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Written In Stone #1
Written In Stone
Charles Dawson is trapped 100 million years in the past. Trying to survive from day to day in a world of dinosaurs he devises a plan to change his fate. As he begins to write messages in the soft mud of a nearby stream, he can only hope they will be found by someone who can stop his time travel. Professor Ron Fontana and Professor Ray Taggit, scientists with opposing views, each discover the fossilized messages. While attempting to save Charles, Professor Fontana, his daughter Lauren and their friend Danny are forced to join Taggit and his group of mercenaries. Taggit does not intend to rescue Charles Dawson, but to force Dawson to travel back in time to gather samples for Taggit's fame and fortune. As the two groups jump through time they find they must work together to make it back alive as this fast-paced thriller climaxes at the very moment the age of dinosaurs is ending.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2014
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247 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 2, 2017
Every now and then I read a book that I wish I'd written - 'Written in Stone' by David Rhodes is one such book.
It has an opening chapter that blew me away - imagine you created a time machine and then find yourself trapped in the time of dinosaurs. How could you warn yourself in the future not to travel back? Rhodes' description of the scenery and creatures was magnificent, intense and thrilling, and I recommend this book to every action/adventure lover.
5/5 Stars.
It has an opening chapter that blew me away - imagine you created a time machine and then find yourself trapped in the time of dinosaurs. How could you warn yourself in the future not to travel back? Rhodes' description of the scenery and creatures was magnificent, intense and thrilling, and I recommend this book to every action/adventure lover.
5/5 Stars.
May 26, 2020
Oh, I say. Is that a Pimple-arsed Hunkaspunkasaurus that just bit your arm off? Nah it was an Erectipus Wrecks, and don't worry about my missing arm - 'tis but a flesh wound.
Hey! He stole my idea. Well, maybe we both had the same idea. I dream up stories to write about while I'm trying to pass the time on my 2 hour Sunday morning bike ride. I dreamt up almost exactly the same story which is what attracted me to this book.
This novel is too long, and there is too much fluff all through it. There are too many characters and they are all pretty schmaltzy. The dinosaur descriptions are well researched but too long – and we don't need detailed colour descriptions of each and every god-damned one of them. In fact, the descriptions of EVERYTHING are just too long. A good editor/proofreader is needed because there were heaps of annoying typos and “grammos”. Like this... “They walked towards the entrance to the exit to the tarmac”. Huh? While talking about how continental drift is tracked, we have this... “The satellites track glaziers”. Hahahaha. (He meant glaciers – unless glaziers know something about continental drift that we don't.) The character's dialogue was pretty ordinary too.
Here's a bit of positive stuff: the plot idea is a good one. Umm. That's about it.
Some factual errors: Comets have fuzzy trails while in space – asteroids do not. Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. T-Rex had large eyes, not little ones. If your arm is bitten off, you definitely WILL have a severed artery, and bleed – a lot. Making a lot of noise, or any noise, is probably not a good idea in dinosaur land.
The whole book had a predictable plot and I found myself yelling, “Ye gods must I endure all this? Just get on with it will you!” Despite that, I managed to wade through to the end. And a fairly good ending it was. Still – I couldn't give it more than two stars – but gee it had potential.
EDIT: Hey! I just had a great idea. If I had this time machine of Dawson's I'd find a site where I knew a T-Rex's bones had been discovered - go there, then go back in time to when that T-Rex died - put a big pen in his little arm and write in the mud next to him, E = mc2. Hehe. That'd give the palaeontologists something to think about.
Hey! He stole my idea. Well, maybe we both had the same idea. I dream up stories to write about while I'm trying to pass the time on my 2 hour Sunday morning bike ride. I dreamt up almost exactly the same story which is what attracted me to this book.
This novel is too long, and there is too much fluff all through it. There are too many characters and they are all pretty schmaltzy. The dinosaur descriptions are well researched but too long – and we don't need detailed colour descriptions of each and every god-damned one of them. In fact, the descriptions of EVERYTHING are just too long. A good editor/proofreader is needed because there were heaps of annoying typos and “grammos”. Like this... “They walked towards the entrance to the exit to the tarmac”. Huh? While talking about how continental drift is tracked, we have this... “The satellites track glaziers”. Hahahaha. (He meant glaciers – unless glaziers know something about continental drift that we don't.) The character's dialogue was pretty ordinary too.
Here's a bit of positive stuff: the plot idea is a good one. Umm. That's about it.
Some factual errors: Comets have fuzzy trails while in space – asteroids do not. Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. T-Rex had large eyes, not little ones. If your arm is bitten off, you definitely WILL have a severed artery, and bleed – a lot. Making a lot of noise, or any noise, is probably not a good idea in dinosaur land.
The whole book had a predictable plot and I found myself yelling, “Ye gods must I endure all this? Just get on with it will you!” Despite that, I managed to wade through to the end. And a fairly good ending it was. Still – I couldn't give it more than two stars – but gee it had potential.
EDIT: Hey! I just had a great idea. If I had this time machine of Dawson's I'd find a site where I knew a T-Rex's bones had been discovered - go there, then go back in time to when that T-Rex died - put a big pen in his little arm and write in the mud next to him, E = mc2. Hehe. That'd give the palaeontologists something to think about.
November 8, 2016
I downloaded and read this book because I was intrigued by the premise of humans and dinosaurs, and the first chapter had me excited to keep reading. Unfortunately it was a LONG slog before it got back to them. The book reminds me a lot of Michael Crichton novels in that it uses "science" to put up an interesting scenario that ultimately goes bad, and in how flat the characters feel. The dialogue is very trite and feels forced, even painful at times. For instance, two entire pages dedicated to discussion about the old Negro Baseball League, which has nothing to do with the book or plot, but feels more like a ham-handed attempt to establish that two characters shared an interest, and the author just indulging in his own interests. It was such a strange segue that it really stood out.
The prose itself is clean, almost no typos (rare these days!), and with enough description to picture most of what was happening. Really, it was the dialogue I had the most trouble with. You also know you're in for a bumpy ride when you explain the "science" behind the what allows the time travel by having your smart guy basically say "I'm smarter than anyone in this room, so I won't bother to try to explain how this works."
The prose itself is clean, almost no typos (rare these days!), and with enough description to picture most of what was happening. Really, it was the dialogue I had the most trouble with. You also know you're in for a bumpy ride when you explain the "science" behind the what allows the time travel by having your smart guy basically say "I'm smarter than anyone in this room, so I won't bother to try to explain how this works."
October 18, 2015
I liked this one.
A dinosaur book that doesn't disappoint. The character development was good and I liked that the 'bad' guys got to be redeemed before ... you know.
I'm not one for the 'paradox' angle, but the author was consistent and it worked within his constraints. Well worth a read.
A dinosaur book that doesn't disappoint. The character development was good and I liked that the 'bad' guys got to be redeemed before ... you know.
I'm not one for the 'paradox' angle, but the author was consistent and it worked within his constraints. Well worth a read.
August 26, 2018
Written In Stone - a review by Rosemary Kenny
In a fascinating mix that will wow fans of Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and even HG Wells' early film The Time Machine, David Rhodes tells the tale of the MC, a young scientist called Charles Dawson. Other MCs are Professors Ron Fontana and Ray Taggit who, with their Teams are both involved with the time machine's creative process.
The naive young hero's elected to 'test drive' a newly invented time machine. When something goes wrong and he's marooned in the Jurassic era, Dawson's inspired to write a message in the river mud before fleeing for his life from a hungry predator.
So far, so good - an interesting premise for a novel that would be a 5-star one for me with a little more editing, until the following questions rose in my mind:
a) How do the scientists happen upon Dawson's plea for help in the mud?
b) How are they able to work out what time-period he's actually in, as the machine was clearly
faulty/tampered with?
c) Was the machine programmed to go to the 'Dino-era', or somewhere else originally?
d) Did the Machine return to the laboratory? (if so, why not send someone else, back to get Dawson,
using the same settings already programmed in)?
e) If it didn't return, but went somewhere else, how would they communicate with Dawson?
f) If Taggit was so hell-bent on getting specimens, why didn't he go himself in the first place,
rather than Dawson?
The amount of dino-talk, though initially interesting, soon became lecture-like and more suited to an educational text book rather than a novel that, (despite the rather 'flat' interaction between slightly undeveloped characters) would make an excellent action movie.
Buy your copy today and see how time will fly when you enjoy David Rhodes' Written in Stone!
In a fascinating mix that will wow fans of Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and even HG Wells' early film The Time Machine, David Rhodes tells the tale of the MC, a young scientist called Charles Dawson. Other MCs are Professors Ron Fontana and Ray Taggit who, with their Teams are both involved with the time machine's creative process.
The naive young hero's elected to 'test drive' a newly invented time machine. When something goes wrong and he's marooned in the Jurassic era, Dawson's inspired to write a message in the river mud before fleeing for his life from a hungry predator.
So far, so good - an interesting premise for a novel that would be a 5-star one for me with a little more editing, until the following questions rose in my mind:
a) How do the scientists happen upon Dawson's plea for help in the mud?
b) How are they able to work out what time-period he's actually in, as the machine was clearly
faulty/tampered with?
c) Was the machine programmed to go to the 'Dino-era', or somewhere else originally?
d) Did the Machine return to the laboratory? (if so, why not send someone else, back to get Dawson,
using the same settings already programmed in)?
e) If it didn't return, but went somewhere else, how would they communicate with Dawson?
f) If Taggit was so hell-bent on getting specimens, why didn't he go himself in the first place,
rather than Dawson?
The amount of dino-talk, though initially interesting, soon became lecture-like and more suited to an educational text book rather than a novel that, (despite the rather 'flat' interaction between slightly undeveloped characters) would make an excellent action movie.
Buy your copy today and see how time will fly when you enjoy David Rhodes' Written in Stone!
August 17, 2018
Good premise, way too much fluff (mostly characters flirting like 16 year olds but also pointless dialogue), medical miracles (an arm ripped off below the elbow but no s/s of shock or ill effects from blood loss? Wha..?), large plot holes (suspect betrayal but allow it to happen), unreasonable/unbelievable actions by characters (we’re in dinosaur country; let’s SHOUT. A lot.), etc.
Oh, and the common misconception that snakes are poisonous. VENOMOUS. Sorry, still an annoying pet peeve.
Oh, and the common misconception that snakes are poisonous. VENOMOUS. Sorry, still an annoying pet peeve.
October 13, 2016
Enjoyable book despite the T-Rex sized plot holes. I love dinosaurs so I'll take a Dino book even with the shortcomings. Of which there were many. Writing style and rather limp dialogue not the least of them.
The biggest problem, Dawson goes 120 million years, writes a message on mud and dies. In the present, they discover it and he doesn't go back 120 million years but to different times, and doesn't die. Now who the hell wrote the message that prevented him from going back to 120 million years ago?
Second, he suspects Taggit might pull a fast one so puts in place an elaborate plan B in case things go south. Then before the last jump leaves the cage voluntarily giving Taggit the perfect opportunity to pull the said fast one. If that's true I refuse to believe that guy invented time travel.
But overall the characters were fun and Dinos, well Dinos are Dinos so what's not to like?
The biggest problem, Dawson goes 120 million years, writes a message on mud and dies. In the present, they discover it and he doesn't go back 120 million years but to different times, and doesn't die. Now who the hell wrote the message that prevented him from going back to 120 million years ago?
Second, he suspects Taggit might pull a fast one so puts in place an elaborate plan B in case things go south. Then before the last jump leaves the cage voluntarily giving Taggit the perfect opportunity to pull the said fast one. If that's true I refuse to believe that guy invented time travel.
But overall the characters were fun and Dinos, well Dinos are Dinos so what's not to like?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2016
Absorbing, despite what anyone else says
I read a huge amount of time travel books. This one surprised me by having a very believable plot, great characters, & so many different kinds of dinosaurs that I got really curious about them & kept looking them up. One thing I would suggest is a little more editing--the 1st chapter was rife with commas in the wrong place, or none where they should've been which almost lost me. I would particulay recommend this book for 10th-12th graders & those who want an enthralling, fast-paced time travel story. Quite enjoyable.
I read a huge amount of time travel books. This one surprised me by having a very believable plot, great characters, & so many different kinds of dinosaurs that I got really curious about them & kept looking them up. One thing I would suggest is a little more editing--the 1st chapter was rife with commas in the wrong place, or none where they should've been which almost lost me. I would particulay recommend this book for 10th-12th graders & those who want an enthralling, fast-paced time travel story. Quite enjoyable.
August 7, 2015
Ok, so this book was amazing. Simply awesome. Time travel, dinosaurs, and everything in between. The characters were superbly developed. The settings extremely detailed. There were parts of this story that made me sad and parts that made me mad. This was intended. It's hard to talk about this book without risking ruining it for other readers. All I'll say is check this out. You will not be disappointed.
October 7, 2016
Really interesting
I really enjoyed the imaginative world, the colors, descriptions of smells beautiful skies, it was a book i could read over and over. It needs a little editing but nothing that detracts from the story as a whole wonderful work. Support Indie artists
I really enjoyed the imaginative world, the colors, descriptions of smells beautiful skies, it was a book i could read over and over. It needs a little editing but nothing that detracts from the story as a whole wonderful work. Support Indie artists
November 21, 2016
At first, I thought this would just be a "filler book" to pass the time between other "better" ones. But it surprised me: I found myself not wanting to put it down, to find out what was going to happen next. I would even track down the next book in the series.
December 14, 2016
Not worth your time
Started out ok but about halfway through I gave up on the characters. Unbelievable dialogue amount the characters. Cute winks, hands brushing, geez.
Started out ok but about halfway through I gave up on the characters. Unbelievable dialogue amount the characters. Cute winks, hands brushing, geez.
December 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, it was really hard to put down. The characters are all pretty likeable and interesting, there is a lot of character development that I really liked but some of it did seem a bit forced and out of no were. Like some of the bad guys suddenly deciding they wanna be good guys. The only things that I really didn’t like was Ray’s ridiculous ‘evil villain monologue’ near the end before he leaves them in the past, he stands there for ages roasting them all individually and it was so awkward and cartoonish. Just go man. Also Charles Dawson is an r/niceguy?? What the fuck. I scream laughed at that point and then immediately hated his character. How awkward. Wish he had of died instead of my boy Pete. RIP.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2017
Audiobook version. The most useless scientists and gullible goons find themselves thrust back in time to the dinosaur era where they are marooned when their machine returns without them. Doing everything wrong they can, they wander through the prehistoric wilderness trying to survive until their automatic rescue capsule arrives. A really good tale let down by bad characters and their awful decisions.
Note to the audiobook authors. Never use this woman again, and try removing coughs, sniffs, external noises, machine clicks and apologies from the track before publishing it.
Note to the audiobook authors. Never use this woman again, and try removing coughs, sniffs, external noises, machine clicks and apologies from the track before publishing it.
November 29, 2017
A good story in the hands of a poor writer
The story was good. It had an excellent premise and enough action to keep it moving. But the writing itself is error prone, repetitive, and badly in need of an editor. It would also help if the author learned the difference between "to," "too," and "two."
The story was good. It had an excellent premise and enough action to keep it moving. But the writing itself is error prone, repetitive, and badly in need of an editor. It would also help if the author learned the difference between "to," "too," and "two."
December 5, 2019
Very creative story
This was a good book. I found it initially a little stilted and the dialogue a little bit off but either it improved or I got used to it as the story continued. The characters were also a bit off but overall the story came together nicely and again, by the end if the book it no longer was an issue.
This was a good book. I found it initially a little stilted and the dialogue a little bit off but either it improved or I got used to it as the story continued. The characters were also a bit off but overall the story came together nicely and again, by the end if the book it no longer was an issue.
December 4, 2018
Major plot hole: How could the secondary machine arrive in the present before the first machine if the secondary machine's departure was triggered by the first machine's arrival? The secondary machine would have been in the same place at the same time, twice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2022
Past and Present
This is a story about time travel, not the multiverse, but back in time and what can happen when one meddles with the past. Robbing a bank in the past could erase yourself from the present. Be afraid, be very.....
This is a story about time travel, not the multiverse, but back in time and what can happen when one meddles with the past. Robbing a bank in the past could erase yourself from the present. Be afraid, be very.....
July 24, 2017
Great descriptions, horrible dialogue
September 1, 2018
Ok yet entertaining
The plot was ok, a typical time-travel story. There was good action. However, the writing was amateurish and the characters simply unbelievable.
The plot was ok, a typical time-travel story. There was good action. However, the writing was amateurish and the characters simply unbelievable.
June 30, 2020
Communication with the past
This story is about time travel, it takes a group of different people, models them in to a unit that works together.
This story is about time travel, it takes a group of different people, models them in to a unit that works together.
June 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It was action packed, I really felt like I moved back in time, stuff made sense, it was a lot of fun!
November 27, 2016
Not a bad book, but not much original in the genre of time travel. The original bit is the idea of traveling back to the time of the dinosaurs, and I admit it made the book worth reading. However, the frame built around the dinosaurs is mostly just action/adventure time travel stuff I've read before. The final twist is also clever, but the very end if pretty typical. I, myself, prefer more thoughtful science fiction of the action dominated type which this is. If you like the your time travel tales with dinosaurs and action, then it would be worth reading. Otherwise, I think there are better choices.
February 24, 2015
The guy that wrote this was clearly smart and well researched. It wasn't even particularly badly written. Technically it was fine, but it just wasn't compelling. The characters and their relationships were dull and occasionally trite. The end dragged on forever and it wasn't even a long book. I didn't hate it, but if I didn't accidentally pick it up because I thought it was written by the other David Rhodes, I don't think I would've given it a second glance. But whatever. Dinosaurs are cool.
November 5, 2016
Waste of time
This book is not very well written. The characters are one dimensional and none of them very original. With so many good books in this world or even not so great books to read that are are least entertaining save your time by passing over this dinosaur yarn. I would say this would be a book that
might be enjoyed by young readers who may be interested in dinosaurs but it is just too violent.
This book is not very well written. The characters are one dimensional and none of them very original. With so many good books in this world or even not so great books to read that are are least entertaining save your time by passing over this dinosaur yarn. I would say this would be a book that
might be enjoyed by young readers who may be interested in dinosaurs but it is just too violent.
January 7, 2025
DNF. The writing just dragged on with useless details. Quit after 6/16 hrs. No surprises, no action, just lots a characters talking. Oh and when confronted with the "reality" of time travel the characters react as if its nothing special. I listened to audio book. The reader was fine but it sounds like it was recorded in a closet. Low quality. #QUITSERIES
January 18, 2016
Great for passing the time.
Loved this book. The dinosaurs, the characters and the story. Slow for the pick up but great ending. Glad I picked this book up and didn't judge it by the cover.
Loved this book. The dinosaurs, the characters and the story. Slow for the pick up but great ending. Glad I picked this book up and didn't judge it by the cover.
January 6, 2016
Slow History
This book had a really good storyline but it took too many stops for a history lesson when it should have had action. I found myself skipping pages just to move it along.
This book had a really good storyline but it took too many stops for a history lesson when it should have had action. I found myself skipping pages just to move it along.
January 19, 2016
It was fun
Good light reading the only thing about it is it's kind of like every other dinosaur novel I wish someone would come up with another way besides using time travel but in general it's a good book to read I recommend it . Fast pace and fun
Good light reading the only thing about it is it's kind of like every other dinosaur novel I wish someone would come up with another way besides using time travel but in general it's a good book to read I recommend it . Fast pace and fun
January 23, 2017
Good read
Enjoyable read. I thought that there were some good twists in the story. I could probably shoot holes in the time travel but I enjoyed this Tory so much I overlooked all of them.
Enjoyable read. I thought that there were some good twists in the story. I could probably shoot holes in the time travel but I enjoyed this Tory so much I overlooked all of them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews