|  First edition | |
| Author | Alan Dean Foster | 
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Kevin Johnson | 
| Country | United States | 
| Language | English | 
| Genre | Fantasy | 
| Publisher | Phantasia | 
| Publication date | 1986 | 
| Media type | Print (hardback) | 
| ISBN | 0-932096-43-3 | 
| OCLC | 15079703 | 
| Preceded by | The Paths of the Perambulator | 
| Followed by | Son of Spellsinger | 
Time of the Transference (1986) is a fantasy novel by American writer Alan Dean Foster. The book follows the continuing adventures of Jonathan Thomas Meriweather who is transported from our world into a land of talking animals and magic. It is the sixth book in the Spellsinger series.
Plot introduction
Nothing is forever in the magical world Jon-Tom has found himself trapped in and as such the duar he uses to create his music-based magic breaks after a battle to save Clothahump from a group of house burglars. He does this by accidentally stepping on a fallen left behind battle axe, cutting himself, and falling back onto the duar and breaking it.
The need to find an expert capable of repairing the rare instrument sets Jon-Tom off on another adventure where he and his friend the otter Mudge search for a repair shop for his instrument, along the way they encounter pirates, cannibals, talkative porpoises, a flying horse who is scared of heights and a beautiful female otter, Weegee, who becomes the target of Mudge’s amorous intentions.
On the way, Jon-Tom accidentally finds a way back to Earth - to Texas, to be exact - and some of the anthropomorphic animals of his new world, including some very nasty characters, cross over as well. After some unpleasant experiences with American criminals and police, Jon-Tom takes the unequivocal decision to go back to what he realizes is now his true home.
External links
- The Time of the Transference title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Alan Dean Foster homepage