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The Dreamhealers #1
Mindtouch
Seersana University is worlds-renowned for its xenopsychology program, producing the Alliance's finest therapists, psychiatric nurses and alien researchers. When Jahir, one of the rare and reclusive Eldritch espers, arrives on campus, he's unprepared for the challenges of a vast and multicultural society... but fortunately, second-year student Vasiht'h is willing to take him under his wing. Will the two win past their troubles and doubts and see the potential for a once-in-a-lifetime partnership?
Book 1 of the Dreamhealers Duology.
Book 1 of the Dreamhealers Duology.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2013
680 people are currently reading
2665 people want to read
About the author
M.C.A. Hogarth
145 books386 followersDaughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
February 23, 2021
This review is going to be a little biased due to my own experiences this year, but I'm going to start with this. This book is beautiful. I just finished reading it a few hours ago and it's already found its way into a particularly treasured place, both on my bookshelf, and in my heart.
This book came to me at just the right moment. I've been going through a lot this year, including my own journey much along the lines of Vasiht'h and Jahir's this year. (I've felt similarly to both of them at different times.)
Now, the book... I've read a fair few books by now, and the common descriptors of "Powerful, intense, painful, heartfelt" aren't really applicable here. They are in some measure, but the real word is "beautiful." The blossoming of a friendship and the journey it takes the characters and the reader on is something pure and wonderful, accented perfectly by the author's choice of words throughout the novel. Several times I've caught myself going "How would I have written that?", and the answer has always either been "that way" or "nowhere near as well". (Often both.)
I'll leave you with a final thought. This book is inspiration and love poured into pages to be shared with the world. It is a tremendous gift we have been given, and we would be foolish not to accept it. Go read the book.
This book came to me at just the right moment. I've been going through a lot this year, including my own journey much along the lines of Vasiht'h and Jahir's this year. (I've felt similarly to both of them at different times.)
Now, the book... I've read a fair few books by now, and the common descriptors of "Powerful, intense, painful, heartfelt" aren't really applicable here. They are in some measure, but the real word is "beautiful." The blossoming of a friendship and the journey it takes the characters and the reader on is something pure and wonderful, accented perfectly by the author's choice of words throughout the novel. Several times I've caught myself going "How would I have written that?", and the answer has always either been "that way" or "nowhere near as well". (Often both.)
I'll leave you with a final thought. This book is inspiration and love poured into pages to be shared with the world. It is a tremendous gift we have been given, and we would be foolish not to accept it. Go read the book.
October 22, 2016
This is a cozy, finding-one's-place story about two students at an alien medical school who discover they have a special connection. It brings to mind Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong and Dragonsinger or Mercedes Lackey's Arrows of the Queen, and I think people who like this would like those and vice versa. I strongly wanted things to work out for all of the characters.
Jahir is an Eldritch, a member of a long-lived, rigid, xenophobic esper society, and Vasiht'h is a Glaseah, a member of a laid-back centauroid esper species that, along with many of the other aliens at the university, is a product of long-ago human genetic engineering.
The story follows them through about two years, starting with Jahir's arrival at the school and first meeting with Vasiht'h. This is a character-driven, somewhat episodic story that follows their deepening friendship, their search for their place in their chosen fields, and their time volunteering at a children's hospital, keeping a group of very ill young girls company. It ends at a point of transition that feels very like a cliffhanger, so you may want to have part two on hand.
The children's hospital was the weakest of these elements for me- the girls often felt like uncomfortably idealized figures of noble suffering to me, tools used to explore Jahir and Vasiht'h's feelings, - but overall this was a very enjoyable visit to an alien society that feels fleshed out enough to live and breathe, with the parts of alien societies we often don't see in SFF (because things are typically on fire): work, study, leisure, homemaking, both friendships and professional relationships, holidays and religious observances, discussions about the ethics of psi powers.
One note: I've often seen this book recommended as an asexual same-sex romance, but as a homoromantic asexual it did not strike me that way- while there is decidedly no sexual element between the two, I didn't really feel there was a romantic one either. Instead, this felt to me like a queerplatonic love story, about an intense, intimate platonic friendship, and I would recommend it as that.
(A note for ace and aro readers: Vasiht'h's species does not feel sexual attraction or romantic love, and this is said to be due to a lack of hormones as part of their genetic engineering, and that lack of hormones is also linked with self-description as lacking the capability of passion and intense emotion, though the story casts doubt on whether that lack is really true. This is only mentioned in passing, but it comes up a few times, but may be a touchy trope for some.)
Jahir is an Eldritch, a member of a long-lived, rigid, xenophobic esper society, and Vasiht'h is a Glaseah, a member of a laid-back centauroid esper species that, along with many of the other aliens at the university, is a product of long-ago human genetic engineering.
The story follows them through about two years, starting with Jahir's arrival at the school and first meeting with Vasiht'h. This is a character-driven, somewhat episodic story that follows their deepening friendship, their search for their place in their chosen fields, and their time volunteering at a children's hospital, keeping a group of very ill young girls company. It ends at a point of transition that feels very like a cliffhanger, so you may want to have part two on hand.
The children's hospital was the weakest of these elements for me- the girls often felt like uncomfortably idealized figures of noble suffering to me, tools used to explore Jahir and Vasiht'h's feelings, - but overall this was a very enjoyable visit to an alien society that feels fleshed out enough to live and breathe, with the parts of alien societies we often don't see in SFF (because things are typically on fire): work, study, leisure, homemaking, both friendships and professional relationships, holidays and religious observances, discussions about the ethics of psi powers.
One note: I've often seen this book recommended as an asexual same-sex romance, but as a homoromantic asexual it did not strike me that way- while there is decidedly no sexual element between the two, I didn't really feel there was a romantic one either. Instead, this felt to me like a queerplatonic love story, about an intense, intimate platonic friendship, and I would recommend it as that.
(A note for ace and aro readers: Vasiht'h's species does not feel sexual attraction or romantic love, and this is said to be due to a lack of hormones as part of their genetic engineering, and that lack of hormones is also linked with self-description as lacking the capability of passion and intense emotion, though the story casts doubt on whether that lack is really true. This is only mentioned in passing, but it comes up a few times, but may be a touchy trope for some.)
April 29, 2020
Since the start of April, I've mostly emerged from my months-long slump and I've been downright craving fluff. Sweet, slow books where all ends well, yes please, give me all of them. I heard of Mindtouch a while ago, as a slice of life book with an asexual romance I might like. And since the 2020 r/Fantasy Bingo has an aro/ace square and I spotted this book was free...it seemed perfect.
In the end, have so many conflicted feelings about it. It was indeed fluffy and comfy and I couldn't stop reading all right. But some of the worldbuilding choices are...questionable at best and the same goes for ace represenataion.
The premise is simple. Jahir, an esper from a reclusive and xenophobic species leaves his world to study xenopsychology. On his first day, he meets Vasiht'h playing with some children in front of the hospital, and they become roommates. The rest of the book is made up of them studying, socialising, Vasiht'h introducing Jahir to all the things his world lacks, exploring their rare abilities, and visiting the group of terminally ill children in the hospital. What conflict there is, is minor and interpersonal or related to their studies, and there's no real climax or plot (though it's firmly not standalone). It's pure slice of life and tooth-achingly sweet.
And it's exactly the quietness and lack of plot I enjoyed the most. In fact, whenever I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading and went through it in large bursts rather than picking at it little by little as I usually do. It was like a warm hug.
Well, at least until some more worldbuilding dropped. I got used to the whole anthopomorphic animals thing surprisingly easily at the start. Not up my alley at all, but not much different than having any other kind of alien in practice. But when it was revealed that the Pelted were initially genetically engineered by humans for sex - I could not buy that. At all. For several reasons. It both majorly broke my suspension of disbelief and seemed out of place in an otherwise very mild book. To be clear: nobody in-universe considers it in any way okay. But still, why.
That one line put me off so much I put the book down for a few days.
The treatment of asexuality was similarly sketchy. It's revealed that Vasiht'h's species is asexual as a byproduct of genetical engineering and that they consider themselves passionless and unemotional (although this is pretty firmly disproven). The relationship also didn't seem like a romance, I'd label it vaguely queerplatonic if I had to, which is fine, but not what it was recommended to me as. And just...can't we have an asexual character who is naturally ace because they are ace like gay people are gay, no explanation or excuses necessary? Not a robot or someone who was otherwise made such? Not implied to be inhuman or lacking in emotion or otherwise less-than?
Still, even though those two paragraphs sound pretty ranty, I did enjoy the book and I do want to read the sequel some day, when I feel in need of more feel-good stories. But it's pretty hard to recommend without some major caveats.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 3.5/5
Recommended to: fellow fans of fluffy slice of life, those who like school stories and settings where therapy is a thing, those looking for anthopomorphic animals in their SFF
Not recommended to: those looking for asexual representation or romance, anyone who needs a book with conflict beyond some angst
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
In the end, have so many conflicted feelings about it. It was indeed fluffy and comfy and I couldn't stop reading all right. But some of the worldbuilding choices are...questionable at best and the same goes for ace represenataion.
The premise is simple. Jahir, an esper from a reclusive and xenophobic species leaves his world to study xenopsychology. On his first day, he meets Vasiht'h playing with some children in front of the hospital, and they become roommates. The rest of the book is made up of them studying, socialising, Vasiht'h introducing Jahir to all the things his world lacks, exploring their rare abilities, and visiting the group of terminally ill children in the hospital. What conflict there is, is minor and interpersonal or related to their studies, and there's no real climax or plot (though it's firmly not standalone). It's pure slice of life and tooth-achingly sweet.
And it's exactly the quietness and lack of plot I enjoyed the most. In fact, whenever I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading and went through it in large bursts rather than picking at it little by little as I usually do. It was like a warm hug.
Well, at least until some more worldbuilding dropped. I got used to the whole anthopomorphic animals thing surprisingly easily at the start. Not up my alley at all, but not much different than having any other kind of alien in practice. But when it was revealed that the Pelted were initially genetically engineered by humans for sex - I could not buy that. At all. For several reasons. It both majorly broke my suspension of disbelief and seemed out of place in an otherwise very mild book. To be clear: nobody in-universe considers it in any way okay. But still, why.
That one line put me off so much I put the book down for a few days.
The treatment of asexuality was similarly sketchy. It's revealed that Vasiht'h's species is asexual as a byproduct of genetical engineering and that they consider themselves passionless and unemotional (although this is pretty firmly disproven). The relationship also didn't seem like a romance, I'd label it vaguely queerplatonic if I had to, which is fine, but not what it was recommended to me as. And just...can't we have an asexual character who is naturally ace because they are ace like gay people are gay, no explanation or excuses necessary? Not a robot or someone who was otherwise made such? Not implied to be inhuman or lacking in emotion or otherwise less-than?
Still, even though those two paragraphs sound pretty ranty, I did enjoy the book and I do want to read the sequel some day, when I feel in need of more feel-good stories. But it's pretty hard to recommend without some major caveats.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Execution: 3.5/5
Recommended to: fellow fans of fluffy slice of life, those who like school stories and settings where therapy is a thing, those looking for anthopomorphic animals in their SFF
Not recommended to: those looking for asexual representation or romance, anyone who needs a book with conflict beyond some angst
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
November 30, 2020
“I don’t know how the two of you do that,” the human said softly. “But it is amazing. And I kind of want to be near it all the time.”[…] “Would you mind if I just…sat here? And…” She trailed off, sheepish, then said, “Well, if I basked in it.”
This book is total comfort reading. It wraps you up in the goodness of life and protects you, for a little time, from life’s harsh realities. Unfortunately, my warm feelings towards it have diminished with time and the more I’ve read of the series. A hard book to rate, then.
Jahir is an Eldritch, a long-lived, reclusive, human-like being. Venturing off-planet for the first time, and one of the few of his kind to do so, Jahir is attending Seersana University to study xenopsychology. On his first day on campus, overwhelmed by the sights and sounds around him, Jahir meets Vasiht'h, a Glaseah, an asexual, engineered species rather like a small centaur. Bonding over their shared major, their love of the simple things in life and their ability to reads minds with a touch, Jahir and Vasiht’h’s relationship blooms and they soon find that they’re stronger together than they are apart.
Jahir is the Prince Charming of the book. He’s kind and thoughtful, though, after a childhood of training, he tends to hide his emotions behind a carefully cultivated straight face. He enjoys trying new things and meeting new people, but is torn by the loyalties and obligations he feels towards his rather backward home planet and is reluctant to form meaningful relationships knowing they’ll die well before he will. I loved his grace, his decorum and his understated manner.
Vasiht’h “Manylegs” claims to feel no extremes of emotion but experiences almost constant underlying anxiety. He worries for the well being of his friends, he doesn’t know what he’s doing with his life and he’s concerned he’ll never live up to others’ expectations.
‘How ironic was it to be a xenopsychology student and not understand the inside of his own head.’
Vasiht’h is also a nester. Home life is important to him and he actively cultivates a warm, welcoming environment. He’s a relationship builder and a source of comfort for many. I would love a good snuggle with him.
Mindtouch doesn’t exactly have a plot or any clear story arc. Instead, it is perhaps best described as a slice of life. You join Jahir and Vasiht’h as they explore Seersana, make friends, practice their vocation, and struggle with the life decisions we’re all forced to make around this time. This may sound dull, but Hogarth’s world is just so warm and inviting it’s hard not to wallow in it. Everyone is nice and friendly, accepting of difference and interesting in their differences. Their home has a fire that they snuggle in front of and Vasiht’h likes to bake cookies. With Covid darkening our doorsteps, I can’t be the only person that needed to read about this little slice of heaven.
You may have gathered from the above that, whilst the book is based on an alien world, Hogarth is not particularly creative in her world-building. Life is lived much as it is today on Earth, just on an alien planet. There are a few technological innovations like pads which transport you from place to place instantaneously and boxes that deliver food immediately (though for an exorbitant price). However, these innovations are incidental to the story and have not significantly changed the rhythm of life. Meanwhile, the multitude of alien species we see are, except for a few minor exceptions, Earth animals, mythical or otherwise, made sentient. They may have a few species mashed together or be stretched in one dimension or another, but they’re easily imagined (there’s also a nice picture at the back to help). It felt like lazy writing, though at the time I was too happy imagining their life to care.
Whilst I would describe this book as a romance, it is an asexual romance between two men. Jahir and Vasiht’h begin as friends and develop quickly to become best friends, but it goes beyond this. They find comfort in one another, in their words, their gestures, and very occasionally their touch; they live together and plan their future together. They are a couple, they just don’t have sex. It’s not something I’m familiar with and, as someone that would want the sex, I admit that I wanted them to consummate their relationship. And yet I know that there are many who do not feel desire in that way and it does not make their relationships any less valid. A learning curve for me.
I realise that, despite my four-star rating, this review is rather negative. Like I said, it’s a hard one to rate. Objectively, it is not a great book. Subjectively though, and in these times, it’s just what I needed. If you need a nice easy read to cuddly up to, give it a go. Maybe even give the second book a go – I actually preferred book two. But stop there. Book three drags and book four is not good. I don’t think I’ll be reading any more Hogarth but I’m glad to have given this a go.
September 15, 2020
I really liked Hogarth‘s Laisrathera (Her Instruments) trilogy. It is more of a swashbuckling adventure story compared to this gentle, pretty chilled setting. I have read and liked some of her other stories since then as well. I even played around with the idea of reading her complete backlist with some friends, but ran out of steam eventually.
She wrote interesting and diverse characters years ago, before it became the thing to have non-binary characters. I took a longer break… 2017, maybe? So it‘s about time to read this and the other two novels that have been languishing on my TBR pile.
And I liked it. Let’s call it Pastoral Science Fiction. A slow book with mellow drama and a slowly building asexual romance. A relaxing read. Uplifting. Another reviewer called it a cozy, finding-one's-place story and that sums it up nicely.
I will eventually continue with the sequel.
Author‘s bookpage
Here is a summary of my old reviews of Her Instruments: https://cathysreadingbonanza.wordpres...
About the Peltedverse: http://mcahogarth.org/wiki/the-pelted/
She wrote interesting and diverse characters years ago, before it became the thing to have non-binary characters. I took a longer break… 2017, maybe? So it‘s about time to read this and the other two novels that have been languishing on my TBR pile.
And I liked it. Let’s call it Pastoral Science Fiction. A slow book with mellow drama and a slowly building asexual romance. A relaxing read. Uplifting. Another reviewer called it a cozy, finding-one's-place story and that sums it up nicely.
I will eventually continue with the sequel.
Author‘s bookpage
Here is a summary of my old reviews of Her Instruments: https://cathysreadingbonanza.wordpres...
About the Peltedverse: http://mcahogarth.org/wiki/the-pelted/
November 2, 2020
The first of a series in the author's Pelted universe, a rich future history which postulates a space opera universe populated by humans, space elves (the Eldritch), bio-engineered anthropomorphic animals and true aliens.
This series focuses on an unusual pair: Jahir, a very rare example of an Eldritch venturing off-planet, and Vasiht'h, a Glaseah who's basically a telepathic skunk-centaur with bird wings for ears and bat wings on their lower half. They're both students at Seersana University studying psychology. Jahir is a contact telepath, and he finds the University a particularly difficult place, rife with the chance of unintentional touch which can be incapacitating to someone as sensitive as Jahir. He finds solace in his friendship with Vasiht'h, also a telepath, who understands some of what Jahir goes through.
This is a slow, gentle novel that establishes the characters in their world and finds them in a romantic non-sexual relationship by the end of it. The drama doesn't get any more intense than overcoming prejudice and the characters establishing their career plans. The emotional story here is the heart of it, particularly with Jahir and Vasiht'h's care of a group of sick children at a local hospital.
This series focuses on an unusual pair: Jahir, a very rare example of an Eldritch venturing off-planet, and Vasiht'h, a Glaseah who's basically a telepathic skunk-centaur with bird wings for ears and bat wings on their lower half. They're both students at Seersana University studying psychology. Jahir is a contact telepath, and he finds the University a particularly difficult place, rife with the chance of unintentional touch which can be incapacitating to someone as sensitive as Jahir. He finds solace in his friendship with Vasiht'h, also a telepath, who understands some of what Jahir goes through.
This is a slow, gentle novel that establishes the characters in their world and finds them in a romantic non-sexual relationship by the end of it. The drama doesn't get any more intense than overcoming prejudice and the characters establishing their career plans. The emotional story here is the heart of it, particularly with Jahir and Vasiht'h's care of a group of sick children at a local hospital.
August 1, 2020
What an absolutely lovely book! It is so thoroughly suffused with empathy and compassion that having just finished reading it, I am already missing it. While I found it to be an uplifting book overall, there are places where it deals movingly with such subjects as loss, grief, loneliness, school-related stress and more. All in a fascinating science fictional galaxy, wrapped around a budding asexual romance between two males of different alien species. A beautiful gift from an author who is new to me. (Quite literally a gift, in that when I went to buy it I found that it was free for Kindle.)
August 11, 2016
The writing is nice and it had a few good moments, but in general this was just pappy and boring. There is almost no action or plot aside from the two main characters' relationship, which was... just not that interesting. None of the side characters are developed much at all, there are no surprises, just a lot of chitchat, strolls across campus and baking. If you want a slow, peaceful and sweet romance this might be your thing, but it sure wasn't mine.
December 16, 2018
I’d only read one novel of Hogarth’s before, set in a different universe – a novel I helped back on Kickstarter called A Rosary of Stones and Thorns – and had thoroughly enjoyed it. Hogarth had a way with character and setting that rivaled few I’d ever read before. However, I am hesitant to step into an author’s established world without good reason. While I’d spoken with her on Twitter a few times, and she speaks with several other authors I know there as well, few seemed to be well-versed in her work.
However, after Hogarth sent out a plea on Twitter for beta readers, my copy editing job (and boss) tossed me into the fray. I received a file in my email, was given my timeline, and I set forth – thinking that it would be good for me to edit something from a world I didn’t know. It would make me objective – able to see the flaws without being entranced by the world itself.
I didn’t hold my distance long. It took me about a chapter to acclimate myself to the word usage and the new races, but as is her wont, Hogarth made it easy for me to find my way. We meet Jahir Seni Galare, a new student at the school who’s come from his xenophobic home world to study psychology. The Eldritch – Jahir’s race – are touch espers, beings that can sense emotions by touch. The Eldritch do not embrace this, finding it uncomfortable and improper. Jahir is not your average Eldritch…but neither is he that far distanced from his people.
Next we meet the co-leader of the plot, Vasiht’h – a Glaseah, a bit of a cross between a centaur and a pegasus. Vasiht’h becomes Jahir’s roommate – an accommodation to the unfortunate forcing of Jahir to have a roommate in the first place – and from there, the plot blooms.
Mindtouch is a story about coming of age, in a way. It’s a story about finding yourself – a story about carving your own path where one has not been laid. It’s about friendship, and about trust. It’s about walking into a world where no one matches you, forcing your way into some small niche, and realizing that there’s been someone waiting for you there the whole time. And it’s about finding out what to do with that person when you find them.
Hogarth describes herself on her website as “the daughter of two Cuban political exiles.” The concept of the Other, of the outsider, is likely not one that she finds new. But she doesn’t play up the Other-ness of the characters, letting them sit in their exclusion and refuse to become part of the rest (much like Eldritch culture indoctrinates). Hogarth brings them – and their Other-ness – to the forefront and makes it the point of the story, without ever allowing it to be a caricature of itself. Jahir and Vasiht’h fight their own natures in themselves, the natures of each other, and the natures of their friends around them. The Glaseah and the Eldritch are well-matched in some ways – and exactly polar opposites in others. And when something that’s only spoken of in fairy tales and romance novels begins to happen…well, it will take each and every one of them to figure out what is happening – and if they like it.
It was far too easy to fall in love with both of these characters. I wrote in my response to Hogarth with the edited draft I had that I was afraid more of my notes were me personally commenting to the characters and less actual help. Being able to watch each one grow, being able to see them come into their own – fall away from each other – fight their way back… Each one was a personal thing for me. My heart tightened with each hurdle to be jumped, and sang with each victory. I mourned with them in their loss and celebrated in their joy. Each and every writer should be aspiring to make their characters as real as themselves in a reader’s mind, and Hogarth has done just that.
The plot doesn’t need to be “new” and “edgy.” It doesn’t need to set out to tackle something that “no one has ever tackled before.” It finds its novelty and its power through Hogarth’s writing and her characters, and the reader can be surprised each step of the way as they learn alongside their protagonists. And by the end, with its dramatic twists, vicious turns, and the sudden heart-dropping cliffhanger that the book is left on, the end result is obvious.
Each and every reader, just like myself, should be on edge waiting for the sequel Mindline to come out.
This is cross-posted on my blog here.
However, after Hogarth sent out a plea on Twitter for beta readers, my copy editing job (and boss) tossed me into the fray. I received a file in my email, was given my timeline, and I set forth – thinking that it would be good for me to edit something from a world I didn’t know. It would make me objective – able to see the flaws without being entranced by the world itself.
I didn’t hold my distance long. It took me about a chapter to acclimate myself to the word usage and the new races, but as is her wont, Hogarth made it easy for me to find my way. We meet Jahir Seni Galare, a new student at the school who’s come from his xenophobic home world to study psychology. The Eldritch – Jahir’s race – are touch espers, beings that can sense emotions by touch. The Eldritch do not embrace this, finding it uncomfortable and improper. Jahir is not your average Eldritch…but neither is he that far distanced from his people.
Next we meet the co-leader of the plot, Vasiht’h – a Glaseah, a bit of a cross between a centaur and a pegasus. Vasiht’h becomes Jahir’s roommate – an accommodation to the unfortunate forcing of Jahir to have a roommate in the first place – and from there, the plot blooms.
Mindtouch is a story about coming of age, in a way. It’s a story about finding yourself – a story about carving your own path where one has not been laid. It’s about friendship, and about trust. It’s about walking into a world where no one matches you, forcing your way into some small niche, and realizing that there’s been someone waiting for you there the whole time. And it’s about finding out what to do with that person when you find them.
Hogarth describes herself on her website as “the daughter of two Cuban political exiles.” The concept of the Other, of the outsider, is likely not one that she finds new. But she doesn’t play up the Other-ness of the characters, letting them sit in their exclusion and refuse to become part of the rest (much like Eldritch culture indoctrinates). Hogarth brings them – and their Other-ness – to the forefront and makes it the point of the story, without ever allowing it to be a caricature of itself. Jahir and Vasiht’h fight their own natures in themselves, the natures of each other, and the natures of their friends around them. The Glaseah and the Eldritch are well-matched in some ways – and exactly polar opposites in others. And when something that’s only spoken of in fairy tales and romance novels begins to happen…well, it will take each and every one of them to figure out what is happening – and if they like it.
It was far too easy to fall in love with both of these characters. I wrote in my response to Hogarth with the edited draft I had that I was afraid more of my notes were me personally commenting to the characters and less actual help. Being able to watch each one grow, being able to see them come into their own – fall away from each other – fight their way back… Each one was a personal thing for me. My heart tightened with each hurdle to be jumped, and sang with each victory. I mourned with them in their loss and celebrated in their joy. Each and every writer should be aspiring to make their characters as real as themselves in a reader’s mind, and Hogarth has done just that.
The plot doesn’t need to be “new” and “edgy.” It doesn’t need to set out to tackle something that “no one has ever tackled before.” It finds its novelty and its power through Hogarth’s writing and her characters, and the reader can be surprised each step of the way as they learn alongside their protagonists. And by the end, with its dramatic twists, vicious turns, and the sudden heart-dropping cliffhanger that the book is left on, the end result is obvious.
Each and every reader, just like myself, should be on edge waiting for the sequel Mindline to come out.
This is cross-posted on my blog here.
April 10, 2015
This book is beautiful, there’s no other way to describe it. It’s thoroughly character-led, not a lot actually happens, but throughout the course of it you firmly get to know both Jahir and Vasiht’h inside out and get a fascinating glimpse of the Pelted Paradox universe populated by so many different species, many of them genetically-engineered melds of humans and animals and all kinds of wondrous things.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Although this is at heart a Science Fiction story, dealing as it does with alien races and distant planets, it’s also almost New Adult in the way it deals with university life and reaching that crossroad of maturity between education and advancing into the real world. Not that Jahir is a teenager. As one of the mysterious Eldritch (think high elves), he’s around one-hundred-and-fifty years old. Yet because his life has been so sheltered, he’s the character with the most growing to do. He’s sweet and reserved, has impeccable manners and unquenchable thirst for knowledge and new experiences. I couldn’t help but be swept along with him on his new voyage of discovery.
Luckily for Jahir (and the readers) he finds himself an eminently capable guide in Vasiht’h, one of the Glaseah, who is like a centaur… but not quite. Vasiht’h is the complete opposite of Jahir – he’s open and friendly and helpful and the perfect match for his new roommate. But the most curious thing about these two is that quiet, reserved Jahir is full of enthusiasm and passion (though he rarely shows it), while Vasiht’h comes from a species that was effectively created without deeper feelings. They balance each other beautifully and it makes their asexual romance all the deeper and sweeter for their complimentary and contrasting shades. The way their friendship develops and deepens so naturally is wonderful to read about.
This is a quiet story, with nothing more exciting happening than the ups and downs of academic life, and yet I never found it boring. I loved how easily the Pelted races are introduced and how smoothly this universe functions, the depth of implied history and the myriad cultural differences. I was never left feeling confused or wondering how something fitted in, because everything was already there for me to read. This is world building on a meticulous level and I reveled in it.
There’s also a surprising amount of emotion packed into it all. Partly because poor Jahir feels everything so deeply, his esper (psychic and empathetic, made worse by touch) abilities often throwing him in the deep end, but also because of the girls at the children’s hospital. Oh, those girls, such a simple thing to add so much to the story. There are also new friends, new experiences and shared wonders that made this a joy to read. I’ve already bought the second one and I’ll definitely be reading it soon.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Although this is at heart a Science Fiction story, dealing as it does with alien races and distant planets, it’s also almost New Adult in the way it deals with university life and reaching that crossroad of maturity between education and advancing into the real world. Not that Jahir is a teenager. As one of the mysterious Eldritch (think high elves), he’s around one-hundred-and-fifty years old. Yet because his life has been so sheltered, he’s the character with the most growing to do. He’s sweet and reserved, has impeccable manners and unquenchable thirst for knowledge and new experiences. I couldn’t help but be swept along with him on his new voyage of discovery.
Luckily for Jahir (and the readers) he finds himself an eminently capable guide in Vasiht’h, one of the Glaseah, who is like a centaur… but not quite. Vasiht’h is the complete opposite of Jahir – he’s open and friendly and helpful and the perfect match for his new roommate. But the most curious thing about these two is that quiet, reserved Jahir is full of enthusiasm and passion (though he rarely shows it), while Vasiht’h comes from a species that was effectively created without deeper feelings. They balance each other beautifully and it makes their asexual romance all the deeper and sweeter for their complimentary and contrasting shades. The way their friendship develops and deepens so naturally is wonderful to read about.
This is a quiet story, with nothing more exciting happening than the ups and downs of academic life, and yet I never found it boring. I loved how easily the Pelted races are introduced and how smoothly this universe functions, the depth of implied history and the myriad cultural differences. I was never left feeling confused or wondering how something fitted in, because everything was already there for me to read. This is world building on a meticulous level and I reveled in it.
There’s also a surprising amount of emotion packed into it all. Partly because poor Jahir feels everything so deeply, his esper (psychic and empathetic, made worse by touch) abilities often throwing him in the deep end, but also because of the girls at the children’s hospital. Oh, those girls, such a simple thing to add so much to the story. There are also new friends, new experiences and shared wonders that made this a joy to read. I’ve already bought the second one and I’ll definitely be reading it soon.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
September 6, 2020
4.5 a wee bit slow but a gentle thoughtful book about learning to understand oneself and others. And we are, in essence, aliens to each other.
July 28, 2021
Dear M.C.A Hogarth,
As much as I love SFF and SFF romance, these series normally would be the kind of books that I would abandon rather early. It is so so so so SLOW. Have I mentioned that it was slow? I also have to note that I have not read any other series this author written and brief search that she wrote *many*, some way more intense in tone and themes than these books. This also means that I probably don't know the details of the world building as well as I could have if I read other series. But I don't feel confused at all after reading two books out of five. I am going to share some very basic spoilers about world building. It is very basic, but I still call it spoilers because blurb does not mention any of it and I don't feel that without it you can make informed decision as to whether to grab these series.
It sounds like at some point In time human beings thought it was a good idea to genetically engineer the beings that were a hybrid of humans and different kinds of animals . Those beings were used and abused, till they escaped into space and did pretty well for themselves, a lot more races appeared and eventually they all learned how to live in relative harmony on many different planets . I am writing this summary based on the references in these books only, so I could be very wrong. At some points humans got into space too, found the alliance and apparently were accepted into it. I don't know the details and I don't think for the purpose of these books you need to know more.
These books ( even though I am reviewing book one, I am referring to the second book as well since really they felt like two parts of the same story for me) are mostly about two young students from different races who come to the famous university to study xenopsychology and finding out their place in the world and their connection. Please do look at the cover of the first book to see their appearances please - one is a bit centaroid in appearance and the other one looks human, but he is definitely not, he belongs to mysterious Eldstrich race
Jahir and Vasiht'h were awesome characters. Jahir is one of the Eldstrich and that means that him coming to Alliance to study is the source of constant curiosity and interest for pretty much everybody else around them. This causes all kinds of physical and mental problems for Jahir and Vasiht'h takes the new student under his wing and these two end up having a much stronger connection than anyone including them would have expected.
Again though, I cannot help but being amazed how I ended mostly loving 400 page book a lot of which had lots and lots of conversations and baking and conversations and of course some youthful silliness.
But silliness was somehow believable, because students struggling to figure out which precise field they want to go into, which major will be the best fit for them made perfect sense. In fact this reality of student life made for a very realistic background for a lot of comfort talks quite well. Somehow student life and decisions became something I became acutely interested in and for example one of the main conflicts was characters choosing the major that would be right for them and I was *worried* that the characters were choosing the wrong one.
In a way this book is also a romance and main couple was absolutely adorable together. There is no sex though - one of the characters is very much not interested in sex.
Allow me to parrot myself - very slow pacing, slow emotional pacing I should say mostly did not bother me, but the last twenty percent of the book started to rush that slow pacing and emphasizing that both guys needed to be shaken to come to his senses so much that it became a tad repetitive - so I guess last twenty percent did bother me just a tad.
Also, the book has no real ending, but the second one is already available and that one does have a satisfying ending.
Grade: B-/B
As much as I love SFF and SFF romance, these series normally would be the kind of books that I would abandon rather early. It is so so so so SLOW. Have I mentioned that it was slow? I also have to note that I have not read any other series this author written and brief search that she wrote *many*, some way more intense in tone and themes than these books. This also means that I probably don't know the details of the world building as well as I could have if I read other series. But I don't feel confused at all after reading two books out of five. I am going to share some very basic spoilers about world building. It is very basic, but I still call it spoilers because blurb does not mention any of it and I don't feel that without it you can make informed decision as to whether to grab these series.
It sounds like at some point In time human beings thought it was a good idea to genetically engineer the beings that were a hybrid of humans and different kinds of animals . Those beings were used and abused, till they escaped into space and did pretty well for themselves, a lot more races appeared and eventually they all learned how to live in relative harmony on many different planets . I am writing this summary based on the references in these books only, so I could be very wrong. At some points humans got into space too, found the alliance and apparently were accepted into it. I don't know the details and I don't think for the purpose of these books you need to know more.
These books ( even though I am reviewing book one, I am referring to the second book as well since really they felt like two parts of the same story for me) are mostly about two young students from different races who come to the famous university to study xenopsychology and finding out their place in the world and their connection. Please do look at the cover of the first book to see their appearances please - one is a bit centaroid in appearance and the other one looks human, but he is definitely not, he belongs to mysterious Eldstrich race
Jahir and Vasiht'h were awesome characters. Jahir is one of the Eldstrich and that means that him coming to Alliance to study is the source of constant curiosity and interest for pretty much everybody else around them. This causes all kinds of physical and mental problems for Jahir and Vasiht'h takes the new student under his wing and these two end up having a much stronger connection than anyone including them would have expected.
Again though, I cannot help but being amazed how I ended mostly loving 400 page book a lot of which had lots and lots of conversations and baking and conversations and of course some youthful silliness.
But silliness was somehow believable, because students struggling to figure out which precise field they want to go into, which major will be the best fit for them made perfect sense. In fact this reality of student life made for a very realistic background for a lot of comfort talks quite well. Somehow student life and decisions became something I became acutely interested in and for example one of the main conflicts was characters choosing the major that would be right for them and I was *worried* that the characters were choosing the wrong one.
In a way this book is also a romance and main couple was absolutely adorable together. There is no sex though - one of the characters is very much not interested in sex.
Allow me to parrot myself - very slow pacing, slow emotional pacing I should say mostly did not bother me, but the last twenty percent of the book started to rush that slow pacing and emphasizing that both guys needed to be shaken to come to his senses so much that it became a tad repetitive - so I guess last twenty percent did bother me just a tad.
Also, the book has no real ending, but the second one is already available and that one does have a satisfying ending.
Grade: B-/B
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2020
I loved this story, and start of the Mindhealers series by M.C.A. Hogarth. It’s a hug in book form with a story that envelopes you in kindness.
Our characters are young, alien, and at university. One is a centauroid, a Glaseah, the other, a bipedal Eldritch. The two become roommates and eventually good friends as they deal with a heavy course load, volunteering, and eating all sorts of yummy things together. I have a massive cookie craving thanks to Vasiht’h’s penchant for baking cookies to calm himself.
I loved the wealth of different kinds of beings in the Pelted universe, and just how kind and considerate so many of the characters in this story are to one another.
I needed to read a story this month where the two main characters Jahir and Vasiht’h are genuinely good people who care for each other deeply, and for the others in their orbit, such as their friends, and the children they spend time with at the hospital.
I am picturing unicorns and dragons now….while I wait to get to book two about these wonderful characters.
Our characters are young, alien, and at university. One is a centauroid, a Glaseah, the other, a bipedal Eldritch. The two become roommates and eventually good friends as they deal with a heavy course load, volunteering, and eating all sorts of yummy things together. I have a massive cookie craving thanks to Vasiht’h’s penchant for baking cookies to calm himself.
I loved the wealth of different kinds of beings in the Pelted universe, and just how kind and considerate so many of the characters in this story are to one another.
I needed to read a story this month where the two main characters Jahir and Vasiht’h are genuinely good people who care for each other deeply, and for the others in their orbit, such as their friends, and the children they spend time with at the hospital.
I am picturing unicorns and dragons now….while I wait to get to book two about these wonderful characters.
December 26, 2020
This book features lots of baking cookies, drinking cocoa and kerinne ( a milk and cinnamon drink a bit like eggnog maybe), buying meaningful presents for friends, thinking about grad school and life decisions, cute anthropomorphic furry sentient beings (yes, I think the author is active in the furry community) and is basically the equivalent of drinking cocoa and eating fresh warm cookies in front of a pleasantly warm fire ( there is a pleasant fireplace in the book as well). It's totally cozy, I think the author calls it her "pastoral" fiction.
It made me wish that I could also attend this graduate school on this interesting planet surrounded by furry people, have close friends who can sense my emotional state and instinctively know how to soothe me, take a master's degree in xenopsychology, and eat gelato, cookies, morealmond and coffee frosted cake, and discuss my life choices with warm, wise and intelligent mentors who have my best interests at heart. Maybe also meet a tall pale and mysterious elf.
Since none of these things are options to me (and sadly, I'm more in the mentoring phase of life than mentoree right now; how did that happen??) I will take this book instead. It's perfect stress relief and feels as if it was designed that way. I'd love more books that are well-designed that fit this purpose. There are some emotional stakes in play- the two main characters are forming a mindbond but this is one of those books that One Real Conversation would solve. Neither one wants to impose themselves or their needs on the other so they never really talk about how they might plan to stay partners and pursue other life goals simultaneously. That and slice-of-life-of-perfect-grad-school is the plot. Come for the warm cookies, stay for the warm emotions!
It made me wish that I could also attend this graduate school on this interesting planet surrounded by furry people, have close friends who can sense my emotional state and instinctively know how to soothe me, take a master's degree in xenopsychology, and eat gelato, cookies, morealmond and coffee frosted cake, and discuss my life choices with warm, wise and intelligent mentors who have my best interests at heart. Maybe also meet a tall pale and mysterious elf.
Since none of these things are options to me (and sadly, I'm more in the mentoring phase of life than mentoree right now; how did that happen??) I will take this book instead. It's perfect stress relief and feels as if it was designed that way. I'd love more books that are well-designed that fit this purpose. There are some emotional stakes in play- the two main characters are forming a mindbond but this is one of those books that One Real Conversation would solve. Neither one wants to impose themselves or their needs on the other so they never really talk about how they might plan to stay partners and pursue other life goals simultaneously. That and slice-of-life-of-perfect-grad-school is the plot. Come for the warm cookies, stay for the warm emotions!
August 7, 2016
Disclaimer: I write fantasy and the occasional science fiction. I hesitate writing glowing reviews of anything outside of manga because of this.
But this book is so much more than I expected, I have to say something.
This is a platonic romance novel. I know that sounds crazy, but it's the only way to describe it. It's called gentle/pastoral but there's so much organic drama (I mean, they're psych students working once a week with terminally-ill children) "gentle" isn't really a word I'd use to describe it.
There's death in this novel, and life, and unexpected turns, and wise words from older folk, and idiotic remarks from older folk that need to be ignored, and so much friendship it warmed my heart.
This friendship-love is one of the deep kinds, the kind that brought me back to Sherlock and Holmes over and over again. Even though this novel doesn't have a mystery, it's a delight watching Vasiht'h and Jahir figure out each other and themselves, all while the mindline is forming between them, a rare bond that is the equivalent of falling in love for espers. It makes them, for the most part, a couple, but not in the conventional sense and I love, love, love, this exploration of friendship!
Yes, the characters eat a lot of sweets. Yes, there's a lot of feasts and a lot of talking and a lot of focus on the college/university experience. But none of those scenes are extraneous. All of them further the plot. All of them show how these two characters can and should be together.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants a smile at the end of a book.
(Note: this book ends on a cliffhanger, but not the kind that will have you throwing the book across the room. Or, in my case, my smartphone.)
But this book is so much more than I expected, I have to say something.
This is a platonic romance novel. I know that sounds crazy, but it's the only way to describe it. It's called gentle/pastoral but there's so much organic drama (I mean, they're psych students working once a week with terminally-ill children) "gentle" isn't really a word I'd use to describe it.
There's death in this novel, and life, and unexpected turns, and wise words from older folk, and idiotic remarks from older folk that need to be ignored, and so much friendship it warmed my heart.
This friendship-love is one of the deep kinds, the kind that brought me back to Sherlock and Holmes over and over again. Even though this novel doesn't have a mystery, it's a delight watching Vasiht'h and Jahir figure out each other and themselves, all while the mindline is forming between them, a rare bond that is the equivalent of falling in love for espers. It makes them, for the most part, a couple, but not in the conventional sense and I love, love, love, this exploration of friendship!
Yes, the characters eat a lot of sweets. Yes, there's a lot of feasts and a lot of talking and a lot of focus on the college/university experience. But none of those scenes are extraneous. All of them further the plot. All of them show how these two characters can and should be together.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants a smile at the end of a book.
(Note: this book ends on a cliffhanger, but not the kind that will have you throwing the book across the room. Or, in my case, my smartphone.)
July 31, 2015
University friendships have never been so adorable. (It's the genetic engineering)
August 11, 2022
Eldritch Jahir becomes roommates with fellow esper, centauroid Vasiht'h, on his first day as a xenopsychology student at Seersana University.
You know how sometimes you read a book and you stretch it out because you don't want it to end? And after you finish it you want to run around town holding it out and squealing? That's this book. It's not one that I will push into many of my friend's hands, though, because it's not a lot of things - it's not action-packed or space opera or cutting-edge which is what a lot of people want. What it is though - it's gentle, heartwarming (and not in a sappy way), the cozy equivalent of science fiction with lots of cooking and a terrific sense of community. I adored both of the main characters and their slow awakening to the level of care they have for each other.
Vasiht'h tends to make cookies to get through rough patches and to help others get through their hard times. This book is like a cookie, fresh from the oven, made by Vasiht'h. Thanks to M.C.A. Hogarth for this cookie.
8/2022: I was going through a rough patch and re-read this book as comfort. It's a total balm for the heart.
You know how sometimes you read a book and you stretch it out because you don't want it to end? And after you finish it you want to run around town holding it out and squealing? That's this book. It's not one that I will push into many of my friend's hands, though, because it's not a lot of things - it's not action-packed or space opera or cutting-edge which is what a lot of people want. What it is though - it's gentle, heartwarming (and not in a sappy way), the cozy equivalent of science fiction with lots of cooking and a terrific sense of community. I adored both of the main characters and their slow awakening to the level of care they have for each other.
Vasiht'h tends to make cookies to get through rough patches and to help others get through their hard times. This book is like a cookie, fresh from the oven, made by Vasiht'h. Thanks to M.C.A. Hogarth for this cookie.
8/2022: I was going through a rough patch and re-read this book as comfort. It's a total balm for the heart.
June 14, 2014
I have a very hard time reviewing books by people I know, as is the case with this. However, I can say that within an hour of finishing this book I was on Amazon buying the sequel for my kindle. And it kept me up well past my bedtime on more than one occasion. So it's good. As in, "oh my gosh these characters are ripping my heart out" good.
Recommended for: People who like science fiction about non-humans, mind-to-mind communication, and sci-fi books about non-humans who can touch each other's minds.
Recommended for: People who like science fiction about non-humans, mind-to-mind communication, and sci-fi books about non-humans who can touch each other's minds.
August 10, 2023
I just learnt this author is a transphobic and anti-abortion, so much for wanting to read queerplatonic fantasy
April 30, 2015
Jahir Seni Galare was an infrequently seen Eldritch; a telepath or esper, and heir to Seni Galare. As part of an enigmatic race, they rarely left home due to their hypersensitivity to others around them. As a first year student in Xenopsychology on the planet Seersana, Jahir had finally escaped the monotony of life and decided to experience new things. Vasiht’h was a centaur with wings; a species of Glaseah. He’s also an esper but not as susceptible and debilitating as Jahir.
As in any fantasy novel there’s a dump of information that pertains to the universe. I admit I was a little overwhelmed as usual, but I have a tendency to scan more than read so I just had to hit the brakes. This book has a simple plot – two individual’s self-discovery and their growth as friends. We get to discover the world with Jahir and Vasiht’h including the Alliance, cultures, species, and history.
This was a long, slow book and will not be for everyone. Since the plot is more on the relaxed side and there wasn't much happening, it does need to be a little shorter. I think one reason I loved it so much was because it was a change of pace I desperately needed and it came at the perfect time. I was completely immersed in the story. I laughed with them, loved with them and cried with them. It’s an ordinary plot in a fantastical universe, but those creative touches made this a brilliant read.
The author has written a riveting and personality filled world. The dialogue stayed true throughout the book. I find some authors stray and sometimes there’s a mix of both modern slang and old English for example or, contractions used when there wasn’t any in the beginning. There was great tone to the writing; Hogarth sends clear images to the reader that resonated well. If you’re looking for romance, I’m afraid this is not the book. Don’t get me wrong there was development of love but it was purely platonic.
I loved this book and I will be continuing on to find out what happened with Jahir and Vasiht’h.
FTC: Netgalley provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.
As in any fantasy novel there’s a dump of information that pertains to the universe. I admit I was a little overwhelmed as usual, but I have a tendency to scan more than read so I just had to hit the brakes. This book has a simple plot – two individual’s self-discovery and their growth as friends. We get to discover the world with Jahir and Vasiht’h including the Alliance, cultures, species, and history.
This was a long, slow book and will not be for everyone. Since the plot is more on the relaxed side and there wasn't much happening, it does need to be a little shorter. I think one reason I loved it so much was because it was a change of pace I desperately needed and it came at the perfect time. I was completely immersed in the story. I laughed with them, loved with them and cried with them. It’s an ordinary plot in a fantastical universe, but those creative touches made this a brilliant read.
The author has written a riveting and personality filled world. The dialogue stayed true throughout the book. I find some authors stray and sometimes there’s a mix of both modern slang and old English for example or, contractions used when there wasn’t any in the beginning. There was great tone to the writing; Hogarth sends clear images to the reader that resonated well. If you’re looking for romance, I’m afraid this is not the book. Don’t get me wrong there was development of love but it was purely platonic.
I loved this book and I will be continuing on to find out what happened with Jahir and Vasiht’h.
FTC: Netgalley provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2020
M. C. A. Hogarth is my new favorite writer. Her world is rich, believeable, and human in scale, even as it spans galaxies and countless species of people, some with two legs, some with four, and some with flippers. I find much science fiction to be too into world-creation at the expense of character development and storytelling, but Hogarth's world is as rich as it is in order to tell good stories. And she never, ever infodumps.
Mindtouch is a love story, but not in the least erotic. It is a story set at graduate school, but it is full of excitement and human drama. It is a story about discernment, but not everything comes out right in the end. It is a story about difference and vulnerability, but one that shows the true cost of being vulnerable, both by choice and by accident. It is beautiful, gentle despite containing tragedy and loss. It's also really funny to watch Jahir, who comes from a far-off, insular planet, discover new cultures and foods and technologies. His first ice cream is a BIG thing.
The character Jahir is of a species who are basically empaths, and the opening scene shows Jahir trying to get a college administrator to make special arrangements (a single room) for him so that he'll be able to keep his sanity. He soaks in, without trying, the moods, energy, and feelings of others; when touched he is flooded by the other person's thoughts and memories as well. Because of this, he needs a safe space he can retreat to, where he can be alone. As someone who is highly introverted and struggles with anxiety disorder, this felt very real to me. Maybe that's why I love Vasiht'h so much!
I keep trying to write a longer review, but I'm afraid of making the world sound more complicated than it is, or of giving away spoilers, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. Unless your books must have romance or a major, over-arching conflict; in that case, leave it alone. But do pick it up if you'd love to read a beautiful, gentle, platonic love story.
Mindtouch is a love story, but not in the least erotic. It is a story set at graduate school, but it is full of excitement and human drama. It is a story about discernment, but not everything comes out right in the end. It is a story about difference and vulnerability, but one that shows the true cost of being vulnerable, both by choice and by accident. It is beautiful, gentle despite containing tragedy and loss. It's also really funny to watch Jahir, who comes from a far-off, insular planet, discover new cultures and foods and technologies. His first ice cream is a BIG thing.
The character Jahir is of a species who are basically empaths, and the opening scene shows Jahir trying to get a college administrator to make special arrangements (a single room) for him so that he'll be able to keep his sanity. He soaks in, without trying, the moods, energy, and feelings of others; when touched he is flooded by the other person's thoughts and memories as well. Because of this, he needs a safe space he can retreat to, where he can be alone. As someone who is highly introverted and struggles with anxiety disorder, this felt very real to me. Maybe that's why I love Vasiht'h so much!
I keep trying to write a longer review, but I'm afraid of making the world sound more complicated than it is, or of giving away spoilers, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. Unless your books must have romance or a major, over-arching conflict; in that case, leave it alone. But do pick it up if you'd love to read a beautiful, gentle, platonic love story.
September 15, 2015
This is an odd novel. It is set in a complex fictional universe full of different races of aliens, something that makes you expect lots of action in space and drama. Instead, it's the story of two grad school students trying to find their professional way in life. There's no real plot- you get to know the characters and enjoy their development through their school years, and the growing connection between them. It's kind of a romance, really, except for the fact that the MCs aren't physically attracted to each other. Personally, I think I would have like it better if it wasn't explained that at least one of them cannot feel any kind of physical attraction- it would make it more of a pure friendship story. Instead, it kind hovers on the edges of romance and friendship. Real romance would have also been great, of course, but the author goes into great length to show that it isn't.
Something else that I didn't like was the how the characters continue to make bad decisions despite the fact that everyone and everything was telling them it's a mistake. In the beginning, it was more understandable, but the series of bad decisions and stubborn behavior just continue to add up. At some point, I just want to yell at them to stop being so stupid, and after that I just grew tired of it. I mean , come on, they are supposed to be super amazing psychology students. Show some emotional intelligence....
The world building was pretty great, and I kind of wish there was a better story to tell in this world. Maybe I should read one of the author's other novels.
Something else that I didn't like was the how the characters continue to make bad decisions despite the fact that everyone and everything was telling them it's a mistake. In the beginning, it was more understandable, but the series of bad decisions and stubborn behavior just continue to add up. At some point, I just want to yell at them to stop being so stupid, and after that I just grew tired of it. I mean , come on, they are supposed to be super amazing psychology students. Show some emotional intelligence....
The world building was pretty great, and I kind of wish there was a better story to tell in this world. Maybe I should read one of the author's other novels.
February 27, 2016
alessandriana recced these books to me as 'sunlit series' and they were, indeed, deeply comforting and full of this clair summer light. this is an asexual romance story about a touch esper elf eldritch prince from a backwards planet coming to the intergalactic universe and meeting his new roommate, a winged centaur named vasiht'h; together they study xenopsychology, navigate various social tangles, practice newfangled telepathic dream therapy, visit with some sick children in nearest hospital, bake cookies and soulbond for life.
it's a slow, essentially plotless (things happen, but the main arc is emotional, not eventual), chock-full of iddy goodness (the amount of blatant, shameless h/c in the second book is incredibly dear to my heart) and endlessly kind. some things were maybe too self-indulgent for truly ~good literature, and jahir is about as mary sue-ish as it gets, and the actual therapy parts are wishy-washy (you can do dream therapy without all that hinky telepathy stuff, you know, and i don't think actual professors in actual practicum would be so impressed), but just... whatever. i read three books in a day, and i was well-satisfied with every moment of them; they brought me joy.
it's a slow, essentially plotless (things happen, but the main arc is emotional, not eventual), chock-full of iddy goodness (the amount of blatant, shameless h/c in the second book is incredibly dear to my heart) and endlessly kind. some things were maybe too self-indulgent for truly ~good literature, and jahir is about as mary sue-ish as it gets, and the actual therapy parts are wishy-washy (you can do dream therapy without all that hinky telepathy stuff, you know, and i don't think actual professors in actual practicum would be so impressed), but just... whatever. i read three books in a day, and i was well-satisfied with every moment of them; they brought me joy.
March 18, 2020
An Exceptional Wonder
I was FLOORED by how beautiful this book was. The relationships are so deep, so relatable, and so very moving. I fell in love with these wonderful, gentle boys, and I am immediately off to acquire the next installment! I need to know what happens to my babies!
I was FLOORED by how beautiful this book was. The relationships are so deep, so relatable, and so very moving. I fell in love with these wonderful, gentle boys, and I am immediately off to acquire the next installment! I need to know what happens to my babies!
February 4, 2020
Very few books have literally moved me to tears. Well done.
April 14, 2022
I got excited about this book and then nothing happened in it. I mean, I don’t always have to have adventure in the books I read, but some sort of plot is nice.
May 16, 2022
This story follows two alien characters meeting at University and navigating the highs (making friends) and lows (having to make scary decisions about the future) of student life. The stakes are low, which made it a nice book to read a bit from just before going to bed. I'm also loving the development of a platonic romance.
February 2, 2021
The length of time it took me to read this had nothing at all to do with the story, which I loved. I had to restrain myself from rushing to buy the second one - but I have other things I really have to finish first!
I loved the development of the relationship and the character growth, and of course the World-building is always great with Hogarth. I will certainly read the second one.
I loved the development of the relationship and the character growth, and of course the World-building is always great with Hogarth. I will certainly read the second one.
October 15, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13368055
M.C.A. Hogarth is a writer that also belongs to the Furry Writer's Guild, something I've been involved with these last few months since crawling out from under my bed after hiding under it for a few years. I went looking for a few good books about Furries with LBQT+ relationships for a future Bookcrossing bookbox, because I like to share Furriness with my friends.
I wanted to buy a few books from Amazon for the free shipping; something I hardly ever do. I figured I should get to know my fellow writers better, and while this didn't seem like the kind of book I was looking for for, I liked the idea of two different types of ESPers co-mingling, both aliens on an alien world (not to mention, college kids... education is sexy, am I right).
I have to admit to being daunted by the size of the book. 400 pages. OMG, I wanted a writing sample, not a bible. I have 100 unread books in my queue! Did I really want to push most of those back in order to relate better to a name in a chat room. And it was Book One of Two. Who writes Duologies, anyway?
But my plan is to write furry exclusively at least for a year and M.C.A. Hogarth is certainly well liked and respected, so I put the book in the top ten queue (Mount TBR is large and requires a map), and one day, I picked up this book, having doubts about letting a whole batch of new books cut to the front of the line of my books To Be Read. I picked a page at random... I read the jump rope scene with the great untangling... and I went back to Amazon and ordered Book Two, MindLine.
And to the giggles of a friend named Munch, I was into the story by 40 pages and I immediately announced on Twitter that I was looking forward to seeing a M on M romance take place.
OK, that doesn't exactly happen, but it is a romance with three very alien/cultural vectors going on (college being one of them) and it was a very satisfying read.
Here are some of the highlights.
1 - Domesticity is used to great effect. It's used with humor, it's used to emote, and it's used to show the growing connection, even when unease is present, between our two leads.
2 - Deportment and conformation... for psychics, there's sure a lot of talk about body language and uncertainties about what people mean when they say stuff. I really found that refreshing.
3 - The girls in the hospital. OMG, this author made me cry in at least three places. Once for being happy, once for being sad, and once because Jahir had dreams, not nightmares, but dreams of dying so slowly in inches in a montage of banality that Jahir could not defend himself against.
Maggie took banality and made my heart twist with it. For three days after that, I stopped writing. The bar was simply raised too high.
I can't count the times I wanted to slap Jahir. I can't count the number of times I wanted to shake Vasiht'h to his senses.
The romance here was real, without sexual longing.
I've known of asexual people but I've always seen them as a thing apart... like how atheists are considered a religion and yet they are not... or black being the absence of colour yet still a colour... I'm sure I'm explaining that imperfectly, but that is exactly what I mean... my understanding of asexual IS imperfect.
This helped, I think.
I really am quite impressed
I loved the culture and the universe and these characters. They are fighting for the lives... their happiness... and there is not a single true villain in the piece.
Still, I hope to see these two be intimate in the next book... whatever form that intimacy should take; I want to be there for it.
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13368055
M.C.A. Hogarth is a writer that also belongs to the Furry Writer's Guild, something I've been involved with these last few months since crawling out from under my bed after hiding under it for a few years. I went looking for a few good books about Furries with LBQT+ relationships for a future Bookcrossing bookbox, because I like to share Furriness with my friends.
I wanted to buy a few books from Amazon for the free shipping; something I hardly ever do. I figured I should get to know my fellow writers better, and while this didn't seem like the kind of book I was looking for for, I liked the idea of two different types of ESPers co-mingling, both aliens on an alien world (not to mention, college kids... education is sexy, am I right).
I have to admit to being daunted by the size of the book. 400 pages. OMG, I wanted a writing sample, not a bible. I have 100 unread books in my queue! Did I really want to push most of those back in order to relate better to a name in a chat room. And it was Book One of Two. Who writes Duologies, anyway?
But my plan is to write furry exclusively at least for a year and M.C.A. Hogarth is certainly well liked and respected, so I put the book in the top ten queue (Mount TBR is large and requires a map), and one day, I picked up this book, having doubts about letting a whole batch of new books cut to the front of the line of my books To Be Read. I picked a page at random... I read the jump rope scene with the great untangling... and I went back to Amazon and ordered Book Two, MindLine.
And to the giggles of a friend named Munch, I was into the story by 40 pages and I immediately announced on Twitter that I was looking forward to seeing a M on M romance take place.
OK, that doesn't exactly happen, but it is a romance with three very alien/cultural vectors going on (college being one of them) and it was a very satisfying read.
Here are some of the highlights.
1 - Domesticity is used to great effect. It's used with humor, it's used to emote, and it's used to show the growing connection, even when unease is present, between our two leads.
2 - Deportment and conformation... for psychics, there's sure a lot of talk about body language and uncertainties about what people mean when they say stuff. I really found that refreshing.
3 - The girls in the hospital. OMG, this author made me cry in at least three places. Once for being happy, once for being sad, and once because Jahir had dreams, not nightmares, but dreams of dying so slowly in inches in a montage of banality that Jahir could not defend himself against.
Maggie took banality and made my heart twist with it. For three days after that, I stopped writing. The bar was simply raised too high.
I can't count the times I wanted to slap Jahir. I can't count the number of times I wanted to shake Vasiht'h to his senses.
The romance here was real, without sexual longing.
I've known of asexual people but I've always seen them as a thing apart... like how atheists are considered a religion and yet they are not... or black being the absence of colour yet still a colour... I'm sure I'm explaining that imperfectly, but that is exactly what I mean... my understanding of asexual IS imperfect.
This helped, I think.
I really am quite impressed
I loved the culture and the universe and these characters. They are fighting for the lives... their happiness... and there is not a single true villain in the piece.
Still, I hope to see these two be intimate in the next book... whatever form that intimacy should take; I want to be there for it.
March 24, 2015
I received a free copy of this via Netgalley.com. Thank you for allowing me to read this!
At it's core, this is a story about a person who goes to college, tries to find his way in the world, and makes friends while learning about himself. Jahir is one of a race of seclusionist empathic aliens. His presence at this university means that a lot of the other races stare at him; it's rare for his people to leave and join the galactic alliance.
Jahir has a very real anxiety over being touched, because being touched lets him experience anther person's feelings and thoughts. Initially, some of the university officials are rude to him, but he makes a centauriod friend that can also read minds. His friend, Vasiht'h, is very understanding of his condition and their relationship grows.
The two of them study a branch of psychology, and spend some time deciding what path they are gong to take at university and what they'll do with their careers. At one point, Jahir thinks about how he's going to have a very long lifespan, longer than most races will experience. What will he do with all that extra time? I was once a student, and that feeling of uncertainty really resonated with me.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was how well different races seemed to get along, and how even a simple curiosity about Jahir was still presented as rude and mentally tiring. Few people are outright rude to Jahir, but it's a good lesson for the reader to learn: Don't gawk at people who are different than you, no matter how respectful you think you're being.
I enjoyed this book, and i found myself liking the main characters. They're rather nice and giving people who spend some of their free time playing with sick children at a hospital. Jahir even puts his empathic powers to good use helping the children.
That said, there aren't a lot of huge, shocking events in this book. It's a slow burn, with a lot of world building and dialogue. If this were about a normal human person at an earth university I think it would get pretty boring, but there are so many different things that you have to find out what they're eating, what this race looks like, what this method of healing is, etc. The pace is a little slow at times, but there is a lot of critical thinking and future planning among the young people.
This may not be your cup of tea if you like sci-fi/fantasy, but I just finished reading some very heart-pounding and gory books. This was refreshing, like taking a scenic walk.
At it's core, this is a story about a person who goes to college, tries to find his way in the world, and makes friends while learning about himself. Jahir is one of a race of seclusionist empathic aliens. His presence at this university means that a lot of the other races stare at him; it's rare for his people to leave and join the galactic alliance.
Jahir has a very real anxiety over being touched, because being touched lets him experience anther person's feelings and thoughts. Initially, some of the university officials are rude to him, but he makes a centauriod friend that can also read minds. His friend, Vasiht'h, is very understanding of his condition and their relationship grows.
The two of them study a branch of psychology, and spend some time deciding what path they are gong to take at university and what they'll do with their careers. At one point, Jahir thinks about how he's going to have a very long lifespan, longer than most races will experience. What will he do with all that extra time? I was once a student, and that feeling of uncertainty really resonated with me.
One thing I particularly enjoyed was how well different races seemed to get along, and how even a simple curiosity about Jahir was still presented as rude and mentally tiring. Few people are outright rude to Jahir, but it's a good lesson for the reader to learn: Don't gawk at people who are different than you, no matter how respectful you think you're being.
I enjoyed this book, and i found myself liking the main characters. They're rather nice and giving people who spend some of their free time playing with sick children at a hospital. Jahir even puts his empathic powers to good use helping the children.
That said, there aren't a lot of huge, shocking events in this book. It's a slow burn, with a lot of world building and dialogue. If this were about a normal human person at an earth university I think it would get pretty boring, but there are so many different things that you have to find out what they're eating, what this race looks like, what this method of healing is, etc. The pace is a little slow at times, but there is a lot of critical thinking and future planning among the young people.
This may not be your cup of tea if you like sci-fi/fantasy, but I just finished reading some very heart-pounding and gory books. This was refreshing, like taking a scenic walk.
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