Book Review – The Paradox Hotel

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Bob Hart https://robwhart.comis the author of eight novels. The novel The Paradox Hotel was published in February of this year.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Due to violence and mature language, I categorize this book/novel as R January Cole is the primary character of this novel. She is head of security at the Paradox Hotel.

Hotel security is never easy, especially when most clients are among the most powerful and wealthiest people. All at the hotel for their excursions back in time. Being located near the only working time portal has introduced its own set of weird problems.

The days ahead look particularly stressful for Cole. The US government owns the time portal, but it is about to put the facility up for sale. If that was not enough, Cole saw a corpse in room 526. But only she has seen the body. Her earlier work with the Time Enforcement Agency has caused her to become Unstuck in time, an affliction that will eventually prove fatal. She knows she is getting worse, but is unwilling to leave the hotel. At least being there she can experience flashbacks of her deceased girlfriend.

Then things get worse. Something goes wrong at the time portal, causing pending trips to be canceled. The master clock in the hotel atrium begins to malfunction. There are deaths in the hotel. Cole has to get to the bottom of the mystery while she can still function.

I enjoyed the 9.5+ hours I spent reading this 321-page science fiction novel. This novel was a little weird. Unlike most novels I have read, I didn’t really like the main character in this one. Previously I read The Warehouse, one of Hart’s earlier novels. I liked it, but I think that this one was more enjoyable. There is a touch of LGBTQ in the story, but it is not the main part of the plot. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Einstein’s Compass”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – Authors Grace Blair and Laren Bright published the novel “Einstein’s Compass” in 2019. This is Ms. Blair’s first novel. Mr. Bright has two other novels to his credit besides this one.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in German and Switzerland. It begins in the late 19th century. The primary character is young Albert Einstein.

The young Einstein is given a compass that does more than point to magnetic North. He becomes involved in a struggle between light and dark. Between angels and fallen angels. He finds himself often in danger. He learns to use his compass to travel through time and learn physics from the great physicists of history.

I thought that this was an interesting 6.5+ hour read. This 400-page young adult science fiction novel was a little disappointing. I came close to calling a ‘Rule of 50‘ on it and setting it aside. I think that the selected cover art is interesting. I give this novel a 3.7 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “The Lost Pulse”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “The Lost Pulse” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by J.K. Kelly (https://jkkelly.com). This is Mr. Kelly’s third publication and a sequel to his first novel “Found in Time“. I interviewed Mr. Kelly after I finished this review.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in the near future. Terrorism has reached new heights.

The Whitehouse is an armed camp surrounded by a wall. A well planned and executed attack on Guantanamo Bay has released many enemies of the US. A very select team is allowed to use a time travel device to fight the growing terrorism. They are restricted though to never changing history.

I enjoyed the 6+ hours I spent reading this 266-page thriller. I read the first book of the series earlier and enjoyed it as well. It is, other than the time travel, what you would expect from a thriller. The cover art is OK. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Timebound”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – The “Timebound” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Heather Albano (http://www.heatheralbano.com). Ms. Albano has published three novels with this being the third book in her “Keeping Time” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set across the last few centuries. This time the primary character is Maxwell Carrington.

Carrington has been separated from the other time travelers. Inadvertently one of the time travel watches is found by agents of Nazi Germany. This adds an additional layer of difficulty to Carrington and his colleagues. They struggle to set the timeline back to what it should be.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 11.5 hours I spent reading this 200-page steampunk science fiction tale. I have enjoyed all three novels in this series, but I think that this is the best of the three. I think that the author did a good job of concluding the trilogy. Definitely, I would recommend reading the first two books of the trilogy before this one. The chosen cover art is OK, but something closer to the plot would have been better in my opinion. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Timekeeper”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “Timekeeper” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Heather Albano (https://www.facebook.com/heatheralbanoauthorpage/). This is Ms. Albano’s second publication and the second in her “Keeping Time” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set across time in Europe. The primary character is 17-year-old Elizabeth Barton. She, along with her love interest William Carrington and mysterious friend Maxwell, continue their fight to put the timeline back the way it should be.

They use their time travel pocketwatch to move to one critical moment in time after another. They are fighting a very dangerous battle to keep both the Frankenstein like monsters and the metal giants from ever being created. They must also find a way to keep Napolean from victory at Waterloo.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 9 hours I spent reading this 280-page young adult steampunk thriller. This novel is just a continuation of “Timepiece” the first novel in the series. The characters are much the same as in that first novel. I have enjoyed the first two novels in the trilogy and look forward to the third. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Timepiece: A Steampunk Time-travel Adventure”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “Timepiece: A Steampunk Time-travel Adventure ” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Heather Albano (http://www.heatheralbano.com/). This is Ms. Albano’s first publication and the first in her “Keeping Time” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in a variety of times and places in Europe. It begins in 1815 with the primary character 17-year-old Elizabeth Barton receiving a very special pocket watch.

In this alternate reality, the monsters of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are real. The British have created an enslaved army of them to counter Napolean. After that victory, they are employed as forced labor in mines, but soon they rebel. England is desperate to control them. A brilliant inventor steps in with mechanical men, not quite robots as they are controlled by a human crew.

That allows the monsters to be brought under control, but the mechanicals are then used by the government to control the populace. As more and more work is done by the mechanicals and other automation the displaced are kept in check by the mechanicals.

Into this steps Barton and her new acquaintance, 21-year-old Willaim Carrington. Carrington had been a soldier but a wound to his arm caused him to be discharged. The unlikely pair soon discover that the watch has the astounding ability to travel through time.

They discover the plight of future inhabitants of England and try to change history to prevent the mechanical men. They also attempt to stop the use or even the creation of the monsters used to beat Napolean. Their travels are not without risk but they do find allies in other timelines. They also discover that theirs is not the only special pocket watch.

I enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 264-page steampunk fantasy. While this has a touch of Romance and appeals to the Young Adult, it was an enjoyable story. I liked this slightly new take on time travel with the travelers starting off in the past. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Merlin’s Shakespeare”

(See all of my Book Reviews) – “Merlin’s Shakespeare” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Carol Anne Douglas (https://www.carolannedouglas.com/). This is Ms. Douglas’ fifth publication and the first in her ‘Merlin’s Shakespeare’ series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is set in both contemporary times and in Shakespeare’s England. The primary character is 15-year-old Beth Owens.

Owens is a theater student, particularly interested in the works of Shakespeare. Merlin appears to her and sends her back in time to Shakespeare’s England. She meets various characters from Shakespeare’s plays some of whom she likes and others which frighten her. Merlin has sent her back to search for a missing Shakespeare play about King Arthur. Along her way she begins to find that she has some magical powers of her own.

I thought that the 8.25 hours I spent reading this 358-page young adult fantasy were interesting. The plot is pretty simple and the characters are not the deepest, but it seems targeted at the very young adult sector. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 3.6 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: “Time’s Children”

Book Reviews – “Time’s Children” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by D. B. Jackson (http://www.dbjackson-author.com). Mr. Jackson has published six novels. This is the first of his “Islevale Cycle” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in another world where magic is possible. The primary character is fifteen-year-old Tobias Doljan.

Doljan is a student of magic with a specialty as a Walker who can travel through time. He is sent to the court of Daerjen. The sovereign of Daerjen, Mearlan IV, asks him to Walk back in time fourteen years, far beyond what is normally allowed. Doljan agrees to take the risk and the burden of aging himself fourteen years in order to stop the war that has been going on.

Doljan survives the trip back in time, but Mearlan and his court are unexpectedly attacked and killed, disrupting the timeline. The only survivor is Doljan and Mearlan’s baby girl. Doljan, though only fifteen in the body of a thirty-year-old man, must find a way to save the princess and evade the invaders.

Doljan’s close friend and love from the magic school, Mara, senses the disruption in time when Mearlan is killed in the past. Though she has forgotten who Doljan is, she knows she must follow him into the past to correct the change in history.

Plots that span time. Magical creatures. Threats from foreign powers. This has the making of a great fantasy series.

I thoroughly enjoyed the nearly 13 hours I spent reading this 528-page fantasy. I liked the plot and the characters. I think the twist of aging those who travel through time adds to the story. I like the cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Review of “The Continuum”

Book Reviews – “The Continuum” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Wendy Nikel (https://wendynikel.com). Ms. Nikel has published two novels in her “Places in Time” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. In the future, time travel has been perfected, but it is being held as a closely guarded proprietary technology. The primary use has been for expensive, exclusive vacations in time. The primary character of this story is Elise Morley. This young woman is a history expert who is sent back in time to retrieve travelers who have gone astray.

She is kidnapped by a clandestine organization and forced by them to take a mission into the future. Here she is out of her element but must see the dangerous mission through. Can she succeed without altering the future?

I thought that this was an interesting 3 hour read of 207 pages. This was an enjoyable science fiction story. It read so quickly that it felt more like a novella than a full novel. I think that the cover art was a good choice. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Review of “D-Day : Time Patrol”

Book Reviews – “D-Day: Time Patrol” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by Bob Mayer (http://bobmayer.com/). Mr. Mayer has published nearly 60 novels. This is the fourth in his “Time Patrol” series.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is based in contemporary times, but as you would expect from the series title, agents travel back to various times in history.

The Time Patrol is a super secret unit that is sent back in time to protect our timeline from the Shadow. The Shadow is a mysterious group that for unknown reasons wants to destroy us. The Time Patrol analysts detect that a disruption in our timeline will be attempted on June 6 in various years in history.

The Time Patrol agents are sent back to 1998, 1944 (hence the name of this volume in the series), 1843, 452, 478 BC and 32,415 BC. Each of the six agents will travel back for 24 hours to battle the Shadow. Most are being sent to very dangerous time periods, and Shadow agents will do anything to beat the Time Patrol. It is far from certain that all six will return.

I enjoyed the nearly 6 hours spent reading this 234 page science fiction thriller. There are a few technical details of their time travel ability that get skimmed over, I assume they were covered in prior volumes of the series. This book reads pretty well on its own, but there is clearly relevant history in the prior volumes of the series. I would suggest starting with the first novel, “Time Patrol”. The cover is OK, but a more appropriate one would be of the airborne assault as that is where the Time Patrol agent is placed on D-Day. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).