Review: A Real Mindbender
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2013
There has been a lot of stories about time travel before, but few like this. The story is not just about moving through time, but about what the consequences could be. A team of scientists conduct a historical research study of Beethoven and unwittingly get caught in the plan of a madman who is convinced he is the Pale Rider from Revelations.This plot is unusual enough in its own right, but the real power of this book lies in the ability of its' authorto turn the universe inside-out with a few well-chosen words. This is rare, and it always has been. History, physicsand people play like putty in his hands, and he twists and molds them at will to create alternate realities withinthe real world as well as his own.He tells his tale with a pragmatic coolness that allows the characters to do all the thinking, feelingand learning and all from inside. It is a very fast-paced tale which a range of characters from Lincoln, Cleopatra,and Hitler,are all pawns on the chessboard of time, along with Beethoven and the central characters. Great cast!As the story unfolds and the terrible consequences of the incident reveal themselves, the reader is left in shock, as events hitlike a sudden punch in the stomach. Only after I closed the book did the meaning of this muse connect: nothing changes,everything is as it should be. The story lives, literally, between the pages of history.The Music Expert explains it as  he puts on his powdered wig: "We are all time travelers, whether we have a machine or not.All on this journey together and time always wins."The hardest thing about a fast paced book for me was saying good-bye to the central characters, who are so realistic and pleasant people that I became attached to them and wished they were around longer. It is such an engrossing read that I found myself trying to read this book in a single sitting. I had read Paul Howard's other book "The Galley" and my expectations were very high. He did not disappoint. This author really tells a great story.