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Zero Time
As Zero Time nears, only Keihla Benton can save two worlds from the powers of Darkness. But first she must unlock the secrets of Machu Picchu and her own past. Xmucane leads an expedition to Earth to overcome a genetic flaw that threatens the people of Omeyocan with extinction, but she soon finds herself involved in a very personal battle that pits mother against daughter and sister against sister. With the help of the time-traveling Great Serpent Quetzalcoatl, she leaves the Southern Temples to arrive in present-day Machu Picchu as the expedition's time-window closes. When Philadelphia science writer Keihla Benton joins an archeological team at Machu Picchu, she learns the Andean prophesies about 2012 have special meaning for her. Only she can end the cycle of Darkness that endangers Earth at the end of the Mayan calendar. As she uncovers secrets from the past, which threaten her life and those she loves, Keihla struggles to keep the powerful Great Crystal from the Lord of Darkness and his consort. Xmucane and Keihla work together as Earth and Omeyocan near alignment with the galaxy's dark heart for the first time in 26,000 years. They must seize the last chance to restore the cycle of Light to Earth and return to the Pleiades with a cure, no matter what the cost to their hearts.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
350 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2011
453 people want to read
About the author
T.W. Fendley
17 books67 followersWriting, traveling, reading, learning and enjoying family and friends ... does it get any better than this? Check out my website at www.twfendley.com ... and my speculative fiction novels--MOONBLOOD and THE LABYRINTH OF TIME for young adults and ZERO TIME and METHUSELAH'S LEGACY for adults! I also blog on Associative Remote Viewing at www.ARV4fun.com. Ready to expand your consciousness?
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 24, 2012
Debut Historical Science Fiction Epic Explains Ancient Archeological Wonders
Posted on March 6, 2012 by Peter
By Peter H. Green
T. W. Fendley, Zero Time (Fiction), L & L Dreamspell (London, TX), 2011, 347 Pp. and e-book, www.lldreamspell.com .
An absorbing space-time odyssey, Zero Time, by T. W. Fendley, which its ambitious publisher L & L Dreamspell has classified as historical fantasy, is really science fiction. The tale is set on Earth in 2011 in the present day, 150 BCE, in Teotihuacan and other sites in Mexico; Machu Picchu, Peru, and in an even earlier era, 3059 B.C.E on Earth and the planet Omeyocan in the Pleiades constellation. In the opening scenes the people from whom Mesomericans were descended emigrate to earth’s favorable environment in a last-ditch attempt to save their race from extinction by overcoming a genetic flaw that prevents future breeding by flawed males of their own species
A brilliant conception that provides plausible scientific explanations for the mysteries of the ancient cultures that founded civilizations at Machu Picchu, Peru; Izpaca, Mexico, the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, and other possible locations around the globe. T. W. Fendley, in her debut novel, transports her protagonist Quilla (Kee’-ah) and other colonists from Omeyocan into three different eras spanning 5125 solar years (or 13 Baktun, in her people’s complex date system) until the end of the Fifth Long Passage through the galaxy, a constellation’s trip lasting 26,000 years, ending and starting over at the hibernal equinox, December 21, 2012, or “Zero Time.”
In the universe she creates, Fendley employs space-time travel across 13 dimensions through “serpent ropes,” virtual pathways through the cosmos that link her planet timelessly with Earth and other way stations throughout the galaxy. Quilla, our protagonist in three incarnations in three different eras, must work with her birth mother Xmucane (shmoo’-kane) , and her father Xpiyacoc (shoo-pee’-a-cok) to defeat the Lord of Darkness and reconnect with the evil one’s consort and her own wayward sister, to reestablish the Law of One, in which love permeates and connects all things. In the process, the author explicates the role of mystical serpents of pre-Columbian culture, geoglyphs on the Peruvian plain and Aztec human sacrifice (an unintended consequence of the Lord of Darkness’s perversity). The reasons behind construction of the magnificent cities aligned with astronomical bodies through advanced calculations are also explained in this author’s all-encompassing conception of this advanced civilization that traveled to Earth.
The clear, crisp writing style, dazzling descriptions of pre-Columbian cities and sympathetic characters more than make up for the complexities of the story. Readers who master the massive back story, the jaw-busting names of the principal characters and the complex space-time plot and persist to the grand dénouement of this epic—and science and archeology buffs are a hardy lot—-will learn how Quilla, in cooperation with the Daughters of Light and her birth parents, saves her people by permitting breeding with earthlings and allowing the propagation of future males of the species. As the story ends in contemporary Philadelphia, she looks back as Keihla Benton, today a science reporter, at her eons of time-travel throughout the universe in her pivotal role of rescuing and perpetuating Omeyocan’s civilization.
The author confesses that creation of this sprawling, dazzling work took years, evolving over several trips to the sites she so vividly describes, and as depicted in the striking photo of Machu Picchu on the book’s cover. While this epic vision of human history requires effort on the part of the reader, its message is inspiring and eerily familiar, echoing the theories of archeologists who have studied Mesoamerican culture and deduced strikingly similar explanations. For those who like to stretch their imaginations—and who doesn’t?—this novel is a fascinating and compelling read. You’d better get it and read it before December 21, 2012. Who knows what the Sixth Long Passage may hold in store?
Posted on March 6, 2012 by Peter
By Peter H. Green
T. W. Fendley, Zero Time (Fiction), L & L Dreamspell (London, TX), 2011, 347 Pp. and e-book, www.lldreamspell.com .
An absorbing space-time odyssey, Zero Time, by T. W. Fendley, which its ambitious publisher L & L Dreamspell has classified as historical fantasy, is really science fiction. The tale is set on Earth in 2011 in the present day, 150 BCE, in Teotihuacan and other sites in Mexico; Machu Picchu, Peru, and in an even earlier era, 3059 B.C.E on Earth and the planet Omeyocan in the Pleiades constellation. In the opening scenes the people from whom Mesomericans were descended emigrate to earth’s favorable environment in a last-ditch attempt to save their race from extinction by overcoming a genetic flaw that prevents future breeding by flawed males of their own species
A brilliant conception that provides plausible scientific explanations for the mysteries of the ancient cultures that founded civilizations at Machu Picchu, Peru; Izpaca, Mexico, the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, and other possible locations around the globe. T. W. Fendley, in her debut novel, transports her protagonist Quilla (Kee’-ah) and other colonists from Omeyocan into three different eras spanning 5125 solar years (or 13 Baktun, in her people’s complex date system) until the end of the Fifth Long Passage through the galaxy, a constellation’s trip lasting 26,000 years, ending and starting over at the hibernal equinox, December 21, 2012, or “Zero Time.”
In the universe she creates, Fendley employs space-time travel across 13 dimensions through “serpent ropes,” virtual pathways through the cosmos that link her planet timelessly with Earth and other way stations throughout the galaxy. Quilla, our protagonist in three incarnations in three different eras, must work with her birth mother Xmucane (shmoo’-kane) , and her father Xpiyacoc (shoo-pee’-a-cok) to defeat the Lord of Darkness and reconnect with the evil one’s consort and her own wayward sister, to reestablish the Law of One, in which love permeates and connects all things. In the process, the author explicates the role of mystical serpents of pre-Columbian culture, geoglyphs on the Peruvian plain and Aztec human sacrifice (an unintended consequence of the Lord of Darkness’s perversity). The reasons behind construction of the magnificent cities aligned with astronomical bodies through advanced calculations are also explained in this author’s all-encompassing conception of this advanced civilization that traveled to Earth.
The clear, crisp writing style, dazzling descriptions of pre-Columbian cities and sympathetic characters more than make up for the complexities of the story. Readers who master the massive back story, the jaw-busting names of the principal characters and the complex space-time plot and persist to the grand dénouement of this epic—and science and archeology buffs are a hardy lot—-will learn how Quilla, in cooperation with the Daughters of Light and her birth parents, saves her people by permitting breeding with earthlings and allowing the propagation of future males of the species. As the story ends in contemporary Philadelphia, she looks back as Keihla Benton, today a science reporter, at her eons of time-travel throughout the universe in her pivotal role of rescuing and perpetuating Omeyocan’s civilization.
The author confesses that creation of this sprawling, dazzling work took years, evolving over several trips to the sites she so vividly describes, and as depicted in the striking photo of Machu Picchu on the book’s cover. While this epic vision of human history requires effort on the part of the reader, its message is inspiring and eerily familiar, echoing the theories of archeologists who have studied Mesoamerican culture and deduced strikingly similar explanations. For those who like to stretch their imaginations—and who doesn’t?—this novel is a fascinating and compelling read. You’d better get it and read it before December 21, 2012. Who knows what the Sixth Long Passage may hold in store?
March 30, 2012
I won this book as part of a goodreads giveaway. A great adventure into the mesoamerican past and present. This book offers a great mental workout as you decipher mysteries and work to understand time-travel, reincarnation, and alien planets. This book throws you into the story as an alien race is trying to save themselves from a slow death. The characters are well thought out and the plot has so many twist that it is impossible to figure it out before the author wants you to. The only difficult parts to this story is the names of the characters. They are hard to pronounce and I had to keep turning back to the first of the book in order to remind myself how they were pronounced. It also took me a little bit to figure out the time travel thing with the serpent ropes. I had fun reading this story and would recommend it to others. The ending left me with questions but nothing big or important. I would love to see a sequel that may answer the few questions I have. Great book, and definitely worth the time to read it.
January 4, 2012
After all the hype (over-hype?) about the end of the Mayan calendar and the end of the world as we know it (pun intended), I thought the last thing I would want to read was a book about the end of the Mayan calendar and the end of the world as we know it. I was wrong.
Fendley's imaginative story is only matched by her obvious study of Incan-Mayan-Aztec cultures. She weaves a plot around the calendar that is both sci-fi and fantasy and is as well, both subtle and interesting. The story begins on Omeyocan with a culture that is advanced, but not as much technologically as it is in its harmony with the nature and the universe. But they have a problem, one that can only be solved by combining their DNA with another race - Earth. But anywhere the light exists it must be defined by shadow - darkness, and so too, the reader finds himself immersed in a battle between light and darkness that spans the cosmos even as the battle takes place across time and space on Earth.
Fendley weaves her plot into both known and unknown aspects of the ancient Meso-American civilizations with imagination, writing creatively and developing her characters, building the reader's sympathy for them. While her writing style is engaging and flows well, I must say the book does tend to bog down a bit in the middle, but the reader's perseverance as Fendley builds toward a climax is quickly rewarded as the pace picks back up and the reader is swept into the final conflict between the Children of the Light and the Lord of Darkness.
And certainly her central message of Love-Service-Wisdom and of the connection between the breath and the Spirit offer one pause to reflect on the metaphysical aspects as well as simply enjoying a remarkable read. With a little something for everyone, this is an interesting and intriguing read and I would recommend it to those who are fascinated by these ancient cultures, by sci-fi/fantasy, and by those who just enjoy a good read.
Fendley's imaginative story is only matched by her obvious study of Incan-Mayan-Aztec cultures. She weaves a plot around the calendar that is both sci-fi and fantasy and is as well, both subtle and interesting. The story begins on Omeyocan with a culture that is advanced, but not as much technologically as it is in its harmony with the nature and the universe. But they have a problem, one that can only be solved by combining their DNA with another race - Earth. But anywhere the light exists it must be defined by shadow - darkness, and so too, the reader finds himself immersed in a battle between light and darkness that spans the cosmos even as the battle takes place across time and space on Earth.
Fendley weaves her plot into both known and unknown aspects of the ancient Meso-American civilizations with imagination, writing creatively and developing her characters, building the reader's sympathy for them. While her writing style is engaging and flows well, I must say the book does tend to bog down a bit in the middle, but the reader's perseverance as Fendley builds toward a climax is quickly rewarded as the pace picks back up and the reader is swept into the final conflict between the Children of the Light and the Lord of Darkness.
And certainly her central message of Love-Service-Wisdom and of the connection between the breath and the Spirit offer one pause to reflect on the metaphysical aspects as well as simply enjoying a remarkable read. With a little something for everyone, this is an interesting and intriguing read and I would recommend it to those who are fascinated by these ancient cultures, by sci-fi/fantasy, and by those who just enjoy a good read.
January 4, 2012
I was pleased to receive a signed copy and note from the author through goodreads giveaways. I immediately read the back cover to get a summary of the book. I think it gave too much away! The entire story was there! There were no surprises which was a disappointment.
Here are some notes to self as I read it:
1. world building: too complicated and continued to the end of the book!
2. prose: too didactic, also third person not my favorite style.
3. character development: uneven- couldn't relate to anyone in the story
4. storyline: hard to follow- jumping between centuries throughout the chapters.
I was hoping for 'one' of the story lines to be fleshed out more thoroughly- there is so much potential here for a good deep story about people that would be real, struggling with events in a unique way. Stay with Xmucane, or with Keihla in just one of the timelines! It felt like at least 3 books stuffed into one! In comparison, reading Rick Riordan's fantasies is mostly story with Greek gods thrown in. After 5 books, I know more about greek mythology but I haven't been beat over the head with it.
This book had the feel of a news story where you have to fit in all the facts in as few words as possible rather than a novel.
And finally, this book would probably only appeal to those who relate to these kinds of words: higher consciousness, creation's holographic nature, life force, vibrations of cells, sound harmonics, sychronicities, cloning, and the power of crystals. I couldn't tell if it was a new age book written with a Mesoamerican background, or a fantasy set in the Mesoamerican world. I did take a course in Cultural Anthropology in college and wrote a paper about Chitzen Itza, but I couldn't tell how much of her world building was fantasy and how much was actual scholarship about the Mayans, and Incas.
In the end, It was OK. So 2 stars
Here are some notes to self as I read it:
1. world building: too complicated and continued to the end of the book!
2. prose: too didactic, also third person not my favorite style.
3. character development: uneven- couldn't relate to anyone in the story
4. storyline: hard to follow- jumping between centuries throughout the chapters.
I was hoping for 'one' of the story lines to be fleshed out more thoroughly- there is so much potential here for a good deep story about people that would be real, struggling with events in a unique way. Stay with Xmucane, or with Keihla in just one of the timelines! It felt like at least 3 books stuffed into one! In comparison, reading Rick Riordan's fantasies is mostly story with Greek gods thrown in. After 5 books, I know more about greek mythology but I haven't been beat over the head with it.
This book had the feel of a news story where you have to fit in all the facts in as few words as possible rather than a novel.
And finally, this book would probably only appeal to those who relate to these kinds of words: higher consciousness, creation's holographic nature, life force, vibrations of cells, sound harmonics, sychronicities, cloning, and the power of crystals. I couldn't tell if it was a new age book written with a Mesoamerican background, or a fantasy set in the Mesoamerican world. I did take a course in Cultural Anthropology in college and wrote a paper about Chitzen Itza, but I couldn't tell how much of her world building was fantasy and how much was actual scholarship about the Mayans, and Incas.
In the end, It was OK. So 2 stars
April 10, 2014
http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/04/10...
Publisher: L & L Dreamspell
Publishing Date: March 2014
ISBN: 9781603183338
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.0/5
Publisher Description: When Philadelphia science writer Keihla Benton joins an archeological team at Machu Picchu, she learns ancient prophecies about 2012 have special meaning for her. As Zero Time nears, only she can save two worlds from the powers of Darkness. But first she must unlock the secrets of Machu Picchu and her own past.
Review: Cover art is worthless. Can’t tell what is going on.
This was a very uninspired attempt to finish a novel that gifted so much agony. To be fair, there may have been a problem with the e-ARC copy as the paragraphs would end suddenly, and a new scene or storyline would commence from out of nowhere. Really impossible to track the plot and storyline.
What little I did discern of the storyline was that it jumped around and between moments in time and space with little regard to informing the reader. The old catch-up game with regard to discerning the authors intent with building their world.
The character development was non-existent to the point where their backstories were meaningless in any emotive sense to the here and now. The author attempts to sweep the reader up in a quickly moving storyline where events outpace the characters personalities.
Taking a knee on this one.
Publisher: L & L Dreamspell
Publishing Date: March 2014
ISBN: 9781603183338
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 2.0/5
Publisher Description: When Philadelphia science writer Keihla Benton joins an archeological team at Machu Picchu, she learns ancient prophecies about 2012 have special meaning for her. As Zero Time nears, only she can save two worlds from the powers of Darkness. But first she must unlock the secrets of Machu Picchu and her own past.
Review: Cover art is worthless. Can’t tell what is going on.
This was a very uninspired attempt to finish a novel that gifted so much agony. To be fair, there may have been a problem with the e-ARC copy as the paragraphs would end suddenly, and a new scene or storyline would commence from out of nowhere. Really impossible to track the plot and storyline.
What little I did discern of the storyline was that it jumped around and between moments in time and space with little regard to informing the reader. The old catch-up game with regard to discerning the authors intent with building their world.
The character development was non-existent to the point where their backstories were meaningless in any emotive sense to the here and now. The author attempts to sweep the reader up in a quickly moving storyline where events outpace the characters personalities.
Taking a knee on this one.
May 25, 2012
Wow, just started reading T. W. Fendley's, ZERO TIME--awesome concept...can't wait to read more!
UPDATE:
Finished! Sorry for the long delay in my review. It'll be short, but very sweet.
This SF page turner is rich with Mayan magic, intrigue, and deeply developed characters. It whips you along through time-shifts, plots twists, and wonder. Add it to your TBR list and let me know what you think. I can't wait to read more from this gifted author.
UPDATE:
Finished! Sorry for the long delay in my review. It'll be short, but very sweet.
This SF page turner is rich with Mayan magic, intrigue, and deeply developed characters. It whips you along through time-shifts, plots twists, and wonder. Add it to your TBR list and let me know what you think. I can't wait to read more from this gifted author.
September 12, 2012
Chick lit meets science fiction! Although, truthfully, this well-written missive is far beyond the average, slightly denigrating definition of ‘chick lit.’ Time travel, of course; a strange genetic defect; modern times meets an ancient civilization – once the reader becomes accustomed to the rather difficult pronunciation of the futuristic names, the story flows very well. Strong female characters and yes, love and family, easily make this book a fantastic sci-fi choice for any reader.
August 14, 2013
A take on interpreting the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012, Zero Time is the story of a group of travelers from a planet in the Pleiades who come to Earth in an attempt to solve a dilemma that threatens to wipe out their species. Alternating chapters deal with Xmucane, one of the original travelers, and Keihla, a science writer on an archaeological dig in Peru.
I wanted to be able to rate this book higher than I did, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Although the writing is technically above average, the story did not hold my interest. The prologue started out okay, with its depiction of an alien world. But as soon as the first two characters started talking, they lost me. I just didn't have a clear idea of what the threat was or what they were doing about it. Then, to make maters worse, the first chapter leaves those characters behind--and I mean, like a thousand years behind--without any warning, and throws the reader into time travel with a whole bunch of people with names starting with the letter "X." Not being at all familiar with Meso-American culture and language, I had a hard time getting around the sheer volume of weird spelling.
Things got better in the third chapter, when the POV shifted to present day people with less odd names. It began to look like Zero Time was going to be one of those books about an unsuspecting innocent finding s/he is destined for a great purpose. And it was. Unfortunately, the story seemed to get lost in a lot of repetitious exposition about how to bring one's soul to a higher vibration, and the meaning of the "four-sided pyramid," and the importance of crystal skulls. It's obvious the author has done a lot of research into Meso-American culture and it has meaning to her, but I felt that rather than use it as the foundation of her story, she put her story in service of the mythos. The result was that I mostly felt as if I were reading a New Age tract.
In the end, everything happened too fast. I didn't really get a sense of journey, or personal growth, or even personality, from any of the characters. Everything came to them way too easily. I mean, if my children were stillborn, I would not just immediately accept the Universe's assurance that this was meant to teach me to love my enemies. I would at least take the time to give the Universe the finger. So I found quite a lot of the book unrealistic.
You might like this book better than I did if you're already into Meso-American culture or if you're more interested in exploring that spirituality than you are in a story with a plot. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
Comment Comment | Permalink
I wanted to be able to rate this book higher than I did, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Although the writing is technically above average, the story did not hold my interest. The prologue started out okay, with its depiction of an alien world. But as soon as the first two characters started talking, they lost me. I just didn't have a clear idea of what the threat was or what they were doing about it. Then, to make maters worse, the first chapter leaves those characters behind--and I mean, like a thousand years behind--without any warning, and throws the reader into time travel with a whole bunch of people with names starting with the letter "X." Not being at all familiar with Meso-American culture and language, I had a hard time getting around the sheer volume of weird spelling.
Things got better in the third chapter, when the POV shifted to present day people with less odd names. It began to look like Zero Time was going to be one of those books about an unsuspecting innocent finding s/he is destined for a great purpose. And it was. Unfortunately, the story seemed to get lost in a lot of repetitious exposition about how to bring one's soul to a higher vibration, and the meaning of the "four-sided pyramid," and the importance of crystal skulls. It's obvious the author has done a lot of research into Meso-American culture and it has meaning to her, but I felt that rather than use it as the foundation of her story, she put her story in service of the mythos. The result was that I mostly felt as if I were reading a New Age tract.
In the end, everything happened too fast. I didn't really get a sense of journey, or personal growth, or even personality, from any of the characters. Everything came to them way too easily. I mean, if my children were stillborn, I would not just immediately accept the Universe's assurance that this was meant to teach me to love my enemies. I would at least take the time to give the Universe the finger. So I found quite a lot of the book unrealistic.
You might like this book better than I did if you're already into Meso-American culture or if you're more interested in exploring that spirituality than you are in a story with a plot. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
Comment Comment | Permalink
November 19, 2012
Despite the complexity of this book, I couldn't put it down and read half of it in a few hours at the airport on the way to vacation and the other half on the plane ride coming home from vacation (which is super fast for me)!
The author won me over on page one, where she provided a pronounciation guide for the character names. LOVE THAT! I've always wondered how to pronounce meso-american words/names and the guide was a huge help. Unfortunately, e-book readers don't make it easy to flip back and forth between the guide and the story, so I couldn't easily use the guide while reading - which just means I'll have to buy a paperback copy for the re-read :-)
Zero Time is a wonderful book for the patient reader, who can suspend disbelief and wait for answers. I'm an impatient reader in that I don't really like mysteries and I like to have all my info. up front; desite that, I couldn't put the book down, though I felt I was thrown into the deep end of the pool at the beginning. However, the author earned my trust that she would answer all of my questions, which she did (though the answers mostly came in the second half of the book) - more info. about the Great and Plumed serpents, their relationship to the Omeyecons, more info. about the Omeyecon's society, etc.
What makes this book so amazing is both the world building - the author has made a truly alien culture that is so different from ours that it's hard to envision at first - and her ability to explain this alien culture. This book deals with a lot of complex subjects - crystal based energy systems, forms of conciousness, etc. Somehow the author manages to break all of this down and make it completely understandable as well as warm, approachable, and vivid.
I have HUGE hopes that the author will write a book set on Omeycon - perhaps in the years leading up to the expedition that starts off Zero Time - as I'd love to spend more time with the Omeycon people and their world. Their culture and world were totally fascinating!
The author won me over on page one, where she provided a pronounciation guide for the character names. LOVE THAT! I've always wondered how to pronounce meso-american words/names and the guide was a huge help. Unfortunately, e-book readers don't make it easy to flip back and forth between the guide and the story, so I couldn't easily use the guide while reading - which just means I'll have to buy a paperback copy for the re-read :-)
Zero Time is a wonderful book for the patient reader, who can suspend disbelief and wait for answers. I'm an impatient reader in that I don't really like mysteries and I like to have all my info. up front; desite that, I couldn't put the book down, though I felt I was thrown into the deep end of the pool at the beginning. However, the author earned my trust that she would answer all of my questions, which she did (though the answers mostly came in the second half of the book) - more info. about the Great and Plumed serpents, their relationship to the Omeyecons, more info. about the Omeyecon's society, etc.
What makes this book so amazing is both the world building - the author has made a truly alien culture that is so different from ours that it's hard to envision at first - and her ability to explain this alien culture. This book deals with a lot of complex subjects - crystal based energy systems, forms of conciousness, etc. Somehow the author manages to break all of this down and make it completely understandable as well as warm, approachable, and vivid.
I have HUGE hopes that the author will write a book set on Omeycon - perhaps in the years leading up to the expedition that starts off Zero Time - as I'd love to spend more time with the Omeycon people and their world. Their culture and world were totally fascinating!
January 6, 2015
What a terrific time-travel / alternative history adventure! Meticulously researched and imagined, with a Gordian knot of a plot that taxes the grey cells in a most enjoyable way, this is a story different to anything that I've read before, by turns informative, imaginative, and lucidly written. The author has clearly spent a great deal of time constructing a thoroughly believable yet unpredictable plot.
The story is told in two clearly demarcated threads which come together at the end like the very serpent ropes that are the key to travel through space and time in this epic tale - and it certainly is epic, spanning thousands of years. In a bid to save their civilization, people from the planet Omeyocan in the Pleiades travel to Earth to mingle their genes and save the species. They setup the ancient Inca, Maya and Aztec temples which have so baffled and amazed archaeologists. Not only this, but there's a thorough explanation for technologies which are alien to Earth but could provide the abilities shown by some characters in this novel, such as spatial travel, levitation and channeling of energies.
At a technical level the editing is perfect and the story told at a good pace. Some readers may struggle with the names, which are difficult to pronounce but absolutely appropriate to the story. I referred to the handy guide at the front. Parental advisory - some violence and a sex scene feature in the book. A fair amount of time is spent on the properties of crystals, vibrations, higher levels of consciousness, chakra points etc. giving the book a New Age feel. Some reviewers commented on this but I felt it gelled well with the tale.
Overall assessment? A truly excellent, absorbing tale that is more than worth reading. I learned a great deal while being entertained, which is always a high recommendation. Worth it!!
The story is told in two clearly demarcated threads which come together at the end like the very serpent ropes that are the key to travel through space and time in this epic tale - and it certainly is epic, spanning thousands of years. In a bid to save their civilization, people from the planet Omeyocan in the Pleiades travel to Earth to mingle their genes and save the species. They setup the ancient Inca, Maya and Aztec temples which have so baffled and amazed archaeologists. Not only this, but there's a thorough explanation for technologies which are alien to Earth but could provide the abilities shown by some characters in this novel, such as spatial travel, levitation and channeling of energies.
At a technical level the editing is perfect and the story told at a good pace. Some readers may struggle with the names, which are difficult to pronounce but absolutely appropriate to the story. I referred to the handy guide at the front. Parental advisory - some violence and a sex scene feature in the book. A fair amount of time is spent on the properties of crystals, vibrations, higher levels of consciousness, chakra points etc. giving the book a New Age feel. Some reviewers commented on this but I felt it gelled well with the tale.
Overall assessment? A truly excellent, absorbing tale that is more than worth reading. I learned a great deal while being entertained, which is always a high recommendation. Worth it!!
May 27, 2012
Zero Time is, without a doubt, the finest piece of Sci-Fi/Fantasy writing I have read in a very long time. T.W. Fendley's book is extremely well researched and tickles the reader's imagination with an intriguing tale of a civilization and a universe on the brink of disaster.
Omeyocan is a planet in the Pleiades, the inhabitants of which are at risk of extinction. A genetic mutation in the Y chromosome over several generations has spawned a generic crisis. More than two dozen species have been affected, including the human population. Due to the prevalent use of fertility drugs, most pregnancies result in the birth of four offspring.
In each generation, more girls grew up as identical sisters. Simultaneously, fewer males were being conceived so more boys grew up with cloned brothers. Other species were already extinct because of these genetic mutations and the resulting imbalance of the male to female ratio. Drastic measures were required to prevent the human race from following suit. A research team dedicated to reversing the effects of the sex-chromosome drive was assembled and a courageous group set out to save their civilization from extinction.
Zero Time takes the reader on an epic journey through time and space. From the Pleiades to Meso-America and back, from the future to present time to centuries long past, the journey is compelling and wrought with danger. If the travelers from Omeyocan are to be successful, their mission must be completed by Zero Hour - December 21, 2012. The fate of the entire universe depends on it.
May 3, 2012
Xmucane leads a time-travel expedition of 16 from Omeyocan to Earth, each landing at different places and different times, the last arriving 6000 solar years after the first. Their goal: to gain the healing properties of Earth’s natural environment in an effort to save the population of Omeyocan from extinction due to a genetic flaw that prevents future breeding of males. As time draws near for the expedition to end, Xmucane, aided by her Great Serpent, leaves her original destination and travels to present-day Machu Picchu in the year 2011 to save Earth at the end of the Mayan Calendar in December, 2012. When Philadelphia science writer Keihla Benton joins an archeological team at Machu Picchu, she quickly learns her past is not what she thought and that if Earth and the civilization of Omeyocan are to be saved, she must join with her birth mother Xmucane to help defeat the Lord of Darkness and reestablish ties with her sister.
T.W. Fendley has certainly written an interesting, suspenseful book. Genred historical fantasy, Zero Time could be classified as one heck of a sci-fi involving time travel and aliens, all tying in with the Mesoamerican culture and the end of the Mayan calendar. Although the names of characters are at first a bit difficult to read, with practice, the reader quickly overcomes this and is rewarded with an imaginative, compelling, smartly written read.
T.W. Fendley has certainly written an interesting, suspenseful book. Genred historical fantasy, Zero Time could be classified as one heck of a sci-fi involving time travel and aliens, all tying in with the Mesoamerican culture and the end of the Mayan calendar. Although the names of characters are at first a bit difficult to read, with practice, the reader quickly overcomes this and is rewarded with an imaginative, compelling, smartly written read.
May 16, 2013
I received this book via Library Thing's Member Giveaways. My ranking is actually 3.5 stars.
I love stories about Aztec/Mayan mythology and thought the premise of Zero Time was interesting. Fendley gives a good amount of time discussing the mythology in an engaging story.
I did get confused with all the shifts to one place in time to another, and while most of them were clearly labeled as the chapter begins, sometimes there was some traveling within the chapter and I wasn't sure what era the character traveled to. There were a lot of characters to keep up with as well.
I liked Keilah's story, but thought her origins could have been explained better. How come so many of the others who traveled from the home planet to Earth remembered who they were, but Keilah didn't? Why was it hard for Mama Cane to find her mate?
I really liked the history, suppositions on the lore, and thought the concept of music and vibrations to perform the rituals was inspired. I liked the relationship between Quetzalcoatl and Kulcukan and the humans and how Mama Cane helped implement the lore and ritual with the humans. I could have done with less of the love aspect, though. Some of the science didn't make sense to me either. For instance, the DNA strips that could impregnate a woman didn't make sense. I thought the idea was to get DNA from Earth humans, and the strips had the DNA from the Omeyocans.
I love stories about Aztec/Mayan mythology and thought the premise of Zero Time was interesting. Fendley gives a good amount of time discussing the mythology in an engaging story.
I did get confused with all the shifts to one place in time to another, and while most of them were clearly labeled as the chapter begins, sometimes there was some traveling within the chapter and I wasn't sure what era the character traveled to. There were a lot of characters to keep up with as well.
I liked Keilah's story, but thought her origins could have been explained better. How come so many of the others who traveled from the home planet to Earth remembered who they were, but Keilah didn't? Why was it hard for Mama Cane to find her mate?
I really liked the history, suppositions on the lore, and thought the concept of music and vibrations to perform the rituals was inspired. I liked the relationship between Quetzalcoatl and Kulcukan and the humans and how Mama Cane helped implement the lore and ritual with the humans. I could have done with less of the love aspect, though. Some of the science didn't make sense to me either. For instance, the DNA strips that could impregnate a woman didn't make sense. I thought the idea was to get DNA from Earth humans, and the strips had the DNA from the Omeyocans.
October 16, 2011
As Zero Time nears, only Keihla Benton can save two worlds from the powers of Darkness. But first she must unlock the secrets of Machu Picchu and her own past.
When Philadelphia science writer Keihla Benton joins an archeological team at Machu Picchu, she learns the Andean prophesies about 2012 have special meaning for her. Only she can end the cycle of Darkness that endangers Earth at the end of the Mayan calendar. As she uncovers secrets from the past, which threaten her life and those she loves, Keihla struggles to keep the powerful Great Crystal from the Lord of Darkness and his consort.
Xmucane leads an expedition to Earth to overcome a genetic flaw that threatens the people of Omeyocan with extinction, but she soon finds herself involved in a very personal battle that pits mother against daughter and sister against sister. With the help of the time-traveling Great Serpent Quetzalcoatl, she leaves the Southern Temples to arrive in present-day Machu Picchu as the expedition’s time-window closes.
Xmucane and Keihla work together as Earth and Omeyocan near alignment with the galaxy’s dark heart for the first time in 26,000 years. They must seize the last chance to restore the cycle of Light to Earth and return to the Pleiades with a cure, no matter what the cost to their hearts.
When Philadelphia science writer Keihla Benton joins an archeological team at Machu Picchu, she learns the Andean prophesies about 2012 have special meaning for her. Only she can end the cycle of Darkness that endangers Earth at the end of the Mayan calendar. As she uncovers secrets from the past, which threaten her life and those she loves, Keihla struggles to keep the powerful Great Crystal from the Lord of Darkness and his consort.
Xmucane leads an expedition to Earth to overcome a genetic flaw that threatens the people of Omeyocan with extinction, but she soon finds herself involved in a very personal battle that pits mother against daughter and sister against sister. With the help of the time-traveling Great Serpent Quetzalcoatl, she leaves the Southern Temples to arrive in present-day Machu Picchu as the expedition’s time-window closes.
Xmucane and Keihla work together as Earth and Omeyocan near alignment with the galaxy’s dark heart for the first time in 26,000 years. They must seize the last chance to restore the cycle of Light to Earth and return to the Pleiades with a cure, no matter what the cost to their hearts.
January 16, 2012
I had the good fortune to work with Ms. Fendley in a critique group as she wrote Zero Time, and during that time I appreciated her thoroughness, open mind, and ability to gently analyze. These qualities show through in her own work. Ms Fendly easily guides us through time and space in her historical fantasy, teaching us the wisdoms of ancient cultures as well as the possibilities of humanity. Most poignantly, she opens our eyes to the power and timelessness of patience, balance, and love. How can one not learn the significance of patience reading about a culture who relies on the span of thousands of years to develop a cure to their predicament, or in reading how Keihla, one of the lead protagonists, spent days “overcoming limitations set within her own mind” to move a massive stone several inches at a time. Then there is the lesson of balance, the balance between dark and light in particular, that the universe needs both to function and grow. Finally, one learns the power and necessity of love. How else can Xmucane, the other lead protagonist, save the day without persisting in her trust, and ultimately love, of her misdirected daughter. In the end, Zero Time satisfies in its lessons.
December 28, 2011
This book was OK only. I bought it because a friend is related to the author. The concept was quite interesting - in fact, as far as sci-fi/fantasy books go, the concept was very good. I quite liked the combination of history and real life and sci-fi. That's what kept me reading, and why I gave it two stars. But that is pretty much where it ended. There was too much back story - I felt as if we were always being given a history lesson, detail filled in, without much action. There was little emotion, the characters were all fairly bland, and I felt the heroine was thinly drawn. A few innacuracies bugged me too, as did all the names beginning with X, and the plethora of characters. I concentrated on just the few main ones, and didn't really miss anything (I don't think).
I read it to the end - but I skimmed a lot of paragraphs to be hones, especially when there was yet another lecture about how everything was about to come together.
If you like history and sci-fi, then you might still want to give this a go.
I read it to the end - but I skimmed a lot of paragraphs to be hones, especially when there was yet another lecture about how everything was about to come together.
If you like history and sci-fi, then you might still want to give this a go.
December 31, 2012
Um.
It was a little confusing at first, but that sometimes happens with stories involving time travel. Then, well, it descended pretty heavily into woo-woo.
If you honestly believe that crystals have healing vibrations, you might like this book. If you think ley lines are real, you might like this book. If you have ever tried to align your chakras, you might like this book. If you think all that sounds like a bunch of goofy woo-woo New Age nonsense, then... you probably won't like this book any more than I did.
It seemed adequately well-written and all, just... very much not my kind of thing. The initial premise struck me as biologically implausible, and, well, it got worse from there.
It was a little confusing at first, but that sometimes happens with stories involving time travel. Then, well, it descended pretty heavily into woo-woo.
If you honestly believe that crystals have healing vibrations, you might like this book. If you think ley lines are real, you might like this book. If you have ever tried to align your chakras, you might like this book. If you think all that sounds like a bunch of goofy woo-woo New Age nonsense, then... you probably won't like this book any more than I did.
It seemed adequately well-written and all, just... very much not my kind of thing. The initial premise struck me as biologically implausible, and, well, it got worse from there.
March 21, 2012
I just finished Zero Time. It was a fascinating topic. I want to thank T. W. Fendley for the autographed arc book. The concepts in the book were hard to follow for me. Perhaps it was because I was unfamiliar with the Mayan and Aztec history. The concept of vibrations being responsible for life, healing, time travel and many other things in the civilization was very forward thinking. I enjoyed the book but wished there had been a more indepth story rather than explaining how everyone and everything related. The connections were difficult for me to keep straight. Very ambitious work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2016
This is a science fiction book that has an alien race coming to Earth to solve the mysteries of Machu Picchu and the end of the Mayan calendar. As you read you must solve the mysteries along with the characters as well as keeping track of the alien planets. There is a touch of time travel and reincarnation within the story. Just as you reach a conclusion T.W. Fendly gives a twist to the plot that has you rethinking the path of your logic. This story also incorporates a lot of Mayan culture and legends and makes it an interesting read.
December 21, 2014
This short story was wonderful and well thought out. My sincere thanks to T.W.Fendley for the pleasure of reading her amazing books. I do so hope to read more of her books in the future with all said be happy and keep smiling from wee me. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Want to read
April 13, 2012Entered for an advanced copy. Hope to give a review on it.
December 17, 2015
enjoyed this one!
The author puts a spin on the Aztec empire that is quite amazing! At times the author gets a little heavy with descriptions! All in all a fun read!
The author puts a spin on the Aztec empire that is quite amazing! At times the author gets a little heavy with descriptions! All in all a fun read!
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