Terminal Solstice is a light sci-fi, apocalyptic novel, set in a Canadian city that is not named but appears to be Toronto, begins with Emma. She is a young woman who has been institutionalized to help reshape her attitude and understanding of the strange events during frozen time and provide her with “temporal clarity”. She was mysteriously unaffected by the 2008 frozen time event and does not buy into the prevailing beliefs that have emerged as a result. Many believe that the time freeze events are linked to Lola, an immense interstellar object discovered using high-powered telescopes. Lolaphiles self-identify by hanging pieces of broken mirrors outside their homes. During the first frozen time event, Emma meets Alvaro, the leader of a group of people immune to the power of the time freeze. Alvaro appears to be on a mission to hide his ability from the authorities, and wants Emma to join his faction. Alvaro has a conflict with a conspiracy cult that also has immunity to the time freeze phenomenon. There is a struggle for control of the narrative. Those who are aligned with Alvaro are pitted against the followers of a charismatic leader of a growing number of fanatics who see the disruption of time as an opportunity to further their murkily conceived cause.
“This apocalyptic debut novel is gripping from start to finish.”
Len, a power company technician, has managed to access residential usage data and uses the information to track his ex-wife, Aimie, who left him when the frozen time phenomenon began. He misses Aimie and does not fully understand what has happened to her and why their marriage had to end. He was frozen for the 2008 freeze event but has unknowingly acquired immunity when it recurs in 2015.
Tyler is a fifteen-year-old raised by his single mother after his parents divorced. He is bewildered and alone during the 2015 frozen time event. He wanders familiar places that have become eerie and are occupied by frozen people. Tyler’s father always predicted that something big was on the horizon, and “his preferred topic was doom.” When freeze time happens, everything stops – all life is halted mid-action, regardless of what anyone is doing. Cars stop working, planes fall from the sky. And the entire electrical grid ceases to function. Only a select few people are immune to the effects of frozen time; however, they do not feel hungry or thirsty, and their pain is somewhat muted.
This apocalyptic debut novel is gripping from start to finish. With a modern urban setting, the story is not hindered by extensive world-building. The three points of view characters were well-developed and engaging, and readers will be invested in the outcome of their stories. With compelling and interesting characters and time shifts, the plot moves quickly, keeping the reader engaged and wanting to know what could possibly happen next. Readers of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel will enjoy this book. This was a very entertaining, quick read. I highly recommend it.
About the Author
Sean Minogue has written for film, television, and theatre. His stores, poems, and essays have appeared in Lithub, ARC Poetry Magazine, Maudlin House, Full Stop, THIS Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and elsewhere. Sean’s play Prodigals premiered as a feature film in 2017. Terminal Solstice is his debut novel. He lives in Toronto.
About the Reviewer
Pamela Sinclair is a writer and lifelong reader. She enjoys reading multiple genres, both fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Halifax, NS, with her husband, daughter, and a grumpy grey cat named Ben. Pamela is currently working on her first novel.
Book Details
Publisher : Turnstone Press
Publication date : July 30 2025
Language : English
Print length : 330 pages
ISBN-10 : 0888017952
ISBN-13 : 978-0888017956