Customer Reviews

Twilight

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Twilight is unique in its plot and depth. Reading it is like taking a vacation to another world! I love time travel stories, but am hard to please. They must be believable--well, at least to those with some degree of imagination--and the science must pass the giggle test. Twilight captivated and delighted me from start to finish. It's the story of an AF pilot on a mission in the Middle East (plausible, right?) who is shot down. Just before he crashes to a certain death, a mysterious stranger suddenly appears on the plane with him and virtually snatches him out of the plane. He is transported to an in-between time and space realm called Twilight. There he begins training to become a time-skimmer; one who travels in time to right injustices. This is a great book, and I heartily recommend it.

I have read a number of Nicholas S. Stember's short stories and was anxiously awaiting this book. I was very pleased with the result. From the moment I started reading, I could hardly put the book down. The major flaw I find in many writers is the lack of growth of their main characters, but Nicholas's characters show character development and growth throughout. In a time travel book, there are many opportunities to explore, but often the author will get so caught up in exploring the times and places that they take away from the overall story or the development of characters. Nicholas Stember is an exception in this case. There are enough side journeys to satisfy but they all tie back into the main story and do not stray too far off the path. This is a very well thought out concept and story, with great characters and a unique twist on the concept of time travel that will leave you amazed. I highly recommend it. Now, when is he coming out with a new book, I am anxiously waiting!

When I read a novel, I like there to be a mix of other elements in it, not just the main genre (like SciFi/Fatasy/etc.), and "Twilight" gave that to me. There are so many settings, that you can't get bored with the back drop; be it the futuristic setting of the "Twilight Complex" or America in the 1860's, or 21st century London. Also, as a writer, I loved the romantic elements of the novel. Under the main theme of a time travel adventure, lies a strong romance which is the backbone of the story. I won't go into plot details, others did that here, but I will agree with another reviewer in that the further I got into it, the more I couldn't put it down. Stember uses strong imagery, which I see another reviewer didn't care for, but I felt it gave the story just enough to really "come to life" in my mind.

I hope Stember continues with this theme, I could easily see a series develop out of this.

I couldn't put it down! It caught and held my attention, and the descriptions were great. There were times where you feel like you physically stepped into the story. I think one of the things I liked the best was how the events they changed through time travel were little, everyday things--it didn't over spectaluralize what could be done through time travel or give the heros super-powers. It showed how the little things we do in life can have huge impact on people and events around us. It was a novel that made me want to daydream, and wonder what I could do if given the chance....

Move over George Gipe (Back to the Future), Richard Matheson (Somewhere in Time), and H. G. Wells (The Time Machine) there's a new kid on the block: Nicholas S. Stember. Stember takes time travel to the next level in his latest book Twilight.
Hey, Marty McFly! Are you listening?
Faithful fans of time travel will find this book a refreshing addition to their shelves. The story quickens with each page as innovative plot twists and interesting characters keeps the reader on their toes. Do not confuse this book with your average if-I-went-back-in-time-I-would-save-the-world story. Stember's narrative goes much deeper into the possibilities of past, present, and future.
If time travel was possible, the first thing I would do would be to go back and write this story before Stember. It's sure to be a classic!

I hate to be odd man out here among such fans of this book, but...

I was filled with excitement while I waited for this book to arrive--a time travel book that had been compared with those by Finney! Oh boy! I read short stories while waiting for it to arrive,so that I could start it immediately.

I made it to page 12. Novice and amateur writers are infatuated with adjectives and adverbs. In this case, a smile is never just a smile, it's always soft, or quirky, or adorable, and often a combination of those (interestingly, while our hero is plummeting to earth and certain death, he takes time to note his unexpected visitor's "adorable quirky smile" and her eyes "sparkling shyly" at him). People speak "confidently" and are then responded to "earnestly," and in one case on page 8, they don't respond or speak, they "accent." Of course, adjectives are vital to any book, but when they are overdone like this, they don't contribute to the texture, they are distracting and seem like fillers that just create clutter in the narrative.

Given that I couldn't take any more of the flowery descriptions beyond page 12, I can't comment on the plot. And--and this is crucial--if you can't discriminate or don't care about the fine line between the abilities of a gifted author and those of the star pupil of a popular writing class, then don't let this review deter you from reading this book. Look how many reviewers loved it.

I've enjoyed a few time travel novels, and this one ranks near the top. The character of Major Fletcher Taylor is very believable and draws you into the story from the moment he's ripped out of his F-15 to his many trips through time (both virtual and then real). It's a good tale of the dangerous paradox that can be made when you interfere with your own destiny in time. I certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a time travel adventure that takes you from the future then back to the civil war with the flair of a techno-thriller.

I think Mr Stember has written a piece of work that is not only excellent in detail and story line but also has a beautiful element of love underneath the interwoven layers of adventure. It has many twists and turns that leave you feeling on edge and wickedly in tune with the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read more of his work. This book is a winner, and the author certainly knows his craft. A great book to take on holiday or read in the twilight hours, magic!

I typically do not write reviews for books, but felt I should in this case so that P. Sherman is no longer the lone negative reviewer of this book. I agree with P. Sherman's review. I indulged the author a little longer than page 12 though and made it to page 66 before I gave up. There are too many adjectives and they distract the reader from the story. Even the author's choice of wording for colors is not simple. For example, black is ebony, red is scarlet, blue is azure, etc...

I like time travel stories and was excited to read this book based on the positive reviews. However, this is a real bore. One entire chapter was devoted to saving a cat from getting hit by a car. The author used incredible, dramatic adjectives and sentences to describe the actual saving of the cat, but it was way overdone.

Also, I don't think it is plausible to believe that the main character of the book just got rescued from his fighter plane, lost his best friend, and is now brought into a new time dimension and his biggest concern is the "high school" type crush he has on a fellow time traveler. He actually loses sleep at night thinking about her. Not very realistic. I think he'd be losing sleep over where he is and all that has just happened to him.

I think there are better time travel books out there, but to each his own. To me, this was a real bore.

I agree with all the reviews here. The good and the bad. I really like the plot, I think it has tremendous potential and I really enjoyed reading it. It only takes about 3 hours to do so. Especially when you skim through some of the longwinded parts. If you're willing to overlook the typos, grammar and syntax mistakes, you will see that there's a good idea brewing in there, but I agree with another poster who says that the flowery writing is detracting from the readability and making this work seem amateur and unedited.
It's a shame the writer didn't actually finish this manuscript. Writing is rewriting. A lot of good comes from proper editing.
Terrific read for a short flight.