The Line

by William L.J. Galaini

Suspended in the nothing between timelines, the station Janus is an unseen marvel; the greatest technological achievement in human innovation. From Janus, a hand-selected team of historians and engineers incur into the past and observe history unseen and unnoticed. Their mission; observe and verify human history first hand.

The team’s investigation, however, yields radical and horrifying results and they discover that they are not alone. Another time-traveler, one of ghostly presence and elegant brutality, is enacting its own code of justice on past atrocities

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Time Travel

368 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2012

About the author

If you like my reviews, you'll like my books!

Reviews

[Rick Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as part of the Goodreads/Firstreads promotion.

This was my first and so far only book I've received as a Firstreads giveaway and I'm really glad that I did because otherwise I'd have missed out on a great story. I'm a sci-fi nut and this book was right in my wheelhouse. It's a well written piece of science fiction that doesn't weigh down the story with too much science, big words about elaborate scientific "stuff", and other nonsense that makes some sci-fi novels read more like a textbook and less like fiction. Here you're given a Cliff's Notes version of the science-y parts that are integral to the story and from there the focus is on the story. And what a great read that story is.

I read some of the other reviews that were written about this book prior to coming here to write my own to see what others felt about the book and to see if I could bring something new to the table about the book that had not been said. A couple of reviewers, my sister being one, said that they felt as if they were reading 2 separate books that tie together at the end. I personally do not feel that way. I feel that Mr. Galaini did what any good baseball pitcher would do and that is to set you up for the curveball. He has things rolling along at a good pace like, keeping with the baseball analogy, a pitcher throwing fastballs that are in a straight line and you think you know where they are going. Then, out of nowhere, there is a curveball that you didn't see coming. It's not that the second half of the book is a different story, it's just that the first part was the setup. It's like a magician waving his hands around extravagantly to keep your eyes focused where he wants them so you don't see the magic occur. You just see the outcome and are like "wow." To me that is a sign of a great writer because so many things from books to movies are so predictable today. I believe that Mr. Galaini has bright future ahead of him if he can keep delivering books that are as imaginative as this one. I'll definitely pick up some of his other books to see if they are as good as this. I'm a fan now.

I loved how my favorite character from the beginning of the book turned out to be the main focus of the story. The motivations and reasons this person ends up doing what they do are well laid out. Those motivations are sometimes lacking in modern media that you're left wondering for yourself why a character reacts and does certain things.

I don't have the book in front of me as I write this so I can't remember the cover artist's name, but he did a tremendous job with the art. I really liked the little art gallery at the end of the book. The art was such a unique accompaniment to the story that I could almost see what a graphic novelization of this would look like. I guess that is just the comic fanboy in me coming out.

Now, after giving Mr. Galaini praise, I have to point out a few shortcomings. I noticed a couple grammatical errors. One such error occurs somewhere in the neighborhood of page 170 (I wish I had the book in front of me.) The lines reads something like "she let her hands rested on him." Whereas, it should have been either "she rested her hands on him" or "she let her hands rest on him." That's not the exact sentence but as close as I can come from memory. I know that that is kinda nitpicking because he's a self publishing author and that is something an editor or even proof reader should catch. Also, there was a discrepancy with a couple conversations between 2 female characters about one of the women's husbands. Early in the story it is stated by one character that the other woman had 4 husbands. Later the person that knew the second lady had 4 husbands is surprised to hear that she even had a third one. It's like the 2 stories got switched around somehow. Lastly, Mr. Galaini said in the art section at the end of the book that he chose the artist because of the artist's southern accent. Well, someone from the south and a lover of southern accents should know that Willie Nelson's name is not spelled "Willy Nelson" as it is in this book. Sorry Mr. Galaini. I had to bust your chops for that last mistake.

The few minor mistakes in this book didn't take away from the story or the enjoyment of said story. Like I said above, most all of the mistakes could be caught with the help of an editor or proof reader. I'll definitely recommend this book to any people that are sci-fi fans. If you're not into sci-fi, you probably aren't reading this review anyway.

[Jaime · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a giveaway; in return I offer my honest review. I am eternally grateful for the chance to read this book, and regardless of how I felt about it in the end, I’m glad I read it. I really, really, really wanted to like this book; I wanted to give it five stars, but after reading and considerable though, I simply can’t.

This is not a book for beginner sci-fi readers. This book is for people who are established sci-fi fans who have already read/watched crazy science fiction before and won’t be turned off by the contents of this tale.

To begin with, the plot of this story is really good. It had such great potential. In Sci-fi, time travel is a common plotline and it’s often done badly, but this plot was pretty well done compared to others. This plot was genuinely interesting, but because of the some other issues, I feel this book could have been better. Unfortunately for me, the story line doesn’t really heat up until about page 107. That is where I began to feel invested in the storyline.

However, where the story is interesting, the characters are two-dimensional and I couldn’t connect with any of them. There was a lot of room for character development—I would have loved to see some of that. Wyatt’s character was interesting, there was so much more room to make him likeable, but like all the other characters, I didn’t care about him in the end.

In the beginning of the story, the language is clunky in ways that interrupts the flow of the narrative. The characters were speaking so formal to each other saying things like “it is” instead of “it’s.” Real people don’t talk like that, and that simple act of non-contraction continually reminded how flat they were. This is something authors do a lot. And it’s easily forgiven, just something for a writer to remember next time. And by the middle of the book, the language style had changed—there was marked improvement and I applaud the author for that.

Now onto my biggest qualm: Mary. Mary is so totally unlikeable that the only thing that kept me going was how fascinating I found the plot. Mary comes off as a brat; she is obnoxious in a way that even I don’t quite understand—she just rubbed me the wrong way, and maybe that’s my fault? But I could not like her no matter how much I wanted to.

Mary is the Xeno, which means she is both the main protagonist as well as the main antagonist. Here is where Mary becomes absolutely unbearable. And when she becomes the Xeno, she goes into the Beta Line and starts altering time by punishing bad people. And I am not, in any way saying that these people don’t deserve to see justice, but when Mary kills the wife of Roy Bryant to make some kind of point. That’s not justice, that’s evil. Mary hovers in this strange void that isn’t anti-hero, or protagonist, or villain. She is simply her name sake, Xeno. Stranger. An unlikeable, woman playing judge, jury, executioner, and god.

I would give this author another chance, because the plot was interesting and I am truly glad for the chance to read this book.I wanted to like it. But in the end, it was a sci-fi horror made for someone other than me.

[Kayla Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not much on science fiction, but the premise of this book had me interested, and I am definitely glad I gave this book a chance.

It’s crazy wonderful in the ideas it presents because I found a lot of the time I was listening, I was pondering things about the ideas of the multiverse and parallel universe. In this audiobook, we are introduced to a group of scientists who have perfected traveling to other universes, ones that they call “beta lines” to see if and how it affects their own line, known as the “alpha” line, or so Mary believes. When she finds out the truth about the mission, that it’s all a design to steal weapons from the future, she is upset.

From there, things start to go downhill until she is the only one left alive on her mission. Alone in space, she comes to a startling realization and embraces it with open arms.

In a lot of ways, I love that the plot followed the scheme of the hero’s journey, but my favorite part about it was when it strayed. For instance, it is typical for the hero of the story to deny any darkness within them, but after her experience, Mary embraced it with open arms, becoming the future that she was shocked to find out was hers.

Very cool listen.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

[Duncan Swann · Rating 1 out of 5]

OOooooooft.

pros:

- cool jacket
- starts off fine with a very cool premise "what if someone could change history?"

Cons:

- language is a bit average, typical self-pubbed but good enough to keep me reading.
- A weird Black fetishism. It's all about enacting social justice and 4 of the historical events are US based racial grievances (Till, Tulsa, a lynching and the KKK). There's a line about the MC having a black person inside her...it's just kinda weird.
- weird festishism for ice cream, chess and watching movies. These things are repeated AD NAUSEUM through most of the book.
- perspective: from about halfway the book reveals what will happen and sticks with the main character Mary, which is frankly boring with a premise like this.
- Magus, the other character, is even more boring that the self righteous Mary. Together they have banal dialogue where Mary is the perfect Brawn and Magus is the perfect Brain.
- the action in the last third of the book is pure pornography

This book could have been really good if there were more perspectives, perhaps the US gov trying to get control of the station back. Also the idea that the incursions into the timeline make the bad people believe in their ideals MORE is not explored anywhere near enough and should have been the focus of the book rather than a tepid 'twist' at the end.

EDIT: I got this book below 4.0 with my rating, nice

[Chris Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for the Reading Bud.

Plot | Story

The plot is an interesting mix of time travel and alternate realities. In the not too distant future, mankind has developed the ability to travel through time. The catch however, is that travel can only take place through the timelines of "adjacent" realities, ones which shouldn't differ all that much from our own. The team sent to investigate soon finds out however that they aren't the only explorers in this timeline, and that the Xeno, as they call it seem more interested in righteous retribution than stealthy observation. Conflict soon arises as the team tries to evaluate what their response to the Xeno should be, and what consequences there could be for their own timeline.

At the half waypoint of the book, the plot shifts abruptly. A new character is introduced, and from there, the action increases and the pace accelerates until we reach the conclusion. Mixed in with this are secret missions, hidden orders and motivations and advanced technologies. There are questions asked about the inevitability of actions and whether or not, time really can be changed. I quite enjoyed the plot, it wasn't predicable (I didn't see the plot twist coming), and the sci fi was just detailed enough to keep the story going without going so far that the immersion could have been broken.

Characters

The story isn't too heavy on characters. There are six members of the team on Janus Station, and one non-human main character. The characters are lightly sketched out, some more so than others, but we learn enough about them to understand their basic personalities and motivations. We spent a little time with most of the main characters, before switching to the POV of the main character for the second half of the book. The main protagonist Mary is a bit more fleshed out, which makes sense given that we spent most of the novel with her, but some decisions seem a little rushed. She's a little quick to rush into some actions which are morally questionable, but it's not wholly inconsistent with her character that she do so.

The best character by far however, is introduced halfway through the story. This is a non human character, attempting to make sense of the human world, and desperately seeking connections. You really do feel for this character, which is amazing considering what he is. He certainly provided a nice balance to the main protagonist forcing her to evaluate her actions while simultaneously reminding her of her own humanity.

Romance

All romance here is relegated to back story, or existed only as potential. One of the relations does play a small part in how the ending is resolved, but isn't really relevant for the majority of the story.

Writing

For the first half of the book, the POV is that of the various Janus team members, as they try to figure out the mystery of the Xeno and what implications this has on their mission. After an unexpected plot twist, we switch to the POV of the main protagonist, as she attempts to deal with the fall out and implications of this plot twist. I quite liked the plot twist, although the implications of it seemed to be accepted by the characters a little too readily.

With regards to writing style, the technology of the Janus station and how the inhabitants time travel is described in just enough detail so that the reader can understand what is going on, without devolving into technobabble. The action scenes are also described well, particularly with how the outclassed Janus team members deal with the superior technology and abilities of the Xeno.

There are a few jarring moments in the book. The transition between scenes in the beginning does leave the reader rather confused as to what type of book they are in for, while some of the actions of the Xeno appears a little gratuitous based on knowledge gained later in the book. One of the characters (Ingrid) appears only to exist to make up the numbers, with very little of her personality revealed compared to the others.

Beginning

There's a distinct mood swing in the beginning as we go from a flashback to the main characters engagement (and ensuing coitus) to the investigation of a particularly bloody attack of a child solder camp in Africa. It's a tad confusing to say the least, as this scene doesn't really seem to relate much to the rest of the plot, and even in retrospect probably isn't the best starting point. Luckily, after the first two scenes, we switch to Janus station itself where we start to learn more about the station, it's capabilities and it's current inhabitants.

Ending

All the plot points come together quite satisfyingly in the end. The conflict between the Janus team and the Xeno is finally resolved, with the remainder of ending talking about the implications on the timelines. The epilogue was satisfying, wrapping up some of the loose ends, and making sense of the opening scene (although not to the point that the story wouldn't have been better off starting another way.

Cover Art

I liked the cover art, it was a suitably sci-fi looking image of the main antagonist, in retrospect hinting at the plot, but without giving anything away.

Blurb

The blurb lets you know exactly what you're getting into, without giving away too much, so it does it's job.

Other Stuff

Opening line: "Mary wasn't certain what woke her up".

Highlights: Interesting spin on standard sci-fi tropes. Fascinating non-human character. Plot twist was unexpected.

Lowlights: Somewhat confusing start. Inevitability of actions accepted just a little too readily.

Final Thoughts:

A highly enjoyable read, well worth checking out if you're looking for a slightly different spin on your typical time travelling or alternative universe tale.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"To exist with intention."
Six people - four men and two women - living together in the close proximity of the very secret Janus station, their common cause to really see history as it was made. They've been there together already for over three months, will be together for a total of four years, all being well. But back on earth, when returned, only three months will have passed. Because Janus is no ordinary space station: it lies between two time streams, the Alpha, which is their own reality, and the Beta, so similar it is almost identical, allowing two of the travellers to be bounced back in time to a specified date and actually see and record what happened in the past. They are observers only, historical archivists, until something strange appears, anomalies, in the time line as if it is deliberately being altered. But how, and why, and by whom?

This well written book is almost in two parts. The first introduces the crew, their station home, what and how they are doing and follows several of the jumps. The characterisation emerges slowly through their conversations and interaction. Then something crucial happens and everything changes and the latter part of the book becomes noticeably more violent. There are occasional horror moments dotted throughout, short in duration but unpleasant. It is skillfully done, holding the reader's attention and curiosity. Narrator, Allyson Cooper enhances this with her reading, paced slightly more slowly and blandly informative, when reading the text, to giving full character differences in voicing of the several protagonists. A very good performance throughout, despite the occasional odd word pronunciation.

Time travel stories can be difficult if more than the simple Time Machine visits of H.G.Wells, and often feel unfulfilling on completion. There are some areas here that don't feel quite right, but for the most part The Line delivers an excellent, and rounded, story. And the getting there is superb: some techy stuff, but in bite sized pieces so that it never becomes overwhelming but simply adds weight and understanding to the tale. My profound thanks to the rights holder, who, at my request via Audiobook Boom, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy. The author, William Galaini, has been added to my watch list and I recommend this book to anyone at all interested in time travel, S.F. and any others who enjoy adventure stories with a side of social psychology.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun. There were so many places where it could have broken down, but it was written really well and the plot held up. Time travel is difficult and can easily be screwed up. Nothing stood out to me that gave me pause, however. The characters were well written and I wanted the best for them even though I knew there was little to no chance of that happening. I got more invested in the unfolding of the story the further along I got which surprised me a little. Mags was great. The ending was good. I kind of thought that it needed to end that way. The only issue I had was the way it was narrated.

This story was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.

[John Roguetech · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a decent writer and the main character was interesting enough. The plot started out well, and I enjoyed the premise of using actual history rather than the sanitized version found in school rooms. Unfortunately, minor plot-holes in the story-line continued to replicate and expand to monumental proportions. Some of the plot-holes I could overlook as perhaps being an intentional dark portrayal of twisted human-nature, but by the end, I was more gratified that it was over than disappointed with the ending.

[M.J. Sewall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting time travel take. The devices and system was well designed. The characters were a little flat. I never felt fully invested in them, except with Mary. And then her choices seemed inconsistent. Well written, with great description – especially of the violence and lab dissections. Also, some beautiful turns of phrase – “like dark lava from a sacrificial volcano” – nice! Audiobook had a very good narrator.

[Deedra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure what I was expecting,but this wasn't it.It started out very violently.Unimaginable cruelty.Then people skipping time.I couldn't keep things straight. Allyson Voller was a good narrator. I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

He used to be my seventh grade English Honors teacher!

[MrsK Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the futuristic station of Janus, a recent discovery had put everyone on edge. It's one thing to be discovering history through "unseen" incursions and quite another "expedition" when faced with an evil that is wielding chaos throughout time. The assignment is a five year mission surveying the differences between time lines (Earth's and Beta's). The expectation would be maybe of few "irregularities" because of "inaccurate historical data." What was found will prove even more frightening than war itself. There are more than "big discrepancies," there are "entire generations" missing, instead of a continuum that mirrors each other... certain events have "drastic" differences.

Meet the Janus crew:
Mary is an Humanities major. She is the archival historian for Janus. Back home she studied Ballet and is very graceful in her movements. She contemplates the reasons for all human inter actions and she cares deeply about justice.

Ingrid is no nonsense about her discernment's, her "controller" duties, and the complexity of "leaping between time lines." She is passionate about following protocol and making sure all are safe without altering the Alpha or the Beta timelines. She is the driving force for everything running smoothly, every detail of life aboard Janus is under her supervision, including the pantry. Calculated chess moves are entertaining, so winning has little to do with the games.

Wyatt is a trained vet, he is unassuming, quietly an alert observer, and the one "jumper" who is overly concerned about the inhumane "vigilante" which is wreaking havoc within the timelines. His one solace from home is a rocking chair, his guitar, and peaceful melodies.

Rupert is a trained "jumper" who can disarm or defuse any situation with a smile.

Jack is a mathematical genius, as well as the Janus pool-hall champion.

"Gus" Gustavo is Janus' commander, medic, PR man, and their link to home. He plots out the "fractures," locations, and dates. Data driven, he will be the mediator for their concerns, their fears, and their ideas.

Evil/Xeno a tall, lean, and muscled faceless time-tormentor. With golden eyes it scans for any survivors. It appears to have a strong "social justice" motive for time traveling and "snuffing out certain events in history." Technologically advanced and equipped with a WWII German flame-thrower ... it is steals into history and attacks.

There are many "unforeseen" twists and turns as the story progresses. Not every mission began once the crew was chosen. What is behind the one locked door? Were there any incursions into the future, and if so why? Will an execution shut down Janus' mission? Who or what is Magus Kami? Why does Wyatt solo an incursion once Rupert is in need of medical attention?

With a shout out to the author, The Line is a wonderful read partly due to the crafting of a well woven story line and partially due to the authentic word choice (it can be disastrous using unknown "technical terms for a reader when terms are used and there is no detailed connectors to our everyday life). These characters have comfortable personalities. Janus and all historical time frames are realistic, specific, and honed to perfection (every sense is activated). Discussions are perfected with wit and seasoned with friendly sarcasm (there are a few sexual innuendos and content, as well as cursing). As for the finally... spoiler alert... I'm still in shock!

This was a fantastic journey, an unexpected discovery, and a definite "must share."
Journeying beyond the known into the unknown... be willing to "suit up" for this incursion...
MrsK http://mrskbookstogo.blogspot.com/

[N.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

On board Janus - a research station located in between time lines - a group of scientists, historians, mathematicians, and soldiers observes historical events on what is known (only to them) as the Beta line. When they discover discrepancies between their own history and that of the Beta line, they discover that someone else has discovered time travel; someone who is using it to wreck havoc with history and its own sense of justice.

That's nearly what you would read in the back cover of this novel, but I found out that the description only covers about the first half of the novel. I would continue that by saying: "When one last jump into the Beta line triggers an unexpected event aboard Janus, the identity of the mysterious time-traveler is revealed and they discover that neither the past nor the future can be changed."

"The Line" by William Galaini is an interesting novel dealing with the concept of time travel. The idea of using time travel to see observe history is similar to a young adult series known as "The Guardians of Time" by Marianne Curley while the second half of the novel reminds me of the movie Alien. There doesn't seem to be a straightforward plot to this novel. When you begin, you think it's pretty straightforward and it was quite interesting as such. And then there was a shift, and I found myself thinking "what the heck is going on?" By the end, you quickly figure out what has to eventually happen but the way it was written seemed to be an impulse decision by the author. I highly doubt it was, but the switch was so jarring it left me doubting why I agreed to read the novel as it really didn't sound anything like the description I was given. Of course, that very well be my own fault, but there was definitely something missing from the description (which I added in my own synopsis above.)

The character development is interesting, and left me wanting to know them better, to know their history. We get that a bit with Mary in the opening chapter (and the switch from that was just terrible. I have no idea why the novel even started that way) but not much else. This makes sense, as the characters don't know much about each other either. Overall I didn't really get the sense the characters were well-rounded. Yes, we learned a bit about them, but it was all very superficial and nothing that really connected me with any of the characters. I didn't even really get an idea of their ages. I vaguely think Mary is in her forties or older, which is a huge leap from the first chapter where she's in college. Again, I have no idea why that was the introductory chapter, as it didn't even really tell me anything about her other than the fact that she had once been engaged....decades ago, it seems.

Is it an interesting novel? Yes. I'm not sure if I would recommend it, but it has some unique ideas about time travel. I'm sure hardcore sci-fi enthusiasts may have an issue with the physics of it all, but for someone who cares more about the story than the logistics I thought it was dealt with well. It had an interesting underlying concept of ethics which seemed to be glossed over at the end. I would have loved to see a bit more developed with that, more internal conflict about justice and the ethics of changing history (or if it was always going to happen, that whole time-travelling conundrum.)

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the First Reads program and enjoyed the opportunity to read a novel by an author new to me. The premise is an inventive take on the time-travel concept and certain aspects of the story (including the initial reveal of the identity of the "intruder" they encounter in one of the timelines) were very interesting.

Unfortunately, there were a number of issues that detract from the overall quality of the work. There are a myriad number of grammatical and spelling errors that make the work seem less than polished. Maybe the copy I received was an earlier proof; I hope so, as correcting these errors would improve the readability of the novel greatly.

Additionally, the work seems disjointed in places due to issues of continuity. One of the biggest continuity issues is the transition between chapters which are often very jarring since they jump from one character and scene to another one completely different in nature - with no sense of connection. Jumping backward and forward in time are a given in this genre, but a number of these "leaps" are not performed very adroitly, which leaves the reader wondering what just happened - instead of wondering what is going to happen next. These issues are found more often in the first half of the book, but they are a regular occurrence throughout.

Another issue of continuity/readability is with the use of acronyms. In one of the first events of the book, two of the main characters encounter a group they continually refer to as the "RUF", but the group's identity is not explained until several chapters later. Throughout the book, a number of acronyms are used that are never fully explained; some are more common and probably recognized by the regular sci-fi reader, but others seem less common. Overall, the flow would be improved if the numerous acronyms were better defined.

Lastly, and this is just a quibble, I was completely surprised and a little off-put by the one instance of profanity included in chapter 1. It seemed unnecessary for the backstory being told for the character and completely out of place. I do not mind profanity and actually thought the use of it in later sections of the book were appropriate and fit the characters/situations, but the initial instance came off as gratuitous. Coming so early, it also made me question what type of book this was going to be; in the end it was not indicative of the rest of the book, but it certainly impacted my early impression of the book.

On a side note: The author includes a special section thanking the cover artist, Christopher M. Jackson. I agree that the artist's rendering of the "intruder" on the cover is phenomenal! The cover work alone should draw potential readers to this book.

[Ashley Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going into this book I was a little worried I wasn't going to like it. I thought it would be too science-y and it has a lot of mixed reviews on Goodreads. I am so glad I ignored all of those bad reviews and gave this gem a shot. I LOVED this book, it is one of my favorite sci-fi books that I have read to date. It was amazing and it didn't get too much into the details of all of the science stuff, which I liked because it would have flown right over my head if so. I'm not going to go into too much detail about things because I don't want to give any spoilers.

Mary along with a small crew of men and another woman are on the space station Janus. They are exploring events throughout history via time travel; when suddenly a mysterious creature starts showing up with them. A creature that has learned to time travel as well as they can. When the creature is provoked during one of their incursions it causes a multitude of problems for Mary and the rest of the crew.

I liked all of the characters even the "bad" ones. I really don't think there is enough good things to say about this book. I don't want to come off as a overzealous sales-woman but I really did enjoy this book. Even though there were so many good qualities of course there were a few things that I didn't like, not many though. There were a couple of moments that I felt the story was getting a little repetitive and kind of tedious. It made me feel like I was just waiting for something to happen and then something finally happened.

That plot twist about midway through was enough to make my jaw drop. I really did not see that coming, maybe I'm just not that observant but it was shocking to me. Then Mary meets Magus (Mags) and I was saddened when I thought she was going to kill Mags. I want my own Mags as a friend because who wouldn't want a talking worm, that happens to be a genius? Then shortly after that it got tedious again until the Xeno started showing up in timelines again.

At first I was confused about the beginning, mainly the first chapter because it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. The ending fixed that confusion though and made it clear why the book started at a point so much earlier than the rest of the book. I read some other reviews that said they felt like they were reading two different books and I didn't feel that way. Yes, the first half is completely different from the second half but it didn't feel like a different book, at least not to me.

I was wondering how it was all going to end and I couldn't think of a better way. Mags and Mary made a cute duo, I would miss human contact after awhile but at least she had someone to communicate with for the remainder of her life.

For more of my reviews visit: http://www.hyperashley.com/

[The Book Eaters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original review, and many other reviews and features, can be found at www.thebookeaters.co.uk

When I picked this book from a whole bunch of review requests I was excited by the premise, a form of time travel has been invented which allows humans to travel back and witness history unfolding. However they are suspended in the nothing between parallel timelines, and Gustavo and his hand-selected team of historians and engineers are only there to observe history.

But they are not alone. Another traveler is shattering history.

The team are faced with an awful choice, stick to their original mission, or try to stop the being who seems to be massacring only those that history has judged as evil anyway. But all is not as it seems onboard their home ship Janus and the fissures in the team are cracked wide open with revelations about a secret mission.

When I started reading it I found it didn’t grab me immediately. But actually it wasn’t the books fault … I was suffering from a book hangover, I’m sure you know that feeling – when you can’t commit to a new book because your still holding a bit of a torch for the last one you read? Yeah, that. Luckily for me writing reviews gives me some kind of closure so the next day I was able to pick it up again and this time its charm worked on me!

Before I quite knew it I was transported both forward and back in time and watching alongside the team as amazing historical events came to life and were then ripped to shreds. But although this is a fast-paced story, with lots of action and plenty of plot twists, it is also a story about moral dilemma’s and human nature.

The characters were well written, and actually this was done very subtly, you get to see their characters rather than have them explained to you and this certainly added to the movie-like effect for me. By the time I was halfway through this book I was asking myself why I didn’t read more science fiction, I watch plenty after all. Then I wondered if this could be made into a movie … If it did I would definitely go and see it!

5 bites.

N.B I was lucky to get this book free in return for this honest review.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The crew of the Janus has a unique and interesting mission. The technology on this space station allows them to travel through time. Well, sort of. What it actually allows them to do is travel to any point on the timeline that runs parallel to their own--the Beta Line. They can explore the past and the future, assured that if their non-interference protocols don't always protect them from having some sort of impact on the time period where they stop, it won't create any sort of time conundrum for their own universe.

As they traverse and study the Beta Line, however, the notice some anomalies or fissures in the line that warrant further investigation. But what is causing these disturbances and can they stop them if they find out? Should they stop them? Are they perhaps a necessary part of the timeline? And is it possible something similar could happen to their own timeline if they don't figure out the cause in time? The answers to the questions will only lead to more questions in time... and the largest one of all--can knowing your future allow you to take steps to avoid it, or is it inevitable, no matter how hard you try?

This is an honestly rather unique and somewhat refreshing story. I'm not always a fan of hard sci-fi (it's a bit of a hit or miss for me), but I did enjoy reading this one quite a bit. The ways in which the characters discuss the technology and the mechanics of their time travel seems natural--there's nothing contrived here. The action, adventure, and twists in the story aren't entirely predictable but they also aren't too farfetched, either. And although I did wish I could have felt a stronger connection to the characters, I still felt emotionally invested enough to be truly impacted by the final chapter and the way this all wraps up in the end.

Highly recommended for hard sci-fi fans; definite recommendation for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, has a thirst for adventure, or is interested in the politics of time travel.

[Shell · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5)
The Line is a sci-fi adventure about a team of historians and engineers who on board Janus are able to travel back in time and observe historical events for research. The team start to find that there is someone or something also travelling back in time to key events too- but instead of observing is creating havoc.

I must admit, I'm fairly new to the genre of science fiction and aside from Doctor Who novels haven't read a great deal of sci-fi books. Although The Line did have the occasional science jargon, and tech terms that went a little over my head it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. One of the things I liked most about the book was finding out about the team of people on board Janus, and their interactions with each other, and although a little slow the first half of the book really introduced the team and their dynamic well.

I loved the description of Janus itself, particularly the part where Gustavo, it's designer explained that he'd modelled one of the rooms on his favourite movie theatre right down to the seats and flooring. I also enjoyed the many references to time travel themed films throughout the book (especially Twelve Monkeys- love that film!)

By about the half way point things got really interesting, and there was a twist that hit me that I did not see coming at all. After that the book was much pacier (and sometimes quite gory) and I raced through.

The book definitely threw up a lot of interesting ideas, and explored the question of what would humans really do if they were able to travel through time.

My favourite character incidentally wasn't human but I will say no more as I don't want to spoil it! Overall I enjoyed The Line, and would certainly recommend if you are into sci-fi or time travel.

*Many thanks to Ally and William for providing me with a copy of The Line for an honest review :)

(http://shellsenseless.blogspot.co.uk)

[Angélique (MapleBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I received this book from a GoodRead giveaway]
Rating: 3.5

I have never had such mixed feelings about a book.

First, the story of "The Line" is great. Just great. It's a fantastic new take on time travel and really well executed. The station in which the scientists are working looks really cool and different from the typical ice-cold design spaceship. It's a daring hard sci-fi novel with plenty of creative ideas. And once again, I really enjoy the plot. If I had to rate the story alone, it would be a 4.

However, the book suffers from a lack of polish in multiple aspect. First, the quality of the writing is irregular: while the second part is exciting, tense, and gripping, the first 100 pages are rather plain. All characters speak in a similar way and the narration fails to create a climax around important events. Second, the use of acronyms and army vocabulary made it hard to understand sometimes (I had to google many of them). Finally, I think a publisher/editor/proof-reader could have helped tremendously with the typography (font-size, justification of the text, typos, use of section break...) as well as some issues with the narrative development and character consistency.

"The Line" is not a perfect novel but I believe any Science-Fiction lover will enjoy it considering its great story and thought-provoking ending.

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly want to thank William L.J. Galaini for sending me a copy of this book after winning a first-reads giveaway. Arrived really quickly and being in GB it would have cost to send from the States. Much appreciated.

I tend not to put my comments in writing but in the spirit of first-reads and the author's generosity I will do my best with no spoilers.

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed The Line. As SF goes it had some originality to it and some really nice thought provoking flourishes. For me it did kind of feel like a book of two halves which you will understand when you read it, which you should.

It's hard to say which half I preferred. I felt the story really found it's footing in the second half and purred along nicely however I struggled with the choices made by the characters as I felt they were not entirely clear or well founded logically.

The book does have some solid explanation and some nice, quirky thoughts to consider on the practicality of time travel but my inner geek would have liked more on the specifics. That is my taste though and the book should satisfy most in this regard.

I could actually see this making a good screen play and could translate well to the big screen.

All in all a solid 'good read' and I would recommend giving up some of your time to it. Well done and thanks again Mr Galaini!!!

[Clyde Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a concept, The Line brings forth something new to time travel oriented sci-fi.

The novel starts off a bit shaky, as the fist chapter or two don't seem entirely necessary (especially at those points). But after reading further, I enjoyed the story. It utilizes a number of scientific factoids without going overboard, keeping the book in line for hardcore sci-fi fans and casual readers alike.

About half way through, the tale begins to change. Some of the actions of characters seem a tad too contrived, but nothing stands out as completely out of character or from the realm of impossibility. Also, the big twist occurs just after the mid way point, and the ending, while wrapped up, doesn't have the same punch had the story unfolded differently.

As to the book itself. It is badly in need of a professional edit and typeset. Margins aren't consistent, there are several grammatical and spelling errors. And there exist a few continuity issues and minor contradictions that, unfortunately, give a reader pause. If these would be fixed, the novel would be a stronger book.

Overall, worth the time to read (a fairly smooth, quick read). Would consider picking up another title by this author in the future.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

My brother received this book through Goodreads:FirstReads and he loaned it to me...

I was unsure if I wanted to read it as I am not a time travel/space kind of girl but I do like some sci-fi and I like monsters. And I will admit, I thought the cover was pretty bad-ass. So, due to the fact that it was a free read for me and I had a day to kill, I figured "why not".
This was not a bad book but it was not fantastic. Pretty good story line, decent plot, a little one the different side. I just felt as if I had read 1/2 of one book and then started on another til I reached the last few chapters.
I never got fully invested in any of the characters and honestly, I was unsure of the purpose of the book. I was worried that I wouldn't really understand what was going on, as I get lost with scientific terms but thankfully that wasn't the case with this one.
I did wonder about one thing though... On page 39, Mary speaks of Ingrid's four husbands, yet on page 112 Mary seems surprised that there were even 3 husbands ....?? That distracted me for a bit. :/
Pretty easy read for a sci-fi novel and honestly, I have killed a few hours before that wasn't as entertaining as this was at times. Will definitely give the author another shot.

[Derek White · Rating 5 out of 5]

*A Copy of this Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*

A different approach to time travel. As many others have postulated we learn that there are many parallel lines of time, according to decisions made. If we were to travel on the obvious one we could change history, so the incursions into the past are made on the beta line, the nearest alternative to that we are on. The pseudo-science is explained well and even the least techno reader will follow it and try to solve the mystery of the figure who keeps cropping up during their excursions into the past. You will have many questions by the time you are three quarters of the way through, but they will all be answered, and answered very skilfully. Watch out for more by this author!

Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***

[Seth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of books that deal with time travel that are not well written or glaze over actual history. This book did not do either of them. While dealing with actual historical events, the author has crafted an interesting concept behind time travel that falls in line with Quantum Physics and provides an interesting concept. A well-written thriller this book provides a good concept with interesting well-developed characters that keep you turning the page. A must for fans of good science fiction and well-written time travel. I feel like a lot of Doctor Who fans would also appreciate this book.

[Elden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on goodreads as a first reads giveaway. It is books like this that make me happy that I enter the giveaways on this site because I greatly enjoyed this book. In fact I ended up reading the majority of it in a single day. While it did not really go that deep into science, which I find usually backfires anyways, it had a great plot and told the story that it wanted to quite well. I would definitely read more books from this author again, and will definitely be looking out for William Galaini in the bookstore in the future.

[Phyll Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I am not one to normally write a review I will keep this short and sweet. I received this book as part of the First Reads program and was keen to try a novel from a new author. Reading this was a smooth and easy ride, I found the book paced well and enjoyed the depth in the main character. I found the unique method time travel entertaining, the pop culture references through the book gave me a smile. Overall I found this book to be a fun read and would recommend to my friends, thanks again for the copy.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. I don't normally write reviews but I felt I needed to for this. This is really the first time travel book I've ever picked up. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, technology and plot twists! I admit having to look up a couple words but I did not have trouble following the story. Everything in this book is well written and thought out. Nothing seems to be added just for word count. Fantastic book and I look forward to others.

[lfthndofdrknss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as a first read. The main characters descent into crazy was intriguing. I found it intriguing that she chooses not to stop horrible events from incurring, but instead causes fear and panic for onlookers and satisfies her own lust for revenge by punishing wrong-doers after events occur.

[Kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the best books I have ever read . It has an original take on time travel .I picked up and started reading it and became so engrosed in the story that every thing around me faded away it was hard to put down. and like the great scifi authers of the past like Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein it makes some pretty deep statements on the effects we have on our history.

[Gwilym Meyrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was an amazing book with a very good story line but it will mess with your head a little to. in other words I loved it!!