Bridge Through Time

by Scott Spotson

Bridge Through Time is the sequel to Spotson's successful debut novel, Life II. Max's son, Dr. Kyle Thorning, is now a high particle physicist at CERN in Switzerland. Meanwhile, after First Contact, powerful aliens with four arms and four legs, named Darsians, are taking control of the planet, with the muted subservience of its human population due to the astounding technological advances that the aliens introduce. Kyle has a powerful weapon—a new Time Travel machine—and must decide to travel to his father's old parallel universe, where he doesn't even exist, or confront the aliens in his home universe.

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fiction, Suspense

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2014

About the author

Scott Spotson is a Canadian novelist who excels in imagining scenes of intrigue and adventure within ordinary lives while daydreaming, then pulls together various plots to create a compelling story.

Scott has written eleven books: "Life II," a time travel novel; and its sequel, "Bridge Through Time," "Seeking Dr. Magic," a novel that imagines what happens when a powerful wizard comes of age as a young man, and wreaks his havoc on the world, which is yet unaware of his existence; "Delusional," in which a woman in love suddenly experiences hallucinations and resolve to track down her tormentor before it's too late; "The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers," in which a young man suffers from hallucinations throughout his life, but others also see them and these illusions contain clues to a deeper meaning--or do they?; "Wizards Rising: The Cataclysm," in which four arrogant wizards take over North America and thrill the populace with deadly wizard games; "Alia Tero: The Many Lives of Darren Datita," in which a bewildered young man must deal with the strange rules of an Earth-like society in an alternate universe; "My Wizard Buddy" series, children's books in which Tyler has a boy wizard as a real friend, not as an imaginary one, and "You Know You're Thin When...," a humor book using large single panel cartoons.

Reviews

[James McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite not having read the first novel, Life II, I found no difficulty entering into this complex, mind boggling and gripping tale of aliens and time travel. In a less talented writer I believe that fusing these two particular elements could be overambitious and easily prove detrimental. One’s “willing suspension of disbelief” can only be stretched so far after all. Spotson I’m pleased to say however pulls it off.

Despite its fantastical elements the novel is -initially at least- something of a human drama and the scenes with Dr Time could easily have been from a Philip K. Dick short story. This comparison I should point out refers to the quality and thought provoking nature of the writing rather than suggesting the story is derivative of the late, great author.

Although the motif of the seemingly benign aliens with the secret agenda is not a wholly original one (V was one of my favourite series of the 80’s I should mention here) the author manages to put a unique spin on things with his own multi- coloured, mouthless Darsians who ingratiate themselves into the scientific and business world as they gradually put into place their Machiavellian schemes.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about the novel however was the way it changes gears throughout. It begins very much introspectively with ‘what ifs?’ and soul searching, moves on to become something of a thriller and ends with an all out super-powered sci-fi climax. I’ve read several works by this author now and this one is by far my favourite. I recommend it to all sci-fi fans and hard sci-fi fans in particular. I only wish I’d read Life II first.

[Dale Rutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read once again. It was well written and I got submerged straight back into the story.
It is hard to review Bridge Through Time without big spoilers as I want to share the story with people and tell them what I enjoyed...however, I won't ruin it by giving it all away.
The mix of Time Travel and Alien Invasion is well blended and it isn't your typical alien invasion book which is a welcome relief.
The story focuses on Max’s Life II son, Kyle, and his obsession with time travel. Kyle is a geeky scientist with serious mental issues so isn't your usual hero - which, again, is something else I liked about the book. His issues, however, cannot stop him from searching for the secrets of time travel and uncovering signs that the aliens' intentions are sinister and somehow tangled with his father’s dual lives.
Kyle certainly delves deep down the rabbit hole and finds out some extraordinary things which made for a great read. Also, the ending is good and leaves a possible window for a sequel which I will happily read if there is.

[E.G. Manetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is difficult to review Bridge Through Time without massive spoilers. This mashup of Time Travel and Alien Invasion tropes is uniquely crafted where the heroes are ordinary people struggling to find their way in a world that often seems out of sync. It starts a little slowly as we meet Max, a man who has lived two lives. Life I in the world as we know it with a wife and two children and life II where his family is different and the aliens are among us.

The story really picks up when it focuses on Max’s Life II son, Kyle, and Kyle’s obsession with time travel. In a welcome departure from the classic action hero, Kyle is a geeky scientist with ADHD and serious issues with depression. None of which stop him from searching for the secrets of time travel and uncovering ominous indications that the aliens' intentions are sinister and somehow entwined with his father’s dual lives. The narrative style can be a little stilted, and the occasional particle physics info dump can be hard to follow, but those are minor distractions. It is a tribute to Scott Spotson’s story-telling that at one point I was talking to my iPad, begging Kyle not do to something foolish.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridge Through Time is a science fiction futuristic thriller. While this book is a sequel to Life II, I can easily say that this book can be read as a standalone novel. From the beginning, the author engages the reader into the story and never lets up. There is not a single boring moment in this story as we follow along with Kyle and Max’s story.
Max’s life, reality and timeline have been altered simply by his choice to go back in time and relive his life from the age of 16 forward. He sees the results of this new reality when aliens called, Darsians, make contact with humanity. They are strange looking beings, but they bring huge advancements in technology. Max himself lives in constant torment of the loss he suffered from this new timeline. The family he once had before is gone. He has a new family, but it’s not enough. Kyle, his son, is a trouble boy. He’s more than a handful for Max to handle, and when Kyle reaches adult status he leaves home. He becomes a successful physicist. Kyle knows that something isn’t right, but coming about to fully prove and understand is a path that he must walk carefully. Sadly, due to the innocence of his father in a conversation, Kyle is marked to be watched. Piece by piece the puzzle begins to come together for Kyle and then the reality of the situation becomes a race against time.
When I first saw the cover for this book, Bridge Through Time by Scott Spotson, I was curious. When I saw that it was a book two in a series, I was curious as to whether I could come to understand what was going on. I am normally hesitant to jump into the middle of series, but the author makes this book easy to get into. The author fills in gaps and completely engages the reader from start to finish. You may have a few questions at the end of this book, but nothing so serious that it detracts from the storyline to where you can’t forge ahead. I like how the author focuses on Max for a time in the story. We get to see his struggle with Life II. It’s heartbreaking to read how he clings to Life I and misses the children he had then. Then to read how Kyle himself feels like he doesn’t belong and how he struggles with his own mental issues behind it. I found myself pulled in further as Max takes a back seat and the story shifts to focus on Kyle.
The author’s expert weaving of this story makes it hard to put down for even a moment. The aliens are ever present, but the author does a fantastic job keeping them relevant but still mostly in the background. One would think that without a main stage presence from them that the storyline would suffer, but it doesn’t! It works! The aliens are pushing to become recognized as a part of society – to gain status, citizenship and rights. They are striving to show humanity that they “mean well” but the truth is there below the surface if one chooses to truly look. The author shows the reader that so few do despite all that has transpired.
As much as I’ve enjoyed this book, it’s not without its flaws. There are some editorial issues – mainly misspelled words, here and there in this story. While I say this, I can also easily say that these errors do not detract from the overall storyline. There may be some moments in the story of where the reader is a bit thrown off by alterations in the character’s behavior or changes, but if you keep reading it will all make sense. I promise.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This story is a one of a kind fascinating science fiction time travel thriller. If you like first contact novels, aliens, time travel and intense thrills then this is the book to read. But if you pick this book up, clear your schedule because you won’t want to put this book down until you get to the very end. I will warn readers of this – the story does not have true closure, so there may be a sequel to this one. Or the author simply wishes for the reader to draw their own conclusions as to what will happen next. If you are okay with that…then this is a book that you honestly won’t want to miss out.

[M.J. Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridge Through Time - 4.5 stars

Come for the aliens, stay for the humans!

In Bridge Through Time, Scott Spotson manages to meld intense science fiction – aliens, time travel, and parallel universes – with poignant examinations of human relationships. The book starts out as an alien invasion story, but takes an abrupt turn into a trip down memory lane when Max Thorning revisits Dr. Time. Dr. Time controls the Dream Weaver, a device that permits time travel as well as providing glimpses into the past – including Max’s past prior to entering this alternate timeline (which he calls Life II). Thorning wants to see where he went wrong with his current children, and discovers that perhaps his initial time travels triggered the arrival of aliens in Life II.

All of this, though, is the flash. The substance of the story emerges as we follow Kyle Thorning, Max’s Life II son, a physicist working at CERN. Kyle works against the now thoroughly-entrenched aliens (Darsians), who continue to control more and more of Earth’s economy with their technological “gifts to mankind.” Kyle wants to create time travel without the Darsians knowing, and must play a tough political game to keep his secrets hidden.

While Kyle’s professional pressures are huge, I found his personal struggles far more interesting: Kyle battles with depression, and tries every day to cope with his ADHD. He has a complicated relationship with his father, his girlfriend, and his peers. His motivations, while seemingly scientific and objective, are deeply personal – he pursues world-altering goals largely because he feels like he doesn’t belong in this world.

I must say that, while the family focus is ultimately what won me over, it came about in a disorienting way. The story seemed very much focused on the danger of an alien invasion, only to have Max decide to rehash family drama out of nowhere. With the trajectory of the story aiming toward Kyle anyway, having a scene or two of father-son discord before the visit to Dr. Time would have made that course change less jarring. The later re-directs were quite fun once I got into the author's flow.

Bridge Through Time is a book full of surprising twists and turns, with enough emotional and intellectual depth to keep it all from flying past. If you want sci fi that doesn’t skimp on the science, but provides real human moments as well, you’ll want to check this one out.

[Jay Saph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridge Through Time by Scott Spotson has a lot to offer science fiction fans through its mix of time travel, a stealth alien invasion and strong humanistic elements in the main characters. I’ve read another work of the author and the style is very similar in that Mr Spotson throws his upmost into making the plot detailed, witty and convoluted-but most enjoyably for me (as a scientist) a good dose of authenticity surrounding a wide range of topics. I like the references to Stephen Hawkins and the various academic settings (CERN) which filled in some of the gaps for me. I would say I preferred the part of the story that focused on the Darsians and their masterplan rather than the interactions between Kyle, Max Thorning, Dr Time etc but I think that’s because I hadn’t read Life II (the previous work) and built a connection with those characters. Like others I did think it ambitious to mix time travel with so many other themes (ADHD?) and as a reader you have to keep your eye on the ball and be patient, but that shouldn’t put off the avid sci-fan!
Easy four stars.

[Tim Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about time travel and the unintended consequences that can happen. This is the second in the series and I admit that I haven’t read the first. However despite that I don’t feel the book suffered and it was easy to get up to speed.

This is a good story that I feel is let down by dialogue that mostly feel unnatural. To me lot of the conversations didn’t flow and feels stilted. A character even says "Right On" to agree with what somebody else says. Sounds straight out of the seventies despite being set in the 2010's. I struggled to feel a rapport with Max but Kyle was better. The 2nd half of the book was much faster paced and a better read.

Apart from this as I said it is an ok read with some good time travel twists. 2.5 stars

[Kayne Milhomme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Book About Discovery
At its core, Bridge Through Time is a story about discovery. From the secrets of time travel and parallel universes to the hidden truths of one’s own origin, the enigmas of Bridge Through Time combine to create a perplexing and dangerous multi-reality within which the fate of humanity may hang in the balance.
Max Thorning, a doctor and scientist, has a disturbing revelation as he watches the news—the arrival of an alien race (known as Darsians) is potentially a result of a time travel experiment that Max took part in. Max is bothered by this possibility because he believes that the Darsians are a threat to humanity.
Intelligent and powerful beings, the Darsians gain acceptance and influence on earth by sharing new technology with humanity. One of the most notable gifts from the Darsians eliminates water shortages in third world countries and saves millions of lives. Thus, in the eyes of many, the aliens are a boon to earth. However, Max believes the Darsians are employing a ‘Trojan horse’ approach, and his suspicion leads him on a quest to determine if his travels in time truly are responsible for the aliens’ arrival (and if so, can anything be done about it? We are dealing with time travel, after all).
Max’s logic that his time travel is responsible for the onset of the aliens is based on his inadvertent ‘activation’ of a parallel universe, which in practice establishes the fact that he has lived in two parallel universes (defined by Max as ‘Life I’ and ‘Life II’). In Life I (the original timeline), Max was married with two children, and there were no aliens on earth. While in this timeline, Max traveled back in time. The result of this time travel allowed for the creation/activation of an alternate reality (Life II), basically formed by a series of different decisions and actions on Max’s part that had a ripple effect in Life II (similar to the butterfly effect).
In Life II, Max has two sons, Kyle and Peter—different children than in Life I. Unable to return to Life I, Max is haunted by the loss of his family from that timeline, and this depression and anxiety seems to spill into his family in Life II—the father and sons live a fractured life, with tense relationships driven by inherent behavioral issues.
As the introductory framework settles into place, the story pivots to Kyle, the central character of the novel. Kyle, who is introduced in the novel during his younger years (through visions of the past), expresses an interest at an early age in time travel (at one point he calls out Back to the Future), specifically because he feels he ‘does not belong’ where he is. This thread continues into his adult life, driving him to become a highly regarded physicist at CERN and attempt to create a time traveling device. Moreover, when he is exposed to the secret existence of the two timelines, Kyle—almost without realizing it at first—takes the torch from Max and continues his father’s initial efforts to find the truth not only about the arrival of the aliens, but also the aliens’ intent.
Yet the severity of what Kyle is intending to do, first in theory and then in practice—to master time travel—could have severe consequences for not just the aliens, but for anyone unique to Life II, including himself.
The novel is an enjoyable read, especially for sci fi fans. It is a complex plot, which at times can be difficult to follow, but it pulls the reader along regardless. The author’s passion for science shines through the prose and provides a sense of authenticity to the novel, even though the science occasionally comes in ‘bulk form’ which, for some readers (depending on their preferences), may be slightly distracting. The family dynamics can be both compelling and trying at times, depending on the situation—there were times when the mention of ADHD seemed a bit repetitive—yet the family dynamics provide an engine for some of the initial tension in the novel, which in turn drives the story along during those critical early stages. For me, the characters and plot shared equal responsibility in terms of story interest, none of them lacking in depth, yet any one of them occasionally coming across burdened by their own complexity. There are aspects of the novel that were captivating, including some of the time travel theory, Kyle’s later experiences in the novel, and the climax; but some of the other areas did not hold my attention as firmly. These areas were mainly elements that had been covered previously, or at length (for example, when we visit Kyle and Peter through the Dream Weaver in the beginning of the novel, there are (in my opinion) too many scenarios. The same revelations could have been revealed in less).
Fans of the author will certainly enjoy this book, as will those with an interest in time travel and its potential effects on the fabric of reality. Well thought out.

[Ed Morawski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I offer this review as constructive criticism.

The story starts out, interestingly enough, with alien first contact, but takes a sharp left turn with Max using the 'Time Weaver' to analyze why one pair of his children have behavioral problems. Huh?

Then it gets insanely complicated and dense. Look, this is coming from a reader who loves time travel stories and all the paradoxes they could entail, but geez!

Example:
The door opened, and there was Dr. Time, the one he’d recalled on October 27, 2013, the “first time around”. The middle-aged lady with the blonde tresses and the lab coat, with a huge smile on her face. He wistfully remembered the earlier incarnation of Dr. Time, a tall, lanky man in his late 20’s, who also wore a lab coat. Now, it had long been her turn to assume the role of Dr. Time.
“Dr. Max Thorning,” she answered with a hint of delight in her voice. She appeared ready to touch him.
Still smiling, she glanced at Margaret, then turned back to Max, awaiting an explanation.
“Dr. Time,” Max said with a hollow voice, still in a trance. How long had it been? The last time he’d seen Dr. Time was that young man, with the horn-rimmed glasses and eager, but mediocre bedside manner, about seventeen years ago.
Remembering her question, he turned to Margaret, and said, “Oh! My friend, Margaret Chong,” he said. Then after a second thought, knowing he would be asked anyway, he tacked on “No second name. Date of birth: December 9, 1962.”
“Come on in,” Dr. Time cheerfully said to the both of them. She spoke to no one as she addressed the room, “Dr. Max Thorning. Date of birth July 5, 1971. Departed Time October 23, 2013. Arrived Time September 16, 1987. Departed Time May 1, 1997. Arrived Time April 26, 1997.” She turned to Margaret, not even bothering to raid her memory. “Margaret Chong. Date of birth: December 9, 1962.”
Max massaged the back of his neck. Yup. This was the Dr. Time he remembered when he first embarked on his Time Travel adventure.
She walked up to Max with a spring in her steps and held him by the shoulders. “Good to see you, Dr. Thorning. I know you’d entered Time with me as your guide. But as you know, you reset the clock when you did so, therefore I have no memory of you.” She smiled approvingly at Margaret, who still remained impassive.
“Uh huh,” Max said, nodding. He knew the drill.
With a sparkle in her eyes, she continued, “But I’ve viewed recordings of you speaking with my predecessor. You and he discussed quite a lot. Also one time you brought your friend—”
“Garfield,” Max said, as Margaret’s eyes flashed recognition of the name.

As Nina Garcia said on 'Project Runway' last week upon viewing a particularly weird garment: "W T F?"

I must have read that passage a dozen times and still can't figure out what they're talking about. Again WTF????

To make matters worse Max is an a-hole who flies off into a rage at every opportunity which makes him not a very likable character. Then for fully 50% of the book we get the story of Kyle, one of Max's many kids (most of whom I can't keep track of because they're on different time lines), who suffers from autism (not mentioned but the symptoms are plain) and OCD???? I thought I signed up for a time travel novel, where did that go? If the author wanted to write about mental issues, why disguise this as science fiction? It just irritates me to wade through this. I know people with autism and OCD and they are not exactly fun people to be around.

I suggest you do yourself a favor and read the first chapter and then skip the superfluous happenings to chapter 21 and take up from there and save yourself a lot of grief in between. The book is okay good from there on although managing the 'time lines' can still be a lot of work for the reader.

To me this book is more about parallel universes than time travel and maybe should have been marketed that way.

[J.D. Tew · Rating 5 out of 5]

What are you looking for? Here are some cliff notes for quick browsing.

Bridge Through Time contains:

Atypical time travel
Thought provoking physics
Emotional stimuli
Relative-to-life characters
Psychological inward warfare
Complex relationship strains
Cosmic enigmas
Meddling aliens
Subtle humor
Brevity in writing
And above all... A damn good story.


As in Life II, we have a good bit of time traveling. All of which, respects the true nature of the art. There are many challenges, I'm sure, that can perplex and thwart even the most talented author. Mr. Spotson has done well to evade these issues. The research is identifiable, yet doesn't detract from the pace. I for one, wanted more hard science, which to some people may be boring or confusing. Yet to me is enlightening and stimulating.
As I'm sure the fans of the genre know, time travel places much strain on the characters, and Mr. Spotson presents this in his usual style. Many times throughout Bridge Through Time, I experienced some of these five side effects of a well written story: a bout with laughter, a warranted tear, a rush of anger, a gut-wrenching desire, and an anxious state of paranoia for the livelihood of the character.
When the gloves come off and you're not just reading the story, but fighting along side the protagonist, that is when you know you've been invited to embrace your imagination through the author's telepathic link of ink on paper.
As almost always, Mr. Spotson's characters are true to life. While reading BTT, I don't often see the typical mannerisms, but the ones I did observe, I can honestly say I relate to them. That's what makes this story move along for me.
Many of the character are dished difficult choices or challenges, as they should be. Whether it's standing up for what you believe in and getting in the face of what infuriates you or making a dignified retreat from the plague of sadness.
Kyle embraces a multitude of complex cosmic enigmas, and does so with actions innate to his established character. Nothing is contrived or delivered in a slipshod manner. There was a bit of inaccuracy surrounding the mental disorder, but not enough to derail the pace or cause me mental anguish. It is my one minute gripe.
I recommend this sequel to anyone who cherishes Life II as I did. However, it's a different animal entirely with new elements that will keep you anxious in an addicting manner.

Here's what's important: Bridge Through Time is written concise and exact to facilitate the ease of reading with clarity. This is the typical writing style of Mr. Scott Spotson, it's a great science fiction story without ambiguity or fanciful selfish delight.

[Mike Billington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel, eight-limbed aliens, a cast of pretty quirky characters with assorted mental illnesses and some pretty interesting discussions of advanced physics: 'Bridge Through Time' has them all and a lot more.
This novel is a sequel to author Scott Spotson's 'Life II' but it can, and does, stand on its own. In this book the sort-of-hero is Kyle Thorning, a brilliant physicist and the son of Max Thorning, the star of 'Life II.' Kyle, though brilliant, comes equipped with some pretty heavy baggage: He has enough mental problems to stock an asylum (including a potentially crippling anxiety disorder that makes it hard for him to even be around his own extended family for more than a few minutes at a time) and he has some serious daddy issues. He suspects, though he does not know for sure, that something his father did in the past allowed the Darsians, an advanced alien race, to make First Contact with Earth and, eventually, begin to dominate the planet economically. Unlike many people, Kyle does not trust the aliens, who have never done anything to harm the human race and who have, in fact, eradicated hunger and thirst for millions of people. Still, Kyle has his doubts about their ultimate intentions and that spurs him to work on first the theory and later the practical application of time travel.
Is he doing this for his own reasons?
Is he being subtly led by the Darsians to create a time machine?
Or is there some other agenda at work?
I won't spoil the ending by revealing more than that, but I will say that Spotson leads his readers on a merry chase as Kyle searches for the answers to both the time travel problem and his own destiny.
Spotson has created some fascinating characters and placed them into some interesting locales, which adds to the enjoyment of the novel. His narrative flows smoothly despite the discussions of anti-bosons, wormholes and parallel universes - concepts that are, frankly, outside my ken. He has also included a fair amount of adventure into his novel, including a spectacular chase scene that features galloping aliens and a motorcycle.
To top it off, he has also woven a nice romance into the narrative: A romance that comes complete with an unexpected twist.
A nice read for science fiction fans who have grown a little tired of laser battles between gigantic starships.

[Hock Tjoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has a fertile imagination. One might call it unbridled as it canters through time-lines, universes, families (a main character has two in his previous universe and a third in Life II), quantum/particle physics (anti-Higgs boson!), the aliens who look like giant hybrids of jelly fish and tree trunks. We learn they have four legs and four arms although how that becomes four limbs is not clear. They appear in Life II in Turkey (First Contact) so it makes some sense that in Life I when Max travels back in time and inadvertently creates Life II he meets with a Dr. Time whose Time Weaver was perhaps the instrument that enabled Max to accomplish that. He was however "tricked" by the aliens, but in Life I when this was supposed to have happened, there had been not First Contact.

When the main character (in Life II) is able to create a time travel device and/or (Einstein-Rosen) Bridge/worm-hole (I was unaware such a space-time anomaly could take one to a different universe) to the alternate universe (Life I) the author takes pains to establish that fact--it is what makes Life I so appealing, no aliens.

Despite taking notes along the way in case I needed breadcrumbs to get out of the labyrinth, I was left in the dark about this vital mystery. (I don't expect to have read the author's previous book to learn why.) There was much to distract and entertain. CERN and riffs on the scientific establishment as well as chase scenes, some romance, etc.

This reviewer could not get past what may be minor nits--was Margaret's last name Chong or Chow? Did the aliens have a flexible exoskeleton (by definition this should be the outermost layer) covered by skin so evolved as to function as all sensory organs or was there another layer of mucous? A lack of internal consistency is a bothersome thing.

A reader might be able to suspend belief and simply enjoy the ride, but a reviewer should not. I confess I got lost among the "decision matrices" and "dimensional quantum dynamics."

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridge Through Time progresses through a clever spiral. Our main character at first is called Max, who has travelled through time in a parallel life to his own via a Time Weaver device. This occurred in the previous book, Life II, but there are chances to recap the action if you haven't read that one.

Max is haunted by the loss of his original family since he can't return to that time line and while he is reasonably successful he is not a happy man. He is convinced that his new family is suffering from his mistakes. His son Kyle, a few chapters later, is now a young professor of particle physics. Kyle is living a life reminiscent of the scientist Don in The Rosie Project, without the humour. Well, it's not easy being socially awkward in a world where large strong smart aliens have come to Earth and given us good inventions. Kyle, and other people, suspect the motives of these aliens, who gradually come to control Earth's currency and businesses. They even give us stronger coffee. But is there anything Kyle and his girlfriend Eva can do about this, even if they did know about the Time Weaver?

Much of the action is set in Calgary, Max and Kyle's home, or at CERN. At first Kyle is not presented in a positive light, with ADHD blamed for his actions, but when he has grown up enough to live his own life and is in a research environment I find him much more sympathetic. The man seems far more decisive and socially outgoing during the last chapters, so I'll take it that Eva has been having a positive effect on him. If you like discussions of quantum physics, you'll enjoy the pages which help to explain the alternative versions of timelines; if not, you can skip ahead and pick up the action. Don't forget to ask yourself which version of time you'd rather be living in - life one or life two? You might be surprised. I would say this book, by turns thoughtful and dramatic, is suitable for advanced young adults or adults.

[Susan-Alia Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Bridge Through Time caused me to recognize the fact that I prefer “Dr. Who” style time travel - less science, more fun. This book was too heavy on the science for my taste. Way too much physics which went right over my head – I have no idea if it was good science, bad science, pseudo science or fantasy science. The book felt weighed down because I have absolutely no interest in the science of time travel.

Other things bothered me as well: Shifting points of view took me out of scenes. Odd word choices felt jarring and unnatural. The style of story telling was heavy on “telling.” It made getting to really know the characters hard for me. Who was Kyle Thorning other than a brilliant physicist with ADHD? I couldn’t tell you as I never felt the character was given any depth other than a generic rendering, which made him Joe Everyman.

Because of the style of storytelling, the hatred of the aliens felt more xenophobic than warranted. Everybody hates them, they came in and made human lives better, but we don’t find out the actual cost until toward the end of the book, and by then it was hard to emotionally catch up. When given the chance in the beginning of the book to explain why the presence of these aliens is horrible for humans, we’re given an explanation that sounds no more profound, and about as equally as valid, as racism or in this case “speciesism”. Every adult on the planet has lived with and without aliens, so nobody notices a difference? We’re just told to accept the premise that the aliens are bad without proof. I would have preferred less science, and more focus on why the aliens were bad and then using time travel to defeat them. At least, that was I was hoping for.

[P.J. McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories about time travel always contain paradoxes, just like the concept of travelling through time. If you're into that sort of thing, you will enjoy this novel by Scott Spotson.
The first part of the story is about Max Thornton, a complex and unsympathetic character, and his problems with two sons Kyle - who has a bad case of ADD - and Peter. (Peter is rarely heard from, and the story would not have suffered from leaving him out in my view.)
It wasn't long before I realised I'd missed an earlier part of the story (a prequel) that would have helped with my understanding, and it wasn't really until the second half of the book that I began to appreciate the writing. I found myself having to think about which Kyle or which parallel universe I was in and I didn't enjoy being given "examples" of how this or that technology could/might be used.
The base concept of the story - aliens who get their hands on a pseudo time travel machine and start to dominate the world - is excellent. I'm just not sure the execution does it justice. There is a fair amount of repetition and the story could be tighter.
There are elements in the book that fascinated me and kept my interest - the discussions on the Time Bridge, Kyle's foray into the parallel universe where he meets his alternate family, the final conflict with Dr. Becker.
I have no doubt fans of Spotson, time travel and parallel universe stories will enjoy Bridge Through Time
I was provided with a copy of this novel in return for a non-reciprocal and honest review.

[Emanuel Grigoras · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Contact might not be what you expect.

Bridge Through Time is a book that gets from me the best comment I can give to a book: I felt I could read it a second time and love it the same way. It’s not the first book written by Scott I read, but it is my favorite.

From the first pages I got emerged into a time and place where time travel and aliens are possible. Most books have strong first sentence and after they fade. It takes at least a dozen pages to pick up the interest of the reader. Bridge Through Time keeps up the pace in every chapter until the end.

Is well written and well thought. From the story line to the behavior of the characters that is definitely one that I’ve witnessed at most Canadians I’ve met. One of the strong points of this book is the description of the loss felt by one of the main characters, Max. He remembers the previous timeline, in which he had a different family, and mourns their disappearance as well as letting all his grief to influence the present timeline.

Half into the book the main character becomes Max’s son. He lives a different story. A blend of romance and balancing acts in two realities in which aliens modify the future in order to conquer Earth in the only way that works nowadays: economic war.

The end is somewhat open. I can’t help but wonder if there are more books to follow in this series.

[K.S. Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get there. While it's built around an interesting idea of moving both forward and backward in time, it also jumps to alternate dimensions. And aliens are tossed in the mix. It sounded interesting.

Unfortunately, the book is in draft state with many grammatical errors. Information is unnecessarily repeated, often in awkward places. The initial character we meet, Max, seems to alternate between anger and depression, neither of which make him likeable or someone I want to spend a book with. Fortunately I don't have to, because later, the POV shifts to Kyle, who is marginally more the kind of character I'd want to read about.

When I read science fiction, I have expectations that the science will be solid. Sure, I'll suspend disbelief to accept time travel or faster-than-light speeds. But when a car runs into a couple hundred pound alien, it isn't going to somersault. I know the alien doesn't weigh more than this because it slides off down the pavement from the force of the impact. That's just bad physics and unrealistic. Other scenes suffered from similar logic disconnects, enough that I was thrown out of the fictive world of the story.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Quite What I’d Thought It Would Be

After reading Life II, I was interested to read this book that, while not a direct sequel, is deeply connected to it. Its focus is one of the sons (Kyle) of the protagonist of Life II (Max). From the book description, it sounded like this was going to be all about the son and his time travel machine. I was disappointed that the first fifth of the book was an extended and augmented backstory as seen through the eyes of father Max using Dr. Time’s Time Weaver device. That made the book a very slow start.

I actually find the characters in these books interesting. Max and Kyle are complex, three-dimensional characters who have a lot going on in their pasts and presents. But the lag in getting to the actual story in this novel was frustrating.

The book had a few minor grammar and punctuation issues, but nothing that overly detracted from the work.

I think people would enjoy this book if they don't expect it to be exactly what it says in the book description. I think readers to would benefit from reading Life II before this one so you better understand Max and the alternate timelines.

I received a free review copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[David Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Bridge through time. It was a refreshing read, getting away from the stigmata’s this genre can so often lend itself. The backstory of the characters was the first thing I noticed and how they were not your classic action hero’s. Instead they were far from what popular media would depict of modern day hero’s.

The next jump out of page was the ideas and creativity put into this story. Rather than just the usual ‘we are under attack from aliens … again’ Scott managed to put a credible spin, using time travel and an alternate Universe.

I found the pacing of this book was well considered and I could envision the setting and characters well. The tapestry was well woven and had events I did not predict (something I often can do … and hate). At times I did feel the weight of info-overload, but as I like details I actually didn’t mind it – particle physics and the likes, is kind of my bag.

At times there were things that annoyed me in this book (repetition and grammatical errors), but none of that detracted me from a good read.

I enjoyed Bridge through time, and give it four of my five stars.

[Jeanine Lipp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This plot-twisting Science Fiction novel about Time Travel got off to a slow start, but really took off with the storyline of Kyle, the boy from another time who never felt he fit in. Packed with every Science Fiction facet imaginable and some truly unique concepts, I felt that the storyline was really going somewhere. And it did. All over the place. At times, I found it confusing, at others, I found it hard to suspend belief, which is an important component to Science Fiction. The author has a wonderful imagination, a solid grip on science, and tremendous potential. The only thing this book lacks is a professional editor.

[Florian Armas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridge Through Time is a science fiction novel with peculiar eight-limbed aliens, an interesting time travel twist and a lot of action, but what I enjoyed the most is the emotional part derived from a father losing his family while going back in time. He enjoys a new life, a new family, but the shadow of his (now unborn) two children from the previous timeline is following him. And the story is well written to take advantage of an inner drama that Max is not able to share with anyone. Who will believe him?

I received the book from the author.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say at the end of the day, I am indifferent to this story. I doubt I will continue this series. I felt the author did a marginally good job with character development and storyline. I had major issues with the writing and with the facts not carrying through the book. I am a huge stickler for accuracy and I feel like the author did not maintain a high level of consistancy. If you really enjoyed the first book in this series you would probably love this book as well.

[Barry Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Is Not As It Seems...


The story description contains a synopsis of the book, so instead of repeating this, I’ll begin my review:

Settings – With excellent story setting descriptions, the author puts the reader right at each location.

Research / Technical – This area seems to be in order. Even if any errors exist (which I doubt), the author has done a great job of weaving this into the story with one exception: the lecture in chapter 6 bogs down the reader quite a bit. A suggestion would be to make the lecture similar to Professor Langdon’s presentation in the Da Vinci Code movie by adding interesting tidbits to illustrate the points. If nothing else, the huge tracts of technical dialog should be broken up with character action, or reaction from the audience other than half of them in awe and the other half in contempt.

Characters – The character descriptions were great, however, I feel there were too many presented in the story. Most of these side characters had hasty introductions to satisfy story background and were like well-described window mannequins in a department store. Eva, a central character, should be introduced much sooner. The development of Kyle, the main protagonist, suffers from too much head hopping in the first part of the story. Rather than show his struggles viewed by other people, readers would connect with the character more if the story point of view focused on Kyle.

Pacing / Structure – The pacing starts off ok, but then slows down for almost the first 14 chapters. While this might be fine for some readers, a great many others would set this book aside because of that. At the beginning of each chapter was the date, time, place, etc. A suggestion regarding this structure would be to include whether the chapter was in Life I or Life II as this would help eliminate any reader confusion.

Grammar / Punctuation – For a recently edited version, the story still contains a lot of errors (particularly in Chapters 27 and 28). Even so, the errors are minor and don’t impede the story.

Theme(s) – Among the themes of this story was the sovereignty of humans over themselves and their destiny. *******SPOILER******* I highlighted this one since it seemed to me that humanity in Life II gave up their sovereignty too easily. In the story, the aliens form a corporation and manufacture their superior technology, selling it to the public. This causes widespread economic chaos because human businesses can’t compete because their technology is inferior. I had trouble suspending my disbelief for this because human greed is far more addictive than any alien technology could ever be, and thus, humans would never allow this situation to happen.

Dialog – For the most part, the dialog was adequate, but some of it seemed tepid or rushed. The dialog tags are ok, but in some areas, they seem to be a nuisance.

Plot / Story – ******This section contains SPOILERS******

As a reader, there were a lot of issues here for me. Many scenes and even a few chapters in the beginning did little or nothing to advance the story. The book starts off building suspense about the sudden mysterious presence of aliens from a possible time travel glitch, but instead of developing this, the author immediately works on background information about the characters – for almost the first 14 chapters.

Probably the biggest issue for me was this: why did the aliens even want to bother with the human race at all? We eventually learn the aliens want to perfect their time travel technology by stealing it from a human scientist (Kyle), but these aliens are in almost every way superior to humans, so what was stopping them from developing it themselves?

A lot of other stuff didn’t make sense to me:

-- In Life II, Kyle rebuilds his time device in a CERN laboratory. This device is huge according to the description and it took a little over a month to build. Why didn’t the current scientists working in the daytime at the laboratory notice the activity there? How did he hide something so huge?

If the economy in Life II was ruined as much as the book describes, why was there a giant shopping mall functioning where a motorcycle chase takes place? (The fact the aliens were even chasing Kyle at all didn’t make sense because the aliens were intelligent enough to realize Kyle’s destination must be the CERN laboratory – that’s the only place locally where equipment would exist to facilitate time travel. All the aliens had to do was wait there for him.).

Also, why weren’t the effects of so much worldwide economic deprivation described better? In reality, such widespread circumstances would cause major problems including demonstrations / riots, crime and war just to name a few things.

Kyle burns the physics book so Max won’t read it, but is that the only copy in existence? What would stop Max from running across another copy somewhere else and read it instead? The effort to burn the book was moot anyway since Kyle had all the information about time travel in his pocket on two hard drives anyway…

All in all, I think this book has a lot of potential, but needs a bit more work.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started Bridge Through Time I had no idea it was a sequel, but it very quickly became obvious. The very first chapter was confusing because of this, but I pushed on, and things became much clearer fairly quickly, especially once Max, the first book's protagonist, was left as a minor character.

Combining aliens and time travel seems like a risky prospect for sci-fi, unless you want to head in the direction of either Doctor Who or Dick and Vonnegut. Spotson, however, does it very well with a serious tone, and manages to remain on the harder end of the science fiction scale.

Bridge Through Time is slow to start, but quickly becomes enthralling once we get to Kyle's perspective. This is also where the science part of the fiction really kicks in, so it's no surprise that I liked that part of the book more. Max's segment does have First Contact and the Time Weaver, but the latter especially is really just a flashback device for some family drama that I personally found wearying. Others won't mind it, though (especially readers of Life II, who will probably be invested in it).

I don't know what Life II was like, but here Spotson pulls of the hard(ish) sci-fi tone perfectly. You can tell he's paid attention to the detail of his worldbuilding (even if sometimes he exaggerates, this mostly relates to alien technology and can be passed off as Kyle's perspective), and that he wasn't improvising as he went along. Outside of one occasion he doesn't infodump, which is very refreshing for the genre. I enjoyed reading about all the details of future technology, even the little mundane things like disposable cups. Of course, there is still plenty of jargon, both for the science and for the fiction - my personal favorite is a man with "perioral lines" which deepened when he "tightened his facial muscles in acknowledgement" of a greeting. It does make me wonder about Spotson's other fiction though - it works in (some) sci-fi, but would stick out like a wounded thick first digit anywhere else.

Harder sci-fi depends on the author's research, and here Spotson stumbles a bit. I'm not talking about impossibilities that are ignored for the sake of a story (Doctor Who reverses the polarity of particles that have no charge; Bridge Through Time gives anti-particles to particles that can't have them). But the stumbles are only little things that probably won't bug most readers. For one example, a medical doctor "upgrades" a diagnosis of ADHD to generalized anxiety disorder, but no actual psychologist or psychiatrist would use that phrase. They're completely separate (though often comorbid) disorders, not different points on a scale. This is more noticeable than other issues because this character's disorder is one of the only inconsistencies in the book - the GAD later becomes social anxiety disorder, and then in the afterword transforms into obsessive-compulsive disorder. But hey - a single inconsistency in a book with lots of time travel isn't much of a problem (especially when it doesn't relate to the time travel!).

Bridge Through Time is a terrific read overall, especially once you get past the first third of the book. It's hard for me to tell, but I think it'll remain one of the more memorable works of science fiction I've read.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Opinions are my own. (The BookSirens template specifies an advance review copy. This book was published in 2014 and I am writing this in 2019, so I do not think that is the case this time).

[Christian Nadeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bridge through time is an interesting sci-fi story, but I found it considerably weaker than its prequel.

Like in the prequel, those characters were definitely human. Though sometimes I would wonder how those characters could pause at the oddest of times to go on with personal feelings side-swerves or spout expository dialogue. The main protagonist is atypical to say the least, and that was a fun part of the novel. Unlike the prequel though, the book isn’t as introspective and I believe that’s part of what made me enjoy that book less (though it was still entertaining when it got going).

The pace was uneven. The first half of the book is rather slow, I would have liked to know more about why the threat is perceived as such. The way the novel is currently, I can’t help but feel as if pretty much every major character is a bigot/xenophobe and we’re not given a good understanding to justify why they hate the aliens so much. It’s only past the halfway point where we finally get a discussion where we realize that there was a lot more that was just not explained before. As the novel is in third person omniscient, there’s no reason for us not to know and it feels like an oversight in world building.
As for the writing itself, it felt less polished than what I seem to remember from Life II. Emotions and expressions were not perceived or described, they were told. This doesn’t make for bad reading, but as a reader, it keeps me from investing in the characters. And as those characters have a lot of conflicting emotions, and complicated mental states, it’s a shame that we can’t empathise more with them.

Another core quality of the novel lies in the tension building up when things start to escalate. It then goes right to a just-about-to-be-too-long-but-not lull before slamming the gas on and going full throttle for the last bit (except for a strange expository speech near the end).

So, despite a lot more shortcomings than the prequel, I rate Bridge Trough Time three (3) stars. It was an easy read and the spin given on time travel along with the unconventional hero had me interested for the ride, as rocky as it was.

I received a free copy of Bridge Through Time, it hasn't influenced my opinion in any way.

[Ryan Troske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, though I liked the storyline of the 1st book more, I believe this one was, for the most part, better written. There didn't seem to be nearly as many clunky areas, and dialogue flowed much more smoothly. That aside, however, the story itself didn't do a whole lot for me. It started off interesting enough, back in Max's life as the world experiences "first contact" with an alien race. This somehow leads Max to visit Dr. Time so he can use the time weaver in order to go back and re-experience scenes from his son Kyle's life in order to get a better handle on his condition (a mixture of OCD and autism it seems). Huh? Where did that come from? What was the connection between these things? It seemed odd.

After a bit the book shifts to Kyle's POV, which made the plot more interesting, for a bit. It then drug on, slowly moving forward before any real action or excitement shows up. One thing that bugged me was Kyle's condition. Not the condition itself, but that it seemed to come and go with no rhyme or reason. And when he is able to invent time travel and discover parallel universes, when traveling to his father's original time line, his condition disappears completely. Makes no sense.

The chase scenes with aliens and Kyle's discoveries and fight to keep them secret were positive points in the story, but I felt there could've been more. The story still seemed to be lacking real meat, a lot of filler that seemed unimportant, and sometimes just boring.

With that being said, with the better writing than in the previous book, and better able to connect with characters given their actions and dialogue, I have this 3 stars. Those who enjoy time travel and aliens should give it a look.

[Adam Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the concepts and characters are great, and some of the passages are amusing. The story could stand to have what happens at home and what happens at the lab running a little more neck and neck, to keep the pace going, and dramatized with scenes at the CERN facility, or confrontations with the Darsian race, in exchange for pages of talking head exposition.

The mental health afflictions of the main characters lend depth to the story, yet it seemed to take place in separate novels at various family homes and functions, rather than having a direct impact with the Darsian race.

I like Dr. Time, yet he feels like a deus ex humana, facilitating time travel, rather than becoming more of an integral character. I sort of get the Life I and Life II thing, along with the two dads, but it could stand to be more concrete and easier to follow. The book appears to be inspired by several eccentric physicists. I wouldn't mind seeing them in cameo appearances, or quoted in ways that reveal the mechanics behind the plot.

I really liked the Darsian illustration at the beginning of the novel. It reminded me of the illustrations in the Dungeon and Dragons/Gamma World TSR role-playing gaming handbooks of the seventies, though I spent little time actually playing the games. I wouldn't mind seeing more illustrations for this series as well. It can't hurt, since so many other world building novels have their own maps and pseudo-Thomas Guides, in the event you can't find Dune Worm Avenue on planet Arrakis.

[Cathleen Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

The aliens have landed. Real, no-kidding spacemen with four arms and skin colored in gelatinous patches of red and orange.

They’re not invaders. They had to crash land in Turkey.

Max doesn’t know if he’s to blame or not. There was that time travel leap back to 1987, but he certainly didn’t do anything to make aliens land on Earth.

The extra-terrestrials, called Darsians, do their best to be accommodating. They help humans overcome many forms of basic poverty, and they introduce the interactive hologram, a device which humans find incredibly entertaining.

But their numbers have increased from a mere thirty to 23,000, and some humans are becoming concerned. Do the Darsians have a hidden agenda, or are we so suspicious as a species that we can’t even accept gifts from grateful refugees?

Max doesn’t know. All he knows is that he can’t seem to handle his son, Kyle, what with Kyle’s ADD and generalized anxiety disorder. And now Kyle’s saying that he thinks he doesn’t belong in this time at all, and that he’s going to make a time machine to find the right one. What makes it worse is that Kyle has the brains for this to be a real threat.

Meanwhile, the Darsians have a technology that they don’t tell most people about. They know how to travel not only through space, but also through time…

I found Bridge Through Time to be a fun, intelligent read. It’s got aliens, time travel, relatable characters, and satisfying plot twists. Recommended for spec fic lovers.

[Liesbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked that the beginning of the story starts again with Max, where it left of in the first book Life II. And that we are easing into the life of Kyle as Max goes through the life of Kyle as a teenager through the means of the Time Weaver.

Then these ‘Darsian’ aliens crash landed into Earth, are they a peaceful race as they claim to be, or is more going on? It reminded me of a scene in Star Trek Voyager, the ‘Displaced’ where this seemed innocent Nyrian stranger doesn’t know how he got upon their ship. Then they slowly replacing the crew and realize to late what is happening.

It was hard to put down once sucked into the life of Kyle. Even though sometimes when he was talking about physics, I got a bit lost and only comprehending half of it. But the story still flowed and was exciting to read. Especially when Kyle wants to save his dad but ends up in the Life I timeline. Here Kyle doesn’t exist, can he get back to his own alternate timeline?

I love the slowly building of the story towards a climax with intriguing plots and lots of action that would keep you seated until you know if Kyle is going to survive this Darsian attack on his life. If you love scientific talk and the possibilities to time travel, this is really a must book to read. I loved it from beginning to end.

[Willow Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

ADHD, time travel and aliens - an interesting mix

It is clear that the author has some extensive knowledge of ADHD and depression as the main character and his father both struggle these issues and it is depicted very accurately. I always enjoy a flawed protagonist so that is a plus for this story.

The author also has a firm grasp on physics which I can only admire. His descriptions of time travel and also of CERN and the cities depicted are very detailed and I was wholly convinced that he knew what he was talking about.

The story picks up the pace later on in the novel and the chase scenes near the end are gripping. The movement back and forth through time is done without leaving any holes and the dated chapter headings help the reader to orient themselves in time.

If you like your time travel with a dash of hard science, this one is for you.