Book Review: The Ripple in Space-Time - Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: The Ripple in Space-Time
Author: S.F. Chapman
Publisher: Striped Cat Press
Pages: Paperback; 260
Release Date: February 1, 2013
Source: J.K. Communications
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Genre: Science Fiction

HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who enjoy Science Fiction with a pretty heavy emphasis on the science aspect.

Add it: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N

When the huge lunar Ultra Energy Laboratory is destroyed by a mysterious blast, Inspector Ryo Trop of the Free City Inquisitor’s Office is called in to sort out who is responsible for the disaster.

Early reports imply that rogue moon miners are to blame but Ryo quickly discovers that a far more complex and sinister scheme is afoot.

With the help of a promising young Liaison Agent and a faltering Grad student, Ryo searches for clues and culprits in the corrupt and moldering feudal fiefdoms of the Warlords that dominate human affairs in 2445.

Ryo’s longtime friend, Biology Professor turned spy Malcolm Evans, suggests that the wave of space piracy that has recently vexed the Solar System could be connected to the obliteration of the lunar lab.

But why would reckless and marauding space raiders have an interest in a research facility?

The Ripple in Space-Time is set well into the future, in a time when the outer reaches of space have been colonized. The human race lives spread throughout the galaxy, and I can’t deny that I was drawn in by the possibility of such a vast world of people. Through a mix of news reports and narrative, S.F. Chapman shares with readers a world where anything is possible. This is definitely what I enjoyed most about this book. Although I would have liked the opportunity to explore this universe a little more, it was very immersive in its own right.

The world is populated with some great characters. The problem is that there are so many that it is tough at times to keep them straight. This is helped with the addition of an appendix. However I felt like I really didn’t get to know some of the characters as well as I would have liked. Ryo would definitely have to be my favorite though. The way he handles situations really makes him shine.

What really hampered my total enjoyment of this book though was the writing style. The Ripple in Space-Time is extremely heavy handed in the science department, which is to be expected I suppose. I was okay with it for the most part. It was the overuse of adjectives and adverbs that really drove me crazy while reading. A sentence that could be written in 5 or 6 words would end up as a paragraph. It was maddening, and made it difficult for me to fully appreciate the story line. I see a lot of readers being turned off by this fact. Still, I can promise that the story itself is well worth your time.

Overall I felt good upon finishing The Ripple in Space Time. It did remind me of why I don’t read a lot of Science Fiction anymore. You really have to be invested in the science behind the world that is being built to fully understand the whole story line. While there were definitely things that could have been done better, I enjoyed the story as a whole. Pick this up if you’re a fan of Science Fiction.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.

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