Description
Powerful aliens hide on an asteroid floating above the planet Chyspah. Fearing for her child’s life, a widow breaks the laws of her people and makes contact with the leader of the planet. Her actions kick off a long series of strange occurrences and unexpected discoveries that lead three boys to solve their parents’ mysteries as they’re caught in the midst of the royal family’s fall from power. Daniel experiences bizarre episodes of time travel, while Anomar learns he was adopted and that his real parents belong to a species of aliens with supernatural powers. With the reluctant help of their timid friend Benardo, the boys dig deeper to find the truths hidden in their own lives. What they learn will change everything they thought they knew about themselves and each other.
About the Author
Rohini is from the small Caribbean island of Trinidad, where she still lives. She has a Bachelor’s degree in computing from the University of Greenwich and currently works for the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Rohini has been employed in the Information Technology field for over ten years in the areas of software development, database administration, and web development. She has also worked within the Caribbean on behalf of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the areas of application support and needs assessments analysis.
Rohini always had a love for science fiction as a child, and she dabbled in writing short fiction during high school. She later wrote a screenplay entitled “The Space Rockettes,” which still sits on a bookshelf. Her favorite books include all variations of Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.
Rohini’s inspiration for The Time Manipulator’s Son came from some of the young students at a high school where her sister was a teacher. Rohini frequently attended events at the school, and after observing some of the younger children, the idea popped into her head: what if kids of different species came together for a common cause in an alternate world?
Amanda Mayers –
What can I say about “The Time Manipulator’s Son”? Two words: “Loved it!” The author was quite descriptive and I especially admired how she paid homage to her roots and highlighted aspects of our culture in Trinidad and Tobago. This book had me “on my toes”; reading to find out what would happen next. To be honest I felt a bit sad knowing that it was the end and I felt like I was on a journey with Anomar, Benardo and Daniel. This book just goes to show how imaginative one can be and the beautiful works of art that can come from it. I can’t wait for the next one!!
Neesa –
I am totally amazed with The Time Manipulator’s Son…Rohini has described a whole different world in such detail,it’s just mind blowing.She gave a new meaning to the word “creative”…I can’t wait for her second book and hopefully a movie…To me it’s one of the best book i ever read,Love it
Renay –
From the imaginative mind of debut author Rohini Singh, The Time Manipulator’s Son is a charming coming of age tale of the struggle of young Anomar Effilldar to discover his identity and to find his place in the brilliantly constructed, whimsical, world of Chyspah. Using a delightfully original blend of sci fi, fantasy and Caribbean cultural flavor, Anomar’s many adventures remind readers about the magic of childhood and the power of friendship.
Ms. Singh’s refreshing and insightful take on familiar themes of prejudice, bullying and pre-adolescent angst, combined with plenty of hilarious moments add up to a captivating tale that will satisfy readers of all ages. I can’t wait for the next adventure of Anomar and his friends!
Erik Nelson –
First of all, the title is not a teaser. Although the story doesn’t revolve around time travel 100%, it does play a good part in the story. An alien family who has the ability to play with time and lives on an asteroid called “The Upper World” decides to give their son, Biddle to the Supreme Leader of the plant Chyspah; Flondumar and his wife Sholah who’s own child died at birth. The family from the Upper World gives them their son because they fear that his life would be at risk if he were to remain in the Upper World. After they teleport back to the Upper World, Sholah renames Biddle; Anomar. Flondumar is reluctant at first because he fears that an outsider of the planet would hurt his political career as well as cause friction between him and the royal family. But as time goes on, he starts to love him as his real son. Once Anomar is able to speak and walk, Flondumar decides to home school him, in fear that his real identity would be revealed if he were to go to a public school. As Anomar grows older, Flondumar decides to take him under his political wing to get him exposed to the world of politics and to the planet’s constitution in hopes that he will continue his adopted father’s legacy. Once one of Flondumar’s political opponents finds out about his son’s home schooling, he criticizes Flondumar by saying how if he doesn’t trust public education for his own son, why should the rest of the planet. Fondumar caves in and allows Anomar to attend a public school where he meets Benardo, who’s eyes are the same color (this is consider abnormal on the planet) and Daniel who was briefly dead at birth but then resurrected. After the three become friends, they start to discover who they really are. But how will the planet and the royal family respond? Rohini Singh has really created her own world in this book. You do have to pay attention to all of the rules and what is considered to be normal in the book to get a better understanding on what’s happening and what will happen when a certain character finds out something about the other. But that’s one of the reasons why this book is so entertaining. She’s also very descriptive in the settings, characters as well as the props that they handle. You really feel like you are in the future and in outer space with the characters. I enjoyed this book so much that I’m not surprised that it was rated a number one Hot New Release on Amazon and it was only published last month. And one more thing, I love the HAL like character from 2001: A Space Odyssey; CHRIS which stands for Chyspah Host Resource Information System. Don’t worry, I’m not giving anything away, it’s not exactly like HAL, or is it?
Nina Butler –
The Time Manipulator’s Son is one of the better coming of age stories that I have read. The characters are very relatable and you feel like you are part of the story. I like the fact that the characters are very diverse, and the earthlings are based on different cultures of the world. Especially the cultures that surround the author herself. The story comes to life in a way that makes you crave more and more. I really enjoyed reading this story. Rohini Singh is very good at making the reader feel for the characters, and she creates a world that is very enjoyable. The more you read the more you get engrossed in this tale of Biddle/Anomar. I liked the use of the coming of age of a young boy and his two friends, but at the same time in a fantasy world. This to me is truly a difficult task, because you want to create something that will keep your reader interested. Singh did just that, and she kept true to herself.
I really like that Singh describes that world in a way that makes the reader feel like you are a part of it. She has a way with making the characters really seem believable. They way that Biddle’s birth mom cared for him and insured that he was safe, was very telling of how a real mother would react to danger around their child. I felt for her, when she gave him to the couple that had lost their baby. With the good there also comes bad. My only really criticism of the story is that at the beginning it is very daunting to get through. All of the description and setting up of the story to me should be spread out a little more, but I understand why it was done this way. There is a lot of describing the world and what is going on, and that to me detracts from the story a little bit. Other than that, this book was amazing and it stands out among other books like it. After the first few chapters the story really starts to take off, and become a real page turner. The suspense and mystery make this story really shine. I am not really a person that likes stories about space, but this story really kept my attention. I would recommend that anyone read this story. It is a story for the young and older alike. Singh really has a talent for writing, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Shivanand –
Highlights:
Immersive world and imaginative story
Great blend of Trinidadian roots and culture without being typecast
Similarities with other acclaimed literary works
Drawbacks:
At times the description and depth of scenery draws away from the story
The characters seem to develop into stereotypes for the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre
Recommendation:
A great read and an even better escape to an alternate universe with non-linear comparisons
KeshiPeshi –
Extremely immersive book. Couldn’t put it down for too long once I began reading it. As I progressed, I felt more and more connected to/concerned for the story/characters. The ending was a complete 180 – didn’t see that one coming. Especially loved the Trinbagonian flavour added here and there. Provided an insight into snippets of their culture and what it would be like living amongst other planetary beings. I must congratulate the author in creating a captivating novel for both juniors and adults alike. Looking forward to more of her work!
Alya17 –
The Time Manipulator’s Son is a science fiction novel set in a future world with other planets and alien life. It is essentially a coming of age story featuring three young boys; one of whom was given away at birth for his safety. While this is very much a science fiction novel with elements of advanced technology and time travel, as the title suggests, it is at heart a coming of age story which sees the boys navigate very real world issues.
I thought I had a fair idea of what this book would explore after reading the title and synopsis but I was pleasantly surprised at how invested I became in the story. I also really appreciate the way Ms. Singh integrated the Trinidadian culture into the story. It wasn’t tacked on but rather actually served to help the development of several key characters and the plot.
This is a book I feel would be quite useful for young boys to read, even though I enjoyed it as an adult female. The way Ms. Singh treats some mature themes such as a ethnic and status differences, adoption, body issues and feeling the need to belong, I think would be beneficial for children growing up to understand.
One of the things to note with reading this book however, is that you really need to pay attention to the details and the features of the world Ms. Singh built.
Overall, I would say I thoroughly enjoyed this book, more than I felt I would. I felt such a connection to the characters and the world that I actually felt a sense of loss when the book was over. I can’t wait for the second installment in this series!!!
Sam D. –
Science fiction or sci-fi is not my choice my genre to read, but this author convinced me otherwise! I love the cover, the story, and thought the book was well written. I really enjoyed it!
Anji –
Auspicious narrative with a focus on young men coming of age in an interplanetary world. The author is extremely conscientious in her work. It’s so reminds me of the star children, a series of stories that I would tell my son before he went to sleep at night. Loved the way that she combined the love of food and love of the mystical. More please!