A Labyrinth of Memories

By: Tim E Koch

Narrated by: Nathaniel Priestley

If Jane Austen wrote sci-fi, she might have envisioned great airships and pneumatically powered carriages.

She might have penned a tale about a romance between a Scottish lad and the niece of the Duke of Wellington, both being gifted in the mechanical arts and brought together by a great threat to their queen and her empire.

There might have been a terrible epidemic of a fatal disease and a preternatural substance empowering the French against Britain, and the two threat would of course have been related.

The solution to their woes would have been a journey back through time, accomplished only by the joint effort of our hero and heroine.

The result should have therefore been A Labyrinth of Memories.

A new steampunk alternate history adventure.

An invisible hand manipulates the world, wreaking havoc upon the common folk, leaving entire villages desolate in its wake while making a few men terribly rich.

Coin is a commoner left with nothing but anger and sadness, but when he is drawn into the clandestine plot of Devonshire and Wellington, he meets Helen. Each unknowingly holds part of a key to defeating the puppetmaster and righting the world.

When an experiment goes wrong, each is put in the other’s body. Coin expects an immediate reversal from his pretense as a highborn lady, but Helen knows she’s come out a winner. Though she is now a commoner, she is also a man in this man’s world.

When a third diabolical participant enters the body exchange, all hope seems lost, but Helen and Coin must soldier on toward defeat of malevolence that threatens not only the British Empire but humanity itself.

©2022 Tim E Koch (P)2023 Tim E Koch

A Mishmash Of Alternative History

I was entertained by this story; however, the opening was quite confusing. It took me some time to understand what was happening; however, as the story progressed, it got better. I was amazed by the complexity of the worldbuilding. I enjoyed the alternative history and the steampunk elements. I liked some of the characters, but not all of them. I enjoyed Nathaniel Priestley's narration immensely. I was very impressed by his performance and all the various voices which he provided for this audiobook. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Time

The story concept was interesting. I thought it was an interesting take on time. I reviewed the audiobook. I believe the book is likely better as a written work, and not as an audiobook. I found it difficult to follow, and at times confusing. The story appears to be well written. The story line is interesting. The narration was ok, but I felt it distracted from the story overall.
I received a free copy of the audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.