The Neko's Tail Series: 2. The Neko World: Astara

This is a well told tale of Elias who has been kidnapped from his home planet where he was a slave.  He is given a choice by his kidnapper to return to the planet Elias has considered as a prison, or join his kidnapper to explore the stars.  The book is filled with adventure, danger, sexual tension, tragedy and hope.  This is the second book in a series and a very good read.

How this story doesn't have 10+ recommendations is beyond my comprehension!

I will make this declaration: this sequel to Wolf Pack is, by far, the greatest sequel to any story I've ever read. Not very many authors could pull off a complete shift in genre in the same series, but Yeoldebard does it flawlessly. This story picks up Elias from his adventure in the first story, and... well, I can't really describe where he goes without providing spoilers for both stories! The transition between these two works of art is just that damned good! 

The psychoanalysis done within this story is absolutely amazing. The thought put into the characters, their problems, and the solutions kept me at the edge of my seat. Years from now, I'll be explaining to my heart doctor what this tale has done to it. 

This story can stand alone, but I highly recommend reading Wolf Pack to make sense of the first several chapters. Nevertheless, this is a must read for any member of the GA community. Very well done, Yeoldebard. I'll be patiently waiting for a physical copy of this book. 

This is the story of Elias and the adventures he has with Artemis. 

It is a fantastic story that is full adventure, mystery and both happy and sad times for Elias and Artemis.

Well worth a read.

Where do I even start?

Every time I read another story of @Yeoldebard I feel like I just found a new favourite. This time I feel like I first need to take some time to gather my jaw from the floor and put it back together before I can produce anything coherent, though, as I just finished reading and I am stunned and elated and million other things.

So thinking what is the strongest point of this story... I could say it's the amazing world building, as the space ships and space stations and planets and races inhabiting them all come to life in a signature ascetic style of @Yeoldebard which always focuses our eyes on important details letting us fill in the rest. 

I could also say it's the story - the plot itself full of adventures that bring about twists and turns or maybe up and downs basically every chapter, keeping us on the edge throughout most of the 40 chapters. 

I could also say it's the amazing character building and development - as we get to know our heroes and a range of very vivid side characters and see them deal with problems and face challenges, many of which they encounter for the first time.

But what I really want to say is feelings - the raw emotions and the way the characters cope with them - from loss to love, from fear to trust, and from anxiety to confidence. It's quite a journey to accompany them and witness the wobbly tentative steps, as they try to stretch out of their shells and inhibitions and meet the other half way. The organic realism with which the emotional journey is depicted will leave no heart unmoved. 

I think everyone should read this masterpiece even if just to experience that!  ❤️