A River Called Time by Courttia Newland

A monumental speculative fiction story of love, loyalty, politics, and conscience, set in parallel Londons. Short-listed for the Arthur C. Clarke Award “A dystopian multiverse imagined at thrilling scale . . . Extraordinary . . . The excitement lies largely in its ideas about power and personal responsibility.” ―Times Literary Supplement The Ark was built to save the lives of the many, but rapidly became a refuge for the elite, the entrance closed without warning. Years after the Ark was cut off from the world―a world much like our own, but in which slavery has never existed―a chance of survival within the Ark's confines is granted to a select few who can prove their worth. Among their number is Markriss Denny, whose path to future excellence is marred only by a closely guarded secret: without warning, his spirit leaves his body, allowing him to see and experience a world far beyond his physical limitations. Once inside the Ark, Denny learns of another with the same power, whose existence could spell catastrophe for humanity. He is forced into a desperate race to understand his abilities, and in doing so uncovers the truth about the Ark, himself, and the people he thought he once knew.