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ChronoShift #1
Shift
What is the worst thing that could happen to you?
For Mark Carpen, it is the death of his children at the hands of a drunk driver. In the tragic aftermath, he also loses his wife, his job, and everything else of value. Grief-stricken, Mark turns his back on society for a life wandering through the North Georgia woods.
That is, until he finds a strange watch in the middle of those woods. A very special watch. One that gives its wearer the power to travel through time at will, rectifying past wrongs and stopping tragedies before they happen.
Mark is determined to use the watch to save his kids, yet certain mysterious forces are poised to stand in his way — and a shadowy group of assassins has decided that Mark Carpen must die.
For Mark Carpen, it is the death of his children at the hands of a drunk driver. In the tragic aftermath, he also loses his wife, his job, and everything else of value. Grief-stricken, Mark turns his back on society for a life wandering through the North Georgia woods.
That is, until he finds a strange watch in the middle of those woods. A very special watch. One that gives its wearer the power to travel through time at will, rectifying past wrongs and stopping tragedies before they happen.
Mark is determined to use the watch to save his kids, yet certain mysterious forces are poised to stand in his way — and a shadowy group of assassins has decided that Mark Carpen must die.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
29 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
About the author
Zack Mason
13 books17 followersZack Mason loves the art of the word and the thrill of discovery.
He has served in leadership in a variety of Christian ministries for almost twenty years. He is currently the Executive Director of SOF Ministries, an international missions agency that has conducted work in Central America, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and even the United States.
He has a passion for history, languages, travel, and, of course,
books.
He currently resides with his family outside Atlanta, GA and plans
to continue writing for as long as he is allowed to do so.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 20, 2012
I get it, finding people who want to read your stuff is harder, getting them to keep buying isn't always easy but what this writer did is complete BS.
Until I got to 'the end' I would have maybe given this 3 stars, I sure as heck wouldn't have given it a 5 star. It was an interesting concept but like so many concepts the execution fell slightly short mainly having doing to do with the voice or lack there of. And with it only being a 3 star review I wouldn't have posted it, I would have shrugged by shoulders and moved onto the next one. I really only post 1 or stars for the most part, if I really feel the need to post a review ever.But when I get to 'the end' of the book and it doesn't truly end but leaves a complete cliff hanger this is just so very wrong to do a reader.
Until I got to 'the end' I would have maybe given this 3 stars, I sure as heck wouldn't have given it a 5 star. It was an interesting concept but like so many concepts the execution fell slightly short mainly having doing to do with the voice or lack there of. And with it only being a 3 star review I wouldn't have posted it, I would have shrugged by shoulders and moved onto the next one. I really only post 1 or stars for the most part, if I really feel the need to post a review ever.But when I get to 'the end' of the book and it doesn't truly end but leaves a complete cliff hanger this is just so very wrong to do a reader.
August 15, 2013
Disappointed. The story itself wasn't so bad, but this volume is merely the introduction to a longer story. It has no end; it just stops.
Skip the Prologue. It awkwardly fills you in on backstory that should have been melded into the main story.
Marines will tell you there's no such thing as an "ex-marine."
Likewise, one doesn't just "resign" from the Army, much less from Delta force.
Even freed slaves with money couldn't just buy passage out of Georgia in 1863.
Not a bad story. Needed a little work on the storytelling and a more satisfying end to "Book 1".
Skip the Prologue. It awkwardly fills you in on backstory that should have been melded into the main story.
Marines will tell you there's no such thing as an "ex-marine."
Likewise, one doesn't just "resign" from the Army, much less from Delta force.
Even freed slaves with money couldn't just buy passage out of Georgia in 1863.
Not a bad story. Needed a little work on the storytelling and a more satisfying end to "Book 1".
October 18, 2012
It's a pity, because I enjoyed the story, but then the book just stopped without any kind of proper ending. There was no resolution of the storyline. It's not really a book. It's the first part of a book. It seems like a cheap ploy to get you to buy more books. At least in the "Hunger Games" and "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series, each book could stand on its own. Not so with "Shift." I'm seriously disappointed and won't be reading the other two installments in the trilogy unless I can get them free from the library.
February 8, 2012
In a split second Mark Carpen lost his children, it took a bit longer to loose everything else and instead of loosing his soul and his sanity he takes to the woods of Georgia to get well and truly lost. While on his self imposed isolation he comes upon a strange watch like apparatus and is thrown literally for a loop when he discovers it enables the wearer to shift time. The discovery enables Mark to come back to society a different man, with new goals and the money to accomplish them and he soon learns to use the device to right wrongs, when the ultimate right is set before him the obstacles refuse to give way and his children remain gone. He is eventually joined by fellow shifters who will accompany him in his altruistic quest. But there is also a malevolent force trying to put an end not only to Mark’s humanitarian mission but to Mark and his partner’s lives as well. And so a circular cause and effects begin as the villain tries to hamper Mark and Mark and his friends try to stop him. Will good overcome evil or will evil win the day.
I love science fiction and especially alternate history but I’m also very particular in what I like and I loved this novel. Zack Mason gives his reader an imaginative, inventive, highly electrifying adrenaline filled novel, he fills it with characters that will not soon be forgotten and a protagonist that you can’t help but root for, cry with and empathize with in all his struggles, his triumphs and his pain. His villain(s) is someone you wouldn’t mind seeing under the tire of a very large truck as he goes around maligning Mark, his work and his associates. The dialogue is easy to follow, easy to read and is happily short on foul-language and shows his audience that you can have a great read without four letter words. The narrative is very intense and will give the reader a clear picture in their mind. If you like Science Fiction and are looking for a new author give Zack Mason a try, you won’t be sorry, If you liked the alternative history of Stephen King’s 11/22/62 or Harry Turtledove’s Supervolcano Eruption you will like this novel as well.
Thank you Mr. Mason for this wonderful read and I can’t wait to read Chase the next installment in the trilogy due out sometime in Spring 2012.
I love science fiction and especially alternate history but I’m also very particular in what I like and I loved this novel. Zack Mason gives his reader an imaginative, inventive, highly electrifying adrenaline filled novel, he fills it with characters that will not soon be forgotten and a protagonist that you can’t help but root for, cry with and empathize with in all his struggles, his triumphs and his pain. His villain(s) is someone you wouldn’t mind seeing under the tire of a very large truck as he goes around maligning Mark, his work and his associates. The dialogue is easy to follow, easy to read and is happily short on foul-language and shows his audience that you can have a great read without four letter words. The narrative is very intense and will give the reader a clear picture in their mind. If you like Science Fiction and are looking for a new author give Zack Mason a try, you won’t be sorry, If you liked the alternative history of Stephen King’s 11/22/62 or Harry Turtledove’s Supervolcano Eruption you will like this novel as well.
Thank you Mr. Mason for this wonderful read and I can’t wait to read Chase the next installment in the trilogy due out sometime in Spring 2012.
April 8, 2017
One of the best time travel books I've ever read. It handles a lot of the questions I've often wondered such as: period money, clothes and language. I'm currently reading teh second in the series and all other books are on hold until I finish the third and final installment. If you enjoy sci-fi/time travel/alternate universe books, this series is for you. I found Shift for free on Amazon (Kindle format) and picked up on a whim and was immediately hooked. As soon as I finished Shift I bought the next book and am getting ready to buy the third as well. Shift leaves you hanging and you will not be satisfied leaving the story where it ends and will have to move on through the series. I like for series to be able to stand alone so that you could start or finish wherever you wanted. Mason is up front in letting you know that you will not be able to do that with these books. I read somewhere that this was one big book that he had to break up into three parts. That explains why they seem to lean on one another for support. That's fine with me. I'm really enjoying the ride.
February 3, 2013
This is a hard review to write. I thought the book was excellent and well written. The story lines really grabs you and pulls you in, but I am so sick of authors not finishing their stories I want to scream. This book should start with a big warning telling the reader before they begin that nothing will be resolved and when you finish the book you'll have to spend more money to actually find out what. Ahappens in the plot line. This one is worse than most others because it ends at the height of the confrontation. The least Mr. Mason c ould have done was have the decency to finish the story he started.
August 25, 2014
Though bland in tone probably due to Mason's religious overtones, this was nevertheless an interesting idea, if confusingly played. I'd be interested to read the next not so much to find out what happens to the characters but how the author resolves things, which is probably not the best motivation for wanting to buy a book!
Phrases like "dad-blamed", "Can I he’p you", and the other colloquialisms, as much as they were intended to provide authenticity simply annoyed me by their overuse, and the vapidity of Carpen and his band quickly palled. I enjoyed it for the possibilities afforded by the technology but it's not writing I can say is either inspiring nor particularly well-handled.
Phrases like "dad-blamed", "Can I he’p you", and the other colloquialisms, as much as they were intended to provide authenticity simply annoyed me by their overuse, and the vapidity of Carpen and his band quickly palled. I enjoyed it for the possibilities afforded by the technology but it's not writing I can say is either inspiring nor particularly well-handled.
February 11, 2012
This is a complex what if you could change time book. It is full of twists and turns and leaves us with a cliffhanger. I really enjoyed it but now I am stuck in the book wondering what is going to happens next. The next book comes out in April. Dang!
November 4, 2018
It started with a few questionable grammatical errors, but the story was interesting enough. The character was a little flawed, seeming like a character instead of an actual person. However, it was a solid 3/5 star read, I was enjoying it for the most part. Until I came across the section in the 1860s. That was when the author's strong political views crept onto the pages and infected the story. I got through that chapter by the skin of my teeth, but it was too late, the infection had spread, and now the next chapter was filled with the same questionable and inaccurate beliefs and false "facts." This became a political statement with unbelievable characters and grammatical errors and went from a "Decent 3/5 star book," to a disappointing 1-star DNF.
September 5, 2018
Local author and good guy. Fun Story, goes very fast. When you are used to King or Koontz and a very deliberate story telling style, this sometimes seems rushed. However, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next two installments
July 10, 2019
Trite
Character motivations are nonsense. The book has no ending, just a stopping point. It’s not worth the expense or the effort to read what silly developments transpire next. Don’t start the series.
Character motivations are nonsense. The book has no ending, just a stopping point. It’s not worth the expense or the effort to read what silly developments transpire next. Don’t start the series.
December 31, 2018
There was a loooot I didn't like, but it was alright. Doubt I'll read the sequels despite the ending. I'm just not into it, the writing style, or the characters' attitudes.
June 27, 2012
Zack Mason’s first book in the Chronoshift Trilogy is a fast moving book you can’t put down. The reader will do whatever it takes to find out what’s next and to learn more about the mysteries of the story. Doing “whatever” to find out what happens next includes: staying up late, getting up early, ignoring your kids, and reading at funerals. The reader of Shift is in luck, though, because the second book in the trilogy (Chase) is now available making it possible to continue the ride.
This book is well written and fun. It has all the elements of action and adventure that any fan of thriller fiction will enjoy, but is clean enough to be read by everyone without worry. I highly recommend this book by Zack Mason, and suggest buying this book and the next book – CHASE - in the trilogy, or you’ll be stuck anxiously waiting for the other one to arrive in the mail. This is a very fun story.
This book is well written and fun. It has all the elements of action and adventure that any fan of thriller fiction will enjoy, but is clean enough to be read by everyone without worry. I highly recommend this book by Zack Mason, and suggest buying this book and the next book – CHASE - in the trilogy, or you’ll be stuck anxiously waiting for the other one to arrive in the mail. This is a very fun story.
September 19, 2012
This is not a stand-alone book. It is the first of a trilogy and just ends with everything wide open. I generally dislike that (did not like it here).
I'd actually already forgotten what I was going to write about it, and had to look at Amazon to get the description, to bring it back in mind.
One big negative is his constant use of cliches, or writing that which is heard/read often.
The basic concept of the book does well in creating interest. But he sort of dwells on a story line here, then there, which tends to reduce the tension and forward momentum.
I debated about reading the next, mostly because it is not in the public ebook collection (yet), nor free from Amazon. So I'm debating if they're worth buying. I would like to see where he takes it, but not sure what it's worth to me.
I would suggest it be read, because there is originality in how the protagonist handles his new found toys. Just be prepared for the story to be softened by what I've already mentioned.
I'd actually already forgotten what I was going to write about it, and had to look at Amazon to get the description, to bring it back in mind.
One big negative is his constant use of cliches, or writing that which is heard/read often.
The basic concept of the book does well in creating interest. But he sort of dwells on a story line here, then there, which tends to reduce the tension and forward momentum.
I debated about reading the next, mostly because it is not in the public ebook collection (yet), nor free from Amazon. So I'm debating if they're worth buying. I would like to see where he takes it, but not sure what it's worth to me.
I would suggest it be read, because there is originality in how the protagonist handles his new found toys. Just be prepared for the story to be softened by what I've already mentioned.
July 16, 2012
Shift keeps you on the edge of your seat from the moment you pick it up. It's a time-travel thriller but not so much that it would put off the non-sci-fi crowd. This is the first in a trilogy. The 2nd book is just as good, and I'm waiting for #3 with baited breath. What's unique about this book? Well first, it explores time travel with a level of detail and intricacy that I've never seen any other author do, and yet it's still quite easy to follow along. Next, it explores time travel "gocha's" scenarios which most authors have been afraid to touch. Finally, it's an entertaining read and is more of a thriller than sci-fi despite what you might think. The same applies to book 2 (Chase).
December 3, 2016
I love this book! It was great fun with a refreshing twist on time travel. All in all a very enjoyable, entertaining read. Highly recommended!
Update: I was having trouble finding a book that held my interest so decided to reread this series. I just finished the first two books in the ChronoShift series (Shift & Chase) and am now reading the 3rd (Turn). I found that ChronoShift is just as entertaining and fresh the second time around. This has become one of my favourite series and it will have a place on my bookshelf along side my other favourite authors, Stephen King, Blake Crouch & Joe McKinney. Time to check out more books from Zack Mason.
Update: I was having trouble finding a book that held my interest so decided to reread this series. I just finished the first two books in the ChronoShift series (Shift & Chase) and am now reading the 3rd (Turn). I found that ChronoShift is just as entertaining and fresh the second time around. This has become one of my favourite series and it will have a place on my bookshelf along side my other favourite authors, Stephen King, Blake Crouch & Joe McKinney. Time to check out more books from Zack Mason.
August 17, 2014
Ugh. Just Ugh. The back cover hook: "What happens in a world where a man who's lost everything finds a time travel device..." lasts for about 10 minutes and then the story just starts rambling on and on and on.
There's no plot, just a long stream of events. The characters have no depth. The villain is completely arbitrary. The events are arbitrary. It's just a lot of words and no real content. The only thing memorable about this book is the premise.
The saving grace was that it reads so fast, I only lost a few precious nights of reading time to this. There's just as much time travel "theory" in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Don't waste the time on this title.
There's no plot, just a long stream of events. The characters have no depth. The villain is completely arbitrary. The events are arbitrary. It's just a lot of words and no real content. The only thing memorable about this book is the premise.
The saving grace was that it reads so fast, I only lost a few precious nights of reading time to this. There's just as much time travel "theory" in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Don't waste the time on this title.
April 7, 2016
I've read millons upon millions of HP fanfic. What does that have to do with this book? Well, you see, my guilty pleasure is overpowered Harry, Manipulative Dumbledore.
This book, especially on the side of Mark in the first half, hits the right buttons, it reminds me of a well written OP Harry fanfic, with a dash of Doctor Who in it.
There's some minor plot holes and logic issues in it, and it really doesn't have a proper ending, leading right into the sequel. I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay $4 for the sequel, but maybe if it was a dollar. Its a everyday decent sci fi book that's sort of cliche, but enjoyable nonetheless, at least for me.
This book, especially on the side of Mark in the first half, hits the right buttons, it reminds me of a well written OP Harry fanfic, with a dash of Doctor Who in it.
There's some minor plot holes and logic issues in it, and it really doesn't have a proper ending, leading right into the sequel. I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay $4 for the sequel, but maybe if it was a dollar. Its a everyday decent sci fi book that's sort of cliche, but enjoyable nonetheless, at least for me.
August 14, 2012
This story was just too "out there" for me. I won't be reading the other 2 books in the series, got this one free. People shifting from one time to another, the beginning was interesting, but toward the end it just got too sci-fi for me, seemed everybody could shift from one place to another, didn't make sense.
November 7, 2013
I liked it - fun, fast read. I might fork over the $8 to get the other two. It doesn't bother me that the book didn't end. It was free! And the other two aren't very expensive. It's a good story and worth the hours of my time it took to ship it.
December 21, 2014
/shift in/ just finished this trilogy. You can serge improvement of the plot over the time covered by the books. Couple of hiccups, but regardless a solid and stimulating story line. Really glad this was recommended to me. /shift out/ Surprisingly enjoyable. An intelligent play with time travel.
September 14, 2012
loved it
September 9, 2012
Started well and the concept of time travel was good.
September 16, 2012
Time Travel book not what I'd normally read but thoroughly enjoyed it, roll on next part which I will read.
October 7, 2012
interesting premise from a writer who could use some editing. difficult to get through the prose simply because it just wasn't concise andclear. I will continue to the second book in the series.
September 23, 2012
I got this as a free Kindle book, then found it was the 1st of a series of 3. Found it interesting enough, I bought the other two. Time-travel science fiction with a Christian influence.
April 17, 2013
Very interesting. Trying to figure out how the author can keep up with all the time travel is mind boggling. I will continue the series.
June 6, 2013
interesting, but disappointed that the story doesn't end with this book.
April 5, 2014
Started out well but fell off path. Disappointed me in the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews