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Tantalus
In the aftermath of a nasty fight after being jumped by four youths, faced with a mother desperate to get rid of the son she's ashamed of, Kyle is forced to leave home to take up an apprenticeship he doesn't want and can't wait to be finished with.
On another planet.
Upon arrival, though, a nasty surprise awaits. The position he was hired for no longer exists and he's going to be left standing around until Dr. O'Brien, the man he was to work for, can find him a new job. Following a strange compulsion, Kyle leaves the compound, only to nearly get himself killed out in the alien atmosphere. Kyle is told he's too reckless to stay and fit only for the mining colonies, where he'll be little more than a slave.
Distraught but helpless, Kyle counts down the days until his departure. He's distracted from his misery, however, by the same compulsion that first drove him from the compound, a presence in his mind that seems to be coming from the local lifeform being kept in Dr. O'Brien's lab...
On another planet.
Upon arrival, though, a nasty surprise awaits. The position he was hired for no longer exists and he's going to be left standing around until Dr. O'Brien, the man he was to work for, can find him a new job. Following a strange compulsion, Kyle leaves the compound, only to nearly get himself killed out in the alien atmosphere. Kyle is told he's too reckless to stay and fit only for the mining colonies, where he'll be little more than a slave.
Distraught but helpless, Kyle counts down the days until his departure. He's distracted from his misery, however, by the same compulsion that first drove him from the compound, a presence in his mind that seems to be coming from the local lifeform being kept in Dr. O'Brien's lab...
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2016
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Albert Nothlit
17 books27 followers Albert Nothlit is an engineer who loves thinking about the science behind science fiction. He fell in love with literature ever since Where the Red Fern Grows made him cry as a ten-year-old. Growing up as a gay man, he realized that he had rarely been able to truly connect with the characters he read about in books because almost none of them were like him. He didn’t have any fictional role models to look up to. Now that he is a writer, he tries to convey the joy and pride of being different through his own books, celebrating the fact that each unique voice brings something special to the beautiful chorus that is human artistic creation.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
He likes to think about what the future might be like with the help of science, but he has always been fascinated by that other, much more elusive corollary to scientific curiosity: the mystery of consciousness. He finds the fact that a mind can think about itself both marvelous and slightly terrifying. His books often explore how people (or aliens) grow as a result of facing hardship, which itself has taught him variable lessons through the tough portions of his life.
When he takes a break from writing, Albert loves to cook, despite his varying degrees of success when attempting to make good sushi rice.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 2, 2016
Albert Nothlit has performed a great feat of world-building with his sci-fi novel, Tantalus! In his universe, the average man or woman doesn’t get the chance to leave their world. Good or ill, travel among the stars is just too expensive. Kyle is forced from his home planet after an unfair incident at college, his future hinging on the promise of an apprenticeship on a new planet still being explored by scientists. He expected isolated…
Check out the entirety of the review at Gay Story Reviews: http://www.gaystoryreviews.com/2016/0...
Check out the entirety of the review at Gay Story Reviews: http://www.gaystoryreviews.com/2016/0...
August 16, 2016
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews
Being shipped off world would be considered the chance of a lifetime but for Kyle Mercer it’s a privilege he in no way wants. Upset and angry, he’s sent packing on a one way trip to Tantalus to work as an apprentice to Dr. James O’Brien only to find when he arrives that the position he was to be given is no longer available. To make matters worse, he nearly gets himself killed the day after he arrives when he follows an impulse he can’t explain and goes outside into the alien atmosphere. Now he’s living on borrowed time with an enraged scientist while he waits to be shipped off to a life of near slavery on a mining planet as Jim, excuse me, Dr. O’Brien, says that’s the only place that will take him. The same compulsion that landed him in this mess is still there, however, and following it to a restricted lab and the specimen held within opens up a world to Kyle that he wasn’t aware of before and subsequently lands him in more trouble than he expected. When the unthinkable happens and those that should be protecting them instead attack, both Kyle and Jim will have to find a way to work together to get out alive but with time running out and air running low, it will take more than relying on each other to survive.
This author is rapidly becoming one of my favorites for the sci-fi genre. His novels are creative and so unique that I’m always entertained and loathe to stop reading for any reason. The main characters in this book were easy to understand but still continued to evolve over the course of the story so that I was never bored and I liked how circumstances forced each of them to open up to the other. The star of the book for me, however, were the furballs; all I can really say is that I want one! All too often aliens are humanoid in nature in sci-fi novels but here you get to see a species so interesting and unique that I just wanted to learn more. I thought they were really a great compliment to the main characters and the story as a whole.
The plot itself was way more complicated than I ever thought it would be and the author managed to pack a great deal within the pages of this book without it feeling as though anything was rushed or limited. I really, really enjoyed this book! Tantalus would have no problem being read as a solid standalone book but the end has it listed as book one so I’m excited and hopeful that there will be more to come in this universe even though nothing is listed as of yet. If you enjoy sci-fi but were perhaps a bit daunted by Earthshatter, I would highly recommend giving Tantalus a try; it’s still a great sci-fi story but in a smaller package and it will serve as a good introduction to this author.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/04/3...
Being shipped off world would be considered the chance of a lifetime but for Kyle Mercer it’s a privilege he in no way wants. Upset and angry, he’s sent packing on a one way trip to Tantalus to work as an apprentice to Dr. James O’Brien only to find when he arrives that the position he was to be given is no longer available. To make matters worse, he nearly gets himself killed the day after he arrives when he follows an impulse he can’t explain and goes outside into the alien atmosphere. Now he’s living on borrowed time with an enraged scientist while he waits to be shipped off to a life of near slavery on a mining planet as Jim, excuse me, Dr. O’Brien, says that’s the only place that will take him. The same compulsion that landed him in this mess is still there, however, and following it to a restricted lab and the specimen held within opens up a world to Kyle that he wasn’t aware of before and subsequently lands him in more trouble than he expected. When the unthinkable happens and those that should be protecting them instead attack, both Kyle and Jim will have to find a way to work together to get out alive but with time running out and air running low, it will take more than relying on each other to survive.
This author is rapidly becoming one of my favorites for the sci-fi genre. His novels are creative and so unique that I’m always entertained and loathe to stop reading for any reason. The main characters in this book were easy to understand but still continued to evolve over the course of the story so that I was never bored and I liked how circumstances forced each of them to open up to the other. The star of the book for me, however, were the furballs; all I can really say is that I want one! All too often aliens are humanoid in nature in sci-fi novels but here you get to see a species so interesting and unique that I just wanted to learn more. I thought they were really a great compliment to the main characters and the story as a whole.
The plot itself was way more complicated than I ever thought it would be and the author managed to pack a great deal within the pages of this book without it feeling as though anything was rushed or limited. I really, really enjoyed this book! Tantalus would have no problem being read as a solid standalone book but the end has it listed as book one so I’m excited and hopeful that there will be more to come in this universe even though nothing is listed as of yet. If you enjoy sci-fi but were perhaps a bit daunted by Earthshatter, I would highly recommend giving Tantalus a try; it’s still a great sci-fi story but in a smaller package and it will serve as a good introduction to this author.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/04/3...
July 4, 2016
Exciting!
Can't wait for the next installment!
Wonderful world building & character development!
I want a furball! Maybe twenty or so.
Can't wait for the next installment!
Wonderful world building & character development!
I want a furball! Maybe twenty or so.
May 19, 2016
Tantalus by Albert Nothlit (MM/Sci fi)
A copy of this book was provided to me by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
****4 STARS****
I love a good sci fi mm story and Tantalus was a pretty interesting read.
The main character is Kyle, a boy who left his home planet to apprentice with a doctor studying in another planet. Something happened in his own home so his mother sent him far away and Kyle is bitter about it. He meets Dr. O'Brien and things seem to go downhill from there...until he discovers that he has unique abilities the government is willing to break the laws for.
The aliens were creepy in the beginning, but ended up cute and I was cheering for those little fellas. I was so sad when bad things started happening to them *cry*. I liked the little world build up that the author did with the planet. I liked the mystery of the aliens. The romance part was the one I was having difficulty with. Kyle and O'Brien were just suddenly in love. I'm all for insta love, but even I was a bit amused at how these two characters were suddenly at the "I Love You" stage. What I really wanted was a bit more romance between these two and drama before the action happened.
Ah well. I liked it anyway.
A copy of this book was provided to me by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
****4 STARS****
I love a good sci fi mm story and Tantalus was a pretty interesting read.
The main character is Kyle, a boy who left his home planet to apprentice with a doctor studying in another planet. Something happened in his own home so his mother sent him far away and Kyle is bitter about it. He meets Dr. O'Brien and things seem to go downhill from there...until he discovers that he has unique abilities the government is willing to break the laws for.
The aliens were creepy in the beginning, but ended up cute and I was cheering for those little fellas. I was so sad when bad things started happening to them *cry*. I liked the little world build up that the author did with the planet. I liked the mystery of the aliens. The romance part was the one I was having difficulty with. Kyle and O'Brien were just suddenly in love. I'm all for insta love, but even I was a bit amused at how these two characters were suddenly at the "I Love You" stage. What I really wanted was a bit more romance between these two and drama before the action happened.
Ah well. I liked it anyway.
October 25, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Tantalus by Albert Nothlit
I enjoyed this story. From the first that the main character, Kyle, a misunderstood newly minted eighteen year old, is shipped off his home planet after an altercation, this started out as a 'poor me' story. After landing on a remote planet, Kyle's sense of innocence and wonder become his undoing for his new job. From there, it begins to spiral out of control, and Kyle learns as we do, real time, what is going on. I experienced the wonder and the action through Kyle's eyes, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride through to the end. It's not a long read; or so it seemed as the pages flew by. The ending is open for a continuation, and certainly hope one is written as well as this tome.
I enjoyed this story. From the first that the main character, Kyle, a misunderstood newly minted eighteen year old, is shipped off his home planet after an altercation, this started out as a 'poor me' story. After landing on a remote planet, Kyle's sense of innocence and wonder become his undoing for his new job. From there, it begins to spiral out of control, and Kyle learns as we do, real time, what is going on. I experienced the wonder and the action through Kyle's eyes, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride through to the end. It's not a long read; or so it seemed as the pages flew by. The ending is open for a continuation, and certainly hope one is written as well as this tome.
June 30, 2016
The sci-fi element was far too soft for me, the writing a bit sophomoric. I didn't find either protagonist particularly likable, nor their i'm in love with you after one week declarations believable. In the end, sadly, I knew in a few weeks time I would forget all about this book. This author's writing just isn't my cuppa.
August 10, 2016
World building was good, characters were a little too flat. I had trouble keeping up with the action toward the end. I had to keep putting the book down to let myself process what I was reading.
February 1, 2019
3.5 stars
Good story with a okay story line. I didn't particularly like where it ended but there was fun tidbits to learn about the world of Tantalus and its inhabitants. While the description of the furry ones sounded creepy with eight eyes and spider looking I couldn't help but think that they proabably weren't that creepy and kept thinking they were both cute in behavior and I kind of kept imagining them as eight eyed furbys with baby tentacles moving around. I liked their innocence and willingness to help Kyle.
I really felt a bit bad for Kyle and the situation he finds himself in and the treatment he receives from Dr. O'Brien (James). I enjoyed getting to know them and looking to see how it all turns out for them in the next book.
Good story with a okay story line. I didn't particularly like where it ended but there was fun tidbits to learn about the world of Tantalus and its inhabitants. While the description of the furry ones sounded creepy with eight eyes and spider looking I couldn't help but think that they proabably weren't that creepy and kept thinking they were both cute in behavior and I kind of kept imagining them as eight eyed furbys with baby tentacles moving around. I liked their innocence and willingness to help Kyle.
I really felt a bit bad for Kyle and the situation he finds himself in and the treatment he receives from Dr. O'Brien (James). I enjoyed getting to know them and looking to see how it all turns out for them in the next book.
March 5, 2017
2.5
At the beginning I found the worldbuilding interesting, it all started to go down from the moment Kyle managed to communicate with the Furballs. Even though it is sci-fi, IMO it has to be kind of believable and this wasn't for me. Occasional sappiness is also a pet peeve of mine.
At the beginning I found the worldbuilding interesting, it all started to go down from the moment Kyle managed to communicate with the Furballs. Even though it is sci-fi, IMO it has to be kind of believable and this wasn't for me. Occasional sappiness is also a pet peeve of mine.
December 10, 2017
2.5 stars
July 13, 2017
On hindsight, it was juvenile fiction.
October 4, 2016
I liked the book
for me it was slow in begining, but once it started the rest flew... maybe too many things happened too fast near the end?
anyway love it, and can't wait for next part - what will travelers do?
August 15, 2016
Technically this is young adult fiction, because Kyle, our protagonist, is eighteen years old, and though it could be considered a Romance by some, if it is, it isn’t an explicit Romance. It’s also queer YA because the main character is gay and dealing with issues about being gay in his culture; albeit, his culture is in the future, with spaceships and aliens. I’d say modern gay issues are explored.
What I liked about this story was that it wasn’t too heavy on the Romance. It had great pacing which created a tantalizing level of suspense, and it had enough romance that I got to play dirty images in my head while I wasn’t reading.
Dr. O’Brien was probably my favorite character. Firstly, he’s dead sexy (or, at least in my head he is). He’s got a bit of the daddy and straight-acting vibe, which is fine, but that’s not what makes him irresistible. He’s not only a complete nerd, but he’s into athletics. He probably never skips leg day. I can’t even tell you how many D&D groups I go to where I’m the only one who does anything even remotely athletic, so when I see an athletic nerd, my heart throbs. I also liked how his character was shrouded in mystery. We see him from Kyle’s point of view, so everything he does and says is a bit baffling at first, and that really turned me on too—I mean, it was really great for character development. Yeah, character development. *clears throat* And when the mysteries of his character are revealed, you are still left with sexy athletic doctor. Hoo boy!
The pacing had me turning the pages, and it didn’t hang onto any mysterious elements for too long that I lost interest. There were layers and depth: suspense over the world, over the sexy doctor (does he like Kyle or not? Are they going to do it?), and then we had the antagonists of the story, of which there are plenty. Pretty much everyone on the planet wants to kill Kyle from the start, which gives him a needy and lonely edge our dear doctor can exploit for his own nefarious reasons. To put it simply, these are exactly the kinds of stories I love to read.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews
What I liked about this story was that it wasn’t too heavy on the Romance. It had great pacing which created a tantalizing level of suspense, and it had enough romance that I got to play dirty images in my head while I wasn’t reading.
Dr. O’Brien was probably my favorite character. Firstly, he’s dead sexy (or, at least in my head he is). He’s got a bit of the daddy and straight-acting vibe, which is fine, but that’s not what makes him irresistible. He’s not only a complete nerd, but he’s into athletics. He probably never skips leg day. I can’t even tell you how many D&D groups I go to where I’m the only one who does anything even remotely athletic, so when I see an athletic nerd, my heart throbs. I also liked how his character was shrouded in mystery. We see him from Kyle’s point of view, so everything he does and says is a bit baffling at first, and that really turned me on too—I mean, it was really great for character development. Yeah, character development. *clears throat* And when the mysteries of his character are revealed, you are still left with sexy athletic doctor. Hoo boy!
The pacing had me turning the pages, and it didn’t hang onto any mysterious elements for too long that I lost interest. There were layers and depth: suspense over the world, over the sexy doctor (does he like Kyle or not? Are they going to do it?), and then we had the antagonists of the story, of which there are plenty. Pretty much everyone on the planet wants to kill Kyle from the start, which gives him a needy and lonely edge our dear doctor can exploit for his own nefarious reasons. To put it simply, these are exactly the kinds of stories I love to read.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews
September 15, 2016
Ah, this one is difficult to rate and review.
I liked it. Kyle's just turned eighteen, he's a nice guy, (bit of a brat :) ) and has an enjoyable voice. After self defending himself and sending one guy to the hospital he's kicked out of college. Fights are frowned upon and consequences are harsh.
But Kyle is lucky. He's sent to another planet (thanks to some family connections) to figure out his life, make himself useful and learn a profession while apprentice for a few years. Nobody literally wants him around and it's better than prison.
It's a one in a lifetime chance, one he's not very into at first. He hadn't anticipated that it would turn his life upside down quite this crazily, and so very quick.
Up until 35% I thought it could be a five-star-read but then it dragged and Jim, the scientist living on Tantalus, was still hostile. They don't interact at all, because, reasons. So when they declare their love for each other after one week of hell, it's all kind of weird. I liked how they grew closer and how the alien Fluffballs became their friends and all, but the ending still was weird and some times things didn't make sense to me.
So yeah, in the end I didn't get what I'd hoped to get out of the story :(
The romance fell flat. The world building was very nice though and overall I don't regret reading it.
I'm however not excited for the sequel. I might read it. I might not :(
The author is very talented. I enjoyed his writing style and description of the planet etc.
Also, Fluffballs! Yay.
I liked it. Kyle's just turned eighteen, he's a nice guy, (bit of a brat :) ) and has an enjoyable voice. After self defending himself and sending one guy to the hospital he's kicked out of college. Fights are frowned upon and consequences are harsh.
But Kyle is lucky. He's sent to another planet (thanks to some family connections) to figure out his life, make himself useful and learn a profession while apprentice for a few years. Nobody literally wants him around and it's better than prison.
It's a one in a lifetime chance, one he's not very into at first. He hadn't anticipated that it would turn his life upside down quite this crazily, and so very quick.
Up until 35% I thought it could be a five-star-read but then it dragged and Jim, the scientist living on Tantalus, was still hostile. They don't interact at all, because, reasons. So when they declare their love for each other after one week of hell, it's all kind of weird. I liked how they grew closer and how the alien Fluffballs became their friends and all, but the ending still was weird and some times things didn't make sense to me.
So yeah, in the end I didn't get what I'd hoped to get out of the story :(
The romance fell flat. The world building was very nice though and overall I don't regret reading it.
I'm however not excited for the sequel. I might read it. I might not :(
The author is very talented. I enjoyed his writing style and description of the planet etc.
Also, Fluffballs! Yay.
August 16, 2016
This is the second book I've read by Nothlit, and now he's become one of my favorite authors. I don't normally read YA fiction, but his stories are gritty and detailed enough, that I don't mind if the protagonists are younger and there's very little graphic sexual content. I say "graphic" in this case, because Kyle, our protagonist very much has the sexy Dr. O'Brien on the mind. The big wins for me were the suspenseful plot, the hardcore science fiction, and the mysterious Dr. O'Brien.
September 6, 2016
I loved this Sci-Fi story.
We see everything through the eyes of Kyle, an young man (18) who has been sent away from home.
What he sees and feels are described as he arrives on the planet Tantalus and discovers the changes that occurred before his arrival.
It is a story of new discovery and old ideas. The need to explore and possess. And Kyle has been caught up in the middle of it.
I hope there is a second book to find out what happens next.
We see everything through the eyes of Kyle, an young man (18) who has been sent away from home.
What he sees and feels are described as he arrives on the planet Tantalus and discovers the changes that occurred before his arrival.
It is a story of new discovery and old ideas. The need to explore and possess. And Kyle has been caught up in the middle of it.
I hope there is a second book to find out what happens next.
October 3, 2016
One Mc is just a irritating little shit and the other one is unbelievably boring. Nice choice :I
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews