"Relativum," the debut novel by Joshua Brock, has gained attention for its ambitious premise and promises of a mind-bending exploration of reality. Unfortunately, it falls significantly short of these high expectations.

While the initial concept is intriguing, the narrative quickly becomes tangled in convoluted explanations of the "relativum," a term that often feels like a confusing jumble of pseudo-science rather than a solid foundation for the story. The characters are disappointingly flat, with unclear motivations and actions that frequently lack logic. They seem frustratingly passive, merely swept along by events instead of actively shaping their destinies. The dialogue feels stilted and unnatural, functioning more as a means for exposition than genuine conversation.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of "Relativum" is the potential it squanders. The core idea, though perplexing, holds hints of originality. However, the author appears more interested in elaborate world-building than in crafting an engaging narrative. As a result, the book comes off as a dense and tedious read, often resembling an academic exercise rather than a fulfilling work of fiction.

In summary, "Relativum" is a book that aims for the stars yet lands far short. While it may attract readers who enjoy complex, philosophical science fiction, those seeking an engaging story with relatable characters are likely to walk away disappointed.

DNF'd at 50%. The prose is painfully unpolished, the plot is all kinds of derivative, the characterizations are oversimplified, and the dialogues are amateurish. The story has bits of an interesting premise, but what the author does with it goes no further than a bland rehash of Planet of the Apes. The author is promising, but needs to work very hard at refining their craft.

This is not a great book…the premise is interesting but I think going 1000 years forward in time was a stupid amount of time, plus the science was terrible as was the planet and the culture in the far far future which turned out to be even farther in the future. Really not good.

I'd like to start this review by saying I wish this was longer. This is such an interesting premise and I expecially love how it ended.

However, I do think the story itself was rushed. I wish the author took more time to flesh out Patrick and some of the people he met in his journey. It would be so interesting for this book to explore the concept of time travel and the dangers (or vice versa) some more.

I do think it was a fun read, I felt myself feeling for Patrick at times and I think the descriptions in this book made it very easy to imagine the world he was in.

This is a great book for someone who wants a quick and easy read!

Classic SF Time Travel
very enjoyable read in one go throughout an afternoon
a bit sad in the end we do not know the fate of our future World