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TimeRiders #5
TimeRiders: Gates of Rome
Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912.
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010.
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026.
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists.
Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . .
Project Exodus - a mission to transport 300 Americans from 2070 to 54AD to overthrow the Roman Empire - has gone catastrophically wrong. Half have arrived seventeen years earlier, during the reign of Caligula.
Liam goes to investigate, but when Maddy and Sal attempt to flee a kill-squad sent to hunt down their field office, all of the TimeRiders become trapped in the Roman past.
Armed with knowledge of the future, Caligula is now more powerful than ever. But with the office unmanned - and under threat - how will the TimeRiders make it back to 2001 and put history right?
** Book five in the bestselling TimeRiders series by Alex Scarrow.
** Ancient Rome gets a time-travel makeover!
** TimeRiders (Book 1) won the Red House Book Award older readers category, and was Penguin UK's first ever number one on the iBookstore.
452 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2012
58 people are currently reading
2332 people want to read
About the author
Alex Scarrow
63 books1,045 followersI live a nomadic existence with my wife Frances, and son Jacob. For now we're living in Norwich. I spent the first 10 years out of college in the music business chasing record deals and the next 12 years in the computer games business as a graphic artist and eventually a games designer. For those of you who like their computer games, here's some of the titles I've worked on:
Waterworld, Evolva, The Thing, Spartan, Gates of Troy, Legion Arena
Since signing up as an author with Orion, I seem to spend most of my time hunched over my laptop in various cafes and coffee bars sipping lattes, tapping keys and watching the ebb and flow of shoppers outside on the street. As I write this, I'm awaiting the launch of my next book - the sequel to , LAST LIGHT, and getting ready to find a publisher for the first book in a separate series, ELLIE QUIN. Ahead of me, lies research work for my next thriller, and also some screenplays I'm looking forward to writing. Although I'm glad to be where I am now, I do occasionally kick myself for not having succumbed to the writing bug much earlier. But then we all just muddle along through life, don't we? There's rarely a plan.
-Source: http://www.scarrow.co.uk/page9.html
Waterworld, Evolva, The Thing, Spartan, Gates of Troy, Legion Arena
Since signing up as an author with Orion, I seem to spend most of my time hunched over my laptop in various cafes and coffee bars sipping lattes, tapping keys and watching the ebb and flow of shoppers outside on the street. As I write this, I'm awaiting the launch of my next book - the sequel to , LAST LIGHT, and getting ready to find a publisher for the first book in a separate series, ELLIE QUIN. Ahead of me, lies research work for my next thriller, and also some screenplays I'm looking forward to writing. Although I'm glad to be where I am now, I do occasionally kick myself for not having succumbed to the writing bug much earlier. But then we all just muddle along through life, don't we? There's rarely a plan.
-Source: http://www.scarrow.co.uk/page9.html
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March 5, 2014
"My fellow Romans and Americans - this happened in 54 AD"
Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant Caligula, aka 'goat legs' or if you prefer 'little soldier's boots' - I'd suggest not calling him goat legs, apparently it never ends up well for the speaker.
"Come in, come in, meet my new senator" said Caligula
"Who is it" asked the newcomer
"My horse" responded the Emperor
He LOVED that horse.
Book 5 of Alex Scarrow's Timeriders series sees Liam, Maddy, Sal and Bob going back to 54 AD. The timeline has been changed, Caligula is still in power, Claudius reign never took place. I'd personally swap a madman for a idiot any day. So why is this? Jumping forward to 2056, humanity is on its last legs. Wars have taken its toll, where flooding has comsumed a lot of the earth mass on the planet. The ice caps have melted, famine and disease are rife. A airborne virus has decimated what is left of the populace. Desperate, a select group of the wealthy head back in time to reinvent humanity - things don't go to plan, they end up in the wrong era and have to face Caligula's madness.
Liam and Bob meanwhile are sent back to deal with this situation. What they find is a group of 'special' warriors protecting Caligula, called "The Stone Men". Whereupon they meet Cato and Marco (from Simon Scarrow's Eagle series). Awesome, those two are brilliant. Not in a YA book there not!! They didn't really fit in with the Timeriders theme, they just seemed to be put in there to boost sales. To watered down and to nice for my liking, that's not what those characters are about. They readily accepted the whole time travel theory, without even a pause.
Where Alex Scarrow did succeed was describing the environment and bringing Rome alive. He especially nailed down the madness of Caligula, which was a great read - I'd suggest reading The Twelve Caesars for a more, academic read on the character of Caligula. It's interesting how the theme of Caligula's professed divinity overlapped into the narrative. No orgies or blood here though, this book is meant for kids!!
My previous quest against Maddy being the most annoying character put into print is slightly sedated in this book. She seems to have levelled out a little. Gone were her childish rants and constant worries and concerns. Still worried and concerned, it was slightly mellowed by the author, something which was welcomed from my perspective, as Mads was starting to overawe the story and other characters.
Gates of Rome is a vastly improved novel in regards to character development. Alex's writing is strong, the pace is just about right. Unlike many novels I've read, all the storyline strands aren't rushed and bound together quickly at the end. What does let it down was the use of Marco and Cato. They just didn't fit into a YA novel. As talented as Alex Scarrow is, in my opinion he should have came up with his own characters. I'm starting to root for Bob, the artifical/super soldier/genebred/thing, more than anyone else! A solid read.
Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant Caligula, aka 'goat legs' or if you prefer 'little soldier's boots' - I'd suggest not calling him goat legs, apparently it never ends up well for the speaker.
"Come in, come in, meet my new senator" said Caligula
"Who is it" asked the newcomer
"My horse" responded the Emperor
He LOVED that horse.
Book 5 of Alex Scarrow's Timeriders series sees Liam, Maddy, Sal and Bob going back to 54 AD. The timeline has been changed, Caligula is still in power, Claudius reign never took place. I'd personally swap a madman for a idiot any day. So why is this? Jumping forward to 2056, humanity is on its last legs. Wars have taken its toll, where flooding has comsumed a lot of the earth mass on the planet. The ice caps have melted, famine and disease are rife. A airborne virus has decimated what is left of the populace. Desperate, a select group of the wealthy head back in time to reinvent humanity - things don't go to plan, they end up in the wrong era and have to face Caligula's madness.
Liam and Bob meanwhile are sent back to deal with this situation. What they find is a group of 'special' warriors protecting Caligula, called "The Stone Men". Whereupon they meet Cato and Marco (from Simon Scarrow's Eagle series). Awesome, those two are brilliant. Not in a YA book there not!! They didn't really fit in with the Timeriders theme, they just seemed to be put in there to boost sales. To watered down and to nice for my liking, that's not what those characters are about. They readily accepted the whole time travel theory, without even a pause.
Where Alex Scarrow did succeed was describing the environment and bringing Rome alive. He especially nailed down the madness of Caligula, which was a great read - I'd suggest reading The Twelve Caesars for a more, academic read on the character of Caligula. It's interesting how the theme of Caligula's professed divinity overlapped into the narrative. No orgies or blood here though, this book is meant for kids!!
My previous quest against Maddy being the most annoying character put into print is slightly sedated in this book. She seems to have levelled out a little. Gone were her childish rants and constant worries and concerns. Still worried and concerned, it was slightly mellowed by the author, something which was welcomed from my perspective, as Mads was starting to overawe the story and other characters.
Gates of Rome is a vastly improved novel in regards to character development. Alex's writing is strong, the pace is just about right. Unlike many novels I've read, all the storyline strands aren't rushed and bound together quickly at the end. What does let it down was the use of Marco and Cato. They just didn't fit into a YA novel. As talented as Alex Scarrow is, in my opinion he should have came up with his own characters. I'm starting to root for Bob, the artifical/super soldier/genebred/thing, more than anyone else! A solid read.
September 6, 2013
I discovered something about three-quarters of the way through this book that I hadn't thought of up until now. It's something obvious, but something I just hadn't considered, perhaps because I hadn't needed to yet. And that's this: this time-travel series doesn't have near as much time-travel in it as it does adventure. And that may be fine for some people. It's not that all the fighting ancient Romans and defending ancient castles isn't fun. But it's just not as much fun to me as the actual traveling-through-time part of time-travel is.
In this book itself, the leap backward is made early on in the book, so the majority of the story takes place in the past. And it's not like Connie Willis's past, where she paints the picture so vividly that you feel like you could go write a report about the Black Death. It's just more of a 'oh-yeah-so-we're-here' type picture. Oh yeah, we're here in 54 AD. No big deal.
And when you have three adolescents and a meat robot walking around ancient Rome, it just isn't the most believable fiction you ever read. I think it would be fantastic had these books been out when I was a teen myself, and had I gotten the opportunity to read them then. I would have loved them severely. More than The Dungeon series, for sure. But as it stands, it's just good. As in not great. Just good. Maybe really good. But not great.
I do like how Mr. Scarrow is letting little bits of information about the agency out in each book. Giving us little carrots to keep us reading. And I will no doubt be reading the balance of the series. I will not, in fact, break to read any of the other books I've picked up to read until I finish this series. I'm invested. And I'm still enjoying it greatly. But this installment in particular gave me a little reason to be able to put it down. I did break for a dove hunt a few days ago, but I've been less interested in picking it back up and returning to ancient Rome than some of the previous books would have made me. And some of it also had to do with the ridiculous introduction of the little lab assistant, 'SpongeBubba'. I seriously almost put the book down when he came waddling in. Maybe a ten-year-old would giggle at that, and be excited by the prospect of having a real-life Sponge Bob character in the book. But dude. Seriously? Even Young Adult audiences probably rolled their eyes at that.
I fought through it though, in much the same way we fought through Jar-Jar in Episode One. I guess at the end I'm glad I did.
On to book six!
In this book itself, the leap backward is made early on in the book, so the majority of the story takes place in the past. And it's not like Connie Willis's past, where she paints the picture so vividly that you feel like you could go write a report about the Black Death. It's just more of a 'oh-yeah-so-we're-here' type picture. Oh yeah, we're here in 54 AD. No big deal.
And when you have three adolescents and a meat robot walking around ancient Rome, it just isn't the most believable fiction you ever read. I think it would be fantastic had these books been out when I was a teen myself, and had I gotten the opportunity to read them then. I would have loved them severely. More than The Dungeon series, for sure. But as it stands, it's just good. As in not great. Just good. Maybe really good. But not great.
I do like how Mr. Scarrow is letting little bits of information about the agency out in each book. Giving us little carrots to keep us reading. And I will no doubt be reading the balance of the series. I will not, in fact, break to read any of the other books I've picked up to read until I finish this series. I'm invested. And I'm still enjoying it greatly. But this installment in particular gave me a little reason to be able to put it down. I did break for a dove hunt a few days ago, but I've been less interested in picking it back up and returning to ancient Rome than some of the previous books would have made me. And some of it also had to do with the ridiculous introduction of the little lab assistant, 'SpongeBubba'. I seriously almost put the book down when he came waddling in. Maybe a ten-year-old would giggle at that, and be excited by the prospect of having a real-life Sponge Bob character in the book. But dude. Seriously? Even Young Adult audiences probably rolled their eyes at that.
I fought through it though, in much the same way we fought through Jar-Jar in Episode One. I guess at the end I'm glad I did.
On to book six!
July 19, 2023
3.25 ⭐️ Credeteci o no, questa volta la linea temporale è stata salvata grazie a Spongebob. Adoro questi libri.
September 22, 2022
Φοβερή η συνέχεια της σειράς!
Δράση, αγωνία, συγκίνηση και ξεφεύγει από το -βαρετό- μοτίβο των προηγούμενων βιβλίων!
Συνεχίζω με το επόμενο...
Δράση, αγωνία, συγκίνηση και ξεφεύγει από το -βαρετό- μοτίβο των προηγούμενων βιβλίων!
Συνεχίζω με το επόμενο...
November 6, 2024
Φτάσαμε αισίως στο πέμπτο βιβλίο της σειράς "Οι Φύλακες του Χρόνου" του Alex Scarrow, και η δράση παραμένει στα ίδια υψηλά επίπεδα με τα προηγούμενα κεφάλαια της ιστορίας μας. Αυτή τη φορά, οι ήρωές μας ταξιδεύουν στη Ρώμη, με τη Ρωμαϊκή Αυτοκρατορία και όλα όσα την συνθέτουν, να αποτελούν το ιδανικό σκηνικό για μια νέα περιπέτεια, που με ανατροπές και εκπλήξεις μάς καθηλώνει από την πρώτη σελίδα μέχρι και την τελευταία, επιβεβαιώνοντας πως η επιτυχία της σειράς αυτής, και κατ' επέκτασιν του ίδιου του συγγραφέα, διόλου τυχαία δεν είναι, τουλάχιστον όσον αφορά την πορεία της σειράς στο εξωτερικό, αφού η αλήθεια είναι πως δεν έχω σαφή εικόνα για το πως έχουν πάει τα βιβλία στην Ελλάδα, αν και κάτι μου λέει πως δεν έχουν τύχει της αναγνώρισης που τους αξίζει.
Ο Λίαμ, η Μάντι και η Σαλ, λοιπόν, αναλαμβάνουν την Αποστολή Έξοδος, σκοπός της οποίας είναι να μεταφερθεί μια μερίδα Αμερικάνων από το έτος 2070 στο 54 μ.Χ., προκειμένου να έχουμε την κατάλυση της Ρωμαϊκής Αυτοκρατορίας. Βέβαια, τα πράγματα δεν εξελίσσονται έτσι όπως θα έπρεπε, με τους Αμερικάνους να φτάνουν μεν στον προορισμό τους, 17 χρόνια νωρίτερα όμως απ' ότι θα έπρεπε, την εποχή που ο Καλιγούλας ήταν ηγέτης της Αυτοκρατορίας, σπέρνοντας τη βία και τη διαστροφή. Σε μια άτυχη στιγμή, οι ήρωές μας παγιδεύονται στο παρελθόν, με το αρχηγείο τους να βρίσκεται αφύλακτο και τους ίδιους να μην έχουν διέξοδο ώστε να επιστρέψουν στο δικό τους παρόν, έτσι ώστε να διορθώσουν τα πράγματα. Τι θα κάνουν, λοιπόν, προκειμένου να φέρουν και πάλι τις ισορροπίες και να εμποδίσουν τον Καλιγούλα να αξιοποιήσει προς όφελός του τις γνώσεις που αποκτά για το μέλλον;
Τα δύο πρώτα βιβλία της σειράς, και ένα μεγάλο μέρος του τρίτου, επικεντρώθηκαν -κυρίως- στο να μας συστήσουν τους πρωταγωνιστές μας, με τον συγγραφέα να χτίζει σταδιακά ένα ολοκληρωμένο ψυχογράφημα, διαφορετικό για τον καθένα, δημιουργώντας μια ομάδα της οποίας το σύνολο είναι άκρως άρτιο και λειτουργικό. Το τρίτο βιβλίο, σε αντίθεση με τα δύο πρώτα, έφτασε στο φινάλε του σε μια εξαιρετικά δυνατή κορύφωση του δράματος, κάτι που έγινε ακόμα πιο έντονο στο τέταρτο βιβλίο, και για μένα, το καλύτερο της σειράς μέχρι στιγμής, που σε συνδυασμό με την αμείωτη δράση μας καθήλωσε. Τώρα, ο πήχης έχει ανέβει πολύ ψηλά και αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα να είναι πολύ μεγάλες και οι προσδοκίες μας. "Οι Πύλες της Ρώμης" είναι μεν ένα πολύ δυνατό βιβλίο, γεμάτο δράση και αγωνία, αλλά η αλήθεια είναι πως στερείται της τόσο έντονης συναισθηματικής φόρτισης που χαρακτήριζε τον προκάτοχό της. Δεν θέλω να κάνω σύγκριση, κάτι τέτοιο άλλωστε θα ήταν άτοπο, αλλά δεν μπορώ και να μην το αναφέρω καθόλου.
Όσον αφορά τον Καλιγούλα, νομίζω πως αποτελεί την πιο εύστοχη και ενδιαφέρουσα επιλογή χαρακτήρα που θα μπορούσε να έχει κάνει ο συγγραφέας. Εμμονικός, εγωπαθής, ένας άνθρωπος που πίστευε πως του άνηκε ο κόσμος, διεστραμμένος και αυτοκαταστροφικός, συνθέτει έναν χαρακτήρα που σε συνδυασμό με τα στοιχεία της σύγχρονης εποχής, έχει τρομερό ενδιαφέρον να παρακολουθείς την εξέλιξή του μέσα στην όλη πλοκή. Ο Scarrow θα μπορούσε να έχει επιλέξει οποιονδήποτε αυτοκράτορα, όμως πραγματικά θεωρώ πως επέλεξε τον ιδανικό. Εξίσου ενδιαφέρουσα είναι και η αλληλεπίδραση που έχει με τους γνώριμους σε εμάς χαρακτήρες, με το όλο σκηνικό να θυμίζει κάτι από περιπέτειες δράσης που κατά καιρούς βλέπουμε στη μεγάλη οθόνη.
Ένταση, αγωνία, ωραία σκιαγραφημένοι χαρακτήρες, συνθέτουν την εικόνα μίας ιστορίας που σε παρασύρει σε κρατάει σε εγρήγορση μέχρι τέλους, έστω κι αν υποσυνείδητα ξέρεις πως οι ήρωές μας θα τα βγάλουν πέρα για μια ακόμη φορά, όπως κάνουν πάντα όταν έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν δύσκολες καταστάσεις. Μυστήριο και γρίφοι που πρέπει να λυθούν, δράση σε υψηλά επίπεδα, έστω κι αν μέσα σε όλα αυτά θα θέλαμε λίγο περισσότερο έντονες δόσεις συναισθήματος, που προσωπικά κάπως μου έλειψαν. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, μια δυναμική συνέχεια, όπως αρμόζει σε μια σειρά όπως "Οι Φύλακες του Χρόνου", που αποδείχτηκαν κάτι περισσότερο από αυτό που περίμενα όταν ξεκίνησα να τους διαβάζω, και που δεν σταματάνε ποτέ να με εκπλήσσουν.
Ο Λίαμ, η Μάντι και η Σαλ, λοιπόν, αναλαμβάνουν την Αποστολή Έξοδος, σκοπός της οποίας είναι να μεταφερθεί μια μερίδα Αμερικάνων από το έτος 2070 στο 54 μ.Χ., προκειμένου να έχουμε την κατάλυση της Ρωμαϊκής Αυτοκρατορίας. Βέβαια, τα πράγματα δεν εξελίσσονται έτσι όπως θα έπρεπε, με τους Αμερικάνους να φτάνουν μεν στον προορισμό τους, 17 χρόνια νωρίτερα όμως απ' ότι θα έπρεπε, την εποχή που ο Καλιγούλας ήταν ηγέτης της Αυτοκρατορίας, σπέρνοντας τη βία και τη διαστροφή. Σε μια άτυχη στιγμή, οι ήρωές μας παγιδεύονται στο παρελθόν, με το αρχηγείο τους να βρίσκεται αφύλακτο και τους ίδιους να μην έχουν διέξοδο ώστε να επιστρέψουν στο δικό τους παρόν, έτσι ώστε να διορθώσουν τα πράγματα. Τι θα κάνουν, λοιπόν, προκειμένου να φέρουν και πάλι τις ισορροπίες και να εμποδίσουν τον Καλιγούλα να αξιοποιήσει προς όφελός του τις γνώσεις που αποκτά για το μέλλον;
Τα δύο πρώτα βιβλία της σειράς, και ένα μεγάλο μέρος του τρίτου, επικεντρώθηκαν -κυρίως- στο να μας συστήσουν τους πρωταγωνιστές μας, με τον συγγραφέα να χτίζει σταδιακά ένα ολοκληρωμένο ψυχογράφημα, διαφορετικό για τον καθένα, δημιουργώντας μια ομάδα της οποίας το σύνολο είναι άκρως άρτιο και λειτουργικό. Το τρίτο βιβλίο, σε αντίθεση με τα δύο πρώτα, έφτασε στο φινάλε του σε μια εξαιρετικά δυνατή κορύφωση του δράματος, κάτι που έγινε ακόμα πιο έντονο στο τέταρτο βιβλίο, και για μένα, το καλύτερο της σειράς μέχρι στιγμής, που σε συνδυασμό με την αμείωτη δράση μας καθήλωσε. Τώρα, ο πήχης έχει ανέβει πολύ ψηλά και αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα να είναι πολύ μεγάλες και οι προσδοκίες μας. "Οι Πύλες της Ρώμης" είναι μεν ένα πολύ δυνατό βιβλίο, γεμάτο δράση και αγωνία, αλλά η αλήθεια είναι πως στερείται της τόσο έντονης συναισθηματικής φόρτισης που χαρακτήριζε τον προκάτοχό της. Δεν θέλω να κάνω σύγκριση, κάτι τέτοιο άλλωστε θα ήταν άτοπο, αλλά δεν μπορώ και να μην το αναφέρω καθόλου.
Όσον αφορά τον Καλιγούλα, νομίζω πως αποτελεί την πιο εύστοχη και ενδιαφέρουσα επιλογή χαρακτήρα που θα μπορούσε να έχει κάνει ο συγγραφέας. Εμμονικός, εγωπαθής, ένας άνθρωπος που πίστευε πως του άνηκε ο κόσμος, διεστραμμένος και αυτοκαταστροφικός, συνθέτει έναν χαρακτήρα που σε συνδυασμό με τα στοιχεία της σύγχρονης εποχής, έχει τρομερό ενδιαφέρον να παρακολουθείς την εξέλιξή του μέσα στην όλη πλοκή. Ο Scarrow θα μπορούσε να έχει επιλέξει οποιονδήποτε αυτοκράτορα, όμως πραγματικά θεωρώ πως επέλεξε τον ιδανικό. Εξίσου ενδιαφέρουσα είναι και η αλληλεπίδραση που έχει με τους γνώριμους σε εμάς χαρακτήρες, με το όλο σκηνικό να θυμίζει κάτι από περιπέτειες δράσης που κατά καιρούς βλέπουμε στη μεγάλη οθόνη.
Ένταση, αγωνία, ωραία σκιαγραφημένοι χαρακτήρες, συνθέτουν την εικόνα μίας ιστορίας που σε παρασύρει σε κρατάει σε εγρήγορση μέχρι τέλους, έστω κι αν υποσυνείδητα ξέρεις πως οι ήρωές μας θα τα βγάλουν πέρα για μια ακόμη φορά, όπως κάνουν πάντα όταν έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν δύσκολες καταστάσεις. Μυστήριο και γρίφοι που πρέπει να λυθούν, δράση σε υψηλά επίπεδα, έστω κι αν μέσα σε όλα αυτά θα θέλαμε λίγο περισσότερο έντονες δόσεις συναισθήματος, που προσωπικά κάπως μου έλειψαν. Παρ' όλα ταύτα, μια δυναμική συνέχεια, όπως αρμόζει σε μια σειρά όπως "Οι Φύλακες του Χρόνου", που αποδείχτηκαν κάτι περισσότερο από αυτό που περίμενα όταν ξεκίνησα να τους διαβάζω, και που δεν σταματάνε ποτέ να με εκπλήσσουν.
February 14, 2012
We are half way into Alex Scarrow's brilliant TimeRiders series and I am finding it increasingly difficult to review these books for fear of giving away massive spoilers. I tried to write a review for TimeRiders: The Eternal War when I had read it but found it so difficult I eventually gave in, and simply writing "It's brilliant, read it immediately" was, I felt, a little too brief for a blog post. Now that I have finished this fifth book, Gates of Rome, I am still a little hesitant (it could be a very short review), but feel that I owe it to Alex Scarrow and the good people at Puffin who very kindly sent me a copy to review.
Every time I finish a TimeRiders book I sit back and marvel at the quality of Alex Scarrow's storytelling. He is slowly weaving an incredibly complex nine volume story, and I feel I should be prostrating myself before him, doubting my worthiness. Steven Moffat really should get in touch with him as I would love to see a Doctor Who episode written by Alex Scarrow.
At the end of The Eternal War we were left with more questions that an episode of Mastermind. The first three books in the series introduced us to the characters, and the emphasis was on how they would react to the various eras in which they found themselves, whilst also giving us morsels of the growing mystery surrounding the purpose of their agency. And then BAM!, the end of book three and then the fourth book added layer upon layer to the overall story arc. I think The Eternal War is still my favourite book in the series so far - much as I love the fast-paced action of the first three, this one slowed things down a little and really made my brain fizz with excitement as it tried to process the mystery aspects of the story arc.
The opening chapters of Gates of Rome alternate between Cheyenne Mountain, 2070 and the now familiar setting of New York, 2001. In 2001 Sal and Maddy are continuing to try to fathom out some of the questions that began to form in their minds in previous books, and Maddy finally shares with Sal some of the secrets that are burning a huge hole in her brain. Sixty-nine years into the future and we watch as the Exodus Project begins to reach zero hour. In 2070 the environment has been pretty much killed off, with billions living in squalor, and a team of scientists, soldiers and politicians are readying themselves to travel back to AD54 to take over the Roman Empire and establish a new society based on American values. Unfortunately, a catastrophic event means the project is accelerated, calculations are rushed and the group end up being sent back at AD 37, the survivors finding that they have arrived during the reign of Caligula, an emperor who was renowned for being more than a little mad. Unfortunately for our band of TimeRiding heroes the ensuing time waves hit 2001 NYC at the same time as a group of lab-grown assassins arrive, their mission to destroy Maddy and her friends. In the process of trying to evade their pursuers, Maddy and Sal find themselves escaping back to AD54, joining Bob and Liam and leaving no-one behind to get them back to the 21st Century. Not good!
Thanks to the arrival of the Exodus team Caligula has become even more insane, thinks he is a god, and has managed to avoid being assassinated as he would have been if the time stream had not been contaminated. Somehow the team must survive the dangers of a brutal Ancient Rome, discover what event changed to accepted version of history, find a way back to 2001, survive the assassins that may still be waiting there for them, and finally mend history (again). If that seems like an impossible task for three teenagers and a support unit then you may be right this time.
This book comes with everything the previous books had - great action scenes, brilliant characters, answered questions and then more questions created, and a vivid depiction of the historical era that the tram find themselves in. I must confess I have never been a fan of books set in Ancient Rome (in fact, I rarely read any historical fiction set before Tudor times), but I found that Alex Scarrow's descriptions of the horrors of Rome under Caligula completely absorbing, and written so well that I found it very easy to picture the sights, smells and sounds in my mind. In this book Caligula is even nastier than history portrayed him, and so we are treated to descriptions of torture and violence that will have teen boys gagging for more.
My only problem with the TimeRiders books is that there are so many layers and mysteries to the stories that by the time I read each new book I have forgotten some of what went before. There are four more books scheduled in the series, with the next one, City of Shadows, scheduled for an August 2012 release (less than six months away - whoop! whoop!). I have a feeling that come the publication of the ninth book I may have to take myself away to a cabin on a remote island somewhere with nothing to do but read the entire series back-to-back, if I am to get my head completely around all of the many plot strands that Alex Scarrow is so carefully weaving together.
Every time I finish a TimeRiders book I sit back and marvel at the quality of Alex Scarrow's storytelling. He is slowly weaving an incredibly complex nine volume story, and I feel I should be prostrating myself before him, doubting my worthiness. Steven Moffat really should get in touch with him as I would love to see a Doctor Who episode written by Alex Scarrow.
At the end of The Eternal War we were left with more questions that an episode of Mastermind. The first three books in the series introduced us to the characters, and the emphasis was on how they would react to the various eras in which they found themselves, whilst also giving us morsels of the growing mystery surrounding the purpose of their agency. And then BAM!, the end of book three and then the fourth book added layer upon layer to the overall story arc. I think The Eternal War is still my favourite book in the series so far - much as I love the fast-paced action of the first three, this one slowed things down a little and really made my brain fizz with excitement as it tried to process the mystery aspects of the story arc.
The opening chapters of Gates of Rome alternate between Cheyenne Mountain, 2070 and the now familiar setting of New York, 2001. In 2001 Sal and Maddy are continuing to try to fathom out some of the questions that began to form in their minds in previous books, and Maddy finally shares with Sal some of the secrets that are burning a huge hole in her brain. Sixty-nine years into the future and we watch as the Exodus Project begins to reach zero hour. In 2070 the environment has been pretty much killed off, with billions living in squalor, and a team of scientists, soldiers and politicians are readying themselves to travel back to AD54 to take over the Roman Empire and establish a new society based on American values. Unfortunately, a catastrophic event means the project is accelerated, calculations are rushed and the group end up being sent back at AD 37, the survivors finding that they have arrived during the reign of Caligula, an emperor who was renowned for being more than a little mad. Unfortunately for our band of TimeRiding heroes the ensuing time waves hit 2001 NYC at the same time as a group of lab-grown assassins arrive, their mission to destroy Maddy and her friends. In the process of trying to evade their pursuers, Maddy and Sal find themselves escaping back to AD54, joining Bob and Liam and leaving no-one behind to get them back to the 21st Century. Not good!
Thanks to the arrival of the Exodus team Caligula has become even more insane, thinks he is a god, and has managed to avoid being assassinated as he would have been if the time stream had not been contaminated. Somehow the team must survive the dangers of a brutal Ancient Rome, discover what event changed to accepted version of history, find a way back to 2001, survive the assassins that may still be waiting there for them, and finally mend history (again). If that seems like an impossible task for three teenagers and a support unit then you may be right this time.
This book comes with everything the previous books had - great action scenes, brilliant characters, answered questions and then more questions created, and a vivid depiction of the historical era that the tram find themselves in. I must confess I have never been a fan of books set in Ancient Rome (in fact, I rarely read any historical fiction set before Tudor times), but I found that Alex Scarrow's descriptions of the horrors of Rome under Caligula completely absorbing, and written so well that I found it very easy to picture the sights, smells and sounds in my mind. In this book Caligula is even nastier than history portrayed him, and so we are treated to descriptions of torture and violence that will have teen boys gagging for more.
My only problem with the TimeRiders books is that there are so many layers and mysteries to the stories that by the time I read each new book I have forgotten some of what went before. There are four more books scheduled in the series, with the next one, City of Shadows, scheduled for an August 2012 release (less than six months away - whoop! whoop!). I have a feeling that come the publication of the ninth book I may have to take myself away to a cabin on a remote island somewhere with nothing to do but read the entire series back-to-back, if I am to get my head completely around all of the many plot strands that Alex Scarrow is so carefully weaving together.
June 7, 2018
Kali ini empat anggota TimeRiders akhirnya bisa menjalani misi bareng. Maddy, Liam, Sal, dan Bob terlempar ke tahun 57 M di zaman Romawi kuno. Musuhnya kali ini adalah Caligula a.k.a Julius Caesar yang ternyata jadi kaisar yg luar biasa mengerikan ketika masa pemerintahannya diperpanjang. Sebuah kontaminasi waktu dr 2070 lewat proyek Eksodus menjadikan sejarah Romawi kuno berubah, dan itu turut mengubah sejarah yang kita kenal.
Seperti biasa, seri ini langganan mendapat 4 bintang karena alurnya yang seru, bergerak cepat, dan tak tertebak. Dan, di ending, tim TR dapat satu lagi teman baru. Buku ini dgn bagus mengingatkan kita untuk lebih peduli pada bumi krn Bumi hanya satu-satunya. Ketika Bumi rusak, umat manusia juga yang akan kena. Kurangi sampah plastik yuk. Bawa selalu kantung plastik bekas tiap belanja biar ga nambah kantung plastik baru lagi.
Seperti biasa, seri ini langganan mendapat 4 bintang karena alurnya yang seru, bergerak cepat, dan tak tertebak. Dan, di ending, tim TR dapat satu lagi teman baru. Buku ini dgn bagus mengingatkan kita untuk lebih peduli pada bumi krn Bumi hanya satu-satunya. Ketika Bumi rusak, umat manusia juga yang akan kena. Kurangi sampah plastik yuk. Bawa selalu kantung plastik bekas tiap belanja biar ga nambah kantung plastik baru lagi.
April 10, 2020
In 2070:
“It had all happened too quickly. The city lockdowns, quarantine. The complete shutdown of transportation systems. None of it had managed to stop the kosong-ni virus.”
The only solution is to go back in time, to fix the Earth. Dr.Anwar is leading project Exodus, the main goal is to transport the finest minds in the world into Roman Times.
Something went wrong and the group arrived earlier than planned. which makes NewYork 2001, the one where our time riders are living in, not the same, everything will start to change. A time contamination
I enjoyed the book a lot, and of course I recommend reading the series.
“It had all happened too quickly. The city lockdowns, quarantine. The complete shutdown of transportation systems. None of it had managed to stop the kosong-ni virus.”
The only solution is to go back in time, to fix the Earth. Dr.Anwar is leading project Exodus, the main goal is to transport the finest minds in the world into Roman Times.
Something went wrong and the group arrived earlier than planned. which makes NewYork 2001, the one where our time riders are living in, not the same, everything will start to change. A time contamination
I enjoyed the book a lot, and of course I recommend reading the series.
April 21, 2019
I just returned to this series I loved in middle school but never got to finish. Returning was somewhat disappointing. I couldn’t tell if this installment was less riveting or if I have just changed in taste so much since then. Half of the protagonists I care about but half of them I don’t. I want to keep reading so I find out what happens at the end of the macro-level story but the individual plot line of this book didn’t grip me that much and I’m worried that’ll be the same for the next two books as well.
June 12, 2017
It was very good book as it had very good words in. I liked the time travel aspect of it.
October 8, 2017
Wow!!! I can't wait to see where this story is taking me!!!
November 1, 2023
im just disappointed atp and only holding on to find out what the macro mystery over the 9 books is. also this author is so incredibly ignorant ab race related topics ugh
August 10, 2024
Pretty good, but i have a milion questions that i hope willbe answered in in the next book
January 1, 2022
2021 52 Book Challenge - 9) Set in a Mediterranean country
I don't really know what to think about this book. The characters are much better than they have been in previous books, though I do sorely miss Becks as a character in this book, but the plot is so choppy.
I have complained in my reviews for the previous books in this series about the plot and the fact that it doesn't really seem to be going anywhere. Well, the best part about this book is that an overall plot for this series does now exist. Project Exodus has been at least semi explained and yeah, I found it quite interesting. The Waldstein/Time Riders/Project Exodus plot is more interesting to me than the rinse and repeat plots of these books, and I am looking forward to finding out more in the future books. This book in particular has reignited my interest in Waldstein and I just want to know more about him and why he's doing what he's doing.
In regards to the book plot, it was quite choppy. The POV changed so frequently and all of the Roman characters sounded near enough the same so really you only cared about the two characters from the author's brother's book series and Caligula. What added to the choppiness is that the characters seemed to stop to talk and then fight and then stop to talk again. The flow of the writing didn't feel organic and I think the book severely lacked for that.
In regards to the main characters, I do think that they were better in this book than they have been. I'm so happy that after the last couple of books of Maddy and Sal kind of writing Liam off as stupid, they finally find that he realised what was happening many books ago. I really think that Liam is my favourite of the core team, and I really like his interactions with Bob and Becks.
I also really liked the differentiation between Bob and Computer Bob in this book and that Maddy interacted with them as different people and also, that some of the chapters are seen from Computer Bob's perspective. I thought that was really nice.
Previously, I wanted some more characterisation for Sal. Well, that did kind of happen but I still don't feel like we know her that well. She still feels like a surplus character and most of the book could have continued exactly the same without her.
As for Maddy, she was marginally less annoying in this book than in previous books. She did whine considerably less, so I take that as a win in the characterisation.
That being said, it was really nice to see Maddy and Sal also on the mission in the past with Liam and Bob, and Maddy did take control while they were in the past and that was a really nice moment of characterization.
Overall, while this book's standard plot felt incredibly similar to every other book in the series, it did finally kickstart the overall series plot and the characters did grow so it did feel better than previous books in the series.
I don't really know what to think about this book. The characters are much better than they have been in previous books, though I do sorely miss Becks as a character in this book, but the plot is so choppy.
I have complained in my reviews for the previous books in this series about the plot and the fact that it doesn't really seem to be going anywhere. Well, the best part about this book is that an overall plot for this series does now exist. Project Exodus has been at least semi explained and yeah, I found it quite interesting. The Waldstein/Time Riders/Project Exodus plot is more interesting to me than the rinse and repeat plots of these books, and I am looking forward to finding out more in the future books. This book in particular has reignited my interest in Waldstein and I just want to know more about him and why he's doing what he's doing.
In regards to the book plot, it was quite choppy. The POV changed so frequently and all of the Roman characters sounded near enough the same so really you only cared about the two characters from the author's brother's book series and Caligula. What added to the choppiness is that the characters seemed to stop to talk and then fight and then stop to talk again. The flow of the writing didn't feel organic and I think the book severely lacked for that.
In regards to the main characters, I do think that they were better in this book than they have been. I'm so happy that after the last couple of books of Maddy and Sal kind of writing Liam off as stupid, they finally find that he realised what was happening many books ago. I really think that Liam is my favourite of the core team, and I really like his interactions with Bob and Becks.
I also really liked the differentiation between Bob and Computer Bob in this book and that Maddy interacted with them as different people and also, that some of the chapters are seen from Computer Bob's perspective. I thought that was really nice.
Previously, I wanted some more characterisation for Sal. Well, that did kind of happen but I still don't feel like we know her that well. She still feels like a surplus character and most of the book could have continued exactly the same without her.
As for Maddy, she was marginally less annoying in this book than in previous books. She did whine considerably less, so I take that as a win in the characterisation.
That being said, it was really nice to see Maddy and Sal also on the mission in the past with Liam and Bob, and Maddy did take control while they were in the past and that was a really nice moment of characterization.
Overall, while this book's standard plot felt incredibly similar to every other book in the series, it did finally kickstart the overall series plot and the characters did grow so it did feel better than previous books in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2016
“Liam O’Connor should have dies at sea in 1912.
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010.
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026.
But all three have been given a second chance—to work for an agency that no one knows exists. Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history.”
–From the book jacket. Because it’s easier than trying to explain the premise every time.
This time, the Time Riders get swept up in a plan to transport 300 Americans from the year 2070 in something called Project Exodus, back 2000 years to Roman times to overthrow the Roman empire and replace it with a more American style of government. Democracy through greater firepower. Unfortunately, it goes dramatically wrong, and half the team winds up at a spot 17 years too early, during the reign of Caligula. The coup fails, Caligula survives and now, with a new sense of purpose, grows stronger. This changes the future and causes a time wave that effects the world of 2001 in which the Time Riders team live. But when they attempt to investigate, they find themselves under attack from robot support units from the future. Their only escape is to throw themselves into the past and hope they can find their way back.
The world of Time Riders is bleak. The world is dying, overpopulated, underwater. But somehow hope is never completely dead. Time must run its course, and it is up to three teenagers (along with their robot support unit, Bob) to make sure the timeline is kept intact. To this end, Maddy, Liam and Sal are all game to face whatever challenges come their way. They deal with extraordinary hardship, all the while never quite understanding just who it is they are working for. There are mysteries that unravel throughout the course of the series and this edition moves that along nicely.
Gates of Rome is an excellent entry in this series. It is a recovery from what I thought was a bit of a letdown in the Book 4, The Endless War. Though it is a book aimed at Young Adults (and I am pretty far past that), I count myself a fan and look forward to the next one!
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010.
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026.
But all three have been given a second chance—to work for an agency that no one knows exists. Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history.”
–From the book jacket. Because it’s easier than trying to explain the premise every time.
This time, the Time Riders get swept up in a plan to transport 300 Americans from the year 2070 in something called Project Exodus, back 2000 years to Roman times to overthrow the Roman empire and replace it with a more American style of government. Democracy through greater firepower. Unfortunately, it goes dramatically wrong, and half the team winds up at a spot 17 years too early, during the reign of Caligula. The coup fails, Caligula survives and now, with a new sense of purpose, grows stronger. This changes the future and causes a time wave that effects the world of 2001 in which the Time Riders team live. But when they attempt to investigate, they find themselves under attack from robot support units from the future. Their only escape is to throw themselves into the past and hope they can find their way back.
The world of Time Riders is bleak. The world is dying, overpopulated, underwater. But somehow hope is never completely dead. Time must run its course, and it is up to three teenagers (along with their robot support unit, Bob) to make sure the timeline is kept intact. To this end, Maddy, Liam and Sal are all game to face whatever challenges come their way. They deal with extraordinary hardship, all the while never quite understanding just who it is they are working for. There are mysteries that unravel throughout the course of the series and this edition moves that along nicely.
Gates of Rome is an excellent entry in this series. It is a recovery from what I thought was a bit of a letdown in the Book 4, The Endless War. Though it is a book aimed at Young Adults (and I am pretty far past that), I count myself a fan and look forward to the next one!
January 26, 2023
Incroyable ! Toujours plus de suspens, d'histoire et de personnages attachants !!
September 25, 2015
Another great installment in the time traveling series, that once more manages to include a brilliant main plot, great factual historical (and new historical) detail, whist continuing the overall story arc of the series, as to just who is the mysterious Foster who recruited our heroes, and just what is the Agency they work for..
This time the period of history that needs to be corrected from the interference of others messing with history is the Roman rule of one of the more unstable emperors, none other than Caligula himself.
If you know anything about Caligula you can only imagine what he would do if he had access to not just modern - by our terms - but future technology. Well that's what's at the core of this novel and, without giving anything away, I can honestly say that it doesn't end well.
Into this drop our time traveling heroes - all of them - with little hope of getting back to their base in 2001, when a message they sent forward in time, goes a bit wrong, and you get a very exciting book indeed. Perhaps one of the best of the series, so far, anyway.
As always the action is compelling, the plot well structured, the characters - a couple of whom are borrowed from another series, written by the authors brother - are nicely rounded, making it impossible to feel for them - even Caligula!!
Greatly looking forward to the next one.
This time the period of history that needs to be corrected from the interference of others messing with history is the Roman rule of one of the more unstable emperors, none other than Caligula himself.
If you know anything about Caligula you can only imagine what he would do if he had access to not just modern - by our terms - but future technology. Well that's what's at the core of this novel and, without giving anything away, I can honestly say that it doesn't end well.
Into this drop our time traveling heroes - all of them - with little hope of getting back to their base in 2001, when a message they sent forward in time, goes a bit wrong, and you get a very exciting book indeed. Perhaps one of the best of the series, so far, anyway.
As always the action is compelling, the plot well structured, the characters - a couple of whom are borrowed from another series, written by the authors brother - are nicely rounded, making it impossible to feel for them - even Caligula!!
Greatly looking forward to the next one.
April 26, 2013
This was a good book but for some reason did not have me glued to the book or leave me hanging in suspense. Liam, maddy and Sal, the main characters are further developed and there is a surprising turn of events as robots sent from the future start attacking them and New York suddenly turns out to be like Ancient Rome. The three friends and their faithful (or programmed to be faithful) meat-robot, Bob helps them gain a place among the people of Rome.
July 20, 2015
More fun with the boys and girls, this time in ancient Rome.
Mr Scarrow continues to give us little tidbits about who and what the 'agency' is. I think I know and have guessed the end.
4 more to go.
Mr Scarrow continues to give us little tidbits about who and what the 'agency' is. I think I know and have guessed the end.
4 more to go.
December 1, 2015
Ρε μπαγάσα Scarrow ... ΠΑΡΕ 5 ... ξανά !!! Ανυπόφορα καλό !!!
November 13, 2015
page turner book. semakin penasaran ma buku lanjutannya
February 16, 2020
This is the best time riders book I've read in the series so far. The time riders are getting ready for the end. The time riders series would not be complete if you did not read this book.
October 26, 2019
Best fantasy: Time Riders by Alex Scarrow
When you, as the author of historical adventure books, where the main characters travel in time, find time travel books with historical elements, then I can do nothing but rejoice. Exactly four weeks ago today I started my journey with the main characters Liam, Maddy and Sal.
All three sentenced to death in various disasters, but rescued at the last moment by a time traveler. They meet and are instructed to save the world from a disaster by keeping the timeline constant. To their aid they have two androids, Becs and Bob.
In the first book Time Riders, the three gather together and are stationed in New York 2001, the day before the World Trade Center disaster. Here I get to know the main characters and get caught by the action.
Liam OConnor would have died at sea in 1912.
Maddy Carter would have died on a plane in 2010.
Sal Vikram would have died in a fire in 2026.
But just moments before death would happen, someone appeared mysteriously and said: Take my hand. But Liam, Maddy and Sal were not saved. They were recruited by an agency that no one knows and has only one goal to correct inaccurate history. Because you can travel in time, and there are people who want to travel back in time and change the past. That's why Time Riders are there to protect us. To prevent time travel from destroying the world.
In Time Riders Day of the Predator, something goes very wrong. Liam and Bec's end up at the dinosaurs along with several young people who happened to be on the trip. They have no chance to go home again and Sal and Maddy have no idea where they are. Very exciting!
Time Riders The Doomsday Code is a fascinating story about a multi-thousand-year-old document. Here comes a new protagonist into the plot, Adam. Together with him they go back in time to the Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood. A very different story.
Time Riders TheEternal War is a really screwed up story, where Abraham Lincoln sneaks back in time and causes disaster in the sequence.
Time Riders Gates of Rome is probably the book I liked least, although I liked it a lot too. Here they travel back in time and get another companion, Rashim. He is from the future 2070 and tells us that the world's population is dying from a horrible disease. Therefore, in the future, they have opened a gate to Roman times and intend to move all important people there. Something that will be disastrous.
Time Riders City of Shadows is a very exciting book where they are chased by cyborgs who are looking to kill Time Travelers. They are posted by the same person who once hired Maddy, Liam and Sal for the mission of keeping the timeline constant. And that person knows everything about them ...
Time Riders The Pirate Kings, a charming story set in the pirate era. Where even the most benevolent can do wrong in the eyes of others.
Time Riders The Mayan Prophect. Since I have written the Mayan secret, I am well aware of that time. It was lovely reading, and a very scary story. It was not without tears when the book was over.
Time Riders The Infinity Cage. All the other eight books I have listened to for a while and gone longer walks than normal, cleaned more than I usually did, worked in the garden for longer moments, all to listen as long as possible. But with this book, the last of the series, I've pulled it off. I haven't always listened when I've been on a walk or done any of the above. Just because I knew that with this book the series was over and I would feel empty and sad afterwards. But oh so wrong I was. Tonight I finished the last book. Instead of feeling sad that the book series was over, I lay with a wide smile and just enjoyed the perfect ending to a book. It can't be more perfect than this.
As you probably understand, I recommend you listen to all the books in this magical fantasy series with historical elements. It is noticeable that the author is well read in the historical subjects, I know, because I have written books on most of the events that the author addresses.
Read the books, or rather, listen to them, because it enhances the whole story. What a fantastic author and reader.
When you, as the author of historical adventure books, where the main characters travel in time, find time travel books with historical elements, then I can do nothing but rejoice. Exactly four weeks ago today I started my journey with the main characters Liam, Maddy and Sal.
All three sentenced to death in various disasters, but rescued at the last moment by a time traveler. They meet and are instructed to save the world from a disaster by keeping the timeline constant. To their aid they have two androids, Becs and Bob.
In the first book Time Riders, the three gather together and are stationed in New York 2001, the day before the World Trade Center disaster. Here I get to know the main characters and get caught by the action.
Liam OConnor would have died at sea in 1912.
Maddy Carter would have died on a plane in 2010.
Sal Vikram would have died in a fire in 2026.
But just moments before death would happen, someone appeared mysteriously and said: Take my hand. But Liam, Maddy and Sal were not saved. They were recruited by an agency that no one knows and has only one goal to correct inaccurate history. Because you can travel in time, and there are people who want to travel back in time and change the past. That's why Time Riders are there to protect us. To prevent time travel from destroying the world.
In Time Riders Day of the Predator, something goes very wrong. Liam and Bec's end up at the dinosaurs along with several young people who happened to be on the trip. They have no chance to go home again and Sal and Maddy have no idea where they are. Very exciting!
Time Riders The Doomsday Code is a fascinating story about a multi-thousand-year-old document. Here comes a new protagonist into the plot, Adam. Together with him they go back in time to the Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood. A very different story.
Time Riders TheEternal War is a really screwed up story, where Abraham Lincoln sneaks back in time and causes disaster in the sequence.
Time Riders Gates of Rome is probably the book I liked least, although I liked it a lot too. Here they travel back in time and get another companion, Rashim. He is from the future 2070 and tells us that the world's population is dying from a horrible disease. Therefore, in the future, they have opened a gate to Roman times and intend to move all important people there. Something that will be disastrous.
Time Riders City of Shadows is a very exciting book where they are chased by cyborgs who are looking to kill Time Travelers. They are posted by the same person who once hired Maddy, Liam and Sal for the mission of keeping the timeline constant. And that person knows everything about them ...
Time Riders The Pirate Kings, a charming story set in the pirate era. Where even the most benevolent can do wrong in the eyes of others.
Time Riders The Mayan Prophect. Since I have written the Mayan secret, I am well aware of that time. It was lovely reading, and a very scary story. It was not without tears when the book was over.
Time Riders The Infinity Cage. All the other eight books I have listened to for a while and gone longer walks than normal, cleaned more than I usually did, worked in the garden for longer moments, all to listen as long as possible. But with this book, the last of the series, I've pulled it off. I haven't always listened when I've been on a walk or done any of the above. Just because I knew that with this book the series was over and I would feel empty and sad afterwards. But oh so wrong I was. Tonight I finished the last book. Instead of feeling sad that the book series was over, I lay with a wide smile and just enjoyed the perfect ending to a book. It can't be more perfect than this.
As you probably understand, I recommend you listen to all the books in this magical fantasy series with historical elements. It is noticeable that the author is well read in the historical subjects, I know, because I have written books on most of the events that the author addresses.
Read the books, or rather, listen to them, because it enhances the whole story. What a fantastic author and reader.
September 19, 2023
A friend who read this as a kid convinced me to read this, because-- according to my friend-- this book was "like a punch in the face on every page." With that review, how could I not check it out?
Reader, this description was accurate. As far as I could gather, our good teenage time travelers have to stop stupid time travelers, who are, in this case, a bunch of BOO-YA Bruce Springsteen-loving Amurricans from 2070 who are escaping their fucked up world to colonize... Claudius's Rome? Yet they miss Claudius's time and end up in Caligula's. Unluckily for them, Caligula is crazy as a fox, and a clever political operator and coup-master who manages to get rid of these idiots within a few months. I guess this might be a possibly valid take on Caligula, but the whole set-up seems like a possibly satirical take on the Iraq War, with Caligula himself coming across as a cross between Saddam Hussein and Immortan Joe. Rome itself is a benighted sewer where baths or aqueducts don't seem to exist, desperate people eat rats, and the entire effect is a weird mash-up of Mad Max and Charn. Even more inexplicably, Caligula starts a cult where there's morning and evening calls to prayer, a la Islam. Because Iraq, I guess? And Saddam Hussein Caligula! The whole thing makes no goddamn sense.
Anyway, a couple of soldiers from Simon Scarrow's books show up, and our teenage protagonists don't as much defeat Caligula as run away from him-- presumably with the expectation that this bad "contaminated" timeline will be overwritten by the original timeline, where Caligula is assassinated after four years. But who knows?
For those interested in Caligula, or who have at least watched I, Claudius, Drusilla is mentioned exactly once before being put on a bus, Agrippina and Livilla don't exist, "that guy" Claudius is mentioned a few times but is in the wind, and Caesonia and her daughter with Caligula also don't exist. In fact, there are no women with any speaking roles in ancient Rome, only our spunky time traveling girl adventurers.
I didn't mention the cyborg clones, one of our leads who states that "Mumbai is next to America," a Persian character with an extremely not-Persian name of "Rashim Anwar," and so much other crap my brain can't handle it. This whole story is bizarre. It comes across as a book written in less than a month. It's a time travel writing exercise by someone who doesn't know how to write the time period it's supposed to be set in.
But worse than the weirdness is the fact this book is SO boring. There's too many characters and the set-up takes forever. YAWN.
So, my friend's review is accurate: reading this book is like getting punched in the face. Reader, beware!
Reader, this description was accurate. As far as I could gather, our good teenage time travelers have to stop stupid time travelers, who are, in this case, a bunch of BOO-YA Bruce Springsteen-loving Amurricans from 2070 who are escaping their fucked up world to colonize... Claudius's Rome? Yet they miss Claudius's time and end up in Caligula's. Unluckily for them, Caligula is crazy as a fox, and a clever political operator and coup-master who manages to get rid of these idiots within a few months. I guess this might be a possibly valid take on Caligula, but the whole set-up seems like a possibly satirical take on the Iraq War, with Caligula himself coming across as a cross between Saddam Hussein and Immortan Joe. Rome itself is a benighted sewer where baths or aqueducts don't seem to exist, desperate people eat rats, and the entire effect is a weird mash-up of Mad Max and Charn. Even more inexplicably, Caligula starts a cult where there's morning and evening calls to prayer, a la Islam. Because Iraq, I guess? And Saddam Hussein Caligula! The whole thing makes no goddamn sense.
Anyway, a couple of soldiers from Simon Scarrow's books show up, and our teenage protagonists don't as much defeat Caligula as run away from him-- presumably with the expectation that this bad "contaminated" timeline will be overwritten by the original timeline, where Caligula is assassinated after four years. But who knows?
For those interested in Caligula, or who have at least watched I, Claudius, Drusilla is mentioned exactly once before being put on a bus, Agrippina and Livilla don't exist, "that guy" Claudius is mentioned a few times but is in the wind, and Caesonia and her daughter with Caligula also don't exist. In fact, there are no women with any speaking roles in ancient Rome, only our spunky time traveling girl adventurers.
I didn't mention the cyborg clones, one of our leads who states that "Mumbai is next to America," a Persian character with an extremely not-Persian name of "Rashim Anwar," and so much other crap my brain can't handle it. This whole story is bizarre. It comes across as a book written in less than a month. It's a time travel writing exercise by someone who doesn't know how to write the time period it's supposed to be set in.
But worse than the weirdness is the fact this book is SO boring. There's too many characters and the set-up takes forever. YAWN.
So, my friend's review is accurate: reading this book is like getting punched in the face. Reader, beware!
November 30, 2023
Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2022/...
Extrait :
L’image de la couverture parle d’elle même, autant pour les autres tomes ça restait assez évasif, autant là on devine clairement ce qu’il va se passer. Le schéma narratif reste assez identique aux tomes précédents, une modification dans le passé à lieu, la team est déployée pour tout remettre en place. Heureusement, l’auteur arrive à rajouter suffisamment d’élément pour continuer d’intriguer le lecteur et donner envie de lire la suite.
C’est avec ce tome que l’on commence vraiment à avoir une présentation du futur, ou plutôt devrais-je dire, du futur prévu, non modifié. Et le futur ici, est bien plus loin que celui du créateur du voyage dans le temps, on peut même dire qu’il s’agit de la fin du monde. Dévasté après divers évènements, le peu d’humanité qu’il reste encore tente le tout pour le tout, et retourne dans le passé, à l’époque de la Rome antique, dans l’espoir de changer, en mieux, l’avenir de l’humanité. Pour une fois, le changement d’époque est dans un but que l’on pourrait qualifier de louable, puisque les personnages souhaitent améliorer la situation.
Evidemment, la team sera encore une fois envoyée sur place pour résoudre le problème, puisqu’encore une fois il faut pas changer le passé. Le créateur de la machine à voyager dans le temps à vue quelque chose, mais on ignore quoi, même si des indices sont éparpillés un peu partout. Je commence également à avoir des doutes sur son côté « bienfaiteur », il présente la team comme des protecteurs, mais qu’est-ce qu’ils protègent exactement ? Après tout, si l’humanité va s’effondrer, peut-être vaut-il mieux changer des choses, non ? Quel serait votre position à vous, si on pouvait voyager dans le temps ?
[...]
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2022/...
Extrait :
L’image de la couverture parle d’elle même, autant pour les autres tomes ça restait assez évasif, autant là on devine clairement ce qu’il va se passer. Le schéma narratif reste assez identique aux tomes précédents, une modification dans le passé à lieu, la team est déployée pour tout remettre en place. Heureusement, l’auteur arrive à rajouter suffisamment d’élément pour continuer d’intriguer le lecteur et donner envie de lire la suite.
C’est avec ce tome que l’on commence vraiment à avoir une présentation du futur, ou plutôt devrais-je dire, du futur prévu, non modifié. Et le futur ici, est bien plus loin que celui du créateur du voyage dans le temps, on peut même dire qu’il s’agit de la fin du monde. Dévasté après divers évènements, le peu d’humanité qu’il reste encore tente le tout pour le tout, et retourne dans le passé, à l’époque de la Rome antique, dans l’espoir de changer, en mieux, l’avenir de l’humanité. Pour une fois, le changement d’époque est dans un but que l’on pourrait qualifier de louable, puisque les personnages souhaitent améliorer la situation.
Evidemment, la team sera encore une fois envoyée sur place pour résoudre le problème, puisqu’encore une fois il faut pas changer le passé. Le créateur de la machine à voyager dans le temps à vue quelque chose, mais on ignore quoi, même si des indices sont éparpillés un peu partout. Je commence également à avoir des doutes sur son côté « bienfaiteur », il présente la team comme des protecteurs, mais qu’est-ce qu’ils protègent exactement ? Après tout, si l’humanité va s’effondrer, peut-être vaut-il mieux changer des choses, non ? Quel serait votre position à vous, si on pouvait voyager dans le temps ?
[...]
July 4, 2018
Gates of Rome sees a group of environmental refugees from 2070 travel to the Roman Empire with the aim of teaching natives “the American way.” They end up face-to-face with the mad emperor Caligula and in the process, somewhat ironically, wipe out future America. It’s down to Liam, Maddy, Sal and Bob to put history back on track.
This is my favourite of the TimeRiders series so far. It is fun and fast-paced. Humanity’s desperate, last-ditch Project Exodus; the delusional, unhinged emperor; and the mysterious Terminator -style introduction the not-so-supportive support units make this a great read. It did start to drag a little around the 300-mark since the plot focuses on Cato and Marco’s plans to make Rome a Republic. More sci-fi needed here, I guess. But the story picks up the pace again once Maddy finds the mysterious cage. Wait a second - that's not a lion in there.
Best moment: “‘Are you an ox or a man?’ one of them laughed. Bob scowled. ‘Neither.’ He lunged.”
Read for: Hebban Challenge, Book #45 A Book Set in Multiple Times
This is my favourite of the TimeRiders series so far. It is fun and fast-paced. Humanity’s desperate, last-ditch Project Exodus; the delusional, unhinged emperor; and the mysterious Terminator -style introduction the not-so-supportive support units make this a great read. It did start to drag a little around the 300-mark since the plot focuses on Cato and Marco’s plans to make Rome a Republic. More sci-fi needed here, I guess. But the story picks up the pace again once Maddy finds the mysterious cage. Wait a second - that's not a lion in there.
Best moment: “‘Are you an ox or a man?’ one of them laughed. Bob scowled. ‘Neither.’ He lunged.”
Read for: Hebban Challenge, Book #45 A Book Set in Multiple Times
July 12, 2022
This is the fifth book in the TimeRiders series about an agency dedicated to stopping people from changing history. In this installment we head to Ancient Rome where a group of time travellers have given a bunch of future weapons to Caligula, convincing him that he's a god. This series is always just a good time and this installment was no exception. It is a very fun, fast paced story and I was engaged throughout. I really enjoyed seeing how the author brought Ancient Rome to life. This installment also starts to raise the stakes of this series and definitely changes the status quo of this series so far. I'm really enjoying this expanding plot and it makes me very excited to read the next book. Ultimately, this was a great addition to this series and I can't wait to see where it goes next.
October 25, 2017
A thriller that tells the tale of the scientific consequences of messing with time, told through the lenses of three young time travellers and their quest to save history.
Here's the science: You go back to the past and change a certain event, but soon, the event snowballs into a chain of events that could soon lead to the future being changed drastically, maybe to an apocalypse, or a world dominated by the French. So it is up to Liam, Maddy, and Sal to terminate violators and save history.
I love how Scarrow carefully crafted the struggle to hop from problem to problem, with parts that induces you to curse and swear at the TimeRiders' lack of foresight, but it won't be a novel without those moments.
Highly recommended to fans of Haddix's Found.
Here's the science: You go back to the past and change a certain event, but soon, the event snowballs into a chain of events that could soon lead to the future being changed drastically, maybe to an apocalypse, or a world dominated by the French. So it is up to Liam, Maddy, and Sal to terminate violators and save history.
I love how Scarrow carefully crafted the struggle to hop from problem to problem, with parts that induces you to curse and swear at the TimeRiders' lack of foresight, but it won't be a novel without those moments.
Highly recommended to fans of Haddix's Found.
July 2, 2020
Semua anggota TimeRiders harus ke luar dari markas mereka. Liam dan Bob yang sudah lebih dulu berada di masa Romawi Kuno, terkaget-kaget sebab Maddy dan Sal muncul di gerbang waktu menyusul mereka berdua. Dan bukan hanya itu, di belakang Maddy dan Sal, menyusul (setidaknya) sebagian tubuh unit pendukung yang bertujuan untuk membunuh Maddy dan Sal.
Apa yang terjadi dengan markas mereka sebenarnya?
Sementara itu, masalah masih menghadang mereka di masa Romawi itu: Kaisar gila yang mengira bahwa dirinya adalah Dewa berikut pengawal-pengawalnya --para Manusia Batu yang ternyata adalah pasukan unit pendukung yang lebih canggih dari Bob.
Bisakah kali ini para anggota TimeRiders bertahan?
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Buku kelima seri TimeRiders ini alurnya terasa lebih lambat dibanding seri-seri sebelumnya. Penokohannya kuat.
Apa yang terjadi dengan markas mereka sebenarnya?
Sementara itu, masalah masih menghadang mereka di masa Romawi itu: Kaisar gila yang mengira bahwa dirinya adalah Dewa berikut pengawal-pengawalnya --para Manusia Batu yang ternyata adalah pasukan unit pendukung yang lebih canggih dari Bob.
Bisakah kali ini para anggota TimeRiders bertahan?
------
Buku kelima seri TimeRiders ini alurnya terasa lebih lambat dibanding seri-seri sebelumnya. Penokohannya kuat.
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