Aeternum - Book Review

Forever. Eternally. What is the curse of eternal awareness? Aeternum by Robert Tobin is a historical fantasy like no other. The author invents a character never seen before. Written on the premise of a living entity, called Mika, that exists through various life forms, the plot spans thousands of years. Mika meets Ari, another eternal soul. Through mesmerizing and shocking conflicts and resolutions, they become soul mates in different lifetimes. The convoluted plot relies on short, concise back stories to fill in sequential historical gaps.

The author’s knowledge of history, both ancient and more modern, is evident in his depiction of battles, wild destructive carnage, contemporary society and premonitions of the future. He skillfully weaves the two characters, Mika and Ari, into believable humans who interact with the society of the different times frames in believable ways.

The love story of Mika and Ari is characterized by extreme psychological emotions, spiritual awareness, and even primal survival. Atmospheric and sensuous scenes let the reader feel their emotions. At one point Ari’s physical body is called “zombiotic”. Love turns to conflict, then to revenge that continues through ages. Can they reconcile before the end of life as they know it?

Tobin enables us to believe in the reality of his character, Mika, as Mika expresses his internal conflict. “Because of my awareness through time, my muscle memory and intuition created a smorgasbord of potential and skills within my being, available for access at any time.” But should he use his extraordinary skills? Mika asks

why life is a mystery. What is life? Why are we here? He expresses human emotions and is conscientious of his surrounding and contemporary humans.

Mika states that the evolution of man is made of vicious cycles. Mankind is extremely slow to learn from past lessons, from history, and he repeats mistakes again and again. Mika also surmises that every living entity is a representation of a continuous energy. Perhaps from the beginning of time?

The reader is led by Mika through a fast-paced rollercoaster of heartbreaking science-fiction fantasy and adventure, as the magnitude of human destruction of earth’s resources leads to the end of the days of the planet. The reader will find that the plot and characters are “novel”. This is a compelling complex epic adventure with magnitude and a fast pace.