Christopher Corbett’s The Adventures of Mrs. Hats: The Mayan Headdress is a fast-paced, time-bending sci-fi adventure full of emotion, action, and philosophical weight. The story follows Martha Bullock, a fierce and seasoned time traveler, as she hunts her estranged former partner, Richard Akridge, across history, prehistory, and dimensions within a multiverse known as the Voidspan. Along the way, she navigates personal grief, old friendships turned sour, and the moral dilemmas that come with playing god with time. The book weaves together cosmic science fiction with deeply human moments, setting the stage for a story that’s as emotionally charged as it is high-concept.

I found Corbett’s writing style both chaotic and charming. There’s an energy in the way the dialogue slingshots between cutting sarcasm and heartfelt confession. Martha is a powerhouse of a character. She’s wounded, proud, endlessly tired, but still burning with fire. Her dynamic with Richard, which drips with resentment and pain, gave the story emotional heft, especially in the quieter moments when the consequences of time travel catch up with them. I also appreciated how Corbett balanced worldbuilding with character development. The mechanics of time travel and the Voidspan are rich without being dry or overly technical, and the “rules” feel flexible in a way that matches the emotional tone rather than constraining it.

The sheer volume of action, warps, duels, and jumps through centuries sometimes left me dizzy. There are moments where the prose gets tangled, and I found myself rereading passages to reorient. But even when the pacing slows, the emotional core of the story never does. The hurt between the characters felt real. I was particularly moved by Martha’s quiet grief for Riko and the way her past clings to her like old battle scars. Even the antagonist, Richard, had layers. He’s not just a villain, he’s a man obsessed with saving a friend in his own warped way. I found myself rooting for and against him at the same time.

I’d recommend The Adventures of Mrs. Hats: The Mayan Headdress to readers who love character-driven science fiction with wild plots and deep themes. If you’re into time travel stories that are as much about healing old wounds as they are about jumping between centuries, this one will hit home. For fans of Doctor Who, The Time Traveler’s Wife, or even The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there’s something here that will spark the imagination and tug at the soul.

Pages: 246