Variant

by Clive Stephens

How far would you go to undo a mistake?

Jason and Sally have pressed through unexpected worlds to seek respite back in their own. But they soon discover that home is farther away than they imagined.

With a sinister new player having joined the board, in control of an organisation that has changed the rules, Jason and Sally realise that the only way to save their friend is to undo the past.

While they remain inside the building, there is still a chance.

But should past mistakes really be undone?

Variant is the second instalment in the sci-fi series The Restoration Project.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2025

Reviews

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐rounded to 4.

This series is getting more interesting with each book! Book 2 is a whirlwind of events and revelations, although I still don’t have the whole truth and I’m ok with that, as what unfolded in this book was so good!

My love for Sally and Jason, the two protagonists, keep getting deeper as they are moved here and there not knowing what’s happening, trying to face the unknown by resorting to their skills. Bearing in mind these are kids, I’m impressed by how cool they are and by how they’re managing to survive all that’s been thrown at them!

Whilst the story is still not 100% clear, the author gave us so many glimpses into what’s going on, wetting my appetite enough to keep me wanting more and thirsty for the end of the series. The imagery and world building are truly great and I loved how the author managed to give the same experience of confusion and perplexity as the main characters.
The introduction of interesting new characters is also exciting, keeping me wondering what their place is in all of this!

Science fiction lovers that want to feel disoriented and lost in a complex plot need to give this series a go.

Thanks to Cranthorpe Millner for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Kelly Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read this ebook Variant by Clive Stephens, and let me tell you, I haven't never been in so many places at once in my life. I felt like I was here, there, and everywhere all at the same time, like somebody hit shuffle on reality and forgot to hit pause. It was wild.

Jason and Sally, they are running through worlds and dimensions, and I swear every time I thought I knew where they was at, boom, they pop up somewhere else again. Then out of nowhere some new bad guy shows up, like he just wandered in from another book, and suddenly he’s changing all the rules like he is the manager of existence. Jason and Sally are just trying to get home, but apparently home got moved three doors down, across the street, and into another dimension with no directions left on the mailbox.

The whole thing felt like the story was on a treadmill set to turbo mode, and I was jogging in flip flops with no water bottle, just praying not to face plant. Way too much was going on, all at the same time, and my brain started sweating trying to keep up with who was talking, and who was running, and why half of it even mattered.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some cool parts, and the whole idea about undoing mistakes is smart. But I gotta be honest, it was like watching three movies at once on fast forward while somebody reads you a manual out loud. Fun in spots, just dizzy in others.

I give it 3 outta 5 catfish!

[Kimberly Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book and I am very excited to read it!