The novel begins with the two connected worlds of Phalanx and Tristulle, visible to each other through impenetrable windows on each planet. Pandara and Koravo are two lovers on Tristulle, and their story makes up the main plot. The two live in Ksevia, a seemingly idyllic city where citizens are deeply connected to the Yuit, a collective spirit that allows them to live in hive-like tranquility. Shanti, the leader of Ksevia, is overthrown in a coup, causing chaos, and Pandara and Koravo set off on a quest to end all suffering. The book is episodic and jumps around in time, introduces many characters along the way in the form of parable-like stories: Rover, who jumps from planet to planet and ends up on Earth in New York City, a long way from her original home of Ytieo; Annie Levine, a ghostly apparition who silently follows Pandara and Koravo on their journey; and Viratus, a black dragon who provides guidance to the lovers. The pair experience various timelines, and their own deaths and rebirths, as they pursue a journey to reach the peak of a mountain where they may find a way toward their ultimate goal. Trautman’s novel is complex, even taking a Kurt Vonnegut-esque turn when Trautman himself appears as a character in one universe. Throughout, the narrator’s voice takes on an anthropological quality, describing the many facets of its expansive fantasy world. One wishes there was a glossary or index to define all the invented terms that are casually thrown around and identify the many characters that take on dual identities. It’s easy to get lost in the chronology and confuse past and future events, although the world does feel vast and lived in. Some chapters feel less relevant to the overall plot, and the novel’s ambitions outpace its charm at times. Overall, Trautman’s novel is well-crafted, but it eventually grows so complex that it becomes less accessible.
