In Herdern’s Palimpsest, everything is laid on the table with the exception of dragons, as noted prior to the Prologue. The colorful and raw story follows the exploits of medical student Lucinda (Lu) Soames-Parker as she grows into her profession and develops the relationships that lead her through this modern classic. Herdern’s prose and writing style are fluid and dynamic, never awkward, and tell Lu’s tale in typical English form.
The writing is thick and tender, though at times bitter on the palate. Herdern leaves very little to the imagination in his work. The blended science fiction and fantasy, mind bending, hyperdimensional thriller is mysterious and intriguing with twists and a mild darkness that offset the often delicate writing style. Dialogues are pure and genuine, bringing a tangibility to the modern fantasy canvas. What starts as a seemingly standard English coming of age story that would make even Dickens proud quickly takes a left turn into the realm of the absurd, somehow managing to maintain a tight enough grip on reality to keep the reader in suspended disbelief. Fresh and satisfying, Herdern presents the problem of traversing higher dimensions in a concrete and staying fashion.
It is a story rich with unique lore. The text is not overly wordy, but describes its settings, characters and plot devices elegantly and completely. There is sex, criminal violence, science and pseudoscienc. The narrative is satisfying and brilliant, keeping the reader’s attention, and begging them to read just another page. Herdern scores in every way possible. The first book in the Palimpsest Series can be found here on Amazon, and author Herdern can be contacted on Twitter.
Politically Romantic 