Leif Erickson was born and raised on a grain farm outside Wheaton, MN, not far from White Rock, SD, which served as the inspiration for the Ghost Town series. From a very early age, Leif knew that he was going to be a farmer, just like his father and grandfather. Being an ecologist and former farmer, much of Leif’s writings feature forests, lakes, and nature in general. Leif has always been interested in science and its possibilities for the human race, pushing the envelope of technologies, and finding how far humans can go. Much of Leif’s science fiction writing explores these themes and ideas. His latest book “Dimensions: First Jump” finds Matt Levier crossing dimensions to rescue his sister Libby and ends up in the middle of an interdimensional war for power and control. It is available on Amazon and Book Selfie in audiobook and ebook format. 

“Dimensions: First Jump” – The story begins in the middle of a battle, where air sirens are going off and people are running for their lives. We meet the characters that Matt will eventually meet and how they fit into this ongoing battle for control. Chapter 2 introduces readers to Matt Levier, who always took the safe path. After his parents died in a strange accident, he stayed behind to look over his younger sister Libby, putting his college and work plans on hold. Then his sister is murdered under bizarre circumstances and on the night of her funeral, he receives a cryptic phone call at 3a.m. telling him that Libby is alive in another realm and there is a small chance that she can be saved. Matt agrees to meet with the caller, a man named Seth, who is a member of a mysterious group known as the Knights of Shiloh. Seth tells him a story of an interdimensional war that is threatening to rip the very fabric of the universe apart. A group, known as The Syndicate, led by a ruthless dictator has been amassing power and taking over dimensions by brute force, subjugating those they conquer. The only force, other than the Knights, attempting to oppose The Syndicate is the Goths, a shadow group not out for power but to destroy the Syndicate and Earth. Caught between the Syndicate and the Goths, Matt must train in the ancient knowledge of the Knights of Shiloh and help them stop the madness before all dimensions are enslaved by the Syndicate. As Matt uncovers his powers, Syndicate and Goths Forces close in on them. During this battle, Matt discovers secrets and lies and learns that he holds the keys to the salvation of all dimensions.

Time travel and parallel dimensions/universes make exciting storylines for science fiction fans. Having the characters jump from one dimension to another, sometimes at just the right moment, is one of the most thrilling elements of this story. The first time Matt defies gravity: “The pair felt gravity give way beneath them before Matt felt his feet on the ground” hints at similar scenes where they jump dimensions or teleport out. He is reluctant to get involved in this interdimensional struggle, he just wants to find out what happened to Libby. She is captured, but we are never told exactly why she was taken and she does not appear until the end. Her story is not really told, so it is hard to care what happens to her. The story is heavily dialogue driven, fast paced, and the language is easy to understand and poetic at times: “A silver-coin moon illuminated the area as countless stars twinkled like diamonds in the sky.” There are so many characters that sometimes it is hard to keep up with all the names and they tend to be one dimensional. Highlights include the intense battle scenes in Chapter 1 that begins with “The whine of an air-raid siren overpowered the sharp yelling on the ground” and Chapter 17 when Sapphira gets stabbed by Miso but Matt goes back in time to prevent her stabbing and helps her but then passes out from the effort. The title and the cliffhanger of an ending imply that this will be a series so hopefully we will find out why Libby is so important to the story. Overall, “Dimensions: First Jump” is a thrilling science fiction novel that plays with the concept of multiple dimensions where wars are fought for revenge, greed, and power, and includes enough plot twists to keep readers guessing. It is recommended for fans of time travel and science fiction adventures similar to Star Trek, the Matrix universe, and the 2008 movie Jumper.

“Bravery isn’t simply doing the hard thing, bravery is standing up in the face of fear and moving on anyway. It’s telling your fear you are the master of your fate, not your fear. Fear can only hurt you as long as you allow it to.”

*The author was contacted for an honest review of this book. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.