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The Time Shifters Chronicles #1
Time Shifters
An ancient people who can move through time or space...
A secret that never should have been revealed...
One day in a Los Angeles restaurant, Akalya of the Harekaiian witnesses the capture of several of her people and is the only one to get away. Now it is up to her to rescue the captives and learn how... and why... they are being apprehended.
The key lies in discovering who is behind the hunt for her people, when no one should have known they existed.
A secret that never should have been revealed...
One day in a Los Angeles restaurant, Akalya of the Harekaiian witnesses the capture of several of her people and is the only one to get away. Now it is up to her to rescue the captives and learn how... and why... they are being apprehended.
The key lies in discovering who is behind the hunt for her people, when no one should have known they existed.
94 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2014
225 people want to read
About the author
Shanna Lauffey
19 books15 followersShanna Lauffey is a native Californian currently living in Europe. She spends her time between homes in Sweden, France and the UK. She writes Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance in her spare time between attending university and travelling.
Her first novel, She-Wȕlf, was released 1st January 2012. A Science Fiction series involving time travel is in progress.
Her first novel, She-Wȕlf, was released 1st January 2012. A Science Fiction series involving time travel is in progress.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 3, 2014
This book was exciting - with all the jumps between space and time, the mystery, the action, the plot twists. I really enjoyed it. It had a great beginning that really just sucked me in to the book and once I got started, I couldn't put it down. The characters are great, but, though interesting, they were not as drawn out as I would have liked, but still well done - I can't wait to read more about them in future books. The science of it all is well written and interesting. Definitely a good fun read. :)
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 8, 2015
I've been far too busy to write this review today, so I wrote it next week and then time-travelled back a few days with it - easy!
Akalya does this sort of thing routinely, 'shifting' back and forth through both time and space. No time machines are involved though, unless you count the mind as one; like all the Harekaiian, she discovered this talent, unprompted, as a child and has been honing it ever since.
Sounds too easy? It isn't, the ability is severely limited: you can't shift blind, you visualise your destination so need to have visited it, or at least seen it, before; you can't, for example, shift through a locked door if you've never been in the room beyond - peer through the window first though... For the same reason, your wanderings are restricted to your own lifetime, between the dates of your own birth and death.
Sounds wonderful then? It must have been - until someone began abducting Harekaiian and blocking their shifting ability. How? Why? And most ominously (since Akalya and her kind are secretive, living in the interstices of our own civilisation) how did the kidnappers even learn of their existence in the first place? When several are abducted before Akalya's very eyes, it becomes her quest to find out.
Although Akalya shifts back to 1965 to set up a 'safe house' just a few doors down from the one she grew up in, El Porto is described without sentimentality: the beach sand with its faint tarry smell, the oily foam which sometimes washes in from tankers at a nearby refinery. What impressed me most about Lauffey's writing though is its pace - a measured, unhurried style which matches the black-and-white family-album style photographs of the book perfectly. I liked some of the finer details of time-shifting too, things the reader might never think of at all but which are second nature to Akalya - and help make a story like this feel so authentic - such as the way she uses street corners (clever!).
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off down the pub - I can always post this review later...or, of course, earlier...
Akalya does this sort of thing routinely, 'shifting' back and forth through both time and space. No time machines are involved though, unless you count the mind as one; like all the Harekaiian, she discovered this talent, unprompted, as a child and has been honing it ever since.
Sounds too easy? It isn't, the ability is severely limited: you can't shift blind, you visualise your destination so need to have visited it, or at least seen it, before; you can't, for example, shift through a locked door if you've never been in the room beyond - peer through the window first though... For the same reason, your wanderings are restricted to your own lifetime, between the dates of your own birth and death.
Sounds wonderful then? It must have been - until someone began abducting Harekaiian and blocking their shifting ability. How? Why? And most ominously (since Akalya and her kind are secretive, living in the interstices of our own civilisation) how did the kidnappers even learn of their existence in the first place? When several are abducted before Akalya's very eyes, it becomes her quest to find out.
Although Akalya shifts back to 1965 to set up a 'safe house' just a few doors down from the one she grew up in, El Porto is described without sentimentality: the beach sand with its faint tarry smell, the oily foam which sometimes washes in from tankers at a nearby refinery. What impressed me most about Lauffey's writing though is its pace - a measured, unhurried style which matches the black-and-white family-album style photographs of the book perfectly. I liked some of the finer details of time-shifting too, things the reader might never think of at all but which are second nature to Akalya - and help make a story like this feel so authentic - such as the way she uses street corners (clever!).
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off down the pub - I can always post this review later...or, of course, earlier...
September 13, 2014
*Book source ~ Purchased at Amazon
Akalya is different than a regular human. She is a member of the Harekaiian and they are time shifters. They don’t know exactly how or why they are different than others, only that they can use their mind to shift through time and distance, but never at the same time. They live simply and peacefully trying their best to stay under the radar of anyone who might harm them to find out how they do what they do. When Akalya witnesses the capture of some of her brethren and manages to escape, she realizes it’s up to her to find out who the enemy is, why they’re nabbing her people and, most importantly, rescue the victims. Luckily, she has time on her side.
While this is predominantly sci-fi it’s also a thriller as Akalya races to find out how to rescue her people. Fortunately, she can shift back and forth in time, so the task isn’t as urgent as it could be. She literally has time on her hands to gather intel and plan what to do. Her movements and thought process are interesting and the time and distance shifting becomes quite complicated as she tries to avoid any contact with the enemy. I’ve always had a problem when it comes to time travel books and that’s probably why I tapered off in reading them. However, even though I couldn’t quite grasp the mechanics of time travel in this book, it didn’t squash my enjoyment of the story. I like Akalya and her solutions. Her knowledge of her people and their abilities is also fascinating. Even though she’s no scientist or expert in biology she still has a decent understanding of how her people shift. The plot is a bit simplistic as are the solutions she applies and there isn’t a lot of character development, but overall I enjoyed it very much. There is resolution in this episode, but the door is wide open for the overall arc to continue and I’m looking forward to it.
Akalya is different than a regular human. She is a member of the Harekaiian and they are time shifters. They don’t know exactly how or why they are different than others, only that they can use their mind to shift through time and distance, but never at the same time. They live simply and peacefully trying their best to stay under the radar of anyone who might harm them to find out how they do what they do. When Akalya witnesses the capture of some of her brethren and manages to escape, she realizes it’s up to her to find out who the enemy is, why they’re nabbing her people and, most importantly, rescue the victims. Luckily, she has time on her side.
While this is predominantly sci-fi it’s also a thriller as Akalya races to find out how to rescue her people. Fortunately, she can shift back and forth in time, so the task isn’t as urgent as it could be. She literally has time on her hands to gather intel and plan what to do. Her movements and thought process are interesting and the time and distance shifting becomes quite complicated as she tries to avoid any contact with the enemy. I’ve always had a problem when it comes to time travel books and that’s probably why I tapered off in reading them. However, even though I couldn’t quite grasp the mechanics of time travel in this book, it didn’t squash my enjoyment of the story. I like Akalya and her solutions. Her knowledge of her people and their abilities is also fascinating. Even though she’s no scientist or expert in biology she still has a decent understanding of how her people shift. The plot is a bit simplistic as are the solutions she applies and there isn’t a lot of character development, but overall I enjoyed it very much. There is resolution in this episode, but the door is wide open for the overall arc to continue and I’m looking forward to it.
March 30, 2014
Oh my goodness! I loved this book. I'm so thankful that there will be more episodes to consume, as I was immediately taken in with the description of the shifters, as well learning new words like "Memlekel". Or regular humans. The descriptions and new words were perfectly balanced, and never overdone...which tends to happen in some stories. There were a few pictures to ground the story and give me a sense of atmosphere, so that I could dive right into learning how these characters COULD shift through time. I read the whole thing quickly, yet feel like I've devoured a good amount of story. It was full and rich and very well-developed.
The beginning of each chapter is from the main character's point of view, and then the author allowed us to see everything that was going on as an outsider in the rest of the story. This must have been tricky to pull off, but I'm very glad she did. I am eager to know what happens next and the second I can get my hands on more of the story I will.
I highly recommend this read for everyone who enjoys time travel, but also for everyone. Period. It's a VERY excellent and interesting read!!
I won't do spoilers, even though I ALWAYS read them, but I will say there was one element that absolute shocked me. A moment that made me say "What?!" Loved it.
The beginning of each chapter is from the main character's point of view, and then the author allowed us to see everything that was going on as an outsider in the rest of the story. This must have been tricky to pull off, but I'm very glad she did. I am eager to know what happens next and the second I can get my hands on more of the story I will.
I highly recommend this read for everyone who enjoys time travel, but also for everyone. Period. It's a VERY excellent and interesting read!!
I won't do spoilers, even though I ALWAYS read them, but I will say there was one element that absolute shocked me. A moment that made me say "What?!" Loved it.
March 27, 2014
SUMMARY
The story revolves around Akalya the Harekaiian, a calculating woman who belongs to a group of people that possesses the inexplicable ability to bend space and time. One day, living unobtrusively among us ordinary and unknowing muggles, Akalya witnesses some of her own people being kidnapped by mysterious men dressed in black. Upon discovering that these kidnappers have found a way to stop her people from escaping using their powers, Akalya takes it upon herself to rescue the captives, using her own abilities to warp space and time. This takes the reader on a dizzying and delightful quest not just from place to place, but also from year to year, date to date, and mystery to mystery, all as Akalya races to discover and stop who is targeting her people--before they can turn their sights on her.
THE GOOD...
1) Quality writing
This deserves first mention because, boy, this writer is truly a writer. Flowing words, well-honed and interesting description, perfect spelling and grammar. The words in this novel flow superbly, with little nuances on every page, but it also manages to never feel cluttered or confusing to the reader. The author’s ability to delight with language was surpassed only by her subject matter and execution of the plot. That’s why we are only briefly mentioning her writing here: as awesome as it is, this is a book that deserves even more praise elsewhere, which is where we will turn our attention in this review.
2) Time and space “shifting”
The problem with time travelers is powers like these can often lead to complicated messes of stories. When the character can move to yesterday or tomorrow with ease, the danger is that the author can easily write himself into a corner. And paradoxes are only fun with they are intentional on the writer’s part.
However, we’ve happy to report that this story escapes most or all of these pitfalls. This alone makes it worth the read, because the difficulty of pulling this off must have been high. We particularly loved the way that the powers in this story were described. Akalya and her people possess the ability to both time travel and teleport--but the caveat is that they cannot do both at the same time. This, combined with the other limits of their abilities, made for a really fun set of rules to follow. As the story carried on, we began to understand their abilities more and even to anticipate their actions, almost as if we were given the chance to have their powers too, even if only in this fictional story.
3) Great protagonist
The main character felt like a real person, with a real history, a real life, real ambitions, and real plans for the future. We felt as though we got to know her really well and could see her alive in our head. “Old soul in a young body” seems an apt description of her. She’s thoughtful and very calculating (she’d have to be, to navigate space/time as she does), but she also has a nurturing and seemingly whimsical side. She is given to heroics, taking it upon herself to rescue her people, but only once she’s scoped out most of the risks, being a cautious person. Despite her powers, she doesn’t seem to have an overly large sense of pride, nor does she look down on us ordinary mortals. She has a definite propensity toward nostalgia, which added an extra level of complexity when we slide back into the past. With her complexity, combined with the other characters, we would call this a “character driven” novella.
4) Action, action, action!
In keeping with its “shifter” theme, there is a lot of jumping around. If this wasn’t enough for the reader to keep up with, there’s also tons of action. Characters fight and struggle and get kidnapped and escape by the skin of their teeth. They appear in midair and almost die and get dissected. (Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about! Good ol’ Action!) All the same, the action does not overwhelm. The pacing and ratio of action to downtime was very well orchestrated. Downtime let us get to know the characters more, so we cared when they were in danger. Downtime also gave the reader some breathing room before the next fight.
THE BAD....
1) Surprise! Romance
There is the sudden appearance of a romantic interest about 3/4 of the way in. It totally threw us for a loop, which we imagine was actually what it was meant to do. Whether it was intentional on the writer’s part to be jarring or not, we thought that it was perhaps a little overdone. Still, by that time we were so invested in the characters that we were willing to let it slide, and the ending’s depiction of the relationship felt much more realistic and less rushed to us.
2) Why not call the police?
The main character takes it upon herself to rescue her fellow travelers from their kidnappers, who have locked them in a room and prevented them from using their magic to escape. Why did she not just call the police? Instead, she comes up with this extremely long and complicated plan involving time travel. It’s super interesting to watch, but still--Why did she not call the police?
3) Unnecessary POV shift
There’s a scene which is written entirely from the POV of a side character. While it was interesting to see the heroine from another person’s perspective, we again found this jarring. The side character isn’t really that important to the plot--he was a nice guy, but to the plot he was almost a nobody--and so it didn’t feel worth it to be so invested into his character and his world when we cared a lot more about Akalya and what she was doing. But hey--it’s not that big of a deal, it’s just one scene. We can forgive that.
THE BIZARRE...
1) Weird words: “memelelellekin” and “hawanaiian”...
It is introduced early in the story that there are two special words used to distinguish the time/space travelers from ordinary people like us: travelers are called Harekaiians, while muggles are referred to as Memlekel. This leads to a number of questions from the reader, such as: Where do these terms come from? Why do the travelers still use them? They obviously aren’t English words, and they seem difficult for native English speakers to pronounce. Are we to believe that these magical time-traveling Hawaiians (or whatever they’re called) never once decided that they were tired of calling other people “Memelikells”? Why did not one of them just say, “To heck with this, from now on we’re the Magicks and they’re the Mundanes, yeah?”
For that matter, when the character first introduced herself, we thought she was an alien. Seriously. Her name is Akalya of the Hawaiians... er, we mean Harekaiians, and she further admits to having superpowers and hiding among normal people in LA. How could she not be an alien? Imagine our surprise when we learned that she was just some kind of mutant. Who was born in Los Angeles. So we looked up the name “Akalya” on Google, and it turns out that it has Hindi origins and means “wish” (that is, if the baby name website we found is to be believed). We have no idea whether any of this was intentional or not. The character doesn’t seem to be described as someone with Indian heritage. If she is Indian-American, then it would have been nice to know this upfront so we didn’t think of her as an alien at first.
3) Fun solution to the “Grandfather Paradox”
This is the nemesis of all time travelers everywhere. For anyone who doesn’t know, the Grandfather Paradox goes like this: “If a time traveler went back in time to kill his grandfather, would he still exist?” The question essentially sets up a time loop that cannot be solved: darn you, paradoxes! Most fiction only uses one of two options to solve this problem about time travel; but what really caught our attention is that this book HAS A DIFFERENT ANSWER to the Grandfather Paradox. It was so unexpected and when we saw it, we jumped up and danced around the room, we were so delighted. We won’t spoil it for everyone--and we think that some people will not like the answer, depending on their own tastes--but suffice to say it is very similar to the cutting edge of current Quantum Theory, in which experiments proved that, in some way, human observation affected the nature of reality (if you’re interested, then google “Double Slit Experiment” and prepare to have your mind blown). All in all, awesomeness abounds.
AND THE VERDICT:
This book is GOOD.
Some slight warnings: there is some brief nudity and sexual implications, but there are no actual sex scenes.
The most fortunate part about this little gem (we mean, aside from all the good stuff up there) is that it is only the first installment. We demand more! More, we say! We’re happy that this is only Episode One, because now we know for sure that there will doubtless be more to come, and boy, are we looking forward to it.
Buy it already. You know you want to.
The story revolves around Akalya the Harekaiian, a calculating woman who belongs to a group of people that possesses the inexplicable ability to bend space and time. One day, living unobtrusively among us ordinary and unknowing muggles, Akalya witnesses some of her own people being kidnapped by mysterious men dressed in black. Upon discovering that these kidnappers have found a way to stop her people from escaping using their powers, Akalya takes it upon herself to rescue the captives, using her own abilities to warp space and time. This takes the reader on a dizzying and delightful quest not just from place to place, but also from year to year, date to date, and mystery to mystery, all as Akalya races to discover and stop who is targeting her people--before they can turn their sights on her.
THE GOOD...
1) Quality writing
This deserves first mention because, boy, this writer is truly a writer. Flowing words, well-honed and interesting description, perfect spelling and grammar. The words in this novel flow superbly, with little nuances on every page, but it also manages to never feel cluttered or confusing to the reader. The author’s ability to delight with language was surpassed only by her subject matter and execution of the plot. That’s why we are only briefly mentioning her writing here: as awesome as it is, this is a book that deserves even more praise elsewhere, which is where we will turn our attention in this review.
2) Time and space “shifting”
The problem with time travelers is powers like these can often lead to complicated messes of stories. When the character can move to yesterday or tomorrow with ease, the danger is that the author can easily write himself into a corner. And paradoxes are only fun with they are intentional on the writer’s part.
However, we’ve happy to report that this story escapes most or all of these pitfalls. This alone makes it worth the read, because the difficulty of pulling this off must have been high. We particularly loved the way that the powers in this story were described. Akalya and her people possess the ability to both time travel and teleport--but the caveat is that they cannot do both at the same time. This, combined with the other limits of their abilities, made for a really fun set of rules to follow. As the story carried on, we began to understand their abilities more and even to anticipate their actions, almost as if we were given the chance to have their powers too, even if only in this fictional story.
3) Great protagonist
The main character felt like a real person, with a real history, a real life, real ambitions, and real plans for the future. We felt as though we got to know her really well and could see her alive in our head. “Old soul in a young body” seems an apt description of her. She’s thoughtful and very calculating (she’d have to be, to navigate space/time as she does), but she also has a nurturing and seemingly whimsical side. She is given to heroics, taking it upon herself to rescue her people, but only once she’s scoped out most of the risks, being a cautious person. Despite her powers, she doesn’t seem to have an overly large sense of pride, nor does she look down on us ordinary mortals. She has a definite propensity toward nostalgia, which added an extra level of complexity when we slide back into the past. With her complexity, combined with the other characters, we would call this a “character driven” novella.
4) Action, action, action!
In keeping with its “shifter” theme, there is a lot of jumping around. If this wasn’t enough for the reader to keep up with, there’s also tons of action. Characters fight and struggle and get kidnapped and escape by the skin of their teeth. They appear in midair and almost die and get dissected. (Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about! Good ol’ Action!) All the same, the action does not overwhelm. The pacing and ratio of action to downtime was very well orchestrated. Downtime let us get to know the characters more, so we cared when they were in danger. Downtime also gave the reader some breathing room before the next fight.
THE BAD....
1) Surprise! Romance
There is the sudden appearance of a romantic interest about 3/4 of the way in. It totally threw us for a loop, which we imagine was actually what it was meant to do. Whether it was intentional on the writer’s part to be jarring or not, we thought that it was perhaps a little overdone. Still, by that time we were so invested in the characters that we were willing to let it slide, and the ending’s depiction of the relationship felt much more realistic and less rushed to us.
2) Why not call the police?
The main character takes it upon herself to rescue her fellow travelers from their kidnappers, who have locked them in a room and prevented them from using their magic to escape. Why did she not just call the police? Instead, she comes up with this extremely long and complicated plan involving time travel. It’s super interesting to watch, but still--Why did she not call the police?
3) Unnecessary POV shift
There’s a scene which is written entirely from the POV of a side character. While it was interesting to see the heroine from another person’s perspective, we again found this jarring. The side character isn’t really that important to the plot--he was a nice guy, but to the plot he was almost a nobody--and so it didn’t feel worth it to be so invested into his character and his world when we cared a lot more about Akalya and what she was doing. But hey--it’s not that big of a deal, it’s just one scene. We can forgive that.
THE BIZARRE...
1) Weird words: “memelelellekin” and “hawanaiian”...
It is introduced early in the story that there are two special words used to distinguish the time/space travelers from ordinary people like us: travelers are called Harekaiians, while muggles are referred to as Memlekel. This leads to a number of questions from the reader, such as: Where do these terms come from? Why do the travelers still use them? They obviously aren’t English words, and they seem difficult for native English speakers to pronounce. Are we to believe that these magical time-traveling Hawaiians (or whatever they’re called) never once decided that they were tired of calling other people “Memelikells”? Why did not one of them just say, “To heck with this, from now on we’re the Magicks and they’re the Mundanes, yeah?”
For that matter, when the character first introduced herself, we thought she was an alien. Seriously. Her name is Akalya of the Hawaiians... er, we mean Harekaiians, and she further admits to having superpowers and hiding among normal people in LA. How could she not be an alien? Imagine our surprise when we learned that she was just some kind of mutant. Who was born in Los Angeles. So we looked up the name “Akalya” on Google, and it turns out that it has Hindi origins and means “wish” (that is, if the baby name website we found is to be believed). We have no idea whether any of this was intentional or not. The character doesn’t seem to be described as someone with Indian heritage. If she is Indian-American, then it would have been nice to know this upfront so we didn’t think of her as an alien at first.
3) Fun solution to the “Grandfather Paradox”
This is the nemesis of all time travelers everywhere. For anyone who doesn’t know, the Grandfather Paradox goes like this: “If a time traveler went back in time to kill his grandfather, would he still exist?” The question essentially sets up a time loop that cannot be solved: darn you, paradoxes! Most fiction only uses one of two options to solve this problem about time travel; but what really caught our attention is that this book HAS A DIFFERENT ANSWER to the Grandfather Paradox. It was so unexpected and when we saw it, we jumped up and danced around the room, we were so delighted. We won’t spoil it for everyone--and we think that some people will not like the answer, depending on their own tastes--but suffice to say it is very similar to the cutting edge of current Quantum Theory, in which experiments proved that, in some way, human observation affected the nature of reality (if you’re interested, then google “Double Slit Experiment” and prepare to have your mind blown). All in all, awesomeness abounds.
AND THE VERDICT:
This book is GOOD.
Some slight warnings: there is some brief nudity and sexual implications, but there are no actual sex scenes.
The most fortunate part about this little gem (we mean, aside from all the good stuff up there) is that it is only the first installment. We demand more! More, we say! We’re happy that this is only Episode One, because now we know for sure that there will doubtless be more to come, and boy, are we looking forward to it.
Buy it already. You know you want to.
January 18, 2016
Thank you to the author, Shanna Lauffey, for gifting me with Time Shifters in exchange for an honest review!
You know, I never used to read time travel books and now it seems like I'm knee deep in them! Not that that is a bad thing at all :)
Overall, I have to say this is such a great concept and idea that could be developed into so much more in the coming books. It centers around a class of people who have the ability to time travel (it's a gene thing) and some of them start disappearing. At first, it seems like it's the work of the government, but soon, you get the impression it's much more complicated than that. I loved the whole idea of a society of time shifters (sort of like x-men) however, the execution was a little shaky which kept it from fully blossoming.
One thing I think would really solve that issue is a prequel. In general, I felt sort of left behind when the MC talked about her old life (or really any of the characters) as well as when the general community of time shifters was involved. While there was background information provided, it was framed in the sort of way one does with the second book in the series. It's written in just to remind the reader of what happened. I did love the MC's character and thought she was an excellent lead but I could have used a more comprehensive backstory.
With that, when I was reading, the description of the villain got a bit fuzzy for me. In the middle of the mystery, while it was great (more about that in the next paragraph), I lost track of who was actually the bad guy (or girl).
Back to the awesome things! I also really loved puzzling through the clues, especially factoring in the whole time travel thing. Because when you can time travel, you change your position in the past which alters what other people's actions are. You can also go back and leave yourself notes so the whole mystery thing gets so much more complicated and interesting when time travel is involved.
The Final Verdict:
A lovely concept with well written characters that could just use more backstory.
3.5 stars
Quotes:
"It is difficult to believe in anything spiritual when you have too much science, yet I have seen things that defy explanation by what is known."
"The result, however, is a simple movement through the time stream, no more violent than taking a step."
"The paradox's namesake example is merely the most common example used when one considers the whole range of possible actions. If someone travelled back in time to kill Hitler, then the idea to do so would not occur because the Third Reich never happened. If a time traveller went back to sabotage the technology to allow time travel, then the technology would not exist in his own time to make the journey."
"The crucial moments in life can come down to a single moment of time. Everything that happens will be shaped by a single act, and which possible path is opened first. The end of my people could have resulted from the slightest mistake, but when there is no time to think, you can only follow your heart and what it tells you to do."
You know, I never used to read time travel books and now it seems like I'm knee deep in them! Not that that is a bad thing at all :)
Overall, I have to say this is such a great concept and idea that could be developed into so much more in the coming books. It centers around a class of people who have the ability to time travel (it's a gene thing) and some of them start disappearing. At first, it seems like it's the work of the government, but soon, you get the impression it's much more complicated than that. I loved the whole idea of a society of time shifters (sort of like x-men) however, the execution was a little shaky which kept it from fully blossoming.
One thing I think would really solve that issue is a prequel. In general, I felt sort of left behind when the MC talked about her old life (or really any of the characters) as well as when the general community of time shifters was involved. While there was background information provided, it was framed in the sort of way one does with the second book in the series. It's written in just to remind the reader of what happened. I did love the MC's character and thought she was an excellent lead but I could have used a more comprehensive backstory.
With that, when I was reading, the description of the villain got a bit fuzzy for me. In the middle of the mystery, while it was great (more about that in the next paragraph), I lost track of who was actually the bad guy (or girl).
Back to the awesome things! I also really loved puzzling through the clues, especially factoring in the whole time travel thing. Because when you can time travel, you change your position in the past which alters what other people's actions are. You can also go back and leave yourself notes so the whole mystery thing gets so much more complicated and interesting when time travel is involved.
The Final Verdict:
A lovely concept with well written characters that could just use more backstory.
3.5 stars
Quotes:
"It is difficult to believe in anything spiritual when you have too much science, yet I have seen things that defy explanation by what is known."
"The result, however, is a simple movement through the time stream, no more violent than taking a step."
"The paradox's namesake example is merely the most common example used when one considers the whole range of possible actions. If someone travelled back in time to kill Hitler, then the idea to do so would not occur because the Third Reich never happened. If a time traveller went back to sabotage the technology to allow time travel, then the technology would not exist in his own time to make the journey."
"The crucial moments in life can come down to a single moment of time. Everything that happens will be shaped by a single act, and which possible path is opened first. The end of my people could have resulted from the slightest mistake, but when there is no time to think, you can only follow your heart and what it tells you to do."
July 9, 2014
A so-so book, this story is mercifully short. The protagonist Akalya belongs to the tribe of Harekaiian – time-shifters. She and her people can shift through time and space, with certain limitations. Most of them are peaceful, solitary folks, living their lives on the fridges of society, trying to stay unnoticed by the mainstream government and military. In the 21st century America, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, but they manage … until someone starts grabbing their kin off the streets. Akalya is determined to find out who does it and why. She is set on freeing her people. Of course she does it by shifting back and forth through time.
The plot sounds interesting – an original blend of mystery and time-travel. It could’ve been a fascinating book, but the execution was blah. Too many technical details and prolonged italicized contemplations slow the action to a standstill for pages at a time. The secondary characters are all sketchy, and even the protagonist herself is blurry at the edges. I liked her, to a point, but I didn’t identify with her. Sometimes her behavior was illogical or outright stupid, while other times her inventiveness appealed to me.
Some humor inherent in the time jumps also helped this book to avoid being a total loss, but I won’t be reading this author again.
Overall – 3 reluctant stars, because I did finish it.
The plot sounds interesting – an original blend of mystery and time-travel. It could’ve been a fascinating book, but the execution was blah. Too many technical details and prolonged italicized contemplations slow the action to a standstill for pages at a time. The secondary characters are all sketchy, and even the protagonist herself is blurry at the edges. I liked her, to a point, but I didn’t identify with her. Sometimes her behavior was illogical or outright stupid, while other times her inventiveness appealed to me.
Some humor inherent in the time jumps also helped this book to avoid being a total loss, but I won’t be reading this author again.
Overall – 3 reluctant stars, because I did finish it.
August 2, 2014
Bell, Book & Candle | Time Shifters Review
This novella series was actually really good. I was immediately drawn into the world of time travel. The plot kept me interested and consistently thickened, and the writing was pretty well done; I have no complaints. I also enjoyed that the setting was based in California; specifically Los Angeles. I am a native Californian, by the way.
"It is difficult to believe in anything spiritual when you have too much science, yet I have seen things that defy explanation by what is known." -Akalya
The lead, Akalya, is pretty selfless and goodhearted. I don't know if I could have been as risky as her. Marcus was also really interesting; every scene with him was like heaven. However I hope to see more scenes and interaction between him and Akalya.
The twist Shanna Lauffey puts on time travel was quite creative yet realistic. Superpowers aren't usually written with limitations or consequences these days, so seeing it in this book was surprising in a good way. My only complaint with this book is the length: it was too short and I wanted more.
This novella series was actually really good. I was immediately drawn into the world of time travel. The plot kept me interested and consistently thickened, and the writing was pretty well done; I have no complaints. I also enjoyed that the setting was based in California; specifically Los Angeles. I am a native Californian, by the way.
"It is difficult to believe in anything spiritual when you have too much science, yet I have seen things that defy explanation by what is known." -Akalya
The lead, Akalya, is pretty selfless and goodhearted. I don't know if I could have been as risky as her. Marcus was also really interesting; every scene with him was like heaven. However I hope to see more scenes and interaction between him and Akalya.
The twist Shanna Lauffey puts on time travel was quite creative yet realistic. Superpowers aren't usually written with limitations or consequences these days, so seeing it in this book was surprising in a good way. My only complaint with this book is the length: it was too short and I wanted more.
July 27, 2014
3.5 stars.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting story with a fascinating premise!
Akalya is a time shifter. She can move through distances or move through time, but never both at the same time. Akalya can only travel to times between her birth and death. She also has to see a place before she can shift into it, because she has to imagine it. I think the author put realistic boundaries on time travel and really explained it well.
Anyway, Akalya can recognize other time shifters because they dress like gypsies, although she isn't close to most of them. The book begins when many of her fellow time shifters are captured. She is able to shift to where they are and discovers that someone has prevented them from using their powers. Akalya has to save her fellow time shifters while avoiding her own capture.
I would have liked to have known more about Akalya's back story and personality from this story, although, because it is a novella, I get the idea that more is coming in sequels. The book ended on a satisfying note, but left the reader wondering about one of the subplots and wanting to read the second to discover more. Not my usual genre, but pretty interesting. I think this series has potential if the characters become easier to connect with.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting story with a fascinating premise!
Akalya is a time shifter. She can move through distances or move through time, but never both at the same time. Akalya can only travel to times between her birth and death. She also has to see a place before she can shift into it, because she has to imagine it. I think the author put realistic boundaries on time travel and really explained it well.
Anyway, Akalya can recognize other time shifters because they dress like gypsies, although she isn't close to most of them. The book begins when many of her fellow time shifters are captured. She is able to shift to where they are and discovers that someone has prevented them from using their powers. Akalya has to save her fellow time shifters while avoiding her own capture.
I would have liked to have known more about Akalya's back story and personality from this story, although, because it is a novella, I get the idea that more is coming in sequels. The book ended on a satisfying note, but left the reader wondering about one of the subplots and wanting to read the second to discover more. Not my usual genre, but pretty interesting. I think this series has potential if the characters become easier to connect with.
April 5, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.
(This review will contain spoilers).
Time Shifters is a fairly short story. It does a pretty good job of pulling the reader into its world, where, for Akalya, shifting around through time and space is completely normal.
She and others like her blend into the background as they go through life, but someone is starting to kidnap them, and she decides she should do something to save them.
Akalya is a pretty strong character. I like that she's a fairly old character, and I also like that she definitely had strong opinions about what she liked. I didn't feel like she was a blank slate.
She's pretty realistic in her motivations. On one hand, she doesn't really know the other Harekaiian all that well. But she feels compelled to save them - not because she has some superb sense of justice, but there's a layer of problems facing her. One of the captives is someone she's familiar with and wants to help. She's also worried about the fact that her people are being kidnapped, and she could be next. There's also a smaller sense of not wanting to turn her back on them. All of her feelings about it are very understandable.
The way she uses her powers to solve problems is interesting. She has a great advantage over others, but she's not invincible, and she doesn't know what tricks the enemy is using.
It was a fun read. It did drag at parts where things got over-described. For example, using her powers makes her hungry and she often stops to eat in the book, but I didn't need to know exactly what she was eating every time. Sometimes she made mental commentary - like comparing shakes in the late 60's to modern shakes. Other times it was just a list of food.
I think the other weak spot was when she was with Marcus. We get told more about the time they spent together and don't get shown too much of it, so the connection we're supposed to believe they formed during their talk wasn't as strong as it could have been. I also got a little lost in how he got to where he was. She teleported him back in time, and had him bring her food in another place, but after he brought her food what happened to him?
In the spot where it's initially described, he kisses her, brings her food, and then is sort of forgotten in the narrative. It doesn't say he leaves or vanishes or anything. It's like the book just forgot he was there, and the Akalya travels through time on her own. So wouldn't he have still been left in that time? I got a bit lost at that part.
It was a nice start for a series though, with a strong lead and an interesting plot.
(This review will contain spoilers).
Time Shifters is a fairly short story. It does a pretty good job of pulling the reader into its world, where, for Akalya, shifting around through time and space is completely normal.
She and others like her blend into the background as they go through life, but someone is starting to kidnap them, and she decides she should do something to save them.
Akalya is a pretty strong character. I like that she's a fairly old character, and I also like that she definitely had strong opinions about what she liked. I didn't feel like she was a blank slate.
She's pretty realistic in her motivations. On one hand, she doesn't really know the other Harekaiian all that well. But she feels compelled to save them - not because she has some superb sense of justice, but there's a layer of problems facing her. One of the captives is someone she's familiar with and wants to help. She's also worried about the fact that her people are being kidnapped, and she could be next. There's also a smaller sense of not wanting to turn her back on them. All of her feelings about it are very understandable.
The way she uses her powers to solve problems is interesting. She has a great advantage over others, but she's not invincible, and she doesn't know what tricks the enemy is using.
It was a fun read. It did drag at parts where things got over-described. For example, using her powers makes her hungry and she often stops to eat in the book, but I didn't need to know exactly what she was eating every time. Sometimes she made mental commentary - like comparing shakes in the late 60's to modern shakes. Other times it was just a list of food.
I think the other weak spot was when she was with Marcus. We get told more about the time they spent together and don't get shown too much of it, so the connection we're supposed to believe they formed during their talk wasn't as strong as it could have been. I also got a little lost in how he got to where he was. She teleported him back in time, and had him bring her food in another place, but after he brought her food what happened to him?
In the spot where it's initially described, he kisses her, brings her food, and then is sort of forgotten in the narrative. It doesn't say he leaves or vanishes or anything. It's like the book just forgot he was there, and the Akalya travels through time on her own. So wouldn't he have still been left in that time? I got a bit lost at that part.
It was a nice start for a series though, with a strong lead and an interesting plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2014
In "Time Shifters" author Shanna Lauffey takes readers on an almost surreal journey alongside someone who can shift time and space at will. Much of the book had a very poetic feel to it. Many times while reading it I was reminded of that beautifully crafted puzzle game "Myst" from the 1990's: Serene, picturesque and calm, but with a the constant tease of danger and mystery.
The way Lauffey describes scenery is wonderful. It creates almost a mini-vacation for the reader as she or he is pulled through the story. The plot was interesting and entertaining. A good start to what I hope becomes a long-running series.
The way Lauffey describes scenery is wonderful. It creates almost a mini-vacation for the reader as she or he is pulled through the story. The plot was interesting and entertaining. A good start to what I hope becomes a long-running series.
September 22, 2014
Shanna Lauffey does a great job of pulling readers in to this story. This page turner kept me hanging on from start to finish, and left me looking for the next installment. I loved the idea of an innate time travel ability that transistions neatly into a distance travel ability as well, something that makes almost perfect sense once you consider the nature of one or the other. Action packed and a little sexy, I gave it four stars. The only things keeping it from achieving that coveted fifth star are the lack of a Table of Contents and the images added into the story that I found minorly distracting.
September 23, 2014
time shifters poses interesting questions about time in an effortlessly written story which is exciting and thought provoking. Some sections are very descriptive but, while this is brilliant to gain a sense of each setting, it sometimes slowed the pace of the story. I was intrigued by the beginning of each chapter, written from Akalya's first person perspective, and wished that the entire novella was written in that style. Time shifters was interesting and exciting. Each page kept me wanting to find out more. I particularly liked the contemplative and intelligent protagonist, Akalya, and the clear explanations of the science of her world.
October 13, 2014
I’m fascinated by time travel so for me this was an enjoyable read. Lots of original content that kept me engrossed and I loved all the simplified scientific explanations that were given. I really enjoyed the authors style of writing and the only complaint I have is that it was too short.
May 24, 2014
I liked this book, all the jumping around time, kept me turning the pages, ready for the next one now!
to-read-own
July 21, 2016According to Amazon it's 184 pages.
May 6, 2019
I had my eye on this one for a while and found it free on Smashwords. It's a time travel novella that begins a series that promises to be really good.
The style is something I haven't seen often. The main character begins each chapter in first person, talking to audience to explain things about her people, time travel, or events. Purists might accuse the author of telling, but it works in this form. You can imagine it in a television adaptation really easily. Then after a couple of paragraphs it switches to third person and proves that the author knows how to show. The writing is very good quality and typo-free.
The story itself is centered around a gypsy-like people who can shift through time and space, sort of like in the movie Jumpers does with just distance. They can't do both at the same time. The rules of time travel are very well laid out over the course of the story and I was so engrossed that I read it in one evening. It's only 92 pages. Presumably the further episodes will be similar length.
It's part mystery as the story starts out with some of these people being abducted from public places sort of like illegal aliens get rounded up, but the kidnappers aren't clearly identifiable and one of the things you have to read to learn is who they are and why it's happening when no one is supposed to know these people even exist.
There are some very funny moments and a lot of action in the second half. One thing that really impressed me though is that the author reduced one of Einstein's more complicated theories about space/time into an easy explanation that any high schooler could understand.
Although it's a series book, there is a conclusion that satisfies the need to end a story neatly. There were a few loose ends left for future episodes and I'll knock off half a star for making me wait, but I'll admit that it's sort of unfair because she had to leave something open to continue the story with.
It was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to more. I'm also going to try to find the author's other books, which are apparently out of print. It would be interesting to see what else she's done. 4.5 stars.
The style is something I haven't seen often. The main character begins each chapter in first person, talking to audience to explain things about her people, time travel, or events. Purists might accuse the author of telling, but it works in this form. You can imagine it in a television adaptation really easily. Then after a couple of paragraphs it switches to third person and proves that the author knows how to show. The writing is very good quality and typo-free.
The story itself is centered around a gypsy-like people who can shift through time and space, sort of like in the movie Jumpers does with just distance. They can't do both at the same time. The rules of time travel are very well laid out over the course of the story and I was so engrossed that I read it in one evening. It's only 92 pages. Presumably the further episodes will be similar length.
It's part mystery as the story starts out with some of these people being abducted from public places sort of like illegal aliens get rounded up, but the kidnappers aren't clearly identifiable and one of the things you have to read to learn is who they are and why it's happening when no one is supposed to know these people even exist.
There are some very funny moments and a lot of action in the second half. One thing that really impressed me though is that the author reduced one of Einstein's more complicated theories about space/time into an easy explanation that any high schooler could understand.
Although it's a series book, there is a conclusion that satisfies the need to end a story neatly. There were a few loose ends left for future episodes and I'll knock off half a star for making me wait, but I'll admit that it's sort of unfair because she had to leave something open to continue the story with.
It was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to more. I'm also going to try to find the author's other books, which are apparently out of print. It would be interesting to see what else she's done. 4.5 stars.
March 31, 2021
I received a free copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
An easy read, which I can imagine appealing to a young adult audience. The explanations on the physics of time travel are easier to understand than some I've read!
The story unfolds at a steady pace; no gratuitous violence or strong language makes for a gentle adventure.
I don't usually read a series, but I'm tempted to get book two, to see how Marcus develops.
An easy read, which I can imagine appealing to a young adult audience. The explanations on the physics of time travel are easier to understand than some I've read!
The story unfolds at a steady pace; no gratuitous violence or strong language makes for a gentle adventure.
I don't usually read a series, but I'm tempted to get book two, to see how Marcus develops.
June 8, 2020
Interesting and well written, I had no trouble following the back and forth, without it being too simplyfied.
If you know and like Dragonriders of Pern, you’ll like Time Shifters, I’m sure. This series is based here, now(ish) and with humans who are not quite like the rest of us.
Part 1 is free at Smashwords.
If you know and like Dragonriders of Pern, you’ll like Time Shifters, I’m sure. This series is based here, now(ish) and with humans who are not quite like the rest of us.
Part 1 is free at Smashwords.
April 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It gives an entirely different slant on time travel and its limitations. The book is a fast read and is not bogged down in made-up slang and scientific jargon. I liked the character descriptions and the right balance of action vs. explanation.
I received a Kindle copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
I received a Kindle copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
March 31, 2021
This is a quick read, and quite pleasant. I was intrigued by the blend of stream of consciousness with the story line. It works.
March 19, 2022
Great time travel short story
Great story that does enough to explain the background, but moves quickly. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Great story that does enough to explain the background, but moves quickly. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
March 31, 2014
A cool story, interesting science fiction mixed with modern day historical fiction.
Time Shifters opens on a restaurant in Southern California. Akalya is having dinner with a couple of friends when a commotion in the back heralds what she thinks is a raid on undocumented workers in the kitchen. That is it does until the action spills out into the dining room and people she recognizes as fellow time shifters are captured and taken away. Akalya abandons caution and protocol and shifts away, narrowly escaping a similar fate. After trying to warn one of her close friends, a little too late to make much difference, Akalya shifts back to The Strand in 1965 California, a time and place cherished in her fondest childhood memories, to collect herself and figure out what to do about the abductions. From this base of operations, Akalya steps outside of her comfort zone and begins a one woman cloak and dagger operation that spans decades.
One thing I enjoyed about this story was the experience of traveling to 60s and 70s Southern California. The feel of the time and place, in my opinion, are spot on and it's easy to imagine yourself there with Akalya, both as an adult visiting and as a child growing up there. The author gives just the right amount of nostalgia to draw you in without going into history lesson mode. I also loved the little pictures sprinkled throughout the book. They're just pictures of houses, beaches, skyscrapers, etc., but they are well placed and help draw you into the locations and the times in the story.
The thoroughness and consistency applied to the shifting science is noteworthy, particularly since this story is billed as science fiction. The science isn't overwhelming, but the explanations are logical and work well in the scope of the story, and the characters stick to the established conventions. I also liked how the most scientific of the explanations are kept in the forewords of each chapter so they don't get in the way of the narration, while the more organic comparisons are presented in the narration, such as when the main character renames grandfather theory as Bill and Ted Theory, after Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. I particularly enjoyed the nod to Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. Though the main character doesn't outright say those are the time shifting dragonriders she's taking about when she calls it her favorite series, readers who are familiar with McCaffrey's Dragonriders will have no trouble making that connection.
I didn't particularly care for the quirky names for normal people and Akalya's people, kind of too much for such a small story, but as part of a ten book story, it will probably be ok. I also think calling normal people some kind of name as if they are outside your circle is, well, not endearing. Not picking on this story, I didn't like it in Harry Potter either. Of course, it's not farfetched that they would have names for themselves versus others. There are historical and modern day precedents for this.
Another thing I noticed was that the main character lacks a sense of urgency, most likely due to her ability to move herself through time. While it works for the story, it kind of interrupts the action and excitement when Akalya takes off on some leisurely activities in the past, such as renting an apartment, collecting furniture for it and considering taking on a job in the past to earn currency with the proper dates on it.
On a more humorous note, when Akalya tracks her people to a 'portacabin' on the beach, I, for some reason, thought it was some kind of weird word I'd never heard of, possibly in a foreign language. Imagine my chagrin several chapters later when I realized I should have been pronouncing it as port-a-cabin. Made sense after that.
Overall, I really liked this story. It is the first in what the end matter of the book describes as a 10 part series, but the story does have a complete plot and resolution, leaving enough in the realm of the unknown to lead into the next story without being too much of a cliffhanger. I think people who enjoy science fiction, especially the kind that includes time and distance shifting and the kind that includes realistic scientific explanations for the fictional science, will likely enjoy this book. Those who like books with extraordinary powers or science fiction that are set in mundane times and places may also find this in their realm of interest. Finally, I think anyone who grew up in California and experienced the beaches or jaunting out on the rocks and dodging the crabs and sea life there might enjoy the memories this story evokes.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
Time Shifters opens on a restaurant in Southern California. Akalya is having dinner with a couple of friends when a commotion in the back heralds what she thinks is a raid on undocumented workers in the kitchen. That is it does until the action spills out into the dining room and people she recognizes as fellow time shifters are captured and taken away. Akalya abandons caution and protocol and shifts away, narrowly escaping a similar fate. After trying to warn one of her close friends, a little too late to make much difference, Akalya shifts back to The Strand in 1965 California, a time and place cherished in her fondest childhood memories, to collect herself and figure out what to do about the abductions. From this base of operations, Akalya steps outside of her comfort zone and begins a one woman cloak and dagger operation that spans decades.
One thing I enjoyed about this story was the experience of traveling to 60s and 70s Southern California. The feel of the time and place, in my opinion, are spot on and it's easy to imagine yourself there with Akalya, both as an adult visiting and as a child growing up there. The author gives just the right amount of nostalgia to draw you in without going into history lesson mode. I also loved the little pictures sprinkled throughout the book. They're just pictures of houses, beaches, skyscrapers, etc., but they are well placed and help draw you into the locations and the times in the story.
The thoroughness and consistency applied to the shifting science is noteworthy, particularly since this story is billed as science fiction. The science isn't overwhelming, but the explanations are logical and work well in the scope of the story, and the characters stick to the established conventions. I also liked how the most scientific of the explanations are kept in the forewords of each chapter so they don't get in the way of the narration, while the more organic comparisons are presented in the narration, such as when the main character renames grandfather theory as Bill and Ted Theory, after Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. I particularly enjoyed the nod to Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern. Though the main character doesn't outright say those are the time shifting dragonriders she's taking about when she calls it her favorite series, readers who are familiar with McCaffrey's Dragonriders will have no trouble making that connection.
I didn't particularly care for the quirky names for normal people and Akalya's people, kind of too much for such a small story, but as part of a ten book story, it will probably be ok. I also think calling normal people some kind of name as if they are outside your circle is, well, not endearing. Not picking on this story, I didn't like it in Harry Potter either. Of course, it's not farfetched that they would have names for themselves versus others. There are historical and modern day precedents for this.
Another thing I noticed was that the main character lacks a sense of urgency, most likely due to her ability to move herself through time. While it works for the story, it kind of interrupts the action and excitement when Akalya takes off on some leisurely activities in the past, such as renting an apartment, collecting furniture for it and considering taking on a job in the past to earn currency with the proper dates on it.
On a more humorous note, when Akalya tracks her people to a 'portacabin' on the beach, I, for some reason, thought it was some kind of weird word I'd never heard of, possibly in a foreign language. Imagine my chagrin several chapters later when I realized I should have been pronouncing it as port-a-cabin. Made sense after that.
Overall, I really liked this story. It is the first in what the end matter of the book describes as a 10 part series, but the story does have a complete plot and resolution, leaving enough in the realm of the unknown to lead into the next story without being too much of a cliffhanger. I think people who enjoy science fiction, especially the kind that includes time and distance shifting and the kind that includes realistic scientific explanations for the fictional science, will likely enjoy this book. Those who like books with extraordinary powers or science fiction that are set in mundane times and places may also find this in their realm of interest. Finally, I think anyone who grew up in California and experienced the beaches or jaunting out on the rocks and dodging the crabs and sea life there might enjoy the memories this story evokes.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review.
October 15, 2014
Shanna Lauffey. You may not of heard of her, but her work speaks for itself and may entice you to read more as time goes on.
I picked up Time Shifters, the first chapter of ten conceived chapters that will be coming out later this year. The end of the novel hints at a possible TV series. I’m not sure if it is that strong of a story, but I have hopes.
Story and Plots:
The story is a Young Adult novel, simply written, for the most part clear and concise. The first person narration is by one Akala, who is a member of a special group, the “Harekaiian” people – people who can travel through time or space (one or the other, not both at the same time) and through heredity or luck, have attained these abilities.
They’re a shy people, afraid to be discovered, go in small groups or alone, and wander the time stream, having a good time. This part of the story is interesting – I mean, would you just be a beachcomber, a Gypsy free spirit, just roaming the time stream and goofing around?
Anyway, a man discovers the group and wants the abilities for his own. He hires a few people but does not know a rogue group is formed from his actions, a group that wants to find out quite invasively what makes the Harekaiian people tick – through dissection! Yikes!
It’s interesting watching Akala go through these motions – her friends are caught and somehow lose their ability whenever a man by the name of Marcus, apparently a half-breed who has some but not all these abilities (reminds me of Spock!) and apparently is in league with these kidnappers.
Akala must resist falling in love enough to find out who is behind all this and what she can do to stop the bad guys from slicing & dicing her friends.
I must admit some frustration with this character, how she decides to go back in time a few weeks to rest and then pops back to where she left off – let’s not goof off, Akala!
Their limitations are interesting too – you can only travel during the time of your own lifetime, can use time or space-distance travel, not both. And you can touch someone to take them with you, which she uses to great effect upon her enemies.
Plotholes:
The story has a few but I think that’s intentional to entice the reader to go to the next chapter in this series of ten. Who is Julia? And how is Mason involved? And what of the rich guy who is apparently manipulating everyone in this story? Where did these people come from in the first place? And we never really meet or learn about Akala’s friends, and how exactly they lost their powers of time & space when Marcus is around.
Bottom Line: Despite my perhaps over-criticizing the story, it flows well and is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Recommended. The author’s next book is Children of the Morning.
I picked up Time Shifters, the first chapter of ten conceived chapters that will be coming out later this year. The end of the novel hints at a possible TV series. I’m not sure if it is that strong of a story, but I have hopes.
Story and Plots:
The story is a Young Adult novel, simply written, for the most part clear and concise. The first person narration is by one Akala, who is a member of a special group, the “Harekaiian” people – people who can travel through time or space (one or the other, not both at the same time) and through heredity or luck, have attained these abilities.
They’re a shy people, afraid to be discovered, go in small groups or alone, and wander the time stream, having a good time. This part of the story is interesting – I mean, would you just be a beachcomber, a Gypsy free spirit, just roaming the time stream and goofing around?
Anyway, a man discovers the group and wants the abilities for his own. He hires a few people but does not know a rogue group is formed from his actions, a group that wants to find out quite invasively what makes the Harekaiian people tick – through dissection! Yikes!
It’s interesting watching Akala go through these motions – her friends are caught and somehow lose their ability whenever a man by the name of Marcus, apparently a half-breed who has some but not all these abilities (reminds me of Spock!) and apparently is in league with these kidnappers.
Akala must resist falling in love enough to find out who is behind all this and what she can do to stop the bad guys from slicing & dicing her friends.
I must admit some frustration with this character, how she decides to go back in time a few weeks to rest and then pops back to where she left off – let’s not goof off, Akala!
Their limitations are interesting too – you can only travel during the time of your own lifetime, can use time or space-distance travel, not both. And you can touch someone to take them with you, which she uses to great effect upon her enemies.
Plotholes:
The story has a few but I think that’s intentional to entice the reader to go to the next chapter in this series of ten. Who is Julia? And how is Mason involved? And what of the rich guy who is apparently manipulating everyone in this story? Where did these people come from in the first place? And we never really meet or learn about Akala’s friends, and how exactly they lost their powers of time & space when Marcus is around.
Bottom Line: Despite my perhaps over-criticizing the story, it flows well and is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Recommended. The author’s next book is Children of the Morning.
September 23, 2014
Time Shifters-review
cover- intriguing cover. Loved the fonts. and the clock.
We meet an ancient people who can move through time or space. I liked how it began saying her people lived invisibly among us. Enter Akalya the Harekaiian. She belongs to a group of people that possesses the ability to bend space and time. One day while eating she witnesses some of her own people being kidnapped by mysterious men dressed in black. Akalya discovers that these kidnappers have found a way to stop her people from escaping using their powers. She then takes it upon herself to rescue the captives, using her own abilities to warp space and time.
This book is great at pulling readers in to this story. The plot kept me interested . I loved this book and was very thrilled to know there will be more episodes . Time Shifters" author Shanna Lauffey takes her readers on wonderful journey. Enter the world of time travel-filled with Fantasy, Science Fiction& Suspense. Time shifting is a relatively new term which describes the ancient phenomenon observed by shamans, yogis, and other spiritual adepts capable of accessing, experiencing and influencing events in the past, present, and future.
Time Travel to the Past or Time Travel to the Future
With this book you can do both. I was locked in with each page. Now I look forward to finding out more with other books. I want to know what she will be doing in the next one. Will there be another secret ? Will she find her friends and get them away from the bad guys?
cover- intriguing cover. Loved the fonts. and the clock.
We meet an ancient people who can move through time or space. I liked how it began saying her people lived invisibly among us. Enter Akalya the Harekaiian. She belongs to a group of people that possesses the ability to bend space and time. One day while eating she witnesses some of her own people being kidnapped by mysterious men dressed in black. Akalya discovers that these kidnappers have found a way to stop her people from escaping using their powers. She then takes it upon herself to rescue the captives, using her own abilities to warp space and time.
This book is great at pulling readers in to this story. The plot kept me interested . I loved this book and was very thrilled to know there will be more episodes . Time Shifters" author Shanna Lauffey takes her readers on wonderful journey. Enter the world of time travel-filled with Fantasy, Science Fiction& Suspense. Time shifting is a relatively new term which describes the ancient phenomenon observed by shamans, yogis, and other spiritual adepts capable of accessing, experiencing and influencing events in the past, present, and future.
Time Travel to the Past or Time Travel to the Future
With this book you can do both. I was locked in with each page. Now I look forward to finding out more with other books. I want to know what she will be doing in the next one. Will there be another secret ? Will she find her friends and get them away from the bad guys?
April 9, 2014
My only complaint with this book was that it was too short, I wanted it to never end. I've just gone and Liked Shanna’s Facebook page because I want to know immediately when the second instalment is out.
I really like Shanna’s take on Time travel. I was immediately drawn into the world of the Harekaiian. The main character is a female by the name of Akalya, she felt real and warm to me, I immediately cared about her. Akalya is a Harekaiian and she possesses the ability to move through space and time. Akalya witnesses some of her own kind being kidnapped and takes it upon herself to rescue the captives.
I really enjoyed this story it was fast passed and I didn't want to put it down. Shanna gives us mystery, suspense, characters you can feel for, plot twists and romance. Even with all the time shifting and jumping around going on Shana’s writing is of such high quality that as a reader you don't get lost and are able to keep up with the fast paced action.
As this is the first Novella in a Ten part series you can tell that the dark dealings of the ‘bad guys’ are only just coming to light and things are only going to get more intense and more interesting.
I am really looking forward to see how it all concludes.
I really like Shanna’s take on Time travel. I was immediately drawn into the world of the Harekaiian. The main character is a female by the name of Akalya, she felt real and warm to me, I immediately cared about her. Akalya is a Harekaiian and she possesses the ability to move through space and time. Akalya witnesses some of her own kind being kidnapped and takes it upon herself to rescue the captives.
I really enjoyed this story it was fast passed and I didn't want to put it down. Shanna gives us mystery, suspense, characters you can feel for, plot twists and romance. Even with all the time shifting and jumping around going on Shana’s writing is of such high quality that as a reader you don't get lost and are able to keep up with the fast paced action.
As this is the first Novella in a Ten part series you can tell that the dark dealings of the ‘bad guys’ are only just coming to light and things are only going to get more intense and more interesting.
I am really looking forward to see how it all concludes.
November 5, 2014
This is a quick and short book. My Kindle Edition was only 181 pages. It's a fast paced book that has mystery, time travel, and suspense. I had many questions while reading the books and a good amount of them were answered. I learned about the Harekaiia people and their abilities and some of their background. It’s a world with Harekaiia and Memlekel. The Memlekel, us average humans with no time travel abilies, have no idea about the Harekaiia. The jumps between places were described well so I was able to follow it easily.
I found out that there will be 10 books in this series. I currently have the first two and the third is going to be released soon. I also learned there is going to be a TV series made from these books. Bravo!
Warning: There is the word “Gypsy” in this book. It isn’t meant to be derogatory or insulting. It’s meant to describe clothing and style not to be offensive or degrading to a type of people.
I found out that there will be 10 books in this series. I currently have the first two and the third is going to be released soon. I also learned there is going to be a TV series made from these books. Bravo!
Warning: There is the word “Gypsy” in this book. It isn’t meant to be derogatory or insulting. It’s meant to describe clothing and style not to be offensive or degrading to a type of people.
August 14, 2016
Writing time travel is very difficult when trying to keep up with what's happening in the different times. When it's as complicated as in this story, continually shifting back and forth, it is almost impossible to follow as a reader. It became unnecessary to be concerned with as the story unfolded and the MC told what time she was in or moving into. It was a good story and a good twist with interesting characters, but I'm glad it wasn't any longer or it would have become tiresome to follow. There's good action, and the end is a cliffhanger. The next story should be interesting.
I won this book in a giveaway.
I won this book in a giveaway.
January 21, 2015
A so-so book. Lots of "Akayla did this, then did that, then ate this" which doesn't exactly make for compelling reading. The instant attractions didn't work for me either. No inclination to continue the series.
June 15, 2016
Interesting premise, but...
Not very well developed. Sort of amateurish writing and the ending is so sudden it feels like the last quarter of the book was thrown out only to be replaced by two or three hastily constructed sentences.
Not very well developed. Sort of amateurish writing and the ending is so sudden it feels like the last quarter of the book was thrown out only to be replaced by two or three hastily constructed sentences.
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