Riddle of Alexandria by Peter M. Bowman (Book Review)

4.5/5 - (2 votes)

Title: Riddle of Alexandria
Author: Peter M. Bowman
Imprint: Luna City Free Press
Release Date:‎ ‎ August 11, 2023
ISBN: ‎ 979-8218236007
eBook ISBN: 978-1088203576
Genre: Time Travel, Science Fiction, Adventure
Available Formats: Paperback or eBook
Language: ‎ English
Paperback: ‎ 332 pages
Item Weight: 1.07 pounds
Size: ‎ 6 x 0.74 x 9 inches

About the Book:

Dr. Gideon Warner had spent most of his career trying to find or create a doorway to the past.His theories and speculations on time travel consigned him to Outer Darkness in the scientific community. He began to despair of seeing his dream of a portal to the past ever coming true. A chance discovery of a temporal rift on Terra suddenly put the achievement of that dream within his reach.

With the help of a mainstream scientist working for Earthfleet he convinced the president and Solar Council to fund the project he named Project Timestream. To avoid opposition and hysteria only five people know the real purpose and goal of the project. The project has only one military person: Bryan Casey, Chief Engineer of the star cruiser Atlantis. Like everyone else on the project Bryan is sworn to secrecy. The Speaker of the Solar Council brought ill news when he visited to check on the project’s progress with politicians of both parties pressing him and the president to brief them about the project’s purpose.

All the while, they have been threatening to go public with their complaints if they are not added to the “need-to-know” list. Despite having a team of stellar scientists, engineers and techs, the project gets off to a rough start. With the help of Assistant Project Director Amara Taft, the project gets fully on track. Just when it seemed that everything couldn’t be going better Warner learns of a serious threat. Someone from the team has rigged a fusion reactor to become a fusion bomb. Time is ticking.

Explore Editorial Review:

Imagine the President of the Time Council directing a mere Temporal Historian to uncover the impossible: how Atlantis not only existed but mastered time travel millennia before its “official” discovery in 2266. Alongside a fellow historian, Levi Thurman steps through the Time Door and into the most perilous mission of his life.

While time travel has captivated audiences since H.G. Wells’ famous novel The Time Machine, many modern stories feel stagnant, tethering themselves to overused eras like World War II or the Civil War. These settings often lack imagination because the “world-building” is already dictated by history.

Peter M. Bowman’s Riddle of Alexandria offers a fresh alternative to this type of novel. Rather than the tired “set right what once went wrong” trope, Bowman introduces a Council dedicated solely to chronological study. By centering the narrative on the fictional, high-tech city of Atlantis, Bowman frees the reader from reality-based constraints and offers an immersive experience.

For lore enthusiasts, Bowman’s Atlantis was fascinating to read as he puts painstaking detail into the Atlanteans ideology and traditions. Bowman gives the world’s lore in piecemeal, allowing the reader to react to the world given to them organically, versus giving it all away via info-dump.

For example, it is customary for gentlemen guests of the royal family at the Atlantis to be given a bedroom companion. When first mentioned, readers can naturally assume what a bedroom companion is and what it entails. Readers do not discover that whoever has the honor of being chosen as the bedroom companion can give their position away to another, or it can be revoked altogether, until later in the story.

Bowman does a great job when establishing the scene and characters without going too in-depth or being too vague in either category. He strikes a solid balance between the two that gives the reader the overall picture while also leaving room for their imagination to fill in any gaps.

While the aforementioned Levi Thurman is the protagonist, the supporting cast, such as Lisa Stern, a Telmierian Temporal Historian and Levi’s friend, the Telmierian Special Observer, Jerrel Dark, the Atlantean Princess, Nura, the Supreme Commander of the Atlantean army, Garai the Great, and his spoiled son, Maric, are equally vibrant.

Each character possesses a distinct, internally consistent voice, demonstrating Bowman’s skill as a storyteller. The story’s strength is characterization and character growth, action, and tension throughout, with twists and turns that keep the reader invested.

The romance is also both believable and complex, with the characters behaving normally, but due to the setting, the unique cultural nuances of Atlantis infuse the relationships with unexpected twists. The dynamics between Levi, Nura, and Lisa remain unpredictable yet grounded. It is particularly refreshing to see that Lisa and Nura didn’t fall into the “Betty and Veronica” trope. Despite their shared interest in Levi, they maintain a genuine friendship rather than falling into petty rivalry.

The novel also features “The Door to Yesterday,” a short story centered on Levi’s mentor and future Time Council President, Gideon Warner. When a survey team leader vanishes, Gideon and Dr. Amara Taft must assemble a specialized crew to stage a rescue. Their task includes engineering a stable portal through time, a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Matters soon grew dire as sabotage came into play, turning a key piece of their invention into a ticking time bomb…

If readers enjoyed the main story, they will also enjoy the short story, which gives readers further insight into Levi’s mentor/Father-figure, Gideon Warner, alongside Gideon’s future spouse and future Time Council Vice President, Dr. Amara Taft. The story also furthers the world-building by showing the birth of both time travel and the Temporal Historians as a whole, while introducing likeable supporting characters such as Bryan Casey, Chief Engineer of the star cruiser Atlantis, and Gideon’s old friend and future enemy, Brion Gill.

The plot progresses at an even pace in both the main story and the short story and remains consistent throughout, with an ending to the main story that feels conclusive but also leaves an opening for Bowman to return to this world if he chooses.

With believable, likeable characters, a heartfelt romance, a fantastic plot, great writing, magnificent world-building, and a satisfying conclusion, Riddle of Alexandria is a strong addition to any bookshelf, and gains a time-altering recommendation from me. ★★★★★ – Elijah B. (Explore Authors Magazine)

Where to buy: eBook edition

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Where to buy: eBook edition

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