New readers to David Gittlin’s Silver Sphere Series of novellas can jump straight into RIVER TO THE MULTIVERSE. All the information is there from the start, as the story opens with a quick recap of the series. At this point, author Jacob Cassel and his wife Amy are present for an historic occasion: Silenna, a representative of the doomed alien world of Aneleya, is making her first public address. But everything stops when she gets an urgent message: there may be other Aneleyan survivors. Though Silenna is torn about whether to pursue this lead, Jacob and Amy don’t hesitate. The journey takes them to the very edges of the known universe, through dangerous alien planets and nebulae—even between black holes. As their ship, the Dauntless, navigates these hostile worlds, the Cassels have only one goal in mind: closure for Silenna. But if things get more dangerous, the alien may not make it home in one piece—nor will Jacob and Amy.
RIVER TO THE MULTIVERSE combines fast-paced, brief chapters with visuals of the people and places in the story. It’s an afternoon’s casual read that flows along with the pleasant rhythm of a blockbuster. Readers new to Jacob, Amy, and their alien friends will fall in with them quickly. Gittlin’s dialogue is largely fun and entertaining, and the narrative reins are passed between the Cassels as the story moves along. While there are moments when the writing feels as though it’s falling short of its full potential, it’s never bad and is always fun. There is the sense that with just a little more scrub and polish, the narrative could take a massive leap from “quite good” to “really exceptional.” Perhaps it’s the novella’s short length that prevents the author from fully realizing the vastness of his story, as there is always a sense that more potential lies just under the surface. If anything, though, that’s just another reason to keep reading The Silver Sphere Series. The story leaves off with a shake-up in the cast, new potential for (very literal) character development, and a whole new setting to explore. It’s a rollicking read for sci-fi fans, and great promise abounds for future installments.
RIVER TO THE MULTIVERSE is a bite-sized, free-flowing sci-fi adventure—a fun and compelling step into David Gittlin’s Silver Sphere Series.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader