What do you think?
Rate this book
The Paradox Series #1
Rabbit Hole
Rabbit Hole is the first book in the Paradox Series. Set in 2025, Rabbit Hole tells the story of the partnership of Rabbit Hole Time Travel—the world’s first commercial time travel company, and Paradox Force—a government sanctioned black ops organization. Together they race to find and defeat the Rippers—a shadowy organization determined to use stolen time travel technology to alter the past to gain unlimited power and wealth.
Brilliant scientist Dr. Nora Hamilton, CEO of Rabbit Hole Time Travel, teams up with former Special Forces operative Nick Canton, Director of Corrective Mission at Paradox Force. They rush to locate and rescue Nora’s mentor, Dr. Marcus Locke, who has been kidnapped by the Rippers. On the way, they must also correct altered history before it can do irreparable damage to the present. While preserving historic moments that shaped the world today, they travel across hundreds of years and to locations around the globe. As Nick and Nora’s romance heats up, they recruit the team that will follow them any place, any time. In the process, they all learn more about themselves and the importance of trust and teamwork.
Brilliant scientist Dr. Nora Hamilton, CEO of Rabbit Hole Time Travel, teams up with former Special Forces operative Nick Canton, Director of Corrective Mission at Paradox Force. They rush to locate and rescue Nora’s mentor, Dr. Marcus Locke, who has been kidnapped by the Rippers. On the way, they must also correct altered history before it can do irreparable damage to the present. While preserving historic moments that shaped the world today, they travel across hundreds of years and to locations around the globe. As Nick and Nora’s romance heats up, they recruit the team that will follow them any place, any time. In the process, they all learn more about themselves and the importance of trust and teamwork.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2013
2 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
Garrett Smith
18 books26 followersWhen not traveling the country in their RV, husband and wife writing team, Michael C. Smith and Cynthia K. Garrett—writing as Garrett Smith—make their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they live on an acreage with their two much-loved dogs.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 12, 2013
The author gave me a free copy (thank you!) of this fast-paced, action-packed debut that combines two of my favorite genre: time travel and historical fiction.
There was much to like about this book. In addition to the genre I mentioned, I thought the way the time travel was handled was very clever and in a manner I have not previously encountered. I don’t want to spoil it with the details - - you will have to read it to find out.
I especially liked the historical fiction aspect of the story. Going back to historical events and people and learning of actual history as opposed to a purely fictional angle was unique and educational. Finding out how the bad guys altered true history through Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was ingenious and fun.
I know that I didn’t include much in terms of a formal storyline review but that’s because that’s not my style for two reasons. One, I don’t want to spoil the joy of reading it “blind” for my friends and two, because I think others can do a better job of that than me. There are typically other reviews out there to be read if that information is desired. I simply want to tease others interested in a fast moving, time travel thriller into checking out this Grumpus recommended book. I can’t wait for further adventures in subsequent books.
There was much to like about this book. In addition to the genre I mentioned, I thought the way the time travel was handled was very clever and in a manner I have not previously encountered. I don’t want to spoil it with the details - - you will have to read it to find out.
I especially liked the historical fiction aspect of the story. Going back to historical events and people and learning of actual history as opposed to a purely fictional angle was unique and educational. Finding out how the bad guys altered true history through Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was ingenious and fun.
I know that I didn’t include much in terms of a formal storyline review but that’s because that’s not my style for two reasons. One, I don’t want to spoil the joy of reading it “blind” for my friends and two, because I think others can do a better job of that than me. There are typically other reviews out there to be read if that information is desired. I simply want to tease others interested in a fast moving, time travel thriller into checking out this Grumpus recommended book. I can’t wait for further adventures in subsequent books.
August 26, 2013
A Time Travel Thriller!! This book flows like a Dan Brown book with short very action packed chapters. It lends itself to sitting down and knocking out just a few chapters if you only have a few minutes, however it pulls you in because you will not want to walk away from the action.
Chapter 2 establishes the rules of the book. I love the fact that the authors established rules of a fictional technology from the get go. I love Brandon Sanderson for this reason...People have super powers but the powers are explained, logical and fit into the magical world he has created. Some authors will use magic to get out of outrageous situations and if you have not established any rules whatsoever the tension and peril can be brought to nothing if the main character can freeze time...teleport out at anytime. So establishing rules helps maintain tension and the feeling of peril being felt by the heroes.
The book is very fast paced and I felt myself, latching upon both the female and male lead. Any change in the timeline was being monitored by three computers...Dr. Jekyll (The good guy). Dr. Jekyll has a record of "correct history" Mr. Hyde (the bad guy) has altered history. The third computer simply called "The Interface" alerts the heroes that there is a discrapency between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The heroes go on "corrective" missions usually in a millitaristic approach that turns the book into a
"Clancy" feel. Who is making changes to history? What are their objectives in doing so? The authors take pains to avoid paradoxical loops that are common in the time travel genre and the book flows linearly despite alterations and time travel. To spice things up there is a mole in the heroes camp...Turns the plot into a mystery of various characters.
I felt that near the middle that I was being introduced to extra characters simply because, I needed more possibilities to suspect to drive the mystery of who is the mole.
So action packed! Militiaristic! Well estblished believable time travel rules! And a mystery with lots of suspects...All brought to you in a short quick read of 252 pages!
Chapter 2 establishes the rules of the book. I love the fact that the authors established rules of a fictional technology from the get go. I love Brandon Sanderson for this reason...People have super powers but the powers are explained, logical and fit into the magical world he has created. Some authors will use magic to get out of outrageous situations and if you have not established any rules whatsoever the tension and peril can be brought to nothing if the main character can freeze time...teleport out at anytime. So establishing rules helps maintain tension and the feeling of peril being felt by the heroes.
The book is very fast paced and I felt myself, latching upon both the female and male lead. Any change in the timeline was being monitored by three computers...Dr. Jekyll (The good guy). Dr. Jekyll has a record of "correct history" Mr. Hyde (the bad guy) has altered history. The third computer simply called "The Interface" alerts the heroes that there is a discrapency between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The heroes go on "corrective" missions usually in a millitaristic approach that turns the book into a
"Clancy" feel. Who is making changes to history? What are their objectives in doing so? The authors take pains to avoid paradoxical loops that are common in the time travel genre and the book flows linearly despite alterations and time travel. To spice things up there is a mole in the heroes camp...Turns the plot into a mystery of various characters.
I felt that near the middle that I was being introduced to extra characters simply because, I needed more possibilities to suspect to drive the mystery of who is the mole.
So action packed! Militiaristic! Well estblished believable time travel rules! And a mystery with lots of suspects...All brought to you in a short quick read of 252 pages!
August 5, 2014
I had a hard time deciding whether or not to rate and/or write a review of this book. This book was written by a husband and wife writing team who not only are members of the Time Travel Group I moderate but who also live in my city. As you can probably guess from the difficulties I had in writing a review, I did not enjoy the book.
The premise is an interesting one. Time travel is a heavily-regulated tourist business. Great pains are made to avoid any changes to history through the means of 2 computers called Jekyll and Hyde. Jekyll is in a time bubble and contains the original history of the world while Hyde reports the history as everyone remembers it. If someone assassinated Adolph Hitler, that’s the memory that everyone carries with them and the reality that Hyde reports. However, Jekyll knows the truth, and a comparison between the data of the 2 computers allows government officials to see if anyone has attempted to illegally alter time.
It seems that the goal of the story is for our time travel team to find out who’s been altering time and who kidnapped Marcus, the co-creator of time travel. It’s obvious that the person who’s altering time is the kidnapper. And, in the end, we find out the identity of the kidnapper, but it’s not anyone we know. Or if we did meet him previously, he wasn’t made a big enough part of the story to matter (and I frankly didn’t care to do a word search to find out). There’s no great reveal, gasp of astonishment, or feeling of closure at the end. And since I never got to really know Marcus (except to discover that he makes his own spaghetti sauce and plays piano), I sadly didn’t care whether he got rescued or not.
The book is written in the style of a Tom Clancy thriller. However, it doesn’t succeed on that level and could do with quite a bit of editing for content and style. While thrillers aren’t my favorite genre, I’d not object to reading a well-written one. The characters we meet at the beginning of the novel don’t seem to be the characters that we get to know later in the novel. Great detail is given about matters of no consequence. The book feels disjointed in many places with unpolished action scenes (especially the final action scenes). Some of the writing has potential, and there are a few quirky elements that could be carried out further. However, those chapters and passages (like the chapter about the person who developed the polio vaccine) are few and far between. The sex scene chapter is awkward and embarrassing. The insertion of religious god-has-a-plan asides seem out of place. I kept reading awkward passages aloud to my husband, and he kept asking me why I kept reading such a poorly written novel. Nothing compelled me to move forward in my reading other than the desire to finish it so I could move on to something better.
Several people have given this book 4 or 5 stars. I think we must have all read a different book.
The premise is an interesting one. Time travel is a heavily-regulated tourist business. Great pains are made to avoid any changes to history through the means of 2 computers called Jekyll and Hyde. Jekyll is in a time bubble and contains the original history of the world while Hyde reports the history as everyone remembers it. If someone assassinated Adolph Hitler, that’s the memory that everyone carries with them and the reality that Hyde reports. However, Jekyll knows the truth, and a comparison between the data of the 2 computers allows government officials to see if anyone has attempted to illegally alter time.
It seems that the goal of the story is for our time travel team to find out who’s been altering time and who kidnapped Marcus, the co-creator of time travel. It’s obvious that the person who’s altering time is the kidnapper. And, in the end, we find out the identity of the kidnapper, but it’s not anyone we know. Or if we did meet him previously, he wasn’t made a big enough part of the story to matter (and I frankly didn’t care to do a word search to find out). There’s no great reveal, gasp of astonishment, or feeling of closure at the end. And since I never got to really know Marcus (except to discover that he makes his own spaghetti sauce and plays piano), I sadly didn’t care whether he got rescued or not.
The book is written in the style of a Tom Clancy thriller. However, it doesn’t succeed on that level and could do with quite a bit of editing for content and style. While thrillers aren’t my favorite genre, I’d not object to reading a well-written one. The characters we meet at the beginning of the novel don’t seem to be the characters that we get to know later in the novel. Great detail is given about matters of no consequence. The book feels disjointed in many places with unpolished action scenes (especially the final action scenes). Some of the writing has potential, and there are a few quirky elements that could be carried out further. However, those chapters and passages (like the chapter about the person who developed the polio vaccine) are few and far between. The sex scene chapter is awkward and embarrassing. The insertion of religious god-has-a-plan asides seem out of place. I kept reading awkward passages aloud to my husband, and he kept asking me why I kept reading such a poorly written novel. Nothing compelled me to move forward in my reading other than the desire to finish it so I could move on to something better.
Several people have given this book 4 or 5 stars. I think we must have all read a different book.
September 7, 2015
The concept of this idea, this plot, was very good. But at the halfway point I didn't think it was leading up to my expectations. By the time things started rolling in the second half, I had forgotten those thoughts. It was a good combination of action, suspense, mystery, romance, and of course, time travel. This was the writers first book and an exceptional start. I look for even better things in the future.
September 14, 2013
It was the year 2025, and Rabbit Hole Time Travel was very popular with those who could afford the trip into the past. Run by scientist Dr Nora Hamilton and her mentor and father figure, Dr Marcus Locke, they held the monopoly on time travel, having every security in place to keep the history of the past as it should be. There were stringent rules when they took their travellers to the past; no-one was to remove anything, take souveniers, change the dynamic of history. But on New Years’ Eve things began to change…a trip to see the Hindenburg explosion had dramatic results…
That night Marcus was kidnapped by an evil group calling themselves the Rippers. They wanted to take over everything in the time travel industry, changing history to suit themselves; the riches they could imagine for their future made them greedy and dangerous. Marcus was in a lot of danger. Nora was saved from the kidnappers by Nick Canton, who turned out to be the director of Paradox Force, the highly trained government agency who made sure history remained as it should be. He was an ex-Marine and his security team and scientists were second to none.
As the dangers escalated around their lives and the lives of their colleagues, both in the current day, and the past, Nick and Nora found they had to return to the past to change history back to the way it should be on more than one occasion. The damage which would be done to the future would be catastrophic if it was left as it was. With the assistance of Jekyll and Hyde, plus the team of scientists from both Rabbit Hole and Paradox, they thought they might be one step ahead of the Rippers…but were they? Was it a trap? Would they manage to rescue Marcus before it was too late for him?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the element of fantasy and danger, time travel plus a slice of romance thrown in gave it an intriguing, highly entertaining feel. A book I have no hesitation in recommending, and with it being the first in a new series, I’m keen to read the next one.
With thanks to the authors for my copy to read and review.
That night Marcus was kidnapped by an evil group calling themselves the Rippers. They wanted to take over everything in the time travel industry, changing history to suit themselves; the riches they could imagine for their future made them greedy and dangerous. Marcus was in a lot of danger. Nora was saved from the kidnappers by Nick Canton, who turned out to be the director of Paradox Force, the highly trained government agency who made sure history remained as it should be. He was an ex-Marine and his security team and scientists were second to none.
As the dangers escalated around their lives and the lives of their colleagues, both in the current day, and the past, Nick and Nora found they had to return to the past to change history back to the way it should be on more than one occasion. The damage which would be done to the future would be catastrophic if it was left as it was. With the assistance of Jekyll and Hyde, plus the team of scientists from both Rabbit Hole and Paradox, they thought they might be one step ahead of the Rippers…but were they? Was it a trap? Would they manage to rescue Marcus before it was too late for him?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the element of fantasy and danger, time travel plus a slice of romance thrown in gave it an intriguing, highly entertaining feel. A book I have no hesitation in recommending, and with it being the first in a new series, I’m keen to read the next one.
With thanks to the authors for my copy to read and review.
November 2, 2013
The authors generously sent two copies of their book (free of charge) to the O'Fallon Public Library. I enjoy the science fiction genre quite a bit, so I was the lucky librarian picked to review it.
I loved the time travel aspect of this. It was very clever and well done. I thought that they explained the theoretical difficulties involved with moving through time without getting unnecessarily technical. The bad guys (time rippers!) had some interesting ideas about how to abuse time and I loved the imaginary timelines that the authors invented for this story. I didn't believe the part about the incorruptible timeline database or "Dr. Jekyll" because how would the characters be able to make a version of history without that history being altered before/as they made it... but I was able to suspend my disbelief on that part because otherwise there wouldn't have been a story. Time would have changed without their knowledge and that would have been the end of it.
The weak parts of this novel were the characterizations and dialogue. I didn't believe the romantic relationship parts of the book (felt rushed) and I found myself skimming much of the dialogue because it wasn't inspired and fell a bit flat.
In my opinion, the climatic scene jumped around too much for the momentum of the moment. The authors wanted to include, at least, four different points of view and it made the narrative cumbersome when it could have been clipping along if narrowed down to two viewpoints or just one. The additional action could be added afterwards in a recap moment at the close or as flashbacks in the next books.
Also, the authors made the decision to name some of the red shirts (Star Trek reference, entirely mine) in the story. We were introduced to a guard mere pages before he was shot. Unnecessary detail, to my mind.
Another weak moment that jumped out at me was on page 178. In that particular scene, the main characters are having a bonding moment and it says "Nora told them about a vacation she took with her parents" and "Nick had them in stitches as he stood up and half acted out all the parts of a prank that his first MARSOC team played on him". This is a book. Please tell the stories within the story. I'd love to have "heard" it too and also would have enjoyed being in "stitches".
That being said, I enjoyed this book and was truly interested in what was going to happen as I read. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I loved the time travel aspect of this. It was very clever and well done. I thought that they explained the theoretical difficulties involved with moving through time without getting unnecessarily technical. The bad guys (time rippers!) had some interesting ideas about how to abuse time and I loved the imaginary timelines that the authors invented for this story. I didn't believe the part about the incorruptible timeline database or "Dr. Jekyll" because how would the characters be able to make a version of history without that history being altered before/as they made it... but I was able to suspend my disbelief on that part because otherwise there wouldn't have been a story. Time would have changed without their knowledge and that would have been the end of it.
The weak parts of this novel were the characterizations and dialogue. I didn't believe the romantic relationship parts of the book (felt rushed) and I found myself skimming much of the dialogue because it wasn't inspired and fell a bit flat.
In my opinion, the climatic scene jumped around too much for the momentum of the moment. The authors wanted to include, at least, four different points of view and it made the narrative cumbersome when it could have been clipping along if narrowed down to two viewpoints or just one. The additional action could be added afterwards in a recap moment at the close or as flashbacks in the next books.
Also, the authors made the decision to name some of the red shirts (Star Trek reference, entirely mine) in the story. We were introduced to a guard mere pages before he was shot. Unnecessary detail, to my mind.
Another weak moment that jumped out at me was on page 178. In that particular scene, the main characters are having a bonding moment and it says "Nora told them about a vacation she took with her parents" and "Nick had them in stitches as he stood up and half acted out all the parts of a prank that his first MARSOC team played on him". This is a book. Please tell the stories within the story. I'd love to have "heard" it too and also would have enjoyed being in "stitches".
That being said, I enjoyed this book and was truly interested in what was going to happen as I read. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
August 5, 2014
I read this book as part of a GoodReads group read and appreciate the authors sharing their work.
Rabbit Hole has a strong, simple premise. Agents of a government operated time travel tourism agency go rogue and try to use the technology for personal gain. Our heroes, the curvaceous Nora, and ex-Marine, Nick, have to use the same technology to stop them and prevent history from being rewritten.
The story is action-packed and full of characters that battle on behalf of their respective branches for ultimate control of the time travel “Bubble” technology. The paradoxical changes to time and their respective fixes provide some humorous alternate realities including Charlton Heston as president, a South American retiree Hitler, and other short-lived switches. The authors clearly had fun playing with the genre and its ability to tweak history as we know it. We even get a few cameo appearances from famous names like Nikola Tesla.
Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like this book for its positives, it got bogged down by its deficiencies. It read very much like a first or second draft of a story that got published before it got the editing it needed. The descriptions are formulaic, with the introduction of each new character being followed by a block of description listing their height, age, weight and hair color. The exposition relies heavily on backstory that often feels forced, such as when the heroine backs out of the parking space at her work that she has used for years and is inspired to go into a lengthy reflection on her office building, the history of the property, and how the company’s corporate policies came about. This is followed by her driving for an hour, so we get an entire chapter of backstory on the character at her destination. The book also suffered from an extreme case of point of view swapping, where the reader is obligated to hop into different character’s heads mid-scene. The result was often jarring.
These sorts of style gaffs are not uncommon from first-time authors, and as a new author myself I understand I am very much the pot critiquing the kettle, but the story definitely suffered from them and a diligent rewrite could smooth many of these lumps out. I would also love to see the story ditch its hearty supply of adverbs, especially “Nick…smiled painfully,” and “'No', Nora said flatly.” I took a few issues with the plot points as well, especially one in which a kidnapped character uses a piano to send a secret message via his captor’s music player that he somehow predicts the villain will conveniently drop in front of the heroes?
Some cutthroat editing could elevate this story from the quagmire it’s in now to a point where its otherwise solid elements could shine.
At $0.99 cents, it was inexpensive, and the pacing kept it a quick read, but until it gets a little more work, I imagine a lot of people will be putting the book down well before they reach the finale.
Rabbit Hole has a strong, simple premise. Agents of a government operated time travel tourism agency go rogue and try to use the technology for personal gain. Our heroes, the curvaceous Nora, and ex-Marine, Nick, have to use the same technology to stop them and prevent history from being rewritten.
The story is action-packed and full of characters that battle on behalf of their respective branches for ultimate control of the time travel “Bubble” technology. The paradoxical changes to time and their respective fixes provide some humorous alternate realities including Charlton Heston as president, a South American retiree Hitler, and other short-lived switches. The authors clearly had fun playing with the genre and its ability to tweak history as we know it. We even get a few cameo appearances from famous names like Nikola Tesla.
Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like this book for its positives, it got bogged down by its deficiencies. It read very much like a first or second draft of a story that got published before it got the editing it needed. The descriptions are formulaic, with the introduction of each new character being followed by a block of description listing their height, age, weight and hair color. The exposition relies heavily on backstory that often feels forced, such as when the heroine backs out of the parking space at her work that she has used for years and is inspired to go into a lengthy reflection on her office building, the history of the property, and how the company’s corporate policies came about. This is followed by her driving for an hour, so we get an entire chapter of backstory on the character at her destination. The book also suffered from an extreme case of point of view swapping, where the reader is obligated to hop into different character’s heads mid-scene. The result was often jarring.
These sorts of style gaffs are not uncommon from first-time authors, and as a new author myself I understand I am very much the pot critiquing the kettle, but the story definitely suffered from them and a diligent rewrite could smooth many of these lumps out. I would also love to see the story ditch its hearty supply of adverbs, especially “Nick…smiled painfully,” and “'No', Nora said flatly.” I took a few issues with the plot points as well, especially one in which a kidnapped character uses a piano to send a secret message via his captor’s music player that he somehow predicts the villain will conveniently drop in front of the heroes?
Some cutthroat editing could elevate this story from the quagmire it’s in now to a point where its otherwise solid elements could shine.
At $0.99 cents, it was inexpensive, and the pacing kept it a quick read, but until it gets a little more work, I imagine a lot of people will be putting the book down well before they reach the finale.
December 4, 2013
LOVED THE BOOK AND LOVED LOVED LOVED PREMISE...
This book is about a commercial time travel company based in the future called Rabbit Hole, that takes it's customers on brief, interesting journeys to see important moments in the past... but something goes wrong and they must act to stop the corruption of time and save people.
Time travel ... if done right is my ultimate favorite genre... And this book was definitely done right!
This book grabbed me right from the beginning and wouldn't let go... even after I finished. I spent a month either sick or with company or riding in a car and all I did was read this book over and over again.... it never got boring. :)
It made me interested in several areas of history that I previously knew nothing about... the way they weaved real history, with corrupted history and the future was really unique.
This was an incredible read and I can not wait until Paradox #2 comes out! I miss Nora and Nick already!
May 21, 2017
In general, I liked this book. It was quick paced with lots of action. It combined historical fiction with time travel. What could be bad?
Rabbit Hole Time Travel is a commercial travel agency developed by a small group of scientists
for the purpose of taking customers on trips to past events or times. Who wouldn't want to be there to eyewitness some famous disaster or event, or experience the Titanic before the iceberg (not in the book)? Unfortunately there are security problems. The company founder is kidnapped and needs rescuing and the bad guys are changing history as we know it. This is a book based on a "what if" premise. What if the Watergate break in hadn't been discovered? What if Pearl Harbor hadn't been bombed and the US never entered the war? Or Bill Gates had taken a different path? How different would the world be?
However, sometimes the dialogue was a bit false, like the authors wanted to say something profound and it just came out corny. The characters were underdeveloped and I never got a real understanding of who the Rippers (bad guys) are or how they would personally gain from altering history. Maybe the authors will explain that in future installments. Overall, with its flaws, I would give it a 3 star rating.
Rabbit Hole Time Travel is a commercial travel agency developed by a small group of scientists
for the purpose of taking customers on trips to past events or times. Who wouldn't want to be there to eyewitness some famous disaster or event, or experience the Titanic before the iceberg (not in the book)? Unfortunately there are security problems. The company founder is kidnapped and needs rescuing and the bad guys are changing history as we know it. This is a book based on a "what if" premise. What if the Watergate break in hadn't been discovered? What if Pearl Harbor hadn't been bombed and the US never entered the war? Or Bill Gates had taken a different path? How different would the world be?
However, sometimes the dialogue was a bit false, like the authors wanted to say something profound and it just came out corny. The characters were underdeveloped and I never got a real understanding of who the Rippers (bad guys) are or how they would personally gain from altering history. Maybe the authors will explain that in future installments. Overall, with its flaws, I would give it a 3 star rating.
January 7, 2016
Received from Goodreads First Reads
The good: It's a fun story about commercial time travel and what that could mean in the wrong hands. I actually rally liked the idea of an organization keeping tabs on history as it happened and history as it as been altered and the corrective missions to restore original timelines. I also really liked that the authors were careful to choose specific moments of time rather than a large-scale event that took place over a long period of time. They also chose instances that don't seem to be the most consequential but have long-term implications (rather than short-term results). Overall, the story was fun and interesting and there weren't an overwhelming number of characters to drag down the story (since it wasn't very long).
The cons: In some places the dialogue felt a little stiff, not untrue or wrong, just more formal than causal speech. The only large issue I had was that it didn't quite feel like a complete story. It's set in the future but since the larger setting isn't explained, the future feels the same just with commercial time travel. It would have been nice to know a little more about the context of the story.
The good: It's a fun story about commercial time travel and what that could mean in the wrong hands. I actually rally liked the idea of an organization keeping tabs on history as it happened and history as it as been altered and the corrective missions to restore original timelines. I also really liked that the authors were careful to choose specific moments of time rather than a large-scale event that took place over a long period of time. They also chose instances that don't seem to be the most consequential but have long-term implications (rather than short-term results). Overall, the story was fun and interesting and there weren't an overwhelming number of characters to drag down the story (since it wasn't very long).
The cons: In some places the dialogue felt a little stiff, not untrue or wrong, just more formal than causal speech. The only large issue I had was that it didn't quite feel like a complete story. It's set in the future but since the larger setting isn't explained, the future feels the same just with commercial time travel. It would have been nice to know a little more about the context of the story.
December 4, 2013
Lucky to win this book through a goodreads giveaway. Timetravel is a very tricky subject to speculate upon, let alone to create a world where it is possible. The authors did a good job explaining the aspects and rules to the timetravel, as well as establishing good rules that keep the story from falling into easy traps that go along with timetravel, such as not being able to travel to another point within ones own lifetime. Even with these rules though, dealing with timetravel still causes those enevitable questions of "well why didn't they just go back and ..." when bad things happen at other times where these rules don't apply. Overall, the book was enjoyable with likeable characters, a strong story base, and some good twists and turns that kept it interesting. Look forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 9, 2013
An intriguing and insightful thriller on the same level as any Crichton or Brown novel, Rabbit Hole is a page turner from start to finish. Smith centers his novel on a group of time traveling tour guides that cater to the rich famous, offering trips back in time to witness famous historical events. Smith melds historical fact with his own brand of suspenseful fiction, while constructing his own set of rules for time travel, before embarking on a fantastical journey. The reader follows the characters through different eras as they struggle to uncover the truth behind a mysterious group of chrono-outlaws known as Rippers.
With Rabbit Hole, Smith has laid the foundation for a gripping series, and has proven himself a masterful architect of excitement.
With Rabbit Hole, Smith has laid the foundation for a gripping series, and has proven himself a masterful architect of excitement.
November 27, 2013
Rabbit Hole: The Paradox Series Book 1 is fast paced and fun. Time travel, romance, intrigue. It's all there and is a bit of a page-turner!
May 3, 2014
For my full review along with a character analysis, please check out my blog
thebooksbuzz.blogspot.com
NOTE: I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!
Just by looking at the title, you must all be thinking "Oh wow. This is going to be another retell of Alice In Wonderland." How many of those have we, as readers, seen? And yes, this factor may dissuade particular readers from picking it up. I halfheartedly admit that when I first received this book, I was hesitant on reading it. But we should all learn something from this review: Don't judge a book by its cover! I admit I was totally wrong about this book. It was a superb tale, one that I wouldn't mind sharing with all of you today. So let's get into the review!
Yes! Rabbit Hole by Garrett Smith brings back the subject of time travel. Man, don't we all just love time travel? Unlike most books surrounding time travel, the author does not ramble on and on about history like some lame social studies teacher would. This book took place sometime in the future future in the year of 2025 where time travel has been discovered, indeed. What I loved most about this book was how the author captured the true brutality of mankind's greed and opportunity. Sometime in the future when time travel is discovered, there isn't a doubt in my mind that people would fight and kill for that kind of power over history. The book followed a secret agency named Paradox that fought for the possession of time travel against the Rippers, who wanted nothing more than to screw with history for selfish needs.
I was so euphoric when I came across such descriptive details of both the characters and the settings. The author grabbed my attention mentioning the approximated height, weight, structure, eye color, and even the posture of some of the characters in the book. I loved me some interesting details!
I would most likely recommend this book to history advocates. Although I am not a history lover myself, I seemed to enjoy this read. Many historical references were included such as the Holocaust, the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, Seward's Folly, and many many more. There was a lovely ending for all the characters, especially for the character Nikola. I guess it didn't end well for the Rippers. I truly adored how the book ended.
This book was well-written, captivating, and at times, mind boggling. I will make sure to remind myself to pick up the sequel if, of course, one is written. I am very excited to see what the author has in store next. I assure you, this is a book worth reading. You could most definitely finish this book in a day.
thebooksbuzz.blogspot.com
NOTE: I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!
Just by looking at the title, you must all be thinking "Oh wow. This is going to be another retell of Alice In Wonderland." How many of those have we, as readers, seen? And yes, this factor may dissuade particular readers from picking it up. I halfheartedly admit that when I first received this book, I was hesitant on reading it. But we should all learn something from this review: Don't judge a book by its cover! I admit I was totally wrong about this book. It was a superb tale, one that I wouldn't mind sharing with all of you today. So let's get into the review!
Yes! Rabbit Hole by Garrett Smith brings back the subject of time travel. Man, don't we all just love time travel? Unlike most books surrounding time travel, the author does not ramble on and on about history like some lame social studies teacher would. This book took place sometime in the future future in the year of 2025 where time travel has been discovered, indeed. What I loved most about this book was how the author captured the true brutality of mankind's greed and opportunity. Sometime in the future when time travel is discovered, there isn't a doubt in my mind that people would fight and kill for that kind of power over history. The book followed a secret agency named Paradox that fought for the possession of time travel against the Rippers, who wanted nothing more than to screw with history for selfish needs.
I was so euphoric when I came across such descriptive details of both the characters and the settings. The author grabbed my attention mentioning the approximated height, weight, structure, eye color, and even the posture of some of the characters in the book. I loved me some interesting details!
I would most likely recommend this book to history advocates. Although I am not a history lover myself, I seemed to enjoy this read. Many historical references were included such as the Holocaust, the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, Seward's Folly, and many many more. There was a lovely ending for all the characters, especially for the character Nikola. I guess it didn't end well for the Rippers. I truly adored how the book ended.
This book was well-written, captivating, and at times, mind boggling. I will make sure to remind myself to pick up the sequel if, of course, one is written. I am very excited to see what the author has in store next. I assure you, this is a book worth reading. You could most definitely finish this book in a day.
September 1, 2014
In a desire to expand my reading horizons, I read Rabbit Hole, my first time travel book. I had no idea what to expect, and much to my surprise, I loved it!
Garrett Smith is a collaboration between husband Michael Smith and wife Cynthia Garrett, and this is their first novel. I thought they did a great job with the story. There were many things I liked about the book. The premise was intriguing. Someone or some organization was going back in time to change historical events for selfish reasons. The bad guys also kidnapped Marcus, the major brain of the commercial Time Travel outfit Rabbit Hole. The director of Corrective Mission at Paradox Force, Special Forces operative Nick Canton teamed up with Rabbit Hole personnel to try to thwart the perps and to save Marcus. Another positive is when first introduced, each character had a physical description and a backstory. I always find this type of info enhances my enjoyment of a novel and helps me keep the characters straight. Garrett Smith kept the number of characters down, which was also helpful. The protagonists were likable and well-developed, and there was a bit of romance between the two leads. I loved the historical references in Rabbit Hole, and it was downright fun having the protagonists go back in time to try to "undo" the changes wrought by the villains. The whole book kept me engrossed, but the last 20-25% was so gripping, I sacrificed some of my weekend chores in order to read this portion of the book uninterrupted. The ending fooled me, which I always like.
I highly recommend Rabbit Hole to time travel fans, to thriller fans (like myself), and to anyone else who wants to sample the time travel genre. As this book is subtitled The Paradox Series, #1, there will likely be at least one sequel. I will definitely read it (them).
5 stars.
Garrett Smith is a collaboration between husband Michael Smith and wife Cynthia Garrett, and this is their first novel. I thought they did a great job with the story. There were many things I liked about the book. The premise was intriguing. Someone or some organization was going back in time to change historical events for selfish reasons. The bad guys also kidnapped Marcus, the major brain of the commercial Time Travel outfit Rabbit Hole. The director of Corrective Mission at Paradox Force, Special Forces operative Nick Canton teamed up with Rabbit Hole personnel to try to thwart the perps and to save Marcus. Another positive is when first introduced, each character had a physical description and a backstory. I always find this type of info enhances my enjoyment of a novel and helps me keep the characters straight. Garrett Smith kept the number of characters down, which was also helpful. The protagonists were likable and well-developed, and there was a bit of romance between the two leads. I loved the historical references in Rabbit Hole, and it was downright fun having the protagonists go back in time to try to "undo" the changes wrought by the villains. The whole book kept me engrossed, but the last 20-25% was so gripping, I sacrificed some of my weekend chores in order to read this portion of the book uninterrupted. The ending fooled me, which I always like.
I highly recommend Rabbit Hole to time travel fans, to thriller fans (like myself), and to anyone else who wants to sample the time travel genre. As this book is subtitled The Paradox Series, #1, there will likely be at least one sequel. I will definitely read it (them).
5 stars.
April 24, 2014
This is a time travel story set in the not-too-distant future - 2025. It reminds me of the Time Riders series, by Alex Scarrow, which is some of the best time travel fiction I have ever read. This one, though, is also very well done, and it's only the first installment of the new "Paradox" series. Yea! I was a bit disappointed in some glaring grammar mistakes in the Kindle edition; hope these are edited better as the series moves along. It was, though, a fun read, with credible science, heroes, and bad guys. The ending was satisfying, but left room for number two to come.
The technology, like that in Time Riders, is logical and doesn't get in the way of the story, but actually is a part of the story. Because we are living the present, we have no way of knowing if history has been altered, but future technology has given us powerful computers (Jekyll & Hyde), that keep up with any changes for us. This is explained very logically and it is easy to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story. When the good guys find out that villains ("Rippers") have gone back in time to make changes that will insure their wealth in the present, the good guys have to act.
This story has it all...adventure, history, kidnapping, torture, murder, thrills, and even a bit of romance. I highly recommend it to folks who like time travel stories.
The technology, like that in Time Riders, is logical and doesn't get in the way of the story, but actually is a part of the story. Because we are living the present, we have no way of knowing if history has been altered, but future technology has given us powerful computers (Jekyll & Hyde), that keep up with any changes for us. This is explained very logically and it is easy to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story. When the good guys find out that villains ("Rippers") have gone back in time to make changes that will insure their wealth in the present, the good guys have to act.
This story has it all...adventure, history, kidnapping, torture, murder, thrills, and even a bit of romance. I highly recommend it to folks who like time travel stories.
April 18, 2014
What a fun read, a SciFi Time Travel adventure by skilled authors who know what they're doing. They create credible science, heroes, and villains, with a firm hand that doesn't get in the way of a good story.
I liked the technology. It's explained clearly and briefly, and we can easily accept that's how it is. Gotta have your Bubble to T-Travel, but don't fire up the wrong one or you could die rather unpleasantly. Check. Humans have no way of knowing if History has been altered, but, thankfully, two powerful computers (Jekyll & Hyde) handle that for us. Works great, and is explained so well that you want to believe and push on with the adventure. I especially liked Napware, a little extra for overworked techies and sleep-deprived party animals. Catch those Zs without risk of detection. Could've used that in my twenties.
The real test is with the human relationships, where the dialogue is credible as is the budding romance between Nick and Nora, not overdone or falling into cliché. I enjoyed the trips into real History, too, and was pleased to hear that, no, Charlton Heston did not become the American president right after Richard Nixon. Quite enjoyable. I'll be reading more by Garrett Smith.
I liked the technology. It's explained clearly and briefly, and we can easily accept that's how it is. Gotta have your Bubble to T-Travel, but don't fire up the wrong one or you could die rather unpleasantly. Check. Humans have no way of knowing if History has been altered, but, thankfully, two powerful computers (Jekyll & Hyde) handle that for us. Works great, and is explained so well that you want to believe and push on with the adventure. I especially liked Napware, a little extra for overworked techies and sleep-deprived party animals. Catch those Zs without risk of detection. Could've used that in my twenties.
The real test is with the human relationships, where the dialogue is credible as is the budding romance between Nick and Nora, not overdone or falling into cliché. I enjoyed the trips into real History, too, and was pleased to hear that, no, Charlton Heston did not become the American president right after Richard Nixon. Quite enjoyable. I'll be reading more by Garrett Smith.
July 23, 2014
This was a fast paced, plot driven book. It falls in the time travel/science fiction genre with a healthy dose of historical fiction. While it was an enjoyable read, I felt the book tried to do too much in a short space of time. I felt the romance aspect of the book was rushed and not well developed, and I think it should have either been left out of the book, or more properly developed. Another really interesting part of the book which had great potential was the main characters knowledge that the history they believed to be true history was in fact altered history, and they then need to go back and correct it. I thought some wonderful opportunities for internal conflicts within the main characters were lost. It would have been more interesting if the characters would be making some type of personal sacrifice in correcting history.
I think this book would make for a great movie, as it is all dialogue and plot driven with plenty of action.
I think this book would make for a great movie, as it is all dialogue and plot driven with plenty of action.
October 4, 2014
First off, three stars mean it was a good read and I didn't mind spending money on it, but it didn't resonate strongly for me, and I probably will forget the book in a few weeks. I did enjoy it and its main characters, Nora and Nick. I appreciated the features of time travel and the issues related to its use. More interaction with the environment around the action and development of incidental characters would have engaged me more as there were times the action, though in high gear, appeared flat and lacked the suspense I think it should have created. An example of this was when Nick and Nora were rescuing Marcus. The events didn't slow down to show the intensity, but instead sacrificed reader involvement for speed of action. Still I read to the end because I wanted to see how it turned out, and that shows it did hold my interest.
August 9, 2014
I very much enjoyed this book. It had lots of action and thought-provoking sequences and I learned some history I hadn't thought much about. The short chapters worked well for me because I could put it down and pick it up again without forgetting where I was in the story. I'm also a fan of so having him pop up in the story was very cool. Anyone wanting a fast paced action packed time-travel thriller with a bit of real history thrown in will enjoy this book.
July 28, 2014
An enjoyable read for the most part. The strong points for me were the plot and handling of time travel and the weak points were some pacing issues and underdeveloped characters and relationships.
April 24, 2014
Very fun book! Definitely worth the 99 cent price on IBooks.
August 20, 2014
This is a good example of why you shouldn’t publish your own novel just because you can. Writing the novel is fine, if only to exercise your brain. It might also be okay to do a Beta swap, or foist it off on your friends and relatives. But when you publish your novel, you’re saying: “I believe that the average consumer of novels would enjoy/benefit from reading my novel.”
William Kingdon Clifford pointed out (Ethics of Belief) that we have a moral obligation to refrain from publically stating those of our beliefs which aren’t sufficiently well-grounded in adequate evidence. Too many of our beliefs are based on misinformation and wishful thinking, and when publically stated, lead others into poor decisions. This book is not worth reading (IMHO). It is a time travel book in which the authors have not thought through the implications of time travel. Here’s an example: I travel (materially) to the past, I exist there for a period of time, but when I return from the past, I cease to have been there for the period of my visit.
The authors basically killed my interest halfway through the 7th chapter (about a sixth of the way into the book). The writing is not bad, although occasionally overwritten and with too many “word-check” spelling errors. But the ideas are hackneyed and naively pursued. I don’t even like the typography: 12pt Arial, making it look like text for the visually impaired, with a ragged right edge, and a mystical hyphenation algorithm.
This is the third book I have placed on my Goodreads “abandoned” shelf. One was a Japanese novel that proved beyond my ability and patience to translate (I’m still waiting for it to come out in English). The other is also SPA-SPAM.
William Kingdon Clifford pointed out (Ethics of Belief) that we have a moral obligation to refrain from publically stating those of our beliefs which aren’t sufficiently well-grounded in adequate evidence. Too many of our beliefs are based on misinformation and wishful thinking, and when publically stated, lead others into poor decisions. This book is not worth reading (IMHO). It is a time travel book in which the authors have not thought through the implications of time travel. Here’s an example: I travel (materially) to the past, I exist there for a period of time, but when I return from the past, I cease to have been there for the period of my visit.
The authors basically killed my interest halfway through the 7th chapter (about a sixth of the way into the book). The writing is not bad, although occasionally overwritten and with too many “word-check” spelling errors. But the ideas are hackneyed and naively pursued. I don’t even like the typography: 12pt Arial, making it look like text for the visually impaired, with a ragged right edge, and a mystical hyphenation algorithm.
This is the third book I have placed on my Goodreads “abandoned” shelf. One was a Japanese novel that proved beyond my ability and patience to translate (I’m still waiting for it to come out in English). The other is also SPA-SPAM.
September 8, 2014
A disappointing read. The plot itself, the science behind it, the idea of time-tourism and its Federal regulation were all good and well-thought-out. However, there was a lot of 'tell', rather than 'show', and the characters were cardboard and so I didn't feel any empathy. No empathy means no emotional involvement. The book would also benefit greatly from a professional edit - I might give it another star if it did.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews