Hardcover, 224 pages
Published May 28, 2019 by 47North.
I’m really liking these books. They have just the right mix of 80s, D&D, and future stuff. There’s something about them that grip me every time. Good stuff.
Mr Lawrence again weaves an incredible plot of mystery into a thriller about a kid who is wrapped up in time travel and is the center of a paradox. But this tale is spun on a cast of characters that really capture your attention and concern. A very descriptive and visual author, Mr Lawrence writes a story that will have you rooting for the main characters even though their fate is quite precarious. I loved it!
Limited Wish is the sequel to One Word Kill. Like its predecessor, this novel involves twisty plots revolving around quantum theory and time travel and I loved how Lawrence kept the ambiance that I loved from the first novel but managed a plot that felt different and had its own share of twists and tangles.
Much like in One Word Kill, Lawrence excels at getting us inside the head of Nick, our protagonist. If anything, Nick feels even more authentic in this novel. He may be a mathematics prodigy, but he feels like a real teenager. Although fantastic events have taken over his life, Nick still has many of the same struggle and concerns that any high school or university student would experience. It’s this relatability that really helps the novel to shine, I think. Lawrence also gives us some wonderfully evocative D&D sessions. Anyone who has even …
Limited Wish is the sequel to One Word Kill. Like its predecessor, this novel involves twisty plots revolving around quantum theory and time travel and I loved how Lawrence kept the ambiance that I loved from the first novel but managed a plot that felt different and had its own share of twists and tangles.
Much like in One Word Kill, Lawrence excels at getting us inside the head of Nick, our protagonist. If anything, Nick feels even more authentic in this novel. He may be a mathematics prodigy, but he feels like a real teenager. Although fantastic events have taken over his life, Nick still has many of the same struggle and concerns that any high school or university student would experience. It’s this relatability that really helps the novel to shine, I think. Lawrence also gives us some wonderfully evocative D&D sessions. Anyone who has even played D&D and then tried to describe a session to someone knows how hard it can be to translate the excitement of playing the game into a description of the game. Lawrence manages to do this regularly, creating D&D sessions that are fun and enjoyable to read about. That alone deserves praise. Of course, the plot is also a lot of fun. This time we get to see Nick struggle with how paradox fits into his (fairly tidy) understanding of time travel. It’s a wild ride and even at the end of the novel after a few fun reveals, I still have some questions in terms of how this whole paradox thing actually works, but then—that’s kinda the point, isn’t it? I really enjoy books that keep me thinking long after I’ve finished them, and Limited Wish is definitely that sort of novel. If you enjoy cerebral sci-fi I think you’ll very much enjoy this one!
There’s obviously a lot that worked for me. If there is anything that didn’t work for me, it was that I felt like some of the friendship and camaraderie that made the first book so much fun was lacking in this one. The characters did have quite the same level of one-for-all, all-for-one that we were able to enjoy in One Word Kill. I also felt like, while the plot was a lot of fun with plenty of twists and turns and science-y mystery, there wasn’t much character growth for Nick or any of his friends.
In the end, Limited Wish might not quite measure up to One Word Kill, but it’s still a wonderful sci-fi read with fun characters and a plot that keeps you thinking long after you’ve put the book down for the last time. Highly recommended.
8.5/10
4.25/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
