Evolution Device

by Lif Strand

Evolution Device is a kind of hymn to the origins of rock in the early 1970s. But it is also a love story between a man, a woman, and a guitar. The woman in the story is a Muse, corporeal and ephemeral. She can be both and, quite naturally, she can also fall in love.< br>All well and good. But the author adds yet another twist—a guitar called The Lady. Once mused, the instrument, too, becomes a mysterious source of power. So, the story is then about a the guitarist, the muse of his dreaming psyche, and his supernatural guitar. Who gets the man? Two spirits are fighting to take possession of him. Who wins?Actually, the man is somewhat reminiscent of Freddy Mercury, Jim Morrison, and Keith Richards, all three rock-and-rolled into one charismatic yet very fallible human being. It’s a fairytale of sorts, one that never seems unreal even though it is always fantastical.

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2020

About the author

Lif Strand has been a writer-for-hire for many years. As a reporter for a regional newspaper she received the E. H. Shaffer Award (second place, news writing) from New Mexico Press Association. For the past two decades she has been a technical writer for non-profit organizations and local governments, focusing on environmental issues.

Her short stories have been published in The Arcanist and in DreamForge. She was the cover artist for her novel of music and magic, Evolution Device, and for her self-published works. She also illustrated an edition of the novel, Skyrider, by B.M. Bower, released in 2018 by Wilder Publications.

Lif Strand lives off the grid in a straw bale house way outback in New Mexico. When she’s not writing she hikes, takes a lot of photos, creates fabric art, and cares for her aged horses. Her first novel, Evolution Device, a story of magic and music, was published in 2020 and is available on Amazon in hardcover, Kindle, and Audible formats, or through your favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore.

Reviews

[Karen Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliantly written. Excellent first-person execution. It was as if I was a fly on the wall in some very interesting rooms, and situations that I had personally never experienced in my life, so the storyline certainly had my attention and kept me turning the page as I truly did not know what might happen next. The dialog of the characters was also perfectly timed and well written. Yes, it had that magical twist to it, but being a creative person myself, it was very believable. Someone has clearly been paying attention to the muses who help us along on our creative journey.
Kudos to this author. Job well done on this first novel. I definitely look forward to reading more books by Lif Strand, to whom I will say, thanks for the change of scenery, Lif!

[Sher Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

I'm actually surprised I liked this book. Evolution Device is of my generation but I had a much more innocent experience with music. I found myself frustrated with Eddie and painfully sorry for Lilith, but then, I was supposed to. I loved the subtleness of the magic. It was so subtle that you had no doubt It was real. The ending was inevitable, but it still broke my heart. Thanks for the book, Lif. Can't wait for the next one.