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Timeshifters Journey #1
Mark of the Centipede
Fifteen-year-old Jordan Booker is launched to an ancient past unlike anything the history books describe. Now Jordan must find and deliver a collection of artifacts to the guardians to save future Earth...if Time Ranger doesn’t kill him first.
205 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2013
335 people want to read
About the author
Cara Brookins
11 books138 followersCara Brookins is a computer analyst and social media marketing expert based in Little Rock. You can read more about her, as well as see shots of her home and family at http://www.carabrookins.com/. Her memoir, Rise: How a House Built a Family details the house she built with her children after they had left a domestic violence situation. She is also the author of seven middle grade and young adult novels and one adult novel.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 10, 2013
Jordan Booker is an orphan trying to adjust to a new life with his aunt (an eccentric in something less than the best sense) while taking care of his little sister. But when he discovers an old shed full of strange, apparently alien technologies and materials, he's thrust into an adventure in the deep past, where he learns that humanity hasn't changed all that much in a million years.
Cara Brookins' likeable hero leads readers on a fast-paced adventure in which all his resources are tested, his principles challenged, and hard choices made. When do you lie for the sake of getting home to those you love? And when do you risk never getting home for the sake of loyalty to a new friend? This story is suitable for anyone old enough to appreciate and enjoy Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series. I intend to read it aloud to my own elementary-age kids, and while they'll listen for the adventure, I suspect it will also inspire some thoughtful reflection on what it means to be a good person in challenging times.
Cara Brookins' likeable hero leads readers on a fast-paced adventure in which all his resources are tested, his principles challenged, and hard choices made. When do you lie for the sake of getting home to those you love? And when do you risk never getting home for the sake of loyalty to a new friend? This story is suitable for anyone old enough to appreciate and enjoy Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series. I intend to read it aloud to my own elementary-age kids, and while they'll listen for the adventure, I suspect it will also inspire some thoughtful reflection on what it means to be a good person in challenging times.
May 21, 2013
Jordan Booker, a newly orphaned fifteen year old, struggles to make a new life with his younger sister and their grouchy, eccentric aunt and her nasty cat. Wandering the property of his new home Jordan discovers alien artifacts that lead to a wild ride of a time travelling escapade.
Mark of the Centipede (Timeshifters Journey 1) has everything young boys love: danger, mythical creatures, furry faithful companions, lurking nemesis, even burps and smelly farts. In Jordan, author, Cara Brookins, gives readers the kind of complex, flawed protagonist we love to cheer for. Throughout the fast-paced adventure, Brookins gently touches on thought-provoking issues like the evils of prejudice, the nature of war and the importance of family.
Looking forward to the next Timeshifters book, Mark of the Serpent, (Fall 2013).
Mark of the Centipede (Timeshifters Journey 1) has everything young boys love: danger, mythical creatures, furry faithful companions, lurking nemesis, even burps and smelly farts. In Jordan, author, Cara Brookins, gives readers the kind of complex, flawed protagonist we love to cheer for. Throughout the fast-paced adventure, Brookins gently touches on thought-provoking issues like the evils of prejudice, the nature of war and the importance of family.
Looking forward to the next Timeshifters book, Mark of the Serpent, (Fall 2013).
May 23, 2013
Cara Brookins is one of my new favorite authors, and I am so glad to have found her. I generally do not read this genre, so I picked it up as a favor to a friend. I was hooked immediately! The so-called villain, who begins the book with a first person narrative, is very intriguing, but I fell in love with the protagonist, Jordan Booker, and his little sister. The book is completed with a wide variety of likable and some not-so-likable characters, including a gigantic alligator and a bird that likes to peck deep holes in people when testing their edibility. It was an imaginative, fun ride that you will not want to put down until the end, and I am so looking forward to the next part of the trilogy. Thank you, Cara Brookins, a wonderful author and a fascinating person.
February 28, 2018
A highly unusual take on time travel, but by the time the ball really gets rolling -- via a massive info dump around the 25% mark -- the largely cardboard characters and huge plot- and/or logic-holes had already lost me. And although highly unusual, this take on time travel is also weirdly off-putting. The book's not entirely terrible; it just isn't for me. And I'm already forgetting all about it.
May 16, 2019
Mark of the Centipede (Time Shifters 1)by Cara Brookins
This is a slightly different time travel novel than I've seen out here. This one requires less thought about historic accuracy and spends more time on the development of characters. It also has a bit of a twist in that there are two compellingly separate protagonists that end up at odds with each other adding a bit of wrinkle to the usual reader empathy factor. It also is written for young adults, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it.
The story starts with a clever bit about Namor the Time Ranger who is inducted into the Time Rangers at age 12 and is 32 now and the agency has fallen on bad times and now most agents are Rogue agents who chose their own assignments and Namor's assignment is to locate another possible time traveler named Jordan Booker who is responsible for the death of Namor's time traveling parents.
Then the reader is introduced to Jordan Booker; perhaps to see how he became such a despicable person. Jordan and his sister Jada are on their way to Arkansas to live with their Aunt Maggie. They are orphans. And Aunt Maggie is now their guardian and she has used the (estate) money given her to purchase a rundown shack out in the middle of nowhere. Life isn't going to be very easy for these two and perhaps one might think that this and the abusive nature of Maggie might be what drives Jordan to evil straits.
On this secluded property is a crater that’s fenced in and its former owner, Albert, has been mining the crater for artifacts that might be alien in nature. Albert left some notes and artifacts and Jordan and Jada soon discover that there is definitely something strange out in the crater. Jordan eventually discovers that the Chronos (a possibly advanced society of some other time) have sent the time machine here so that he could travel through time and collect some artifacts that would help them save the future world. With that in mind he recklessly activates the time machine and ends up in a prehistoric landscape full of early humans who seem much more intelligent than historians have given them credit for with plenty of dangerous flora and fauna; and Jordan is stuck for 60 days before he can return. Jordan must undergo a severe self taught survival course and find the time machine, which has been moved; Plus he unknowingly is stalked by another time traveler.
So throughout the story we have two possible protagonist/antagonists who will eventually collide if Jordan survives long enough.
The novel is an interesting and surprisingly satisfying introduction to the strange world that Namor and Jordan live in and its interesting past. It also serves as a great medium to introduce the two characters who are destined to some eventual major conflict; but it’s a serial and there are three books: so it might be a while before I find all the answers.
Overall the novel is well written and draws to a satisfactory conclusion, leaving plenty of room for the next two novels. Definitely worth the time to read the well told story and crafted characters.
Good SFF for the Young and Adult and neat little Time Travel yarn though it does tend to stretch the Suspension of Disbelief factor a bit.
Well Done.
J.L. Dobias
This is a slightly different time travel novel than I've seen out here. This one requires less thought about historic accuracy and spends more time on the development of characters. It also has a bit of a twist in that there are two compellingly separate protagonists that end up at odds with each other adding a bit of wrinkle to the usual reader empathy factor. It also is written for young adults, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it.
The story starts with a clever bit about Namor the Time Ranger who is inducted into the Time Rangers at age 12 and is 32 now and the agency has fallen on bad times and now most agents are Rogue agents who chose their own assignments and Namor's assignment is to locate another possible time traveler named Jordan Booker who is responsible for the death of Namor's time traveling parents.
Then the reader is introduced to Jordan Booker; perhaps to see how he became such a despicable person. Jordan and his sister Jada are on their way to Arkansas to live with their Aunt Maggie. They are orphans. And Aunt Maggie is now their guardian and she has used the (estate) money given her to purchase a rundown shack out in the middle of nowhere. Life isn't going to be very easy for these two and perhaps one might think that this and the abusive nature of Maggie might be what drives Jordan to evil straits.
On this secluded property is a crater that’s fenced in and its former owner, Albert, has been mining the crater for artifacts that might be alien in nature. Albert left some notes and artifacts and Jordan and Jada soon discover that there is definitely something strange out in the crater. Jordan eventually discovers that the Chronos (a possibly advanced society of some other time) have sent the time machine here so that he could travel through time and collect some artifacts that would help them save the future world. With that in mind he recklessly activates the time machine and ends up in a prehistoric landscape full of early humans who seem much more intelligent than historians have given them credit for with plenty of dangerous flora and fauna; and Jordan is stuck for 60 days before he can return. Jordan must undergo a severe self taught survival course and find the time machine, which has been moved; Plus he unknowingly is stalked by another time traveler.
So throughout the story we have two possible protagonist/antagonists who will eventually collide if Jordan survives long enough.
The novel is an interesting and surprisingly satisfying introduction to the strange world that Namor and Jordan live in and its interesting past. It also serves as a great medium to introduce the two characters who are destined to some eventual major conflict; but it’s a serial and there are three books: so it might be a while before I find all the answers.
Overall the novel is well written and draws to a satisfactory conclusion, leaving plenty of room for the next two novels. Definitely worth the time to read the well told story and crafted characters.
Good SFF for the Young and Adult and neat little Time Travel yarn though it does tend to stretch the Suspension of Disbelief factor a bit.
Well Done.
J.L. Dobias
June 4, 2013
Mark of the Centipede is the first time traveling adventure for 15 year old, Jordan Booker. Recently orphaned, he and his sister, Jada, must live with their slovenly aunt who wants nothing to do with them. While exploring their new home, Jordan discovers strange futuristic artifacts that don’t seem to be from this world but in fact, are. And, they originated in prehistoric times. His accidental journey into the past provides plenty of action and lots of imagination by the author, Cara Brookins.
She gives the reader several unique views of an imagined ancient history. She’s basically rewritten it, and all the rules have changed, except one. The nature of a 15 year-old boy. Brookins takes us inside the young mind of Jordan and somehow makes sense of an unrecognizable earth, millions of years in the past. The unbelievable becomes believable.
The word centipede in the title, has a distinct meaning in the story that I won’t give away here. I’m looking forward to learning how the word serpent fits into Jordan Booker’s next time travelling journey, Mark of the Serpent.
She gives the reader several unique views of an imagined ancient history. She’s basically rewritten it, and all the rules have changed, except one. The nature of a 15 year-old boy. Brookins takes us inside the young mind of Jordan and somehow makes sense of an unrecognizable earth, millions of years in the past. The unbelievable becomes believable.
The word centipede in the title, has a distinct meaning in the story that I won’t give away here. I’m looking forward to learning how the word serpent fits into Jordan Booker’s next time travelling journey, Mark of the Serpent.
October 6, 2015
I just finished “Mark of the Centipede,” the first book of the Timeshifters Journey. It was an intriguing and delightful read that I recommend to Sci-Fi genre fans. Cara Brookins has crafted a highly imaginative and enjoyable book time travel story about a good hearted fifteen year old boy who is thrust into the role of caregiver for his five year old sister and quest for survival. He faces moral dilemmas, life and death situations, and discovers that his actions have ramifications that reach far beyond his own life.
While having a teen protagonist may/has lead some to classify this as a Young Adult book, the Timeshifter series is no more limited to a YA audience than the Harry Potter series. It addresses heady philosophical issues such as how self, family, and community dynamics, and cultural differences shape societal norms, moral correctness, and other fabrics of civilization.
Give it a read and enjoy the journey.
May 10, 2013
Ride along shotgun on the roller coaster that is Cara Brookins' wild and wonderful imagination! Discover a unique world that has not quite been contemplated in any time travel novel to date. A strange world of previously unheard of creatures, time travel capsules, and prehistoric tribal warfare. Quite humorous in parts, yet a thread of higher consciousness looms constant in the mindset of our hero, Jordan Booker, who dares to consider the consequences in the actions of the human race, not excluding his own, and contemplates the very survival of planet Earth and it's occupants based on the decisions he makes.The first installment of Mark Of The Centipede is the introductory novel in Timeshifters YA Series, and is sure to be a "timeless" classic!
May 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I was moved by the predicament of the orphaned kids and then was pulled in by the ingenious ways the boy found to survive in a place where he should have been safe. Then with the time travel that became the basis for the meat of the book, I was hooked. Cara Brookins did a wonderful job incorporating new and old themes that were intriguing and well thought out. Her descriptions of this otherworld were very good at drawing the picture of them in my mind, which is how I decide if I actually finish a book or not. Upon finishing this book, I am anticipating the future release of other books in this series. Can't wait to find out what happens next. I believe that this series is appropriate for young adults and up and will enjoy it as much as I am.
May 1, 2013
This first volume in Cara Brookins' Timeshifters series is a well-plotted and engaging tale. Having read a lot of science fiction, it's hard to come up with an imaginative way to depict time travel, but she did. I'm particularly intrigued about where she might be going with the arch-nemesis (aka villain, aka antagonist), in future volumes. (OK, I like fictional bad guys -- especially those who could end up going either way.)
I think the book could be equally accessible to middle grade readers as well as young adult, but I'm hardly an expert on that. I'm also a tough grader, so 4 stars is pretty darn good.
I think the book could be equally accessible to middle grade readers as well as young adult, but I'm hardly an expert on that. I'm also a tough grader, so 4 stars is pretty darn good.
May 7, 2013
Finished book one! So imaginatively real! Oogle birds kinda creepy and six legged cat like creatures. Woe. Hard enough to herd the four legged kind. Ha! Never thought of the past quite like this. But just rats, yeah they are in there too, now i have withdrawals waiting for the next!!! Did he find everything? What happened to The Time ranger? What happened to the little family? Soooo, many questions to be answered. I'm Hooked!!
Good for young adults and adults alike!
Good for young adults and adults alike!
May 23, 2013
Mark of the Centipede was an exciting read with characters I loved. I felt like I was right there with Jordan Booker and his little sister as they lived alongside their crazy aunt and her angry cat. I was captivated by their struggle to overcome their circumstances while chasing adventures in a world of time travel that I could never imagine. The characters, including all the animals they meet along the way, make this book a delight. I can't wait for the next one in the series!
Want to read
April 28, 2013This time-travel sci-fi adventure for teens makes a great summer read. It's rare to find young adult books with male heroes and Jordan is a smart and courageous one. The author was inventive in changing up history and having the hero being chased by someone through time to kill him brought about great conflict.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews