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Teleport #2
Into the Darkness
James and his team are stranded on Prime. Their way back is blocked, and they face a world taking its last breaths. Only a small area of forest seems to defy the radiation and storms, and its nature puzzles the explorers. But on the horizon, they see the remains of a city and gain new hope—until they find out what really happened on this dark planet.
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Published October 10, 2023
622 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Joshua T. Calvert
51 books264 followersJoshua T. Calvert has traveled the world--on foot, by Jeep, by bicycle, by motorcycle, and lots of other ways besides. As you might imagine, he's seen many things most people never see - including an Iranian prison cell, from the inside! In Kyrgyzstan, he fared slightly better, narrowly avoiding being kidnapped for ransom. Skydiver, scuba diver, martial artist, adventurer - his goal is to experience everything possible, and then make it real to you in his books. And he's made a good run of it so far: in the Philippines, he did police training on multiple types of firearms (despite being no fan of guns himself); dove in Asian waters among sharks and shipwrecks; and patrolled with Sumatran jungle rangers.
That's what defines Calvert's approach to method writing: pushing himself beyond his own limits, to experience first-hand what his characters experience, to make your immersion in his stories as deep as it can be.
For Ganymede Rises, after a slight detour with some smugglers in the deserts of Uzbekistan and the steppes of Mongolia, he traveled by dogsled and snowshoe to the Arctic Circle to experience first-hand what it's like to be utterly isolated in the coldest place on Earth. For his book The Fossil, he sat with professional pilots in flight simulators for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft to learn what it's like to fly a passenger jet. His latest adventure: a parabolic flight with European Space Agency astronauts, to experience zero-gravity. All so he can describe it to you, in his own words.
That's what defines Calvert's approach to method writing: pushing himself beyond his own limits, to experience first-hand what his characters experience, to make your immersion in his stories as deep as it can be.
For Ganymede Rises, after a slight detour with some smugglers in the deserts of Uzbekistan and the steppes of Mongolia, he traveled by dogsled and snowshoe to the Arctic Circle to experience first-hand what it's like to be utterly isolated in the coldest place on Earth. For his book The Fossil, he sat with professional pilots in flight simulators for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft to learn what it's like to fly a passenger jet. His latest adventure: a parabolic flight with European Space Agency astronauts, to experience zero-gravity. All so he can describe it to you, in his own words.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 12, 2025
Into the Darkness
By Joshua T Calvert
Book #2 in the series, and it takes up right where book 1 ends. The team travels further in and meets other beings, learns more about the beginning of the Ports, and more. What an amazing imagination!
By Joshua T Calvert
Book #2 in the series, and it takes up right where book 1 ends. The team travels further in and meets other beings, learns more about the beginning of the Ports, and more. What an amazing imagination!
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March 14, 2023Downhill into badly written nonsense
I don't mind pulpy fantasy pretending to be science fiction but please.... don't spend pages of supposedly scientific exposition on things you either don't understand or don't have the time or editorial help to fact check. Either go big pseudo scientific or do it properly. Irritatedly inaccurate and lazy just doesn't work for me.
I don't mind pulpy fantasy pretending to be science fiction but please.... don't spend pages of supposedly scientific exposition on things you either don't understand or don't have the time or editorial help to fact check. Either go big pseudo scientific or do it properly. Irritatedly inaccurate and lazy just doesn't work for me.
August 11, 2023
Having read the first book, 'Teleport', I decided to give this a try since the story was actually kind of good. 'Teleport 2' starts off going in the same direction as 'Teleport' did but somehow loses itself in what I would call oversharing of technical details or theories. It's okay that the technology is based on quantum physics theories and it's okay that the evolution of a race of hominoids happen in a certain way, but to fill up page after page of textbook style details just killed the story for me. The real issue is that the book stepped away from the techno babble towards the end and circled back around to the over arching story-line that drew me in with the first book, but ended on a cliffhanger so now I am more or less forced to read 'Teleport 3' so I can have some closure and sleep at night. Also, the word "snort" or "snorted" is used WAY too often in these books and I don't understand why. Just gonna stop there...
June 21, 2023
I couldn't get much past the first chapter. I didn't really like the first book in this series, still I thought I'd give the 2nd book a try.. but I was bored, lost & irritated quickly.
I decided not waste any more of my reading time on this bizarre, uninteresting, irritating & disconnected series.
I decided not waste any more of my reading time on this bizarre, uninteresting, irritating & disconnected series.
October 21, 2023
Even better than the first one
I loved the first one but this one was even better. A really fun read, delving deeper into the origins and history of mankind. Calvert is a great storyteller and really paints a picture in your mind. Some grammatical errors and typos that made me have to re-read a sentence a couple times to figure out what he meant but not enough to ruin the book. Looking forward to reading the next one.
I loved the first one but this one was even better. A really fun read, delving deeper into the origins and history of mankind. Calvert is a great storyteller and really paints a picture in your mind. Some grammatical errors and typos that made me have to re-read a sentence a couple times to figure out what he meant but not enough to ruin the book. Looking forward to reading the next one.
January 5, 2024
I enjoyed most of the 2nd book, especially without all the typos. However, it was hard reading through the storyline of how mankind came to exist. It didn’t line up as I would have liked. It was like walking through a blizzard—hard to grip and hold on to. I made it through that hard reading and enjoyed the cliffhanger ending and looking forward to reading the last book in this trilogy.
February 28, 2024
Half the book of the first
Excessive back story and navel gazing. Great story line, but about two thirds of this book were pointless pondering and history and just plain unnecessary.
Excessive back story and navel gazing. Great story line, but about two thirds of this book were pointless pondering and history and just plain unnecessary.
January 24, 2025
This book picks up immediately after the end of the last book, Teleport, which I enjoyed.
The structure is a bit different. In the first book we followed one main character, James. In the opening of this book each member of the supporting cast from the previous book get an individual chapter with flashbacks detailing some of their background. It works quite well, although that structure is dropped fairly quickly.
I liked the first book, but this one was a slog. There is very little forward momentum or sense of urgency:
Instead the human team of intrepid explorers dick around with a paleolithic tribe for seven months doing basically nothing to propel the story or characters forward.
Some things from the first book don't make much sense in retrospect.
So why didn't she treat James as a threat the first time they met? Especially since it apparently wouldn't be the first time the the First Children - who looked exactly the same - had used a trojan horse. And what was the point of the monster from the first book?
And there are too many coincidences.
So he just happens to climb the one tower with the secret control center. The river just happens to border the tower they need to climb. There just happens to be exactly six of them in order to make the teleporter work.
They have to walk (almost blindly) due west and just happen to end up in the 300 meter diameter area which are covered by sensors. I could help mathing this. Assuming (and these are generous assumptions) they walk at a slower pace than normal due to exhaustion, 4 km/h, and have walked for 8 hours, they have covered 32 kilometers. For them to end up within this 300 meter diameter area, they must have deviated from their starting point by less than 0,3 degrees. Even if they walked at half that pace they couldn't be off more than a single degree. Without a proper compass.
I feel like something happened between the last book and this one. The geography and staging - especially the towers and the final fight - is so clumsily written that I gave up having any fucking clue what was going on and where the various characters were in relation to one another.
The author seems to churn out books at an insane rate. Thirteen in 2023 and ten in 2024 alone. Which probably explains the many, many errors which would have been caught by an editor or a simple proof reading. The basic ideas for interesting stories are there, but he clearly needs to spend more time on the writing process.
I will read the third book in the series, but it is probably the last one I read by Calvert.
And please find more ways to describe a character than that they "snort".
The structure is a bit different. In the first book we followed one main character, James. In the opening of this book each member of the supporting cast from the previous book get an individual chapter with flashbacks detailing some of their background. It works quite well, although that structure is dropped fairly quickly.
I liked the first book, but this one was a slog. There is very little forward momentum or sense of urgency:
They had no reason to hurry. A resumption of teleportation was not to be expected anytime soon when the president, apparently with the approval of Russia and the EU, had ordered the entire main silo of Francis E. Warren Air Force Base filled.
Instead the human team of intrepid explorers dick around with a paleolithic tribe for seven months doing basically nothing to propel the story or characters forward.
Some things from the first book don't make much sense in retrospect.
Nasaku had the task of protecting Al'Antis at its weakest point: the teleporter.
So why didn't she treat James as a threat the first time they met? Especially since it apparently wouldn't be the first time the the First Children - who looked exactly the same - had used a trojan horse. And what was the point of the monster from the first book?
And there are too many coincidences.
"We need to climb one," James muttered absentmindedly.
"Excuse me?"
"We need to climb up", he repeated. He blinked and looked Mila in the eye. "So we can get a better all-around view. How are we going to know where to go next?"
So he just happens to climb the one tower with the secret control center. The river just happens to border the tower they need to climb. There just happens to be exactly six of them in order to make the teleporter work.
"We believe the Elders left a riddle and made it possible for the teleporters to travel to them with a backdoor, but only if all six human species do it together. That failed, but the Al'Anters found an alternate solution that we can now verify."
"There are exactly six of us," James whispered with a rattle.
They have to walk (almost blindly) due west and just happen to end up in the 300 meter diameter area which are covered by sensors. I could help mathing this. Assuming (and these are generous assumptions) they walk at a slower pace than normal due to exhaustion, 4 km/h, and have walked for 8 hours, they have covered 32 kilometers. For them to end up within this 300 meter diameter area, they must have deviated from their starting point by less than 0,3 degrees. Even if they walked at half that pace they couldn't be off more than a single degree. Without a proper compass.
I feel like something happened between the last book and this one. The geography and staging - especially the towers and the final fight - is so clumsily written that I gave up having any fucking clue what was going on and where the various characters were in relation to one another.
The author seems to churn out books at an insane rate. Thirteen in 2023 and ten in 2024 alone. Which probably explains the many, many errors which would have been caught by an editor or a simple proof reading. The basic ideas for interesting stories are there, but he clearly needs to spend more time on the writing process.
I will read the third book in the series, but it is probably the last one I read by Calvert.
And please find more ways to describe a character than that they "snort".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 13, 2024If you're picky about well-edited books, skip this three-book series because the plethora of errors will drive you bonkers. Since it is very easy to get a book updated on Kindle, there's no excuse for not fixing the numerous missing letters and words, and incorrect grammar. The mistakes interrupt the flow of the story, as does the overly descriptive prose.
I don't understand the high ratings. Good initial premise, terrible (more like non-existent) editing. I did my best to get to the end of book 1 and really disliked the abrupt ending. I thought perhaps I had swiped incorrectly to get the author profile instead of turning a page of the book.
Book 1 started with an interesting premise but then got pretty slow, although I did plod on to book 2, which unfortunately is plagued with writing much worse than book 1. The pages and pages of memories being given to James were so confusing!
In book 2, the story keeps going all over the place, there's an overuse of pronouns so it's hard to follow who the author is talking about, time jumps between past and present with poor transitions so you have to re-read text to figure out what's going on, etc. It got too tiring to read so DNF book 2, and will skip book 3. The writing is so bad that I am not interested in how this story ends.
I don't understand the high ratings. Good initial premise, terrible (more like non-existent) editing. I did my best to get to the end of book 1 and really disliked the abrupt ending. I thought perhaps I had swiped incorrectly to get the author profile instead of turning a page of the book.
Book 1 started with an interesting premise but then got pretty slow, although I did plod on to book 2, which unfortunately is plagued with writing much worse than book 1. The pages and pages of memories being given to James were so confusing!
In book 2, the story keeps going all over the place, there's an overuse of pronouns so it's hard to follow who the author is talking about, time jumps between past and present with poor transitions so you have to re-read text to figure out what's going on, etc. It got too tiring to read so DNF book 2, and will skip book 3. The writing is so bad that I am not interested in how this story ends.
June 2, 2025
Teleport 2, we're not in....where are we?
'Teleport 2: Into the Darkness' will give the reader more details about the nuts & bolts on this adventure than some may like. Writer Joshua T. Calvert puts a lot of effort into capturing the utter strangeness that the team encounters as they 'teleport' into a place, not knowing what they will encounter. I don't read or watch science-fiction thinking it will provide me with more science than fiction. Neither do I try to find a spiritual message based on science or fiction in this genre. In this case, I simply enjoyed the otherworldly or dimensional journey that Calvert took me on. I'll definitely continue with the series, but I will not be using quantum physics textbooks to check his work. About halfway through the book, I realized that there was an audio book available. It is well worth adding to your library. The performance is by Eric Altheide.
-Mr.Bill
'Teleport 2: Into the Darkness' will give the reader more details about the nuts & bolts on this adventure than some may like. Writer Joshua T. Calvert puts a lot of effort into capturing the utter strangeness that the team encounters as they 'teleport' into a place, not knowing what they will encounter. I don't read or watch science-fiction thinking it will provide me with more science than fiction. Neither do I try to find a spiritual message based on science or fiction in this genre. In this case, I simply enjoyed the otherworldly or dimensional journey that Calvert took me on. I'll definitely continue with the series, but I will not be using quantum physics textbooks to check his work. About halfway through the book, I realized that there was an audio book available. It is well worth adding to your library. The performance is by Eric Altheide.
-Mr.Bill
June 7, 2024
More science and tech, less human developments
I enjoyed the first book of this series - there was excitement, character development and enough science for a great mix. This second book, sadly, went overboard with all the science tech as to make it an eye-glazing slog to read. The first part, with all the backstories of the main characters were interesting. The last part, where a modicum of excitement and crisis were thrown in ended rather abruptly. Almost didn't finish this one.
I enjoyed the first book of this series - there was excitement, character development and enough science for a great mix. This second book, sadly, went overboard with all the science tech as to make it an eye-glazing slog to read. The first part, with all the backstories of the main characters were interesting. The last part, where a modicum of excitement and crisis were thrown in ended rather abruptly. Almost didn't finish this one.
September 18, 2024
Very enjoyable science read
I found this installment much more enjoyable than the first book for so many reasons they won't all fit here. If you like hardcore science talk, even if it makes no sense to you, and feel like you learned something new here it is. I also loved the entire explanation of the the universe in a way that cannot offend your church taught lessons. It all makes perfect sense. On to book 3
I found this installment much more enjoyable than the first book for so many reasons they won't all fit here. If you like hardcore science talk, even if it makes no sense to you, and feel like you learned something new here it is. I also loved the entire explanation of the the universe in a way that cannot offend your church taught lessons. It all makes perfect sense. On to book 3
April 11, 2025
What an utter and complete disappointment!!! Book 1 I gave 5 stars. Book 2 starts good and then just unravels. Halfway through, and after trying my best to read countless pages about how the cosmic universe evolved, I just could not take it anymore. Literally the first time in years I gave up and did not finish a book I started. so sad...but what a load of ****** . Sorry, but this book is not worth the paper (digital or otherwise) it is written on.
April 7, 2024
Great book
Part two of the saga takes the heroic group from.earth to a sister world where they find they must and do escape to another world. But is this 3rd world the right one will this bring a successful resolution to their plight or is it just the next step..... only time will tell.
Part two of the saga takes the heroic group from.earth to a sister world where they find they must and do escape to another world. But is this 3rd world the right one will this bring a successful resolution to their plight or is it just the next step..... only time will tell.
November 22, 2024
Hard To Read
Needs editing and proof reading. Too many non-essential words and stories. Had to force myself to finish this book and I won’t read a follow up. Boring details unneeded for the story line took up many pages. Book one was better but still needed the editing and proofreading.
Needs editing and proof reading. Too many non-essential words and stories. Had to force myself to finish this book and I won’t read a follow up. Boring details unneeded for the story line took up many pages. Book one was better but still needed the editing and proofreading.
January 4, 2025
Great book
I've never really enjoyed science fiction but these first two books captivated me. Great stories 👍. With the best cast of characters ever. I'm so glad James found love, let's just hope he doesn't lose her. I recommend reading this to all that love science fiction. This is a great series.
I've never really enjoyed science fiction but these first two books captivated me. Great stories 👍. With the best cast of characters ever. I'm so glad James found love, let's just hope he doesn't lose her. I recommend reading this to all that love science fiction. This is a great series.
March 1, 2025
tele port 2
I must get my work done. But I can’t. I have to finish reading to see what happens. This is so captivating. I should hang my laundry outside ha ha not happening. I must finish reading the next book. Sad to say I will have finished three books in one day ha ha ha ha ha ha.
I must get my work done. But I can’t. I have to finish reading to see what happens. This is so captivating. I should hang my laundry outside ha ha not happening. I must finish reading the next book. Sad to say I will have finished three books in one day ha ha ha ha ha ha.
February 9, 2023
Excellent drama taking place over millions of years
A group of scientists are taken from world to world to try and solve problems over many years. This would make a great movie I'd love to see.
A group of scientists are taken from world to world to try and solve problems over many years. This would make a great movie I'd love to see.
March 23, 2023
Good
Strangely, the first 1/3 of the book isn't hard science fiction, contrary to the whole series but don't let it deter you: the story will catch up and you'll be amazed by where it goes.
Strangely, the first 1/3 of the book isn't hard science fiction, contrary to the whole series but don't let it deter you: the story will catch up and you'll be amazed by where it goes.
July 17, 2023
Good sci-fi Story
I really enjoyed this book, it's quite a wild ride into a fantastic universe; the future of humanity is in the hands of a small group of scientists.
I'm looking forward to reading the next part of the study.
I really enjoyed this book, it's quite a wild ride into a fantastic universe; the future of humanity is in the hands of a small group of scientists.
I'm looking forward to reading the next part of the study.
August 30, 2023
I read this book knowing I would have to get to the third one for a final conclusion. The plot filled in some of the background needed to appreciate Teleport 1 while piquing my interest in what might come next.
September 12, 2023
Excellent SciFi mystery! Recommended!
This novel kept me guessing through the very end. Very interesting plot, characters & action. Read this novel, you will be glad that you did! :)
This novel kept me guessing through the very end. Very interesting plot, characters & action. Read this novel, you will be glad that you did! :)
September 21, 2023
It's odd, but interesting.
Didn't care for it the first 50 pages, or so, but it grew on me. After awhile I actually came to like the premise. Then, I came to like the characters. Now, I am glad I stuck with it.
Didn't care for it the first 50 pages, or so, but it grew on me. After awhile I actually came to like the premise. Then, I came to like the characters. Now, I am glad I stuck with it.
October 19, 2023
Excellent ancient civilization story
So, I'm very glad I finally decided to read this guy's work. Yes, there are hundreds of not thousands of similar stories/ books out these days of ******. But, what sets ANY good story apart is the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this!
So, I'm very glad I finally decided to read this guy's work. Yes, there are hundreds of not thousands of similar stories/ books out these days of ******. But, what sets ANY good story apart is the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this!
December 25, 2023
Can’t wait to read #3 + #4
The second part of Teleport is as exciting written as the first one. Furthermore it delivers more detail around the characters which make the story more personal and emotional. Good to read!
The second part of Teleport is as exciting written as the first one. Furthermore it delivers more detail around the characters which make the story more personal and emotional. Good to read!
June 22, 2024
Outstanding
I totally loved how the storyline evolved, I can't wait to start book three,I am so looking forward to how the story ends. This is a great series to kick back on. Well done
I totally loved how the storyline evolved, I can't wait to start book three,I am so looking forward to how the story ends. This is a great series to kick back on. Well done
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October 21, 2024While the premise was intriguing, I felt that the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking. The middle section dragged on, but the strong character development kept me reading. Overall, it’s a good book, but it could have been more concise.
February 7, 2023
A great follow up
Some technical parts began to get boring but we're needed to understand the end game.
The description of what seemed to be planet earth but wasn't was informative.
Some technical parts began to get boring but we're needed to understand the end game.
The description of what seemed to be planet earth but wasn't was informative.
March 14, 2023
great read
Hard to put down. It had moments of being a bit wordy, but led to great fun and page turning.
Hard to put down. It had moments of being a bit wordy, but led to great fun and page turning.
May 15, 2023
Good Read
Complex and spellbinding read. Hard to put down. If yo haven't read any of the Teleport series you need to get one in your hands now.
Complex and spellbinding read. Hard to put down. If yo haven't read any of the Teleport series you need to get one in your hands now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews