Hamartia: A Time Travel Thriller by Raquel Rich is a time travel thriller where a mother has to choose between saving her son and wiping humanity off the face of the earth. 

Review

A hamartia is a hero whose fatal flaw leads to his tragic downfall. Raquel Rich’s Hamartia: A Time Travel Thriller revolves around such a hero. 

The year is 2080. A new disease called metagenesis is killing people everywhere. Grace Dartmouth’s life is already in shambles. After losing her father three years ago, she had cut off ties with her best friend, Kay, and estranged herself from her husband, Marc. Her sole source of joy is Jordan, her son. Grace’s world is turned upside down when Jordan is diagnosed with metagenesis, an illness where his soul will gradually perish. With no cure anywhere, Dr. Claudio Messie offers a flickering of hope to the Dartmouths. The only possibility to save Jordan is to travel back to the year 2000 and clone the soul of Marc’s previous life, David Williams. Grace desperately grabs onto the opportunity. To her astonishment, Kay decides to accompany her as she travels back in time. However, things are not that simple. Grace is faced with the choice to let her son die or doom the whole human population, in addition to the life of a loved one. 

Is there really a cure for metagenesis? If so, will Grace find it? How will she and Kay cope in 2000? Will they locate David Williams, Grace’s soulmate, in time? What decision will Grace take? Will she save her son and let the human race die? 

Hamartia is a masterfully penned time travel thriller penned by Raquel Rich. I was enmeshed in the story right from the first page. There is no doubt that Rich is a brilliant author. I love the way she has envisioned the years 2000 and 2080. The near future is more dedicated to sustainable development. Things like gambling are banned. I was intrigued by the concept of link cars and container homes. 2000, on the other hand, is a year of excess. The turn of the century symbolizes the advent of new technology, tasty yet unhealthy food, fast cars, and all kinds of flamboyance. Despite the stark contrast between the two eras, there are some eerie similarities. For all the advancements of the future, human love and greed never really changes. Rich beautifully enlivens both the past and the future, in the process prodding us to think about the present. 

Raquel Rich has created a host of complex characters. Grace is the most complicated of all. At first, she might seem difficult to love. Her decisions might not sit well with you. However, once you come to know her, you cannot help but relate with her. Grace is a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother. She holds her position as a mother above all. She is willing to do anything for her son, things that even she cannot fathom. I applaud her tenacity and ability to remain strong in situations where most would father. Marc is someone for whom I have great empathy. Being Jordan’s father, he had his own battles to fight. Moreover, I am sure that Grace’s prickly behavior might not have been easy for him to handle. For some reason, I kept rooting for him, even though he had his flaws. Leo intrigued me from his first appearance. There was something about him that drew both Grace and me. Despite all odds, I hope he makes an appearance in the next book. Kay has been a light of positivity. Like Grace, I was skeptical about her motivations at first. However, the feisty tree-hugging Kay steadily won me over. She is a friend that everyone should have. Charlie has very little presence in this book. In that little time, he establishes himself to be a supportive brother and a voice of reason. Jordan is adorable, like any nine-year-old. His adult version really piqued my attention. I am eager to find out more about him in the future. 

Dr. Claudio Messie is a superlative antagonist. Despite all his oily and inhumane ways, he is undeniably intelligent. This mixed with his cold-hearted ways makes him a worthy adversary. I am most eager to know more about his past lives. His assistant is another matter altogether. I am confident that everyone will be as gape-jawed as me when all her different layers are uncovered. 

Hamartia: A Time Travel Thriller by Raquel Rich is a mind-bending novel that leaves you wanting for me. I loved the way time travel is presented in this unique book. The way Rich boggles the past, present, and future is most intriguing. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series and join Grace, Marc, Kay, and Charlie on their time-defying journey to save the world. 

I highly recommend Raquel Rich’s Hamartia: A Time Travel Thriller to fans of thrillers, romance, and time travel novels. This is one book you will never regret reading.

Book Details

• Title: Hamartia: A Time Travel Thriller
• Author: Raquel Rich
• Genre: Science Fiction
• Theme: Time Travel, Love, Family, Reincarnation
• Publication Date: January 22, 2020
• ISBN or ASIN: B0844VX3M2
• Number of Pages: 301
• Minimum Audience Age: 14

Book Themes

(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)

• Sexual themes: 2
• Religious themes: 0
• Violence, self-harm, etc.: 1
• Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 2
• Other adult themes: 1

Rating

• Content: 5 stars
• Writing Style: 5 stars
• Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
• Uniqueness: 5 stars
• Editing: 5 stars
• Other factors: 5 stars
• Overall: 5 out of 5

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