Tag: #bookreviews

As with William, I have never met Struan in person. When we connected, he was at the beginning of his PhD, and I was particularly interested in his perspective as a millennial.

I was fascinated in his comments about the choice of 1050 and 1550 which reflect his fascination with those tales but the reality was indeed the other way round. Once I had set the First Tale to begin in CE50 the decision for the subsequent tales was driven by precise arithmetical breaks of 1000, 500 and 500.  Once set I then had to research those eras to see what happened to the intervention and my characters. The result was the consequence of serendipty at work, rather than planned. That adds to the power of their message.

Struan Tait

Hermes Redux by Emily Chance is a captivating exploration of humankind’s past and potential future. The story weaves together three distinct timelines: A.D. 50, A.D. 1050-1550, and A.D. 2050, each with richly developed characters and settings. The tale is an ambitious blend of historical fiction, speculative science fiction, and philosophical musings, inviting readers to reflect on our evolution and its impact on the world. The narrative spans three millennia by spotlighting the lives of three individuals separated by time but united in purpose.

Chance’s characters are cleverly placed at critical historical moments that showcase humanity’s cruelty and preoccupation with short-term gains. Hermes Redux expertly demonstrates that altruistic decisions for Earth’s sustainability must be made to preserve life for future generations to come. The universality of suffering Chance’s characters experience transcends time, allowing for great relatability regardless of epoch. Indeed, the human spirit links her characters and shines through as hope that we may yet take the correct steps for our future.

Chance’s use of sci-fi elements is both restrained yet powerful – I could not put the book down on the subject of them and the endeavour to unite – yet their presence does not overcrowd the story. Hermes Redux explores a wonderful ‘what if?’ story of discovery and the unification and evolution of humanity, which we all deeply desire. I highly recommend Hermes Redux to anyone concerned with learning from our past to sustainably conserve our future.

This first review is appropriately from a reader who was concerned about an earlier version of the manuscript.

William, who hails from the United States, enjoyed the story immensely and offered several interesting insights. However, he was distracted by technical issues, including the layout and punctuation, mistakes, and a lack of editing.

It is therefore fitting to begin with someone who recognises that those issues have been addressed.

William Amos

I have had the opportunity to read both the original text and this revised edition.  Distracting inconsistencies in the original have been addressed by Ms Chance. This new version is more concise, clearer, and therefore easier to follow, with better pacing.  In short, it packs a greater punch.

The story will appeal to a wide range of readers.  It is the kind of novel which is not easy to pigeonhole by genre.  There are elements of science fiction.  There is romance.  It is speculative, drawing on fragments of ancient myth.  It has well-researched historical moments, and I really enjoyed that.  It touches on the philosophical theme of connection and the challenges of building trust.

The novel is also a mystery, with many twists and unexpected turns.  The plot is well-paced—a page-turner that kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next.  All in all, I feel many will find Hermes Redux an enjoyable and thoughtful read.