“…completely blown away by how utterly riveting, original, intelligent and groundbreaking this novel was.”

For me, the time-travel angle can either be really hit-or-miss. When it works, it works well. When it doesn’t, it’s painful to muddle through. Due to the fact that I hadn’t read anything by this author before, and that it is over twice as long as most books in the genre, I was a little skeptical. But I thought the premise sounded intriguing – if not quite ambitious – and wondered if Chiocchi would be able to pull it off, or if it was destined for my Kindle recycle bin. I have to say that I was completely blown away by how utterly riveting, original, intelligent, and groundbreaking this novel was. Don’t get me wrong – yes, I think it’s too long. But my God, that was a magnificent ride! I like how this book takes on so many facets – from government orgs, to illicit romance/relations, to mind-bending science, supernatural vibes and mysterious connections through space and time… and almost a ‘philosophical existentialism’… It is intelligent and looks at life through a different lens unlike any I’ve ever experienced… I was wondering how Mr. Chiocchi would possibly manage to tie it all up in the end with so many different subplots in play, but I was happy (and impressed!) with how he managed to rein it all in at the end. That epilogue was a kicker. Good editing too, which is no easy feat considering the volume – only minor punctuation on occasion. I do honestly feel that while this is an amazing body of work, it could have been perhaps divided up into 2 or even 3 separate books. At times I did grow weary waiting for the payoff (which we have no guarantee will happen) and while I find the whole work to be one that is staggeringly cohesive considering the multitude of variants, and very well-written, it may be too intimidating for some and that’s a shame because they are missing on an incredible experience. Overall an engaging, surreal novel that thinks outside the box and I’d recommend for fans of literary sci/fi, speculative fiction. Would happily read more from Mr. Chiocchi in the future. Essie Harmon, Goodreads; Indie Book Reviewers