by STK Chan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Science Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
An ancient dimension of dark echoes
from the past.
Lisa and her family barely manage to
escape an invasion from the Rebel army in their home of Malta. Shortly after
this episode, she discovers Exo, the ancient dimension she cannot understand
until her late 20s. Exo is made of memories of the past; it brings forth all
the strong echoes we leave behind. Lisa desperately wants to resolve the
conflicts of this inner world peacefully, but quickly learns she must fight the
shadows in people's hearts, materialized through battle re-enactments, warfare
and emotional turmoil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Soon
the windows revealed smaller buildings and less crowded streets. The train grew
emptier too. Lisa heard the monotonous hum of the wheels more clearly; it
slowed her heartbeat down to a peaceful pace. In a flash, as she had done many
times before, she crossed into what she believed to be a dreaming state of
mind.
A
dense forest surrounded her. It was cold, and patches of snow covered the
ground.
It
feels so real… But I wanted a nice view of wild, untamed mountains. And a
waterfall. And why can’t I better control the season or the clothes I’m
wearing? Lisa wondered, shivering a little. There! She finally spotted an exit
from the curtain of trees.
Below,
a large lake covered with floating sheets of ice lay at her feet. She was
indeed on a mountain. The fresh air was freezing, but she breathed it in
eagerly, ignoring the abundant vapors of her warm breath.
What
could this resemble? Canada? Alaska? Lisa had learned that, by focusing very
deeply with closed eyes, she could sometimes change her clothing or some of the
details around her.
This
time, only a long scarf appeared on her shoulders after she opened her eyes.
“Not enough,” she said, shivering, but proceeded to walk along the cliff
regardless. Minutes later, she stopped to take a better look into the distance.
A boat? I don’t want to come across any other people this time...Ah, it’s just
a log. She could not stand the cold any longer, so she thought about getting
back.
Greg
raised an eyebrow when he noticed her repeated blinking.
“Your
lucid dreams again?”
Lisa
nodded in confession.
“Where
did you go this time?”
“Far…far
from these many babylons.”
“Just
another reason why we are a perfect match.” He smiled.
“They
are so real. And they feel so long, though they really last just a fraction of
a second.”
“Do
you meet any people in there?”
“Yes,
but I avoid them. It scares me to death how intense and unpredictable they are.
Last week I met a tribe in Africa and before that I was in the middle of a
medieval city.”
“Lucky
you,” said Greg. “It’s a strange yet blissful anomaly, to escape reality like
that.”
All purchase links
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A fan of nourishing SF&F
fiction. Seeker of essential truths in historical non-fiction. Exploring life
for almost half a century. Delivering action and matters of the inner self.
"Chan has license to be more philosophical and issue-oriented, and on the
whole he blends together different genres well." (John Staughton, SPR)
Book links:
Website
(official page)
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***********************
My review:
3.5 out of 5 stars
future comes from behind by S.T.K. Chan depicts the journeys
that a female named Lisa participates in as she becomes fully immersed in
experiencing the dimension of Exo and learns how to interact with her fellow
shamans as they attempt to battle evil by subtly altering past events.
This thought-provoking science fantasy tale is the first
book in the ‘Paradigm Shift’ series. Through a series of vignettes, the author
shows how a specially talented female hones her skills by participating in various
key battles throughout history.
Unfortunately, the abrupt shifts between time and location
interspersed with the snapshot looks at the main couple’s lives was
disconcerting to me and sometimes it was difficult to discern when and where we
were in Lisa’s existence. The cast of characters keeps growing even as the
hints about Lisa’s power and role are gradually doled out, and it was sometimes
difficult to figure out what was going on, especially with the folks who may be at different levels of expertise or power in the mysterious realm of Exo.
The various rules governing what may or may not be shared and the mysteries
hinted at regarding Lisa’s (and the world’s) future are somewhat nebulous and
hopefully will continue to be revealed in subsequent books.
I think that the premise is good, and the creative way of
distilling key conflicts around the world during various eras of history will
undoubtedly appeal to those who enjoy analyzing the permutations of the
butterfly effect on historical battles.
A copy of this title was provided to me for review
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteI have enjoyed the tour. Sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed following the tour and reading all of the great posts and reviews along the way. Can't wait to check this one out myself :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting cover and I have been reading more scifi recently. Sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
This book sounds great
ReplyDelete