Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

A Town Called Discovery

Rate this book
A new time-travel thriller from Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon & Audible bestselling author, RR Haywood. Creator of the smash-hit time travel series – Extracted and the UK’s #1 Horror Series, The Undead

A man falls from the sky. He has no memory. He has no sense of self. What lies ahead are a series of tests. Each more brutal than the last, and if he gets through them all, he might just reach A Town Called Discovery.

Audible Audio

Published September 1, 2020

396 people are currently reading
2019 people want to read

About the author

R.R. Haywood

93 books1,223 followers
"One of the most original voices of our time." - Richard Moriarty, The Sun

"Whether it's gritty horror, spectacular sci-fi, or insane comedy, RR Haywood delivers in style." - Chris Riches, Daily Express

RR Haywood is a Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Audible bestselling author with over 4 million books sold and more than 30 Kindle Bestsellers. As one of the top ten most downloaded indie authors in the UK, Haywood has captivated readers worldwide with his diverse storytelling.

His creations include the global sensation EXTRACTED, the riveting CODE TRILOGY narrated by Colin Morgan, the phenomenal UNDEAD Series, the blockbuster DELIO, PHASE ONE, and the chart-topping A TOWN CALLED DISCOVERY. His latest work, FICTION LAND, narrated by Game of Thrones star Gethin Anthony, has been hailed as "an outrageously funny tour de force."

A former police officer, Haywood now resides with his dogs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. He entertains audiences and shares his expertise on TikTok with his Writing Class for the Working Class.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,332 (49%)
4 stars
844 (31%)
3 stars
360 (13%)
2 stars
115 (4%)
1 star
63 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
Profile Image for donna backshall.
829 reviews233 followers
April 20, 2021
I have to catch my breath. That was one brilliantly EFFED UP book.

It's time travel. It's berserk chase scenes and way too dirty fighting. It's unimaginable gore. It's death, but then it's not. It's constant, reeling, lurching action.

It's all of this, from the first page to the last, and it's fantastic.

And somehow it's also a romance, but not like any romance I've ever encountered. I seem to recall an old song saying "you always hurt the one you love, the one you shouldn't hurt at all". Kind of fits here, but with an insane brutality cranked up to 11.

I know I sound crazy, but it's this book that's deranged. You just have to experience it to understand how all that wrong adds up to something very right.

Now I want more. Please tell me there's going to be a just-as-frenzied sequel, with a chance for Discovery to battle Freedom. I am READY.
Profile Image for Bradley.
Author 9 books4,865 followers
October 29, 2020
From the very violent and deadly start, this SF novel had me fascinated and even chuckling as if I had just picked up a novel that was actually a survival action-horror video game that had unlimited lives.

If you know the type, you know you have to perform certain actions or die a horrible death... and try again and again. In this story, it's a bit more lively in that our main character is a blank slate and seems to be incessantly tortured... for a cause we learn later.

Sound intriguing? It is! Especially when we get into the matrix. :) And the time travel. And the romance.

What wonderfully F**d-up romance.

I should warn you, however, that it's a particularly VIOLENT romance. Triggers and stuff. But oddly enough, it works in this case. When consequences are low, some really weird fetishes have always been known to creep in.

THAT being said, the full story takes us to some rather interesting places (and times!) and I can easily say that this novel is a very fun one of this particular sub-genre. (SF time-travel, matrix, intrigue.)

I'll definitely be checking out more by this author.
Profile Image for Brandon Baker.
Author 3 books10.3k followers
October 26, 2024
Thinking about featuring this in a video and didn’t wanna forget about it! I read this years ago and remember not liking certain aspects, but overall enjoying the chaotic, non-stop violence and time loop madness.
Profile Image for Lou.
242 reviews3 followers
April 26, 2020
Strangely compelling

This book had me in a quandary. I loved the storyline and the speed at which this moved. The action scenes worked remarkably well but the whole thing was hugely let down by the dialogue. Every bit of dialogue felt forced and lacking in any kind of life.
I also removed a star for the ending which I really did not like and the rough proofreading/copy editing.
Would i reccomend? In all honesty probably not despite the fact I felt it was a reasonably enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Margaux B.
136 reviews120 followers
March 8, 2022
1.5☆ - An interesting premise meets teen boy plot

I'm not sure what to think after reading this book but, ultimately, it's about good vs evil. It's about a fight to save the world. Maybe? That, and the writer is definitely a male.

Not being a huge science-fiction/fantasy fan nor the targeted audience might explain my rating (this book has been highly praised) as this book fell flat for me. The world-building was too hazy and felt more like a twisted romance than a sci-fi thriller. I think this would have made a much better graphic novel.

The author did grab my attention at the start - why does a man keep falling from the sky into the water? Is the person on the boat a friend or foe? What is this town called Discovery? It all gets explained, kind of, but the fuzzy science made me shake my head until I went with it and tried to enjoy the Matrix/Marvel like quality of the story. This is an action packed story and yet, I skimmed in parts.

I liked the creative idea behind the story and the snappy dialogue for some characters. Other dialogue felt forced. I did not like how female characters were portrayed. Zara was considered "annoying" for asking relevant questions and too too many other females were overly sexualized. Making a pushy cougar the object of ridicule and describing her wrinkled assets was a skim area for me. So were the graphic sex bits that read awkwardly. Or perhaps it was the mix of violence and sex. Just no. I skimmed during some fight scenes too. They got repetitive and gore-y. Sharp objects going through eyes seemed to be a theme. And do I really need to know how the entrails were arranged...? I think not.

There are lots of issues for a bookclub to discuss: misogyny, racism, do 'ends justify the means,' and 'those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.' I liked the idea of fate and whether it could be changed. We did not discuss any of that, however, as we were too busy complaining about our favorite worst parts. We agreed that the winner was the fight between the two worlds because

It is a self-contained story but the ending definitely hinted at a series. Perhaps subsequent books would flesh out the hazy backstory and there are many interesting directions it could go. I would not read another book if "Discovery" became a series. There were too many unexplained threads and disjointed segments for me to recommend. I finished this story wondering if this very violent love story is a sign of our times.
Profile Image for Rafael.
Author 3 books8 followers
November 13, 2021
A great Start, an OK middle and a flawed execution, this Matrix / Time-Travel does simply not answer any of the questions it creates.
Especially weak is the "other side" aka the (maybe) Bad Guys. Nothing in this book about their motivation, their why, their difference (besides a comparison of UK Vs. USA) but there are so many more open-ended questions, that this feels like Book One of a Series.
Weak characterization (one character can be summed up with "This looks like America-I am dumb-but have a big Penis" with writing trying to be sensational but it remains a bit repetitive in its sequence.
Either write a sequel or write the second half of the book which actually has then a resolution. But the narration was great and you can't help but being entertained with this Fast Food Writing.
Profile Image for Kirstin.
444 reviews
July 8, 2020
DNF- what the fuck... couldn’t be interested enough to find out what was happening!
Profile Image for Soo.
2,928 reviews346 followers
March 25, 2021
Notes:

I was disappointed by the overall plot execution and ending. It sounded like a bad setup for a series.
Profile Image for Isa.
348 reviews19 followers
January 7, 2021
2,5 Sterne.
- Grundsätzlich ein interessantes Konzept, es ist aber durch das Ende für mich irgendwie in sich zusammengefallen. Könnte mir vorstellen, dass sich das was retten lassen würde, wenn es kein Standalone Buch bleibt (nicht, dass ich mir das wünschen würde).
- Hätte Carl Prekopp (♥️) nicht das Hörbuch gelesen, hätte ich es sicherlich in der Mitte abgebrochen.
- Seltsame Lovestory, die ging echt gar nicht. Diese Beziehung hat sich gelesen, als wäre das der feuchte Traum irgendeines 14-jährigen horny teenaged Boys..
18 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2020
This book makes me regret my other 5 star reviews

This book is terrific!!! The story is great, and the TELLING is just awesome! It's sets a new bar for 5 stars. Here's the crazy thing: I actually really dislike horror. I don't need the gore, but this author is so good. So...I just sort of ignore it. It's the STORY and how it's told, the character development and interactions. And in this book the gory bits are ignorable at worst, and at best like funny movie violence, so it's fine (vs terrorizing).

No one is going to have nightmares after this book, they are going to have sweet, giggling dreams.

That being said,for much of the beginning of the book, I was like "Okay, okay, point made...." so if you don't love it in the beginning, don't give up! It gets so much better!

I did skimmed through the first part (lots of gory details) no worries, and then wow we got into the flesh (haha... not really, it gets less gory).

I'm not dissing the first part of the book: The author couldn't have skipped the beginning, it was necessary to the story -- and I really appreciated the higher philosophical theme/point/lesson being made through the events of the beginning. Like.... Really loved them, actually. Even digested them into my own life! Awesome! But, yeah... I still skimmed through some of that gore pretty fast --I'm just saying I didn't miss the forest for slipping past a few bloody trees.

And then it just gets better and better. I'd love to see a continuation of this series, but it's also good as a one-off! If you are reading this review, I want to be clear that it's not worth waiting for a sequel, read this now, you'll love it!

It's well written, it's great fun, it'll make you think philosophically, it'll make you laugh. This author is a friggin' genius writer. (I still dislike horror as a genre, but I'll amend it to disliking "terrorizing" horror. This guy's books aren't like that at all!)
Profile Image for Kian.
60 reviews
January 24, 2021
DNF. I gave up quickly since every chapter consisted of the character's dick getting chopped off or the character talking about his dick getting chopped off, hazel eyes flecked with green, different body parts flicking this way and that, and pointless violence. Yes, I assume the violence will turn out to have a point. But so far it mostly felt as if a teenage boy wanted to engage in a fantasy where he got to murder/injure a sexy woman (who, by the way, had no personality other than sexily cocky and mysterious quipster) and it's all okay because he didn't look up her skirt like a pervert. Excuse me while I go roll my eyes for about as long as Sisyphus rolls his rock.
Profile Image for Nina.
20 reviews
September 17, 2020
Didn’t love this, had to skim thru a lot. While the idea in the beginning was GREAT, the dialog is where it lost points for me. It just didn’t quite feel real. Then, towards the middle of the book, the action scenes started to get very repetitive. Overall I wouldn’t recommend, but if you’re really into sci-fi books you might feel differently.
Profile Image for John.
541 reviews18 followers
April 23, 2020
Great book if you don’t mind violence. If you do, please pass on this one. Very funny in places. Great characters.
Profile Image for Johnee.
207 reviews454 followers
October 12, 2021
After hearing the premise and then reading this book, I was not expecting this! About halfway through, I was unsure and confused, which I guess also reflected what the characters were thinking in the story at that point.

This is an incredible, fast paced and action packed book. I wasn't expecting it to be so brutal and gory in some parts, but I also wasn't expecting it to have a great balance of humour and parts that made me laugh out loud. I liked the main characters, though I must say I did find most of the side characters to be jarring or grating (I wasn't sure if this was done on purpose to benefit the story) -- however, the trio trope of mains is something that warmed my heart.

The way the last half of the book was told was entirely different from the first half and I actually welcomed the format. I felt that it breathed new life to the story.

In essence, the romance in this (and yes there is romance, or at least what you could slimly describe as romance...) is so very dark and the sci-fi portion doesn't really make a lot of sense or isn't fully explained, but I just learned to roll with it and put that aside.

If there happens to be a sequel, I will definitely be picking it up because the ending was left open to it.
Profile Image for Eliza.
255 reviews49 followers
Read
April 10, 2022
DNF 34%

not the fault of the author (though i'm not really enjoying the action sequences). really it's because i cannot stand the way the audiobook narrator voices the female characters
Profile Image for Chris.
175 reviews12 followers
December 13, 2022
More please!

I must admit, I'm a sucker for time travel stories, even though I see the paradoxes the size of mammoths in them immediately. Haywood also makes the same mistake many others have, in terms of "changes" to time. Chaos theory makes it clear that there really is no difference in significance in a human living or dying or a blade of grass living or dying on the snowballing chasm of complexity that is the never-ending consequences of any given cause on a linear system of effects. If we assume time to be a linear construct capable of change, then there is no robustness, no equilibrium, and no tipping point; there are only infinitely cascading effects. Therefore, saving a person in 1905 is likely no different, in terms of its infinite cascading effects on the universe, as a misplaced atom in 1800. In that sense, simply sending operatives back 200 years prior any given event to simply breathe is likely enough to transform all future events thereafter and prevent any future consequences from occurring while birthing entirely new consequences. There are fundamental computational limits, irrelevant on the efficiency or size of the computer used, that prevent mapping the combinatorial effects of even a handful of consequences beyond a few seconds. In short, most writers who write about time travel have zero idea about the various notions of what time is, how cause and effects work, and how computation works. Haywood is no different.

That said, this was still a great story! Haywood is clearly a master storyteller, and, with imagination unbounded by the fundamental limits of science, he tells a grim hypothetical reality of a groomed and manipulated man transformed into a super soldier by repeatedly murdering him for each mistake he makes, then released as a time-travelling operative for a super-intelligent AI trying to save humanity! It's Groundhog Day for adults! It's satisfying in all the right ways, while being horrifying in other ways, and impossible to tear yourself away from! I finished this in one day. I just couldn't put it down!

If you like sex, violence, fantasy pseudoscience time-travel, impossible fight scenes, mysteries, and well-developed and rounded anti-hero protagonists in a fast-moving and action-packed sequence, then this is the story for you!

Aside from the ridiculous (but believable) idea of the time travel and time-changing tasks, the only downside to this one is that, after building such an immersive universe, it ended too quickly. Another slight moan was the antagonists: the mysterious counter-organisation known as "Freedom," were not really developed. They were given blanket evil motivations and nothing more. There was a lot more that could have been done with them, but again, this relates to the shortness of the book and how it really needed to be a lot longer.

Fix that by writing a sequel, please!
26 reviews4 followers
July 27, 2021
When I read the blurb about this book, it sounded really quite interesting. I bought it, and started reading it.

However, it wasn't long before I had a dawning realisation that this book was written by the same person who wrote the Extracted trilogy. That's okay, I thought, read those books and they were quite good. I was pretty annoyed with the banter in them, but I finished the books and thought that they were quite good.

This book, however - I abandoned it. I got a fair way into it, too. The thing that really stopped me in my tracks were the interactions, and more specifically, the interactions that involved women. There was something about the superficial and overly sexualised way that these women were portrayed that made me feel really uncomfortable .

I can only conclude that I'm not the right audience for this author's books - I think the banter between the characters is meant to be a feature, but for me it's a turnoff.
Profile Image for Dana Groulx.
59 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2020
A great read by one of my favorite authors. This book had me laughing through most of it and crying in parts of it. The author’s message at the end said it was written right after the extracted trilogy and it had that kind of vibe with the time travel and fighting. The characters were well developed and you could picture them easily. The book was open-ended, so there could possibly be a sequel. This one was dusted off and released in the midst of the corona virus. I’m hoping Mr. Haywood writes it.
167 reviews
dnf
February 16, 2025
badly written, dnf 23% - would really like to understand the rating
Profile Image for Aidan W..
40 reviews
August 2, 2024
An adequate way of passing time, ends with a bitter after taste.

Intriguing beginning, and decent build up for about three quarters of the book which raised a lot of interesting questions. Then resulting in a high action & no substance final quarter which answered none of those questions and ended on a stupid note.

Thought it was very engaging with some powerful and almost emotional scenes at times and this book had really good foundations. It turned to focus and climax on nonsensical fights and empty thrills rather than the fascinating story it created.

The last line especially just made it all feel so silly...
Profile Image for Rob Arnold.
209 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2021
Started with a bang and had a great premise but I felt pretty let down at the end when they avoided answering any of the many questions the book itself raised. It's a lot easier to write a mystery book if you're not constrained by actually having to explain anything.
Profile Image for Tim Joseph.
572 reviews8 followers
July 1, 2021
Ever wonder what The Matrix would have been like it it were written by Tarantino, and directed by Nolan?

Welcome to Discovery...
Profile Image for Daniel Svalholm.
1,230 reviews102 followers
August 15, 2021
Great premise and exciting beginning, but everything fell apart the more I read. Dialoge felt forced, repetitive and boring characters... Definitely not something I enjoyed.
Profile Image for Lyric LaHamouth.
5 reviews
September 24, 2021
This is really more of a 3.5 star read for me. Interesting concept that held my attention easily throughout but with an egregious level of violence.
Profile Image for Zoe.
115 reviews2 followers
November 22, 2021
This is a great story. I laughed, I cried, etc., but PLEASE get an editor. I'd want a paperback copy but there are so many grammatical errors per page.
Profile Image for Jordan Kubiak.
45 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2021
Gave me Loki vibes. It was a quick read, and kept me interested to keep reading. Was a little predictable. Is there supposed to be a second book? Because I have so many questions.
45 reviews
July 29, 2022
A town called discovery is a good, but not flawless, first entry into what will doubtless be an engaging series. The book shifts in tone wildly, beginning with a gory action mystery filled first act, before shifting into a lighthearted and fun adventure for the middle, and ending with an action filled climax perfect for a tom clancy book. Though the shift in tone is pretty wild, and the characters all aggressively horny, I found the the plot and characters engaging and likable. The premise is fantastic, although perhaps better suited to an episodic tv series, and the characters larger than life. I feel, however, that the book fails to make the most of its premise and characters, lacking the depth to set it apart from other takes on the subject matter. That being said if you're a fan of action set against a mundane world, this is the book for you. If you prefer deep characters, in-depth exploration of your sci-fi elements, or are put off by R rated action movies and sex scenes, this isn't for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.