Journey of a Thousand Miles

Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: An excellent first time adventure story. The intriguing plot and very well crafted characters really kept me going. I usually like to savor my novels, reading just a little bit at a time in my leisure. But by the time I got 3/4 of the way through, I was so excited that I couldn't stop reading! Peter Kasting amazed me with his ability to weave such a lavishly descriptive action packed story considering the context, background and setting for this novel. I really began to identify with Rafael, the Army Medical officer who is forced to come to terms with his gay feelings and the rapidly changing violent world around him. I was truly flabbergasted.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't stop reading!
Review: An excellent first time adventure story. The intriguing plot and very well crafted characters really kept me going. I usually like to savor my novels, reading just a little bit at a time in my leisure. But by the time I got 3/4 of the way through, I was so excited that I couldn't stop reading! Peter Kasting amazed me with his ability to weave such a lavishly descriptive action packed story considering the context, background and setting for this novel. I really began to identify with Rafael, the Army Medical officer who is forced to come to terms with his gay feelings and the rapidly changing violent world around him. I was truly flabbergasted.

Rating:
Summary: almost, but not quite...
Review: Buying small publisher books is always a gamble, as is relying on the on-line reviews of "normal" folk. I thought long and hard about this book before I took the plunge, mostly because of the price. The first few paragraphs were enough to make me think I'd made the right choice. The writing was intelligent, the main character extremely likable (if you're into cute, buff, modest guys, that is.*rowr*) The setup is interesting, if a bit unbelievable -- from what little I know of radiation, the sort of attack precipitating this book would have made any sort of normal life unattainable -- but, hey, it's called 'fiction' for a reason. Rafael's and Leo's growing relationship is sweet and loving, in an inevitable way. No complaints whatsoever on these counts. And yet... Bad things keep happening. Very bad things, from which there is no recovery. This book takes the adage of 'anything bad that can happen, will happen' one step too far. The last half of the book is one bad thing after another, with enemies who must be either precogs or psychic, judging by the way they anticipate every single movement of the good guys. The ending drops off quite suddenly and very ineffectually. The focus on Rafael's and Leo's love all but ceases as soon as they get into bed together (something which is handled quite tastefully -- if you're looking for smut, this isn't your book). It all devolves from people with pasts and histories reacting to situations into which they've been thrown, to things happening to 2-D representations of previously 3-D characters. All in all, it was worth reading, but I would have much rather borrowed it from a library (as if... >_<).

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!
Review: Finally got the book from Amazon and read it "straight-through!" I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Finding good SF/F novels, whose main characters are gay, is very difficult. Refreshing! Looking forward to a sequel!

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!
Review: Finally got the book from Amazon and read it "straight-through!" I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Finding good SF/F novels, whose main characters are gay, is very difficult. Refreshing! Looking forward to a sequel!

Rating:
Summary: A solid first novel
Review: Kasting has given us some characters we can care about. And his world is really interesting, too. Society has fallen apart, but not completly. There's still government and culture. He focuses a lot on a commune of artists in the Pacific Northwest and the descriptions are beautiful. You really care what happens to these people.

Rating:
Summary: TKO, First Round!
Review: This book started off boring, continued on being boring and ended boring.

In a post apocalyptic world, the main character meets his fantasy, loves his fantasy despite knowing nothing about him, and lives with his fantasy. The author makes not so subtle points about the evils of religion, corporations, military, and man. It all combines to conspire against this supposed utopian society where art is the key to membership and to hell with the rest. Never mind that someone who might pose a better choice because of his skills than some flighty artist, just so long as you can play an instrument, you are guaranteed membership in Utopia.

Basically, the story arrogantly says in a voice reminiscent of Porky Pig and Elmer Fudd "unless you match the 'art' sterotype, you have to prove you are worthy, over and over again." Oh, and all heterosexuals are bad, unless they are women.

Steer clear of this book if you are expecting a realistic approach to a post apocalyptic gay life. This is one of those stories that just didn't need to be told.

Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: This is a very interesting book. It is set in the future. in a world that has survived a nuclear blast. But the world that remains is a very scary one, with enclaves of people living wary lives. Rafael lives in this world and he has to cope with it and also with his blossoming gay feeling for Leo. A very intesting book with a lot of relevance for our world today.