Leigh Anne Vrabel - Library Journal
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Hunt (The Seas) delivers a breathtaking novel that is both difficult to classify and impossible to ignore. The year is 1943, and famed inventor Nikola Tesla lives quietly in a New York hotel with his memories and his pigeons. However, when an inquisitive chambermaid discovers Tesla's personal papers, she and Tesla form an unlikely bond with far-reaching consequences. The narrative, which relies heavily on interior monolog, alternates between Tesla's personal history and the secret longings of others who were strongly influenced by the great man's inventions. Hunt's deft blend of sf elements and romantic subplots may remind readers of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, while her prose style and attention to historical detail are on a par with Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Hunt's greatest triumph, however, lies in her depiction of Tesla, who wavers between genius and madness with carefully controlled charm. Peppered with literary quotations, historical figures, and subtle eroticism, this book will please readers who enjoy experimentation and uncertainty in both their fiction choices and their worldview. Recommended for medium to large fiction collections.