Interworld Series by Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, and Mallory Reaves

Interworld  by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves       

Interworld Series

by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves 

This story was pitched as a TV series, but apparently the TV executive's eyes glossed over as it was explained to them. So, that is why we have this book and the next two in a series. Looks good to me!

Content notes on this series: YA, no foul language, some violence, but appropriate for all audiences.

The Silver Dream by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves                        

Eternity's Wheel by Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves and Mallory Reaves

Brief Synopsis:

In this Interworld trilogy, readers find “Walker” Joey Harker. A Walker is a person who can walk to different dimensions and versions of Earth through portals. Joey, like all Walkers, accidentally finds he has this ability. When a Walker “walks” for the first time he or she must be picked up quickly by another Walker before the bad guys of HEX or Binary find them. In the first book, Joey is almost grabbed by HEX but is narrowly saved at great cost. He then learns the ins and outs of being a Walker and discovers his purpose in life which is to protect all the different versions of Earth. In the second book, he meets a new friend, Acacia Jones, who works with (or against?) him in his quest to serve the “Multiverse” of Earths. Then in the conclusion, Joey, Acacia, and his fellow Walkers face a huge enemy when HEX and Binary join forces in order to stop the Walkers and destroy the Multiverse.

My thoughts:

I realize that most reviewers only review one book at a time. But, I decided to review this complete trilogy at once because I read all three books back-to-back like it was one long book. I could not stop reading such a fun science-fiction tale, and this interesting page turner had me glued to my device. Also, HEY it is by Neil Gaiman who wrote The Graveyard Book (if you have not read that please do), even though I recognized Gaiman more in the first book and not so much in the second and third installments they were all interesting. Then, these books make me feel smart because they include terms like “string theory,” “transducers,” and “soliton array.” You do not have to know the meanings of these words to enjoy the story (thank goodness), but how fun! If you do not like science fiction…THEN…. do not read these books. HOWEVER, if you like smart, funny, and interesting writing about wild ideas such as different dimensions, alternate realities, and time travel, then check out these books.

Characters:

Joey and the Walkers all come from different versions of Earth and are therefore different versions of Joey. So Joey constantly sees older, younger, male, female, or somewhat variant renditions of himself. Also, they all have names that start with a “J,” and they work together to save all the Earths from HEX and Binary.

Joe Harper, The “Old Man,” is a much older version of Joey and he runs the Walker spaceship/city. He is a an efficient leader and he runs a tight ship. The Walkers love and fear him a bit.

Hue is an interesting character. He is not human, comes from a strange dimension, and is a bubble who only speaks in colors. He is Joey’s friend and anyone who reads these books might wish for a friend like Hue.

Acacia appears right away in the second book and is a very strong female character who comes from “Timewatch.” She is assigned to watch Joey and even though we know she will be a love interest for Joey, Joey himself (in typical male fashion) is confused and thrown off balance by her.


HEX and Binary are the bad guys. HEX produces really evil villains with names like “Lord Dog Knife,” and “Lady Indigo.” Binary’s main villain is “The Professor.” OK….soooo I had to consciously suspend my belief in reality to watch Joey struggle agains these villains.

The Setting:

How fun is a space ship full of evil-fighters called Walkers going to different dimensions to keep every version of Earth safe? LOTS!!

Conclusion:

I have read several reviews of these books and the main criticism is that the third book leaves too many questions. I think those people need to reread the series and think about what is going on. I found the ending very satisfying. Without giving away anything I just want to tell these people, “HEY! THINK about the cycle of life. Look at all that happens in these books and think about what happened before and what will have to happen in the future!!!” THINK!! Good science fiction invites the reader to think and figure out STUFF!! That is what makes science fiction so good (in my humble opinion).