Book Review: Paradox Bound, by Peter Clines

I've read the first two of the Ex-Heroes series by Peter Clines (out of order - I wasn't aware it was a series when I found book #2), and I enjoyed them very much.  I've also really enjoyed two of his standalone novels (in fact, I think I liked them more than the series).  The first was 14, a Lovecraft-style (or is that Lovecraftian?) horror novel.  The second was The Fold, an awesome SF novel, which, if I remember correctly, is in the same "universe" as 14, and actually makes reference to the events in that story.  So, when I saw that he had a new standalone novel out, I was really excited to read it - it was just a question of finding an appropriate slot in the reading queue.

Paradox Bound does not disappoint.

The premise?  Time travel.  No...wait, not really.  History travel!  Traveling across the US mostly within the 200 years since America was formed.  And, no, not in a modified DeLorean - a "steampunk'd Model-A Ford" is the vehicle of choice - and the driver wears a Tricorn hat and carries a flintlock rifle.  (Naturally, the choice of car gave me flashes to the Clint Eastwood film Heartbreak Ridge - it's used in a dirty cadence that talks about female naughty bits:  Model-A Ford and a tank full of gas...you can look up the rest at your leisure).

After meeting this history traveler a few times, Eli's curiosity gets the better of him, and he tries to learn more about who this anachronism is, after which he finds himself pulled into a race against time.  The traveler is only one of many, and they all have the same goal.  They are all searching for something which has been lost - something which was created by the founding fathers of America.  And, they are all being pursued by...something.

I can't reveal much more than that without ruining some very interesting elements of the story.  For me, this tale was very original.  The take on history-travel is very interesting in this story.  It isn't really time travel - you can only travel to very specific places and times, and it has more to do with perception and boundaries than it does with mysterious pieces of technology like Mr. Fusion and the Flux Capacitor.  Although, these items are referenced in the story - there are actually some nice pop culture references throughout the book, just not at the level of Ready Player One (a great book by another author with a similar sounding last name).  Given how the history travel works, the travelers choice of a Model-A Ford is very logical, and is well explained.

I also have to say that the mysterious "something" that pursues them is also a very original creation - unlike anything I've read before.  In short, without revealing very much, a group of very different individuals with some rather unique abilities.

As far as I can guess, the title of Paradox Bound may have a dual meaning, or may refer to one of two different elements of the story.  Of course, when it comes to their mysterious pursuers, they are somewhat paradoxical themselves, so perhaps there's a triple meaning.  Once you've read the book yourself, what does the title mean to you?

All around, a very highly recommended book!

As always, I'm interested in hearing what other people think.  Feel free to leave a comment.