Time's Eye is the first in a series, conceived as an offshoot of Clarke's A Space Odyssey, but with very slight (if any) connection. The novel follows a group of soldiers from the year 2037 on a UN peacekeeping mission, and a group of astronauts from the ISS. They are all caught in an event in which the Earth inexplicably becomes a hodgepodge of landscapes from different eras in history--everything from 2037 all the way back to the Ice Age. The soldiers happen across a group of 19th century British soldiers marooned in time--surprise, one of them is Rudyard Kipling! When they team up, they come across a group of ancient warriors--surprise, it's Alexander the Great and his army! Meanwhile, the astronauts make their way to the changed Earth and are captured by barbarian horsemen--surprise, it's Genghis Khan and his army! Once cultural and language barriers are overcome, two sides form and they make they way to the site of Babylon (halfway destroyed and abandoned by the Discontinuity). As you might surmise, war inevitably breaks out between the Macedonians and the Mongols, each side aided with the knowledge given by their 21st century allies.
I thought this whole concept was great, and it was enough to keep me hooked all the way through. By nature, the premise staggers the imagination and I'm quite satisfied with the way the book slams its historical heavyweights into the battlefield together. I'm not personally well-informed on the exact history of these cultures, but it appeared well-researched to me--if there are any inaccuracies I couldn't tell you. In fact, I was smitten by the meticulous way each cultures' history and lifestyles are shown. There are enough details to bring the sights, sounds, and smells of each side to vivid life, but without beating the readers over the head with prose. It's a breezy and immersive read.
However, I can't say that I'm in love with any of the lead characters. I barely even remember them. Most introspection is spent on observing the changed world and the magnificent cultures they experience, but little is spent on developing character depth, personality, or arcs. Maybe it's intentional to let the premise and the mystery of time's eye take the center stage (those are the aspects that intrigued me the most anyway). Most of the protagonists are simply good people--some are well-informed, some aren't, one dude is Muslim, one lady is a single mom, one other lady is evil and betrays everyone to the Mongols because reasons. Strangely, Kipling comes out as the most lovable and memorable character. Alexander and Genghis have their moments too, but even though they have whole chapters detailing some of their thoughts and personalities, they say surprisingly little. There are a few directions that are probably supposed to bear weight (like Bisesa's relationship with Josh), but relationships like this aren't given the time or text to develop--they simply happen.
It may boil down to the way the book's written sentence-by-sentence. Even though it does a fair job of animating the story with detail, it often breaks the "show don't tell" rules by over-using vague descriptions, using an awful lot of adverbs and adjectives, and skimping out on character voice. There are chapters that stand out more than others (such as the ones where a "man-ape" named Seeker becomes the POV character, reminding me so much of the opening for Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey). Strangely, the ones focusing on Alexander and Genghis remain distant, as if the text talks about them but never embodies their thoughts or feelings in a specific way. Because of this, the "why" of certain actions and relationships fall short, and the main characters come off as flatter, less interesting this way.
There are other pieces that stick out oddly (especially one fleeting scene in which the characters encounter Buddhist monks in their own isolated niche--this scene is invoked once in speculation, then never brought up again). The book reaches an interesting cliffhanger that promises more to the lore of the alien intelligence that masterminded the Discontinuity, and more adventures are presumably given in Sunstorm. It is a little reminiscent of the monoliths and mysteries that A Space Odyssey showcased, and I probably wouldn't mind following up with the sequels (although as I understand it this series remains incomplete due to Clarke's untimely passing).
This book is probably more Baxter than Clarke, even though trademarks of both are present. I found the book interesting and readable, but taking a step back I can't help but to see that the characters could have used more finesse and the style could have been refined. Regardless, I enjoyed reading this a lot for its concept, the details it gives, and the adventurous way it pushes its characters into historic battles and cosmic mysteries.
7/10
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