Book Review of The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

     

Name of Book: The Third Rule of Time Travel

Author: Phillip Fracassi

ISBN: 9780316572514

Publisher: Orbit 

Type of book: time travel, memories, alternative worlds, 2044, secrets, higher force, widowhood, science fiction, technology 

Year it was published: 2025

Summary:

Rule One: Travel can only occur to a point within your lifetime.

Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.

Rule Three: You can only observe.

The rules cannot be broken.

In this riveting science fiction novel from acclaimed author Philip Fracassi, a scientist has unlocked the mysteries of time travel. This is not the story you think you know. And the rules are only the beginning.

Scientist Beth Darlow has discovered the unimaginable. She's built a machine that allows human consciousness to travel through time—to any point in the traveler's lifetime—and relive moments of their life. An impossible breakthrough, but it's not perfect: the traveler has no way to interact with the past. They can only observe.

After Beth's husband, Colson, the co-creator of the machine, dies in a tragic car accident, Beth is left to raise Isabella—their only daughter—and continue the work they started. Mired in grief and threatened by her ruthless CEO, Beth pushes herself to the limit to prove the value of her technology.

Then the impossible happens. Simply viewing personal history should not alter the present, but with each new observation she makes, her own timeline begins to warp.

As her reality constantly shifts, Beth must solve the puzzles of her past, even if it means forsaking her future.

Characters:

Main character is Beth Darlow, widow of Colson Darlow. Both she and her husband are scientists working together to create time travel. Beth is definitely described as ambitious, a fighter and gritty woman. It often feels as if she has little to no weaknesses within her. Secondary characters is her boss Jim who has his own agenda and often fights with Beth over what seems to be everything, Chiyo Nakada, a reporter who often reveals things she shouldn't and Tariq, Beths assistant as well as Colsons.  

Theme:

Is time travel worth it? 

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from Beths point of view and is chronologically written. Story begins with a horrible memory from Beths childhood and from then on the reader is taken through a journey of what is going on. There are quite a lot of office politics going on between Beth, her boss and her coworkers. Beth is also dealing with a lot of grief and being a single parent to her only child. The time travel theory is explained a lot so the reader is able to understand, but I think I was pretty much lost when idea of alternative worlds is introduced, as well as forces that are beyond control. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Philip Fracassi is an award-winning author and screenwriter living in Los Angeles.

His debut collection of short horror, BEHOLD THE VOID, won "Story Collection of the Year" award from both This Is Horror and Strange Aeons Magazine.

His new collection, BENEATH A PALE SKY, arrives June, 2021, and his debut novel, BOYS IN THE VALLEY, comes out on Halloween day, 2021.

His stories have been printed in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Black Static, Cemetery Dance, and Nightmare Magazine. His work has been reviewed in The New York Times, LOCUS Magazine, Rue Morgue and many others.

His screenplays include the Lifetime thriller Girl Missing and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups, from Disney. Both are available as VOD.

Follow Philip on Facebook and Twitter (@philipfracassi), or visit his website at http://pfracassi.com.

Opinion:

Time travel stories always intrigue me, which is why I decided to read a bit outside the box so to speak. I think from the summary I expected this to be very similar to ATOMIC ANNA, but it was very different, although intriguing in its own way. From the summary I expected philosophy and questions behind the time travel, and whether or not time travel can change the future. While those questions were indeed answered, I have to say the framework and science felt confusing for me, in particular the deeper we get into time travel. I am also confused as to how time travel changed the future? When characters travel back, they go there as observers to experience every sensation of memories. They do not interact with the world. What I also found confusing is control of time travel: who is controlling it? 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)