Kronos Duet by A.H. Richards

Synopsis

Psychic Gareth Pugh and daughter Adrianna leap back in time through the minds of others; dead others. Gareth's mission, to reach the beginning of earth time, and confront Earth's God. He's just not too good at getting there. Dead people can be unpredictable. Even dangerous. Adrianna flies with him down the ages, determined to fix their dysfunctional relationship, and to cure herself of her deepest fears. 

Brutal Dr. Buckleigh picks up the scent, missioned by the elitist Foundation to eliminate Pugh and Adrianna, and any evidence of God and time travel. His flunky Cabot Greenaway gladly takes up the hunt, sadistically lustful to own Adrianna, in a space/time of his choosing... 

... But nobody factored in Rasputin, ancient Welsh magic, Stonehenge or Black Holes. 

Publisher: Self Published
Print Length: 275 pages

Review
I purchases this book via Amazon Unlimited
I gave Kronos Duet 4 Stars on Amazon

I'm going to say right up front that it was difficult for me to come up with a rating for this one. There were large chunks of the story that completely lost me, but the parts where I wasn't lost were terrific. 

Kronos Duet's beginning was very well done and kept me intrigued.  I really liked where A.H. Richards was taking the story. Then somewhere around the middle, the story started going in a few different directions, and I found it a little difficult to follow. It became unclear what the main character's purpose was in traveling through time.  First, I thought Gareth Pugh was trying to find a way to connect with his true love who died many years before.  Then, it seemed he was looking to meet up with God. 

About three-quarters of the way through, the story got even more convoluted. I felt like I was reading a different book than the one I started.  Up until that point, I was enjoying Richards' style of writing.  He is gifted in how he weaves words and ideas together to create descriptive scenes and interesting characters.  With that said, I think the reason I got so lost during this part of the book is because of paragraphs like this one:

They stood on a high hill at night.  A camel's hump, at the foot of which flowed the dark tan, moon-glowing fields of grain.  Or were they people?  They heard a sound of rushing, as of a million tongues, or of wind through grain.  There was no time to distinguish if one, or both, existed below; for above them, out of a black that glittered like jet, there came masses of flying stars, surf-waves of stars of different colors advancing silently and at light speed, like fireworks exploding, spitting fiery trails.  They kept on, rising out of infinite distance; something profound, something eternally desirable dwelled in the stars.  Not in the dancers, but in the dance; making all bliss. - Location 4050 in Kindle format

Beautiful?  Undeniably.  Confusing?  To me, yes.  

Now, I do not want anyone to think I do not like Kronos Duet.  As a whole, I do like the book.  It started out great, got a little confusing in the middle, lost me about three-quarters of the way through, and captured me again towards the end. 

Here are the positives about the book and why I definitely think it's worth a read for those who enjoy science fiction, fantasy, and stories of time travel:

1. The characters are well-developed; the good guys are good and the bad guys are really, really bad.
2. There are many interesting concepts presented in the story, making it an intellectual read.
3. As mentioned above, the style of writing is quite beautiful... almost poetic.
4. The references to history and historical events are well-done; if you like history, you will enjoy that aspect of the book.
5. There are many philosophical ideas placed in the story, so if you enjoy that sort of thing, you will most likely enjoy Kronos Duet.

If you found my review of this book helpful and decide to purchase it, I'd appreciate it if you would use the link above. Amazon throws a few pennies my way when purchased through my blog. Thank you! 

About the Author

Born in Wales, Aldous Richards has traveled much of the world, living in the U.S., Europe, England, Wales and Japan. Among jobs too numerous to list, he has taught classical guitar, dug huge ditches, gone comatose in factories, taught undergraduate English, busked in Tokyo subways, and harvested fruit in British Columbia. He now lives in a sane enclave called Wortley Village, where he writes full-time.

Says Richards, "I am in love with a hybrid historical/fantasy Joan of Arc: It has never done me any good. I continue, obstinately, to write and publish fiction, essays, short stories, and literary criticism, with no immediately evident signs of mental injury."
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