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Nefarious
A fictional account of real-life sailboat racing; literary, funny at times, sexy and poetic. A handbook of human drama and competition. Max Rigby falls for the pit-girl from S/V Nefarious, a sailing vessel that lives up to its name. The woman who has awakened his heart is the fleet's most fierce sailor, Robin Mac Bradaigh, aka "Mac," a young, fiery, unapologetic sailor who refuses to be pushed around by a fleet of scoundrels. But Nefarious carries a dark reputation, and Max soon finds himself caught up in a sailing race that is as dangerous as it is thrilling.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2017
25 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Antonio J. Hopson
22 books6 followersAntonio (AJ) Hopson honed his skills writing speculative fiction, flash fiction and essays. His stories have been widely published: Quiet Shorts Magazine, Letter X, Creation, The Wonder Boy Review, Ascent, 20 Dissidents and Old Growth Journal, The Harrow Magazine, Monongahela Review, The Subterranean Quarterly, OutCry Magazine, Lost Magazine, The Angler, The Piker Press and also NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu's Exquisite Corpse Magazine. He has received Farmhouse Magazine's Reader's Choice award and performed as a featured author at Seattle's Richard Hugo House. As a performer and panelist, he has appeared at Seattle's Rainbow Bookfest. In 2008 he was selected to participate in Evergreen College's Literary Conference on "Activism and the Avant-Garde" and in 2009 he was an EPPIE Award Finalist. Please visit AntonioHopson.com to see what he is up to these days.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 26, 2018
I'm not really into boats or any type of races for that matter, but this book is a really interesting read. It made me want to go to a race and see all of the craziness that happens. The characters are very detailed and realistic. I feel like if I were to go to a race like this then I would definitely find people with some of these characters traits!
August 30, 2018
The story opens with narratives of a lot of people. Their thoughts, feelings, as they all gather for the sailboat race week. The backdrop of the story is a sailboat race. We get to know tye different characters as they gather for the race. Some are interesting, some are downright insane and some are blackheads .
It progresses and basically describes the race and in the process we get to know the other characters slowly and they don't look so sinister or dark anymore.
It's not only a romance and true love kind of story. As they sail side by side their journey also imparts much wisdom to the readers. It makes them think deep and search within themselves for the truth of existence and reality.
...
Click on the link below for the full review with the purchase link!
http://arielbookblog.blogspot.com/201...
It progresses and basically describes the race and in the process we get to know the other characters slowly and they don't look so sinister or dark anymore.
It's not only a romance and true love kind of story. As they sail side by side their journey also imparts much wisdom to the readers. It makes them think deep and search within themselves for the truth of existence and reality.
...
Click on the link below for the full review with the purchase link!
http://arielbookblog.blogspot.com/201...
November 16, 2017
The novel is set in the scenario of a non professional boat race lasting a week. Most characters are rough sailors, looking for a good time, away from everyday life, fully immersed in alcohol, sex and fun. Nonetheless, within the kaleidoscope of characters pictured by the author, there is also space for love, poetry and a reflection upon the significance of life.
I am not passionate about boats and I am not familiar with the boating environment, so it took me a little while before being able to dive into the narration, also because I have very little in common with many of the people populating the story. However, my perseverance has paid off. In fact, this book has many layers and many stories interweaving. The action is carried on by everything happening during the daily races, the rivalry between the two stronger skippers, the side stories of the various fleet members. There is also the precarious love story between the indomitable pit-girl and the romantic writer. But my attention was stolen by three characters in particular: the two tacticians, Ortun and Kevin Jonson and, of course, the devil. Kevin Jonson represents mystery, what is ancestral, immutable and powerful, regardless of all the transient and trivial everyday situations. Ortun represents poetry, music, grace. He is the depth of the ocean and the lightness of a feather. While the devil needs living beings beside him, to fill his eternal hollowness, Kevin Jonson and Ortun are whole, they are one with all the existent, therefore they stand above the circumstances in which they choose to act. The devil is a masterpiece. The author makes a truly original portrait of this figure. He features as himself, relating to the people around him in the most natural way. There is nothing threatening surrounding him; of course, some prefer to keep him at a distance, avoid his ambiguity. Nonetheless, I would say that more than cunning he displays a sort of cynical sense of humour which is rather enjoyable, especially when it is considered in the light of his inner speculations, about his own nature and the nature of his dealings with living beings. This philosophical/psychological aspect of the book is the one I prefer. I delight in stories exploring the essence of things and the inner thoughts of people, and in this novel I found some valuable pages to kindle my interest, pages that are also written in a very poetical style. One of the passages I have preferred is the conversation between the devil and a snowflake, a moving sparkle to ignite a reflection upon the intimate value of beauty and the overwhelming power of life. Another memorable passage comes at the end, in the last conversation between the devil and Dan, the skipper of Nefarious. I leave it for you to read and enjoy.
I would like to conclude this review with a recommendation: read this book at least twice. It is a complex book, not a simple and linear one. There is so much to it, the language is rich and there are many characters to be discovered, besides a little final riddel. Too much to be fully taken in during the first read. Follow my advice and you’ll see there are some gems to be found here.
I am not passionate about boats and I am not familiar with the boating environment, so it took me a little while before being able to dive into the narration, also because I have very little in common with many of the people populating the story. However, my perseverance has paid off. In fact, this book has many layers and many stories interweaving. The action is carried on by everything happening during the daily races, the rivalry between the two stronger skippers, the side stories of the various fleet members. There is also the precarious love story between the indomitable pit-girl and the romantic writer. But my attention was stolen by three characters in particular: the two tacticians, Ortun and Kevin Jonson and, of course, the devil. Kevin Jonson represents mystery, what is ancestral, immutable and powerful, regardless of all the transient and trivial everyday situations. Ortun represents poetry, music, grace. He is the depth of the ocean and the lightness of a feather. While the devil needs living beings beside him, to fill his eternal hollowness, Kevin Jonson and Ortun are whole, they are one with all the existent, therefore they stand above the circumstances in which they choose to act. The devil is a masterpiece. The author makes a truly original portrait of this figure. He features as himself, relating to the people around him in the most natural way. There is nothing threatening surrounding him; of course, some prefer to keep him at a distance, avoid his ambiguity. Nonetheless, I would say that more than cunning he displays a sort of cynical sense of humour which is rather enjoyable, especially when it is considered in the light of his inner speculations, about his own nature and the nature of his dealings with living beings. This philosophical/psychological aspect of the book is the one I prefer. I delight in stories exploring the essence of things and the inner thoughts of people, and in this novel I found some valuable pages to kindle my interest, pages that are also written in a very poetical style. One of the passages I have preferred is the conversation between the devil and a snowflake, a moving sparkle to ignite a reflection upon the intimate value of beauty and the overwhelming power of life. Another memorable passage comes at the end, in the last conversation between the devil and Dan, the skipper of Nefarious. I leave it for you to read and enjoy.
I would like to conclude this review with a recommendation: read this book at least twice. It is a complex book, not a simple and linear one. There is so much to it, the language is rich and there are many characters to be discovered, besides a little final riddel. Too much to be fully taken in during the first read. Follow my advice and you’ll see there are some gems to be found here.
June 19, 2018
It’s a fun book about boat race and a bunch of sailors, the protagonist is caught up in the RACE WEEK out of nowhere, which brings a lot of thrill but gets dangerous really quick. I liked the way the characters have been written specially the character of Mac who is wild pit girl. The best part about the book is that it’s fast paced and the other character’s story is not lost behind the main people. It is the first book that I have read about sailors and boat races so it was a good change for me. Would love to read more books by Antonio J Hopson.
July 26, 2018
A smart, sassy & sexy novel about sailors - and non-sailors - thrown together for a week of intense competition.
Nefarious is a story of the fragility of human existence and the power of the natural world.
With beautiful prose and vivid characters, Antonio Hopson explores what it means to be human.
Step into a world of intrigue and magic in the Salish Sea.
Nefarious is a story of the fragility of human existence and the power of the natural world.
With beautiful prose and vivid characters, Antonio Hopson explores what it means to be human.
Step into a world of intrigue and magic in the Salish Sea.
April 6, 2019
Still trying to figure out how I feel about this book (which is a good thing). The sailing story is superficial to broader themes on love, tradition and the devil. Animal House meets Moby Dick.
November 21, 2020
Nice to read
I liked the first chapters. The race could use some more suspens and drama, but overall I enjoyed reading it.
I liked the first chapters. The race could use some more suspens and drama, but overall I enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews