Book Title: Fall of the Pathfinder (Kessler Effect Book 1)
Author and Publisher: L. C. Lowe
Cover Artist: Lance Buckley
Release Date: December 19, 2022
Genre: Science Fiction M/M Romance
Tropes: Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers
Themes: Finding yourself outside society’s labels
Heat Rating: 1 flame
Length: 75 448 words/284 pages
It is not a standalone story.
The book ends on a soft cliffhanger (ie. the story is resolved but larger plot-lines are left hanging)
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
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The company controls his life, but not his destiny.
Blurb
Working for ARC in the depths of space, 17-year-old Julian Sastre has struggled in the mines for two years to make the family name mean something again. He is a Pathfinder – the most dangerous and elite job in the mines, seeking out the richest growths of C6.
When he is blamed for an explosion that causes a collapse, he flees into the ruins of Old Easton, the city his father’s mistake destroyed a decade ago. The only ally Julian has there is Garret, a charming thief with secrets of his own.
ARC is determined to capture him, and the Wasters who live in what’s left of the city are more than they appear. Will Julian decide to protect what he truly cares about and find his own path?
Get the first book in the Kessler Effect series, Fall of the Pathfinder, and find out today!
Fall of the Pathfinder is a slow burn queer science fiction romance.
He shook his head and turned away from the window for good. If someone spotted them, the Wasters were approaching in darkness. If that was true, watching would do him no good at all. Julian let his lights drift around the room again before they settled on Garret.
“You need to clean up.”
“Are you saying you want to get me naked?”
Julian felt the heat climb up his neck. He gave the man an irritated grunt and started walking.
“Wait!” The couch creaked as Garret got to his feet. “I’m willing to admit that I’m not looking my best. There’s no reason to storm out. Promise.”
Julian blinked and hooked a thumb toward a door leading deeper into the house. “I’m checking to see if the shower’s working.”
Garret chuffed a laugh. “Right. Obviously.” He held out a hand. “Help a guy out? I’m sure your place is usually super nice, but at the moment, it’s got a bit of the creepy vibe going. Think I’d rather endure a bit more pain to check out a shower that’s definitely not going to work than lie around waiting for the ghosts to get me once you’re out of sight.”
“It’s not haunted.” Julian took the man’s arm and slung it back over his shoulder.
“It’s absolutely haunted. Any second now, the chains are going to start rattling.”
“No one’s died here.”
“If you say so…”
Julian shook his head and chuckled. The tight knot that had taken up residence in his chest eased with that laugh.
The bathroom door was closed, but it slid open when he touched the door panel. The lights turned on inside in the same instant. There were no windows in the small room, so he left them on. The shower sprang to life the moment he wiped away the grime from the panel and pressed his thumb to the power icon. He shot Garret a look with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, yeah,” the other man grumbled. “I’m secure enough to admit when I’m wrong. When the situation calls for it, I can be downright humble. I’m not entirely sure that this moment qualifies as one of those, but I’ll go ahead and eat my crow. There’s not a setting that makes it regular water instead of steam, is there?”
Julian blinked and shook his head. “Who uses water for showers?”
Garret sighed and leaned against a wall, pulling himself loose from Julian. “No one. Forget I said anything.”
He nodded and headed out. Garret grabbed his elbow before he made it through the door.
“Don’t… ah…Could you stay close?”
Julian blinked again, then nodded. “Yeah. All right. I’ll be on the other side of the door.”
The other man let out a relieved breath. “Great. And maybe leave it open?”
He just nodded and headed to a spot just on the other side of the door, as promised. Once he heard the sounds of Garret stepping into the shower, he sat on the floor and leaned his back against the wall.
L. C. Lowe lives in Kansas City, where she spends most of her time trying to convince a very needy dog to let her pay attention to anything but him. She loves stories in all forms, be it books, movies, video games, or a car commercial that may or may not have made her tear up one (ok, maybe more than one) time.
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