Customer Reviews

Out of Time (Time Thriller Trilogy, Book 2)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I jumped into Paul McCusker's Time Thriller Trilogy in mid-stride, after book one, and before book three. Jumping in to the middle didn't affect my ability to follow the series however, and it was easy to read this title as a stand-alone.

Jeff and Elizabeth - our teenage protagonists - are interrupted on their way to a school dance with an encounter with a mysterious mounted stranger, and are soon swept into a quest to preserve the fate of a small, English church and the family who ministers there.

I love young adult fiction, and time warping fiction has always held a soft spot in my heart. However, something about McCusker's plot in Out of Time left me feeling like there was little original in the story line. Perhaps it's simply that too much Arthurian fiction has been written, and the Christian worldview slant wasn't enough to add a unique edge to the story. I must admit to more than the average amount of reading in the fantasy/sci-fi genres so perhaps I'm jaded.

Parents scanning for youthful romance should note that the teenage characters are involved in a romantic, dating relationship, but this doesn't play a major part in the story of this title, and their relationship seems very chaste and more friend-like than anything else (I can't speak to the rest of the series.)

To be fair, this book is written for a younger audience than I, so young readers who are less well read in the time travel genre may find it to be more satisfying and original than I did. McCusker's style is straightforward and lends itself to rapid reading, so this may also be a good choice for reluctant readers with a taste for science fiction.

All things taken into consideration, there wasn't enough here to catch interest me in the other two installments of the trilogy.

I loved the first book in this Time Thriller Trilogy and now the second. They are teen Christian fiction but really adults including myself enjoy them. The author explores some of the legends and myths surrounding King Arthur but without bogging the book down. It is a natural part of the book. The story itself moves fast and I read it in one sitting. Who is this man and is he really King Arthur? And there is the part in England with the preacher's family. The way it all comes together is wonderful. The main theme at the end seemed to be know what you believe in and why and don't be afraid to use it. I highly recommend both books and can't wait to read book three. :)

Teens will enjoy this time travel adventure of King Arthur, Excalibur, Mordred, and Merlin. I did. The story moves along at a comfortable pace with believable characters handling unbelievable circumstances. Just when the reader thinks he has it all figured out, a new twist in the plot occurs.

The eternal fight of good and evil is the major theme. Can right thinkers prevail over wicked? This is a well written tale that will interest young and old lovers of fantasy.

This book deals with King Arthur showing up in present day. It was another interesting concept by the author. I liked this book, but I preferred the first book to the series.

As with the 1st book to the series, this book was easy to read and enjoyable. I would recommend reading it. I liked it enough that I continued reading the series.

Jeff and Elizabeth experience another time shift at Fawlt Line but; instead of leaving the present themselves someone from another time arrives. He claims to be King Arthur and only speaks Latin. The story line is interesting and Mr. McCusker has generously explained many of the well-known and not-so-well-known legends of King Arthur and Merlin. He has delved right into the religious ideas of Arthur's time which brings quite a contrast to the present day. The England of our time through Arthur's eyes comes up short and causes the reader to do some real thinking.

A good teen book with good historical references cast in the light of Christianity in medieval times. 4 Stars