Windmill Keepers by A.I. Kemp

Title:  Windmill Keepers
Series:  Windmill Keepers #1
Author:  A.I. Kemp
Publication Date:  August 10th 2015
Length:  290pgs
Genre:  dystopian
Shelf:  review
My Rating: ★★★★
Book Links: Goodreads – Amazon(US) – Amazon(CA) - B&N

Back Cover Blurb:

The Windsor Miller Corporation has taken over the turbines of Europe and is set to eliminate their competition with cheap energy. Unknown to their consumers, the root of the company’s success lies in their social service program. Throwaway children are forced to maintain the colossal windmills with no regard for their safety or lives. Sickness, abuse, and bloody accidents are a dark reality for these children, known as Keepers.

When her father suddenly dies, Kite Lyons is resigned to spend her life as a slave to one of Windsor’s windmill farms. As a sixteen-year-old Keeper, Kite has two years left before she is moved to a Windsor factory. But when an accident claims the life of a close friend, the trauma of her companion’s death drives Kite to make a bold decision. Armed with a set of notes and the genius mind she inherited from her father, Kite teams up with her four mill mates to craft a daring escape plan. But the road to freedom is filled with detours, and before Kite can save anyone, she must come to terms with her greatest loss and find the courage to defy an oligarchy.

My Review:

Kemp develops a dystopian world that really hits hard. The plot is imaginatively thought out and well executed. The believability of the story made this tale a much more hard hitting novel. Kemp develops a world and a concept that one could easily picture happening in the near future.

The cast of characters in this novel was a perfect fit for the tale. I enjoyed the varying levels of character development based on their role in the story. I also liked the variety of personalities, from strong to meek, energetic to accepting. Together they present a clear picture of society in this dystopian world while also being individuals whose lives you feel invested in.

This novel was a fantastic start to Kemp’s series. Solid world building combines with a suspenseful tale for a whole that with keep you coming back for more.