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Colliding Worlds #1-3
Maelstrom
Tunguska, Roswell, the Bermuda Triangle, the Mary Celeste... For hundreds of years, the danger posed by colliding worlds has been ignored as a crackpot theory, until now, and now it's too late.
Maelstrom contains three novellas set in the Colliding Worlds universe (Collision, Impact and the conclusion, Maelstrom). Collision was commissioned by Vanquish Motion Pictures for possible development in film or on television.
Maelstrom contains three novellas set in the Colliding Worlds universe (Collision, Impact and the conclusion, Maelstrom). Collision was commissioned by Vanquish Motion Pictures for possible development in film or on television.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
October 11, 2017
Maelstrom (Colliding Worlds #1-3)
By: Peter Cawdron
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, Amy Landon
This audible book contains the three novellas -Collision, Impact and Maelstrom. I loved each one and would give each of these books a big 5 stars! These might be going on the big screen as film or TV and I see why by reading these, I hope sooooo!!! They are so good.
Each story is linked to each other. It is all about worlds colliding, time travel, space travel, aliens, and more. You meet some very unusual beings in here, creatures, have exciting adventures, and have your mind blown many times over. This is no bubble gum read...something just to read and has no substance. This is a full course meal read...your mind and body will be sooo satisfied you will be so happy you picked this up!
The narrators were truly up to task on these books too. They were as terrific as the books. Wonderful job!
By: Peter Cawdron
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, Amy Landon
This audible book contains the three novellas -Collision, Impact and Maelstrom. I loved each one and would give each of these books a big 5 stars! These might be going on the big screen as film or TV and I see why by reading these, I hope sooooo!!! They are so good.
Each story is linked to each other. It is all about worlds colliding, time travel, space travel, aliens, and more. You meet some very unusual beings in here, creatures, have exciting adventures, and have your mind blown many times over. This is no bubble gum read...something just to read and has no substance. This is a full course meal read...your mind and body will be sooo satisfied you will be so happy you picked this up!
The narrators were truly up to task on these books too. They were as terrific as the books. Wonderful job!
November 20, 2019
Not my favourite
This was way too short! Even though it’s technically three novellas but I felt like it wasn’t as involved as the others. You know how some books can feel like it manages to convey a whole lotta story with very little words? This felt the opposite to me. We were in each “place” too short.
Like I used to like to say when I first started writing book reviews, the bones were good but it needs more fleshing out 🤷🏻♀️
Suffice to say, it wasn’t my favourite to date.
This was way too short! Even though it’s technically three novellas but I felt like it wasn’t as involved as the others. You know how some books can feel like it manages to convey a whole lotta story with very little words? This felt the opposite to me. We were in each “place” too short.
Like I used to like to say when I first started writing book reviews, the bones were good but it needs more fleshing out 🤷🏻♀️
Suffice to say, it wasn’t my favourite to date.
July 18, 2019
Had to bail on this in Part 2. If you're ok with a cop and a damsel in distress making small talk and hitting on each other in a life-threatening, bewildering situation, then maybe this is the book for you.
April 26, 2024
Woof. The premise of these three novellas put together in one book started off strong, but really dragged on devolved into something completely different than what I was expecting (not the author's fault, it's mine)! The dialogue felt pretty juvenile and was painful to read at a certain point. I'll go back to Jurassic Park.
June 9, 2019
I almost didn’t get this book and that would have been a terrible misfortune for me. On the surface, Maelstrom struck me as a run-of-the-mill story of beings and creatures passing between parallel earths, but it proved to be much better than that.
The novel is broken into three parts. The first is told from the POV of Elizabeth Cali, an American doctor working in rural China. Security guards at her medical center have a violent conflict with a tribesman from the nearby desert. The tribesman has brought in a sick elderly man and for reasons that aren’t immediately apparent, the guards are fighting with the younger tribesman who performs feats of amazing strength and basically wins the battle. The doctor calms him down, gets security to back off, and starts to help the sick man who is dying of heart problems. She realizes that both tribesmen have deformities. Neither can speak, their skulls are elongated, and more. She gets x-rays and realizes that both are Neandertals. Excited that she thinks she has discovered a possible Neandertal tribe that has survived into the present day, she investigates further and learns that the situation is much more bizarre than that. The Neandertal have been passing from their world into ours for centuries and there is frightening evidence that more worlds are colliding with ours, opening up passes between them in a manner that will eventually destroy our planet.
The second portion of the story follows a NYC cop, named Mark, and a jogger in Central Park who are caught in the next collision of planets and transported to a world where Homo Sapiens does not appear to have risen and prehistoric lions, saber tooth tigers, and more roam what on our planet is NYC. This is both the best section of the novel and the one that requires the greatest suspension of disbelief—it seems highly improbable that for the first time a portal will open in a major city just as Dr. Cali was discovering that the portals exist. That small problem aside, I was extremely impressed by how the author, Peter Cawdron, handled this dislocation and the terrible problem of trying to help a woman trapped in the rubble of NYC buildings that collapsed when they were pulled onto this new planet. This is a painfully powerful section that had me on the edge of my seat.
The third section follows many of the people introduced earlier in the novel as they move through the portal (called a maelstrom) in China to try and figure out how to save our planet. This seemed hopeless to me when they started, but again, Cawdron has brilliantly thought through the situation that caused the maelstrom and I was totally satisfied with his conclusion. This is among the very best of parallel universe stories that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read and the three narrators in the audio book do a magnificent job of bringing the text to life. I’m very glad I bought the story and I’ll be looking up other books by Peter Cawdron.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
The novel is broken into three parts. The first is told from the POV of Elizabeth Cali, an American doctor working in rural China. Security guards at her medical center have a violent conflict with a tribesman from the nearby desert. The tribesman has brought in a sick elderly man and for reasons that aren’t immediately apparent, the guards are fighting with the younger tribesman who performs feats of amazing strength and basically wins the battle. The doctor calms him down, gets security to back off, and starts to help the sick man who is dying of heart problems. She realizes that both tribesmen have deformities. Neither can speak, their skulls are elongated, and more. She gets x-rays and realizes that both are Neandertals. Excited that she thinks she has discovered a possible Neandertal tribe that has survived into the present day, she investigates further and learns that the situation is much more bizarre than that. The Neandertal have been passing from their world into ours for centuries and there is frightening evidence that more worlds are colliding with ours, opening up passes between them in a manner that will eventually destroy our planet.
The second portion of the story follows a NYC cop, named Mark, and a jogger in Central Park who are caught in the next collision of planets and transported to a world where Homo Sapiens does not appear to have risen and prehistoric lions, saber tooth tigers, and more roam what on our planet is NYC. This is both the best section of the novel and the one that requires the greatest suspension of disbelief—it seems highly improbable that for the first time a portal will open in a major city just as Dr. Cali was discovering that the portals exist. That small problem aside, I was extremely impressed by how the author, Peter Cawdron, handled this dislocation and the terrible problem of trying to help a woman trapped in the rubble of NYC buildings that collapsed when they were pulled onto this new planet. This is a painfully powerful section that had me on the edge of my seat.
The third section follows many of the people introduced earlier in the novel as they move through the portal (called a maelstrom) in China to try and figure out how to save our planet. This seemed hopeless to me when they started, but again, Cawdron has brilliantly thought through the situation that caused the maelstrom and I was totally satisfied with his conclusion. This is among the very best of parallel universe stories that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read and the three narrators in the audio book do a magnificent job of bringing the text to life. I’m very glad I bought the story and I’ll be looking up other books by Peter Cawdron.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
June 6, 2017
Book 1: 4.5 Stars
Book 2: 5 Stars
Book 3: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars
Could totally see this having an adaptation, excited that it's been picked up for the possibility. Always a big fan of Cawdron!
Book 2: 5 Stars
Book 3: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars
Could totally see this having an adaptation, excited that it's been picked up for the possibility. Always a big fan of Cawdron!
January 31, 2022
The Bermuda Triangle. Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster. The Mary Celeste. Legends like these never seem to die. But is there a common thread that links them other than what how unlikely they seem? You’ll never find a more colorful answer than in Maelstrom, the eleventh novel in Peter Cawdron’s long-running series of standalone tales of First Contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. A skein of three closely-linked stories, Maelstrom skillfully explores the fanciful notion that other worlds collide with Earth.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH A NEANDERTHAL
In “Collision,” the first of the three stories, the protagonist is Dr. Elizabeth Callie, an American surgeon working in a poor rural Chinese clinic. There, she encounters an impossible patient—a Neanderthal. And when she attempts to accompany him back to his people in the desert, they stumble into a top-secret Chinese military facility. There, the story takes an even stranger turn.
RAMPAGING DINOSAURS IN CENTRAL PARK
Book Two of Maelstrom is entitled “Impact.” And it seems to bear no connection to Dr. Callie and Ax, the name she’s given the Neanderthal. The scene has shifted to Central Park in New York City. There, our attention moves to a young police officer named Mark Janos and Victoria Selena Mendes, a medic. The two find themselves caught up in a massive explosion that has obliterated a huge portion of the park and the adjoining Harlem neighborhood. But what’s even stranger is that the pair encounter a family of wandering sauropods and a theropod resembling Tyrannosaurus Rex. But even this astonishing development isn’t the oddest thing to occur.
ADVENTURING INTO A NEW WORLD
The two stories come together in Book Three, the novel’s title story. Mark Janos, Vicky Mendes, Dr. Callie, and Ax meet in the desert of Xinjiang. Together with two scientists Dr. Callie has met deep inside a mountain within the military facility, they journey through a singularity of sorts in an effort to stop the collision of worlds that has caused so much havoc on Earth. We know they will succeed (or else there would be no one to read the story). But the adventures they undertake in their quest to save the planet are suspenseful to the end.
THE AUTHOR COMMENTS
“Parallel worlds have been a mainstay of science fiction for decades, and I was initially skeptical I could bring anything new to the sub-genre,” Cawdron writes. He goes on to note, “When it comes to worlds colliding, we are well into the realm of science fiction. There are some speculative ideas in the scientific community that the cosmic background radiation may contain evidence of colliding universes as the Big Bang unfolded, but there’s no definitive proof, and no reason to think such an event could occur again in the tiny region of space that makes up the Earth, but it’s a fun, interesting storyline.” Yes, indeed. That it is.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH A NEANDERTHAL
In “Collision,” the first of the three stories, the protagonist is Dr. Elizabeth Callie, an American surgeon working in a poor rural Chinese clinic. There, she encounters an impossible patient—a Neanderthal. And when she attempts to accompany him back to his people in the desert, they stumble into a top-secret Chinese military facility. There, the story takes an even stranger turn.
RAMPAGING DINOSAURS IN CENTRAL PARK
Book Two of Maelstrom is entitled “Impact.” And it seems to bear no connection to Dr. Callie and Ax, the name she’s given the Neanderthal. The scene has shifted to Central Park in New York City. There, our attention moves to a young police officer named Mark Janos and Victoria Selena Mendes, a medic. The two find themselves caught up in a massive explosion that has obliterated a huge portion of the park and the adjoining Harlem neighborhood. But what’s even stranger is that the pair encounter a family of wandering sauropods and a theropod resembling Tyrannosaurus Rex. But even this astonishing development isn’t the oddest thing to occur.
ADVENTURING INTO A NEW WORLD
The two stories come together in Book Three, the novel’s title story. Mark Janos, Vicky Mendes, Dr. Callie, and Ax meet in the desert of Xinjiang. Together with two scientists Dr. Callie has met deep inside a mountain within the military facility, they journey through a singularity of sorts in an effort to stop the collision of worlds that has caused so much havoc on Earth. We know they will succeed (or else there would be no one to read the story). But the adventures they undertake in their quest to save the planet are suspenseful to the end.
THE AUTHOR COMMENTS
“Parallel worlds have been a mainstay of science fiction for decades, and I was initially skeptical I could bring anything new to the sub-genre,” Cawdron writes. He goes on to note, “When it comes to worlds colliding, we are well into the realm of science fiction. There are some speculative ideas in the scientific community that the cosmic background radiation may contain evidence of colliding universes as the Big Bang unfolded, but there’s no definitive proof, and no reason to think such an event could occur again in the tiny region of space that makes up the Earth, but it’s a fun, interesting storyline.” Yes, indeed. That it is.
November 1, 2017
Not for me.
August 19, 2023
Not as action pack as I would have liked… parallel universe where the worlds are collapsing.
May 29, 2017
Book 1: Collision.
Another 'blinder' from Peter & this time the beginning of a possibly very big adventure!
I got to hand it to Peter Cawdron, he's one of a great of elite indie authors who keeps on astonishing me with each new work. Well guess what? Collision is exciting stuff, predominantly based on scientific facts and the first of an all new series!
Book 2: Impact
A shockingly excellent continuation of the tale from Peter Cawdron, whose quality standards seem to somehow ignore his immense output! I believe this is his fifth release this year, not counting short story compilations.
So, back to the story -> Impact is the sequel to Collision, part of the Colliding Worlds Series which is being created for a future movie/ tv release. I don't know about you folks, but I can't wait!
No spoilers here......What we have here is possibly the most exciting, fast 'n' furious science fiction triller that I have had the privilege to read. Even better, 'tis really cool to be just at the beginning of this great adventure, where alternative worlds messing up the grand scheme of things.
Essential reading indeed.
Book 3: Maelstrom is an excellent and 'edge-of-your-seat' grand finale to Peter Cawdron's COLLIDING WORLDS science fiction series.
All the bits come together, as our heroes from book two Mark and Vicky, join up with the adventurous Dr. Callie, the off-worlders and Ax the very brave Neanderthal!!!! The one-way ticket mission is to save the Worlds (yes, all of them), no matter what cost!
Great fun folks!
Another 'blinder' from Peter & this time the beginning of a possibly very big adventure!
I got to hand it to Peter Cawdron, he's one of a great of elite indie authors who keeps on astonishing me with each new work. Well guess what? Collision is exciting stuff, predominantly based on scientific facts and the first of an all new series!
Book 2: Impact
A shockingly excellent continuation of the tale from Peter Cawdron, whose quality standards seem to somehow ignore his immense output! I believe this is his fifth release this year, not counting short story compilations.
So, back to the story -> Impact is the sequel to Collision, part of the Colliding Worlds Series which is being created for a future movie/ tv release. I don't know about you folks, but I can't wait!
No spoilers here......What we have here is possibly the most exciting, fast 'n' furious science fiction triller that I have had the privilege to read. Even better, 'tis really cool to be just at the beginning of this great adventure, where alternative worlds messing up the grand scheme of things.
Essential reading indeed.
Book 3: Maelstrom is an excellent and 'edge-of-your-seat' grand finale to Peter Cawdron's COLLIDING WORLDS science fiction series.
All the bits come together, as our heroes from book two Mark and Vicky, join up with the adventurous Dr. Callie, the off-worlders and Ax the very brave Neanderthal!!!! The one-way ticket mission is to save the Worlds (yes, all of them), no matter what cost!
Great fun folks!
October 6, 2019
A stand alone Sci-Fi! How refreshing
A quick read that keeps you entertained from start to finish. Opens with neanderthal man presenting himself in our world and spins out a great story from there. Well worth the few hours you'll spend reading it
A quick read that keeps you entertained from start to finish. Opens with neanderthal man presenting himself in our world and spins out a great story from there. Well worth the few hours you'll spend reading it
did-not-finish
September 27, 2021DNF @ 20%
I started this back in February of 2020 and read the entire first novella within it. I can see from my reading progress updates that I found it decent enough to be interested in the rest, but I never made it more than a page into the second novella.
Considering I remember literally nothing about this book, I think it's safe to say this isn't worth the time of picking it back up to finish the remaining two portions.
I started this back in February of 2020 and read the entire first novella within it. I can see from my reading progress updates that I found it decent enough to be interested in the rest, but I never made it more than a page into the second novella.
Considering I remember literally nothing about this book, I think it's safe to say this isn't worth the time of picking it back up to finish the remaining two portions.
August 22, 2019
This one didn't do much for me. For whatever reason whenever an author brings in "aliens" as a driving force for the mysterious, I'm turned off near instantly. There were a lot of concepts going on, like time travel, alternate worlds, different evolutionary paths but none felt fully fleshed out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2024
This was an interesting book. It was a very different aspect and got a little bit busy with a little too many twist but it was a fun read.
October 3, 2022
A different, but solid ending to the novella trilogy. I enjoyed it.
January 6, 2020
So bizarre, but awesome.
Neanderthals, gigantic sloths, aliens, parallel realities, time travel.
Neanderthals, gigantic sloths, aliens, parallel realities, time travel.
June 21, 2017
Collision is another stunning piece of writing from Cawdron, drawing you into yet another world of beautifully crafted characters that leave you so enraptured, it is hard to disengage and come back to reality.
In this short story (which is only part 1), Cawdron introduces us to Dr Callie, an American medical doctor working in rural China. We also meet Chen, Dr Callie’s best friend.
The two main characters are in the hospital they work when there is an incident that introduces a strange local, and this is when the adventure begins.
You will not believe how this unfolds or what Dr Callie and her friend uncover and what it leads to.
The scope of this story is unlike anything Cawdron has done before, and is exceptionally clever.
Even though this is a short story, Cawdron still manages to build such a remarkable back story, giving us a real feel for the environment that Dr Callie and Chen are working and living in. It is both beautiful and dangerous, and Cawdron describes it with such creative genius. The descriptions of the environment that the characters move around in are so wonderfully well detailed and described that you feel like you are looking through their eyes.
As usual, his characters are the standout, with astonishing depth, managing to make us feel like we know the main character Dr Callie, and can feel each event as it is happening like we are living through her. He gives you a real sense of the emotions the character is going through, her happiness, joy, amazement at her discovery’s and fear at some of the situations she finds herself in.
Cawdron writes characters so well that you understand each event as it is happening to the character, this combined with the feel for the environment, engages you in the story so deeply that you really ‘live’ his stories, watching the plot unfold from the main characters eyes like you were actually there.
Collision is the first of the 3 short stories in Maelstrom, and sets the background for what is to come. It is the introduction of Dr Callie, and her findings in China that are going to change the world forever.
Impact is the second of the short stories, and in this one, we move to New York, and follow Mark, a Mounted Police Officer, and Vicky, a Paramedic. As with the first short story, this is a powerful character driven story about how Mark and Vicky are caught in some sort of temporal disturbance, and as a result, themselves in a parallel universe.
This story quickly unfolds from our Police Officer on morning patrol to suddenly being in the most desperate struggle for his life, as he meets up with Vicky, and as they try and work out what is happening to them, they encounter some incredible creatures, as well as other people.
Cawdron has done some exceptional research for this book, to make sure that the references to the ‘creatures’ and the different concepts he uses in this story are accurate (this goes for ‘Collision’ as well), so that when you read the story, you are able to fully immerse yourself in the book.
As with Collision, the characters are brilliant, his portrayal of Mark is excellent as the stoic Police Officer, who tries to keep a strong outer face for those around him, but inside is battling his own fears and anxiety at what is happening, as Police are only human. However, they do have training which they can call on in stressful situations. This also applies to Vicky, the paramedic.
The story though is told from Marks perspective, so we get a real understanding of how he is feeling as things unfold around him. Cawdron relates this human experience so well, with such clarity, is provides such a gripping read.
This story provides more detail as to what is going on in the greater ‘Maelstrom’ universe, progressing the overall story and giving us a bit more of an understanding of the ‘Impact’ of the events that are unfolding.
In the final part of Maelstrom, it is all brought together. POSSIBLE SPOILERS
DON’T READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ COLLISION AND IMPACT
Cawdron has been very clever with this story, because it is not just the Collison of Parallel Universes that is occurring within these portals, but it is actually a Collision of Worlds, as the future meets the past.
Even though the worlds are meant to be within the same time scopes, due to the different events that have happened on these different worlds, it has allowed for a changing of history in a way, and therefore, a Collision of Worlds – such as Megafauna and Neanderthal being able to interact with our Universe.
In this final short story (which is longer than both of the others), all of the characters from the first two shorts are in the same book, with Mark and Vicky having survived their harrowing interaction with a parallel universe, they have been asked to go to China and see if they can assist Dr Callie.
When they arrive, they find that the Offworlders are there, Goethe and Flores, and that they have worked out that the portals are going to tear our planet apart. They have worked out that they need to go through the portal and try and find the cause of the portals and try and stop it to save the Earth.
And thus begins an amazing adventure. Cawdron uses an incredible mix of fact that he meticulously research’s, and beautifully crafted story, weaving them together to give us a story that is truly extraordinary.
This time the tale is told from Vicky’s point of view, allowing us to understand her feelings for Mark, her understanding for what is happening, and giving us a unique perspective on Ax. Vicki’s interactions with Ax are one of the best parts of the story in my opinion. The way that she breaks down the communication barrier with this Neanderthal is truly amazing and so compelling. Ax is probably my favourite character in this series, and I think one of the best characters that Cawdron has written he is so powerful, conveys so much to us, and yet, he doesn’t speak a word in any of the stories.
Maelstrom is another stunning book as far as characters go, Cawdron continues to show why his is the Master of Character driven Sci-Fi. Each of the 3 main characters telling the stories through the 3 short stories are brilliant, and yet, there are these incredible secondary characters, Goethe, Flores, Ax and others that are just outstanding.
Maelstrom as a whole book (and the short story), should not be missed, this is a truly incredible book of parallel universes, heroism, fantastic creatures and places, some amazing science fiction, and of course, exceptional characters.
In this short story (which is only part 1), Cawdron introduces us to Dr Callie, an American medical doctor working in rural China. We also meet Chen, Dr Callie’s best friend.
The two main characters are in the hospital they work when there is an incident that introduces a strange local, and this is when the adventure begins.
You will not believe how this unfolds or what Dr Callie and her friend uncover and what it leads to.
The scope of this story is unlike anything Cawdron has done before, and is exceptionally clever.
Even though this is a short story, Cawdron still manages to build such a remarkable back story, giving us a real feel for the environment that Dr Callie and Chen are working and living in. It is both beautiful and dangerous, and Cawdron describes it with such creative genius. The descriptions of the environment that the characters move around in are so wonderfully well detailed and described that you feel like you are looking through their eyes.
As usual, his characters are the standout, with astonishing depth, managing to make us feel like we know the main character Dr Callie, and can feel each event as it is happening like we are living through her. He gives you a real sense of the emotions the character is going through, her happiness, joy, amazement at her discovery’s and fear at some of the situations she finds herself in.
Cawdron writes characters so well that you understand each event as it is happening to the character, this combined with the feel for the environment, engages you in the story so deeply that you really ‘live’ his stories, watching the plot unfold from the main characters eyes like you were actually there.
Collision is the first of the 3 short stories in Maelstrom, and sets the background for what is to come. It is the introduction of Dr Callie, and her findings in China that are going to change the world forever.
Impact is the second of the short stories, and in this one, we move to New York, and follow Mark, a Mounted Police Officer, and Vicky, a Paramedic. As with the first short story, this is a powerful character driven story about how Mark and Vicky are caught in some sort of temporal disturbance, and as a result, themselves in a parallel universe.
This story quickly unfolds from our Police Officer on morning patrol to suddenly being in the most desperate struggle for his life, as he meets up with Vicky, and as they try and work out what is happening to them, they encounter some incredible creatures, as well as other people.
Cawdron has done some exceptional research for this book, to make sure that the references to the ‘creatures’ and the different concepts he uses in this story are accurate (this goes for ‘Collision’ as well), so that when you read the story, you are able to fully immerse yourself in the book.
As with Collision, the characters are brilliant, his portrayal of Mark is excellent as the stoic Police Officer, who tries to keep a strong outer face for those around him, but inside is battling his own fears and anxiety at what is happening, as Police are only human. However, they do have training which they can call on in stressful situations. This also applies to Vicky, the paramedic.
The story though is told from Marks perspective, so we get a real understanding of how he is feeling as things unfold around him. Cawdron relates this human experience so well, with such clarity, is provides such a gripping read.
This story provides more detail as to what is going on in the greater ‘Maelstrom’ universe, progressing the overall story and giving us a bit more of an understanding of the ‘Impact’ of the events that are unfolding.
In the final part of Maelstrom, it is all brought together. POSSIBLE SPOILERS
DON’T READ THIS REVIEW UNTIL YOU HAVE READ COLLISION AND IMPACT
Cawdron has been very clever with this story, because it is not just the Collison of Parallel Universes that is occurring within these portals, but it is actually a Collision of Worlds, as the future meets the past.
Even though the worlds are meant to be within the same time scopes, due to the different events that have happened on these different worlds, it has allowed for a changing of history in a way, and therefore, a Collision of Worlds – such as Megafauna and Neanderthal being able to interact with our Universe.
In this final short story (which is longer than both of the others), all of the characters from the first two shorts are in the same book, with Mark and Vicky having survived their harrowing interaction with a parallel universe, they have been asked to go to China and see if they can assist Dr Callie.
When they arrive, they find that the Offworlders are there, Goethe and Flores, and that they have worked out that the portals are going to tear our planet apart. They have worked out that they need to go through the portal and try and find the cause of the portals and try and stop it to save the Earth.
And thus begins an amazing adventure. Cawdron uses an incredible mix of fact that he meticulously research’s, and beautifully crafted story, weaving them together to give us a story that is truly extraordinary.
This time the tale is told from Vicky’s point of view, allowing us to understand her feelings for Mark, her understanding for what is happening, and giving us a unique perspective on Ax. Vicki’s interactions with Ax are one of the best parts of the story in my opinion. The way that she breaks down the communication barrier with this Neanderthal is truly amazing and so compelling. Ax is probably my favourite character in this series, and I think one of the best characters that Cawdron has written he is so powerful, conveys so much to us, and yet, he doesn’t speak a word in any of the stories.
Maelstrom is another stunning book as far as characters go, Cawdron continues to show why his is the Master of Character driven Sci-Fi. Each of the 3 main characters telling the stories through the 3 short stories are brilliant, and yet, there are these incredible secondary characters, Goethe, Flores, Ax and others that are just outstanding.
Maelstrom as a whole book (and the short story), should not be missed, this is a truly incredible book of parallel universes, heroism, fantastic creatures and places, some amazing science fiction, and of course, exceptional characters.
May 30, 2019
This book could have been so much fun! I was disappointed with it, especially after reading the rave reviews here on GR. That may have been because I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the ebook.
This is really three novellas collected into one volume. That wasn't an issue for me because they related well to each other and continued the story. However, I wouldn't want to have read just the first or second story without having the last part to finish it; that would be very frustrating.
The writing was very simplistic, with lots of "he said" and "I said" and "she said." This would appeal to a tween boy, I think, but not to me. No sophistication, basically.
The plot was a mashup of time travel, androids, dinosaurs, and pseudo-physics. Although the author explains some of the motivations in the afterword, I felt as if he couldn't decide which subject to concentrate on, so he included everything.
The narration by Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, and Amy Landon was adequate, but the voices didn't match what I had in my head for the characters. That was especially true of Eiden, who was telling the story of a New York cop but with a midwestern accent. The readers are talented but just don't go with the book, in my opinion. Production was very good, and there are no undue pauses or volume shifts.
A very few instances of foul language, no sexual content, but lots of violence. Similar: "Esau" by Phillip Kerr, "Tyrannosaur Canyon" by Douglas Preston, "Bones of the Earth" by Michael Swanwick.
This is really three novellas collected into one volume. That wasn't an issue for me because they related well to each other and continued the story. However, I wouldn't want to have read just the first or second story without having the last part to finish it; that would be very frustrating.
The writing was very simplistic, with lots of "he said" and "I said" and "she said." This would appeal to a tween boy, I think, but not to me. No sophistication, basically.
The plot was a mashup of time travel, androids, dinosaurs, and pseudo-physics. Although the author explains some of the motivations in the afterword, I felt as if he couldn't decide which subject to concentrate on, so he included everything.
The narration by Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, and Amy Landon was adequate, but the voices didn't match what I had in my head for the characters. That was especially true of Eiden, who was telling the story of a New York cop but with a midwestern accent. The readers are talented but just don't go with the book, in my opinion. Production was very good, and there are no undue pauses or volume shifts.
A very few instances of foul language, no sexual content, but lots of violence. Similar: "Esau" by Phillip Kerr, "Tyrannosaur Canyon" by Douglas Preston, "Bones of the Earth" by Michael Swanwick.
May 29, 2017
Cawdron at his best!
It's been a while since my last Peter Cawdron's novel. Talk about rediscovery! This is one of his best stories so far (for the record, I still like "Monsters" the best... (:-)...), but "Maelstrom" is a **very**close second. It has everything: fast-paced action, cool, well-though science, and likable characters. As usual, he leaves me wth many questions, which I hope get answered in possible sequels. I also hope that this story gets developed for television or even the big screen, not only because he deserves it, but the story is clearly worth it. It will be a success. Please send more!!!!!
It's been a while since my last Peter Cawdron's novel. Talk about rediscovery! This is one of his best stories so far (for the record, I still like "Monsters" the best... (:-)...), but "Maelstrom" is a **very**close second. It has everything: fast-paced action, cool, well-though science, and likable characters. As usual, he leaves me wth many questions, which I hope get answered in possible sequels. I also hope that this story gets developed for television or even the big screen, not only because he deserves it, but the story is clearly worth it. It will be a success. Please send more!!!!!
August 28, 2019
A stand-alone trilogy of science fiction novellas: Collision, Impact, and Maelstrom. With dinosaurs!
These three novellas were a fun ride! Each has a different point-of-view character and a different narrator. All of them are in first person and present tense.
Doctor Elizabeth Callie works in a rural Chinese hospital. When a man fights with the security guards in the hospital, Elizabeth calms him down and does what she can for someone she thinks is the man’s father. The locals claim that the man and his father are tribesmen from nearby desert. But in the X-rays she finds something remarkable: the men have deformities which mean they aren’t modern humans. They are, in fact, neanderthals. Elizabeth thinks that she’s found a neanderthal tribe which has survived to modern day. She takes the man and one collage, Chen, and they head to the desert. But the place is heavily guarded by Chinese military and Elizabeth finds out more than she bargained for: the tribe if from another Earth. Also, there are portals between different Earths in different dimensions and the Earths are heading for collision which will destroy them.
In “Impact”, NYC mounted police Mark finds himself in an alternate world when our Earth collides with another. He teams up with a paramedic Vicki and together they try to survive, help other people, and even find a way back home. They fight saber tooth cats as well as some dinosaurs
The third book has another point-of-view character and most of the characters from the previous novellas meet. It’s good conclusion to the story.
These are fun and fast-paced SF thrillers. The main characters were mostly distinct from each other: Mark tried to be the stoic police officer while he has to make some very difficult choices, Elizabeth is a scientist and a doctor, excited by a potential new discovery. I also really enjoyed the portrayal of the neanderthals. They’re different from humans but clever in their own way. I also enjoyed the scenes where Elizabeth (and later another character) was communicating with the neanderthal man.
I also enjoyed the ending but I think some readers might be disappointed with it. There’s a little romance but it doesn’t take over.
These three novellas were a fun ride! Each has a different point-of-view character and a different narrator. All of them are in first person and present tense.
Doctor Elizabeth Callie works in a rural Chinese hospital. When a man fights with the security guards in the hospital, Elizabeth calms him down and does what she can for someone she thinks is the man’s father. The locals claim that the man and his father are tribesmen from nearby desert. But in the X-rays she finds something remarkable: the men have deformities which mean they aren’t modern humans. They are, in fact, neanderthals. Elizabeth thinks that she’s found a neanderthal tribe which has survived to modern day. She takes the man and one collage, Chen, and they head to the desert. But the place is heavily guarded by Chinese military and Elizabeth finds out more than she bargained for: the tribe if from another Earth. Also, there are portals between different Earths in different dimensions and the Earths are heading for collision which will destroy them.
In “Impact”, NYC mounted police Mark finds himself in an alternate world when our Earth collides with another. He teams up with a paramedic Vicki and together they try to survive, help other people, and even find a way back home. They fight saber tooth cats as well as some dinosaurs
The third book has another point-of-view character and most of the characters from the previous novellas meet. It’s good conclusion to the story.
These are fun and fast-paced SF thrillers. The main characters were mostly distinct from each other: Mark tried to be the stoic police officer while he has to make some very difficult choices, Elizabeth is a scientist and a doctor, excited by a potential new discovery. I also really enjoyed the portrayal of the neanderthals. They’re different from humans but clever in their own way. I also enjoyed the scenes where Elizabeth (and later another character) was communicating with the neanderthal man.
I also enjoyed the ending but I think some readers might be disappointed with it. There’s a little romance but it doesn’t take over.
May 20, 2018
An Interesting Take on Alternate Realities
Maelstrom is a collection of three short stories that all weave into one larger story.
The first story – Collide was, as with all Cawdron books, well thought out and shocking when it comes to the finale. It was short (definitely the lead in/hook you early) story. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with the first few chapters but not too long after I thought that Cawdron had me hooked.
In Collide we learn a little about the set up of the entire book, what’s causing the change, and what could possibly come from the issue that’s created (notice my vagueness – I know if I get much deeper it’ll give it all away).
The second book – Impact is where the real meat and potatoes live. We find out that things aren’t what they seem. Animals from others times and places are now all of a sudden in the middle of the city and attacking people. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this one but I was already hooked. I had a hard time getting into the “this animal is here” belief – though after a while (and meeting the old man) I started to really come to. The introduction of the paramedic and police officer (and their continued proximity) was well thought out and written.
The final story – Maelstrom – is where we start to find out what is going on, how they think they’re going to fix it, and if they actually do. This was fascinating. There were parts of this that I couldn’t wrap my head around (time travel/alternate reality books get confusing if there is more than one version of a person or reality existing at the same time). But it was enjoyable none-the-less.
Overall, I thought that Maelstrom was an interesting look at different paradoxes and realities. I enjoyed the way it was written and the character development. I found myself scratching my head at a few parts but I think Cawdron did some of that on purpose.
Slight spoiler: there was a scene late in the book where someone keeps seeing different versions of themselves – all I could think of was the “Hello John” scene from Jurassic Park when they cloned him and made numerous versions for the intro video about Dino DNA.
Maelstrom is a collection of three short stories that all weave into one larger story.
The first story – Collide was, as with all Cawdron books, well thought out and shocking when it comes to the finale. It was short (definitely the lead in/hook you early) story. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with the first few chapters but not too long after I thought that Cawdron had me hooked.
In Collide we learn a little about the set up of the entire book, what’s causing the change, and what could possibly come from the issue that’s created (notice my vagueness – I know if I get much deeper it’ll give it all away).
The second book – Impact is where the real meat and potatoes live. We find out that things aren’t what they seem. Animals from others times and places are now all of a sudden in the middle of the city and attacking people. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this one but I was already hooked. I had a hard time getting into the “this animal is here” belief – though after a while (and meeting the old man) I started to really come to. The introduction of the paramedic and police officer (and their continued proximity) was well thought out and written.
The final story – Maelstrom – is where we start to find out what is going on, how they think they’re going to fix it, and if they actually do. This was fascinating. There were parts of this that I couldn’t wrap my head around (time travel/alternate reality books get confusing if there is more than one version of a person or reality existing at the same time). But it was enjoyable none-the-less.
Overall, I thought that Maelstrom was an interesting look at different paradoxes and realities. I enjoyed the way it was written and the character development. I found myself scratching my head at a few parts but I think Cawdron did some of that on purpose.
Slight spoiler: there was a scene late in the book where someone keeps seeing different versions of themselves – all I could think of was the “Hello John” scene from Jurassic Park when they cloned him and made numerous versions for the intro video about Dino DNA.
July 16, 2019
Note: While this book contains 3 novellas (Collision, Impact, & Maelstrom), they all work well together making 1 cohesive story. I didn’t realize there were three novellas; I thought it was just 1 story.
I really enjoyed this tale! We start off in China with Dr. Elizabeth Cali and her assistant Chen trying to help a distressed native, Axe. He’s brought an elderly relative to the rural clinic for help but was met with anger from the local law enforcement. Cali and Chen step in to calm everything down and do what they can. They discover they are dealing with a discovery of the century – and decide to help Axe get back to this people.
The action just ramps up from there as they come across more military people and are pulled into an even bigger scientific discovery – a rift that opens onto a parallel world!
The story then shifts to New York City with a cop, Mark, and his trusty steed. A rift suddenly opens and chaos reigns for a few minutes. People are dead and injured but Mark and a paramedic (Vicky) in the park quickly join forces. This was my favorite section of the story because of all the megafauna, now extinct on our Earth. Who knew the giant sloth was so dangerous! Mark and Vicky have instant chemistry, which involved a decent amount of snark and sarcasm (yay!).
The story then shifts again once Mark and Vicky join forces with Cali, Chen, and Axe plus the other-world visitors introduced in the first section (Goethe and Flores). This was a fun part of the story because it introduces so much. Dinos! Space ship! Automatons! It was a really great wrap up to the story. I’m ready to check out more of Cawdron’s works! 5/5 stars.
The Narration: Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, & Amy Landon gave a delightful narration to this story. I did enjoy Eiden’s narration the best (middle novella). He played the dedicated cop quite well. In the final novella, one of the female narrators had a kinda silly voice for the character Mark, making him sound a little like a clueless surfer. Over all though each character had a unique voice and the pacing was perfect. There were no tech issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.
I really enjoyed this tale! We start off in China with Dr. Elizabeth Cali and her assistant Chen trying to help a distressed native, Axe. He’s brought an elderly relative to the rural clinic for help but was met with anger from the local law enforcement. Cali and Chen step in to calm everything down and do what they can. They discover they are dealing with a discovery of the century – and decide to help Axe get back to this people.
The action just ramps up from there as they come across more military people and are pulled into an even bigger scientific discovery – a rift that opens onto a parallel world!
The story then shifts to New York City with a cop, Mark, and his trusty steed. A rift suddenly opens and chaos reigns for a few minutes. People are dead and injured but Mark and a paramedic (Vicky) in the park quickly join forces. This was my favorite section of the story because of all the megafauna, now extinct on our Earth. Who knew the giant sloth was so dangerous! Mark and Vicky have instant chemistry, which involved a decent amount of snark and sarcasm (yay!).
The story then shifts again once Mark and Vicky join forces with Cali, Chen, and Axe plus the other-world visitors introduced in the first section (Goethe and Flores). This was a fun part of the story because it introduces so much. Dinos! Space ship! Automatons! It was a really great wrap up to the story. I’m ready to check out more of Cawdron’s works! 5/5 stars.
The Narration: Emily Woo Zeller, Andrew Eiden, & Amy Landon gave a delightful narration to this story. I did enjoy Eiden’s narration the best (middle novella). He played the dedicated cop quite well. In the final novella, one of the female narrators had a kinda silly voice for the character Mark, making him sound a little like a clueless surfer. Over all though each character had a unique voice and the pacing was perfect. There were no tech issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.
May 31, 2019
( Format : Audiobook )
"Fools deluded with visions of free will."
Three novellas brought together to form the one Colliding Worlds audio, each individually worthy of five stars and, as a whole, deserving of the as yet none existent five star plus rating. The first two stories, Collision and Impact, I had previously read in print form but found both as fresh and exciting the second time around thanks both to the simple elegance of Peter Cawdron's writing and the fine narration by Emily Woo Seller and Andrew Eiden. The third addition was new to me. Again, a different narrator, Amy Landen equally as talented as her two predecessors, who took the perspective of Vicky, one of the characters from Imlact, in this drawing together of the stories to form the cohesive whole. Each novella is told in the first person, the separate points of view coming from an American doctor working in rural China, a police officer on patrol in New York's Central Park and the aforementioned Vicky, a paramedic who had been jogging in Central Park in part two. This variety of perspectives further adds to the freshness of the story telling.
Mr.Cawdron's range of S.F. genres is extensive, from the traditional (but ironic) Little Green Men adventures, through post apocalyptic zombies, alien confrontation, space planetary settlement and time travel and every one of the works is original and unexpected, beautifully written and, I believe, built mostly on hard science. He is an author who delights and inspires and, as such, I wholeheartedly recommend Maelstrom to everyone with curiosity or adventure in their souls, who enjoys an occasional anomaly, has been fascinated by dinosaurs or just enjoys a rattling good story, in addition to all the S.F.fans out there.
Get it, switch on, settle back - and enjoy.
"Fools deluded with visions of free will."
Three novellas brought together to form the one Colliding Worlds audio, each individually worthy of five stars and, as a whole, deserving of the as yet none existent five star plus rating. The first two stories, Collision and Impact, I had previously read in print form but found both as fresh and exciting the second time around thanks both to the simple elegance of Peter Cawdron's writing and the fine narration by Emily Woo Seller and Andrew Eiden. The third addition was new to me. Again, a different narrator, Amy Landen equally as talented as her two predecessors, who took the perspective of Vicky, one of the characters from Imlact, in this drawing together of the stories to form the cohesive whole. Each novella is told in the first person, the separate points of view coming from an American doctor working in rural China, a police officer on patrol in New York's Central Park and the aforementioned Vicky, a paramedic who had been jogging in Central Park in part two. This variety of perspectives further adds to the freshness of the story telling.
Mr.Cawdron's range of S.F. genres is extensive, from the traditional (but ironic) Little Green Men adventures, through post apocalyptic zombies, alien confrontation, space planetary settlement and time travel and every one of the works is original and unexpected, beautifully written and, I believe, built mostly on hard science. He is an author who delights and inspires and, as such, I wholeheartedly recommend Maelstrom to everyone with curiosity or adventure in their souls, who enjoys an occasional anomaly, has been fascinated by dinosaurs or just enjoys a rattling good story, in addition to all the S.F.fans out there.
Get it, switch on, settle back - and enjoy.
April 2, 2021
Reading my way through all sixteen of Peter Cawdron’s First Contact books I continue to be amazed at how many different scenarios he can create for our first contact with an alien species. Generally first contact books revolve around the two major themes: (1) how will we react to them and (2) how will they react to us. Somehow, Cawdron manages to merge, mingle, mix, massage, and manipulate these two concepts in ways that few other authors have done. While he sometimes borrows from other authors, which he makes clear to give credit for in the afterword section, his stories are always unique.
In Maelstrom we have not one but three different sentient alien species plus a bunch of other creatures who seem to be less self-aware. As always there are engaging characters, suspense, action, science, and politics. I started this book in the early afternoon and quickly got so into the story that I didn’t put it down until I finished it, pausing only to cook and eat dinner.
While this was not strictly a time travel book, it did center around a spacetime paradox. SciFi that features time travel and/or time manipulation generally comes in at the bottom of my preferred reading. There are just so many other hard science questions and topics to be addressed in good SciFi that are based on real science that I generally give time travel books a wide berth. Therefore this was not one of my favorite Cawdron books. Of course, as I have already mentioned, it is an exciting and engaging yarn and, if you don’t mind the reality stretching treatment of spacetime it is definitely entertaining. However, if this is your first Cawdron book, I highly recommend that you checkout others in the series first.
In Maelstrom we have not one but three different sentient alien species plus a bunch of other creatures who seem to be less self-aware. As always there are engaging characters, suspense, action, science, and politics. I started this book in the early afternoon and quickly got so into the story that I didn’t put it down until I finished it, pausing only to cook and eat dinner.
While this was not strictly a time travel book, it did center around a spacetime paradox. SciFi that features time travel and/or time manipulation generally comes in at the bottom of my preferred reading. There are just so many other hard science questions and topics to be addressed in good SciFi that are based on real science that I generally give time travel books a wide berth. Therefore this was not one of my favorite Cawdron books. Of course, as I have already mentioned, it is an exciting and engaging yarn and, if you don’t mind the reality stretching treatment of spacetime it is definitely entertaining. However, if this is your first Cawdron book, I highly recommend that you checkout others in the series first.
March 5, 2024
It's promoted as being 3 novellas in one volume, but really, it's just a single somewhat shorter novel divided into 3 parts. First part is certain characters encountering evidence that there is some weird portal opening up to other worlds/times/dimensions; 2nd part is different characters accidentally going through said portal; and final part is all the characters coming together to figure out what is going on and save humankind. I thought the first part was really interesting (especially a tidbit about Yetis/Sasquatch often being theorized to be the result of these dimensional rifts ... because those theories are absolutely being discussed). But the 2nd part started to feel like Journey to the Center of the Earth, and then the 3rd one even more so ... it also offered a rather cheesy romance angle that just seemed out of place. It read rather like a middle grades adventure (for example, there was a line of dialog where the heroine is fighting a prehistoric creature in another dimension and actually says, "Pick on someone your own size!"). There was an epilog that was mostly an explanation of everything that had happened regarding aliens and parallel universes and portals to alternate dimensions and then an afterward in which the author points out the authenticity of several of the science references in the book. I liked the afterward but not the epilog.
July 11, 2020
Another quirky scenario
It included inter-dimensional portals and ended with a time loop. He made it work. It was surprised filled throughout. The person that I thought would be crucial ended up as a minor character.
The characters were not as developed as I had hoped they would be. Still, the story moves along nicely. These first contact stories are all different from any that I've read before.
The only problem was the inclusion of the U.S. policeman whose purpose seems to be to provide an armed character for the following scene. It turned out that he wasn't needed for it, so he could have been replaced. The writer doesn't realize how uncomfortable a U.S. police character can make a lot of Americans. This is the country whose police all appear to be scared for their lives when four of them jump on a 14 year old for looking suspicious, so the idea that one would risk being injured rather than throwing the woman at the monster doesn't seem plausible. Fortunately the character fades into the background quickly. His companion being in love with him is just too U.S. male pandering and is jarring but the story is still interesting.
It included inter-dimensional portals and ended with a time loop. He made it work. It was surprised filled throughout. The person that I thought would be crucial ended up as a minor character.
The characters were not as developed as I had hoped they would be. Still, the story moves along nicely. These first contact stories are all different from any that I've read before.
The only problem was the inclusion of the U.S. policeman whose purpose seems to be to provide an armed character for the following scene. It turned out that he wasn't needed for it, so he could have been replaced. The writer doesn't realize how uncomfortable a U.S. police character can make a lot of Americans. This is the country whose police all appear to be scared for their lives when four of them jump on a 14 year old for looking suspicious, so the idea that one would risk being injured rather than throwing the woman at the monster doesn't seem plausible. Fortunately the character fades into the background quickly. His companion being in love with him is just too U.S. male pandering and is jarring but the story is still interesting.
October 6, 2017
Another fantastic Cawdron book!
Every time I think I've read everything by this talented, imaginative writer, I find one more story that I've not yet read. My favorite is still "My Sweet Satan" but "Xenophobia" runs a close second. This novel "Maelstrom" is the finale to the Colliding Worlds trilogy; each as good as the other. Read them all! 👏👏👏
If you're a fan of sci-fi, like learning little-known facts about the Universe, or Universes (?) around you, then you will like everything Cawdron has written. Some of his stories are more hard science based, some are based more on theories, while still others seem to have popped into this guy's fertile mind.
Hmmm ... is Peter an alien? Or just a mighty talented Aussie writer? Come to think of it, Australia is a rather strange, kind of alien continent, eh? 😁
Every time I think I've read everything by this talented, imaginative writer, I find one more story that I've not yet read. My favorite is still "My Sweet Satan" but "Xenophobia" runs a close second. This novel "Maelstrom" is the finale to the Colliding Worlds trilogy; each as good as the other. Read them all! 👏👏👏
If you're a fan of sci-fi, like learning little-known facts about the Universe, or Universes (?) around you, then you will like everything Cawdron has written. Some of his stories are more hard science based, some are based more on theories, while still others seem to have popped into this guy's fertile mind.
Hmmm ... is Peter an alien? Or just a mighty talented Aussie writer? Come to think of it, Australia is a rather strange, kind of alien continent, eh? 😁
July 16, 2018
Wow, What A Ride!
Dinosaurs. UFO's. A New York City mounted policeman and an off duty paramedic .... What do they all have in common? The Maelstrom.
Sucked through a portal to an alternate Earth, the two find themselves in a state of shock. Struggling to understand what happened, they almost lose their lives to the Great American Sloth; a creature that's been extinct for millennium.
Surprisingly, they discover a handful of survivors that were also swept into the maelstrom. But with no protection, and no weapons; with saber toothed cats and other creatures attempting to devour them, they must discover a way back to THEIR Earth... And figure out how to fix the rift before their world is destoyed.
Wow, what a ride! Action packed, with a rollercoaster ride of a plotline! Loved the alternative Earths' scenario, and the completely unexpected ending!
Dinosaurs. UFO's. A New York City mounted policeman and an off duty paramedic .... What do they all have in common? The Maelstrom.
Sucked through a portal to an alternate Earth, the two find themselves in a state of shock. Struggling to understand what happened, they almost lose their lives to the Great American Sloth; a creature that's been extinct for millennium.
Surprisingly, they discover a handful of survivors that were also swept into the maelstrom. But with no protection, and no weapons; with saber toothed cats and other creatures attempting to devour them, they must discover a way back to THEIR Earth... And figure out how to fix the rift before their world is destoyed.
Wow, what a ride! Action packed, with a rollercoaster ride of a plotline! Loved the alternative Earths' scenario, and the completely unexpected ending!
February 18, 2025
The final novella making up the Maelstrom collection ends with some very trippy time travel and continues the story of the paramedic and police officer, joining their story with the doctors and our Neanderthal character. Again, great plot and pacing, the characters continue to evolve, but this final novella should be read more carefully due to the time travel and multi-verse events, which can get confusing. Would you be willing to sacrifice everything to restore the damage to the separation of universes? We humans are good at messing things up, but maybe not as good as fixing them unless we tap into the most extreme altruism we are capable of expressing. A very satisfying end to this trio of novelllas and another example of Cawdron's creative imagination, taking common tropes and making them fresh.
June 22, 2019
1 Star only because I finished it, barely. One of the worst books (combination of 3 novellas) I've consumed in a long time. The plot had potential, but the execution was terrible. How the characters reacted to the environments and situations was comical. I understand this is fiction, but give me some kind of common sense. To have the "hero" co-stars constantly hitting on one another or thinking of it in high stress situations is terrible. Or how about not having the male main character (a cop no less) give us play by play baseball when he has a kid break the windshield of a vehicle with a baseball bat to gain safety/survival supplies while their all on the lookout for various beasts that could attack. I barely got through it in audio form and the performers/readers were also terrible.
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