Time Hopper by Os Ibrahim - ARC Review

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I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.

In the technologically advanced city of New Olympia, Dan Walton is a brilliant scientist who has achieved great success in his professional life, but still feels unfulfilled and lonely. Seeking adventure and purpose, he sets out on a journey that will take him to the far reaches of time and space.

With the help of his mentor, Rogers Leenman, and the enigmatic former-CIA agent, Erica McCarter, Dan embarks on a series of thrilling exploits that will challenge his intellect, his courage, and his heart. From managing mergers as a new CEO to exploring the treacherous depths of lava chambers, and even riding on flying carpets, Dan discovers new worlds and experiences that he never thought possible.

As he delves deeper into the mysteries of time and alternate universes, Dan finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue and betrayal. With danger lurking at every turn, he must use all his scientific knowledge and cunning to navigate the complex political landscape and outsmart his enemies.

Will he be able to overcome the obstacles in his path and find the fulfillment he's been seeking? Find out in Time Hopper - a thrilling tale of science, exploration, and self-discovery that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Time Hopper by Os Ibrahim is a solid time travel science fiction adventure novel. Dan Walton, the central character of the story, is a successful yet isolated and lonely scientist. He craves adventure, something he's never truly experienced before. His mentor helps him take on all sorts of challenges that he never would have dreamed possible. Dan finds himself right at the center of adventures that encompass even time travel and alternate universes.

Science fiction, time travel, and the multiverse are some of my favorite things to read or watch, so I was really looking forward to checking out this series opener from the new author, Os Ibrahim. I enjoyed jumping into the challenges and political intrigue, the time travel and alternate worlds with Dan and getting to experience them alongside him. There are a lot of fun little details to spot throughout the times and places his newfound adventures take him. Once the story gets going, you feel like you are practically flying through it and can hardly turn the pages fast enough on your way to the finale. Dan taking inspiration from Tesla is quite appropriate to to his character and it fits him well.

There were some elements that didn't quite work out as well for me as I wished they would have. The novel takes a little too long to get going. I also felt quite distant from Dan himself. Partly, I believe that to be a combination of the third person perspective, the slowness to start, and the fact that Dan could just plain use some therapy (which I've seen another fellow reviewer of this novel mention too). I didn't get sucked into this story or find myself fully engrossed until about the halfway mark. As for the variety of places and times he visits and characters he meets along the way, I wish we got to know more about them and spend more time with them rather than jumping around so much.

Overall, Time Hopper by Os Ibrahim is series opener that I would recommend for fans of the science fiction genre and to those that appreciate time travel especially. While the particular style didn't quite work for me all the time, it is worth sticking around for the ending as it really picks up the pace and becomes fun. I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel, but I am glad I decided to give this a try.

My review is also on Reedsy Discovery and Goodreads.