Book 1: Severing Link
618 was just a number until Daimon Camano began seeing it everywhere, and when he followed its trail, he unraveled a mystery involving quantum physics, political corruption, and dangerous fundamentalist thought, the reaches of which placed him, his stern brother, his trigger-happy sister-in-law, and his eccentric friend in the epicenter of a turning point for the city of New Purley...and face to face with the darkest part of himself.
Book 2: Missing Link
After the events of The Burning, life in New Purley has settled. Excel has disappeared, the Camanos plan for a wedding, and Daimon finds personal stability. However, the reprieve is short-lived when Kim returns with harrowing news and a difficult request. The scope widens in this second book of the Link series, and many questions are answered: the story of Daimon's name, the profound repercussions of the 618 echoes, and the origins of the Moralist Party. However, other mysteries remain. Who will steer humanity into the future, and will that person be able to live with the consequences?
Book 3: Following Link -Following Link is about the final journey of a cadre of characters: Dr. Timothy Morlin - former physics professor who breached the void. Kimberly Stonely - bff’s with the quantum void and a host of nanites. Daimon Camano - rebellious drop-out who almost had his life together. Link - Daimon’s shadow, who died...and then built an army. Eric Camano - military man trying to survive civilian life...and marriage. Marilyn Camano - Daimon and Eric’s religious and medically-minded mother. Jennifer Lawson - sarcastic police officer investigating her own department. Al - theme park mascot and alien abduction hopeful
REVIEWS & REACTIONS:
"I started last night and finally put it down when my husband asked how much longer I was going to be reading in bed. (Hey, it was his fault that he had camped out on the sofa watching some tv show and I sought the solitude of the bedroom). When I got up this morning, I couldn't wait to finish. I snuck in a few pages as I sent students off to read independently at school. (They always seemed to come back for discussion when I got to a good part). I just finished. I thoroughly enjoyed your book. It was fast paced and really drew me into the story..." - A.H.
"A thought-provoking novel that provides a splendid balance between science and fiction. The characters feel authentic and the book plays like a movie inside your head. Very well done!" - J. D.
"I found the book to be riveting and fast paced. It is well thought out and captured my attention. It kept me wondering where things were heading and wanting to keep reading..." - M.K.
"As you read the book, you can’t help but feel that this is a love letter to the stories and ideas that have inspired the author. Kastl truly is not only a fan of the science fiction genre, but also that of science. He approaches each with a perspective that you usually don’t see with a first time author. The book doesn’t shy away from hard topics like theology or ideology. It even dabbles into quantum and theoretical physics. While heavy topics, I never felt like the subject matter was presented in a way that I couldn’t understand. It actually made me want to learn more about some of the science that was presented.
There were some parts where I did get a little lost. Some sections of the story seemed a bit slow, but this might have been attributed to me reading an earlier edition. From what I hear, the latest addition addresses some of these problems. Over all these issues were few and far between. One thing I would love to see is this book translated to a graphic novel or a movie. The story’s subject matter would lend itself so nicely to either of those mediums. If you love comics, scifi and anime, you will definitely enjoy this book. I sure did! I'm looking forward to where the next chapter will take us in this saga!" - D.K.
"...When you start reading Severing Link, you don’t want to put it down. It is a fast-paced read that draws you in from the start. The imagery is vivid, allowing you to clearly picture what is going on in the scene. This is especially cool in a section where the focus shifts to things happening simultaneously in different places. You can visualize the action as if they were cuts in a movie or frames of a graphic novel. A few closing thoughts. One of my favorite parts is when the characters are in a place where thoughts become reality. I think the author’s creativity is really on display in these sections. The vision he has for the cohesion and relationship of the four dimensions is also interesting and thought provoking. Finally, an aspect I liked is that the author also begins a dialogue on the use and abuse of power, a theme that I anticipate fueling future books in the series. For me it raised the question of whether an evil act is justifiable if it results in some (perceived) good, a question I hope Kastl explores further in stories to come..." - D.S.
"This book leaves you wanting more. I would have liked some more character development in the beginning. The author's ability to make scenes so vivid in my mind was so awesome that it played like a movie! Well done! When does book 2 come out???" - S.T.
"Interesting read. Cool concept. Buy it!" - E.C.
618 was just a number until Daimon Camano began seeing it everywhere, and when he followed its trail, he unraveled a mystery involving quantum physics, political corruption, and dangerous fundamentalist thought, the reaches of which placed him, his stern brother, his trigger-happy sister-in-law, and his eccentric friend in the epicenter of a turning point for the city of New Purley...and face to face with the darkest part of himself.
Book 2: Missing Link
After the events of The Burning, life in New Purley has settled. Excel has disappeared, the Camanos plan for a wedding, and Daimon finds personal stability. However, the reprieve is short-lived when Kim returns with harrowing news and a difficult request. The scope widens in this second book of the Link series, and many questions are answered: the story of Daimon's name, the profound repercussions of the 618 echoes, and the origins of the Moralist Party. However, other mysteries remain. Who will steer humanity into the future, and will that person be able to live with the consequences?
Book 3: Following Link -Following Link is about the final journey of a cadre of characters: Dr. Timothy Morlin - former physics professor who breached the void. Kimberly Stonely - bff’s with the quantum void and a host of nanites. Daimon Camano - rebellious drop-out who almost had his life together. Link - Daimon’s shadow, who died...and then built an army. Eric Camano - military man trying to survive civilian life...and marriage. Marilyn Camano - Daimon and Eric’s religious and medically-minded mother. Jennifer Lawson - sarcastic police officer investigating her own department. Al - theme park mascot and alien abduction hopeful
REVIEWS & REACTIONS:
"I started last night and finally put it down when my husband asked how much longer I was going to be reading in bed. (Hey, it was his fault that he had camped out on the sofa watching some tv show and I sought the solitude of the bedroom). When I got up this morning, I couldn't wait to finish. I snuck in a few pages as I sent students off to read independently at school. (They always seemed to come back for discussion when I got to a good part). I just finished. I thoroughly enjoyed your book. It was fast paced and really drew me into the story..." - A.H.
"A thought-provoking novel that provides a splendid balance between science and fiction. The characters feel authentic and the book plays like a movie inside your head. Very well done!" - J. D.
"I found the book to be riveting and fast paced. It is well thought out and captured my attention. It kept me wondering where things were heading and wanting to keep reading..." - M.K.
"As you read the book, you can’t help but feel that this is a love letter to the stories and ideas that have inspired the author. Kastl truly is not only a fan of the science fiction genre, but also that of science. He approaches each with a perspective that you usually don’t see with a first time author. The book doesn’t shy away from hard topics like theology or ideology. It even dabbles into quantum and theoretical physics. While heavy topics, I never felt like the subject matter was presented in a way that I couldn’t understand. It actually made me want to learn more about some of the science that was presented.
There were some parts where I did get a little lost. Some sections of the story seemed a bit slow, but this might have been attributed to me reading an earlier edition. From what I hear, the latest addition addresses some of these problems. Over all these issues were few and far between. One thing I would love to see is this book translated to a graphic novel or a movie. The story’s subject matter would lend itself so nicely to either of those mediums. If you love comics, scifi and anime, you will definitely enjoy this book. I sure did! I'm looking forward to where the next chapter will take us in this saga!" - D.K.
"...When you start reading Severing Link, you don’t want to put it down. It is a fast-paced read that draws you in from the start. The imagery is vivid, allowing you to clearly picture what is going on in the scene. This is especially cool in a section where the focus shifts to things happening simultaneously in different places. You can visualize the action as if they were cuts in a movie or frames of a graphic novel. A few closing thoughts. One of my favorite parts is when the characters are in a place where thoughts become reality. I think the author’s creativity is really on display in these sections. The vision he has for the cohesion and relationship of the four dimensions is also interesting and thought provoking. Finally, an aspect I liked is that the author also begins a dialogue on the use and abuse of power, a theme that I anticipate fueling future books in the series. For me it raised the question of whether an evil act is justifiable if it results in some (perceived) good, a question I hope Kastl explores further in stories to come..." - D.S.
"This book leaves you wanting more. I would have liked some more character development in the beginning. The author's ability to make scenes so vivid in my mind was so awesome that it played like a movie! Well done! When does book 2 come out???" - S.T.
"Interesting read. Cool concept. Buy it!" - E.C.
One goal I have is to adapt the Link novels into comic book form. Below are some proofs of concept.