Alibi Jones and the Time War of the Devrizium

The Adventures of Alibi Jones

by Mike Luoma

A race of time travelers seems to want Alibi Jones' time to come to an end in this connected cycle of short stories. The Alibi Jones and the Time War of the Devrizium short anthology features Alibi Jones' adventures with the xenophobic, time-traveling race known as the Devrizium! Featuring "About Time" (adapted from the comic book short story); "Remember Two Things"; "Memory, Yet Green"; and "The Last Battle".

Audible Audio

First published April 24, 2013

About the author

Mike Luoma writes and publishes science fiction and comics, creates the weekly "Glow-in-the-Dark Radio" podcast and hosts middays on "The Point", Vermont's Independent Radio Network, where he's also the Music Director.

His first novel, 2005's "Vatican Assassin" - science fiction set during an interplanetary Western/Muslim war - introduced "BC", a killer for the New catholic Church in 2109. It's been adapted as Graphic Novel with artist Cristian Navarro, and released as an audiobook narrated by Mike. The ebook of the novel is available free everywhere! BC's story continues in the rest of Mike's Vatican Assassin Trilogy - "Vatican Ambassador" and "Vatican Abdicator".

Mike now writes "The Adventures of Alibi Jones" - Twentysomething years later, Alibi Jones – son of BC – is a Mediator for the Solar Alliance Interplanetary Force, negotiating interstellar trade arrangements and other matters with alien races. The series begins in the novel "Alibi Jones" and continues in book two "Alibi Jones and The Sunrise of Hur", the short story collection "Alibi Jones and the Time War of The Devrizium", issue one of the comic "The Adventures of Alibi Jones" and in the brand-new novel "Alibi Jones and The Hornet's Nest".

Hear Mike read his work free each week – look for "Mike Luoma" on iTunes for his "Glow-in-the-Dark Radio" podcast and free, downloadable audio books from Podiobooks.com. Find out more at http://glowinthedarkradio.com.

Reviews

[Josh399 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first Alibi Jones novel and I was not very impressed.

Luoma clearly put a lot of thought into the pacing and time-travel logistics and it shows. I always appreciate a novelist who faces paradox face first, and his explanations are clear and understandable.

I did however have a problem with most other aspects of the book.

#1. There is a lack of foreshadowing. Shocking in a book that features so many futures and pasts. Give the reader something to bite down on!
#2. The main character is enigmatic. No, he's not alluringly mysterious. I just mean that I still don't understand his importance in the solar system, time passage, or even his asteroid. Is he a trust-fund kid with too much time? He seems to be a sarcastic teenager getting over a break up who is trusted by galactic troopers? At least "Ace Tucker Space Trucker" (to which I keep comparing this in my head), I had a group of characters with firm positions.
#3. The book just wasn't that compelling. I read it mainly to mine for time travel ideas (which it was very useful for) but the book's exposition was weird. We're told multiple times about Alibi's aunt, his high school sweetheart, and the asteroid they all live on, none of which is that relevant. Some descriptions are entirely useless and irrelevant in every way.

The author has a few good ideas but ultimately, the characters are just tools for a plot that isn't all that fun to follow.