Customer Reviews

The Crossroads Of Time

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The Crossroads of Time (1956) is the first novel in the Crosstime series. Blake Walker is an entering art student at Havers who is staying in a hotel prior to registering at the school. He is an orphan who was found in an alley by two policemen, one of whom became his foster father. Since both of his foster parents are now dead, he has no known kin.

In this novel, Blake has a premonition that something dangerous is about to occur in his vicinity and, when it peaks, he is drawn to the corridor. After easing the door open, he finds a man holding a gun on another man who is unlocking the room across the way. Blake grabs the gunman's throat and yanks his head back, providing the other man with an opportunity to knock the gunman unconscious. The rescued man introduces himself as Kittson, an FBI agent. Soon, two of Kittson's associates come and take away the gunman. Shortly thereafter, someone identifying himself as a hotel security officer knocks on Blake's door, but Kittson tells Blake to say that he is going to check with the desk and the stranger goes away.

Since someone is obviously curious about the recent events, Kittson takes Blake with him when he leaves. They travel to a loft apartment atop a warehouse, where Blake finds three other men in addition to Mark Kittson. Apparently, these men are doing a great deal of reading, for piles of books, with numerous bookmarks, are all around the living room. One of the men, Jason Saxton, claims that the books are part of his hobby, the study of history, and turns the conversation to the subject of decision points in history causing diverging timelines. Later, Blake is awakened to find Kittson injured and being helped into another bedroom. The next day, that bedroom is locked and then someone or something comes up the elevator to the outside door and sends a mental presence into the room, attacking Blake. Although Blake holds out for a while, he collapses after the attacking presence is scared off by the returning agents.

When the others learn of the intrusion, they prepare to move their operation elsewhere. However, they tell Blake a little more about the crosstime secret and their mission to catch a power-mad renegade. Blake learns just enough to pretend to be totally ignorant of the true mission when he later falls into the hands of the opposition.

While not the first of its type, this novel is an early example of travel between probability universes or alternate timelines, such as in Smith's The Probability Broach. It did precede Piper's Paratime series by a few years but has a similar premise. The author has only written one other novel in this series to date: Quest Crosstime.

This story features psionic powers, but lacks many of the other characteristic plot elements of the author's later works. However, the author does include an ordinary kitten who plays a significant role in defeating the villain. I found the story to be interesting, maybe for nostalgic reasons, but it is not one of her best works.

Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys SF adventures in strange universes.

-Arthur W. Jordin

"The Crossroads of Time" is the first of two volumes concerning Blake Walker's adventures on alternate Earths. Blake, a 1950s citizen of our own Earth is accidentally caught up in the chase for a telepathic psychopath who is looking for an alternate Earth to rule.

This is a solid adventure about a brave band of Time Wardens, who have sworn to protect alternate Earths from manipulation by sociopaths. Blake is an appealing young man who is enlisted in the bizarre cross-world pursuit, almost against his will. He is tumbled from Earth to Earth, burnt, frozen, terrified at times and struggling to survive against ogres, robotic worms, and the renegade telepath. He finally lands in the ruins of New York City on an Earth where Hitler won the Battle of Britain. In an eerie echo of our own time, Blake joins the fight against evil with gritty New Yorkers who have survived both bombing and plague.

Andre Norton's rendition of tough guy dialogue may ring quaintly in modern ears, but that shouldn't keep her fans from seeking out this book and its successor, "Quest Crosstime."

I read this book for the first time in 2007 - it stand up quite well for a 50+ year old novel! The story centers around alternate worlds which are created by differences in history, such as a battle won or lost. A certain world of people figure out how to visit these different worlds, and of course the Good Guys try to keep the Bad Guys from taking advantage of the situations in these alternate worlds which make it easy for the Bad Guys to florish and take over. The hero is a likeable guy from our world, dragged into the cops n robbers chase across several worlds when he innocently helps out a Good Guy and therefore attracts the attention of the Bad Guys... our hero must then be introduced and quickly trained in the theories and ways behind the alternate worlds. Does he make it home? Do the Bad Guys win? Read it for yourself to find out!
I was glad to find out there is a sequel, and will be seeking it out.

"The Crossroads of Time" is the first of two volumes concerning Blake Walker's adventures on alternate Earths. Blake, a 1950s citizen of our own Earth is accidentally caught up in the chase for a telepathic psychopath who is looking for an alternate Earth to rule.

This is a solid adventure about a brave band of Time Wardens, who have sworn to protect alternate Earths from manipulation by sociopaths. Blake is an appealing young man who is enlisted in the bizarre cross-world pursuit, almost against his will. He is tumbled from Earth to Earth, burnt, frozen, terrified at times and struggling to survive against ogres, robotic worms, and the renegade telepath. He finally lands in the ruins of New York City on an Earth where Hitler won the Battle of Britain. In an eerie echo of our own time, Blake joins the fight against evil with gritty New Yorkers who have survived both bombing and plague.

Andre Norton's rendition of tough guy dialogue may ring quaintly in modern ears, but that shouldn't keep her fans from seeking out this book and its successor, "Quest Crosstime."

"The Crossroads of Time" is the first of two volumes concerning Blake Walker's adventures on alternate Earths. Blake, a 1950s citizen of our own Earth is accidentally caught up in the chase for a telepathic psychopath who is looking for an alternate Earth to rule.

This is a solid adventure about a brave band of Time Wardens, who have sworn to protect alternate Earths from manipulation by sociopaths. Blake is an appealing young man who is enlisted in the bizarre cross-world pursuit, almost against his will. He is tumbled from Earth to Earth, burnt, frozen, terrified at times and struggling to survive against ogres, robotic worms, and the renegade telepath. He finally lands in the ruins of New York City on an Earth where Hitler won the Battle of Britain. In an eerie echo of our own time, Blake joins the fight against evil with gritty New Yorkers who have survived both bombing and plague.

Andre Norton's rendition of tough guy dialogue may ring quaintly in modern ears, but that shouldn't keep her fans from seeking out this book and its successor, "Quest Crosstime."

This book throws in time travel, alternate worlds, psionic powers, and a cat.

A man named Blake gets caught up in an event with a gunman and some government agents, and ends up on a wild time travelling adventure to stop an enemy trying to gain power and do bad things to time.

Handy developing mental powers help him stop it.