Time Enough to Say Goodbye

by P.T. Dilloway

Eighteen months ago Dr. Emma Earl took up the mantle of the Scarlet Knight and saved the world. Now comes an even deadlier threat in the form of a young woman with the power to alter time and her mysterious partner known as the Watchmaker. In order to prevent them from unleashing hell on Earth, Emma will have to sacrifice the people she cares about the most.

ebook

First published December 13, 2012

About the author

P.T. Dilloway has been a writer for most of his life. He completed his first story in third grade and received an ‘A’ for the assignment. Around that time he also placed in a local writing contest for a television station, receiving an action figure in lieu of a trophy, thus securing his love with the written word.
Two of P.T.'s novels are already indie published. "Where You Belong" is the heartwarming story of a man in search of himself and his place in the world. "Virgin Territory" is a suspenseful tale of a man who finds love from beyond the grave. He’s also indie published a volume of short stories collectively titled "The Carnival Papers". His superhero novel "A Hero's Journey" was published October 2012. He also contributed to the flash fiction anthology "We Are Now" with Neil Vogler and Sean Craven in December 2012.

When not writing, P.T. enjoys reading and photographing Michigan’s many lighthouses. In order to pay the bills, he earned an accounting degree from Saginaw Valley State University in 2000 and for the past ten years has worked as a payroll accountant in Detroit. He lives in suburban Detroit, where he continues to work on new writing projects.

Reviews

[Michael Offutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid sequel to the first Scarlet Knight book, "A Hero's Journey." In thinking about this novel in particular, I describe it as a cross between the serious brooding Dark Knight reinvented by Christopher Nolan and the occult-noir DC/Vertigo big screen adaptation of “Constantine.” For some reason, I often picture Rachel Weisz in the role of Dr. Emma Earl (she was in “Constantine” but made her splash in “The Mummy.” Dr. Emma Earl (a.k.a. The Scarlet Knight) has got cool weapons and armor to overcome the villains of the story, but when left without, she’s equally as resourceful as Evelyn was in “The Mummy” movies (I loved all but number 3). I also want to compliment Patrick on giving us real world characters. For example, Becky (Emma’s best friend) is a fat woman who drinks too much, has no idea what an “inside voice” really means, and lacks a lot of class. But she has a big heart and after spending some time with her, I got the impression that the tough exterior is a truthful representation of how people turn out when life continuously deals them nothing but lemons.

The dialogue is a bit heavy on what I perceive as melodrama. However, this could appeal to some, and I think it works in comic book situations. I could imagine Tim Burton as an ideal director for a movie adaptation of Patrick’s book. The bad guy of the story is The Watchmaker. He makes for a very convincing demon who plans to do some diabolical things to Rampart City. But he (like many other comic book villains) makes the mistake of monologuing. Those who may want scarier/grosser kinds of demons like Pinhead from Hellraiser will not find this in the Watchmaker. However, fans of the overly clever demon like those seen in the television series “Supernatural” or for that matter played by Mark Sheppard as Crowley will LOVE this.

As usual, Patrick’s plotting is superb. I think the climax is action-packed, fantastic, and something you can’t put down. The temporal mechanics of time travel are original and well-done; I’ve never seen any superpower quite like the one Marie wields in any story. Marie Marsh is incredibly powerful, and I wonder if we'll see her again at some point. It almost seems inevitable, and I think of her as a "Dr. Who" of this series at this point. Fans of the Time Lords should rejoice!

I’m glad to see the author using a diverse cast as well. The series has been pretty white-washed thus far, and I hope we see more of the Japanese witch who makes her first appearance in this book.

I recommend “Time Enough” for fans of time travel, for fans of well-written comic books, and for those who appreciate an intelligent and heroic female lead. I found myself drawn to the tortuous decision that Marie Marsh has to face: the idea of losing a child. It could be that others will experience similar sympathetic resonance because of Marie’s motherly love toward Veronica (which becomes heart-breaking). Indeed, there never is enough time to say goodbye, when goodbye means forever.

I give this book four stars instead of five, because Marie dominates the storyline so much. I wanted the Scarlet Knight to be front and center. However, Emma does get plenty of space in this tale. And in the end, it’s the Scarlet Knight that saves Rampart City from the powers of Hell, and who saves Marie from making a decision she will live to regret.

You would be wise to purchase this book.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best sequel ever!