Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Triptych

by J.M. Frey (Goodreads Author)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 93 ratings · 36 reviews

IN THE NEAR FUTURE, humankind has mastered the arts of peace, tolerance, and acceptance. At least, that's what we claim. "You know..." she said slowly, so softly that Evvie almost didn't hear it. "You know those movies where the aliens come to Earth, and they... I dunno, they try to steal our natural resources, or create a nuclear winter so they can turn the Earth into sla...more

Paperback, 286 pages

Published April 9th 2011 by Dragon Moon Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

New Speculative Fiction Stars

117th out of 433 books — 1,256 voters

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Best Time Travel Fiction

201st out of 679 books — 2,203 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 295)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 02, 2013 Alanna King rated it 5 of 5 stars

Triptych's exploration of heteronormativity touched me in places that I didn't even know existed. The characters and their relationships make the sci fi problems Frey creates, very real and very relevant to the human reader. It is a very brave first novel, and I found it surprisingly accessible for something that I consider outside of my genre. I will definitely pick up J.M. Frey's next novel.

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2012 ilike merey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, sex-in-the-fourth-dimension

I was quite torn about what rating to give this book. I tentatively settle on four stars, because the parts I liked, I really really loved.

I won't give a synopsis--many others have done that already. I will reiterate that the character of Kalp made this book for me--the parts written from his perspective (3rd person, but over his shoulder) were, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, in terms of pacing, interest and writing. The voice was so strong and clear and for those parts, I would giv...more I was quite torn about what rating to give this book. I tentatively settle on four stars, because the parts I liked, I really really loved.

I won't give a synopsis--many others have done that already. I will reiterate that the character of Kalp made this book for me--the parts written from his perspective (3rd person, but over his shoulder) were, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, in terms of pacing, interest and writing. The voice was so strong and clear and for those parts, I would give it six stars, if I could <3

Unfortunately, the parts not written from Kalp's view left something to be desired... I was not too attached to either Basil or Gwen (though even that could have been all right, as this was, to me, a story about falling in love with the ordinary through extraordinary circumstances.) But I got confused by too much technobabble (I was completely lost on the whole subject of Flashers and other than understanding that they are a time-travel mechanism, found myself skimming through all parts dealing with them... which towards the end especially, were quite numerous....)... and I was also disappointed by the rather cardboard snarling and snapping villain at the end (Frey says something to the effect of '{--} cocked their head like a Hollywood villain', and I found this to be a rather cheeky little sentence, as the character and situation was, I feel, not too subtly executed.

STILL, four stars it is because I think the good parts (which comprise the bulk and middle of the book) were wonderful and offered a really touching view on the meaning of family and love. [Also, because my dislike of technical detail in sci-fi is personal and perhaps not as off-putting to other readers.)

One thing I would have really liked [and would have definitely recommended, if I was the editor of this novel] is a different structure to reinforce the 'Triptych' theme AND bring me closer to Basil and Gwen too (not just Kalp): Three clear sections, each following the respective character for that section... (As it was now, the novel seemed to me like a novella about Kalp with other information coming before and after it... Some passages did follow Basil or Gwen, but to me, they were not as clear in voice...)

But anyway.

For all my beefs, there were definitely flashes of brilliance and all together, the message was uplifting. This book left me feeling good. I recommend it to someone looking for something sci fi but a little different and look forward to more Frey in the future ^_^

(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2011 Andy Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, science-fiction, signed, time-travel

Author J.M. Frey successfully creates a complex world in Triptych, where a lot of larger events unfold around her characters, yet always makes the story feel personal and intimate. Gwen, Basil and Kalp get caught up in a plot of intrigue as various memebers of the institute are targeted and a wedge is slowly driven between the more tolerant humans and their alien guests. Frey pulls no punches in her depiction of the humanity of Gwen and Basil as they come to accept Kalp, including some very grap...more

13 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2012 Chris Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

J.M. Frey got some great reviews for this novel, and after reading it I can see why. She really pulls no punches. This is not a fluffy YA SF story. I won't spoil anything for you, but man, you better be ready for some grit.

She also pulls of a very unique point of view twist that I enjoyed very much. The title says it all. The primary story tellers shift from section to section, giving fresh and different perspectives of some of the same events. This is the kind of thing I like a lot, but that is...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi, lightning-print, homer-espresso-book-machine, aliens, scifi-fantasy-female-author

Quirky good fun, with a wee bit of a mystery and time travel. What's not to like? Also, here at University Book Store you can have the book printed while you wait!

1 like · like · see review

May 14, 2011 Karen Dales rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a wonderful debut novel by J.M. Frey. For a science fiction novel it really deals with new issues that I haven't found often in the genre. They way J.M. weaves her story is sometimes confusing but it all makes wonderful sense in the end.

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Corrina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read my full review at wadingthroughbooks.wordpress.com!

The first time that I saw J.M. Frey after reading Triptych, I told her “I hate you a little for killing my favourite character. But thank you for not bringing him back.” I think that’s still the best review I can give this book. It’s always a bit of a cop-out for time travel stories to kill someone and bring them back at the end just to pull the emotional strings. Frey doesn’t use that trick. Instead, Kalp dies at the start of the book. The...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 David rated it 2 of 5 stars

I hurriedly picked this off the library shelf, considering pretty much any new author a possible treat. I must say that I was quite surprised by what I got.

The framing devices of this story include an alien species who arrive fleeing (undeserved, of course) planetary disaster, and time travel. However, even though those are both hoary SF chestnuts, this isn't really a science fiction book: it's a romance novel. The overwhelming majority of the book is a romance between a human couple and one of...more I hurriedly picked this off the library shelf, considering pretty much any new author a possible treat. I must say that I was quite surprised by what I got.

The framing devices of this story include an alien species who arrive fleeing (undeserved, of course) planetary disaster, and time travel. However, even though those are both hoary SF chestnuts, this isn't really a science fiction book: it's a romance novel. The overwhelming majority of the book is a romance between a human couple and one of the aliens (whose regular family units [aglunates] are trios rather than duos), and most of the romance boils down to either sex or pre-sexual discussions.

The writing is engaging enough, and the author structures the story in a way such that the most predictable plot elements are held in reserve. The aliens and the time travel apparatus are effectively macguffins - props on which the author can paint her thoughts and make plot points. I thought the physicality of the aliens was particularly underdeveloped- I still don't have a clear picture of what Kalp actually looks like, and I've read dozens (maybe 100? It felt like a lot) of pages describing him having sex. I suspect this underdevelopment is precisely intentional: that Frey wanted to talk about family structure and this was a means to that end. The problem here is that she got to the triad structure, and made about a three sentence advocacy for it, but then didn't take the idea much further; as Larry Niven says, anyone can predict the car, but good SF predicts the traffic jam. I didn't see much traffic jam prediction here.
The plot resolution is a bit "neat," but is serviceable. The place where it falls down the most is the resolution of the time travel apparatus.

I'd consider reading a future work by Frey, but she would benefit from doing more work on the blocking and tackling of SF storytelling- the world-building which underlies all of the best SF - and on expanding the range of ideas past the realm of new and different sexual partners.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 06, 2011 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, queer, alien-characters

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This doesn't happen often, but I'm very conflicted as to how I feel about this book.

On one hand, there's the time travel plot, the business with Gwen's mother and the farm at the start, and the elite commando action stuff near the end — all of which failed to enthuse me. The prose during these sections was less than polished, to my mind. For these alone I would give the book 3 stars.

But then there's Kalp. Roughly half the novel (from 27% in, to 76% in, going by my Kindle's progress bar) was from...more This doesn't happen often, but I'm very conflicted as to how I feel about this book.

On one hand, there's the time travel plot, the business with Gwen's mother and the farm at the start, and the elite commando action stuff near the end — all of which failed to enthuse me. The prose during these sections was less than polished, to my mind. For these alone I would give the book 3 stars.

But then there's Kalp. Roughly half the novel (from 27% in, to 76% in, going by my Kindle's progress bar) was from the perspective of this marvellous alien (NB: I'm racking my brain, and I don't think the name of his species is ever mentioned). Kalp is such an amazing character, one for whom I came to feel very fondly. The relationship he builds with Basil and Gwen is touching and surprising: you don't often read about queer, polyamorous, interspecies love in fiction.

I loved every moment of this middle section of the book — that is, up until things started to go bad for the characters. I was genuinely saddened by the events that transpired; I almost felt betrayed (whether by the character responsible, or by the author herself). After that (IE: from 77% onwards) I was a bit disappointed, feeling that the book was just going through the motions of tying up the time travel plot. The story just felt like it had been robbed of its most interesting element.

I think Kalp's story would work far better as a standalone novella, with no time travel at all, and with the happy ending that he deserves. Such a story would earn 5 stars from me. But, sadly (for me — I know, how selfish of me), that's not the story the author intended to tell. I'll have to just amend my memory with a happy ending for Kalp, Basil and Gwen when I think back to this book.

Thus, my conflicted response. Basically, I feel this is, in one half, a 3 star story about time travel with unpolished prose, and in the other half, a 5 star story of a refugee alien (with much better prose in that section, too). Unfortunately the two stories are linked by means of a tragic end for a character I loved. Anyway, to this book I dole out 4 shiny stars, mainly because I can't see myself ever forgetting Kalp.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2011 Leah Petersen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, dragon-moon-press

I'm not sure what I expected when I came to this book, but it surprised me at every turn, which is amazing for a book that starts with the end first.

From the luscious prose of literary fiction in what could easily have been stock sci-fi, the skillful use of cliches and pop-culture references for a geek-dream-come-true, the heart-wrenchingly true characters and complex relationships, to the use of time travel to NOT pull all the cinema-stunts you expect when you hear "time-travel," the book was...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Marjorie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I could go on and on about the excruciatingly over-wrought grief scenes or the completely unfunny and beating a dead Delorian references to Back to the Future or the truly appalling way that the final section first narrates actions and then has the characters explain those actions (For god's sake, we can infer) or the mind-numbing repetition of "innit" or the mechanical prose...but I won't.

This book has indeed been heralded by a few sites--Publisher's Weekly among them, as noted by another revie...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Gerri Leen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned-mid-read

This book was on a freaking "best of" list--I think Publisher's Weekly. Why, I do not know. I did not get far into this. The writing kicked me out. From the annoying parenthetical adds (going for literary flair?? It didn't work), to the overuse of exclamation points, to the sloppy omniscient when other parts were solidly third person, to one of the main character showing no trace of being English to suddenly talking like Spike from Buffy in the next chapter (consistency much?), to the colloquial...more

like · see review

Sep 14, 2011 Kadin Seton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wonderfully written science fiction novel about tolerance, acceptance, bigotry, betrayal and most of all, love. I greatly enjoyed the author’s departure from typical science fiction. At times heartbreaking, this book clearly demonstrates the best and worst of human nature. I was particularly moved by the displaced alien, Kalp, who desperately struggles to find his place in our society. For me, the story came to life during the descriptions of Kalp’s troubles, pain and triumphs.
I highly recommen...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not since Ursula LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness have I read such a good exploration of sexuality in a science fiction novel. Gives "marriage" a whole new meaning. Two humans and an alien form a committed triad. Hard to put down!

There's a gap in the middle of the story, though. Weirdly, though it's written by a woman, the female protagonist is the one character I can't sympathize with. It's as though she's sketched but not drawn.

Still, I enjoyed this story, was amused, turned on, heartbroken....more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Andria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three stars for a split-opinion. Triptych has an engaging premise and characters. The section written in the memorable Kalp's point of view was fun in parts, grippingly tragic in others. It was my favorite section of the novel.

Some elements were less successful, like the action/combat towards the end. I was also very distracted by the parenthetical asides in the earlier sections and was glad they seemed to filter out as the novel progressed.

All in all, a quirky and fun sci fi read, made more o...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 15, 2012 Deborah Ross rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would never have discovered Triptych, by J.M. Frey, had I not first met the editor, Gabrielle Harbowy. We were talking about stories that challenge conventional notions not only of sexuality but of family, and she mentioned this debut novel by Canadian J.M. Frey. The cover reveals nothing of the story within -- part queer love story, part alien first encounter story, part time travel adventure, part mystery, part exploration of polyamory, all laced with skillfully woven dramatic tension and a...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Aliens in science fiction are a tricky business; they're often little more than metaphors for specific aspects of human society, like the Klingons in Star Trek, or they're a faceless menace with no goal other than destruction and domination, like Wells' Martians or Card's insect horde. Rarely are extraterrestrials given a full, rounded culture and a motivation equal to that of the human characters.

With Triptych, JM Frey has created a work that fully acknowledges the culture of science fiction th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Nosocialize rated it 3 of 5 stars

With pictures and to see this review in the "dueling review" format go here: http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/...

This review fights Leviathan Wakes.

Triptych is an opera, but not a space opera, a soap opera. It’s your typical love triangle between man, woman and alien. Oh wait, that’s never been done, especially like this. From Wikipedia, a triptych is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into three sections. In the case of Frey’s Triptych the 3 are three beings made one...more With pictures and to see this review in the "dueling review" format go here: http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/...

This review fights Leviathan Wakes.

Triptych is an opera, but not a space opera, a soap opera. It’s your typical love triangle between man, woman and alien. Oh wait, that’s never been done, especially like this. From Wikipedia, a triptych is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into three sections. In the case of Frey’s Triptych the 3 are three beings made one, a love that goes three ways equally. You see in the alien’s culture a relationship between 3 is the norm and the equal to what we think of as marriage. It’s never been done between human and alien, and that at it’s core is why this book is so interesting and enjoyable.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s the not too distant future, aliens have come to our planet after their own was destroyed. Refugees from a far off land, humans have set up institutions simply to understand and break down the alien technology. The worls is very much what it is today. The book balances issues of racism and bigotry as Gwen, Basil and Kalp are targeted to be assassinated for being married. Kalp is an alien who feels lost and disconnected from human culture, and as the plot unfolds a wedge is slowly driven between the more tolerant humans and their alien guests.

Frey does the most sensible thing with these characters and allows each to have a third of book inside their heads. The book is broken down into three sections: back, middle and after. Probably the most interesting is Kalps section, as we see how difficult it can be to be an alien refugee. This book deals with advanced technology, but the real science fiction is observing the world through an aliens eyes. Much of the book focuses on the domestic life between the three characters. It makes it hard though, when Kalp needs to slowly learn human behavior. For instance, humans convey emotions through facial expressions, whereas the aliens are touch and sound sensory. At one point Kalp thinks,

“So many little nuances, inflections and expressions that he’s had to memorize, had to learn to mold his facial muscles and mouth around. Humans spoke all over the register, high voices for excitement, loud for anger, but sometimes loud was for excitement as well. They were so similar, so many inflections were so alike that it took careful parsing of the expression to even begin to understand.”

Frey consistently flips things on their head and makes them surprising and interesting, this coming from a book that starts near its end. The book actually opens in the past but after the characters have met. Later the book goes back in the stories timeline, but into the future. Time travel is a big part of this book, but it isn’t handled in a heavy handed way. Frey explains it more of a happy accident the humans discovered by using alien technology. The characters feel genuine after zapping back in time to 1970, mostly because it’s as new to them as it is the reader. After explaining to Gwen’s parents where they are from, and that they have to protect the time continuum Gwen’s mother says,

“And you’re...you can’t get back to the future?” Evvie asked, trying to clarify, to quantify, to (accept) to understand. Gwen and Basicl Snorted and giggled again...Mark narrowed his eyes, “What’s so funny?”
“The...’Back to the Future,’” Gwen began, then stopped, gasping in a breath and floating it out in a chuckle. “Never mind. Classified. Sort of.”

It also helps how grounded and real these characters come across. Of course once married and Kalp, Basil, and Gwen end up having sex, it’s an awkward and strange turn of events. Frey attempts to make an alien threesome sound totally natural, but at times I couldn’t help but think it’s a little gross.

“...before somehow Basil’s hands are on Kalp’s buttons and Kalp’s tongue is back in Gwen’s mouth and Gwen’s fingers are on Basil’s fly. There is a moment when Basil has to stop to stare at Kalp’s naked body, to investigate and touch Kalp’s genitalia. “

It gets much more graphic from there, poking, prodding and discovering. These moments are short, and really not the point though. The point is the emotionally bond between the three. It’s all very interesting to read, as if you’re a voyeur fascinated with the subject but know it’s a little wrong to keep looking. You feel a little dirty, but it only brings the readers in deeper and makes the book feel that much more real. It’s proof that Frey can write when a scene can makes the reader uncomfortable this much. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2013 Wendy B rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

The worst part about Triptych is falling in love with Kalp, just as the humans, Gwen and Basil do, all the while knowing that he dies. No, that’s not a spoiler. His murder occurs right in the first few pages of the book and I was impressed by the way Frey’s clipped and intense descriptions conveyed Gwen and Basil’s emotional turmoil.

Unfortunately, the next chapter was a bit problematic with Basil seeming to suddenly develop a British accent and affectations, too much focus on the inside jokes th...more The worst part about Triptych is falling in love with Kalp, just as the humans, Gwen and Basil do, all the while knowing that he dies. No, that’s not a spoiler. His murder occurs right in the first few pages of the book and I was impressed by the way Frey’s clipped and intense descriptions conveyed Gwen and Basil’s emotional turmoil.

Unfortunately, the next chapter was a bit problematic with Basil seeming to suddenly develop a British accent and affectations, too much focus on the inside jokes that result when people from the future visit the past, and far too much time spent with the use of parentheses mid-sentence to redundantly point out the actual (obvious) intent and emotion of a particular character’s thoughts. Fortunately, while annoying, I could get used to Basil’s poor British representation as time passed, and the parenthesized thoughts were confined to that one section.

The next section introduces Kalp and is the highlight of the book. The few remaining aliens of Kalp’s world who escaped its destruction have arrived on earth, welcomed by the Institute (formed by the UN or such) with integration as the goal. Kalp is teamed with Gwen and the brilliant science-type, Basil. I enjoyed reading about Kalp’s awkwardness and seeing humans and humanity through his eyes. Frey did an excellent job with this and with the creation of this alien race and their physiology and customs. This part of the book clearly defines it as a bittersweet love story.

There is some tension created in the knowledge that triptych is fated to fall apart and the knowledge that perhaps it could be saved with some convenient time travelling, but I felt the conclusion of the book fell a bit flat. As expected with alien encounter stories, fear and prejudice is a prominent theme, but I did not enjoy the dastardly plan revealed at the end in a rather clumsy series of “action” sequences and a villain who was rather two dimensional.

Overall, not a bad book and certainly very impressive for a first novel.(less)

like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sci-fi at its best. Maybe I was just at the right point emotionally to really connect with this work, but Frey does an incredible job of putting a fresh spin on first contact. Her writing is sharp, funny, and well-paced. Characters all seem so real, fleshed out, with understandable motivations and things you dislike about them, as well. If I had to pick one thing that makes the book outstanding, it's how Frey writes relationships between people -- her approach is no-nonsense and very true to lif...more

like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Sven Davison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Locquacious, daring, and socially relevant; J.M. Frey's "Triptych" is not afraid to push the boundaries that define love and relationships. " Tryptich," is the story of three lovers told from each person's point of view. The protagonists are a British man named Basil, an American woman named Gwen, and a tall blue-furred, bat-eared alien named Kalp. The two humans are scientists who work for a government body known as The Institute. Kalp is one of a few survivors who came to earth searching for s...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Sally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bisexual, alternate-gender

I love science fiction books best when they do something a little outside the norm . . . when they push boundaries . . . and when they make you stop and think. While I do enjoy some mindless carnage on the big screen, it simply doesn’t work for me on the page. Mind you, what I like on the page doesn’t necessarily translate well to the screen, but I have a pretty solid production crew inside my head.

Anyway, Triptych is a book that I’m delighted to say falls comfortably outside the norm, pushes se...more I love science fiction books best when they do something a little outside the norm . . . when they push boundaries . . . and when they make you stop and think. While I do enjoy some mindless carnage on the big screen, it simply doesn’t work for me on the page. Mind you, what I like on the page doesn’t necessarily translate well to the screen, but I have a pretty solid production crew inside my head.

Anyway, Triptych is a book that I’m delighted to say falls comfortably outside the norm, pushes sexual/racial/gender boundaries, and leaves you quite delighted to stop and think.

Take one heterosexual human couple. Introduce an oddly gendered alien into the mix. Then watch a family emerge, only to be confronted by the worst of both societies. As a story of first contact and social justice, this reminds me of the old TV series Alien Nation. It has that same conscience . . . . that same sense of something significant taking place on a personal and intimate level, even if it is approached in a very different manner.

Given Gwen and Basil’s role within the grand scheme of first contact, I was afraid we’d be left with a lot of technical asides and scientific musings to explore the aliens. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of being cold and clinical, the approach here is warm and human. I won’t spoil any of what happens between them, but I will say I shed tears of joy and tears of sorrow for this unusual family, and that’s an accomplishment few authors can claim.

Not only is this a wonderful story, but it’s a wonderfully told story. Initially, I had my doubts as to how well it would work – not because of any failing on the part of the author, but simply because there were so many ways it could have gone wrong. Fortunately, the pop-culture references are used wisely; the aliens are neither almost-human nor completely-monstrous (but something interesting in between); the core relationship is loving and tender, presented as something natural (rather than erotic or taboo); and there’s no sign of the usual time travel clichés.

More importantly, beneath all the action and the drama, there are some big questions asked within the novel – the answers to which we’re guided, but have to realise for ourselves. That’s what makes a good science fiction novel memorable, and Triptych certainly is that.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2012 Ruthanne Reid rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book wasn't at all what I expected. The transition from tentative love and blinders-on joy to grief and eventual catharsis is powerful, and makes its point by simply telling the story, never by preaching.

The humans in this story are so very human in all their potential goodness and fear-fired hate. Kalp is a wonderful character, worth reading the book for all by himself.

Altogether, this is a solidly good debut. Just be sure to have a lot of tissues on hand.

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Phred Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

How can a novel that includes time travel and aliens not seem like science fiction?

I liked that each chapter was written from each character’s POV, thot the mourning was dwelled on a bit much and lasted too long.

One point of confusion was that Basil’s flash detector detected flashes that were happening NOW but three weeks from when they returned from the past is when the ship actually left AND why did that person need a ship when Basil and Gwen did not...

Otherwise, highly enjoyable; I look for...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Todd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Back in April 2011, I wrote:

I finished Triptych in one go last night, couldn't put it down even. It's a very impressive first novel and if Ms. Frey continues to do with science fiction what she's done in this book she might single-handedly be credited with reviving the entire genre. Bravo! Encore, encore!

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Wendy Palmer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, ebook

Persevered because this was listed as one of the top 10 sf books of 2011 by Publisher's Weekly, but it was not my style at all. I found it poorly paced with a dull focus on the minutia of domestic live that made it hard to maintain interest despite the unusual story line and time travel plot.

like · see review

Jun 28, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

This is an interesting take on the perils of mixing or trying to blend multi life forms for the sake of the greater good. The story enfolds using multiple view points, first the humans and then the alien and the focus is on the perils and rewards of blending totally different behavors. This may sound boring but it is not. It left me with a lot to thing about. I have to say that I thought of Embassytown while reading this. When I got done with Embasstown, I was not sure of anything except that I...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 29, 2011 Tanya Patrice rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had a hard time getting into this book at first - something about the jerky transitions at the beginning - but once Kalp starts telling his story - I was hooked until the end; so I ended up really liking the story.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Stolina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Too many "innits" from a tea-drinking Brit. Sorry, but no. Dear writer: please consult this. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...

1 like · like · see review

Oct 16, 2011 David Littlewood rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

I gave up on this book about 2/3's of the way through. There was an extended treatment of interspecies sex with an alien culture that just seemed like a gimmick rather than an integral part of the book.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (1)

Videos About This Book

J.M. Frey reads from "Triptych" at Glad Day Book Shop

Add a comment

Genres

Science Fiction

8 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

2 users

Glbt > Queer

2 users

Cultural > Canada

2 users

See top shelves...

About J.M. Frey

Trained in musical theatre, and voice acting, Frey is an author, actor, and professional geek. She was an invited panelist on the SPACE Channel's premier chat show InnerSPACE, has appeared in documentaries, lived in Japan, and lent costumes to the Ontario Science Centre. She also has a number of academic credentials, including a BA in Dramatic Literature and an MA in Communications Culture, and ha...more

More about J.M. Frey...

Books by J.M. Frey

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Triptych

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Triptych
avg rating	preview: Triptych Goodreads rating: 3.74 (93 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10795208-triptych?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327357629l/10795208.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10795208-triptych?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Triptych by J.M. Frey[/url]

Triptych

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website