Review of "Travels in Elysium" by William Azuski

The following review is my contribution to a virtual book tour forTravels in Elysium by William Azuski. Opinions are my own.

Literary fiction blends with Plato’s tale of Atlantis is this metaphysical mystery that takes place on an archaeological dig on the island of Santorini. Travels in Elysium is written in an allegory style. Click here if you would like to read an an online excerpt. 

Author: William Azuski
Fiction / Mystery / Thriller
Rated: Very good (****)
Review by: Lisa Haselton

Twenty-two year-old Nicholas Pedrosa gets the job of his lifetime when he receives an apprenticeship with archaeologist Marcus Huxley. Before he can catch his breath and think about the opportunity, he's already on his way to a non-stop adventure filled with all types of surprises...and never enough time.

‘Then chalk it up to experience, Mr Pedrosa. Trust no one. Believe no one. Question everything. Remember, there is nothing here you can take at face value... No — not even yourself.’

Those words are shared more than once in this novel; they are easy to read and digest, yet also easy to ignore. Working an archaeological dig is tangible and real. The myth of Atlantis, is intangible by definition (as myths are); yet this novel gives the reader something new to think about. Consider mythological Atlantis being the mirror image of the real Athens, in all its glory of purple mountains, fields of green, turquoise water, ever-present sunshine, and more. Then imaging that the people of Atlantis were losing "the fairest of their precious gifts" and that is what caused the city to sink to the bottom of the ocean by an angry God. The journey is filled with clues, like any good mystery, and twists and turns that don't stop.

I found Azuski's writing incredibly appealing. I love mysteries and the ocean, and have always been mesmerized by the lost city of Atlantis, so having all of those combined into one finely woven novel was a treat. He captivates the reader by putting us in the character's mind and letting us experience the tale as he does. What's real? What's imagined? Do we ever know if we're fully awake or dreaming? I thought I knew the answers going into the novel, but I really didn't. And still don't. And I like that. This riveting tale based in mythology is educational and entertaining.

William Azuski was born in the United Kingdom, and is of British and Yugoslav descent. Travelling widely through the Mediterranean since childhood, his frequent sojourns in Greece included several months on Santorini in the 1970s, an experience that provided firsthand experience for his exceptional novel Travels in Elysium and its outlandish local setting. Writing as William Miles Johnson, Azuski is also author of the critically‐acclaimed The Rose‐Tinted Menagerie, an Observer Book of the Year (nonfiction), and Making a Killing, an end of the world satire, both titles recently republished by Iridescent.

Travels in Elysium is an exciting read. It is full of sights, sounds, and smells so intriguing that the fictional world feels tangible. I love when a book pulls me in like that and the world around me falls away. When the only motion I make is turning the page (I still prefer paper to e-reader), for long periods of time, that, to me, is the sign of a great read. I enjoyed being swept away on the tide with Nicholas' adventure to Greece and think you will, too.

Available through: Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Title: Travels in Elysium
Author: William Azuski
Publisher: Iridescent Publishing
ISBN: 978-3-9524015-2-1
Pages: 540
Price: $18.90