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Palimpsest
The young Lucinda Soames-Parker, brought up in a dysfunctional family environment, discovers a terrible truth when she joins a drug trial.
Gaining access to the hidden multiverse highway, the domain of infinite doppelganger universes, endowing unlimited possibilities for all those that enter, Lu begins a journey where she meets some of the worst of humankind.
From Jack the Ripper and the seventeenth century Blood Countess of Galicia to the Nazi Bitch of the Lubelski death camps and the family she thought she knew...
Gaining access to the hidden multiverse highway, the domain of infinite doppelganger universes, endowing unlimited possibilities for all those that enter, Lu begins a journey where she meets some of the worst of humankind.
From Jack the Ripper and the seventeenth century Blood Countess of Galicia to the Nazi Bitch of the Lubelski death camps and the family she thought she knew...
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 21, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 1, 2020
I was asked to read Palimpsest and give an honest review. This is not usually the genre I read, but it is well written, with a cleverly constructed storyline and strong characters. A story that is science fiction meets thriller which pulls you into the plot.
The storyline revolves around Lucinda (Lu) who feels rejected by her father's indifference, pushing her to the edge of the family circle and making her question, where does she fit in? In her search to find her true self she goes to university where she takes part in a clinical drug trial that has adverse effects, sucking her into a dark world of several dimensions and time frames.
Lucinda's journey becomes one of discovery about her family, weaving mystery and even murder into the plot, heightening suspense, which is all brought together with a satisfactory ending, that keeps you hooked right up to the last page.
The storyline revolves around Lucinda (Lu) who feels rejected by her father's indifference, pushing her to the edge of the family circle and making her question, where does she fit in? In her search to find her true self she goes to university where she takes part in a clinical drug trial that has adverse effects, sucking her into a dark world of several dimensions and time frames.
Lucinda's journey becomes one of discovery about her family, weaving mystery and even murder into the plot, heightening suspense, which is all brought together with a satisfactory ending, that keeps you hooked right up to the last page.
July 27, 2020
Lu was never alone, there was always distance between her father and her family, but she was a fighter and would never give up.
Her mother had done everything to protect her and she was lucky enough to have a good friend by her side to discover all the secrets.
Lu was a strong woman who knew how to deal with challenges, losses, hate, betrayal, conspiracy and love.
The book is a mix of mystery, action, sci-fi and a bit of romance, and that makes it a great read for readers who love intriguing stories with suspense.
The author did a great job and I’m sure that the second book in the series is as fascinating as the first one.
Highly recommended.
Her mother had done everything to protect her and she was lucky enough to have a good friend by her side to discover all the secrets.
Lu was a strong woman who knew how to deal with challenges, losses, hate, betrayal, conspiracy and love.
The book is a mix of mystery, action, sci-fi and a bit of romance, and that makes it a great read for readers who love intriguing stories with suspense.
The author did a great job and I’m sure that the second book in the series is as fascinating as the first one.
Highly recommended.
September 28, 2020
This book is an intriguing opening to the world of multiple dimensions. There are a lot of characters to straighten out at first, but the story grabs you with both hands and won’t let go.
The characters really come to life. Detective Winters reminds me of Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot, he is very detail oriented and catches evidence that others may miss.
We follow Lucinda (Lu), as she discovers the truths that have been hidden about her family and her past. While in university, Lu takes part in a drug trial that has semi-adverse effects. These side affects allow her to enter a Salvador Dali type dimension.
Along the course of the story we meet a few historical villains, like Jack the Ripper. Craig Herdern has a unique take on each despised historical figure we meet.
This story has elements of String Theory, and telepathy. "Palimpsest" is a very compelling read. I can’t wait for the next one.
The characters really come to life. Detective Winters reminds me of Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot, he is very detail oriented and catches evidence that others may miss.
We follow Lucinda (Lu), as she discovers the truths that have been hidden about her family and her past. While in university, Lu takes part in a drug trial that has semi-adverse effects. These side affects allow her to enter a Salvador Dali type dimension.
Along the course of the story we meet a few historical villains, like Jack the Ripper. Craig Herdern has a unique take on each despised historical figure we meet.
This story has elements of String Theory, and telepathy. "Palimpsest" is a very compelling read. I can’t wait for the next one.
October 1, 2020
Amazing surrealism and adventure in this wonderfully written science fiction with elements of drama. I enjoyed the history, real science, time traveling, suspense, and action. This is not usually the genre I read, but I was pleasantly surprised. I have never read anything like it. It is truly a work of art. Definitely recommend.
July 22, 2020
When Lucinda has no choice but to join a drug trial, she stumbles across the impossible: the multiverse is real and so are her chances of meeting dozens if not hundreds of terrible creatures. Where will she end up and will she ever get the chance to go home again? More importantly, will she want to?
You know those books that sit with you long after you’ve read The End? This is one of those books. I’ve always been a sucker for multi-universe stories and this was that and so much more. While the sci-fi part of the book doesn’t start to blossom around the fifth chapter or so, it is an amazing change of pace. With it comes so much more including murder and adventure. I’d say that in one way or another, just about every genre makes an appearance. That’s part of what made Lucinda’s journey so awesome.
Lucinda herself was an easy to relate to character. Her family, a class of high society characters, were definitely dysfunctional, and it made it all to easy to understand why Lucinda was the way that she was.
The prose concerning string theory and the multiverse was very well-fleshed out. Not in a way that made it difficult to understand, but also without leaving out any important details. I adored this part of the book. I’ve done research into these categories myself and seeing the application of them in such a fantastic adventure titillated the nerd in me.
Even though this book is on the longer side, it is a must read for all fans of science fiction. Again, at the beginning, it seems to have a different genre, but don’t let that fool you. This is an immersive read, one that will pull you in and won’t let you go again.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
You know those books that sit with you long after you’ve read The End? This is one of those books. I’ve always been a sucker for multi-universe stories and this was that and so much more. While the sci-fi part of the book doesn’t start to blossom around the fifth chapter or so, it is an amazing change of pace. With it comes so much more including murder and adventure. I’d say that in one way or another, just about every genre makes an appearance. That’s part of what made Lucinda’s journey so awesome.
Lucinda herself was an easy to relate to character. Her family, a class of high society characters, were definitely dysfunctional, and it made it all to easy to understand why Lucinda was the way that she was.
The prose concerning string theory and the multiverse was very well-fleshed out. Not in a way that made it difficult to understand, but also without leaving out any important details. I adored this part of the book. I’ve done research into these categories myself and seeing the application of them in such a fantastic adventure titillated the nerd in me.
Even though this book is on the longer side, it is a must read for all fans of science fiction. Again, at the beginning, it seems to have a different genre, but don’t let that fool you. This is an immersive read, one that will pull you in and won’t let you go again.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
October 23, 2020
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from an affiliated agent in exchange for a fair review.
If you're interested in a long ramble about my experience being requested to review a book I talk about it here: http://gallusworlds.com/palimpsest-re.... If not, here's the review. It'll be a short one.
I'll start with the good or at least the interesting. Palimsest is clearly written deliberately in the style of a scientific paper; there is intentional use of the passive voice in the style acceptable for explaining the steps of an experiment. This is a cool angle to take, if I read more sci-fi I could tell you if it's original, but I don't so I just think it's interesting. The story itself is also rather interesting, though I didn't make it to the end before my gripes with the book forced it out of my hands, but as far as I got and without spoiling anything, Lucinda's mom and her history are interesting and the reveals are paced out well.
Let's get to the problems now. We'll start with the classic men writing women bit. The over-focus on women obsessing over each others' appearances, attire, and the constant game of one-upmanship they play with each other is such a cliche at this point and it's really overplayed here. Now I am not claiming that this sort of thing never happens. I'm not a woman myself and thus don't have firsthand experience but I do know women who complain about these things both directly and in meta-discussion. I'm not saying that no woman ever get's 'bitchy' over clothes or appearance, to use the favorite phrase of Palimpsest. I'm saying that it is portrayed to an absurd degree here and often to the exclusion of other personality traits. It's reductive and plainly sexist writing.
Now would you believe the above isn't my primary criticism of Palimpsest? The main issue is the book just doesn't feel done. You know how I sometimes criticize books for clunky prose? Usually what I mean by that is that occasionally there will be a sentence that sounds a bit off to me. The degree to which I resort to this criticism varies with how common the clunky prose is. In Palimpsest it's on a whole new level. Read the sentences below and tell me if those are efficient and beautiful uses of the English language.
"She was revelling in an environment where she could act like a god and
wanted to watch herself do it."
"The consciousness Lu was experiencing was changing as her ability matured to witness, accept and understand it."
"At the time, Lucinda just seemed to know that this was what the threat was, it was later that Lu wondered how she had come to this conclusion, and why the whole experience had not just compromised her sanity."
First off, these aren't even the worst offenders in a PUBLISHED work. I scrolled to three pages and took the worst line I could find. One per page. Here's the thing. I see sentences like this in my writing sometimes, in first drafts, maybe even second drafts. That's a big reason we write multiple drafts, it's why writers need proofreaders. The biggest problem with Palimpsest is that it just doesn't feel sufficiently edited.
I feel kinda bad shitting all over this guy's book. It feels more personal than talking trash about a massive series. The book isn't popular or commonly read so slapping a bad review on it feels harsh. But what should I do? Lie? Tell anyone who reads my reviews they'll probably like it? No. My opinion remains subjective as always, but I'm not going to recommend a book you won't enjoy. I think this series has real potential and if I see good things about future entries I'd consider picking them up but for now, the writing doesn't work for me.
If you're interested in a long ramble about my experience being requested to review a book I talk about it here: http://gallusworlds.com/palimpsest-re.... If not, here's the review. It'll be a short one.
I'll start with the good or at least the interesting. Palimsest is clearly written deliberately in the style of a scientific paper; there is intentional use of the passive voice in the style acceptable for explaining the steps of an experiment. This is a cool angle to take, if I read more sci-fi I could tell you if it's original, but I don't so I just think it's interesting. The story itself is also rather interesting, though I didn't make it to the end before my gripes with the book forced it out of my hands, but as far as I got and without spoiling anything, Lucinda's mom and her history are interesting and the reveals are paced out well.
Let's get to the problems now. We'll start with the classic men writing women bit. The over-focus on women obsessing over each others' appearances, attire, and the constant game of one-upmanship they play with each other is such a cliche at this point and it's really overplayed here. Now I am not claiming that this sort of thing never happens. I'm not a woman myself and thus don't have firsthand experience but I do know women who complain about these things both directly and in meta-discussion. I'm not saying that no woman ever get's 'bitchy' over clothes or appearance, to use the favorite phrase of Palimpsest. I'm saying that it is portrayed to an absurd degree here and often to the exclusion of other personality traits. It's reductive and plainly sexist writing.
Now would you believe the above isn't my primary criticism of Palimpsest? The main issue is the book just doesn't feel done. You know how I sometimes criticize books for clunky prose? Usually what I mean by that is that occasionally there will be a sentence that sounds a bit off to me. The degree to which I resort to this criticism varies with how common the clunky prose is. In Palimpsest it's on a whole new level. Read the sentences below and tell me if those are efficient and beautiful uses of the English language.
"She was revelling in an environment where she could act like a god and
wanted to watch herself do it."
"The consciousness Lu was experiencing was changing as her ability matured to witness, accept and understand it."
"At the time, Lucinda just seemed to know that this was what the threat was, it was later that Lu wondered how she had come to this conclusion, and why the whole experience had not just compromised her sanity."
First off, these aren't even the worst offenders in a PUBLISHED work. I scrolled to three pages and took the worst line I could find. One per page. Here's the thing. I see sentences like this in my writing sometimes, in first drafts, maybe even second drafts. That's a big reason we write multiple drafts, it's why writers need proofreaders. The biggest problem with Palimpsest is that it just doesn't feel sufficiently edited.
I feel kinda bad shitting all over this guy's book. It feels more personal than talking trash about a massive series. The book isn't popular or commonly read so slapping a bad review on it feels harsh. But what should I do? Lie? Tell anyone who reads my reviews they'll probably like it? No. My opinion remains subjective as always, but I'm not going to recommend a book you won't enjoy. I think this series has real potential and if I see good things about future entries I'd consider picking them up but for now, the writing doesn't work for me.
November 3, 2020
I was asked to read the book in exchange for an honest review on here and/or Amazon.
And honestly? I wouldn't recommend this book.
It's not done. As an editor, I noticed so many grammar mistakes. The story doesn't move much for a long time. It's also constantly telling rather than showing. In thirty pages alone, there was about one scene twenty pages in, but it was straight dialogue and nothing else. There was a lot of false tension that just made me lose interest quickly. I didn't connect with any of the characters. It felt like I could skip thirty pages and not miss much.
There are good parts of it. The plot sounded great. It's interesting. The dialogue was okay for the most part.
What I'd recommend this author to work on is:
1) Showing vs telling — It'd honestly open up this story and get the reader hooked more.
2) Getting a copyeditor —Having less grammar mistakes helps readers take your story more seriously.
3) Getting sensitivity readers —As a woman, I don't feel anywhere near comfortable with the way women are portrayed in this book. I highly recommend having multiple women look over your story before publishing another.
And honestly? I wouldn't recommend this book.
It's not done. As an editor, I noticed so many grammar mistakes. The story doesn't move much for a long time. It's also constantly telling rather than showing. In thirty pages alone, there was about one scene twenty pages in, but it was straight dialogue and nothing else. There was a lot of false tension that just made me lose interest quickly. I didn't connect with any of the characters. It felt like I could skip thirty pages and not miss much.
There are good parts of it. The plot sounded great. It's interesting. The dialogue was okay for the most part.
What I'd recommend this author to work on is:
1) Showing vs telling — It'd honestly open up this story and get the reader hooked more.
2) Getting a copyeditor —Having less grammar mistakes helps readers take your story more seriously.
3) Getting sensitivity readers —As a woman, I don't feel anywhere near comfortable with the way women are portrayed in this book. I highly recommend having multiple women look over your story before publishing another.
March 19, 2021
First off, it was an imaginative and intriguing read. Herdern describes his settings and characters with thorough understanding, and the actions are realistic and accurate to the little details, but I think sometimes the Third Person Omniscient perspective overreaches at times and could kill off some suspense.
Also, I must admit that I found it difficult to follow the multiple ways a single character could be referenced or addressed, but it gets easier further into the book.
All that aside, Herdern created a masterfully crafted story that is as multidimensional as the central theme of the story. He also created a powerful antagonist who does despicable things, but I could respect the work, the perseverance, the cunning he has to put in just to get to them. I would love to read and continue with the series to see how he would take it further and deeper.
Finally, if you're looking for fantasy that is as scientific as it could get, Palimpsest is the book you want.
Also, I must admit that I found it difficult to follow the multiple ways a single character could be referenced or addressed, but it gets easier further into the book.
All that aside, Herdern created a masterfully crafted story that is as multidimensional as the central theme of the story. He also created a powerful antagonist who does despicable things, but I could respect the work, the perseverance, the cunning he has to put in just to get to them. I would love to read and continue with the series to see how he would take it further and deeper.
Finally, if you're looking for fantasy that is as scientific as it could get, Palimpsest is the book you want.
July 24, 2021
** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **
This book is amazing. I have to say that at first, there was a lot of telling about Lucinda’s family and I almost thought it wasn’t the right book for me. But the pace soon picked up, and the journey was entertaining.
The beginning of Lucinda’s journey starts with joining a drug trial that took her to many different worlds, a very interesting plot that was well written and enjoyable. The mixing between science fiction and thriller gave it an extra flavor; I was on the edge of my chair many times. If you like the multi-universe books, this one is for you!
I could relate to Lucinda and understand her motivations and the way she felt because of her father. He wasn’t the coolest one indeed.
Overall I have enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes SF books.
This book is amazing. I have to say that at first, there was a lot of telling about Lucinda’s family and I almost thought it wasn’t the right book for me. But the pace soon picked up, and the journey was entertaining.
The beginning of Lucinda’s journey starts with joining a drug trial that took her to many different worlds, a very interesting plot that was well written and enjoyable. The mixing between science fiction and thriller gave it an extra flavor; I was on the edge of my chair many times. If you like the multi-universe books, this one is for you!
I could relate to Lucinda and understand her motivations and the way she felt because of her father. He wasn’t the coolest one indeed.
Overall I have enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to anyone who likes SF books.
October 6, 2020
Without going into detail the reasons for the one star:
-plot design
-characterisation
-writing style
In addition to this I was sent a free copy for a honest review, the copy which I received had editing over the first few chapters...not impressed but I finished the novel nonetheless.
-plot design
-characterisation
-writing style
In addition to this I was sent a free copy for a honest review, the copy which I received had editing over the first few chapters...not impressed but I finished the novel nonetheless.
December 5, 2023
Really enjoyed this book. It was clever and thought provoking. I enjoyed how the story threads came together and I’m excited to read the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews