A River Called Time

hardcover, 448 pages

Publié 6 avril 2021 par Akashic Books.

ISBN :
978-1-61775-926-0
ISBN copié !

Voir sur OpenLibrary

4 étoiles (1 critique)

The Ark was built to save the lives of the many, but rapidly became a refuge for the elite, the entrance closed without warning.

Years after the Ark was cut off from the world--a world much like our own, but in which slavery has never existed--a chance of survival within the Ark's confines is granted to a select few who can prove their worth. Among their number is Markriss Denny, whose path to future excellence is marred only by a closely guarded secret: without warning, his spirit leaves his body, allowing him to see and experience a world far beyond his physical limitations.

Once inside the Ark, Denny learns of another with the same power, whose existence could spell catastrophe for humanity. He is forced into a desperate race to understand his abilities, and in doing so uncovers the truth about the Ark, himself, and the people he thought he …

3 éditions

Conceptually brilliant, but uneven and disjointed

4 étoiles

I really wanted and expected to love this book, but I only ended up liking it. Set in an alternate London in a timeline (several) where European colonialism never happened and Kemetic (ancient North African) religious beliefs are the default. It follows a boy, Markriss, as he makes his way to the Ark, an enormous self-contained building/biome which a lucky crew are accepted to live. And then there is time travel and astral projection.

Parts of this book are brilliant, solid pacing and narrative cohesion, but the transitions between parts often feels forced. Multiple times I found myself losing interest in the book, only for a section to find its focus and pull me back in.

It was an interesting read, with lots of ideas, but all the ideas just don’t quite hang together so well. Slightly disappointed, but only because my expectations were so high.