Parallel Hours

This barnburner novel gets underway with parallel catastrophes: the murderous Russian invasion of Baku in 1990 and the Golden Horde of Genghis Khan that destroyed the city in 1221. Thus begins a fascinating tale of alternating time planes when a misstep in either might alter--or abolish--history in both. The authors tease us with classic time-travel paradoxes--the butterfly effect, the predestination paradox, the nature of time, and above all, the moral choice Tejmur must make to kill or spare the life of Genghis Khan. But while these alternatives enrich the narrative and open up possibilities undreamed of in our supposedly linear time, they do not supplant the prevailing human qualities of love and loyalty. The possibility of time travel remains unsettled, but there is no doubt about its grip on our imagination. 'Parallel Hours' is one of the most skillfully crafted work in the genre.