DaveinLA

This is a good story. But....I wish Robert were my uncle! Davey

CL - you always produce such brilliant characters and describe their life in such a way that we - your readers - can share your characters' lives. This was an enjoyable story and I rejoiced in the lives that Brad helped to save and improve. Thank you for all the hard work you put into this for us. A zillion thanks to you. Dave

I just finished reading the "Saving Caeorleia" trilogy for the second time. There are a few sagas in the Space-faring, other worlds and other cultures genre that are truly in a class above the thousands of stories that attempt to address these areas of literature. The factors that make one of these stories rate into the truly wonderful reads is the way the author addresses more than the "get into space" and "find an adversary" aspects of the story. No, when the author really draws the reader into the different worlds and examines their cultures, even addressing languages and environmental requisites which affect the cultures, is important. When an author can even make us feel connected to and a part of the lives of even alien species, then that author is writing with magical script. Cia has done all of that and more with the three installments of this fantastic saga. The first installment, "The Experiment" introduces us to Ryker and Seral - whose father is the leader of the planet Caeorleia. We are treated to interesting involvment in the family life of the leader and his offspring, the governing Council of the planet and many of its inhabitants - some engaging and appealing and some who make us seethe in anger. Another factor in the masterful wordsmithing by Cia is that ability to make characters so real as to be part of the reader during the story. Seral and Ryker take us on a ride, let me tell you. During "The Experiment" we meet other characters. Four of them become the main characters in "Adverse Effects" and "Cosmic Inception". Cia expresses an amazing imagination as the stories are woven into collections of diverse images of conflict, social interaction, personal interactions among the characters and engaging storylines that are in total, enchanting. Thank you, Cia for all the hard work you put into this saga. We appreciate it more than I could possibly express in a review! Davey

This was a great, fun as it can be, read! Thank you Lugh for your hard work! Davey

Again, I am years behind this. But why doesn't someone have Dr. Cole's Cell Number? Why doesn't someone demand that Dr. Cole authorize what is happening? Why doesn't someone challenge Nurse All In Charge? What is wrong with these people?

I have said before - I realize I am years late in this....but why doesn't Angel have his OWN security guards at his door?

Well. Finally.

I realize my comment is about six years too late - but I don't understand. At that level of our stratified society - why doesn't Angel already have about 100 of his own lawyers (solicitors) crawling all over his non-related guardian's affairs and making sure his parents will is being adhered to by the absolute most strict standards it could be? Why doesn't he have his own bodyguards living with him and watching so carefully that Charles, Henry and Annabelle are almost scared to walk down a corridor of the hallowed family manor?

"A Boy Called Slave" is a story that takes the readers on an emotional rollercoaster through many ups and downs and twists and turns. This story deals with some subject material that writers often shy away from simply because writing about these subject and actions which are outside the normal garner intense reactions from readers. Shade was kidnapped at a young age and kept captive for many years. When he was rescued as a teenager, he had none of the skills that average kids learn as a course of growing up. The vast deprivations caused huge emotional, academic and social problems for him. As a result, the only placement for him is a home for troubled youth that is almost prison-like. But there, he meets the irrepressible Dorian - Dory for short - and somehow they develop a bond. This story is full of Psychiatrists that are jaded to the point that there humanity is calloused. It hSocial Workers that make the reader angry. It has carers that are also worn around the edges from an adulthood of working with cases for which there is little hope. Nephylim handles the interactions between these people and our protagonists like a choreographer of majestic prose. The author is masterful at giving the reader great insight into that which makes the characters who they are. This is a great read with many heartwrenching twists, but leaves us satisfied at the last period signifying the last sentence. Bravo, Nephylim, Bravo. Dave

A Review of Crosscurrants, by Adam Phillips DaveinLA Let me start this review by saying that this story is so far out of the genre of stories that I normally read that the difference is the distance between US Coastlines. Crosscurrants is the story of Andy and Matt who met when they were eight years old. Andy's home has his College Professor Father, His working mother and a younger brother and sister - all who have an almost idyllic family life. Matt lives with his mother and Andy realizes that there are pictures of an older boy and a man in Matt's house. Soon into their little-boy relationship, Andy learns from overhearing his parents talking that Matt had an older brother who was abducted, sexually molested and killed. After those events, the father just gave up and walked away, leaving Matt and his Mom alone. Andy not only vows, but promises Matt that he will never let anyone hurt him again. And the story rockets off like the biggest, most twisted rollercoaster you have ever ridden. Adam is a master wordsmith at illuminating the emotions and hidden thoughts of his characters. Eight-year-old Andy is a self-possessed and determined little boy. He lets his self-endowed responsibility of protection of Matt become so important that it shapes his life. This self acquired responsibility shapes his life sometimes for the betterment of his world and sometimes in ways that inflict punishment on himself and others. Matt, however, is the penultimate example of a little boy who has not only accepted the ill occurences in his life, but has turned them into a philosophy that allows him to be remarkably self possessed and thoughtful. He detests bullies, he is popular and never lets those less popular feel as if he is better than him. There is one constant, though - from eight years old, Matt and Andy love each other. Ferociously. Though both are straight as they can be, making early sexual conquests and following up with many others, they never let others get between them. Until.... This is one of the most emotional and emotionally charged reads I've read in a long time. From the Prologue to the Epilogue (there are 37 chapters including those two), I cried, I yelled, I was angry, I was ready to murder Adam's characters. But there were also places where I was delighted, laughed and was fulfilled beyond belief. I can count on my fingers and toes the number of net authors who have the craftmanship to write words that can shine the lights on various characters that elicit those emotions. Adam Phillips has done a superb job giving his readers such expansive insight into the thoughts, actions, reactions and events that cause his characters own actions. He also built a well-crafted story, using great characters inside a well-painted setting to bring the reader to a conclusion that satisfies all of the threads within the story. Well Done, Adam Phillips. Thank you for the hard work and effort you put into painting Crosscurrants for us to share. We - the readers here - will never be able to fully thank you and the other authors for such hard and great work.

Do you think Trent should offer to pay Mitchell back for covering his travel from Rio to Perth?🤑

I just finished another story by Quokka that featured another main character who just seemed to tuck his head down and run every time he encountered trouble. Is this a regular part of Quokka's stories? In Australia, do senior staff and officers just ignore when someone decides to simply leave their post and take off - not showing up to do their job without any communication with their superiors? It sure doesn't work that way in my country. If a person doesn't show up and has no communication with their employer, it is grounds for likely dismissal - most certainly reprimand. I get that Trent is the son of the major owner of The R! Shame on him! Yes, Wallace is an ass! But Trent is a Senior Science Officer and former military man. He should have shoved Wallace back and called the Captain to the room to explain what the Captain's son had just done. Given the Captain (and his wife's) attitude toward Trent, I don't think they would have been happy with their 19-year-old son!

I have not commented on this story to this point - and I will not belabor anyone to suffer a long rant. However, I am most disappointed with Anton. Doesn't he have more important thing to do than have a pity party for himself, right now?

Archimedes said, "Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I will move the world." A 160' Blue Coast Sailing Yacht is a very big craft. It's displacement is not available on the internet, but compared with other similar craft, it probably has a displacement of around 250 tons. That's 500,000 pounds. It is pretty fantastical to think that a 6 year old, an 8 year old and 4 17 year olds could provide enough muscle to move that craft 60 feet (20 m.) down a beach to float her. Regardless of how many drums of water they tied to the levers! Nevertheless - it is a great story! I am enjoying every paragraph!

Well, Hell! I remember reading this story a long time ago - maybe about 2003 on Nifty. Don't prosecute me if I am wrong on the year - it's a dim memory! I do know that this version is very much dressed up from the very poorly written version I originally read. I am sorry for GhostRyder's passing. I am, personally, at an age where I think every day above ground is a good day - and I do not mean that to be a flippant remark. It is true. I enjoyed Kombat Kids. I thank all the writers who work so hard to provide us with the content that we enjoy so much. Thank you, Myr, for this forum for us to read that content. Dave

He has done it, again. CLJobe has penned a very engaging story of Rich and Jimmy. As always for him the real strength is in the endearing characters and their very normal, real-life situations and actions. Thank you, CL for you hard work! Dave

I always enjoy your stories. I haven't read them all, but have delighted in several. You made Stephen - and Nohr and the many characters in "Stephen" - most endearing by so accurately telling of their lives, their trials and their triumphs. Thank you for all the hard work you have put in to share with us - those who seem to only consume. (We do make donations, occasionally, though!). Thank you. Dave

Great Story! What an imagination Invnarcel has!

Apologies for my comment at the end of the "Unpublished" previous chapter. I just had not gotten far enough to understand!

This was an entertaining and amusing story. Thank you for the work you put into it and for sharing it with us.