Journeys Through SpaceTime by James Talisman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘Journeys Through SpaceTime’ by James Talisman marks the first entry of his ‘Journeys Through…’ series and follows six protagonists across different realms in the MultiVerse as they’re all suddenly called to action by a mysterious force against an all-encompassing evil. Talisman’s passion bleeds through the pages- there is evident love channelled into each and every one of his characters, themes and particularly, worlds. The world-building in ‘Journeys Through Spacetime’ is by far its greatest strength. As the book takes place across the literal MultiVerse, there is a tall-order on the author to ensure that the logic of their universes are consistent and to craft worlds that stretch the limits of human imagination, given that essentially anything is possible. Talisman, however, does not fail to deliver in this department- each of the realms that the six protagonists hail from are unique with different social structures and norms and are interesting and engaging to read about. There is just enough familiarity to these worlds for readers not to feel out of their depth or lost but not too much so as to quash the distinct spark that each of them has and to lose the audience’s interest. Since the book juggles multiple, it was always a treat to plunge to each of these realms- each chapter or segment serving as a nugget into the life and times of the outlined societies and their inhabitants.

Talisman also uses the book as a vehicle to disseminate ancient, esoteric wisdoms and traditions. It is shaded with considerable philosophical nuance and blended with deep, thought-provoking concepts of the collective and connected consciousness and ideas of one within many. It is clear that Talisman has taken a great deal of care into researching these notions- notions that are woven into the story’s fabric seamlessly and in a manner that isn’t jarring or doesn’t take the reader out of the story. Drawing wisdoms and customs from multiple sources, Talisman has truly designed something one-of-a-kind as building blocks to construct an unparalleled, extraordinary story that has all the strangeness, bizarreness and ingenuity one would expect of a tale spanning the MultiVerse.

Trying to write a good protagonist is no easy feat, let alone six, and yet Talisman manages to do this also. Like the worlds they come from, each of the main characters are different and distinct with their own histories, motives and personalities. There is no weak link in the colourful cast- you never feel cheated when you switch and suddenly begin to follow another because they’re all fascinating in their own right. The hero’s journey is hard enough to properly do once, but it somehow is written multiple times in relation to each of the protagonists in a way that doesn’t feel repetitive or stale. You feel the emotions along with the characters- riding their highs and successes and slumming it with them as they hit their lows and failures.

In conclusion, if you’re in the mood for compelling characters all connected by a single thread as they’re dragged into an adventure spanning space and time, then ‘Journeys Through SpaceTime’ is the book for you.

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