Review of Doyle's Law

This forum is for volunteer reviews by members of our review team. These reviews are done voluntarily by the reviewers and are published in this forum, separate from the official professional reviews. These reviews are kept separate primarily because the same book may be reviewed by many different reviewers.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jacques Mwashuma
Posts: 191
Joined: 25 May 2021, 05:04
Currently Reading: Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless
Bookshelf Size: 59
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jacques-mwashuma.html
Latest Review: Doyle's Law by Sam Roberts

Review of Doyle's Law

Post by Jacques Mwashuma »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Doyle's Law" by Sam Roberts.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


It starts as random acts that have no correlation, which then slowly draws its imaginary picture about events that are seemingly unexplainable. Of course, the rate at which the reader draws this conclusion is faster than the rate at which the story unfolds leaving the reader tracking a frustrating incongruence that draws him or her deeper into the story until what is left is just the story not the reader's judgement.

Doyle's Law by Sam Roberts starts with four people stuck in a space station. They are involved in two functions left in this old decrepit station, research and salvage. Dr. Ryburn, a cantankerous old drunk, who man's the entire research division alone. Benson, a salvage engineer, hulking mass of a former American footballer. McSweeney, part prankster, part psychotic, hellbent on sticking it to any authority. O'Connor, short tempered lead, salvage director and final head of the salvage contract. Four parties forced to endure the isolation and pressure involved in the operation of a space station, faced with having to deal with each other when laced with mistrust, schemes betrayal and finally murder. But wait, this is just the beginning.

The author avoids using technical terms even though this is a science fiction novel, thus lessening or easing the ability of the reader understanding or relating to it, even though the author does still use a lot of fantasy principles of science fiction such as time travel. The author also avoids usage of graphic scenes by skipping, omitting or downplaying scenes that may end up violent. On the side of story plot, the usage of time travel throws in quite a bit of drama into this novel where clashing of perspectives of current, past or future personas with their other selves. Add a little of slap stick humor, here and there and you have an apt fiction novel which leaves you chuckling at odd times.

Some parts of the book need science fiction diehards to understand such as where the principles of the theory of time travel are used. Throw in the multidimensional paradox and time loop constants and you have a true fiction novel but with a slightly confused reader caught in a page turner.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, due to the simplicity of its language, even though a majority of the novel is built on fiction principles which are more common among hardcore science fiction novels. Still it resulted in an interesting read piecing parts of the story together.

I recommend this book specially for hardcore science fiction enthusiasts, though it can still be understood by all with at least a glimpse or love for the science fiction world. It is also a good introduction to the theory of multidimensional travel and time loop paradox.

******
Doyle's Law
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
If the heart is clear, it doesn't matter if there's a storm brewing in the sky.

- Bing Xin.
Post Reply

Return to “Volunteer Reviews”