for the POV Gibson picked: a very intelligent deaf girl who reads lips. You don’t see many differently-abled characters in Sci-Fi, and Gibson handles it well and subtly. I would happily have read an entire novel featuring this character.

“Lakisha Decides” highlights the problems of today as well as then, in that land developers wish to take Lakisha’s Low-Country homeland. But this is also a coming-of-age story, so Lakisha sets the course for her entire life on what happens.

The author’s work here is so sure-footed, imaginative, and thoroughly thought out, it is almost hard to DISbelieve such a world of no-tech and warrior Librarians exist. If you are looking for an entirely different take on “Steampunk” look no further than S.A. Gibson’s “Woodpunk” post-apocalyptic worlds.
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Chris
4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Look Into One Possible Future
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2017
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Two stories, definitely unique, so unique that I had to pay particularly close attention to follow them. I applaud the author for his ability to create such a rare futuristic existence. What I got from both stories was that libraries are above all else, and those who work at the libraries are greatly honored and people you don't mess with, but as in most societies, futuristic or not, there is human nature and corruption.

The knowledge of the past is safely guarded by the librarians, although there seems to be some knowledge of the past such as planes. It is now a woodpunk society. I had to look up woodpunk. That was a completely new term to me. Basically, there are no longer any modern conveniences, such as airplanes.

I particularly liked that the heroes of the stories were both women. The author also did a great job in portraying the dialect in the second story. Getting a dialect down is especially hard as is creating a whole new world.
2 people found this helpful
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MapleLeafAussie
4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading.
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2018
Verified Purchase
Pratima’s Engines is a short steampunk story of conflicted interests and opposing priorities set in post-Collapse India. It is an interesting and enjoyable story, although I would have liked to see the mystery and tension developed more before the story reached its climax.

The central character, Armeena, is very likeable and easily gains the reader’s sympathy as she discovers uncomfortable truths about her own situation. She provides a positive role model not only in her resilience, but also in her loyalty to her friends.

Pratima’s Engines provided a pleasant and relaxing diversion in an otherwise busy day, and is well worth a read.
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EpicFantasyEnthusiast
5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing prelude to what should be a fascinating series...
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
Pratima's Engines is a really quick read that serves as a great introduction into S.A. Gibson's Protected Books series—where books and the knowledge they contain are safely guarded secrets.

In this story we get to meet Pratima Patel, who is, of course, the main character of Pratima's Forbidden Book. I really like the way that the author used a secondary character's PoV to allow us to see Pratima. He does a good job giving her a confident and regal presence that comes off as fearless. In short, the character seems well drawn.

What interests me the most though, is the world that the author has created. This book is just a teaser, but what I know is that we are in a post-apocalyptic/utopian sort of world where it seems like petroleum, electricity, and munitions are gone—and the knowledge of them is carefully guarded by Librarians. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series.
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Joyce Hertzoff
5.0 out of 5 stars Two enchanting linked short stories
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
Pratima's Engine and Lakisha Decides are two delightful and exciting linked stories set in a future after a Collapse has eliminated modern technology and warfare. The Library sets and enforces worldwide laws. Seen through the eyes of two teenage girls, the first in India and the second in the Carolinas.
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