I gave this book 5 of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads
Author Luca Rossi has masterfully combined great storytelling with universal themes. The Branches of Time was a mind-bending, shape shifting story, a mix of science fiction and fantasy, even erotica. The story spanned thousands of year, had magic and wizards, ancient kingdoms, evil and pathos, fantastical spells and time travel. Yet the human emotions and psychological drama was what anchored the story and made it a fantastic read.
The story began with a cataclysmic event on the island of Turios where the people were brutally exterminated with only three surviving: Bashinoir, his wife Lil, and the enigmatic Priestess Miril. Without their knowledge, evil from the past had seeped into their lives, and then slowly began to poison relationships, threatening to destroy their existence. In the kingdom of Isk, far away in time and space, the brutal King Beanor ruled with an iron fist and malevolence, driven by greed, debauchery, and a lust for power. The mystery of how these two worlds intertwined and collided kept me glued to the book, pulled into the emotions of every character, caring for most, and wondering what would happen to them.
The magic and fantasy felt real, with disbelief suspended, because the drama was so touching and poignant with themes of marital love, betrayal, abuse of power, loss and bereavement. I was particularly sympathetic to Bashinoir: his sense of loss and isolation were so evocative for me, the beauty of his scene trying to recall the intimacy with his wife, his spiraling alienation and desire to connect even with a magical force felt so real.
This book has garnered wonderful reviews and it is easy to see why. I look forward to reading more from Author Luca Rossi.
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