Mel Keegan

The year is 2190, and the first starship of Earth, the Gilgamesh, is plying between the homeworlds and the new world of Eidolon, a five-year flight at near-lightspeed. The "starshippers" have been idolized for many decades, since the first landing on Eidolon. They're "augmented" humans ... they've been modified for the work and for the new world. The public has envied them and emulated them -- and perhaps they have been emulated too much, too often.

Eventually, perhaps inevitably, a political show more movement has begun back on Earth. Calling itself The Pure Light, its campaign is to "Keep Humanity Human" ... to stem the tide of the genetic modification that was steadily remaking humans into more and more different forms.

Twenty years ago, The Pure Light rode into office on this ticket, and their policies have made the augmented humans illegal. They're now categorized as borgs, or cyborgs -- artificial life forms who do not have full human rights. The more augmented the individual, the less rights he or she has, and by the time one is a "fifty" -- one whose body is fifty percent modified -- one is registered, licensed, and control-chipped, in the possession of the government, and assigned to the military, industry or the lab.

It's been more than twenty years since the Gilgamesh cruised into Earth space. At home on Eidolon, the crew are free -- many of them were bred and born there, designed for the new world and thriving there. Now, they're entering space where they're perceived as unwelcome aliens...

And it's the job of Civil Representative Adrian Balfour to journey out to Titan Central, meet Captain Dirk Vanderhoven and his Executive Officer, Jason Erickson, and inform them that the crew of the Gilgamesh is to be taken into custody -- registered, licensed, control-chipped, and reassigned for the battlefield, the mines, the lab.

But Adrian is nursing a secret agenda of his own, and everything in his cosmos changes the moment he sets eyes on young Jason Erickson. Almost before he knows what he's doing, he's lying to the Titan Central commander and life is set to become a race against time.

Because Adrian is a "twenty," and unwelcome even at home, while among the fifties of the starshipper crew he's respected, cherished -- and desired by at least one of them. Romance explodes between Adrian and Jason, white-hot and filled with the piquancy of exploration, as Adrian discovers how the humans of Eidolon are different in every way from the Earthborns, most of all in their sensuality.

For Adrian, the next days are critical. He'll be "tested" by the big, beautiful fifty with whom he's fallen deeply in love, and he'll risk everything in the desperate attempt to get the Gilgamesh out of Earth space before warships can run her down, and The Pure Light will turn starshippers into control-chipped drones. show less

A thinly-disguised Bodie and Doyle are space cops fighting the war on drugs in the far future. And having lots of Hot Gay Sex. Although not so much with each other, there’s a bit of Unfulfilled Longing going on for most of the book. And more hurt/comfort than you can shake a damn stick at, if that’s your idea of a good time. Which (shuffle), it is … Definitely a guilty pleasure.

The story starts with the illegitimate son of a successful jeweler making his way home when his carriage is stopped by a highwayman. As he has nothing he can't lose and those things are a common acurance in the country side of the 18th century he fights his urge to fight as well as his urge to figure the identity of the mysteriously appealing man of the road and let it pass. When home his father informs him he is changing his will to pass all his fortune, estate and business to him, thus show more disinheritting his layabout, gambling, whoring wastrel of a legal son (I love him already WHAT a villain). This turn of good fortune cannot continue, naturally since this IS an action adventure story.

Upon carrying a fortune in Jeweles on the way to Bath our illegitimate son comes across the same highwayman. This time Mr. Highwayman cannot contain himself at the sight of the man he mistakes for a nobleman son and combines a little jewelery heist with a moonlight snogging before dissapearing into shadow feeling somewhat exhilirated yet heartbroken... after all - twice is lucky but one cannot expect love to spring out of crime.

This time the Jeweler son takes chase, he follows the highwayman trail through the English country side in the rain and finally, nursing a head-cold, tracks him to his home and challenge him to a duel... which he looses by falling off a cliff and almost dying leaving our besoted highwayman to nurse him back to health .

The friction continues for some time before the two protagonists finally give into their emotions but there are some fantastic moments of missunderstanding and manly sulkiness on the road to love. Once that clears up - the old Jeweler dies leaving his bastard son in charge and as a result - a target to the legit son's plots and hence starts a sweeping adventures of highway robbery, sailing, smuggling, gambling and horse racing.

Mel Keegan never goes easy on any characters. These two are yet to experience what Stone and Jarrat had to go through in the first NARC novel but they are certainly not spared. On top of falling off a cliff during a duel our young Jeweler come highwayman finds himself tied to a mast in the storm crossing the channel, beaten in a street brawl, drugged and auctioned in the dungeon of a den of vice and thrown in jail for the false charges of extortion.

One of the things that makes MK characters so loveable is the way they always take things on the chin, gather themselves up and keep going. There is no over-done weepy angst or psychological breakdowns. This is the story of two strong men forged by their hardship and it makes them so appealing... I could probably make a menue of MK characters for a three meal course every day... delicious :D:D:D

The novel doesn't stop for a moment there is gambling and swashbuckling, whore houses and taverns. It is so brilliantly brought to life you forget to breath sometimes. MK has the ability to describe things in the tiniest details and still make it facinating. There is an instant in the book when almost 5 pages are given to a game of Whist. This should by all means be boring yet it is not. It is described minute by minute as if you are sitting at the table waiting for fortunes and lives to be determined by a turn of a card. When one of the main charachters is punched in the jaw they stop briefly to check that all their teeth are in place and the sense of sencere worry suddenly reminds you there was no proper dental treatment for lost teeth - once you lost a tooth you had to live without it for the rest of your life.

Well researched doesn't even start to describe it because there is nothing more annoying than research dump in a novel when an author shows off their knowledge. MK just does it effortlessly when and if it is needed without explanation or too much elaboration. It is only on second reading that I started to notice these little instances scattered throughout the book.

It is a thrilling read, highly romantic, beautifully detailed. I always wanted to read a novel like this and Mel Keegan fulfiled my dream. show less

THE DECIEVERS is set in one of my favourite period of times: Mid 19th century - The transitional period when steam started dominating the shipping busniness. I love the pressure on going out there with a cargo having to negotiate cargo on the other side, not knowing were your next contract will land you. The world was changing and devotees of the tall ships had to take spectacular finantial risks for the sake of the vessels they loved so much.

Besides the cover being the most beautiful cover show more of any book I have ever seen (thumbs up for artist JADE - this one is a masterpiece!) this book is one of the most impressively detailed piece of writing. I learned to expect that from Mel Keegan after reading this but at the time it took my breath away. It is the story of a small shipping company in Scarborough which is feeling the strain of both changing times and the obssesion of its owner who zealously insists on spending all his money on a new schooner. Throw in a conflict with the local wreckers family who do their very best to sabotage every effort of said company and a secret romance between the owner son and the captain in his employee and you have a beautifully layered story full of hardhsip, storms, adventures and of course the inevetable pain of having to face prejudice.

One of my favourite moments of the story comes after the two lovers are outed by the gossiping sister of the main wrecker who spied them kissing in the ruins of the abbey. Since the acusation of Sodomy is almost impossible to prove when based on one sighting yet, apparently instantly believed by everyone, the two find themselves as social outcasts by the entire town. The Captain must sail under one rare contract leaving the young son to struggle under his father's disaproval and the full brunt of the community's scorn. All this takes its toll on the young man and when passing by a pub and being taunted by the main wrecker who calls him a sissy (or the like) he snaps and punches him through the open window, breaking his nose. This of course immediately absolves him from homosexuality in the eyes of the town-people since everyone knows that sodomites are weak and effeminate and cannot in anyway pack a mighty impressive punch. His name being cleared does not, of course makes our main man very happy, since in truth he is a lover of men and in a serious relationship with one and he , natually loathes living under the pretense of being otherwise. I loved this part because it was real and amusing and touching all at the same time, and more than any description of cruelty - brought to light just how rediculous the perception of homosexuality was at those time.

This novel is one of the less raunchier of Mel Keegan. There is hardly any sex in it. In fact, the story starts when the two lovers are already a year or so into their established, secretive relationship and it surprised me how romantic it managed to be despite that. I usually expect a certain build-up and it is very brave to skip the UST all together and present you with a couple who are already in the stage of being comfortable with each other. Mind you, that doesn't mean they do not have much to explore, they both harbor some dark secrets and are reluctant to share their past with each other, which just make them more compelling.

I am always surprised how Mel Keegan manage to make me love the characters because with every other author I would not warm up to characters who are so obviously GOOD. I like a dark and flawed sides to characters but Mel Keegan ones are always full of a strong sense of honour and decency . However they are complete this way and can't be anything else. I fall for them time and time again. I think that perhaps the answer is in the details . Each character have their own manerism, their own way of moving, they like to eat certain things, they have dreams and hobbies and a past, fears and hopes and a unique way of seeing the world and all those are fully threaded through the plot. They make the characters come alive before your eyes. You can see them smile, the little twitch in their jaw, their inner frown, you hurt with them and surprised with them. In fact, I sometimes find it hard to believe they are fictional characters. They are so real.

This book is as always filled with adventure and action in the best MK tradition. Great read. show less