The Winding is the first installment of the Time Corrector Series by Avi Datta. Vincent Abijian, an extraordinary scientist and art and music enthusiast, finds himself plagued by the memories of his childhood friend, Akane Egami. Akane got lost in a random time turbulence of this reality in the year 1991 when Vincent was just eight years old. Now, a successful scientist working on behalf of AI technology in 2024, Vincent's life turns upside down when a talented scientist named Emika Amari crosses his path. He quickly sees her resemblance to Akane and suspects her to be a part of her life. Meanwhile, his mentor Philip Nardin introduces Vincent to secrets of the universe that will have lasting consequences on everything. But a sinister political conspiracy hampers Vincent's path to the truth.

With an intricate plot and some creative concepts incorporated seamlessly into the narrative, author Avi Datta weaves an engaging sci-fi tale that is bound to woo readers who love stories based on time travel and alternate realities. Despite the slow-burn storytelling, The Winding captures you from the first page and keeps you hooked until the end. This feels like a solid start to what seems to be a promising sci-fi series. Vincent is the most fleshed-out character, and his storyline makes you root for him all the way to the end. The narrative switches between the early 90s and 2024, and you find yourself glued to the pages as the reveals keep churning out with each turn of the page. Recommended to sci-fi lovers.

The Winding (Time Corrector Series Book 1) by Avi Datta is the story of a man called Vincent who has the ability to glimpse his future in his dreams. The story begins with Vincent seeing his partner, Emika, leaving him. Then he appears to jump ahead in time by three months where his childhood friend, Akane, comes to his door, telling him that she has escaped the time turbulence and she and Emika are no longer sharing a body. Vincent awakens before these events have happened. The story does jump around, going to the past to show Vincent and Akane together in school, the events that happened to them, and his life as an adult. His whole world changed when he faced a time turbulence, but now he may have to create a new one.

Avi Datta has written an interesting story with The Winding (Time Corrector Series Book 1). I have to admit, I was a little confused at first as to what was going on, but the more you read, the clearer it becomes. Vincent faces an unusual situation, and he has a difficult choice to make, but he does his best to do the right thing. There are a lot of different sci-fi elements involved in this story - time travel, artificial intelligence - and I think science fiction fans would enjoy this. It moves at a good pace and you get a look at Vincent's whole life and how he has dealt with his 'gift'. If you want a book that makes you think and is entertaining, then I would recommend The Winding.

The Winding: Time Corrector Series Book 1 by Avi Datta is essentially a book about love and the incredible power it can wield over time. Time not just as we know it, but time that is painted in all its glory from the very beginning until the end, turning back on itself until the circle is complete. Two players will become paramount in this mission to unravel the convoluted threads of this story: Professor Vince Abajian and Philip Nardin. The catalyst for this adventure occurs in November 1991, when nine-year-old Akane Egami disappears in mysterious circumstances and leaves an indelible mark on Vince’s soul. This is the story of Vince’s life and his stellar career, rising to the absolute top of the tree, as he carries what will be revealed as his ultimate destiny and primary mission in life; the machinations of time itself and the rediscovery of true love.

Avi Datta has woven, in The Winding: Time Corrector Series Book 1, a complex tapestry of possibilities surrounding the concepts of time and multiple existences, which may come across to some as a little daunting in some respects, given the paradoxes these theories can create. The true strength of this story, however, lies in the human drama that is brought to life in rich relief. All the characters are not only unique but also have a depth of personality that makes them extremely powerful magnets to the reader’s emotions. The relationships built on these are quite true to life, and probably reflect experiences from everyone’s past; Emika’s rapid transitions through relationships are a prime example of this. This is definitely a science fiction story that will provoke not only questions about reality, but also about the things we carry through life, and how these things can impact our destiny.

The first book in the Time Corrector Series, The Winding is a science fiction tale that digs into friendship, loss, power, and greed. Avi Datta introduces readers to Vincent Abajian, a morally complex orphan who is also an absolute genius. Vincent gets involved in the dangerous world of politics and conspiracy in his desire to find his childhood friend, Akane Egami, who got trapped in a time turbulence. Vincent has become so obsessed with his work that he spends most of his time in his AI facility. Along comes Emika Amari, a beautiful and clever post-doctoral scientist who joins his center. Vincent believes that Akane resides within Emika and that she has to free Akane. Vincent finds himself in a dangerous predicament when he meets Philip Nardin, a time-turbulence survivor whose hidden power sets Vincent to create a time-turbulence to bring Akane back.

Avi Datta has a unique take on alternate realities. He keeps a well-tempered jargon to sustain believability in a highly speculative topic, and it works because he complements it with good pacing and tight plotting. His characters spring to life because his narrative includes their preoccupations and what motivates them to do what they do. Intricate but not confusing, Datta’s grasp of time turbulence is a well-researched aspect of the story that conjures up the plausibility of time travel in a future that we may not live to see. This is the kind of sci-fi story that like-minded readers will talk about in their circles for its intelligent plotting, stunning imagery, and larger-than-life characters. And for that, The Winding is an absolute must-read.