ARAPETA [Paperback]

Peter Tashkoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

Arapeta. A story of greed, ambition and power versus honor, self sacrifice and courage. In the distant future, the tribal villagers of the planet Aotea have carelessly exposed a glimmer of their hitherto hidden wealth of pounamu, the most sought after commodity in the known worlds. Their peaceful agricultural existence is slaughtered as powerful nations join the fight to take by force what is not theirs. The tale is told through the eyes of the main characters, including Arapeta, a courageous young warrior; de Percey, a keen Confederacy officer; Riki, a scheming, unscrupulous birdman; Logan, a brilliant, calculating ruler; and Madam Tapatahi, a capable and ambitious battler. This exciting and thought provoking book has wide appeal, exploring many themes from culture, politics and greed, to loyalty and romance.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Arapeta.

A story of greed, ambition and power versus honor, self sacrifice and courage.

In the distant future, the tribal villagers of the planet Aotea have carelessly exposed a glimmer of their hitherto hidden wealth of pounamu, the most sought after commodity in the known worlds. Their peaceful agricultural existence is slaughtered as powerful nations join the fight to take by force what is not theirs. The tale is told through the eyes of the main characters, including Arapeta, a courageous young warrior; de Percey, a keen Confederacy officer; Riki, a scheming, unscrupulous birdman; Logan, a brilliant, calculating ruler; and Madam Tapatahi, a capable and ambitious battler.

This exciting and thought provoking book has wide appeal, exploring many themes from culture, politics and greed, to loyalty and romance.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

From the Publisher

What if affordable safe space travel was available tomorrow?

New Zealand writer and poet Peter Tashkoff started off with that thought when he set about crafting Arapeta. It tells the story of a young man set in the distant future where the environs of space have been settled, not by some homogenous mass of humanity, but by cultural and religious groups in all their guises. In such a milieu, Tashkoff wondered what would be the impact on a small backwater culture when it was discovered that their planet contained quantities of the most strategically important mineral in the cosmos, a mineral essential to the operation of the interstellar economy, and for the neighboring superpowers, more importantly, to their war machine. The book follows Arapeta, from the first frenzied encounters with opportunistic off-world raiders, through the advent of colossal forces entirely beyond his comprehension or that of his people, and climaxing in a conclusion that is as poignant as it is unavoidable. Tashkoff tells the story from the shifting points of view of the main protagonists, providing an intriguing insight into their motivations and constraints and enriching the story with additional depth and interest.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Artemis Associates (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0473124734
• ISBN-13: 978-0473124731
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,603,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Arapeta review, December 31, 2007

By 

N. Garland - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ARAPETA (Paperback)

A great story that was very hard to put down. I found the language a bit odd in the first few pages but then the story took over and I was very sorry when it came to an end. Great sci-fi concepts with good action and sound underlying themes. Highly recommended

5.0 out of 5 stars Arapeta is an excellent book, December 24, 2007

By 

Surendra (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ARAPETA (Paperback)

Arapeta is a brilliant book that is part science fiction, part fantasy, part politics and part romanticized Maori history and culture. It is a great reflection of human nature and a very good portrayal of our greed for obtaining more than we rightfully deserve. The multitudes of characters are fantastic and very well developed.

It is not very often that a book of this caliber come along and I hope that there will be more stories of Arapeta. Peter has written a brilliant book and I hope to read more from him soon.

4.0 out of 5 stars Arapeta - more than just a good story!, October 7, 2007

By 

wideangle (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ARAPETA (Paperback)

I finished reading Arapeta last week - but chapters keep re-running in my mind as even after putting the paperback on the bookshelf I realise the many different levels this story works at! On the surface, Arapeta is war story, science fiction, history and romance (well, just a little).

The writing is visual and both contrasts and melds a wonderful natural world that is recognisably NZ with edgy space-age technology that stretches the pictorial imagination. Added to this is a huge cast of characters who demonstrate the entire gamut of human qualities and vices, each with their own tale to tell. As more characters arrive the story gets rather complex - but somehow always kept me right there "in the moment". Riki reminded me of Gollum in LoTR and sent exactly the same shivers of revulsion down my spine!

As I read, and upon reflection, I realise the stories in Arapeta tell us about family, community, culture and identity. The story as a whole reminds me of the delicate balance in which our own modern-day life hangs - personally, environmentally, politically - and how quickly the world as we know it will change.

But rest easy, there's a happy ending with scope for more adventures and lessons..... In the meantime, Arapeta demands another reading.