Jamie Michele’s Review

Alexander Heed’s Pulsar: The Time Traveler follows Chase Monadi, an alien from Rhaland whose people developed handheld machines that jump forward through time. After a jump brings him to Earth, Chase spends two years modifying his device so it can travel backward, seeking a lattice crystal in Florida’s hidden alien community. Time travel is outlawed by the expanding Nespis Empire, and Botter, a bounty hunter working for the empire, traces Chase’s earlier jumps to Earth. During a solar eclipse, Chase meets college roommates Rachel and Jason through their alien friend Kay. When Botter’s pursuit reaches them and Jason is wounded by alien nanotechnology, pilot Coba takes Rachel and Jason off Earth for treatment aboard the Intimidator. Their departure turns Chase’s attempt to finish the machine into a journey across planets with Nespis still hunting him.

Alexander Heed’s Pulsar: The Time Traveler is brilliant time-travel science fiction, and the author knows how to make the impossible feel close enough to touch. The suspense is fantastic, especially when alien technology and unfamiliar worlds leave the crew unsure of what waits beyond the next move. I love the crew. Kay is my favorite and the author gives her fearless nature a playful personality that makes her feel unpredictable beside others, especially when her Pink Gift takes over the Morgling Ring. Coba, whose years among the stars show in every decision, adds confidence once the journey moves between worlds. The science fiction elements are creative and blend organically, from the Spiral of Araco beneath artificial suns, to Ergosphere Station around a spinning black hole. The author keeps the pacing moving as the Nespis pursuit widens the scale and raises the danger. Well written and imaginative, readers who enjoy time travel on a space-opera scale will adore this.