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Narc #2
Equinox
The Athena is in the Zeus system, and NARC takes on the most hazardous assignment in its history. Zeus is controlled by Equinox Industries. The city of Elysium is on the brink of corporate war... Angel war has already begun. But Angel, Equinox and the gas giant Zeus are locked in a deadly embrace ... and soon all of NARC is involved. Elysium is at war with itself; at the conflict's heart is Equinox, controlling industry, politics - and the Angel trade? Hard evidence is elusive. The hunt takes Jarrat and Stone across the Zeus system, into battlefield engagements ... a supersonic dogfight ... a brute-force slugging-match in the docking bays of Eos ... and the showdown between NARC and Equinox. When hightech fails, courage, quick wits and keen empathy might still win through. Jarrat and Stone share the rank of captain, command of the Athena, and the bonding which was their very survival. Read 10% of the novel online at www.melkeegan.com.
280 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1994
2 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Mel Keegan
52 books71 followersA self-confessed science fiction and fantasy devotee, Keegan is known for novels across a wide range of subjects, from the historical to the future action-adventure. Mel lives in South Australia with an eccentric family and a variety of pets.
Every Mel Keegan book is strong on gay or bisexual heroes (also, often, on gay villains), and some of these heroes are the most delicious in fiction: Jarrat and Stone from the NARC series, Bill Ryan and Jim Hale from The Deceivers, Neil Travers and Curtis Marin from Hellgate, and many more unforgettable characters. Because Mel's books feature the same sex relationships, the partnership at the core of each book is integral: this is the relationship driving the story, and it can be very powerful indeed.
Every Mel Keegan book is strong on gay or bisexual heroes (also, often, on gay villains), and some of these heroes are the most delicious in fiction: Jarrat and Stone from the NARC series, Bill Ryan and Jim Hale from The Deceivers, Neil Travers and Curtis Marin from Hellgate, and many more unforgettable characters. Because Mel's books feature the same sex relationships, the partnership at the core of each book is integral: this is the relationship driving the story, and it can be very powerful indeed.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 20, 2013
4 Solid Stars!
Before I start in on my review, let me just say that I am surprised that Mel Keegan isn’t as well known in the M/M community on GR as I thought he would be. It makes me wonder if it’s because many of his books were written over a decade ago (this is based on the fact that the more popular M/M books are more recently published/written). Any who, on with my review…
I’m assuming at this point, readers have read Death’s Head as Equinox is actually book 2 of the NARC series. I’ll be honest: I was skeptical about starting Equinox. I had a lot of niggles after finishing Death’s Head (my review can be found here). Fortunately, Mel Keegan seemed to improve upon many of the things I disliked about the first book, yet continues to retain many of the facets of good science fiction (or at least the ones I like). Basically, if you liked the first book or were on the fence about it, Equinox will not disappoint.
Unlike Death’s Head, Stoney and Kevin are actually together for almost the whole book! This made my M/M heart flutter as I absolutely LOVE this couple. “Why?” you ask. Because unlike many M/M relationships found in fiction nowadays, there is absolutely NO bullshit when it comes to Stoney x Kevin. They are absolutely, 100%, devoted to each other: both body AND mind (literally!). They are intimate with one another without it being corny. The sex between these guys is beautiful and written in enough detail to satiate my perverted mind, without feeling like pornography. They don’t have stupid communication problems that plague many M/M relationships (and cause unnecessary arguments and additional problems). That’s not to say their relationship is perfect. Far from it, because empathic partners have their own plate of problems. And in their line of work, the empathy can be just as dangerous to these guys as a civilian riot armed with military weapons!
The POV is also strictly between Stoney and Kevin, whereas in Death’s Head it was stretched over several additional side characters. This, I approve of, since to be completely honest – I don’t care about what the other characters think (okay, maybe Del, but that’s it…). I am completely devoted to my two captains. :)
The plot in Equinox is a lot more complex and enjoyable than its predecessor. The book blurb does a good job explaining, so I won’t go into the details. As usual, there’s a huge focus on the investigative role of NARC in the plot as Stone and Kevin try to find proof of an Angel connection in the Zeus system, a precarious balance between the civilian and Equinox corporation, the ethical implication of NARC involvement in a politically stressed situation, and some interesting plot twists.
The action scenes are enjoyable as usual, and the pacing of the story is a LOT better than Death’s Head, probably due to the shorter word count. Needless to say (but something I still have to mention), Mel Keegan does a good job with world building. I know this is a cliché thing to state in a review, but it really is important when dealing with science fiction. Even during the rare dull moments in the book, I could always appreciate the carefully constructed world. I could see myself in the blue/green twilight of Avalon with the hues of Zeus peeking through the evening smog of Elysium. The technology, the environment, the fictitious characters and organizations (i.e. Starfleet, NARC and Tac) all comes together to construct a universe that can only exist in the pages of a well written book.
So despite all the praise I am giving Equinox, there were still niggles or things I didn’t like. So formatting seems to still be an issue. There’s no more weird word salads like in Death’s Head. But my epub format had issues with quotation marks and paragraph spacing. This made things confusing, especially when quotation marks are missing and you realize a character has finished talking. Or when there are quotes within the dialogue. The paragraph spacing became an issue as you realize the next ordinary looking paragraph actually takes place the next day or at a different place.
Since I love me some romance and Death’s Head had some FEELS, I was hoping that Equinox would deliver in that aspect. While there were tender moments between Stoney and Kevin, and issues of emotions that were made apparent with the empathy, I felt that Equinox was less emotionally charged than Death’s Head. I am hoping the next installment will include more of the emotional issues that these guys will have to face in the future.
So wow, huge review! If you’ve read up to this point, then thanks a bunch! So overall, I really liked Equinox and will be happy to start the next book in the near future.
December 4, 2013
4.5 stars
Esquinox is pretty much purged of flaws that the previous book had. There is not much excess here - the plot moves fast, but the author still takes the time to tell his story.
This is science fiction at its finest - part cop story, part action thrill. I cannot verify the science as much as I would like to, but it all seems believable and possible even from our point of view: from Kestrel engines to debris deflectors.
Jarrat and Stone have passed the NARC tests, but they are still monitored as some believe their empathy will influence their mental health. Kevin suffers from delayed stress syndrome after the events from the first book, but manages to control it. The men are still as thick as thieves, but their relationship is just an element of the story. This is no romance by any stretch of the imagination, but space opera the fans would love.
Highly recommended.
Esquinox is pretty much purged of flaws that the previous book had. There is not much excess here - the plot moves fast, but the author still takes the time to tell his story.
This is science fiction at its finest - part cop story, part action thrill. I cannot verify the science as much as I would like to, but it all seems believable and possible even from our point of view: from Kestrel engines to debris deflectors.
Jarrat and Stone have passed the NARC tests, but they are still monitored as some believe their empathy will influence their mental health. Kevin suffers from delayed stress syndrome after the events from the first book, but manages to control it. The men are still as thick as thieves, but their relationship is just an element of the story. This is no romance by any stretch of the imagination, but space opera the fans would love.
Highly recommended.
February 9, 2019
Weirdly, even though I'm sure I got this book before Death's Head (the previous book in this series) and read it a few times before I ever read the other one, I remember almost nothing about this compared with it's predecessor.
This book does have more sex scenes than the first, but overall I find it a little less interesting and exciting. This is mostly just a result of the story/plot, which doesn't have the "chase" element, and it's a fairly straightforward story.
This book does have more sex scenes than the first, but overall I find it a little less interesting and exciting. This is mostly just a result of the story/plot, which doesn't have the "chase" element, and it's a fairly straightforward story.
March 27, 2008
This author came highly recommended by a friend, so it was with eager anticipation that I decided to check Mel Keegan out by reading Equinox.
Equinox is your standard science fiction spy adventure novel, with requisite heroes battling the big bad corporate monopoly. (Think "Die Hard" in space.) The twist is that the heroes in this story are male lovers who are empathically (psychically and emotionally) bonded. They can each feel what the other one is feeling, unless they put up shields/barriers.
The empathic bond is interesting, but not an idea fully fleshed out by Keegan. The experiments being held in the opening of the story to determine the strength and nature of the bond are some of the most interesting sections of the story. I also liked the description and actions of the deadly drug Angel, especially when the effects of this lethal drug are demonstrated on an unwilling addict. I would like to see another story by Keegan, a slice of life story about an Angel addict told both from his point of view and by observers of the same character.
This was a passable adventure story but nothing really stands out. I'm not sorry the story ended, and not seeking to follow more adventures with our protagonists. So, I'm a bit disappointed in Keegan for not giving me something extraordinary. My hopes were set high for this, and Equinox did not deliver to expectations.
Equinox is your standard science fiction spy adventure novel, with requisite heroes battling the big bad corporate monopoly. (Think "Die Hard" in space.) The twist is that the heroes in this story are male lovers who are empathically (psychically and emotionally) bonded. They can each feel what the other one is feeling, unless they put up shields/barriers.
The empathic bond is interesting, but not an idea fully fleshed out by Keegan. The experiments being held in the opening of the story to determine the strength and nature of the bond are some of the most interesting sections of the story. I also liked the description and actions of the deadly drug Angel, especially when the effects of this lethal drug are demonstrated on an unwilling addict. I would like to see another story by Keegan, a slice of life story about an Angel addict told both from his point of view and by observers of the same character.
This was a passable adventure story but nothing really stands out. I'm not sorry the story ended, and not seeking to follow more adventures with our protagonists. So, I'm a bit disappointed in Keegan for not giving me something extraordinary. My hopes were set high for this, and Equinox did not deliver to expectations.
November 5, 2013
Equinox is a great space opera, with lots of action, lots of high tech fighting, and yet lots of Jarrett and Stone working together as well. There was excellent worldbuilding, with a drug that is terrible and a villain who is truly bad--and who has some surprises in store for NARC as well.
The empathy that the two guys can feel each others' emotions was an interesting angle, brought about by the happenings in book 1, Death's Head. I was afraid this might make things a bit too easy for them, but I thought it worked well and was not overdone. They can feel what each other is feeling but it's not mind-reading, which is okay by me.
There are some great sex scenes, not too overdone or too graphic, and which fit in well with the story. I enjoyed almost as much the small touches from one to the other, showing how comfortable their relationship is. A great story of true partners working together in a job that is dangerous but worthwhile.
The empathy that the two guys can feel each others' emotions was an interesting angle, brought about by the happenings in book 1, Death's Head. I was afraid this might make things a bit too easy for them, but I thought it worked well and was not overdone. They can feel what each other is feeling but it's not mind-reading, which is okay by me.
There are some great sex scenes, not too overdone or too graphic, and which fit in well with the story. I enjoyed almost as much the small touches from one to the other, showing how comfortable their relationship is. A great story of true partners working together in a job that is dangerous but worthwhile.
February 10, 2015
** 4.5 Stars **
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews