The Map of Time: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Felix J Palma (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 26, 2012

Characters real and imaginary come vividly to life in this whimsical triple play of intertwined plots, in which a skeptical H. G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence.

What happens if we change history?

Félix J. Palma explores this provocative question, weaving a historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting—a story full of love and adventure that transports readers from a haunting setting in Victorian London to a magical reality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Strange and wonderful. Magical and smart. Félix J. Palma has done more than written a wonderful novel, he’s concocted a supernatural tour de force. Time travel, tragic love, murder and mystery all combine in what is nothing short of a surprising, satisfying and mesmerizing read.” – M.J. Rose, International Bestseller

"The Map of Time recalls the science fiction of Wells and Verne, and then turns the early masters on their heads. A brilliant and breathtaking trip through metafictional time." --Scott Westerfeld, New York Times bestselling author of Leviathan

"Palma makes his U.S. debut with the brilliant first in a trilogy, an intriguing thriller that explores the ramifications of time travel in three intersecting narratives." -- starred Publishers Weekly review

"Readers who embark on the journey...will be richly rewarded. --starred Booklist review

"Lyrical storytelling and a rich attention to detail make this prize-winning novel an enthralling read." --starred Library Journal Review

“The Map of Time is a singularly inventive, luscious story with a core of pure, unsettling weirdness. With unnerving grace and disturbing fantasy, it effortlessly straddles that impossible line between being decidedly familiar, and yet absolutely new.” --Cherie Priest, author of Boneshaker

"Palma is a master of ingenious plotting." --Kirkus Reviews

"A big, genre-bending delight." --The Washington Post

"Palma uses the basic ingredients of steampunk — fantasy, mystery, ripping adventure and Victorian-era high-tech — to marvelous effect. " --Seattle Times

"'Intellectual thriller' is not an oxymoron in this case. Eccentric, informed. Time travel, H.G. Wells, Jack the Ripper, robots, romance, changing history, destroying classic literature. Spot on narration. Good clean fun." --Tulsa World

About the Author

Félix J. Palma has earned more than a hundred awards for his short stories. The Map of Time is his first book to be published in the United States.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Reprint edition (June 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451683030
• ISBN-13: 978-1451683035
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 83 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Memorable & Engrossing Read June 8, 2011

By Mary Kate TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Attracted by the wonderful cover (which, IMHO, perfectly conveys the time and place and mystery of the story) and intrigued by the plot blurb, The Map of Time has been on my radar for some time and I'm happy to say it did not disappoint.

The Map of Time is different. It's interesting, engrossing and rather, well - odd. Even weird. It's unlike any other book I've read and while I didn't close that handsome cover thinking - Dang! That was the best book in the history of ever! - I liked it. In fact, I liked it quite a lot.

Author Felix Palma has crafted an original and intricately-plotted novel set in Victorian London and peppered with appearances by some of the well-known persons of the day. Bram Stoker. Jack the Ripper. Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man - and yes, he WAS call John Merrick in David Lynch's 1980 film). But it's Palma's use of H.G. Wells as a central character that particularly drew me to the book and that, once reading, most captivated me. Certainly Palma's depiction of Wells in these pages has made me want to learn more about the real Wells and has prompted me download some of his novels - last read during my junior high years - to my Kindle for a re-read.

While I found Wells to be the most fascinating character in the story, he is not the only one who is well-drawn. In what I feel is one of the strongest elements of The Map of Time, several of Palma's many characters are nicely fleshed out. As a specific character's depth and complexity were gradually revealed through the course of the book, my feelings toward that character continued to evolve. And that evolution drew me deeper into the story.

Wells and the paradoxes of time travel are the strongest of the common threads Palma weaves through the three parts of The Map of Time to help to tie the whole book together. In Part One, a young man struggles to deal with the murder - by Jack the Ripper - of the woman he loved. In Part Two, a woman unhappy with the strict social conventions of the Victorian age seeks something else in another time period and in Part Three, a Scotland Yard detective comes to believe that someone from the future is responsible for a series of murders.

Palma's writing is good but somewhat uneven. Passages that I found simply wonderful sat alongside those that rambled for far too long, those that were somewhat confusing and those so cluttered with minutiae that my eyes would begin to glaze over. Though "he" didn't bother me to the degree other reviewers have mentioned, the narrator was, on occasion, annoying. But once I was sucked into the story (which happened early enough on to rope me in for the duration), I could cope with the aspects of the writing that I found less than stellar.

The Map of Time has mystery, romance, sci-fi, history and murder, all set in an atmospheric Victorian London and garnished with steampunk elements. Characterizations are strong and the interesting and intricate plot has twists galore. Despite its flaws, I found The Map of Time well worth the read. I know it will stick with me. And should the sequels I've read rumors of materialize, I'll be reading them.

Recommended.

Notes:
Translation of The Map of Time to English from the original Spanish was done by Nick Caistor.
Many of H.G. Wells novels are available free of charge for Kindle download here on Amazon.
2005's The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells is an entertaining (and attractively priced!) 4-hour miniseries that may appeal to those who enjoy The Map of Time. Stars include Tom Ward, Katy Carmichael and Nicholas Rowe.

61 of 69 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a favorite, but maybe you will like it more. June 26, 2011

By J. Lesley TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

First, let me say that I did not personally like this novel very much, but that doesn't mean that every reader will feel that way. Consequently I will try to simply review what you will find if you chose to read the novel. This is one of those novels which are very hard to review because almost anything said about it has the potential to spoil the story. I will try to be very careful.

The novel takes place in 1888, in London, with the first section taking place primarily in the Whitechaple district. After deciding to commit suicide Andrew Harrington is given the opportunity to utilize Murray's Time Travel to go back eight years to change one specific thing which has haunted him and made him wish to end his time on this earth. Ultimately he has to seek the help of writer H. G. Wells to try to accomplish his goal.

The second portion of the novel focuses on a young woman of that time who is extremely dissatisfied with her life because of the many restrictions put on her simply because she is a woman. Her dream is to utilize Murray's Time Travel to go forward in time where she will be able to use any talents and intellect she has to make a better world. Once again love plays the predominant part in this story and it is once again up to H. G. Wells to reconcile the past with the future.

The third section puts the emphasis on Wells himself and how the time travel phenomenon has an impact on his past, present and future.

This novel is written in the style where the narrator can't keep himself from commenting to the reader on what is going on in the story. I actually don't mind that usually, but I certainly don't think I've ever read a novel before when it was utilized so often. This narrator was often found popping up to tell me that he could see everything and be everywhere at once so he would fill me in on what had just happened, either on or off the page. It really lost it's appeal quite quickly and became an irritant to me. All three of these novella type segments are intertwined, basically with the presence of H. G. Wells, but also with Murray's Time Travel and with other characters who appear throughout. This had a tendency to lead to a high degree of repetition. I don't like that much repetition in a novel. It makes me feel as if the author doesn't trust that I am intelligent enough to grasp what they are saying the first time which irritates me. A circle! And, by the way, this novel is also a circle. Did it matter where it began? Not for me. My personal favorite section was the middle because that seemed to be much more along the lines of a fully completed story.

Ultimately I decided to assign the novel a three star rating because I did enjoy the second section and it is really quite an inventive book. I just wish I could erase the mental picture in my mind of the author possibly sitting out on a sun drenched patio, drinking a glass of wine, and smiling at how gullible readers can be. Have we been gulled? I certainly felt at times that I was. To my mind, if any kudo's are deserved for this novel they should go to Nick Caistor who translated it. Whew! What a task this must have been.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Original and Imaginative July 27, 2011

By Julie Merilatt VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I was given a copy of this book by a friend and I am so thrilled it came into my life. It was wildly imaginative and creative! I could recommend it to readers with varying tastes. It offers historical and science fiction, magical realism, and has a remarkable gothic atmosphere. The storytelling is whimsical yet pragmatic (I know that's contradictory, but you have to read it to see what I mean) and I enjoyed the self-aware, all-knowing narrator. There are often digressions, stories within the main narrative that quite effectively add layers and depth to the book as a whole.

H.G. Wells was perfectly suitable in his role as life saver, mollify-er, and would-be time traveler. He gets himself embroiled in various plots, one of which involves Jack the Ripper. The schemes and hoaxes abound and nothing is as it really seems, and yet everything is connected. Not only does the author present this "Butterfly Effect" paradigm, but then he throws in the idea of space/time continuum. There are so many fun "Ah-Hah!" moments and others that made me want to shake my finger at Palma and say, "Ooh, boy, you really got me there." This was a wonderfully clever and thoughtful novel that will resonate with me for a long time. Bravo!