THE SEVEN MARKETS

Hoffman’s fantasy, sci-fi and time-travel mashup.

Ellie MacReady is 17 years old when she ventures to her first Market—a fantastical bazaar—despite her father’s warning of its potential risks. The Market comes once in a century for only three days. Expecting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Joshua, Ellie is content with her life yet curious about the mysterious, mythical Market. When it arrives, she eagerly enters an enchanting world of marvel and delight where she meets the Prince. He whisks her away from Joshua and her family, marries her and gives her a necklace that supposedly protects her. The necklace, however, really controls her and contributes to her misery. At first, the storytelling is exceptional; the tale begins with so much promise, but it spirals into confusion. The book is divided by each Market instead of by chapters. During the second Market, Ellie loses track of the Prince while she runs an errand, and the Market leaves without her. Thus begins her centuries-long hunt for her master. The main hindrance to the story is the incredible, overwhelming span of time. It begins in 1726 and concludes in 2260. When Ellie discovers that the Prince has married someone else, she seethes with rage. Ellie’s fury toward the Prince drives the majority of the novel, which becomes tiresome. Hoffman throws everything imaginable into his story: magic, cloning, time travel, dragons, weaponry, beastly creatures, futuristic science. The prose shines, but the story is so convoluted that it’s a struggle to appreciate it. Ellie seeks revenge on the Prince and pursues her freedom; however, there are a lot of unanswered questions and too few explanations. Perhaps they will be addressed in the planned sequel. Repeatedly, we learn how special the Market is, but the clutter of characters, creatures and centuries diminishes its impact.

An inventive effort, although too erratic.