Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

Manifestations Manifestations
by David M. Henley
HarperVoyager

Supplied for review by Harper Collins New Zealand

Reviewed By: Simon Litten

Manifestations is the second book in a science fiction trilogy that began with The Hunt for Pierre Jnr and will end with Convergence. David M Henley is a novice writer, this book being his second novel (although he has published to novellas and a collection of poems), and to essay a trilogy straight off is an admirable effort for which I wish him well. Unfortunately, based on the evidence of this book the task may be beyond him.

Manifestations was a book I wanted to like, it certainly started with a scene that grabbed my attention. But it wasn’t very long before the story fell foul of the twin traps of a) being book two of a trilogy and b) showing signs that there wasn’t really enough story to justify three books. The story simple dawdled along picking up and discarding characters as it pleased without exhibiting any sense of direction or creating much in the way of dramatic tension. By the end of the book I still hadn’t worked out in my own mind who was the central character and who were the supporting cast. I did know I didn’t care, which is a sad indictment for a new author.

I found Manifestations to be a blancmange of a book. A dessert one often hears about but never eats.

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