Set against the backdrop of the war between science and God, reason and faith, Einstein in the Attic is the story of one scientist’s search for truth and meaning when faced with the ultimate question: Is there a God? Fleeing war-torn Lebanon, Adam Reemi’s faith is shaken by the hardships he has endured, but when he and a colleague successfully construct a nano hadron collider, and using sound waves, Adam finds unheard-of power at his fingertips. To help him answer the greatest question mankind has ever posed, he zaps the best philosophical minds of all time–namely Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Soren Kierkegaard, and Baruch Spinoza–from the past and into his attic. Not all goes according to plan, however, and Adam finds himself in a race against time to formulate an answer to the question of intelligent design… or risk losing everything. -Goodreads
*I received an e-ARC of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.*
It can be challenging to write a review of a book you didn't like, even if it wasn't a bad one. I just couldn't connect to it. Einstein in the Attic by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri is an adventurous science fiction novel that sounds like it would be right up my alley. However, the combination of the slow pacing and an extremely whiny and pretentious main character left me struggling to finish this book. This is totally a "me" thing, though, as Einstein in the Attic is actually very well written. I just prefer medium pacing and have a need to connect with or at least understand the main character. If I don't, or, even worse, find them annoying, I tune out.
Rating:★★★☆☆ 3/5
Should you read it?
There's definitely a demographic for this book, but it definitely wasn't me. The book has a lot of science and philosophy, so if you enjoy long-winded conversations about both, this may be a good pick for you.
Book & Author Information: Goodreads
Published: January 31, 2022
Authors:
Dana Dargos: Goodreads, Twitter, Official
Said Al Bizri: Goodreads
Speak of pain, and I’ll tell you of the Time who stole it away…
Besieged by war, ravaged by monsters, and crawling with the undead, the land of Okarria is dying. Seventeen-year-old Emara survives by using her modest healing gift to save as many as she can while eluding the invaders who thirst for her enchanted blood.
So when a cursed cat saves her life and reveals Emara is the legendary Time Heir the necromancer king’s been searching for, she agrees to act as bait in a plot to destroy him. But when the plan goes horrifically awry, Emara must discover how deep her powers go, what she can change…
And what she cannot.
Unfortunately, Time Heirs have a history of getting killed, and with Okarria’s future on the line, Emara may have no choice but to follow in her ancestors’ footsteps. -Goodreads
*I received an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Time's Orphan is book three of the Odriel's Heirs trilogy. I have not read the other books in the series...yet. The book was described to me as a standalone, but I had every intention of reading the whole series and then reviewing each one before the release of Time's Orphan. However, life happens, and as a mood reader, that means that I went from wanting to completely disappear into a world of fantasy to one of scifi adventure. So this review got delayed, and the other books are still on my TBR. They won't be there for long, though. This book was an absolute joy to read, and I can't wait to experience the rest of the trilogy.
It reminded me of why I love to read—how the written word can transport you to different worlds and allow you to become immersed in a story. Hayley Reece Chow's writing leaves you feeling like you are not actually reading. You are part of the story right there with Emara, Jai, and Chipo. The elements of romance feel natural and are not forced. The characters grow in ways that you would expect given their circumstances. Then, of course, you have a cursed cat. If you have read any other review of mine about anything that has a cat, you know how I feel. I'm a sucker for a good feline companion.
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5
Should you read it?
Absolutely. This is perfect for those looking for a fantasy series that doesn't require you to read the books in order.
Book & Author Information: Goodreads
Published: February 8, 2023
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