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Chaos Chronicles #5
The Reefs of Time
The Mindaru are dead. Or so John Bandicut and company believed, when they returned to Shipworld after saving the Orion Nebula and countless inhabited worlds. But their victory could be short lived. Now this ancient and malicious AI has begun escaping forward in time from billions of years in the past. The cause: a temporal disturbance centered on Li-Jared’s homeworld of Karellia—a disturbance that happens to be crucial to Karellia’s defenses.
The situation is urgent, and the company must act quickly. But Ik goes missing, and then Antares—and Bandicut and Li-Jared, teamed with Ruall, the oddest alien Bandicut has met since the shadow-people, must leave without them for Karellia. Separated from the others, Ik finds himself teamed with another human of Earth, one Julie Stone—on another mission, one that will take them far back in time, to the birthplace of the Mindaru. Can they stop the Mindaru at their source? Can they tap the wisdom of the yaantel, otherwise known as the Translator?
Perils, obstacles, heartbreak, and unexpected joy: The Chaos Chronicles returns at last with its growing cast of characters in The Reefs of Time, part one of a two-part adventure. To be concluded in Crucible of Time—coming in September from Nebula-nominated Jeffrey A. Carver.
The situation is urgent, and the company must act quickly. But Ik goes missing, and then Antares—and Bandicut and Li-Jared, teamed with Ruall, the oddest alien Bandicut has met since the shadow-people, must leave without them for Karellia. Separated from the others, Ik finds himself teamed with another human of Earth, one Julie Stone—on another mission, one that will take them far back in time, to the birthplace of the Mindaru. Can they stop the Mindaru at their source? Can they tap the wisdom of the yaantel, otherwise known as the Translator?
Perils, obstacles, heartbreak, and unexpected joy: The Chaos Chronicles returns at last with its growing cast of characters in The Reefs of Time, part one of a two-part adventure. To be concluded in Crucible of Time—coming in September from Nebula-nominated Jeffrey A. Carver.
- GenresScience Fiction
474 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2019
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97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 23, 2019
This is the first of the Out of Time duology, which together are part of the larger Chaos Chronicles series. The second book of the duology, Crucible of Time, is due out in September. And since I have the ARC, I feel confident in saying, yes, it exists, and yes, you can pre-order it, and can have it in September.
There's a brief intro to get you caught up on where the characters are and why, and then se plunge into the story.
John Bandicut, Antares, Li-Jared, Ik, the robot Napoleon, and the AI Jeaves, are hanging out in a perfectly nice meadow on Shipworld, waiting for something, anything, to happen. It's not that they don't need the rest, after a series of intense, dangerous missions, but they also feel a bit disconnected and even bored.
Not to mention the fact that Ik's translator stones died in their last mission, to the Starmaker Nebula, and he can't really communicate with the others. So it's a bit of a relief when Jeaves shows up to ask them to come to a meeting. Just, you understand, to give advice, not to take on a new mission just yet. They deserve their R&R!
Yeah, well, you know how that goes, right?
Except for the part where, Ik, not able to understand much of the discussion, wanders off to try out one of the nearby workstations, to see if he can find anything useful. Watching events on another part of Shipworld, he sees something very unlikely--another human. He winds up with a choice, either step through the workstation's portal to meet the human, or stay and try to tell John Bandicut--while losing track of this new human. He decides to step through the portal.
He meets the new human, who turns out to be John Bandicut's old girlfriend, Julie Stone, recently arrived on Shipworld from her own intense, near-fatal mission to defeat a lethal threat to Earth. He's no more able to communicate with her than with his other companions, and his clever plan of bringing her right back through the portal he arrived by to meet Bandicut is thwarted when the portal dumps them someplace else.
We learn, from both the people they meet up with, and from Jeaves' explanations to the main group, that communication between areas on Shipworld is becoming difficult, due to factional conflicts within the governing body. But there's a major new threat from the Mindaru, and Julie and Ik get recruited for one faction's urgent mission to deal with it, while Bandicut and the others get recruited for a different faction's urgent mission to deal with it.
Both plans are very, very dangerous. It's also possible they might be unintentionally in conflict with each other.
Everybody is trying to do the right thing; that doesn't mean it's going to be the right thing,. Or that it will work.
More people split off the main group, for what seem unavoidable reasons, and everyone also meets more people, of varied species, whom they will need to work with. They're all complex, interesting people, and first impressions don't tell the whole story on any of them. Shipworld, the Starstream, the ghoststream, the Heart of Fire nebula and the worlds within it, all contribute to a rich, varied, fascinating future cosmos that's a delight to explore.
There are reasons I wait, more or less patiently, for the next Chaos Chronicles book, and it has never been a disappointment. This is no exception.
Highly recommended.
Yes, yes, I received a free electronic galley of this book from the author, and am reviewing it voluntarily. I've also pre-ordered the published book, which will be hitting my Kindle about the time this review goes live.
I mean it. Highly recommended.
There's a brief intro to get you caught up on where the characters are and why, and then se plunge into the story.
John Bandicut, Antares, Li-Jared, Ik, the robot Napoleon, and the AI Jeaves, are hanging out in a perfectly nice meadow on Shipworld, waiting for something, anything, to happen. It's not that they don't need the rest, after a series of intense, dangerous missions, but they also feel a bit disconnected and even bored.
Not to mention the fact that Ik's translator stones died in their last mission, to the Starmaker Nebula, and he can't really communicate with the others. So it's a bit of a relief when Jeaves shows up to ask them to come to a meeting. Just, you understand, to give advice, not to take on a new mission just yet. They deserve their R&R!
Yeah, well, you know how that goes, right?
Except for the part where, Ik, not able to understand much of the discussion, wanders off to try out one of the nearby workstations, to see if he can find anything useful. Watching events on another part of Shipworld, he sees something very unlikely--another human. He winds up with a choice, either step through the workstation's portal to meet the human, or stay and try to tell John Bandicut--while losing track of this new human. He decides to step through the portal.
He meets the new human, who turns out to be John Bandicut's old girlfriend, Julie Stone, recently arrived on Shipworld from her own intense, near-fatal mission to defeat a lethal threat to Earth. He's no more able to communicate with her than with his other companions, and his clever plan of bringing her right back through the portal he arrived by to meet Bandicut is thwarted when the portal dumps them someplace else.
We learn, from both the people they meet up with, and from Jeaves' explanations to the main group, that communication between areas on Shipworld is becoming difficult, due to factional conflicts within the governing body. But there's a major new threat from the Mindaru, and Julie and Ik get recruited for one faction's urgent mission to deal with it, while Bandicut and the others get recruited for a different faction's urgent mission to deal with it.
Both plans are very, very dangerous. It's also possible they might be unintentionally in conflict with each other.
Everybody is trying to do the right thing; that doesn't mean it's going to be the right thing,. Or that it will work.
More people split off the main group, for what seem unavoidable reasons, and everyone also meets more people, of varied species, whom they will need to work with. They're all complex, interesting people, and first impressions don't tell the whole story on any of them. Shipworld, the Starstream, the ghoststream, the Heart of Fire nebula and the worlds within it, all contribute to a rich, varied, fascinating future cosmos that's a delight to explore.
There are reasons I wait, more or less patiently, for the next Chaos Chronicles book, and it has never been a disappointment. This is no exception.
Highly recommended.
Yes, yes, I received a free electronic galley of this book from the author, and am reviewing it voluntarily. I've also pre-ordered the published book, which will be hitting my Kindle about the time this review goes live.
I mean it. Highly recommended.
September 20, 2022
I am preparing for a podcast interview with Jeffrey, and this was the first of his novels I have read. It reminded me of the Lensman Series by E.E. Doc Smith and Ringworld by Larry Niven, two of my favorite series. Really, really good sci-fi space opera with enough now what is happening and drama to keep my turning the pages. Highly recommended if any of the above fits your kind of storytelling.
November 21, 2019
‘The long unmeasured pulse of time moves everything’ - Sophocles
Massachusetts author Jeffrey Carver is a highly respected master of the science fiction genre. His impressive output to date includes THE STAR RIGGER UNIVERSE series of six novels, the two NOVELS OF THE STARSTREAM series, four standalone novels, and this excellent series – THE CHAOS CHRONICLES, of which THE REEFS OF TIME is Book 5 (in tandem with Book 6 CRUCIBLE OF TIME). In addition to writing successful sci-fi novels, Jeffrey hosted the television series Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing for middle school classrooms to teach youngsters how to turn ideas into stories, and now that program is computer-based and available gratis to those who wish to become writers. Jeffrey and his family live outside Boston.
One of the traits that sets Jeffry’s work apart from most sci-fi authors is his attention to detail, a factor that makes even his most incredulous ideas accessible and even visual. The tenor of this novel is set in the Prologue: ‘A river of light, a ribbon of tortured space, the starstream was a new feature in the galaxy by any cosmological standard. A mere human-century old, it had been created by Humanity and Humanity’s galactic friends, or perhaps not so much created as jiggered into being. It was sentient tinkering that had triggered the fusion of three cosmological objects: two black holes and one cosmic hyperstring. The hyperstring, a longline flaw in space-time, was by good fortune already anchored at one end by the star-gobbling black hole at the center of the galaxy. It was the other end that was the object of Humanity’s engineering, which was to trap it like a dinosaur in tar in the black hole left by the collapse of a star called Betelgeuse…’
This degree of insight and philosophical overtones married with a superb story with fine characters is a signature trait for Jeffrey. The plot of this opening of his OUT OF TIME duology follows: ‘The starstream is beautiful. But beauty turns deadly when an ancient AI bent on destruction uses it to travel uptime, to our near-future. The Mindaru are dead. Or so exiled-Earthman John Bandicut and his alien companions believe, when they return to Shipworld after saving the Orion Nebula and countless inhabited worlds. But now another horde from this ancient and malicious AI colony is swarming toward the present from its birthplace deep in the past. Their opening: a temporal disturbance in the starstream, a hyperspatial thoroughfare used by myriad civilizations. The disturbance emanates from the planetary defenses of nearby Karellia, whose people know nothing of the starstream or the galaxy-threatening Mindaru. Only Bandicut and his friends have the knowledge and experience to act. But several of Bandicut’s company have gone missing. Bandicut and Li-Jared must team with the pandimensional Ruall and her gokat—the oddest aliens Bandicut has met since the shadow-people—and journey to Karellia to find a way to cut off the timestream. Separated from the others, Ik meets another human of Earth—a former lover of Bandicut’s! - and embarks with her on a perilous mission far back into deep time, seeking a way to stop the Mindaru at their source. They must thread a maze of impossible decisions. Can they tap the wisdom of the alien yaantel, known to the humans as the translator, to help them through?’
It is now safe to say that Jeffrey A Carver is the contemporary premiere gifted sculptor of Science Fiction novels. This is superb writing!
Massachusetts author Jeffrey Carver is a highly respected master of the science fiction genre. His impressive output to date includes THE STAR RIGGER UNIVERSE series of six novels, the two NOVELS OF THE STARSTREAM series, four standalone novels, and this excellent series – THE CHAOS CHRONICLES, of which THE REEFS OF TIME is Book 5 (in tandem with Book 6 CRUCIBLE OF TIME). In addition to writing successful sci-fi novels, Jeffrey hosted the television series Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing for middle school classrooms to teach youngsters how to turn ideas into stories, and now that program is computer-based and available gratis to those who wish to become writers. Jeffrey and his family live outside Boston.
One of the traits that sets Jeffry’s work apart from most sci-fi authors is his attention to detail, a factor that makes even his most incredulous ideas accessible and even visual. The tenor of this novel is set in the Prologue: ‘A river of light, a ribbon of tortured space, the starstream was a new feature in the galaxy by any cosmological standard. A mere human-century old, it had been created by Humanity and Humanity’s galactic friends, or perhaps not so much created as jiggered into being. It was sentient tinkering that had triggered the fusion of three cosmological objects: two black holes and one cosmic hyperstring. The hyperstring, a longline flaw in space-time, was by good fortune already anchored at one end by the star-gobbling black hole at the center of the galaxy. It was the other end that was the object of Humanity’s engineering, which was to trap it like a dinosaur in tar in the black hole left by the collapse of a star called Betelgeuse…’
This degree of insight and philosophical overtones married with a superb story with fine characters is a signature trait for Jeffrey. The plot of this opening of his OUT OF TIME duology follows: ‘The starstream is beautiful. But beauty turns deadly when an ancient AI bent on destruction uses it to travel uptime, to our near-future. The Mindaru are dead. Or so exiled-Earthman John Bandicut and his alien companions believe, when they return to Shipworld after saving the Orion Nebula and countless inhabited worlds. But now another horde from this ancient and malicious AI colony is swarming toward the present from its birthplace deep in the past. Their opening: a temporal disturbance in the starstream, a hyperspatial thoroughfare used by myriad civilizations. The disturbance emanates from the planetary defenses of nearby Karellia, whose people know nothing of the starstream or the galaxy-threatening Mindaru. Only Bandicut and his friends have the knowledge and experience to act. But several of Bandicut’s company have gone missing. Bandicut and Li-Jared must team with the pandimensional Ruall and her gokat—the oddest aliens Bandicut has met since the shadow-people—and journey to Karellia to find a way to cut off the timestream. Separated from the others, Ik meets another human of Earth—a former lover of Bandicut’s! - and embarks with her on a perilous mission far back into deep time, seeking a way to stop the Mindaru at their source. They must thread a maze of impossible decisions. Can they tap the wisdom of the alien yaantel, known to the humans as the translator, to help them through?’
It is now safe to say that Jeffrey A Carver is the contemporary premiere gifted sculptor of Science Fiction novels. This is superb writing!
December 21, 2021
Given that this is the fifth chapter of the series, a good, simple, up to the point re-cap is given with all the information that we might need in order to understand what has happened in the previous books, and we are ready to start rolling.
The scientific aspect of the book is very well put and attention is paid to the details, with reference to stars that actually exist, and bodies in space such as meteor belts, planets and even the constitution of such planets, which is awesome and gives another layer of believability to the whole book.
The narration is perfect, with a great pace, and the introduction of the actual story is very well made, making us, the readers become engaged with the plot and the characters with ease, even if we haven’t read the previous four book. The imagery on this great book is suggestive, being accurately descriptive but leaving room for the reader to take its own conclusions and put much of its own imagination on the book as the story develops with its consistent, deliberate pace.
The emotion of the characters is very well displayed in the interactions that occur, and the author can and does show the inner struggles of characters with ease that makes us readers understand, relate and feel the weight of such pains and joys, the doubts and fears in our own selves which makes the whole book even more intriguing.
It’s surprising to see how well Jeffrey A. Carter manages to make realistic interactions between characters according to their moods, and how natural the whole thing feels. It seems like the characters had a will of their own. Not only that but the internal thinking processes of the characters were also very well put and it helped in making the story more believable. We have curious characters, like god-like entities with extreme powers, others with extreme knowledge, but are not at all perfect, and although present many incredible traits, still have basic flaws such as uncertainties, fears and trauma.
There are some moments that you relate to the apprehension of the characters, like when they are trying to decide whether to enter a portal, accept a crazy mission, leave their friends behind or just be projected through space and time and risk their own deaths in the process, and if they survive such experience, to fight the deadliest force in the universe, in its purest form.
Mysterious conflicts and interests of the major ruling groups set the tone of many things, and the destines of our friends in this story, and it seems that they are being either manipulated all the way through, or there is in fact a disagreement that is creating factions of thought in the upper levels of the planet’s government, causing several complications on the common mission they are sending our team on.
The mystery and the amount of secrets inside the book is enticing, with questions growing and answers that take time to appear, as our characters try to work around the reason why are they being sent to several deadly missions and yet, not being acknowledge by anyone once they complete them, and we as readers are as clueless as the characters. Very nice.
There is a war between two planets that is threatening to destroy life itself by opening a portal in time to an ancient galactic evil, the Mindaru, and our heroes, tired from three missions that saved the several galaxies, are forced to take another mission that may ensure the survival of their worlds, and life itself on the universe.
Although there is a high plot-focus on the resolution of this war, preferably without causing destruction, there are other very interesting side-plots and the main story diverges into forks that later interconnect, because of the co-dependence of events, increasing both the thriller and the mystery aspects of the book.
To write such a long story, and keep it ever interesting to the reader, is a feat onto itself, a feat that Jeffrey A. Carver managed to do with apparent ease. The plots, the characters, the attention to detail and originality of the names, places and circumstances is something to admire and nod to. The author clearly took his time to develop the story and make sure that everything was properly set and kept consistent. Very nicely done.
So, we have two dangerous space mission, organized by separate parts of a mysterious government to face the deadliest foe in the universe, again, a billion-year travel backwards into time, and John’s Bandicut’s niece trying to reach his uncle that is at the edge of the galaxy. Three plots filled with mystery, uncertainty and the complexities of space travel and interstellar conflict, told in a measured and paced manner that will make the reading easy and ever interesting, although the main question for all of them stand: “Will they be able to find the Mindaru? If they do, will they be able to face them? And above all, how much luck will they need in order to survive this second encounter, this time with a force a thousand times stronger?“
Pros:
Excellent character interactions
Excellent descriptions of scenery, universal bodies and laws, the science part was solid, very solid
Excellent character interactions and display of emotions, motives and states of mind
Great narrative pace that kept the book going consistently without making the reader lose interest
The author keeps the mystery of the story by leaving lots of dark points in the happenings from our characters and the readers
Great plot development, and nice alteration between main and side plots
Nice names of characters, the way of speech and the peculiar thing that defined each species and the way their anatomy was made as alien as possible
Solid character consistency
Lots of surprises in the developement of the stories that come out of nowhere
Cons:
None
Lesson from the book: “Governments are shady”
Favourite Character: “Ik”
Cover Score: 8.7/10
Book score: 8.5/10
The scientific aspect of the book is very well put and attention is paid to the details, with reference to stars that actually exist, and bodies in space such as meteor belts, planets and even the constitution of such planets, which is awesome and gives another layer of believability to the whole book.
The narration is perfect, with a great pace, and the introduction of the actual story is very well made, making us, the readers become engaged with the plot and the characters with ease, even if we haven’t read the previous four book. The imagery on this great book is suggestive, being accurately descriptive but leaving room for the reader to take its own conclusions and put much of its own imagination on the book as the story develops with its consistent, deliberate pace.
The emotion of the characters is very well displayed in the interactions that occur, and the author can and does show the inner struggles of characters with ease that makes us readers understand, relate and feel the weight of such pains and joys, the doubts and fears in our own selves which makes the whole book even more intriguing.
It’s surprising to see how well Jeffrey A. Carter manages to make realistic interactions between characters according to their moods, and how natural the whole thing feels. It seems like the characters had a will of their own. Not only that but the internal thinking processes of the characters were also very well put and it helped in making the story more believable. We have curious characters, like god-like entities with extreme powers, others with extreme knowledge, but are not at all perfect, and although present many incredible traits, still have basic flaws such as uncertainties, fears and trauma.
There are some moments that you relate to the apprehension of the characters, like when they are trying to decide whether to enter a portal, accept a crazy mission, leave their friends behind or just be projected through space and time and risk their own deaths in the process, and if they survive such experience, to fight the deadliest force in the universe, in its purest form.
Mysterious conflicts and interests of the major ruling groups set the tone of many things, and the destines of our friends in this story, and it seems that they are being either manipulated all the way through, or there is in fact a disagreement that is creating factions of thought in the upper levels of the planet’s government, causing several complications on the common mission they are sending our team on.
The mystery and the amount of secrets inside the book is enticing, with questions growing and answers that take time to appear, as our characters try to work around the reason why are they being sent to several deadly missions and yet, not being acknowledge by anyone once they complete them, and we as readers are as clueless as the characters. Very nice.
There is a war between two planets that is threatening to destroy life itself by opening a portal in time to an ancient galactic evil, the Mindaru, and our heroes, tired from three missions that saved the several galaxies, are forced to take another mission that may ensure the survival of their worlds, and life itself on the universe.
Although there is a high plot-focus on the resolution of this war, preferably without causing destruction, there are other very interesting side-plots and the main story diverges into forks that later interconnect, because of the co-dependence of events, increasing both the thriller and the mystery aspects of the book.
To write such a long story, and keep it ever interesting to the reader, is a feat onto itself, a feat that Jeffrey A. Carver managed to do with apparent ease. The plots, the characters, the attention to detail and originality of the names, places and circumstances is something to admire and nod to. The author clearly took his time to develop the story and make sure that everything was properly set and kept consistent. Very nicely done.
So, we have two dangerous space mission, organized by separate parts of a mysterious government to face the deadliest foe in the universe, again, a billion-year travel backwards into time, and John’s Bandicut’s niece trying to reach his uncle that is at the edge of the galaxy. Three plots filled with mystery, uncertainty and the complexities of space travel and interstellar conflict, told in a measured and paced manner that will make the reading easy and ever interesting, although the main question for all of them stand: “Will they be able to find the Mindaru? If they do, will they be able to face them? And above all, how much luck will they need in order to survive this second encounter, this time with a force a thousand times stronger?“
Pros:
Excellent character interactions
Excellent descriptions of scenery, universal bodies and laws, the science part was solid, very solid
Excellent character interactions and display of emotions, motives and states of mind
Great narrative pace that kept the book going consistently without making the reader lose interest
The author keeps the mystery of the story by leaving lots of dark points in the happenings from our characters and the readers
Great plot development, and nice alteration between main and side plots
Nice names of characters, the way of speech and the peculiar thing that defined each species and the way their anatomy was made as alien as possible
Solid character consistency
Lots of surprises in the developement of the stories that come out of nowhere
Cons:
None
Lesson from the book: “Governments are shady”
Favourite Character: “Ik”
Cover Score: 8.7/10
Book score: 8.5/10
January 23, 2022
I’ve been a sci-fi fan most of my life. From a young age, I was obsessed with the idea of life on other worlds and pushing the boundaries of what we know about the universe. To me, this story captured the wonder and adventure of Star Wars and the mind-bending, time-twisting narratives found within the Star Trek universe, while also capturing the close-knit space crew feeling that Firefly always had.
The character development was phenomenal, and although I’m fairly new to this series, I was blown away by the way the narrative and descriptive nature of the author’s writing allowed readers to get engaged in the story. The world-building was just breathtaking though, to be honest. Exploring not just space and the universe the author has created, but the secret history of the universe as well thanks to time travel elements and a nefarious rogue AI paired with a malicious alien threat, making this a hauntingly entertaining sci-fi read.
The character development was phenomenal, and although I’m fairly new to this series, I was blown away by the way the narrative and descriptive nature of the author’s writing allowed readers to get engaged in the story. The world-building was just breathtaking though, to be honest. Exploring not just space and the universe the author has created, but the secret history of the universe as well thanks to time travel elements and a nefarious rogue AI paired with a malicious alien threat, making this a hauntingly entertaining sci-fi read.
July 23, 2019
We've all heard that "there's no I in TEAM" or but what happens when your highly effective group of planet-savers gets separated back into the component "I"s and you don't have your teammates any more to make the dream work? In Reefs of Time, the latest volume of Jeffrey Carver's Chaos Chronicles, the crack team of expert world-savers barely has time to rest from their previous missions before they are divided by communication, political, and physical barriers and sent on separate (and possibly conflicting) missions.
The overarching theme in Reefs is the struggle to do the best one can with imperfect knowledge. The characters, singly or in pairs, work on different aspects of the latest threat to the universe like a family sitting around sections of a jigsaw puzzle. Distance and the fog of war mean that without each other's expertise to rely on, they must draw on their past experiences as well as a host of new beings they meet on Shipworld. (Some are more helpful than others.) My favorite new character is an enigmatic librarian named Amaduse, who tweaks the characters for their reliance on the easy but incomplete information found in the iceline, Shipworld's central computer network. "Not everything is in the iceline," he chides. Carver's characters are pleasantly multi-dimensional. Rather than being one-dimensional baddies, some of the initial antagonists turn out to have quite reasonable explanations for their behavior, and everyone has at least a small amount of character growth over the course of the story.
One of Jeffrey Carver's biggest talents is world-building. His descriptions are "thick;" I could picture all the locations and beings and action sequences very well. I almost felt gleeful as I consumed the descriptions of how Shipworld was put together, since its multiple environments were one of my favorite parts of Strange Attractors. Despite being about a ragtag multi-species crew, or perhaps because of it, the story has universality. The constant struggle to find food "just like home" on Shipworld was something we all can relate to, as well as the desire for "I just deserve a rest before the next life crisis." I also liked how the story kept me guessing along the way. Things that could be explained away as strings of random coincidences to aid the narrative seem suspicious, but is it just the human tendency to make patterns out of things that aren't there?
The only thing that sat uncomfortably with me was the use of the trope where characters "go back in time to prevent something only to cause it to happen in the first place." Even this is not a sure thing, though. The ambiguity and desperate hope that pervade the story apply here, in that maybe things will work out for the best in the next act, Crucible of Time (out in September 2019).
Even though the book is the fifth book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the other books before reading this one. The "catching up" information is spread out in refreshing bursts throughout the first section, rather than the squirmy expository info-dump over tea that one sometimes finds. I recommend this book for anyone who likes imagining the possibilities of infinite combinations of beings and worlds from upright gerbils to spiders and everything else under the galaxy's suns, as well as anyone who likes a good beat-the-clock thriller against a terrifying Big Bad.
This review was based on a free eARC in return for an honest review, but I am definitely going to buy myself a paper copy!
The overarching theme in Reefs is the struggle to do the best one can with imperfect knowledge. The characters, singly or in pairs, work on different aspects of the latest threat to the universe like a family sitting around sections of a jigsaw puzzle. Distance and the fog of war mean that without each other's expertise to rely on, they must draw on their past experiences as well as a host of new beings they meet on Shipworld. (Some are more helpful than others.) My favorite new character is an enigmatic librarian named Amaduse, who tweaks the characters for their reliance on the easy but incomplete information found in the iceline, Shipworld's central computer network. "Not everything is in the iceline," he chides. Carver's characters are pleasantly multi-dimensional. Rather than being one-dimensional baddies, some of the initial antagonists turn out to have quite reasonable explanations for their behavior, and everyone has at least a small amount of character growth over the course of the story.
One of Jeffrey Carver's biggest talents is world-building. His descriptions are "thick;" I could picture all the locations and beings and action sequences very well. I almost felt gleeful as I consumed the descriptions of how Shipworld was put together, since its multiple environments were one of my favorite parts of Strange Attractors. Despite being about a ragtag multi-species crew, or perhaps because of it, the story has universality. The constant struggle to find food "just like home" on Shipworld was something we all can relate to, as well as the desire for "I just deserve a rest before the next life crisis." I also liked how the story kept me guessing along the way. Things that could be explained away as strings of random coincidences to aid the narrative seem suspicious, but is it just the human tendency to make patterns out of things that aren't there?
The only thing that sat uncomfortably with me was the use of the trope where characters "go back in time to prevent something only to cause it to happen in the first place." Even this is not a sure thing, though. The ambiguity and desperate hope that pervade the story apply here, in that maybe things will work out for the best in the next act, Crucible of Time (out in September 2019).
Even though the book is the fifth book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the other books before reading this one. The "catching up" information is spread out in refreshing bursts throughout the first section, rather than the squirmy expository info-dump over tea that one sometimes finds. I recommend this book for anyone who likes imagining the possibilities of infinite combinations of beings and worlds from upright gerbils to spiders and everything else under the galaxy's suns, as well as anyone who likes a good beat-the-clock thriller against a terrifying Big Bad.
This review was based on a free eARC in return for an honest review, but I am definitely going to buy myself a paper copy!
March 2, 2024
Jeffrey A. Carver's 'The Reefs of Time' is a captivating sci-fi novel that takes readers on an exhilarating journey across time and space. It's part 1 of the "out-of-the-sequence" book. The story is a brilliant blend of intricate world-building, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes.
Set in a future where humanity has colonized the stars, the novel follows a diverse cast of characters as they pass through a series of interconnected events that span different timelines. From the bustling streets of a futuristic Earth to the enigmatic depths of alien worlds, Carver creates a vivid and immersive universe that's thrilling and deeply imaginative.
The diverse cast of characters in this book is well-developed and relatable, each with their motivations and struggles that drive the plot forward. This is the first thing that stood out for me, especially the character of the translator when Julie Stone went to it for guidance. The translator creates a picture of how we need to analyze things when we are at a crossroads.
Another thing that stood out for me in the book was the author's writing style. Carver's prose is elegant, evocative, and highly descriptive, painting vivid images and evoking strong emotions. His writing style enhances the immersive experience of the story, drawing readers deeper into the world of "The Reefs of Time" with every page turn. It makes it a book that non-sci-fi lovers will enjoy.
The only thing I dislike about The Reefs of Time is its pacing. The novel's pacing, especially in the early chapters, is slow. Some readers may find themselves impatient for the plot to pick up speed.
Overall, The Reefs of Time by Jeffrey A. Carver is a captivating science fiction novel which offers a richly detailed world, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes. I didn't encounter any errors in the book; therefore, I'm giving it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
I'll recommend that fans of sci-fi novels read this book. Especially those interested in everything related to space and the aliens. Also, it'll captivate readers seeking an epic adventure in a richly imagined universe.
Set in a future where humanity has colonized the stars, the novel follows a diverse cast of characters as they pass through a series of interconnected events that span different timelines. From the bustling streets of a futuristic Earth to the enigmatic depths of alien worlds, Carver creates a vivid and immersive universe that's thrilling and deeply imaginative.
The diverse cast of characters in this book is well-developed and relatable, each with their motivations and struggles that drive the plot forward. This is the first thing that stood out for me, especially the character of the translator when Julie Stone went to it for guidance. The translator creates a picture of how we need to analyze things when we are at a crossroads.
Another thing that stood out for me in the book was the author's writing style. Carver's prose is elegant, evocative, and highly descriptive, painting vivid images and evoking strong emotions. His writing style enhances the immersive experience of the story, drawing readers deeper into the world of "The Reefs of Time" with every page turn. It makes it a book that non-sci-fi lovers will enjoy.
The only thing I dislike about The Reefs of Time is its pacing. The novel's pacing, especially in the early chapters, is slow. Some readers may find themselves impatient for the plot to pick up speed.
Overall, The Reefs of Time by Jeffrey A. Carver is a captivating science fiction novel which offers a richly detailed world, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes. I didn't encounter any errors in the book; therefore, I'm giving it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
I'll recommend that fans of sci-fi novels read this book. Especially those interested in everything related to space and the aliens. Also, it'll captivate readers seeking an epic adventure in a richly imagined universe.
March 8, 2024
The Reefs of Time" by Jeffrey A. Carver is a thrilling and imaginative science fiction novel that transports readers on a mind-bending journey through time and space. As the first part of a heartstopping two-part adventure in the Chaos Chronicles series, Carver delivers a gripping narrative filled with high-stakes action, complex characters, and thought-provoking concepts.
At the center of the story is exiled-Earthman John Bandicut and his alien companions, who believe they have successfully thwarted the ancient and malicious AI colony known as the Mindaru. However, when a temporal disturbance in the starstream threatens the galaxy, Bandicut and his friends must once again confront the looming threat of the Mindaru. With their knowledge and experience, they embark on a perilous mission to stop the AI colony from wreaking havoc on humanity's future.
Carver's world-building is truly exceptional, immersing readers in a richly detailed universe filled with diverse civilizations, advanced technology, and fascinating alien species. From the breathtaking beauty of the starstream to the mysterious depths of deep time, the author expertly crafts a vivid and immersive setting that captivates the imagination.
The characters in "The Reefs of Time" are equally compelling, each with their own unique motivations, strengths, and flaws. From the determined and resourceful John Bandicut to the enigmatic Ruall and her gokat companion, Carver's cast of characters is dynamic and multifaceted, driving the story forward with their actions and decisions.
One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its exploration of complex themes such as time travel, artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. Carver seamlessly weaves together scientific concepts with philosophical questions, challenging readers to contemplate the implications of humanity's technological advancements and our place in the vast expanse of the cosmos.
At the center of the story is exiled-Earthman John Bandicut and his alien companions, who believe they have successfully thwarted the ancient and malicious AI colony known as the Mindaru. However, when a temporal disturbance in the starstream threatens the galaxy, Bandicut and his friends must once again confront the looming threat of the Mindaru. With their knowledge and experience, they embark on a perilous mission to stop the AI colony from wreaking havoc on humanity's future.
Carver's world-building is truly exceptional, immersing readers in a richly detailed universe filled with diverse civilizations, advanced technology, and fascinating alien species. From the breathtaking beauty of the starstream to the mysterious depths of deep time, the author expertly crafts a vivid and immersive setting that captivates the imagination.
The characters in "The Reefs of Time" are equally compelling, each with their own unique motivations, strengths, and flaws. From the determined and resourceful John Bandicut to the enigmatic Ruall and her gokat companion, Carver's cast of characters is dynamic and multifaceted, driving the story forward with their actions and decisions.
One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its exploration of complex themes such as time travel, artificial intelligence, and the nature of consciousness. Carver seamlessly weaves together scientific concepts with philosophical questions, challenging readers to contemplate the implications of humanity's technological advancements and our place in the vast expanse of the cosmos.
December 29, 2023
The Reefs of Time by Jeffery A. Carver is an epic fantasy adventure. It is packed full dangers, missions, risks, and a malicious AI. I am not really a fan of science fiction, but this read was very entertaining to me. Jeffery A. Carver made this book similar to what I loved about the Star Wars films. As a reader, I enjoyed how he combined modern technology with stuff that we typically experience and see in most sci-fi fantasy reads. Not that science fiction reads do not have the latest gadgets, but we see a common thing trending in the modern world taken into this piece of work. With it, it brings the fears, joys, and a thrilling ride. The cast of characters are as varied as the creatures of the deep sea. I prefer a variety in the cast anyways. It makes the read more engaging. Overall, I am impressed with Jeffery Carver's writing.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
February 2, 2020
A True Page Turner!
I didn't know if I could stand the mounting tension, yet here I sit, literally (what an abused word) on the edge of my seat. It was all I could do to not skip to the last pages of this book, but boy am I glad that I didn't!
I wish that these characters were more real than some words in a book. They have such life to them! Julie, John, Ik, Coppy and all of the rest of the characters. Brought to life and then thrust into a universe of turmoil!
Maybe that's why I am so enthralled by this series. The turmoil of our real lives are reflected in each of them. John with his disability that isn't a disability. Ik with his long view. Li-Jared with his call to action. Antares the counselor. All of them so real, yet are only ideas in print. I am ravenous for the last book which I shall now start reading.
I didn't know if I could stand the mounting tension, yet here I sit, literally (what an abused word) on the edge of my seat. It was all I could do to not skip to the last pages of this book, but boy am I glad that I didn't!
I wish that these characters were more real than some words in a book. They have such life to them! Julie, John, Ik, Coppy and all of the rest of the characters. Brought to life and then thrust into a universe of turmoil!
Maybe that's why I am so enthralled by this series. The turmoil of our real lives are reflected in each of them. John with his disability that isn't a disability. Ik with his long view. Li-Jared with his call to action. Antares the counselor. All of them so real, yet are only ideas in print. I am ravenous for the last book which I shall now start reading.
February 25, 2024
This is the start of the Out of Time story, and you really need to read this one before the other (see my review of the second part here). I read them out of order, and though I enjoyed the second half, having the first half gives a lot more insight into the story.
Jeffrey A Carver is a very descriptive author. He sets up not only one world but a whole universe throughout time. Bringing the future and the past together is not an easy endeavour for an author, but Jeffrey does it well. Finding people who should be dead, based on timelines, is a shocker, and the character reactions are spot on.
The characters are so different, yet they form a strong bond with each other to the point where they are willing to put their lives on the line.
If you enjoy sci-fi, this will be a great read.
Jeffrey A Carver is a very descriptive author. He sets up not only one world but a whole universe throughout time. Bringing the future and the past together is not an easy endeavour for an author, but Jeffrey does it well. Finding people who should be dead, based on timelines, is a shocker, and the character reactions are spot on.
The characters are so different, yet they form a strong bond with each other to the point where they are willing to put their lives on the line.
If you enjoy sci-fi, this will be a great read.
August 16, 2019
The first half of the fifth entry in this series exhibits all the hallmarks of Jeffrey Carver's style: clear prose, a strong narrative, vivid characters, and endless invention. Some of the aliens here are truly alien, and the set-up here should pay of in the second half of the "Out of Time" sequence (together part 5 of "Chaos Chronicles"). Fortunately "Crucible of Time" is to be released shortly. (Sept. 2019)
May 11, 2022
I do love these Chaos Chronicles of Carver’s he pushes his science just as far as he can whilst still staying grounded in known hard science. Sometimes a tenuous fine line to walk but he mostly does it with aplomb and all wrapped up in engaging stories with engaging characters. I felt the ending left the reader hanging rather but, in fairness, Carver did originally intend the last two books in this series to be a single volume but they grew rather too big for that!
November 27, 2019
It was really great to get back together with the gang of characters that I've been following for so many years. The merging story lines of characters I didn't really expect to join was a nice surprise.
Finding out more about there Translator is really intriguing. It was always such a mystery over the years.
I'm really looking forward to the second part!
Finding out more about there Translator is really intriguing. It was always such a mystery over the years.
I'm really looking forward to the second part!
October 29, 2021
This is the second book in this series that i started and then decided not to finish. I made it almost all the way through this one, but since it's really part 1 of a two part story, I guess I only made it about halfway through. Not bad, but in the end I just didn't care about the every increasing numbers of characters and plots which seemed to pad an otherwise very exciting premise.
June 30, 2019
If you like character driven, imaginative, innovative space epics, I can whole-heartedly recommend this series. Very enjoyable meld of classic SF and spec-fic.
I got an advance copy of this ebook, with no obligation to review. I will be buying a solid copy asap.
I got an advance copy of this ebook, with no obligation to review. I will be buying a solid copy asap.
July 19, 2019
The Chaos Chronicles continue... and Jeffrey A Carver offers us a fast-paced, hard science fiction series with a vivid storyline and new characters, along with Bandicut & Company. This is Carver at his best. And as always, his fans want more!
May 15, 2020
A magical science fiction journey!
Massachusetts author Jeffrey Carver is a highly respected master of the science fiction genre. His impressive output to date includes THE STAR RIGGER UNIVERSE series of six novels, the two NOVELS OF THE STARSTREAM series, four standalone novels, and this excellent series – THE CHAOS CHRONICLES, of which THE REEFS OF TIME is Book 5 (in tandem with Book 6 THE CRUCIBLE OF TIME). In addition to writing successful sci-fi novels, Jeffrey hosted the television series Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing for middle school classrooms to teach youngsters how to turn ideas into stories, and now that program is computer based and available gratis to those who wish to become writers. Jeffrey and his family live outside Boston.
One of the traits that sets Jeffry’s work apart from most sci-fi authors is his attention to detail, a factor that makes even his most incredulous ideas accessible and even visual. The tenor of this novel is set in the Prologue; ‘A river of light, a ribbon of tortured space, the starstream was a new feature in the galaxy by any cosmological standard. A mere human-century old, it had been created by Humanity and Humanity’s galactic friends, or perhaps not so much created as jiggered into being. It was sentient tinkering that had triggered the fusion of three cosmological objects: two black holes and one cosmic hyperstring. The hyperstring, a longline flaw in space-time, was by good fortune already anchored at one end by the star-gobbling black hole at the center of the galaxy. It was the other end that was the object of Humanity’s engineering, which was to trap it like a dinosaur in tar in the black hole left by the collapse of a star called Betelguese…’
This degree of insight and philosophical overtones married with a superb story with fine characters is a signature trait for Jeffrey. The plot of this inception of his OUT OF TIME duology follows: ‘The starstream is beautiful. But beauty turns deadly when an ancient AI bent on destruction uses it to travel uptime, to our near-future. The Mindaru are dead. Or so exiled-Earthman John Bandicut and his alien companions believe, when they return to Shipworld after saving the Orion Nebula and countless inhabited worlds. But now another horde from this ancient and malicious AI colony is swarming toward the present from its birthplace deep in the past. Their opening: a temporal disturbance in the starstream, a hyperspatial thoroughfare used by myriad civilizations. The disturbance emanates from the planetary defenses of nearby Karellia, whose people know nothing of the starstream or the galaxy-threatening Mindaru. Only Bandicut and his friends have the knowledge and experience to act. But several of Bandicut’s company have gone missing. Bandicut and Li-Jared must team with the pandimensional Ruall and her gokat—the oddest aliens Bandicut has met since the shadow-people—and journey to Karellia to find a way to cut off the timestream. Separated from the others, Ik meets another human of Earth—a former lover of Bandicut’s!—and embarks with her on a perilous mission far back into deep time, seeking a way to stop the Mindaru at their source. They must thread a maze of impossible decisions. Can they tap the wisdom of the alien yaantel, known to the humans as the translator, to help them through?’
Writing of this quality is rare today – science fiction molded into credible possibilities. For full impact, read the entire CHAOS CHRONICLES series – a perfect way to enjoy the present confinement! Highly recommended.
Massachusetts author Jeffrey Carver is a highly respected master of the science fiction genre. His impressive output to date includes THE STAR RIGGER UNIVERSE series of six novels, the two NOVELS OF THE STARSTREAM series, four standalone novels, and this excellent series – THE CHAOS CHRONICLES, of which THE REEFS OF TIME is Book 5 (in tandem with Book 6 THE CRUCIBLE OF TIME). In addition to writing successful sci-fi novels, Jeffrey hosted the television series Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing for middle school classrooms to teach youngsters how to turn ideas into stories, and now that program is computer based and available gratis to those who wish to become writers. Jeffrey and his family live outside Boston.
One of the traits that sets Jeffry’s work apart from most sci-fi authors is his attention to detail, a factor that makes even his most incredulous ideas accessible and even visual. The tenor of this novel is set in the Prologue; ‘A river of light, a ribbon of tortured space, the starstream was a new feature in the galaxy by any cosmological standard. A mere human-century old, it had been created by Humanity and Humanity’s galactic friends, or perhaps not so much created as jiggered into being. It was sentient tinkering that had triggered the fusion of three cosmological objects: two black holes and one cosmic hyperstring. The hyperstring, a longline flaw in space-time, was by good fortune already anchored at one end by the star-gobbling black hole at the center of the galaxy. It was the other end that was the object of Humanity’s engineering, which was to trap it like a dinosaur in tar in the black hole left by the collapse of a star called Betelguese…’
This degree of insight and philosophical overtones married with a superb story with fine characters is a signature trait for Jeffrey. The plot of this inception of his OUT OF TIME duology follows: ‘The starstream is beautiful. But beauty turns deadly when an ancient AI bent on destruction uses it to travel uptime, to our near-future. The Mindaru are dead. Or so exiled-Earthman John Bandicut and his alien companions believe, when they return to Shipworld after saving the Orion Nebula and countless inhabited worlds. But now another horde from this ancient and malicious AI colony is swarming toward the present from its birthplace deep in the past. Their opening: a temporal disturbance in the starstream, a hyperspatial thoroughfare used by myriad civilizations. The disturbance emanates from the planetary defenses of nearby Karellia, whose people know nothing of the starstream or the galaxy-threatening Mindaru. Only Bandicut and his friends have the knowledge and experience to act. But several of Bandicut’s company have gone missing. Bandicut and Li-Jared must team with the pandimensional Ruall and her gokat—the oddest aliens Bandicut has met since the shadow-people—and journey to Karellia to find a way to cut off the timestream. Separated from the others, Ik meets another human of Earth—a former lover of Bandicut’s!—and embarks with her on a perilous mission far back into deep time, seeking a way to stop the Mindaru at their source. They must thread a maze of impossible decisions. Can they tap the wisdom of the alien yaantel, known to the humans as the translator, to help them through?’
Writing of this quality is rare today – science fiction molded into credible possibilities. For full impact, read the entire CHAOS CHRONICLES series – a perfect way to enjoy the present confinement! Highly recommended.
August 6, 2019
I needn't have worried that the years since the last of the Chaos Chronicles episodes would have taken their toll. It was like coming home to friends -- sure, coming home to far-flung mind-stretching adventures with those friends, along with intriguing and very unique aliens (both friendly and hostile) and seemingly impossible tasks to accomplish and emotional roller coasters thrown in for good measure. But coming home, nonetheless. Kudos, Mr. Carver! I am eagerly awaiting part two of the Out of Time Sequence! (Thankfully, only a few months to wait, not years!)
October 19, 2019
Bandicut and company are still licking their wounds from their last mission to save the galaxy when they get pressed into service once again. An enjoyable continuation of the series.
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