Book Review: 'Impossible Times: Book 3 - Dispel Illusion' by Mark Lawrence

'Dispel Illusion' is the concluding book in Mark Lawrence's excellent 'Impossible Times' trilogy and a great ending to this science fiction time travelling series.

The paths and events of the previous books - 'One Word Kill' and 'Limited Wish' (there is a quick recap at the start of the book for those that need a refresher) - have all led to here, with Nick Hayes, now a famous scientist, still working on inventing time travel, but also dreading the accident to his girlfriend, Mia, that is the catalyst that pushes him to go back in time to save her memories, but that same trip will also end in his death.

The result is a fun Sci-Fi adventure that flits across different time periods in Nick's life, specifically 1992, 2011 and 1985, with clues dropped setting up what's to come later in the book. The author's background as a research scientist adds an air of authenticity to the science in the book, which with all the paradoxes and complications that Nick encounters in his quest to discover time travel, doesn't dazzle the reader with technical jargon but actually makes sense.

A constant in this series has been the Dungeons & Dragons get-together campaign that Nick and his friends play. These are fun chapters that break up the story but also adds a layer of depth to the characters that makes the characters all the more powerful and believable. The nerdy banter between the group of friends, as well as some of the decisions made in-game, give a deeper look at the main cast, as well as picking up on some life lessons and clues for later on. It's got to be the most nerdy book since 'Ready Player One', and for that I love it!

Full of twists and turns, fun, adventure, love, sacrifice, science, and good (but not overwhelmingly so) helping of nerdy nostalgia, 'Dispel Illusion' pulls off the Prestige and is a satisfying end to what has been another great trilogy by Mark Lawrence. Recommended!

 

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Book Review: 'Impossible Times: Book 2 - Limited Wish' by Mark Lawrence

The second book in Mark Lawrence's 'Impossible Times' trilogy, 'Limited Wish' was a highly entertaining and exciting read!

Sixteen year old mathematics genius, Nick Hayes is now at Cambridge University, and working with a world renowned mathematician no less! But when a mysterious girl crosses his path, he discovers that the fabric of time has somehow become unstable, with multiple timelines crossing over and creating a paradox that could become catastrophic for Nick and the world. But it's just one more thing for Nick to deal with, what with the challenges of being a university student, as well as bullies, girls, being followed by thugs, and to top it all off, his illness returns too.

Where 'One Word Kill' introduced you to Nick, his D&D playing friends, and the concept of time travel, 'Limited Wish' takes all of that and builds on it like a good sequel should do. It's done in such a fashion that it's really well thought out and as a result, it more than lives up to any expectations if you enjoyed that book, so no fear of second book syndrome and being disappointing. The science of time travel is also expanded upon a lot more too, with enough of the technicalities to keep you following the story but not too much that it dazzles you or bogs the story down by complicating things.

It's action packed, at times funny and poignant, as well as being fast paced with a story that flows really well and keeps you turning the pages until the very end. With great compelling characters, a few intriguing twists and turns, along with a bit of science and D&D, 'Limited Wish' recaptures the magic, originality and enjoyment of the first book. I can't wait to read how the trilogy will be wrapped up in the final book in the series, 'Dispel Illusion'. Highly recommended.

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Book Review: 'Impossible Times: Book 1 - One Word Kill' by Mark Lawrence

A great start to a new trilogy of books by Mark Lawrence.

Right from the off, I was drawn into the story of fifteen year old Nick Hayes, the prodigy of a famed mathematician, and his D&D playing friends. It's January 1986, and Nick has just been diagnosed with Leukaemia. So not exactly the best of starts for the main protagonist of the book! But despite the devastating news, he still tries to live a typical teenage life; going to school, trying to avoid the school bully as well as a wannabe gangster psychopath, being awkward around girls, and meeting up with his friends over a game of Dungeons & Dragons. But not long after Mia joins the group's weekly D&D gaming night, a mysterious stranger seems to be stalking Nick.

The narrative is told in the first person through Nick, and he comes across as a very fleshed out and likeable character, as do the rest of his D&D friends, a great group of characters with a decent amount of development despite the book being not that long. I loved the banter between them too, you really got the impression that this group of friends, despite their diverse backgrounds, were really close. 

Being set in the past you'd expect a lot of nostalgic references to the era the story is set in, hence a lot of the Ready Player One / Stranger Things comparisons which did kind of hit you over the head a bit with them. Whilst there were quite a few references to 1980's London peppered throughout, and you certainly get the idea of it definitely being set in the 80's (the world building is also very well done), I didn't think it was too much for the story to get bogged down and get lost in them, and allowed the story to flow really well. 

Some of the use of the scientific and mathematical language came across very convincingly but was still easy enough to follow with getting too lost or confused. The explanations for some of the goings on made perfect sense and played against the usual tropes, which is always good to see. 

'One Word Kill' is a thrilling read about a group of friends who get drawn into a time travel adventure from an author whose work I've not been disappointed by yet. Recommended.

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