IKONA

Finley Minor has always considered himself a boring sort, aside from the fact that he’s had accurate premonitions of the future since he was a child. He’s mostly learned to ignore them, except for the ones that help him as a market analyst. While undergoing hypnotherapy after being dumped by his long-time girlfriend, he has a vision unlike anything he’s ever experienced; he’s not just seeing the future, he’s in it, inhabiting the body of Wallace Deng Moroz in the year 2131, searching for an artifact (a crucifix called the ikona) that’s supposed to lead everyone to Shambhala. (“If we find it, we can lead humankind to a new world, of perfect health, longevity.”) Finley isn’t the only one searching for the ikona: In Hong Kong, Jia Li wants the artifact to heal her mother, who’s been poisoned; in Atlanta, Kate Davies unwittingly ends up with the crucifix after a client leaves his coat in her home. As the pieces, and people, start coming together, Kate realizes that everything’s tied to an old science fiction novel her mother was obsessed with. Words from her past (from the author himself) start haunting her again: “Don’t forget Shambhala, my dear Katya.” In this time-twisting, centuries-spanning yarn, Dixon delivers an engaging narrative of searching for utopia. Though the story hops around in time, from the 1930s to the present to 2131 and back again, the plot is easy to follow. Each character feels unique, even with the clear connections and similarities between them, making them easy to distinguish despite their shared goals or intentionally obscured pasts. Threads of religion, mysticism, meditation, and past lives are woven throughout the narrative, giving this story a soul-touching, deep vibe. The text contains a link for readers who want to explore the themes and novel further.