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Across Horizons #2
Foregone Conflict
A desperate team of travelers. A world at war. A new destiny.
Once you jump back in time, you can never return. Lincoln Woodhouse knows this, but that doesn’t keep him from trying. After all, who wants to live forever in a brutal land of scimitar-toothed cats and vengeful Neanderthals?
Lincoln, Skyra, and the rest of the team escape by jumping forward 47,000 years. But the present isn’t what it used to be. In this new timeline Neanderthals are not extinct, and the world is at war.
With only enough equipment for two more time jumps, the travelers prepare to jump again before they get caught up in the conflict. Too late—the team is attacked and captured, and soon they find themselves amid an extraordinary society of spider-worshipping Neanderthals.
Lincoln and Skyra, although from two very different worlds, deepen their unusual bond as they become embroiled in a daring plan to launch a revolution. In the midst of turmoil and deceit, they make a new friend—who may embody their future destiny.
Foregone Conflict, the second book in the new Across Horizons series, is for readers who love time travel adventures, strange alien societies, and unforgettable characters.
Once you jump back in time, you can never return. Lincoln Woodhouse knows this, but that doesn’t keep him from trying. After all, who wants to live forever in a brutal land of scimitar-toothed cats and vengeful Neanderthals?
Lincoln, Skyra, and the rest of the team escape by jumping forward 47,000 years. But the present isn’t what it used to be. In this new timeline Neanderthals are not extinct, and the world is at war.
With only enough equipment for two more time jumps, the travelers prepare to jump again before they get caught up in the conflict. Too late—the team is attacked and captured, and soon they find themselves amid an extraordinary society of spider-worshipping Neanderthals.
Lincoln and Skyra, although from two very different worlds, deepen their unusual bond as they become embroiled in a daring plan to launch a revolution. In the midst of turmoil and deceit, they make a new friend—who may embody their future destiny.
Foregone Conflict, the second book in the new Across Horizons series, is for readers who love time travel adventures, strange alien societies, and unforgettable characters.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2020
450 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 15, 2020
The present isn't what it used to be!
Foregone Conflict by Stan C Smith continues the story of the Neanderthal girl and the scientists time travelers. They jump back to their time line but life is not what it should be at all! Neanderthals and humans are at war with each other and some prehistoric creatures survived also. Neanderthals didn't die off. There is no advanced civilization. This is their story of trying to survive a brutish life style.
Foregone Conflict by Stan C Smith continues the story of the Neanderthal girl and the scientists time travelers. They jump back to their time line but life is not what it should be at all! Neanderthals and humans are at war with each other and some prehistoric creatures survived also. Neanderthals didn't die off. There is no advanced civilization. This is their story of trying to survive a brutish life style.
October 25, 2020
Review to come soon.
July 30, 2020
Stan delivers again! Foregone Conflict, the second in Smith’s Across Horizons sci-fi series, will hook you from page one and then plunge you into a time-travel adventure filled with ominous twists. From the very beginning, the fierce and cunning female protagonist, Skyra, boldly attacks another life-changing moment and thrusts the reader into another fast-paced book by Stan C. Smith. Check it out! Wow!
August 2, 2020
Have you ever stopped for a minute and wondered what our world would be like if Neanderthals hadn't gone extinct? What might things be like today? Could the human race have ceased to exist? Could the Neanderthals have wiped us out until all that was left of us was a few bones, and 2% of our DNA? Or could humans and Neanderthals have learned to co-exist and live in peace and harmony on this beautiful planet we shared. Or could we have in time become one hybrid race? Or could we have...there are so many possibilities, I cannot begin to name them. However, the wonderful mind of Stan C. Smith has made a guess on what might have happened. A guess that will keep you up at night. A guess so interesting, so intriguing that you will wonder if this timeline really isn't a guess at all, but a timeline actually visited by time travelers? Could Mr. Smith have actually been there or did his time travelling friends tell him about it? This story doesn't seem like a story at all. Sure, there's heart pounding action and breathtaking adventure as there should be in any great story or book, but there's more to it than that. It just doesn't seem to me to be only a great story. The characters in the book aren't shallow, made-up characters..the good guys versus the bad guys. They're people, with all the fears, cares, and confusion that fill a person during times of stress, confusion, and fear. Surely Lincoln, Skyra, Derek, and all the others are only figments of imagination in the impressive and unfettered mind of Stan C. Smith. They have to be. That's what I keep telling myself. I suggest you read FOREGONE CONFLICT for yourself and see what you think. FOREGONE CONFLICT is the second book in the ACROSS HORIZONS series. If you haven't already read the first book, OBSOLETE THEOREM, I suggest you read it first. It leads right into this second book and you will be glad you did. It's another great book you won't want to miss.
July 30, 2020
Do we need war to have a fighting chance at a good life?
Imagination that never quits is how I would describe any of Stan C. Smith’s novels. His fascination with nature brings to life the most unusual and sometimes chilling animal creatures and confrontations. His time travel scenarios evoke angst and wonder…but will the battles ever cease? This is what had concerned me with the first of this series and still does to the extent that I expect that there is more to come. Just when I am feeling hopeful, I sense more dread. However, as strange as this may seem, I did pick up on a comparison between what I would call the “elitists” of this archaic civilization and our present-day dilemmas since you discover a mindset where people are being misled to believe that war is necessary, among other things...
This is the saving grace I was looking for – how can a people step up to the challenge of rectifying their situation and learn to live in peace? Certainly, I prefer less violence in my readings (thus, the four stars or preferably 4.5) but as I have often heard it said, things tend to get worse before they get better. Sometimes it takes tiring of the horror before beings can wake up. Well, we shall see where this goes because I am continually intrigued by Stan C. Smith’s writing and his characters which do grow on you. In fact, there is also a developing love story that contradicts other people’s expectations and is an integral part of the plot and the outcome. Although the author does pick up the pieces here, I do recommend that one start reading from the beginning of this series with Absolete Theorem.
Imagination that never quits is how I would describe any of Stan C. Smith’s novels. His fascination with nature brings to life the most unusual and sometimes chilling animal creatures and confrontations. His time travel scenarios evoke angst and wonder…but will the battles ever cease? This is what had concerned me with the first of this series and still does to the extent that I expect that there is more to come. Just when I am feeling hopeful, I sense more dread. However, as strange as this may seem, I did pick up on a comparison between what I would call the “elitists” of this archaic civilization and our present-day dilemmas since you discover a mindset where people are being misled to believe that war is necessary, among other things...
This is the saving grace I was looking for – how can a people step up to the challenge of rectifying their situation and learn to live in peace? Certainly, I prefer less violence in my readings (thus, the four stars or preferably 4.5) but as I have often heard it said, things tend to get worse before they get better. Sometimes it takes tiring of the horror before beings can wake up. Well, we shall see where this goes because I am continually intrigued by Stan C. Smith’s writing and his characters which do grow on you. In fact, there is also a developing love story that contradicts other people’s expectations and is an integral part of the plot and the outcome. Although the author does pick up the pieces here, I do recommend that one start reading from the beginning of this series with Absolete Theorem.
February 18, 2021
Life in the past is NOT simpler and more relaxing
A couple of dozen pages into Foregone Conflict, I was getting frustrated. Lincoln’s party started out in Obsolete Theorem by deliberately going back in time 47,000 years and spending most of the story trying to survive in a brutal world of Neanderthal versus Homo Sapiens conflict, conducted with clubs, stones, crude weapons, teeth and fingernails. But Stan C. Smith obviously had a plan, and he tells a very good story, so I pre-ordered Book #2 the same way I always pre-order the next Stan C. Smith book – because it is always worth it.
And this one has Skyra, the young Neanderthal woman whose existence apparently will have a critical impact on future events, plus the five human time-travelers, landing in a war zone with thousands of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens at war, using clubs, stones, crude weapons…
But this is a Stan C. Smith novel, so sticking with the story always turns out well for the reader, and while Stan populates this Neanderthal-dominated locale with 40+ characters with pure awful names made up of random combinations of consonants and vowels (mainly the letters “a” and “u”) plus hyphens, you get a totally original storyline and unyielding suspense.
The book ends with the main characters moving ahead in time – about 55,000 years - and you will either be asking yourself, “Was that weird, or not?” and looking for something more conventional for your next read, or picking up a copy of Hostile Emergence and settling back into that same unsettling groove of finding out what happens next. That second one would be me.
A couple of dozen pages into Foregone Conflict, I was getting frustrated. Lincoln’s party started out in Obsolete Theorem by deliberately going back in time 47,000 years and spending most of the story trying to survive in a brutal world of Neanderthal versus Homo Sapiens conflict, conducted with clubs, stones, crude weapons, teeth and fingernails. But Stan C. Smith obviously had a plan, and he tells a very good story, so I pre-ordered Book #2 the same way I always pre-order the next Stan C. Smith book – because it is always worth it.
And this one has Skyra, the young Neanderthal woman whose existence apparently will have a critical impact on future events, plus the five human time-travelers, landing in a war zone with thousands of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens at war, using clubs, stones, crude weapons…
But this is a Stan C. Smith novel, so sticking with the story always turns out well for the reader, and while Stan populates this Neanderthal-dominated locale with 40+ characters with pure awful names made up of random combinations of consonants and vowels (mainly the letters “a” and “u”) plus hyphens, you get a totally original storyline and unyielding suspense.
The book ends with the main characters moving ahead in time – about 55,000 years - and you will either be asking yourself, “Was that weird, or not?” and looking for something more conventional for your next read, or picking up a copy of Hostile Emergence and settling back into that same unsettling groove of finding out what happens next. That second one would be me.
July 30, 2020
ANOTHER BRILLIANT READ
We have a hero who looks at things in new and creative ways and out of his unorthodox way of approaching problems, creates a theory of traveling in parallel dimensions - good science, and while complex easy to understand. And in this second book of the series (and if you have not read the first, go back and start there) he meets a young woman who also has this same gift - and as they get drawn into a complex and structured civilization, they meet yet another woman who has this same gift.
Which is the same gift the author shares. One of the great problems with writing science fiction is not only creating interesting plots and compelling characters, but also creating a believable world in which the action takes place. Stan Smith is one of the great success stories in this form. His work has consistently been creative, compelling and at the same time, intellectually honest. His worlds are built on rational science, creatively applied, and wonderful reading. Highly recommended!!!
We have a hero who looks at things in new and creative ways and out of his unorthodox way of approaching problems, creates a theory of traveling in parallel dimensions - good science, and while complex easy to understand. And in this second book of the series (and if you have not read the first, go back and start there) he meets a young woman who also has this same gift - and as they get drawn into a complex and structured civilization, they meet yet another woman who has this same gift.
Which is the same gift the author shares. One of the great problems with writing science fiction is not only creating interesting plots and compelling characters, but also creating a believable world in which the action takes place. Stan Smith is one of the great success stories in this form. His work has consistently been creative, compelling and at the same time, intellectually honest. His worlds are built on rational science, creatively applied, and wonderful reading. Highly recommended!!!
July 30, 2020
The story continues for Lincoln and his friends as they return to the present day to find a very different world than the one they left. I normally avoid spoilers but I don't feel bad as that's not technically a spoiler especially if you’ve read the first book of this enthralling series. If you haven’t I guess you could read this one as a standalone but why do that to yourself? This follow up to Obsolete Theorem is everything and more I had hoped for from an author I’ve come to expect unique stories from with each new book. What we get to see this time is a world that is very strange with both Neanderthals and Homosapiens both inhabiting the world. It’s full of wonderful scenes of a world both alien and familiar. Stan C. Smith gives us an engrossing story full of tension, excitement and even love while creating a world that feels very alive despite it’s unusual setting. Highly recommended.
July 30, 2020
I don’t know how he does it, but he’s done it again!
I cannot get enough of Stan see Smith knew Siri‘s Across Horizons It is so good it’s so interesting and a concept I have never in my life heard of before. Leave it to Stan Smith to make such like a book characters an interesting plot but I think the thing I love most about his writing is there close escapes. I don’t know how he comes up with the fight scenes that is so goodbye the way and did the daring escapes. It is things I would never think of, but I guess that is why he is the author in on the reader and also why I gave the book 5 stars it deserves everyone of them. This is a book I highly recommend I would recommend it among all the books I have read in the past month and probably beyond it is that good!
I cannot get enough of Stan see Smith knew Siri‘s Across Horizons It is so good it’s so interesting and a concept I have never in my life heard of before. Leave it to Stan Smith to make such like a book characters an interesting plot but I think the thing I love most about his writing is there close escapes. I don’t know how he comes up with the fight scenes that is so goodbye the way and did the daring escapes. It is things I would never think of, but I guess that is why he is the author in on the reader and also why I gave the book 5 stars it deserves everyone of them. This is a book I highly recommend I would recommend it among all the books I have read in the past month and probably beyond it is that good!
October 12, 2022
What the hell is an Artisan Bakery anyway? Does the Mona Lisa magically appear in the bread crust?
I know. What does the above have to do with this book? Nothing, but sometimes I just like to write down random thoughts. I had a lot of those random thoughts while reading this, because the story wasn't keeping my interest up. The first book wasn't too bad, but the novelty wore off after about 30 pages into this one.
I couldn't have cared less about the characters; in fact I was hoping Lincoln would get squished by a mammoth just so there'd be some drama...any drama...pleeeeease! As for the drone - well it's just useless and bloody annoying.
On the plus side...umm...this book did have an ending. It's just that it was so far from the beginning.
I know. What does the above have to do with this book? Nothing, but sometimes I just like to write down random thoughts. I had a lot of those random thoughts while reading this, because the story wasn't keeping my interest up. The first book wasn't too bad, but the novelty wore off after about 30 pages into this one.
I couldn't have cared less about the characters; in fact I was hoping Lincoln would get squished by a mammoth just so there'd be some drama...any drama...pleeeeease! As for the drone - well it's just useless and bloody annoying.
On the plus side...umm...this book did have an ending. It's just that it was so far from the beginning.
July 26, 2021
I like Stan C. Smith s books, they are original and he always comes up with something different.
Ripple has decided Skyra and Lincoln is a match! but how to get them to actually like each other since they are 47 and a bit years apart? Somehow he manages to get Lincoln and his team to travel back in time (or a version of Lincoln), but are they prepared for the world they arrive in? They can never go back to their own world, but Lincoln tries.
Skyra is invaluable in helping the team survive, but Lincoln wants to leave, so he jumps forward, to a world very different, where the Neanderthals are at war. Neanderthals worship spiders, and soon they find themselves captured, in a strange city dwelling, but they also make new friends that will help them.
Skyra and Lincoln bond, as Ripple hoped they would.
They cannot jump many more times, so it is important to choose the right moves. Will they?
Ripple has decided Skyra and Lincoln is a match! but how to get them to actually like each other since they are 47 and a bit years apart? Somehow he manages to get Lincoln and his team to travel back in time (or a version of Lincoln), but are they prepared for the world they arrive in? They can never go back to their own world, but Lincoln tries.
Skyra is invaluable in helping the team survive, but Lincoln wants to leave, so he jumps forward, to a world very different, where the Neanderthals are at war. Neanderthals worship spiders, and soon they find themselves captured, in a strange city dwelling, but they also make new friends that will help them.
Skyra and Lincoln bond, as Ripple hoped they would.
They cannot jump many more times, so it is important to choose the right moves. Will they?
July 23, 2020
Foregone Conflict (Across Horizons Book 2) by Stan C. Smith is another winner. It is like no time travel story you've ever read. Smith's world building is amazing. Lincoln and Skyla and their small group are unforgettable, imaginative and intriguing. The original group traveled back in time by 47,000 years in Book 1. In this book, they try to go home. returning to their own time. However, as you know, traveling back in time and interacting there, changes history and changes "the present" a little or perhaps, alot. What they find when they arrive is certainly not what they expected! Oh yes, and Skyla has been added to their group. Skyla is a 20 year old Neanderthal girl from 47,000 years ago.
I was given an ARC of this book by the author and am voluntarily posting an honest review.
I was given an ARC of this book by the author and am voluntarily posting an honest review.
August 18, 2020
You really need to read "Obsolete theorem", the first book in the series to understand what happens in this sequel, it's an interesting and convoluted time travel tale, where you can never get back to the future you left, and the future they do find is ... horrifying, brutal and strange... based on the possibility that the neanderthals survived to co-exist with humans. Mr Smith weaves an incredible tale, mostly about Linc and Skyra, the peripheral characters while present don't have a large role, and an very unique social structure... oh and there's AI along for the ride too! I look forward to seeing what happens next. I received an ARC and this is my voluntary unbiased review.
August 8, 2020
I absolutely LOVED the story, the characters and the whole story line in general. This author is amazing at creating a world and people that draw you into the action. That said, I found the names and sometimes repetition of conversation irritating. I realize that this makes it more believable since the difference in time and language makes it difficult to understand each other. I highly recommend this series to time travel, sci-fi, etc readers because it has bits of it all. I am giving my ( brutally ) honest opinion here and hope I haven't discouraged anyone from reading this wonderful book.
September 5, 2020
Stan C. Smith has a history of writing novels with very imaginative alternate realities. In Foregone Conflict, he presents an alternate reality in which Neanderthals have survived to present day and Neanderthals are fighting a war with humans. There’s even a Neanderthal storming of the Bastille. There’s also a developing romantic relationship between Skyra, a Neanderthal female, and Lincoln, a human male. I enjoyed Foregone Conflict, and will be looking forward to his next book in the Across Horizons series, Hostile Emergence.
July 23, 2020
What a series this is going to be. So far it has been a cliff hanger! To be able to go backward or forward in time is unbelievable! Lincoln made a time machine and went back to a time almost to spears and rocks. Next jump was worse, a war. Keeping up with Lincoln and his bunch is an exciting and nail biting process. This tale is so good, you won't want to put it down. Now, where is the next book??
July 31, 2020
What would our world be like if Neanderthals hadn't died out? What would the world be like today if they were still around and coexisted with humans? This book continues the story of Lincoln Woodhouse and Skyra and his team as they time-jump back to the present into a world very different than our own. Full of adventure and suspense, with some mystery thrown in for good measure, this book kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next.
December 8, 2020
Grand time travel/multiverse adventure continues.
Ah, shite, Stan hits a bit of the old sophomore slump here in book 2 of the series. Same main characters, same stranded in a bum timeline situations, but too much expository info regarding the political/sociological underpinnings of the new world. Not nearly as fascinating and fast-paced as Book 1 and the poorer for it. Still gonna read Book 3, though and hope it picks back up.
Ah, shite, Stan hits a bit of the old sophomore slump here in book 2 of the series. Same main characters, same stranded in a bum timeline situations, but too much expository info regarding the political/sociological underpinnings of the new world. Not nearly as fascinating and fast-paced as Book 1 and the poorer for it. Still gonna read Book 3, though and hope it picks back up.
March 18, 2021
Good Sequel!
This continues with the team going forward to their original starting point. They should have landed back into Lincoln's lab. Well... that was not to be. Instead, they landed smack dab in the middle a violent war between Neaderthals and humans. This story is set in that crazy Neanderthal society. Very interesting. Lots of action. I was enthralled and read it in two settings. I loved Lincoln and Skyra and their deepening relationship.
This continues with the team going forward to their original starting point. They should have landed back into Lincoln's lab. Well... that was not to be. Instead, they landed smack dab in the middle a violent war between Neaderthals and humans. This story is set in that crazy Neanderthal society. Very interesting. Lots of action. I was enthralled and read it in two settings. I loved Lincoln and Skyra and their deepening relationship.
May 26, 2024
Back to the future with a drastic change
Lincoln and Sykra ( and the others) jump back to the original timeline but everything is changed. The are no modern cities in Arizona just the saguaro cactus and guess what, the people like Sykra (the Neanderthals) have survived and they are at war with humans.
After being captured, Lincoln figures to escape but Sykra wants to stop the war. This traveling though time is a tough business.
Lincoln and Sykra ( and the others) jump back to the original timeline but everything is changed. The are no modern cities in Arizona just the saguaro cactus and guess what, the people like Sykra (the Neanderthals) have survived and they are at war with humans.
After being captured, Lincoln figures to escape but Sykra wants to stop the war. This traveling though time is a tough business.
July 30, 2020
This second installment of Lincoln and Skyras adventure is a very intense story.
I found myself completely gripped from the very first page. It keeps you guessing as to what next awaits Lincoln and his team in this new timeline. The suspense and drama builds steady page by page. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Definitely recommend this story and the series
I found myself completely gripped from the very first page. It keeps you guessing as to what next awaits Lincoln and his team in this new timeline. The suspense and drama builds steady page by page. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Definitely recommend this story and the series
July 30, 2020
SPOILERS
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I am having a bit of trouble relating to this story. It sounds silly, I know, but it’s almost too alien. Also, Skyra’s almost miraculous learning of a new language in 2 to 3 days and the whole gangs’ incredible escape from the raging mob seem unlikely. I love the relationship between Lincoln and Skyra.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.
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I am having a bit of trouble relating to this story. It sounds silly, I know, but it’s almost too alien. Also, Skyra’s almost miraculous learning of a new language in 2 to 3 days and the whole gangs’ incredible escape from the raging mob seem unlikely. I love the relationship between Lincoln and Skyra.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2020
Stan Smith is one of my favorite authors. His stories are very unique, exciting and full of great characters, and also wildly imaginative creatures!! I have read his other series and now am enjoying the Across Horizon series as much as the others. Time travel and Neanderthals...just can’t get enough
I highly recommend
I highly recommend
August 24, 2020
Another Exciting Read by Stan C. Smith
I’m glad there was a second book in this Across Horizons series because it gave me a chance to get to know Lincoln and Skyra better. Their interactions with together make me laugh one minute and fear for their lives the next! I’m so looking forward to getting into the third book! I hope to start reading it in just a “breath” or two!
I’m glad there was a second book in this Across Horizons series because it gave me a chance to get to know Lincoln and Skyra better. Their interactions with together make me laugh one minute and fear for their lives the next! I’m so looking forward to getting into the third book! I hope to start reading it in just a “breath” or two!
December 28, 2020
Wild ride
Another page turner of a wild ride. The stilted language did get a bit annoying in places, but I understand why it was done. Again, this is an easy read with some mind bending time travel concepts. It ends, like the first in the series, Quantum Leap style, with a new beginning that makes you want to read on.
Another page turner of a wild ride. The stilted language did get a bit annoying in places, but I understand why it was done. Again, this is an easy read with some mind bending time travel concepts. It ends, like the first in the series, Quantum Leap style, with a new beginning that makes you want to read on.
July 15, 2020
This is not your normal time travel story. This is an intelligent, well written story that takes you back in time 47,000 years. There is some romance, exciting fighting, and a real worry that our characters will come out alive.
July 28, 2020
I enjoyed reading the second book in this series. There is a lot of action and the writing is superb. I was entranced from the first word until the book ended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the author for an objective review.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the author for an objective review.
July 30, 2020
Fast-paced, will carry you along and help you forget today's troubles as you navigate a vastly different world! Smith's writing captures the imagination as he blends the natural world with classic adventure and mind-bending fantasy. This is my favorite of his series. Enjoy!
August 1, 2020
Skyra, Lincoln and the rest of the group travel into the future to escape the violence of Skyra’s home land but what they find is a nightmare. They are captured but are they guests or prisoners? Another fast paced ride on the Stan Smith book train! Loved it!
August 5, 2020
Any book written by Stan C. Smith is Devoured by me At first opportunity.
Stan is a Master Author in my Eyes. As usual a Good Story line, Suspense & Action filled, not to forget the human Element as Only Stan can Do!
Stan is a Master Author in my Eyes. As usual a Good Story line, Suspense & Action filled, not to forget the human Element as Only Stan can Do!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews