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The TimeFall Trilogy #3
The Astonishing Destiny of Clay Danvers
Destiny is in their hands.Book Three in the TimeFall TrilogyWhen Clay, Adams, and Emma discover the truth about the murderous Marshal—who he is and where he comes from—the trio embark on a new adventure to the year 1867. There, they meet a young Postulus Grouse, who is anything but a villain. Their friendship is challenged as they weigh what to do, knowing what the monster Postulus will one day become. Together, they must navigate life in the Wild West while taking on enemies from both the future and the past, all of whom are bent on stopping them from changing the course of history for the better.In an epic and final showdown, Clay Danvers must become the hero he was always meant to be. Will he rise to the challenge, or will the Marshal’s darkness destroy them all?The TimeFall Trilogy is a Christian adventure series for middle-grade readers who love action-packed, science-fiction stories and courageous characters. Adams Klein, Emma Bloom, and Clay Danvers are swept through time, where they face killer drones, genetically engineered animals, ancient darkness, and a ruthless tyrant. As danger closes in, the teens must learn how to trust God. Readers will be drawn into a world of danger, bravery, and deep sacrifice— and discover that no evil, no matter how strong its grip, lasts forever.
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2026
About the author
John Greco
66 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 31, 2026
This was a tough review to write. I want to be clear that I truly did like book one in the series, and as a standalone, that remains a five star read for me. As far as the series conclusion, I had some strong concerns with this title, which is why I'm unable to recommend book three (and thereby, the series as a whole).
My main concern is with treatment of life on the American frontier. Please see below for additional context.
Indigenous Representation
Early on, we are introduced to the Awapasu tribe – a group of people who periodically raid the settler town. These are clearly the “bad guys,” although it is soon revealed that .
Why am I still concerned in spite of this? Because that introductory belief – one that is held by the settlers throughout the story – pervades my reading of the whole book. The townspeople take for granted that, naturally, the Indigenous peoples would be raiding them, and we don’t get a whole lot of nuance (i.e., Why would Indigenous tribes feel the need to raid? How has genocide by white settlers affected relationships between the communities?).
The most nuance I recall is one of the kids using the term “Native Americans” early on and getting laughed at because of the anachronism – so the Awapasu are called Indians, throughout the story. Also, on the flip side, there’s a use of the word “savage,” and the one Awapasu tribe member who is a Christian shrugs off the term because she feels that, sometimes, her people do behave “savagely.”
On the note of the one Christian tribe member – I also would have liked to see more nuance as far as the relationship between the missionary and the tribe. In contrast to the Awapasu, who are the bad guys, the missionary is (overall) a “good guy.” This didn’t read as historically accurate to me – not to say that all missionaries were “bad,” but I also do not want to overlook things like violent, forced Christianization. For an audience of this age, I would have preferred at least a nod to this iniquity in US history.
Additionally, given that the Awapasu had been presented at Indigenous Americans at first, the scene with
Treatment of the Gospel
I'm having trouble articulating my concern, but the Gospel presentation didn't quite work for me. I think I had a bit more of a sense of the urgency of making a commitment to God, rather than the immediacy of His sweet love for us. I often use the word "invitational" in my description of books that deal with relationship with Jesus, and that wasn't my experience with this particular title. I hate to critique this element of a story, especially when I know my response sounds subjective, but I'm mentioning it because it factors into recommendation status for me.
What I did like…
Aside from the scene with Amara, referenced in the above spoiler, I did like how the book examined justice through the lens of time travel. Characters’ discussions and choices frequently revolved around the effect of their choices and whether certain decisions would be permissible for the “greater good.”
Reverend Green’s desire and example of caring for the poor and the downtrodden, even in such intense times, was a good one.
I appreciated the examination of idolatry, as well as the acknowledgment that God is all-powerful and that He is with us, even when we don’t know it. The ending, especially, enforced this concept.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author. Opinions expressed are my own.
My main concern is with treatment of life on the American frontier. Please see below for additional context.
Indigenous Representation
Early on, we are introduced to the Awapasu tribe – a group of people who periodically raid the settler town. These are clearly the “bad guys,” although it is soon revealed that .
Why am I still concerned in spite of this? Because that introductory belief – one that is held by the settlers throughout the story – pervades my reading of the whole book. The townspeople take for granted that, naturally, the Indigenous peoples would be raiding them, and we don’t get a whole lot of nuance (i.e., Why would Indigenous tribes feel the need to raid? How has genocide by white settlers affected relationships between the communities?).
The most nuance I recall is one of the kids using the term “Native Americans” early on and getting laughed at because of the anachronism – so the Awapasu are called Indians, throughout the story. Also, on the flip side, there’s a use of the word “savage,” and the one Awapasu tribe member who is a Christian shrugs off the term because she feels that, sometimes, her people do behave “savagely.”
On the note of the one Christian tribe member – I also would have liked to see more nuance as far as the relationship between the missionary and the tribe. In contrast to the Awapasu, who are the bad guys, the missionary is (overall) a “good guy.” This didn’t read as historically accurate to me – not to say that all missionaries were “bad,” but I also do not want to overlook things like violent, forced Christianization. For an audience of this age, I would have preferred at least a nod to this iniquity in US history.
Additionally, given that the Awapasu had been presented at Indigenous Americans at first, the scene with
Treatment of the Gospel
I'm having trouble articulating my concern, but the Gospel presentation didn't quite work for me. I think I had a bit more of a sense of the urgency of making a commitment to God, rather than the immediacy of His sweet love for us. I often use the word "invitational" in my description of books that deal with relationship with Jesus, and that wasn't my experience with this particular title. I hate to critique this element of a story, especially when I know my response sounds subjective, but I'm mentioning it because it factors into recommendation status for me.
What I did like…
Aside from the scene with Amara, referenced in the above spoiler, I did like how the book examined justice through the lens of time travel. Characters’ discussions and choices frequently revolved around the effect of their choices and whether certain decisions would be permissible for the “greater good.”
Reverend Green’s desire and example of caring for the poor and the downtrodden, even in such intense times, was a good one.
I appreciated the examination of idolatry, as well as the acknowledgment that God is all-powerful and that He is with us, even when we don’t know it. The ending, especially, enforced this concept.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author. Opinions expressed are my own.
July 21, 2026
This was such a wonderful conclusion to this series! I appreciate the author’s storytelling ability. The Timefall Trilogy was a rewarding read.
September 26, 2026
This is the third book in The TimeFall trilogy, a middle-grade science fiction series for Christian kids. The story picks up right where The Bewildering Courage of Emma Bloom left off. All three books form a single story, and it is important to read them in sequential order. In this final volume, the main characters have just arrived in 1867, on a mission to prevent the villain's future actions. The story follows their efforts, and also flashes forward to what is happening in the futuristic world the kids just left.
Although many aspects of this novel are compelling, the Wild West historical setting felt generic to me. In my opinion, the author excels at writing about futuristic, dystopian worlds, and doesn't have the same flair for writing in historical or contemporary time periods. Still, I felt that he handled the time travel storyline well, and story threads from throughout the trilogy come to a satisfying conclusion here.
Just like with the other books, this story involves action violence and some intense scenes of peril. It also continues the storyline about the villain bringing back the Egyptian god Osiris. In the context of this story, Osiris is a demon, not a rival god. Nonetheless, some Christian families will feel uncomfortable with the occult themes. Parents should also be aware that in the Wild West time period, a time-traveling group of Osiris acolytes are masquerading as a Native American tribe. This reveal happens early on, but only for the main characters, not the local settlers. Although the tribe has a fictional name, I felt that this major part of the story played into some stereotypes and was culturally insensitive.
In many ways, The Astonishing Destiny of Clay Danvers is a solid ending to The TimeFall Trilogy. Readers will appreciate the characters' continued growth, the exciting action, and the resolution to multiple story threads from the series. I found the final chapter and the epilogue especially satisfying and resonant. However, due to the pervasive thematic issues in this book and the first installment's uneven writing quality, I can only give this trilogy a mixed review.
I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Although many aspects of this novel are compelling, the Wild West historical setting felt generic to me. In my opinion, the author excels at writing about futuristic, dystopian worlds, and doesn't have the same flair for writing in historical or contemporary time periods. Still, I felt that he handled the time travel storyline well, and story threads from throughout the trilogy come to a satisfying conclusion here.
Just like with the other books, this story involves action violence and some intense scenes of peril. It also continues the storyline about the villain bringing back the Egyptian god Osiris. In the context of this story, Osiris is a demon, not a rival god. Nonetheless, some Christian families will feel uncomfortable with the occult themes. Parents should also be aware that in the Wild West time period, a time-traveling group of Osiris acolytes are masquerading as a Native American tribe. This reveal happens early on, but only for the main characters, not the local settlers. Although the tribe has a fictional name, I felt that this major part of the story played into some stereotypes and was culturally insensitive.
In many ways, The Astonishing Destiny of Clay Danvers is a solid ending to The TimeFall Trilogy. Readers will appreciate the characters' continued growth, the exciting action, and the resolution to multiple story threads from the series. I found the final chapter and the epilogue especially satisfying and resonant. However, due to the pervasive thematic issues in this book and the first installment's uneven writing quality, I can only give this trilogy a mixed review.
I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
August 27, 2026
Wow. That was wild. I got to the end and I was like NO WHY WOULD THE AUTHOR DO THIS??? 😭😭 it was not how I wanted the story to end. But then everything turned out different than I thought it would and I wasn’t so mad. So glad I got to read it!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews