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Time Phantom #1
Time Phantom: Amsterdam
On his 50th birthday, recently divorced male model Dane Vanderbrouk is struck by a peculiar affliction: if he remains still for too long, he falls back in time. If he moves too fast, he'll travel forward.
Pursued relentlessly by an assassin from the future through the narrow streets of Amsterdam, Dane is thrust into a war where shaping the future means changing the past. But changing history is difficult business for a time traveler. Every jump in time erases every previous action.
With fast paced action, unexpected twists, and an eclectic cast of characters - Time Phantom will pull you into a world where impressions matter but only actions of consequence can change the future.
Time travel has a new speed, catapulting the adventure novel into an exciting new series.
Pursued relentlessly by an assassin from the future through the narrow streets of Amsterdam, Dane is thrust into a war where shaping the future means changing the past. But changing history is difficult business for a time traveler. Every jump in time erases every previous action.
With fast paced action, unexpected twists, and an eclectic cast of characters - Time Phantom will pull you into a world where impressions matter but only actions of consequence can change the future.
Time travel has a new speed, catapulting the adventure novel into an exciting new series.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2016
50 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Randy Anderson
16 books28 followersRandy is the author of five books. He began his literary adventure when he self-published his first book, On Making Off: Misadventures off off Broadway, a memoir of making theatre in New York City. His second book, Careful is a coming-of-age tale set in Ecuador. In 2016 he launched a time travel series called Time Phantom. The first two books, Amsterdam and Copenhagen are currently available. The third will be released later in 2017. His fifth book is the incendiary political novella, Divisible.
He is currently working on a literary trilogy where each book is a collection of short stories. This epic journey follows a disheartened baby boomer pastry chef through the second half of the last century.
Before writing books, Randy ran a small New York theater company from 1999-2004. During this time he produced over three-dozen productions and events. He was a co-producer of The Unconvention, a political theater festival during the 2004 Republican National Convention. Plays he's written include; New Year's Resolutions, Homelessness Homosexuals and Heretics, Testing Average, Kill The President, Armor of Wills, and The Dwelling.
He is currently working on a literary trilogy where each book is a collection of short stories. This epic journey follows a disheartened baby boomer pastry chef through the second half of the last century.
Before writing books, Randy ran a small New York theater company from 1999-2004. During this time he produced over three-dozen productions and events. He was a co-producer of The Unconvention, a political theater festival during the 2004 Republican National Convention. Plays he's written include; New Year's Resolutions, Homelessness Homosexuals and Heretics, Testing Average, Kill The President, Armor of Wills, and The Dwelling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 21, 2018
Recently divorced Dane Vanderbrouk is celebrating his 50th birthday in Amsterdam with a mid life crisis (prostitutes, beer and drugs) when he makes the startling discovery that he can time travel. Just as he's learning how to control this, he discovers that he's in all sorts of trouble with someone from the future trying to kill him.
This is a very original take on time travel but a tad confusing with a bit of an info dump of pseudo-science half way through and several plot lines that weren't resolved (, although maybe these will all make sense in the sequel. Anderson's vision of the world in 2070 was also interesting with changes in human behaviour brought on by overpopulation and climate change. Of the characters, I liked Dane's new friend Cooper best and suspect he'll have a role in the sequel. I also warmed to Darius but not so much his wife Pasha, although I suspect she'll also play a major role in the continuing story. 3.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher BooksGoSocial for a digital copy to read
This is a very original take on time travel but a tad confusing with a bit of an info dump of pseudo-science half way through and several plot lines that weren't resolved (, although maybe these will all make sense in the sequel. Anderson's vision of the world in 2070 was also interesting with changes in human behaviour brought on by overpopulation and climate change. Of the characters, I liked Dane's new friend Cooper best and suspect he'll have a role in the sequel. I also warmed to Darius but not so much his wife Pasha, although I suspect she'll also play a major role in the continuing story. 3.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher BooksGoSocial for a digital copy to read
February 24, 2018
Fantastic story! I have read very few time traveling books, but this one managed to be both scientific and interesting at the same time! I was immediately drawn to the characters and their back stories. Dane was a newly divorced middle aged man who simply wanted a time out from his everyday life. Boy did he get his wish! 😮
I highly recommend this fast moving tale for all adventure loving readers!
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the copy of Time Phantom in exchange for this honest review!
I highly recommend this fast moving tale for all adventure loving readers!
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the copy of Time Phantom in exchange for this honest review!
October 11, 2016
I don't often read time travel novels, mostly because they don't come across my path too often and because I don't like heavy science fiction, but Time Phantom is not heavy scifi and was fantastic. I thought the writing was great, the pace fast, and the author's style was easily read. I quite loved the premise of this male model, just turning 50, recently divorced--a precarious state in his life--suddenly becoming afflicted with this time travel ability. Overall, this was a great book. It was filled with action that kept the pages turning and fun characters, with an empathetic MC. Great read! I think Time Phantom would satisfy a diverse group and recommend this to fans of time travel, general fiction with action, and scifi.,
April 16, 2017
This is a very solid book, with a unique time travel device. The mechanics are laid out clearly for those who need their sci fi to make sense, but not heavy handed, for those that are gunning for more plot and adventure. The pacing is quite quick, and I was definitely ready to dive directly into the 2nd book by the end!
February 7, 2017
This book is a really well written time travel book. I didn't see any inconsistencies and it seemed reasonable compared to other time travel books that I've read. It was a fun and quick read. I can't wait for the sequel!
March 11, 2017
Interesting time tale; gotta keep moving or travel backwards in time
May 22, 2020
Just read it!
Words I would use to describe this book include action packed, creative and just damn FUN! Highly recommended. Can't wait for the sequel to be released.
Words I would use to describe this book include action packed, creative and just damn FUN! Highly recommended. Can't wait for the sequel to be released.
January 29, 2018
This isn't like your "run of the mill" time-travel books...because there's so much more it than just time travel. It opens up in 2070 with Tonja, who is about ready to be sacrificed in some ritual. She escapes, and while we see her occasionally in the book, her vignettes don't really give the reader much to go on.
The main story focuses on Dane, a soon-to-be 50 year old male model who has traveled to Amsterdam to drown himself in what the city has to offer him in hopes that he forgets his divorce (in which he gave his ex EVERYTHING...bad move, dude.) What follows is a twisty-turny ride as Dane soon learns that he can travel both backward and forward in time. Soon, he's embroiled in various plots to save himself, others, and the world as we know it.
I'm seriously bummed that the first installment comes out later--because that means that I'll have to wait even longer for the second book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The main story focuses on Dane, a soon-to-be 50 year old male model who has traveled to Amsterdam to drown himself in what the city has to offer him in hopes that he forgets his divorce (in which he gave his ex EVERYTHING...bad move, dude.) What follows is a twisty-turny ride as Dane soon learns that he can travel both backward and forward in time. Soon, he's embroiled in various plots to save himself, others, and the world as we know it.
I'm seriously bummed that the first installment comes out later--because that means that I'll have to wait even longer for the second book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
February 23, 2018
I received an e-ARC of Time Phantom by Randy Anderson from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Plot
Before all else, I have to say that I could give this book 5 Stars just on the basis of originality! I have never ever read anything quite like it and I’m usually not too big of a fan of Time Travel related books but Time Phantom totally changed my outlook on that. The book follows Dane who is a scientific rarity because of a peculiar condition – if he moves too fast he travels forward in time and if he stays still for too long, he travels back in time.
Time Phantom had an excellent plot, executed well. Generally it takes me a while to get involved in time travel books but this one had me hooked from the start and I read it in under a day. What I loved most was the description of the future, which wasn’t too bleak, well written and not drawn out and unrealistic as is the case with so many books. I am definitely looking forward to read more in the series.
Characters
As overwhelmingly good as the plot was, the characters on the other hand were passably good. Dane as a character is interesting, charismatic but really more or less unremarkable. I can’t really talk about the other characters without spoiling the book but other than Cooper (a friend of Dane’s) the others were mostly just okay. I wish there was more of Cooper in the book.
Overall, Time Phantom: Amsterdam by Randy Anderson gets 5 stars from me.
Plot
Before all else, I have to say that I could give this book 5 Stars just on the basis of originality! I have never ever read anything quite like it and I’m usually not too big of a fan of Time Travel related books but Time Phantom totally changed my outlook on that. The book follows Dane who is a scientific rarity because of a peculiar condition – if he moves too fast he travels forward in time and if he stays still for too long, he travels back in time.
Time Phantom had an excellent plot, executed well. Generally it takes me a while to get involved in time travel books but this one had me hooked from the start and I read it in under a day. What I loved most was the description of the future, which wasn’t too bleak, well written and not drawn out and unrealistic as is the case with so many books. I am definitely looking forward to read more in the series.
Characters
As overwhelmingly good as the plot was, the characters on the other hand were passably good. Dane as a character is interesting, charismatic but really more or less unremarkable. I can’t really talk about the other characters without spoiling the book but other than Cooper (a friend of Dane’s) the others were mostly just okay. I wish there was more of Cooper in the book.
Overall, Time Phantom: Amsterdam by Randy Anderson gets 5 stars from me.
March 20, 2017
One of the biggest challenges with sci-fi is not being derivative. To pull off a new concept with time travel is no small challenge, but Anderson has succeeded in doing just that with Time Phantom. Not only is the overall concept believable enough I took for granted the reality of the principles, but I also liked and related to the characters and got completely engrossed in the plot. As I finished the last page, I was relieved that the second installment is already available so that I can start reading it immediately. This is a massive departure from Anderson's previous work, but it feels like he has found his genre.
July 23, 2017
Fun read
Kept me thinking and had a nice balance of social and personal concerns. Now I am on to the next volumn.
Kept me thinking and had a nice balance of social and personal concerns. Now I am on to the next volumn.
March 7, 2018
What if time travel were related to your movements, or lack thereof? Life would certainly get a bit more interesting, and troublesome, like it does for Dane in Time Phantom: Amsterdam by Randy Anderson.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Having just finalized his divorce, male model Dane Vanderbrouk travels to Amsterdam to while away his troubles with various vices. But while smoking and drinking on his fiftieth birthday, things take an interesting, albeit it uncomfortable, turn for Dane when he begins to inexplicably travel back in time. Having relived the same few days over and over again, he slowly begins to understand that staying still for too long sends him back in time, but when he moves quickly he travels forward in time. Just as he gets the knack of how to manage this quirky talent of his, his life is threatened by an assassin from the future, forcing Dane to travel back to New York, only to wind up much further into the future than he ever anticipated as he struggles to get back to his life as he previously knew it.
Capitalizing on a rather unique time travel mechanism, the story moves forward and backward in time, muddying the waters of both history and the future through Dane's actions. The writing was solid, entertaining, and well-crafted, aside from the scientific info-dump that helped to explain Dane's ability for time travel that pulled me out of the intensity of the moment. There were interjecting vignettes from a time and about a character that weren't fully integrated into this particular narrative, which left additional unresolved elements to the story that merely raised questions - perhaps it's a set up for subsequent installments in this series, but it detracted from the momentum of the story at hand.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Having just finalized his divorce, male model Dane Vanderbrouk travels to Amsterdam to while away his troubles with various vices. But while smoking and drinking on his fiftieth birthday, things take an interesting, albeit it uncomfortable, turn for Dane when he begins to inexplicably travel back in time. Having relived the same few days over and over again, he slowly begins to understand that staying still for too long sends him back in time, but when he moves quickly he travels forward in time. Just as he gets the knack of how to manage this quirky talent of his, his life is threatened by an assassin from the future, forcing Dane to travel back to New York, only to wind up much further into the future than he ever anticipated as he struggles to get back to his life as he previously knew it.
Capitalizing on a rather unique time travel mechanism, the story moves forward and backward in time, muddying the waters of both history and the future through Dane's actions. The writing was solid, entertaining, and well-crafted, aside from the scientific info-dump that helped to explain Dane's ability for time travel that pulled me out of the intensity of the moment. There were interjecting vignettes from a time and about a character that weren't fully integrated into this particular narrative, which left additional unresolved elements to the story that merely raised questions - perhaps it's a set up for subsequent installments in this series, but it detracted from the momentum of the story at hand.
Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
October 11, 2016
This is actually the first time travel novel I've read (not counting tv shows) so yes, almost everything in this book seems original to me. It was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to the release of the second book.
3.5 stars
Overall, the story was decent but I didn't really like the pacing. I was really hooked for the first 40%, where Dane was running away from the assassin from the future while trying to figure out all this time travelling shiz. There were lots of characters, running and a considerable amount of cussing. Then things slowed down, explanations for Dane's time travelling ability started rolling in, together with a bunch of scientific jargon, and I just kinda tuned myself out after a few pages. It's not that they were boring, the explanations were amazing, actually. They were solid, fleshed out and ingenious, but it seems that my tiny brain just wasn't able to process all that information at once. Plus, when you pick up a book after a long day at school, I doubt you'd be wanting to be thinking bout more sciency stuff. So, BAM!, information overload.
What I really liked about this book was its representation of the future. It's only about 200 years into the future, but many things have changed, and it isn't for the better. Nature has taken its toll, governments have fallen, and everything is run by a single corporation. It's morbid and pretty original if you ask me.
Also really glad that this book did not end with a cliffhanger (okay, it kinda did, in a way, but there was an epilogue of sorts). Cliffhangers are good, they make readers want to read on, but they're overused. Why can't we just have the characters sailing off into the sunset, awaiting their next adventure?
Time Phantom delivers to us a refreshing and solid concept of time travel, together with an action packed story and diverse (mainly in terms of age) cast of characters. It's definitely worth a read.
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3.5 stars
Overall, the story was decent but I didn't really like the pacing. I was really hooked for the first 40%, where Dane was running away from the assassin from the future while trying to figure out all this time travelling shiz. There were lots of characters, running and a considerable amount of cussing. Then things slowed down, explanations for Dane's time travelling ability started rolling in, together with a bunch of scientific jargon, and I just kinda tuned myself out after a few pages. It's not that they were boring, the explanations were amazing, actually. They were solid, fleshed out and ingenious, but it seems that my tiny brain just wasn't able to process all that information at once. Plus, when you pick up a book after a long day at school, I doubt you'd be wanting to be thinking bout more sciency stuff. So, BAM!, information overload.
What I really liked about this book was its representation of the future. It's only about 200 years into the future, but many things have changed, and it isn't for the better. Nature has taken its toll, governments have fallen, and everything is run by a single corporation. It's morbid and pretty original if you ask me.
Also really glad that this book did not end with a cliffhanger (okay, it kinda did, in a way, but there was an epilogue of sorts). Cliffhangers are good, they make readers want to read on, but they're overused. Why can't we just have the characters sailing off into the sunset, awaiting their next adventure?
Time Phantom delivers to us a refreshing and solid concept of time travel, together with an action packed story and diverse (mainly in terms of age) cast of characters. It's definitely worth a read.
Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram
March 28, 2017
I did enjoy this book, even though at times it was confusing, it kept me enthralled till the end and wanting to continue on Danes adventure. Some of it was confusing and a lot of things left unanswered? Or maybe I just didn't understand the answer? But I liked the main character Dane and will look out for the next book.
October 30, 2016
On his 50th birthday, a man suddenly starts travelling backwards in time whenever he sits still too long, and forwards in time whenever he moves too fast.
The main character is professional catalogue model Dane, who has gone to Amsterdam to distract himself from his divorce by smoking cannabis and getting laid. Then he finds himself slipping backwards in time and a strange man wants to kill him.
While the premise seemed rather silly, the writing and characters were sufficiently good to keep me reading. When everything is finally explained (which is a bit information-dumpy, but interesting enough) it still seemed rather silly but I still wanted to know what would happen next. This is a very enjoyable adventure with an original approach to the complexities of time travel.
Expect some violence, drug use, sexual references.
The main character is professional catalogue model Dane, who has gone to Amsterdam to distract himself from his divorce by smoking cannabis and getting laid. Then he finds himself slipping backwards in time and a strange man wants to kill him.
While the premise seemed rather silly, the writing and characters were sufficiently good to keep me reading. When everything is finally explained (which is a bit information-dumpy, but interesting enough) it still seemed rather silly but I still wanted to know what would happen next. This is a very enjoyable adventure with an original approach to the complexities of time travel.
Expect some violence, drug use, sexual references.
March 10, 2018
The main character can travel in time out with the 'standard methods' of time travel, this means he can help and be hunted...
It took a while to introduce the main characters and why he has these abilities. Once we have passed this point the pace of the book increased dramatically. I was impressed with the technical description in this book where the author clearly gave the technicality of time travel a lot of thought so it doesn't sound as far fetched as some other books.
I enjoyed the book and would read a sequel.
It took a while to introduce the main characters and why he has these abilities. Once we have passed this point the pace of the book increased dramatically. I was impressed with the technical description in this book where the author clearly gave the technicality of time travel a lot of thought so it doesn't sound as far fetched as some other books.
I enjoyed the book and would read a sequel.
February 22, 2018
What a fast paced, enjoyable book. I was hooked from the first page. Many plots twists throughout to keep my attention. I got lost a couple of times but in the end all the treads were neatly tied up and all was revealed. Superb.
January 15, 2019
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** Full Disclosure, this is an ARC read.
The book started slow for me and only seemed to speed up when I reached about 30% into the book. Randy Anderson is a good writer, I was able to picture every scene described and the pacing didn't feel too fast or slow once it got started.
Now, there has to be a reason I stopped at 52% and awarded this scifi thriller 2 stars. It's not enough to have a way with words or have an interesting idea, you need good characters you can cheer (and boo), this story didn't have any for me. Dane, our beautiful protagonist (we're reminded several times of his modeling career) is just a ball getting kicked around by the plot. Not once did I feel he had a goal or need or want besides the desire to stay alive, without a great impending danger, this made for a poor driving force to keep me reading.
(Before I continue, just a warning of spoiler ahead)
I know, I know, there is a huge impending danger of The Great Extinction, but we don't learn this till halfway through the book and STILL Dane doesn't choose to help or not, he is again guided to a decision made for him by other characters, like a ball being kicked around, he too was full of air with no free will or direction, things just happen.
Lastly, I honestly did not mind the allegory of how humanity suffered because of Global Warming and rising sea levels, what bothered me was the info dump and chapters upon chapters TELLING us what the future is and how time travel works.
(Aaaaaand spoilers over)
To conclude, Time Phantom could have been a fun read with corporate intrigue, a thriller to recommend and a message (or warning) of the consequences of Global Warming. But it wasn't.
Stories that grab me are ones with characters who move the plot, who have goals and desires, fears and hates. Writing that shows me the world, how it works and what is what. I don't want a protagonist that spends the whole book reacting or infodumps telling at our face why, what and where.
Hope the review is useful, it's not a terrible book, but it didn't meet my expectations.
The book started slow for me and only seemed to speed up when I reached about 30% into the book. Randy Anderson is a good writer, I was able to picture every scene described and the pacing didn't feel too fast or slow once it got started.
Now, there has to be a reason I stopped at 52% and awarded this scifi thriller 2 stars. It's not enough to have a way with words or have an interesting idea, you need good characters you can cheer (and boo), this story didn't have any for me. Dane, our beautiful protagonist (we're reminded several times of his modeling career) is just a ball getting kicked around by the plot. Not once did I feel he had a goal or need or want besides the desire to stay alive, without a great impending danger, this made for a poor driving force to keep me reading.
(Before I continue, just a warning of spoiler ahead)
I know, I know, there is a huge impending danger of The Great Extinction, but we don't learn this till halfway through the book and STILL Dane doesn't choose to help or not, he is again guided to a decision made for him by other characters, like a ball being kicked around, he too was full of air with no free will or direction, things just happen.
Lastly, I honestly did not mind the allegory of how humanity suffered because of Global Warming and rising sea levels, what bothered me was the info dump and chapters upon chapters TELLING us what the future is and how time travel works.
(Aaaaaand spoilers over)
To conclude, Time Phantom could have been a fun read with corporate intrigue, a thriller to recommend and a message (or warning) of the consequences of Global Warming. But it wasn't.
Stories that grab me are ones with characters who move the plot, who have goals and desires, fears and hates. Writing that shows me the world, how it works and what is what. I don't want a protagonist that spends the whole book reacting or infodumps telling at our face why, what and where.
Hope the review is useful, it's not a terrible book, but it didn't meet my expectations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2018
The first of a series (the next is set in Copenhagen), Time Phantom opens in New York in the year 2070, with a 50-year-old lady called Tonja preparing for a special ritualised execution – her own. She suddenly turns and runs. Through her escape, we get an idea of how the time travel process works, and its impact on the traveller.
Read More Book Reviews at It's Good To Read
We next meet Dane Vanderbrouk in 2019, a 50-year-old male model who is going through a personal crisis (a divorce, where his cheating wife got everything), and has travelled to Amsterdam to forget. It’s his birthday. He is NOT there to visit the museums!
It is in a local pub that he first begins to Time-Travel. His method is unique, in that if he sits still too long, he goes back in time, and forward when he moves too fast. You really empathise as he comes to terms with his new power, the déjà vu, and feel his disorientation. As one character states, it’s Mr Toad’s Wild Ride on acid weird.
We also meet the assassin from the future, who is chasing Dane, for reasons to be explained, and Natali, and a host of others. The world is now run by one single corporation, and the world of the future is bad. And it’s up to Dane to save it, when-ever he can!
The mechanics of time travel are well-explained, to my mind at just the right level to keep the story clipping along, balancing between the heavy sci-fi fans need to have things connect, to the more general reader who just doesn’t want the jargon to get in the way of a good read.
It is fast-paced, with more of your time being spent on the edge of your seat than anywhere else. A rollicking good read, a fresh take on a well-used premise, and set up perfectly for both the sequel, and the inevitable film!
Acknowledgements:
My thanks to the author, BooksGoSocial.com and to NetGalley for sending me a free copy of this book, in return for an honest review.
Read More Book Reviews at It's Good To Read
We next meet Dane Vanderbrouk in 2019, a 50-year-old male model who is going through a personal crisis (a divorce, where his cheating wife got everything), and has travelled to Amsterdam to forget. It’s his birthday. He is NOT there to visit the museums!
It is in a local pub that he first begins to Time-Travel. His method is unique, in that if he sits still too long, he goes back in time, and forward when he moves too fast. You really empathise as he comes to terms with his new power, the déjà vu, and feel his disorientation. As one character states, it’s Mr Toad’s Wild Ride on acid weird.
We also meet the assassin from the future, who is chasing Dane, for reasons to be explained, and Natali, and a host of others. The world is now run by one single corporation, and the world of the future is bad. And it’s up to Dane to save it, when-ever he can!
The mechanics of time travel are well-explained, to my mind at just the right level to keep the story clipping along, balancing between the heavy sci-fi fans need to have things connect, to the more general reader who just doesn’t want the jargon to get in the way of a good read.
It is fast-paced, with more of your time being spent on the edge of your seat than anywhere else. A rollicking good read, a fresh take on a well-used premise, and set up perfectly for both the sequel, and the inevitable film!
Acknowledgements:
My thanks to the author, BooksGoSocial.com and to NetGalley for sending me a free copy of this book, in return for an honest review.
February 22, 2018
Wow. What a deserving book to be my first marked "favorite" in 2018. This is time travel like you have never seen it before! The protagonist is Dane, a 50 year old (kudos for that slice of diversity in the midst of hundreds of YA sci-fi novels) former male model, who is not necessarily a sympathetic, but certainly an interesting character. On his birthday, he discovers that whenever he stays still for a certain period, he travels back in time. And whenever he moves faster than a certain speed, he travels forward. This is a truly imaginative system, the likes of which I have not seen before. It is already explained well in the opening chapter - and from this action-packed, stunning prologue to the final sentence, the novel remains interesting.
The intricate rules and precise math of the time travel make it very exciting and increase the risk of failure. Due to Dane's jumping back and forth, he weaves an intriguingly complicated net of time jumps - but the book manages to continue to make sense despite its unique approach. Also, there is a great feeling of restlessness because to the rules (if Dane rests, he falls back in time, so in order to stay, he needs to constantly move) and the writing style. I loved the characters, which were all interesting and have by no means been exhausted in their narrative potential. They stayed realistically human amidst the crazy sci-fi around them. Also, there were enough "muggles" in the novel to warrant regular re-explanation of the details, which was a nice help for the reader.
At the half-way point, it suddenly got a little heavy on the exposition, and some of it was a little too convenient to the plot, but that is merely a minor issue that disappears in the rest of the awesome storytelling. The last action scene did not get too crazy and huge, which was also nice. It would have wrapped up nicely, but I am so glad there is a sequel - I just want more! There is so much still to explain and explore, so any unanswered questions. I cannot wait to read the next installment.
~ I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions expressed above are my own.
The intricate rules and precise math of the time travel make it very exciting and increase the risk of failure. Due to Dane's jumping back and forth, he weaves an intriguingly complicated net of time jumps - but the book manages to continue to make sense despite its unique approach. Also, there is a great feeling of restlessness because to the rules (if Dane rests, he falls back in time, so in order to stay, he needs to constantly move) and the writing style. I loved the characters, which were all interesting and have by no means been exhausted in their narrative potential. They stayed realistically human amidst the crazy sci-fi around them. Also, there were enough "muggles" in the novel to warrant regular re-explanation of the details, which was a nice help for the reader.
At the half-way point, it suddenly got a little heavy on the exposition, and some of it was a little too convenient to the plot, but that is merely a minor issue that disappears in the rest of the awesome storytelling. The last action scene did not get too crazy and huge, which was also nice. It would have wrapped up nicely, but I am so glad there is a sequel - I just want more! There is so much still to explain and explore, so any unanswered questions. I cannot wait to read the next installment.
~ I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions expressed above are my own.
May 16, 2018
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an odd one, some really interesting ideas but the execution didn't do it for me.
It's quite fast paced and felt like it was going well up to about 40% of the way through, then there was a significant shift in pace and a massive long info dump. A lot of the conversations felt odd, I kept hoping there'd be some reason for this revealed later but I don't think it was intentional after all. Things got a bit better as the pace picked up towards the end but I'm still unclear on whether we're supposed to actually like Dane or not, he just seems shallow and obnoxious to me. The women seemed more for decoration than anything else, none of them had any character to speak of.
Overall, it felt not really ready for release and I'm left wondering what other people were seeing in it that I wasn't. I think it could have been worked on some more and really benefitted from it but I just feel as though it got a bit lost.
This was an odd one, some really interesting ideas but the execution didn't do it for me.
It's quite fast paced and felt like it was going well up to about 40% of the way through, then there was a significant shift in pace and a massive long info dump. A lot of the conversations felt odd, I kept hoping there'd be some reason for this revealed later but I don't think it was intentional after all. Things got a bit better as the pace picked up towards the end but I'm still unclear on whether we're supposed to actually like Dane or not, he just seems shallow and obnoxious to me. The women seemed more for decoration than anything else, none of them had any character to speak of.
Overall, it felt not really ready for release and I'm left wondering what other people were seeing in it that I wasn't. I think it could have been worked on some more and really benefitted from it but I just feel as though it got a bit lost.
March 21, 2020
WOW. I am not a science fiction person, but it was recommended by someone I trust and I am so glad I read it! It took a little while to fully understand what was going on, but by the time I got to the middle of the book, I couldn’t read the pages fast enough. The fact that is a trilogy was the best discovery ever. So excited for the second book!
May 10, 2017
Original idea
The twist on time travel was very unique, and parts of the story were good, but there were too many unresolved plot lines. Maybe it is setting up for the sequels. I had trouble distinguishing several of the characters
The twist on time travel was very unique, and parts of the story were good, but there were too many unresolved plot lines. Maybe it is setting up for the sequels. I had trouble distinguishing several of the characters
March 28, 2021
Super time travel adventure
A definite page turner. Lots of detail about future technology and life. Will definitely check out the next book. Want to learn more about Tonka and continue Danes story.
A definite page turner. Lots of detail about future technology and life. Will definitely check out the next book. Want to learn more about Tonka and continue Danes story.
February 16, 2023
Interesting
I liked this story. It was pretty cool but personally I found some of the finer details harder to grasp.
I liked this story. It was pretty cool but personally I found some of the finer details harder to grasp.
January 18, 2019
I really liked the concept here - it's an unusual take on time travel (you stop moving, you literally fall backwards; you speed up/move forward, you literally jump ahead in time) and those are few and far between these days, since time travel has become almost a genre of its own. I also liked that the protagonist was 50 - and not a grandfather or codger, but a regular person who happened to be not young. Unfortunately, those factors weren't enough to make this a true winner for me... I found the story confusing and a bit all over the place - I understand that some of that confusion may be intentional: as the nuances of the time travel and the chase were being teased out in the story, it's possible that the feeling of "what the...?!" that I often experienced was the author's way of conveying the bizarre nature of the circumstances Dane has found himself mired in. But I found it an unnecessarily confusing way into the story, and it didn't hold me like I thought it would...
December 10, 2018
This isn't your run-of-the-mill time travel story - this traveler needs no time machine, just the movement of his body.
It took a good while for the hows and whats to reveal themselves - and I confess, I'm still slightly (snobbishly) eyebrows raised at how this drunk/drugged up male model calculated the rate of speed and time factors that triggered his travel, but once the deeper story was revealed I was curious and hooked. The book definitely ran at breakneck speed, and I'm left waiting to see where the author will next take the story.
It took a good while for the hows and whats to reveal themselves - and I confess, I'm still slightly (snobbishly) eyebrows raised at how this drunk/drugged up male model calculated the rate of speed and time factors that triggered his travel, but once the deeper story was revealed I was curious and hooked. The book definitely ran at breakneck speed, and I'm left waiting to see where the author will next take the story.
August 31, 2018
#TimePhantom #NetGalley
When time traveling and mid-life crisis converges, it results in this creative novel with a spicy humor.
When time traveling and mid-life crisis converges, it results in this creative novel with a spicy humor.
November 12, 2018
I received an e-book of Time Phantom: Amsterdam by Randy Anderson from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It's a story about a 50 year old recently divorced Dane and his crazy introduction to time travel and the many trials and errors of figuring it out! I'd rate it as a 16+.
First Impression
I LOVE time travel stories and was really intrigued by the synopsis however getting into the first bit of this time travel was a bit confusing. You kind of get lost in figuring it out as Dane, the main character is trying to figure it out himself. I was also not a huge fan of Dane. I wanted to like him but I felt like he was very immature and that his characterization was not always true.
Something New
This story was unique because of the way the time travel occurred. It was all dependent on how fast or slow Dane was moving, having to keep that in mind with whatever he's doing. So, for example, if he's running at a certain pace for so long he's going to jump forward but if he sits still for a certain amount of time he will jump back in the past. Another cool dynamic - sitting still in a moving object - huge time jump into the future! This was definitely my favorite dynamic of the story.
Characters
There were a lot of different characters introduced throughout the novel. I already mentioned that I wasn't a huge fan of Dane - the MC for a variety of reasons, however I will note that I appreciated he had flaws and that he acknowledges them after something goes awry due to his own actions - which does lend some comedic relief. I think Pasha - a character that comes in the 2nd part of the story may be whom I relate to the most as I really liked how she made a huge sacrifice for the future and her family but then later acknowledged it and felt remorseful and that to me felt soooo real - so human because we can all do something for the greater good and are expected to feel selfless without further reflection but really - secretly dread our own uncertainty that it was the right choice.
There's also Natali - a prostitute in Amsterdam, Cooper - a 20 something kid from the U.S. on a fun trip to Amsterdam, Talin - a weird but helpful kid with a houseboat. Also Agent Charles - an assassin from the future who always seems to be lurking nearby despite all the time jumps!
The dialogue fell short
I think what really lacked for me was the dialogue between any number of the characters. It just felt off. And I don't mean to be mean because nailing dialogue is no easy feat but for me, the glances, the way things are said, whats left unspoken but reflected in actions within a segment and the underlying currents that are present are what really draw me into a story. The plot was really cool and I was definitely into it but the execution between the characters to make the story flow was what needed some more work.
The future is now
Nice work on the details of what a future New York could look like and the attention to history. Adding in historical facts and taking away particular ones due to cause and effect of a time jump was good attention to detail and added something else unique to the story.
Recommend?
So it wasn't my favorite novel but I've read quite a few reviews of people loving it so maybe they're seeing something I'm not. If you want to give it a go, then give it a go is all I've got to say. There is a sequel to this book too called Time Phantom: Copenhagen. I don't think I will be reading it, at least not in the near future but I am curious as to what comes about. Keep in mind this novel does have sexually suggestive scenes though I don't believe there was much graphic detail and a few curse words here and there.
First Impression
I LOVE time travel stories and was really intrigued by the synopsis however getting into the first bit of this time travel was a bit confusing. You kind of get lost in figuring it out as Dane, the main character is trying to figure it out himself. I was also not a huge fan of Dane. I wanted to like him but I felt like he was very immature and that his characterization was not always true.
Something New
This story was unique because of the way the time travel occurred. It was all dependent on how fast or slow Dane was moving, having to keep that in mind with whatever he's doing. So, for example, if he's running at a certain pace for so long he's going to jump forward but if he sits still for a certain amount of time he will jump back in the past. Another cool dynamic - sitting still in a moving object - huge time jump into the future! This was definitely my favorite dynamic of the story.
Characters
There were a lot of different characters introduced throughout the novel. I already mentioned that I wasn't a huge fan of Dane - the MC for a variety of reasons, however I will note that I appreciated he had flaws and that he acknowledges them after something goes awry due to his own actions - which does lend some comedic relief. I think Pasha - a character that comes in the 2nd part of the story may be whom I relate to the most as I really liked how she made a huge sacrifice for the future and her family but then later acknowledged it and felt remorseful and that to me felt soooo real - so human because we can all do something for the greater good and are expected to feel selfless without further reflection but really - secretly dread our own uncertainty that it was the right choice.
There's also Natali - a prostitute in Amsterdam, Cooper - a 20 something kid from the U.S. on a fun trip to Amsterdam, Talin - a weird but helpful kid with a houseboat. Also Agent Charles - an assassin from the future who always seems to be lurking nearby despite all the time jumps!
The dialogue fell short
I think what really lacked for me was the dialogue between any number of the characters. It just felt off. And I don't mean to be mean because nailing dialogue is no easy feat but for me, the glances, the way things are said, whats left unspoken but reflected in actions within a segment and the underlying currents that are present are what really draw me into a story. The plot was really cool and I was definitely into it but the execution between the characters to make the story flow was what needed some more work.
The future is now
Nice work on the details of what a future New York could look like and the attention to history. Adding in historical facts and taking away particular ones due to cause and effect of a time jump was good attention to detail and added something else unique to the story.
Recommend?
So it wasn't my favorite novel but I've read quite a few reviews of people loving it so maybe they're seeing something I'm not. If you want to give it a go, then give it a go is all I've got to say. There is a sequel to this book too called Time Phantom: Copenhagen. I don't think I will be reading it, at least not in the near future but I am curious as to what comes about. Keep in mind this novel does have sexually suggestive scenes though I don't believe there was much graphic detail and a few curse words here and there.
January 15, 2019
Full Disclosure, this is an ARC read.
The book started slow for me and only seemed to speed up when I reached about 30% into the book. Randy Anderson is a good writer, I was able to picture every scene described and the pacing didn't feel too fast or slow once it got started.
Now, there has to be a reason I stopped at 52% and awarded this scifi thriller 2 stars. It's not enough to have a way with words or have an interesting idea, you need good characters you can cheer (and boo), this story didn't have any for me. Dane, our beautiful protagonist (we're reminded several times of his modeling career) is just a ball getting kicked around by the plot. Not once did I feel he had a goal or need or want besides the desire to stay alive, without a great impending danger, this made for a poor driving force to keep me reading.
(Before I continue, just a warning of spoiler ahead)
I know, I know, there is a huge impending danger of The Great Extinction, but we don't learn this till halfway through the book and STILL Dane doesn't choose to help or not, he is again guided to a decision made for him by other characters, like a ball being kicked around, he too was full of air with no free will or direction, things just happen.
Lastly, I honestly did not mind the allegory of how humanity suffered because of Global Warming and rising sea levels, what bothered me was the info dump and chapters upon chapters TELLING us what the future is and how time travel works.
(Aaaaaand spoilers over)
To conclude, Time Phantom could have been a fun read with corporate intrigue, a thriller to recommend and a message (or warning) of the consequences of Global Warming. But it wasn't.
Stories that grab me are ones with characters who move the plot, who have goals and desires, fears and hates. Writing that shows me the world, how it works and what is what. I don't want a protagonist that spends the whole book reacting or infodumps telling at our face why, what and where.
Hope the review is useful, it's not a terrible book, but it didn't meet my expectations.
The book started slow for me and only seemed to speed up when I reached about 30% into the book. Randy Anderson is a good writer, I was able to picture every scene described and the pacing didn't feel too fast or slow once it got started.
Now, there has to be a reason I stopped at 52% and awarded this scifi thriller 2 stars. It's not enough to have a way with words or have an interesting idea, you need good characters you can cheer (and boo), this story didn't have any for me. Dane, our beautiful protagonist (we're reminded several times of his modeling career) is just a ball getting kicked around by the plot. Not once did I feel he had a goal or need or want besides the desire to stay alive, without a great impending danger, this made for a poor driving force to keep me reading.
(Before I continue, just a warning of spoiler ahead)
I know, I know, there is a huge impending danger of The Great Extinction, but we don't learn this till halfway through the book and STILL Dane doesn't choose to help or not, he is again guided to a decision made for him by other characters, like a ball being kicked around, he too was full of air with no free will or direction, things just happen.
Lastly, I honestly did not mind the allegory of how humanity suffered because of Global Warming and rising sea levels, what bothered me was the info dump and chapters upon chapters TELLING us what the future is and how time travel works.
(Aaaaaand spoilers over)
To conclude, Time Phantom could have been a fun read with corporate intrigue, a thriller to recommend and a message (or warning) of the consequences of Global Warming. But it wasn't.
Stories that grab me are ones with characters who move the plot, who have goals and desires, fears and hates. Writing that shows me the world, how it works and what is what. I don't want a protagonist that spends the whole book reacting or infodumps telling at our face why, what and where.
Hope the review is useful, it's not a terrible book, but it didn't meet my expectations.
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