Sunday, May 29, 2011

Early Feedback from Readers of Distant Cousin: Recirculation (DC5)



Distant Cousin: Recirculation (DC5) has only been out a little while, but the early comments are fun. There's no point in recapping the reviews at Amazon, but several others, including personal communications, might be of interest.


First, there are the commuters, who have read all four books out loud to each other during their long and otherwise boring commute: "We are loving the new book! Already 1/2 done. Hurry up with the next one!"

If they seem to be taking a long time to get through the book, then know that the audio version of Distant Cousin: Reincarnation takes 13 hours to listen to. (See the earlier reports from the commuters here and here.)

The following comments have been edited so as not to spoil anything for new readers:

"I didn't get a chance to let you know that I finished DC5. I didn't read it until after [something in the news happened], so I found it entirely believable.I also enjoyed the fact that the kids got [major parts in the story]."

and

"After several weeks of work, travel, and visiting kids in California, I at last opened Distant Cousin: Recirculation on the way home Monday night…and just finished it, having had to do a few pieces of work in between. The book is the best yet. You have a gift and we all are most fortunate that you are sharing it with us. ...it was so prophetic at the end….to read this just after [something in the news happened]. You captured the complexity perfectly.

"THANK YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!!

"Your FAN forever!!!!!"

While we're at, we found two new comments tucked away in corners of the internet:

Under the heading "Crusty Old Guy Likes This:"

"I cut my teeth on old school science fiction with bug-eyed monsters, ray guns, and inhospitable planets. This isn't about those. Well maybe it is, with Earth and some of it's inhabitants being the antagonists. This is well written, as one page induces you to read the next. Characters have life. The plot is plausible (we are talking SF here). It also gives some insight into the people, places, and culture of Nueva Espana. I read this out of curiosity and to add another dimension to my reading of late. My curiosity was pleasantly slaked but I wouldn't recommend this to other crusty old guys. We just aren't the target audience. I highly recommended this to my grand daughter. My wife should even enjoy it. Oh yeah, I'll probably read the next in the series."


One more, about Distant Cousin: Reincarnation (DC3):

"In this latest installment of Al Past's Distant Cousin saga, Ana Darcy's greed-driven uncle brings about a deplorable international situation that only she can set aright. To do so, she must make use of all her unique talents and abilities while placing her life in great peril.... This isn't just another action novel. By now Ana is married, and the author cleverly juxtapositions her Thoman adventures with the family life she longs to share with her husband, Matt Mendez, and their twins. He and the kids manage to find a little adventure of their own, which regularly serves as a refreshing aside from the main story line. As usual, Past serves up delectable portraits of the cuisine in the various parts of the country where Ana finds herself, and his depiction of the landscape in diverse regions of the world gives the reader a genuine sense of presence. Flashbacks and unnecessary references to the two preceding Distant Cousin novels are kept to a minimum thus; even readers who are unfamiliar with those works will find Distant Cousin: Reincarnation to be intriguing and captivating. Whether you are new to the universe of Ana Darcy and her friends, or are fortunate enough to have read Distant Cousin and Distant Cousin: Repatriation, this work holds a great deal of enjoyment in store."

To all those who took the trouble to send in their thoughts, our warmest and most heartfelt thanks!


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