Life at the Bleak was anything but a game. There were rules to follow. What if Reilly didn't follow the rules? Something bizarre happens to Reilly when he returns from Ireland 1896 through the portal to the library near his home. He feels different. Almost as if he's not the same person that he was before he left ... or worse! Finally, he kisses Norah! But that leads to haunting flashbacks of Black Castle--where Deceptors imprint the bodies of their prisoners--and other horrors he cannot remember. A surprise voyage through another portal traps him in the Rotunda--a magical hidden cavern far below ancient Stonehenge. There his destiny is revealed, as he trains with the Guardians and Keepers of Stelladaur Light, namely Dante, Darwin and Moses. His obsession to rescue prisoners from Ukobach, the Prince of Hell, increases when he is sent to live in an apocalyptic Seattle near his home, and realizes he must master the secrets of the Stelladaur to keep history from repeating itself. Or all he knows and loves will vanish forever--even before it exists!
Assessment:
Plot: The pacing in Whyte's ambitious time travel novel—book 3 in The Stelladaur series—offers a lively, if somewhat predictable concept. More balanced pacing and point-plotting would surely elevate this brisk, well-written portal story.
Prose/Style: Atmospherically spectacular and evocative, Whyte's writing soars above and lifts up a premise that, while it offers some novel elements, ultimately relies on expected tropes.
Originality: Whyte's novel features familiar genre elements, but effective worldbuilding and rich detail allows the novel to stand apart.
Character Development: The characters in Fraction in Time serve the story, but don’t always enrich it. The writing style can at times feel at odds with the personalities that inhabit the world at-hand.
Date Submitted: July 08, 2020
