Monday, May 14, 2012

Book Review: SLIPSTREAM by Michael Offutt

Title: Slipstream
Series: A Crisis of Two Worlds, #1
Author: Michael Offutt
Publisher: Double Dragon Media Group
Format: ARC paperback novel
Source: Author
Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy

Description: Jordan Pendragon is crazy good at fixing situations that have gone bad. It's a talent prized by his high school ice hockey team. However, when a car accident puts Jordan in the hospital, he wakes up with more than just an amazing slapshot in his toolbox. Jordan can manipulate space-time and in just a few weeks, he'll depend on it to save his life.

When earthlings detonated the first atomic bomb in 1945, something incredible happened. The detonation triggered an extinction level event on a parallel world. A computer program saved humanity and became the ruler of this place. However, its brilliant mind fragmented and became insane.

Jordan's power strands him in this nightmare universe. To get home, he becomes a professional in a sport where athletes are killed to boost network ratings. To survive, he discovers that the most broken among us can be fixed and that love is unpredictable. Near the end, he also learns a startling truth about his own birth. If he fails to fix the computer’s insanity, both Earth and this sister world are doomed.

Review: Michael Offutt’s Slipstream is a thrilling debut to this new series!

After Jordan Pendragon awakes from a car accident, he discovers he has unusual abilities to manipulate space-time. Those abilities quickly become his answer to life or death when he, another man, and his sister are sucked into a parallel universe. In Avalon, nothing is as it seems, and Jordan must find a way to use his powers once again to save both their worlds.

Slipstream is a complex book filled with strong elements of science fiction and hints of fantasy with its creatures and mythologies. The characters are well-thought out, and I enjoyed Jordan’s character development the most as he becomes who he truly is. The plot is intricate and kept me guessing and reading. The novel uses scientific principles and mythology (particularly Mesoamerican with some Arthurian) to create this fascinating world of a science fiction Avalon. Offutt must’ve done some major research to craft his novel. The only downside to Slipstream is the over-description, which caused me to skim some sections and slowed down the pace, yet the adventure to the story kept me reading even during the slower parts.

Slipstream by Michael Offutt is unlike any book I’ve ever read. I love the elements of mythology combined with science to make a wonderful read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Four Bookworms = I really liked it!