
Nathan’s entire life he had dreamt of the possibility of time travel. For him, though, this was not some idle fantasy. Considered one of the top five scientific minds in the world, Nathan had the capability to make this happen, but not the resources. In Time Will Tale by, Nathan had been ostracised by the scientific community, after a drunken misadventure caught on video and was now working as a humble physics teacher in a local High School. When he is offered unlimited money and time, by an unknown benefactor to produce his dreamt of time machine, he is wary but ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to see his lifelong dream fulfilled. Thus begins a fascinating, at times harrowing journey through time to the period of the American Civil War.
Time Will Tale by, is a classic time travel story full of the usual conundrums and paradoxes that make time travel so fascinating for authors and readers alike. Nathan, the principal character is beautifully drawn by the author Barrett. Despite having a “beautiful mind”, Nathan has all the flaws, uncertainties and self-doubt of us mere mortals, which I found immensely reassuring. The story is clearly the first in a series based around the adventures of Nathan and as such sets a wonderful platform for what is undoubtedly yet to come. This is a fast-paced, exciting adventure through a very popular genre, yet it is softened and rounded by Nathan’s self-discovery in the past as he comes to grips with his unusual childhood as a child prodigy and for the first time in his life begins to understand the meaning of family and love. This is a very good debut novel by Barrett and I am keen to see what the rest of the series has to offer.
