A Rift in Time

Livingstone Chronicles #1

by Michael R. Phillips, Joan L. Grytness (Illustrator)

From best-selling author Michael Phillips comes a gripping novel about an archaeologist who discovers Noah's Ark and searches for the Garden of Eden. A great book for all readers, especially those with an interest in end-times fiction like the Left Behind series. Readers will follow the characters' journeys to faith and see how God works in their lives through this epic struggle.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Mystery, Religion, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Librarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library)]

This is a bang-up blast that gives Left Behind a run for its money. Full of action, suspense, admirable heroes, despicable villains, and Biblical allusions, A Rift in Time is a wonderful novel. I didn't agree with the theology behind the story, but it was a crackling good adventure yarn nonetheless.

[Teri]

Adam Livingstone, world renowned archeologist, takes on the adventure of discovering Noah's Ark and the Garden of Eden. It's a race against other fame seekers, as well as those who don't want Biblical truths revealed. Mystery, intrigue, science, spirituality, light and darkness. It's all in this story. I enjoyed it very much.

[Rebecca Wilson]

Without question, one of the best books I have ever read!!!!! Thrilling storyline, unexpected twists & turns, and an earnest search for truth, make this book a must read!!!

[Donna Bayse]

Tremendous amount of detail capturing theory and thought on the location of the Garden of Eden. Amazing information on vegetation and the zest of life that throbs deep in aa plant, in the roots, and even dormant seeds.

Catured in a complex plot with multiple characters -- requires apt attention to stay with some of the detail. I have reread the book several times and always find it amazing and engaging.

[Sharon Cate]

Ehh...Just a so-so read.

[Chris]

DNF...toooooooooooo descriptive...tooooooo many words...toooooooooo many characters.

[JustQuinty]

I did not finish this book. Eventhough the story was okay, the shoet setup of the book annoyed me a lot. It made it impossible for me to really immerse myself, one of the 4 books I DNF-ed in my life.

[Lynette]

I believe that the intention of this book was to drive me insane... fascinating material - topics and way out there premises that were so great - but the author just can't get out of his own way!! The plot nearly collapses under the byzantine writing style - I'm all for being mysterious and not revealing your characters all at once - but when you have 15 or 16 unnamed characters and the action moves around from group to group, it's ridiculously confusing to try to figure out WHICH unnamed character you're reading about --- sigh. Also, the "Christian" point of view is nearly gagging --- unfortunately for me, there is a sequel that deals with similarly fascinating subject matter so I'm not done with this guy yet... sigh

[Laura]

I'm impressed that Michael Phillips imagined-up this plot line. I would never in a million years (or 6000 years depending on your point of view) been able to dream this up. Good reminder for me to use my own imagination since I primarily default to a 'what you see is what you get' mode of operation.

- Solid read, plot kept me engaged (in large part because I remained curious as to what Phillips would unfold next).
- Slightly cheesy in parts.
- I haven't digested all the theology to offer an opinion on soundness - I've simply never encountered some of these ideas before.

[Jen]

I read this book quite awhile ago. I was intrigued by the title, and I wasn't disappointed.

The best thing about this book for me was simply the plot. The continual unraveling of the author's speculation on the origins of man were so fascinating that it kept my interest until the very end. There was a lot of actual history in it. The connection to reality was the anchor that kept me guessing.

It's a great mystery, a grand adventure, and has characters with depth. I'm not sure you can ask more from a book. I'll be re-reading this one.

[Shauna]

I liked the book very much. It was a little too...how shall I say this? Right-wing fundamentalist Christian political in some places... But, I loved it none the less. It did remind me that there is good and evil in this world and I want to be on the good side. It is a Christian book by a Christian author and includes archeology, mystery, adventure, and love. Awwww.

I'm going to read the sequel.

[Nancy Cherne Kays]

I read A Rift in Time when it first came out in hard cover. It is one of my favorite all time stories, and of course I wish it was real. But is it? Michael Phillips uses sound Scriptural reference, archaeology, history and modern facts to weave a mesmerizing tale. Could they really have discovered where the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life were/are located? I like to think so.

[Trine]

Thought-provoking thriller on the quest for the original Garden of Eden that may appeal to readers who don't like the novels of Steve Berry or James Rollins as this book also focuses on a religious theme, but viewed primarily from a strictly Biblical point of view.

[Donna]

Really enjoyed this book. This was a great biblical archeological book, that weaved history, archeology and the bible all together. There was mystery, suspense and a little romance. A little bit of everything.

[Danielle]

stopped on page 289. In my last status update I said I would consider giving this a second shot some other day, but for now I just can't do it. I was going to try and finish it today and have it be my last book for 2012, but no such luck. Oh well

[Rick Bavera]

Have read other Michael Phillips, so thought this might be worth the effort.

It is a long book, and was a bit tough at times....sometimes the "preachiness" got in the way of the story.

But it was a good read, dealing with history, archaeology, Noah's ark, Eden, geology, and God.

[Dena]

I love books by Michael R. Phillips. This one was little different because the story took place within the last 20 years. I thought I wouldn't like it but I ended up loving it.

[Sheila]

Very good and engrossing Christian fiction, though long. Look forward to the next book in this series.

[Cynthia Eason]

Pretty interesting theory and a good read, but not terribly challenging. Predictable.

[Rachel Wheat]

Too repetitive in some areas. Too many uses of the word "rejoined/rejoinder" Ok story line.

[Caleb]

It was difficult to adapt to the author's style, but a fascinating plot and thought provoking biblical interpretation make this a good read.

[Susan Farrell]

Had a hard time getting into this book.

[Jennifer Green brommet]

One of my most favorite books

[Crystal]

Well written story with an interesting take on biblical history in a fictional setting. Fast paced action with an "Indiana Jones" type feel. I enjoyed reading this book.

[Katy]

The story takes a long time to unfold, but the author keeps the reader interested the whole time.

[Brandy]

One of my all time favorite books and one of the few o have read more than once.

[Trana Mathews]

While I enjoyed the plot and premise, I found the novel to be repetitious in spots and often over wordy.

[Linda Legeza]

I read this book about 30 years ago and still think of it often

[Elizabeth]

This book is thought-provoking and well researched. The characters are engaging as well. It's long, but I enjoyed it.

[Gary Hardenburg]

Biblically historical adventure with a great good vs evil storyline

I really enjoyed this book. I love adventure stores and mysteries. It was exciting to be with Adam Livingstone in his discovery of Noah’s Ark as well as second stunning discovery that I will leave a mystery. The adventure, danger, evil intent and all aspects of good and evil are well developed and kept me flipping pages as these discover were made. Every day I looked forward to picking up the book and getting lost in the story and well developed characters. There are the good guys and the bad guys as well as some you’re not quite sure are good or bad. Unfortunately they often turn out to be bad. This book contains verses from the Bible and people who accept God into their lives as well as people who are strongly against God. I would not say this was a Christian book or God focused, but Christianity was definitely included. By doing this, the author was able to bring the play the good and evil in this world. If you’re a Christian who likes history and adventure, will love this book. If you are a non-Christian who loves history and adventure, I think you will also enjoy this book. If you are adamantly opposed to anything Christian, then maybe this book is not for you.