Customer Reviews

Portal: The TimeSlip Trilogy: Book I

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With self-publishing so accessible, writers have opportunities like never before. Unfortunately, I have read very few self-published novels that were well-done, and, as with this book, the covers always turn me off.

Ignore those concerns. Set aside your prejudices. This is everything a good suspense story should be: exciting, unpredictable, with interesting characters, and a thought-provoking concept. Mixing ideas from "Back to the Future," "Timeline," and such recent novels as "Time Lottery" by Nancy Moser, Reaves adds his own creativity to keep the story fresh.

Brian Reaves writes with confidence. Although a professional editor may have weeded out some minor point-of-view discrepancies and a penchant for adverbs (everything in this story happens "slowly" or "quickly" or "suddenly"), the sentences flow and the pace never flags. Rather than aim too high, Reaves pulls us into the world of his characters through a simple device: a lost love from high school. He whips this simple idea into a heart-spinning tale. Then, as the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, he sneaks in a final twist that hooks us for the sequel.

It's about time a self-published writer made his mark. One or two moments stretched my credulity, particularly when the main character forgets a vital piece of evidence--twice!--but my hat is off to this up and coming writer. I have no doubt he'll be picked up by an established publisher soon. His time has come.

How good can things get! I love good time travel adventures, and the Christian backdrop added to my enjoyment of this entertaining "vacation" through time. I couldn't tell until close to the end that this was slated to become a continuing saga...that's because the author did a good job tying loose ends. Most everyone has probably AT LEAST ONE big regret that changed the course of his or her life. That is the main theme of this book, and it is a tantalizing prospect to imagine a reality where you could actually alter the past and do it right. It pits one man's anguish and obsession with avoiding the events that killed his true love, against the wiser Christian friend and fellow scientist who sees the probable consequences of tampering with the past. This is a great book for those who can relax, open their imaginations, and enjoy the ride. I am eager for the next installment!

"Portal" is the first book in The TimeSlip Trilogy, an exciting new Christian sci-fi series. It's the story of Joseph Turner, a brillian physicist who creates the world's first working time machine in order to go back fifteen years into the past and save the life of the woman he loves. Unfortunately, every time he steps through the Portal, he makes things worse. But he will find a way to save her...no matter what the consequences.

The only person who can stop him is his best friend and assistant, Tim Jarrell--but he'll need help from the past to succeed.

Now one man races through time to save the woman he loves from death...

Another man speeds through the years to stop him before he permanently damages the past...

Two men fighting to control yesterday...

And only one will succeed.

What if you could change your past? Would you do it if you had the chance? This fast-paced Christian sci-fi thriller will keep you engrossed until the final page. For more information about the author, visit www.BrianReaves.net.

"The Portal" by Brian Reaves is a treat. Since it is a time travel story, there is of course an inventor, and a time machine - but wait, do not assume that you already know a half of the plot. "The Portal" is so much more than just another mad scientist messing with time; in fact, there is no mad scientist at all: Joseph, the creator of the TMD (Temporal Manipulation Device) is quite sane. Well, at least until he tests the machine which is not yet ready for testing.

That's how the book begins. What follows is a fascinating combination of industrial espionage, assassination attempts, a touching love story, and one man's desperate quest to change the past. The storyline is rich and complex. There are multiple timelines created by the time-travelers whenever they use the machine - and multiple versions of themselves, not always helping each other. Things get even more complicated as another time machine is developed by a competing company. No wonder there's a supernatural being assigned to watch over the whole thing and try to minimize the disastrous effects.

Brian Reaves does an excellent job weaving all that together and holding the reader's interest from the first page to the last. The story is solid, consistent; the characters are alive. I can hardly wait for Book 2 of the trilogy!

I always did like that saying, but I usually do not like time travel stories. I decided to give this book a shot anyway and I'm glad I did. This book was well written, was intriguing, and was a definite page turner. When the book ended, it had a definite set up for the next, though the main focus of the story had been wrapped up.

Everyone needs to read the author's review for details on the plot.

I definitely recommend this book and I wish the author had book two out! 4.5 stars! You haven't had enough time, you say, Mr. Reaves? Hey, just crank up that time machine. ;)

This fast paced, suspense filled page-turner explores almost every bizarre angle and twist possible with a time travel concept. The technical details make you beleive time travel is possible, but the plot makes you pray it's impossible.
I highly recommend this book to anyone.

At one time or another, we have all fantasized about what we would do differently if we knew then what we know now. In Portal, you can travel with Joseph on his quest to right the wrong in his past. It's quite a ride! I'm looking forward to the sequel with much anticipation. I liked the idea of the reviewer who suggested that the author jump into the past and come back with the finished sequel!

I was hesitant when I began this book. If it's self-published it can't possibly be good right? WRONG! I'm amazed that this wasn't picked up by a publisher and it says more about the fickle world of publishing than it does about Brian Reaves' writing.

Reaves introduces us to Joseph Turner, a brilliant man who is dealing with one of the questions that plagues all men: What if I could go back and change the past? Joseph lives with regret over a mistake made fifteen years ago and he devotes his life to making time travel possible. Soon he comes face to face with the opportunity he has always dreamed of and he must make some impossible decisions.

This is a great sci-fi/action thriller that will keep the reader flipping pages. Time travel plots are extremely complex, and Reaves handles them with ease. Like all time travel themes, you must check your logic at the door, but Reaves does an outstanding job of making the concept believable. This is a wonderful debut effort from Reaves and I can't wait to see what's next.

I really enjoyed reading Portal, though I believe it suffers from some flaws perhaps because it's a first novel. A lot of might have been "polished out" in the hands of a more practiced writer and/or editor.

As a Christian I also believe Brian did a pretty decent job, again for a first effort, of portraying a character who shares the same faith as Brian and I.

The story is an interesting variation on the old themes of time travel and multiple universes. There are some ambiguous spots where it wasn't apparent which version of a character (the original one or a future/alternate world version) was being portrayed, however.

I'd have to say the characterization is kind of weak. "One dimensional" describes most of the characters met here, but the story was fun enough (for me) that I still enjoyed it. The evil boss is so typically villanous that he's a little hard to take, though--and at the end of the story I still wasn't certain whether he was supposed to be alive, or dead, or both, or neither (wiped from existence.)

Descriptions of people and things are often vague, though I don't have an example at hand.

(...)

So I love Christian fiction and really love it with a twist of science fiction. I enjoyed Stolen Lives by this author so I ordered two more books right away. I have read one other time-machine book and was completley lost by people crossing over them selves, coming in and out at diffrent times, it can be very confusing. But not this book. I followed who was who and never once was confused. A man loses the love of his life by a fatal accident. He decideds to go back in time to change it all. When he decides to change his future, he realizes it is not all what it seems to be. By the end of the book he is constantley traveling through time trying to undo all the damage done. When I finally sighed a breath of relief at the end of this book, a huge twist SHOCKED me! The only problem is I can not find the other two books in this trilogy. UPDATE ( after a very kind email from the author, the last two books are not yet released) stay tuned!