2 out of 4 stars
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You begin by surviving while stranded on a remote island that is slowly recovering from nuclear testing. Sounds simple enough right? It gets a lot more complicated when you are the leader of a group of human agents from the distant future, in which you are in a distinct minority of “Naturals” trying to survive a group of artificially engineered “Synthos” bent on your eradication. In the science fiction novel, 30th Century: Escape written by Mark Kingston Levin, Ph.D., this is just the beginning of the many obstacles and perils our hero needs to traverse.
When our protagonist, Captain Jennifer Hero, interacts with the people she encounters after her escape to 2015, she attempts to hide her advanced intelligence and experiences while learning the times' colloquialisms and customs to maintain her cover. Jennifer must also come to terms with her personal identity and allow herself the freedom in sexuality she was born with in the 30th century, and do so while in a century that is just beginning to be a more inclusive society. Also, playing in the background of every experience she has is the guilt she carries in her thoughts of leaving her team in such a critical juncture in their mission for human survival.
The author, Mark Levin, Ph.D., wrote this first book in the trilogy inspired by the science in cosmology known as dark energy. The ideas of dark energy theory are weaved throughout this novel, playing an integral part in this time travel science fiction book. There are times in the novel where dark energy is defined in conversations the protagonist has with other characters. These are the parts that really pulled me in and kept me interested. I think that dark energy is the most relevant of the side stories in this novel. Although several other important topics are touched on throughout 30th Century: Escape, (ocean pollution endangering ocean wildlife to the rights of indigenous peoples, their histories and pride, depression, as well as Archaeological topics.) dark energy is the glue that kept me tied to the thirtieth century, reminding me this was a science fiction story.
There were very few editorial issues found while reading 30th Century: Escape. I found an incomplete word in chapter 18, an incorrect verb conjugation in chapter 23.( …thank you for bring this obligation….instead of bringing.) There was a story inconsistency in chapter 17 ( Marty came out of the plane after everyone else but Jennifer had left… but then Marty has a conversation with Jennifer.) These were all minor, could be skipped when reading, and did not distract from the storyline. I believe this book was edited well by the multiple editors.
While I personally enjoyed portions of the novel, those parts were far too few for my liking. I rate the novel 30th Century: Escape 2 stars out of 4 stars. I felt that the protagonist had freedom in 2015 that lent her character to seem almost hypersexualized throughout most of the novel. Considering all the things she accomplished in the book, this was a bit of a drawback for me personally. If I see the second and third books, I may give in and give the author another chance and follow the evolution of this trilogy.
In conclusion, although I did not love this novel, I enjoyed the escape it allowed me for a bit when reading. This novel may appeal to those whose interest flow towards science fiction romance novels. The romance aspect of the story felt like it was the bulk of the reading to me. If you decide to read 30th Century: Escape by Mark Levin, Ph.D., I hope you enjoy it.
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Escape
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