The Time Sphere and the Search for the Sphere Gate

The Time Sphere #1

by A.E. Albert

ASIN moved from less recent edition here

Billy Townsend has lived in a group home his entire life. He has no family and no real friends. His life is a constant upheaval of new towns, new houses and new people. The only thing that stays the same is the nagging loneliness that follows him everywhere. Billy's world is forever changed when he meets a mysterious stranger and suddenly finds himself the target of something not of this world. Billy meets with destiny when an unlikely savior comes to his rescue and he is pulled into the fantastical world of The Time Sphere.

Billy must now journey through the past in order to save the future. As he learns to use his wits and together with new found friends, he finds the strength to meet the challenges set before him. However, Billy soon discovers that his greatest challenge to face is himself.

The Time Sphere is a story of adventure set amidst the perils and mystery of mankind’s past; uncovering the hidden secrets of time and the power of the human spirit.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

399 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2014

About the author

Thank you for taking the time to read about me. As you probably have already guessed, I’m a first time novelist. I love reading, writing, travelling, history, science and a many more interesting (or not!) subjects. Of course, these interests don’t separate me from the majority of the population and my hobbies are quite generic. I thought I’d just get that part out of the way. But I’d like to tell you why I have embarked on this journey.

For most of my adult life, I worked as a Child & Youth Worker in residential group homes and in the school board. I’ve worked and cared for many children like the ones described in my book. I’ve always felt that these children have been misrepresented and misunderstood. I decided to write about what I knew and so I created a character that lived in the social services system. Through humor and the occasional tear, I attempted to inform the reader what it is really like for the children of foster care and perhaps, to send a message to these special children that there is always hope. So, I decided to take my work experience, love of adventure novels and natural creative talent to write my book.

The truth is, I began this endeavour simply as a hobby and a means to divert my mind from my very stressful job. I’ve always been an avid reader but didn’t believe that to mean that I was a writer myself. I simply decided to write a novel that I would enjoy reading. However, as I began my journey into the written world, I discovered a passion that I didn’t know existed. Writing this work was the most difficult, yet the most exhilarating experience of my life.

I aim to keep writing and I hope you keep reading. I hope to hear from you!

Sincerely,
A.E Albert

Reviews

[T.B. Markinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful coming of age story. Billy is an orphan who has been in and out of group homes. The kids at his school don’t accept him. He’s so used to not fitting in he’s surprised when Jeanie wants to be his friend. He tells her not to bother since more than likely he’ll have to move again soon. He’s always moving to a new group home.

Then Billy meets Dickens. Billy, Jeanie, and Dickens travel through time meeting fascinating and brilliant people, such as Archimedes and Descartes. Their goal is to find a way back. Yet, Billy learns so much more.

Billy’s journey teaches him not just history, but about himself and the value of friends, love and trust. The author has done a wonderful job creating such a fascinating, heart-warming, and fun novel for young readers. There are twists and turns, and one of the twists is one of those wonderful moments where you think, “I should have seen that coming, but didn’t.” This is a clever story. And being the history nerd that I am, I loved all the history bits. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[K.K. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a truly enjoyable read! Billy Townsend is a thirteen year old boy who has no family or friends, and is bullied every day. Immediately I wanted to see this kid rise above and the ending did not disappoint! It seems he lives an unfortunate life until his world is forever changed when he meets a mysterious stranger who he travels with (through time) and comes into his own and learns how to look to himself to deal with his own struggles in life. Such a wonderful lesson to be learned for our young generation. I really hope elementary and middle-grade teachers read or suggest this book to their students. Adults will love this book too. It’s a wonderfully written fantastical and philosophical journey.

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy never went out of his way to be noticed and not because he was shy or humble. Billy grew up an orphan, in and out of group homes. He was not accepted by other kids and so thought himself less. Then everything changed. Jeanie, a fiery red-haired girl took notice of him and together they stumbled into a man who would take them far away from the lives they knew and the time they were familiar with.

The Time Sphere introduces time travel as a means to tell more than just the main characters’ stories. It tells the story of Archimedes, Descarte, and several other historical figures. The Time Sphere is like a teen version of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where Billy and Jeanie must figure out the secret of the Time Sphere through ancient philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians. They must travel through time and place to find out what controls the Time Sphere so they can get back to their own time and place.

The plot twist near the end was wonderfully surprising and I thoroughly appreciated it for its cleverness. Everything just made sense in an instant and all the questions I had were answered. Time made sense. Plot made sense. Characters made sense. It was one of the best ‘aha’ moments a reader can get.

Through Billy’s journey, he must learn to accept those who are different, and in doing so, accept himself. This book is full of take home messages and facts about historical places and figures. Billy learns that appearances are deceiving, to have faith that what is right will overcome all wrongs, love is not defined by duration, but by the person’s choice to endure, to defend the weak, etc. Most of all though, Billy learns that “A true knight is just a state of mind,” (Location 3011).

[Louise White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.E. Albert's The Time Sphere was truly what it promised to be - A fabulous time travel adventure for children of all ages. 
The characters in this briskly moving novel jumped off the pages at times in the situations which they find themselves.  I loved Billy, Jeanie and Dickens from the start. Every character introduced - and there are a few interesting, scary and realistic figures from past and future - had something valuable to contribute to Albert's 'coming of age' story which held me in its thrall for the past few days. 
This is an unmissable adventure, an emotional roller coaster of a ride which is genuine and unique, laden with authentic detail, thrills and surprises that kept me guessing and guaranteed that I'll be seeking more of this talented new YA fantasy author.

[Taylor Lavati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the historical aspect to the story. It was blatantly clear that the author knew what she was writing about and it was showcased in her writing. The device and time sphere itself were very well thought out and "believable". It's always good to read something that the author spent a lot of time coming up with. The world building was spot on.

We don't get into the main aspect of the novel until 16% through and I felt that that worked against the author. There was a lot of build up, but it only made the beginning seem dragged out. It seemed like a lot of telling, instead of showing, which took away from the experience.

I wanted more from the characters. Billy was nice, but especially in the long beginning, I should've felt his torment and sadness about living in the house. I wanted to see it more. I loved the scenes that were at the foster (group) home. Those were really vivid. They were easily the heart of the story. BUT I also loved Dickens and would've liked to see him more developed. He could've been a really awesome character.

Overall, a solid read for a younger end of young adult. The author spells a lot of things out which makes me think it's younger. The story itself is quality. There are a few typos, grammar, and sentence problems, but nothing that can't be overlooked. Loved the voice of Billy. Loved the research in the history, and creation of the time spheres and traveling between now and then. I can see there being more novels to come out of this *maybe* series.

[M.J. Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in return for a honest review, so here goes;

This novel was very well written, researched, presented and described. The action follows the trials and tribulations of a young lad whose had the worst possible start to life (well, slight exaggeration there). Orphaned, moved from foster home to children's home, marginalised, bullied and ignored, Billy has withdrawn from life, choosing to remain in the shadows rather than bathe in the light. He chooses to shun those who try to make friends, such as the likeable Jeannie.
However, all that changes with the introduction of Dickens, an old man with a boat load of secrets and a time travelling device...
What follows are adventures in distant times and lands, as Billy, Jeannie and Dickens try to stay alive, find the help they need, and solve the mystery of how to return home... or so Billy thinks, for there are twists and turns they/we won't see coming ahead for them all.
The adventures in time are exciting and the book is reasonably fast paced. The author keeps the reader of the edge of their seat with some nail biting moments and you can't help but love some of the characters, such as the charming Georgio among others.
Each adventure in time is like it's own little story, which breaks this long tale up nicely into short segments, and there is a killer ending to boot.
The only thing I could not take to was the use of 'Ya' instead of 'Yes' or 'Yeah', but that's just a personal preference and did not detract from what is a beautiful tale.
Highly recommended.

[G.J. Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billy Townsend is an orphaned boy who tries not to be noticed. He spends most of his time avoiding attention because he has become tired of being picked on by others who look down upon the kids from a care home. Having moved on from home to home, throughout his young life, Billy sees little point in making friends with others, until one day he is surprised to find Jeanie wants to be his friend. She insists on it even though he tells her not to bother, since it is likely he will soon be moving again.

When one day a quirky, elderly man called Dickens takes them on a journey through time they embark upon a fascinating adventure. They meet several brilliant historical heroes, such as Archimedes and Descartes, and Billy begins to learn as much about himself as he does about history. This charming and intriguing coming of age story offers a lot to its young readers: thrills, spills, humour and a few poignant moments when you may shed a tear. The twist towards the end was clever and a surprise and made for a satisfactory conclusion to the story.

The Time Sphere is the device that makes the adventure possible and its origins and eventual destination are as interesting to the reader as are the events that envelope Billy and Jeanie. A E Albert is to be congratulated on her first novel and I expect this book will attract many young fans wanting more. I found a couple of confusing instances in the sequencing of the plot, but nothing that prevented my enjoyment from beginning to end.

[Priya Narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time Sphere is a time travel story with a twist - a twist that I lapped up approvingly! The opening chapters put together a vivid sketch of Billy's psyche as he goes about his orphan life between the other kids at his group home and the quintessential bullies at school. His adventure starts when one day, he is dragged into the Time Sphere along with a friend Jeannie, by a strange old man called Dickens. Together, they travel through various ages in history - meeting some of the most potent mathematical geniuses - in their quest to close the door to the Time Sphere and make their way back to the here and now. I found the concept of the Time Sphere itself quite interesting, though I imagine it would be difficult for a kid in his/her early teens to grasp. That said, the darting in and out of various historic time zones and the trysts with geniuses such as Archimedes, Descrates, Leonardo etc is thrilling and humorous in equal parts. Although the story is paced well, the last few chapters before the end seemed to drag on a bit too much. However, the story has a lot of important messages hidden within the discussions between the three lead characters and that is something that I see as a great takeaway from this book.
** I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[S.A. Molteni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Time Sphere by A.E. Albert is a wonderfully written young adult novel that takes the reader (both young and old) on a fantastical journey through space and time.

Billy Townsend, an orphan, who has lived in many group homes in his life knows all too that life is not fair. He has no family, no friends and is bullied in school. Until one day, he meets a strange old man. Not just any strange old man, but a time traveler who has information about Billy's real family.

When Billy gets pulled into the time stream with the old man (Dickens), his schoolmate, Jeanie gets pulled in as well. Together they travel back to the time of Archimedes, Fibonacci and the old Roman Empire.

Their mission is to find a way to close the door to the Time Sphere. As the story unfolds further, family secrets are discovered and it is up to Billy to gain the knowledge and strength to complete the mission at any cost.

I would definitely recommend this book to young readers as well as adults. I enjoyed reading The Time Sphere and look forward to more from this up and coming author.

[Lawrence Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aimee Albert has written a wonderful story about what it is to be a young boy struggling to find himself when his only family consists of social workers and other parent-less children. What he finds is a destiny that exceeds his wildest imaginings.

Billy Townsend is thrust into a world of seemingly endless possibility, as a quirk of fate carries him through time and space to hobnob with some of history's greatest minds in an entertaining adventure that manages to meld hair-raising encounters with an educational tour de force about cultures and ideas.

For young people wishing to learn about the ancient world and the ideas that shape our world – while having a lot of fun – this is your book. For parents wishing to expand their children's intellectual and imaginative horizons – this is also your book.

Highly recommended for age group 9 – 14.

[Gita Reddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about the book. Billy, and the other children in foster care, and their histories, though briefly told by the author, touched my heart. The book is science fiction, and the science part is believable. What comes as a bonus is the history! Billy visits different places in different ages and the reader gets to know the history and culture of that period and place.

The book is well written, with a dash of humour. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of the book for review.

[Manly Manster]

There were too many useless details at the start of the book.

[Dianne Astle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Time Sphere we meet Billy who lives in a group home as a foster child. Billy is a prickly kid who just does not seem to fit. Billy is a magnet for bullies and seems to be the kid that other kids like to pick on. He has no close friends. He has given up trying to have friends. It takes too much effort as he moves from one family to another, from one group home to another. There is a deep ball of anger at the world deep inside of him. There is one bright light in Billy’s school; a girl named Jeanie who continues to be his friend even as he pushes her away.

When we first meet Billy he seems like an unlikely character to save the future of the world by first going back to the past. As Billy travels in the past he begins a journey of self-discovery and change that prepares him to travel into the future and learn the truth about himself and his family.

The Time Sphere is a very engaging book that is well written. Readers meet some memorable characters who actually appear in our history books. They also meet some very imaginative creatures and persons as they travel to the future. And in both the past and future they learn some valuable lessons on how to live in the present.

I loved the last line of The Time Sphere, but of course I am not going to tell you what it is. You will need to read the book for yourself.

[David Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teen Time Traveller

This is an entertaining book for younger readers, aimed perhaps at early teens. The main characters are generally well drawn (although Dickens is a little flat) and the story offers a very good, plausible time machine mechanism. The strongest part of the book was that set in Billy's group home, which felt real and believable. The bulk of the story is weighted in favour of time in the past, where the history was well researched and well presented with a dash of humour. The plot is as complex as one would expect from a time travel story, leaving the way open for a sequel or series. I did feel that the book as a whole was just slightly rough, with occasional typos or syntactical errors and that character development - which was good - could have been a little smoother. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable read and I can recommend it.

Note: I received a free copy for an objective, non-reciprocal review.

[Ross Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A.E. Albert writes a fun story that is well researched and easy to read. The historical components leave the reader better educated about the time periods and take us thru eras filled with special surprise guest 'cameo' characters. The characters embark on an adventure thru time. I enjoyed the early descriptions of the group home and culture within. The target audience for this book is teenagers.

[v.geniebrown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Excellent reading. and not Cliffhanger though I am quite sure that I will be looking for the next, which I refuse to do if its a cliffhanger, this author has told the whole first story..Five stars for you.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Time Sphere. I can't wait for another book from this author!!!!

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable, light read. Although written for a young audience, it was appealing enough to keep me reading.