Scan barcode
A review by looseleafellie
The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
adventurous
medium-paced
5.0
I bought this book when I heard it’s good for Doctor Who fans, and it certainly has all the wibbly wobbly spacey wacey goodness a Whovian like me could wish for! I think fans of stories like Star Wars or Dune would also enjoy it.
The Principle of Moments is an epic science fantasy novel featuring time travel, magic, advanced technology, taking down an evil space empire, and an age-old prophecy slowly coming true. The sense of scale seemed a bit intimidating at first, but this was actually a very accessible read once I got into it.
Despite the wide scope of the book, I loved getting to know the personal stories of each character. There’s Asha, a girl enslaved to a futuristic empire who yearns to escape oppression; Obi, the time traveler trying to cure his illness; and George, the 19th-century English prince who loves Obi but is doomed to marry another. There’s also a mysterious archivist whose excerpts make more sense as the story goes on.
The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger per se, but it left lots of adventuring to come and problems to be solved. I for one am eagerly awaiting the sequel, The Rule of Chaos! In the meantime, I would recommend this book to any sci-fi and fantasy fans who want something spacey and epic, yet profoundly personal.
Content warnings for The Principle of Moments, courtesy mostly of the author’s website: Description of childbirth, child abuse, graphic description of injury, imprisonment, kidnapping, scenes of physical violence and murder, referenced historical sexual assault of a side character on page 75, discrimination/prejudice against a minority group, mentions of the British Empire and brief depictions of slavery, childhood abandonment, mass-death/mass-murder, drug use, indentured servitude/human trafficking, suicide.
The Principle of Moments is an epic science fantasy novel featuring time travel, magic, advanced technology, taking down an evil space empire, and an age-old prophecy slowly coming true. The sense of scale seemed a bit intimidating at first, but this was actually a very accessible read once I got into it.
Despite the wide scope of the book, I loved getting to know the personal stories of each character. There’s Asha, a girl enslaved to a futuristic empire who yearns to escape oppression; Obi, the time traveler trying to cure his illness; and George, the 19th-century English prince who loves Obi but is doomed to marry another. There’s also a mysterious archivist whose excerpts make more sense as the story goes on.
The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger per se, but it left lots of adventuring to come and problems to be solved. I for one am eagerly awaiting the sequel, The Rule of Chaos! In the meantime, I would recommend this book to any sci-fi and fantasy fans who want something spacey and epic, yet profoundly personal.
Content warnings for The Principle of Moments, courtesy mostly of the author’s website: Description of childbirth, child abuse, graphic description of injury, imprisonment, kidnapping, scenes of physical violence and murder, referenced historical sexual assault of a side character on page 75, discrimination/prejudice against a minority group, mentions of the British Empire and brief depictions of slavery, childhood abandonment, mass-death/mass-murder, drug use, indentured servitude/human trafficking, suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, and Trafficking
Minor: Sexual assault and Slavery