Journal Entry 1 by cosmicflurk from San Diego, California USA on Thursday, May 26, 2005

I recieved this book for Christmas in 2001. Wow, I was excited. I had never read anything quite like it. A science fiction story in which the two leading men are lovers, but also normal (except one's a merman), not excessively flamboyant or gay-in-addition-to-countless-other-flaws. Other than that, it's pretty standard adventure fare.

Global warming has flooded the Earth leaving Man to earn his survival on the open sea (nevermind that the drop in salinity hasn't killed everything in the ocean.) Russell, a hydrologist, and Eric, a genetically-engineered merman,
travel the seas, drinking wine (never mind where it came from), having a pretty good time of it while everyone else is dying off. Then the merman is kidnapped, and it's up to the mild-mannered hydrologist (and a few friends) to rescue him.
 

Journal Entry 2 by GoryDetails from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, June 17, 2005

Aquamarine (accepted from the Boyz Boyz Boyz relay) arrived safely in today's mail; thanks much! I'd enjoyed Keegan's Fortunes of War quite a lot, and am looking forward to reading this one! 

Journal Entry 3 by GoryDetails from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, August 07, 2007

[I actually read this one back in mid-2006, but my backlog of books-to-be-reviewed is embarrassingly large, and this poor book got lost in among the stacks!]

Despite the fact that the model in the cover illustration is, to my eyes, rather unappealing, I found the book itself very enjoyable. Keegan's books tend to center on one main romance, with the protagonists going through various levels of trouble, separation, and risk, yet somehow managing to have several steamy encounters along the way, and (usually) winding up together at the end - sort of the gay-male equivalent of Gothic romances, I suppose. But Keegan does very nice scene-setting, and in this book I really liked his vision of a future world in which the ice caps have melted and most of the land masses have been flooded. [Given some of the recent publicity given to global warming, the book feels quite timely, and some of the political and economic changes Keegan postulates sound quite believable.]

I found the main characters likeable, though a bit too perfect, and the plot made sense, though things did perhaps get solved a bit more easily than was quite believable. Then again, this isn't the kind of book I'd read if I wanted an in-depth, angst-ridden suspense story, so I was pleased with the way things worked out. [There was one odd little subplot having to do with the need for Eric, the "Aquarian" of the two, to do his part in a breeding program meant to make the gilled humans a self-sustaining species; for the longest time, it never seems to have occurred to either of the heroes that their love affair need not be interrupted by this, what with sperm donation and all. By the time this simple solution is mentioned, our heroes have spent quite a lot of time fretting about it, and every time the subject came up it took me aback. But I guess they had to have something else to worry about besides kidnappings, international conspiracies, and entire populations being enslaved!]

Overall, I liked the book a lot. Its setting was intriguing, there was a lot of action, and it was relatively low-angst, which is nice sometimes... 

Journal Entry 4 by GoryDetails from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Monday, August 20, 2007

Controlled release: I'm adding this book to Scoobs-buddy's GLBT bookbox, which will be on its way to BCer gaysocialworker in Texas tomorrow! 

Journal Entry 5 by Scoobs-buddy on Friday, September 21, 2007

Looks very interesting- thanks! 

Journal Entry 6 by Scoobs-buddy on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Thought I had made a JE for this but now see I haven't.

Don't judge a book by its cover or you'll miss out on this one- it's a really good book. It's a great book to relax & get lost in. 

Journal Entry 7 by Scoobs-buddy at Rockbird's GLBTQ Bookbox in controlled releases, a controlled release -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (4/16/2008 UTC) at Rockbird's GLBTQ Bookbox in controlled releases, a controlled release -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 8 by SilverFlame at Salt Lake City, Utah USA on Monday, September 13, 2010

Sent to originalslicey as a RABCK in September of 2010 for her bookbox.