The plot unfolds as Elof2 instructs two human prodigies, Tyco and Ty, in the history and customs of the Sophistans. As Elof2 instructs these special children, he must carefully observe their demeanor in order to assure that they do not harbor any of the undesirable traits that most humans have. As Stefan evolves toward his role as Earth’s ruler, Tova2 must protect him from undue human influences and, most especially, from himself.
The creativity in THE SAESHELL BOOK OF TIME goes beyond plot and character development. The characters are telepathic with the ability to broadcast a message to all or link to another telepath for a one-to-one message. When this occurs, the type font and color changes and there is a symbol preceding each message to make the reader aware that this is not spoken words. Likewise, when the Sophistans speak to any of the characters, there is a change in font and color. Surprisingly, this is not a distraction; it actually helps to clarify some of the dialog, especially when two or more groups are communicating. The language, however, is somewhat stilted, leading to an overly formal sounding dialog.
The plot moves fluidly with Elof2’s exposition of the history of the Sophistans providing both the background and the personal backstory for the main characters. Human evolution, the anthropology of child sacrifice, religion and the Big Bang Theory are topics covered by Elof2 as seen from the standpoint of the Sophistans. As the story line progresses, a different shading of the history of the human race emerges. Despite the fact that this is a first book of a multi-book series, the ending is well done and has none of the abruptness sometimes found in this type of series.
THE SAESHELL BOOK OF TIME is a well-written story about the possibilities facing the human race as it strives toward perfection. The creativity of this work extends to the print fonts as well as plot and character.
~IndieReader.