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Stealing Some Time #1
Stealing Some Time: Volume 1
It is 2479 AD. Technical Sergeant Kallen Deshara and his team have traveled from the 25th century to the 19th. Their to eliminate powerful ion storms caused by the very device that opened the portal to the past. If they don’t succeed, their present may cease to exist! Once done, they’ll return home and the future will be as it should be. But Kallen didn’t plan on meeting Aaric Utzman, a young cartographer from post-colonial America. Nor did he plan to fall in love with him. He must find a way for them to stay together or Aaric will have been dead for over six hundred years after Kallen’s return. No matter what he decides, the past, the present, and the future will be irrevocably altered.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2003
5 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Mark Kendrick
10 books65 followers(Mark Ian Kendrick)
I wish I could say I come from a long line of creative types, that creative endeavors were encouraged, that creativity was a hallmark of my family. Alas, I'm the outcast... and DAMN proud of it.
In fact, I'm the only gay member of my family on both sides for generations. I know. I did our family's genealogy on computer a decade ago just to find the others. No gays. No painters. No writers. No artists. No inventors. No intellectuals. Just Republicans. And those addicted to mythological beings made up during the Bronze Age.
So, let this be a lesson to everyone. In every boring family a black sheep must be born to create a fresh look, to stir the pot. To force change! Words are power. Unleash them!
I wish I could say I come from a long line of creative types, that creative endeavors were encouraged, that creativity was a hallmark of my family. Alas, I'm the outcast... and DAMN proud of it.
In fact, I'm the only gay member of my family on both sides for generations. I know. I did our family's genealogy on computer a decade ago just to find the others. No gays. No painters. No writers. No artists. No inventors. No intellectuals. Just Republicans. And those addicted to mythological beings made up during the Bronze Age.
So, let this be a lesson to everyone. In every boring family a black sheep must be born to create a fresh look, to stir the pot. To force change! Words are power. Unleash them!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 7, 2011
This was my first gay science fiction novel, and I must admit that it took me a while to get into it, but it was definitely worth it! I enjoyed the author's take on global warming, gay rights, and his take on religion. I really enjoy Mark's novels, and while I did enjoy this science fiction novel, I hope he returns to regular fiction soon. I really enjoyed the world Mark created and it was obvious that he vigorously researched everything to make his world and technology as realistic and fact-based as possible. I would definitely recommend this book for everyone!
March 17, 2013
SlashReaders: When I originally started reading Mark Kendrick's work it was back in 2004. I have fond memories of reading this series as well as some of his other books. In fact here are a few of the comments I had in my originally review: I enjoyed reading these for the most part. One of the things I noticed in this series and with his other books as that sometimes when dealing with emotions is rather unbelievable.
But even the magic later is quiet well done and fairly believable. As for the scientific aspects of the books it depends it worked for me but I'm pretty much willing and able to let anything work as long as it's not totally out there. *chuckles* So I guess that might depend on the person.
Still they were good books and took some rather interesting turns though the book. Though some of the things that Kallen decides to try and do sound rather far fetched and you have to wonder after his up bringing how he can let that all go so easily.
All that being said, I have not gone back and attempted to re read this novels. I did however pick up one of Kendrick's newer works a few months ago. I have to say that I had a very hard time getting through the novel for a couple of reasons. 1. I found the science fiction aspects to be unrealistic. 2. I found the character's to be flat. 3. The relationships and interactions were like going back to high school, no matter the age of the character.
But even the magic later is quiet well done and fairly believable. As for the scientific aspects of the books it depends it worked for me but I'm pretty much willing and able to let anything work as long as it's not totally out there. *chuckles* So I guess that might depend on the person.
Still they were good books and took some rather interesting turns though the book. Though some of the things that Kallen decides to try and do sound rather far fetched and you have to wonder after his up bringing how he can let that all go so easily.
All that being said, I have not gone back and attempted to re read this novels. I did however pick up one of Kendrick's newer works a few months ago. I have to say that I had a very hard time getting through the novel for a couple of reasons. 1. I found the science fiction aspects to be unrealistic. 2. I found the character's to be flat. 3. The relationships and interactions were like going back to high school, no matter the age of the character.
Currently reading
June 9, 2011too much sex and too much extraneous details that no one cares about...
May 2, 2015
A great time travel story that goes the distance. By that I mean that the loose ends of the story get nicely explained in book 2, stretching over a large time frame. It's hard to find a nice science fiction story with a gay protagonist, and this is one of them. Just watch out for the abysmal editing job done in this book - numerous typos and grammatical mistakes that make this a bit tedious to read. This is really too bad, since I liked the story so much.
August 7, 2014
I made it to page 99 of this and couldn't muster up enough interest even to make it the round 100. I'm afraid it's just dull. The writing is flat and it could have done with some more proof reading, I spotted a few mistakes. I didn't latch on to any of the characters and want to see how things worked out for them. Not recommended.
November 18, 2012
I love Sci-Fi and especially Sci-Fi with a gay/MM subplot. Unfortunately there are not many of those around in which the science part is creditable and well described, but this is one of them.
I like this Sci-Fi romance and would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't been moving along rather slowly in some parts.
Vol 1 of 2.
I like this Sci-Fi romance and would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't been moving along rather slowly in some parts.
Vol 1 of 2.
January 19, 2014
It's really dry reading. The author just keeps shoving information at you, which makes for a tedious, long, boring read. Especially at the beginning, it really felt like reading a textbook. The prologue is one long info-dump and is definitely not a good hook for the story.
Very boring; won't read further.
Very boring; won't read further.
August 14, 2012
I feel like part one and part two ought to have been combined and condensed. The pacing was too slow, especially in part one. Part two brought in the time travel and the story cheered up quite a bit.
July 12, 2014
I devoure books like these, the emotional twists, the last half of the second book is worth trudging through some of the excessive dialogue. Dystopian, alt reality, SF. I was wishing there was more about kallen's later life. But it was handled well.
December 2, 2014
This book takes place in the future.. not really my deal, but it's pretty good to get through. The ending is a cliffhanger, so I'd recommend getting the sequel at the same time. It's worthwhile.
June 22, 2012
I loved it. I can't give it five stars because I know it's not great fiction, it's like the salad at the Olive Garden, I like it.
October 22, 2017
I wish I could understand the good reviews this book has received, but I really don't. Usually average Goodreads ratings work pretty well for me, but this one left me disappointed.
First of all, Kendrick writing style is sometimes confusing. He will mostly tell from the perspective of the protagonist Kallen, but out of the blue, for one or two sentences, he will suddenly switch. Like, mostly in the beginning, suddenly there are a few sentences from the perspective of Kallen's first boyfriend, or a sentence about what his mother is thinking of his relationship with his girlfriend (or the lack of it). Usually swithing perspectives, if at all, is only done in separate chapters, like, one chapter is written from the perspective of person A, one from person B, not all thrown in a pot. It just makes reading a bit more confusing.
There are other confusing aspects regarding the story, like, when they opened that portal, there isn't really any real explanation about how it works, you are just served, quite literally, with "You don't need to understand how it works". It doesn't seem very thought through and it seems like Kendrick didn't even try to give a reasonable explanation and as if he needed that time traveling aspect for his story (obviously), but had no real clue how to go about it.
Character development also seems very lacking for all characters, including Kallen, in this book. Most just seem completely unimportant to the story and there wasn't even any real reason to add them to the book.
But what bothers me the most, is how Kallen seems to have a gay radar, finding one "hot" gay guy in a haystack after another and not only is he managing to spot, or to be spotted by them pretty much instantly, no, they are all good looking and also interested in him. Lucky him! It just doesn't seem to come across as very realistic that a person goes from one place to the next and instantly finds the only other gay guy (who is by chance not only always handsome and also always interested in him) in an invorement where being homesexual is regarded as a crime. One should think people would be more cautios about hiding it and not just making a move on every guy that might be gay too, but that seems what all of the guys around him seem to be doing.
When I was about two thirds into the book, Kallen had already 4 intense relationsships with guys in a timespan that felt like a few months at best (even if it might have been longer, it doesn't come across as much). He is going through guys like other people go through socks. Okay, so maybe he is a horny bastard who will jump into bed with just about everyone as long as he's gay (or, as we get to know at the beginning, not even that as he also tried to desperately get into his gf's pants). Doesn't make him very likeable to me, doesn't come across as very realistic giving the circumstances of how homosexuality is regarded in his society, didn't really seem important for the overall story, but, most of all, somehow takes the wind out of the sails for the "main story", where he falls in love with Aaric. To me Aaric is just "another guy" in the long row of Kallen's relationship, so I just can't really take this relationship seriously, or any more serious than the 3 other relationships he had in the book already. I feel like just shrugging at him and saying "Come on Kallen, just give Aaric up. You'll find a new hot guy to drool over within 3 months". He seems to be pretty good at that. And not being able to take the relationship really seriously, I can't really empathize with him and the whole story is leaving me pretty much unmoved. Most likely won't bother to read the second volume, because at this point, I really don't care what happens to Kallen and his boyfriend(s) and it seems that, if things didn't work out with Aaric, he'll get over it pretty much instantly the next time he sees a good looking guy.
(English is not my native language, so I apologize for any possible grammar or spelling errors)
First of all, Kendrick writing style is sometimes confusing. He will mostly tell from the perspective of the protagonist Kallen, but out of the blue, for one or two sentences, he will suddenly switch. Like, mostly in the beginning, suddenly there are a few sentences from the perspective of Kallen's first boyfriend, or a sentence about what his mother is thinking of his relationship with his girlfriend (or the lack of it). Usually swithing perspectives, if at all, is only done in separate chapters, like, one chapter is written from the perspective of person A, one from person B, not all thrown in a pot. It just makes reading a bit more confusing.
There are other confusing aspects regarding the story, like, when they opened that portal, there isn't really any real explanation about how it works, you are just served, quite literally, with "You don't need to understand how it works". It doesn't seem very thought through and it seems like Kendrick didn't even try to give a reasonable explanation and as if he needed that time traveling aspect for his story (obviously), but had no real clue how to go about it.
Character development also seems very lacking for all characters, including Kallen, in this book. Most just seem completely unimportant to the story and there wasn't even any real reason to add them to the book.
But what bothers me the most, is how Kallen seems to have a gay radar, finding one "hot" gay guy in a haystack after another and not only is he managing to spot, or to be spotted by them pretty much instantly, no, they are all good looking and also interested in him. Lucky him! It just doesn't seem to come across as very realistic that a person goes from one place to the next and instantly finds the only other gay guy (who is by chance not only always handsome and also always interested in him) in an invorement where being homesexual is regarded as a crime. One should think people would be more cautios about hiding it and not just making a move on every guy that might be gay too, but that seems what all of the guys around him seem to be doing.
When I was about two thirds into the book, Kallen had already 4 intense relationsships with guys in a timespan that felt like a few months at best (even if it might have been longer, it doesn't come across as much). He is going through guys like other people go through socks. Okay, so maybe he is a horny bastard who will jump into bed with just about everyone as long as he's gay (or, as we get to know at the beginning, not even that as he also tried to desperately get into his gf's pants). Doesn't make him very likeable to me, doesn't come across as very realistic giving the circumstances of how homosexuality is regarded in his society, didn't really seem important for the overall story, but, most of all, somehow takes the wind out of the sails for the "main story", where he falls in love with Aaric. To me Aaric is just "another guy" in the long row of Kallen's relationship, so I just can't really take this relationship seriously, or any more serious than the 3 other relationships he had in the book already. I feel like just shrugging at him and saying "Come on Kallen, just give Aaric up. You'll find a new hot guy to drool over within 3 months". He seems to be pretty good at that. And not being able to take the relationship really seriously, I can't really empathize with him and the whole story is leaving me pretty much unmoved. Most likely won't bother to read the second volume, because at this point, I really don't care what happens to Kallen and his boyfriend(s) and it seems that, if things didn't work out with Aaric, he'll get over it pretty much instantly the next time he sees a good looking guy.
(English is not my native language, so I apologize for any possible grammar or spelling errors)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews