An intricate, multiverse-hopping novel that hides the keys to survival in different timelines and different selves
Multiple timelines. Different identities. One clear goal: Save the worlds from collapsing.
Luckily, Madders (an AI-assistant that’s carrying the history of physicist Matt Hudson) can see through the interweaving timelines and recognize what needs to be done in order to save everyone. Unluckily, the ground shifts so much beneath the characters’ feet that each step brings new levels of danger—both personal and global—and requires new levels of skill.
Lucas, for example, is a sixteen-year-old son who grew up without his twin sister and biological parents. The amount of skill and intelligence that Lucas has to operate with—even if he’s being aided by the supercomputer Madders—is nothing short of impressive. Have you ever traveled through time in order to land on a speeding plane so you can intercept a Hive Controller? Something tells me no. Lucas, with his age and what he’s gone through, is about as easy to root for as you can ask for.
“We lie there for more than a minute, waiting for the universe to admit it’s kidding. It doesn’t.”
But Lucas isn’t only a brilliant, ultra-important teenager in Dome. He’s also the six-year-old son of Isabel and James Nadales in another timeline. He plays the role here in a much quieter domestic storyline following James—who’s actually a protagonist named Diego in other stories—having to lie to Isabel in order to keep her safe. This James-Isabel storyline is a heartbreaker and provides one of the most grounded, intimate narratives in the book. If you’ve been along for the ride in the Madders of Time series so far, you’ll be fascinated by this ethical martial conundrum and hope, for the sake of all of us, that he lets Isabel in on the truth.
Dome is the third book in the Madders of Time series, and while there is hefty summary of the previous books at the beginning of this one, it will be best enjoyed by returning readers who already have their bearings on the interworkings of the science and shifting worldlines.
There may be too many moving parts in the novel to make for a particularly smooth reading experience for some. The jargon comes at us fast, and the timelines shift constantly, never really allowing us to get comfy in the clearly propulsive, sky-high-stakes reality. Even with Madders’ expositional logs at the beginning of each chapter, it’s not always clear whether the actions of a particular scene will have larger plot repercussions or be reversed in time-travel.
While it might feel a bit too confident in its shifty storytelling mode, this confidence also makes for the book’s assured, tactical feel. Dome is filled with enough specific detail to make each sentence a discovery. The characters carry around orange seashells and tiny spacemen—a couple of surprisingly important time-traveling totems—and have small, heartfelt conversations around the family dinner table. Author DL Orton thrives in small, specific moments like these as well as sharp, often-funny dialogue. The conversations always feel natural and real, bringing true life to characters like Lucas, James, and Dr. Sabina Lovelace. Dr. Lovelace’s storyline is a particularly strong one. She always finds herself in abandoned or unauthorized places, and her expertise is highly valued and highly needed, especially as we root harder and harder for Lucas (who needs her help) to succeed.
Dome is a worlds-sweeping time-travel novel with its foot on the gas and its characters in increasingly dangerous situations. Whether any of them do what they need to do in the end, we’ll continue holding our breath for the series’ next installment.
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