Book Review (and a Giveaway!): The Man Who Could Transfuse Time by Dennis E. Hensley

Happy Release Day to Dr. Dennis Hensley & The Man Who Could Transfuse Time! Pick it up for that stunning cover; stay for the intriguing story!

GENRE: Inspirational Speculative Fiction/Science Fiction
PUBLISHER: By the Vine Press
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2018
PAGES: 234

He holds the power to make the young old and the old young again.

One night amid the tremors of death in the intensive care unit, Nurse Peggy Chandlar witnesses an incredible phenomenon that compels her to find out what really happened to Dr. Francis Anderson.

Ian Moore is pursued by those who would exploit his gift for their own selfish and destructive means. Hunted and threatened, he is forced to risk his life as time rapidly slips away. When the use of his powers gives Dr. Anderson new life, his years of hiding may have come to an end.

Haunted by the fear he will die before he can find someone worthy enough to possess the power of the gift, Ian sees only one solution. In a last, desperate attempt, he must risk a plan that will either bless or curse mankind forever.

“Who can know the mind – the science – of God the Creator?”

What if the fountain of youth wasn’t a fountain but a man? A man who has a gift that allows him to take time from one person (or animal) and transfuse it into another? A retired racehorse suddenly race-worthy again. A dying man in his 80s is miraculously 35 and healthy again. What are the implications of such a gift? Of such miracles? In The Man Who Could Transfuse Time, these questions are packaged in a riveting story that kept me turning the pages to see how it would all play out.

Granted, this is not my typical genre to read or review, but I’m slowly finding a collection of speculative fiction that appeals to the ‘magical/supernatural realism’ I love reading about, including The Man Who Could Transfuse Time. And while it’s technically classified as ‘science fiction’, I would file it more specifically as ‘light sci-fi’ or even just ‘speculative’ – no aliens or space ships or accompanying Star Wars sound effects to be found 😀

Instead Hensley speculates on the implications of time transfusion – the physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual aspects of such a miracle – by giving us characters we quickly care about and some intriguing subplots as well. All of it framed with a retro-80s setting (when Mr. Coffee and VCRs and Walkmans were all the rage) that will have you chuckling with nostalgia on more than one occasion.

The writing style is, for the most part, engaging and fast-paced. At times, though, it’s almost too fast-paced and some of the subplots suffer a bit for it. Particularly the mild romance angle that moves at warp speed (quite literally at one point) and, related to that, the ending – which, frankly, lost me on even speculative plausibility. There’s some unnatural narrative-disguised-as-dialogue here and there as well as some head hopping. BUT overall, none of this kept me from being intrigued by the premise of the story and its characters.

Bottom Line: A story full of fascinating possibilities – not so farfetched that they seem unbelievable (with one exception) – and engaging characters. A trip back in time to the age of Walkmans, microwave ovens, and VCRs. A man who can transfuse time for everyone but himself. And another man given a second chance at life. Hensley not only entertains us with The Man Who Could Transfuse Time – he also creates a story that makes us think and imagine and speculate. While some of the writing, particularly in the second half of the novel, could be tighter, overall this is still a very enjoyable read that I’ll be thinking about for days.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

One winner will win:  an autographed paperback of The Man Who Could Transfuse Time, a $25 Amazon gift card, a $10 Starbucks gift card, and The Man Who Could Transfuse Time coffee mug. This giveaway is hosted by By the Vine Press, not RimSP. Please see the rafflecopter for terms, etc.

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What about you? If you could transfuse time – or have it transfused to you – would you use it? What age would you want to be again?