"What God would do that? Create such a bond and then to have it shredded to pieces right in front of you?"
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Elipsions by Gregory Morrison Trafford Publishing
book review by Mihir Shah
When Caleb comes to grips with the death of his mother, he begins to have peculiar dreams that depict him being injured in a forest. Upon waking up, however, the scrapes and bruises are present on his body. Over time, Caleb's dreams are consumed by drowning scenes as he tries to reach a woman named Elise. As before, he wakes up and coughs out the water that has filled his lungs, narrowly avoiding death. Caleb now realizes his destiny lies in finding the young woman.
Morrison's Elipsions bears a striking similarity to the critically acclaimed television show, Heroes. Caleb, the dream seer is responsible for bringing the elements of water, fire, earth, and air together in order to avoid chaos during the Age of the Tornados. In heroic fashion, Caleb endures calamities ranging from drowning to having his flesh charred in order to unite the group of powerful strangers.
While Morrison's debut offers a tantalizing plot, vivid imagery, and a smooth flow to the prose, the character sketches parallel the show and indiciate the author's flair for the dramatic. Elise, who possesses the power to conjure water, is plagued by an abusive past, while Derrick's ability to call upon fire is marred by his family's reliance on a drug-peddler named Markus. Aubrey uses her earthly powers to heal; however, her life is in jeopardy because of an obsessive friend turned stalker. With the elements together, the group must protect the elipsions, the source of life that allows human beings to live one hundred years.
Science fiction and adventure fans who relish an entertaining page-turner with memorable characters and astounding plot twists will quickly devour Elipsions and await Morrison's ensuing sequel.