What do you think?
Rate this book
Time Doctors #1
Time & Time Again
Big Bang Theory meets Stranger Things meets Labyrinth with a huge helping of time travel.
Ben has a problem. Well, several really, if the truth be told. With a borderline narcissist for a boss and a prankster lady-killer for a desk-mate, his work life at a gaming firm isn’t wall-to-wall playtime. The last thing he needs is a promotion, much less a bright, attractive feminist as the first addition to his new coding team. But when they all join the same Dungeons and Dragons party, it makes for an interesting life. Throw in a claustrophobic living arrangement and a global pandemic and there's plenty of scope for fun and adventure.
But what they find in the attic turns everything on its head.
For fans of modern adventure and quirky fantasy with irreverent British humour and a slice of the unexpected.
Ben has a problem. Well, several really, if the truth be told. With a borderline narcissist for a boss and a prankster lady-killer for a desk-mate, his work life at a gaming firm isn’t wall-to-wall playtime. The last thing he needs is a promotion, much less a bright, attractive feminist as the first addition to his new coding team. But when they all join the same Dungeons and Dragons party, it makes for an interesting life. Throw in a claustrophobic living arrangement and a global pandemic and there's plenty of scope for fun and adventure.
But what they find in the attic turns everything on its head.
For fans of modern adventure and quirky fantasy with irreverent British humour and a slice of the unexpected.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2022
37 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Jacky Gray
38 books27 followersAs so often happens with these things, Archer was born while I was in the middle of writing another book. Events were conspiring to ensure I wrote this story, beginning with a trip to Warwick Castle where I stood enthralled with my friend and our kids while the Warwick Bowman talked us through the history of the long bow. He treated us to the ultimate demonstration, firing 100 arrows in rapid succession through a loop of rope, approximately the size of a human head. The warrior within me awoke - I was hooked.
I had recently read the first two books in Bernard Cornwell’s excellent Grail Quest series – these obviously made a big impact. I started writing it in march 2009; 18 days and 56,000 words later, Archer’s tale was told. After a year spent mostly in Wessex, the next four books were drafted and I was ready to go back and start editing the first two books.
I am currently writing the 6th book in the series and wondering if this will be the last.
I had recently read the first two books in Bernard Cornwell’s excellent Grail Quest series – these obviously made a big impact. I started writing it in march 2009; 18 days and 56,000 words later, Archer’s tale was told. After a year spent mostly in Wessex, the next four books were drafted and I was ready to go back and start editing the first two books.
I am currently writing the 6th book in the series and wondering if this will be the last.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 12, 2025
*Time & Time Again*
by Jacky Gray
5 outof 5 🌟
There’s something quietly radical about Jacky Gray’s *Time & Time Again*. Beneath the disguise of playful nerd banter, D&D quirks, and time-travel shenanigans, lies a literary subversion of how we engage with memory, power, and narrative ownership. This isn’t just a story—it’s a rebellion against linearity, wrapped in layers of sarcasm and imagination.
The attic, that dusty cathedral of forgotten things, becomes more than a plot device—it’s a metaphor for the subconscious. The time capsule isn't merely a sci-fi curiosity; it functions like a psychological trigger, unlocking not just historical dissonance but personal repression. The protagonists aren't merely “time travelers.” They are exiles from emotional resolution, cast adrift by choices unprocessed and identities unacknowledged.
Ben, in his quiet unraveling, becomes a vehicle for the reader’s own grappling with past selves. His journey with Georgie isn’t a romance or even a friendship—it’s a slow excavation of shared silence. The chaos around them—the flood, the plague, the dysfunction—is a mirror of the emotional entropy within. Time in Gray’s novel doesn’t heal; it warps, folds, exposes. And maybe that’s more honest.
Isaac, the ex-boss turned manipulator, is less a character than a totem of toxic hierarchies—corporate, creative, and personal. He hoards knowledge the way institutions hoard truth: selectively, selfishly, and without accountability. His presence forces a question: Who controls the narrative, and why?
Stylistically, Gray commits to a kind of structured disorder. It’s not that the novel lacks rhythm—it simply plays in a different key. Scenes jump like memory flashes. Dialogues echo like inside jokes you weren’t meant to understand—until you do. It’s an intentional disorientation, designed to mimic time’s own unreliability.
In the end, Time & Time Again is about returning—not to a place, but to a choice. Do we continue playing the same roles, or do we rewrite the campaign?
Jacky Gray doesn’t just write time travel. She deconstructs the very act of remembering.
by Jacky Gray
5 outof 5 🌟
There’s something quietly radical about Jacky Gray’s *Time & Time Again*. Beneath the disguise of playful nerd banter, D&D quirks, and time-travel shenanigans, lies a literary subversion of how we engage with memory, power, and narrative ownership. This isn’t just a story—it’s a rebellion against linearity, wrapped in layers of sarcasm and imagination.
The attic, that dusty cathedral of forgotten things, becomes more than a plot device—it’s a metaphor for the subconscious. The time capsule isn't merely a sci-fi curiosity; it functions like a psychological trigger, unlocking not just historical dissonance but personal repression. The protagonists aren't merely “time travelers.” They are exiles from emotional resolution, cast adrift by choices unprocessed and identities unacknowledged.
Ben, in his quiet unraveling, becomes a vehicle for the reader’s own grappling with past selves. His journey with Georgie isn’t a romance or even a friendship—it’s a slow excavation of shared silence. The chaos around them—the flood, the plague, the dysfunction—is a mirror of the emotional entropy within. Time in Gray’s novel doesn’t heal; it warps, folds, exposes. And maybe that’s more honest.
Isaac, the ex-boss turned manipulator, is less a character than a totem of toxic hierarchies—corporate, creative, and personal. He hoards knowledge the way institutions hoard truth: selectively, selfishly, and without accountability. His presence forces a question: Who controls the narrative, and why?
Stylistically, Gray commits to a kind of structured disorder. It’s not that the novel lacks rhythm—it simply plays in a different key. Scenes jump like memory flashes. Dialogues echo like inside jokes you weren’t meant to understand—until you do. It’s an intentional disorientation, designed to mimic time’s own unreliability.
In the end, Time & Time Again is about returning—not to a place, but to a choice. Do we continue playing the same roles, or do we rewrite the campaign?
Jacky Gray doesn’t just write time travel. She deconstructs the very act of remembering.
March 28, 2025
Time & Time Again by Jacky Gray is a wildly imaginative tale that combines time travel, Dungeons and Dragons, and offbeat British humor, making for a delightfully entertaining read. The story centers around Ben and Georgie, who, after joining their former boss Isaac’s eccentric D&D group, stumble upon a mysterious space-age capsule filled with vintage artifacts. What begins as a lighthearted adventure rapidly turns into a chaotic scramble through time, leaving them stranded in the past with no clear way back. The blend of sci-fi mystery and whimsical fantasy creates an intriguing premise that keeps you guessing.
Gray’s writing masterfully combines witty dialogue, pop-culture references, and suspense, creating a narrative that is both engaging and unpredictable. The authentic character interactions, complete with clashing personalities and playful banter, add humor and tension to the story. The unique blend of D&D-inspired adventures, futuristic technology, and nostalgic elements creates a captivating and charming tale.
What sets Time & Time Again apart is its ingenious blend of genres, combining the excitement of time-travel adventures with relatable, flawed characters and a nuanced exploration of trust and deception, all while maintaining a lighthearted tone that perfectly captures offbeat British humor.
Time & Time Again is a delightfully quirky and inventive ride that will captivate fans of sci-fi and fantasy, offering a perfect blend of tabletop gaming nostalgia, time-bending chaos, and unpredictable twists, making it an exciting series to watch.
Gray’s writing masterfully combines witty dialogue, pop-culture references, and suspense, creating a narrative that is both engaging and unpredictable. The authentic character interactions, complete with clashing personalities and playful banter, add humor and tension to the story. The unique blend of D&D-inspired adventures, futuristic technology, and nostalgic elements creates a captivating and charming tale.
What sets Time & Time Again apart is its ingenious blend of genres, combining the excitement of time-travel adventures with relatable, flawed characters and a nuanced exploration of trust and deception, all while maintaining a lighthearted tone that perfectly captures offbeat British humor.
Time & Time Again is a delightfully quirky and inventive ride that will captivate fans of sci-fi and fantasy, offering a perfect blend of tabletop gaming nostalgia, time-bending chaos, and unpredictable twists, making it an exciting series to watch.
May 12, 2025
Book Review: Time & Time Again by Jacky Gray
Time & Time Again, by Jacky Gray, is a witty and genre-crossing adventure that mixes time travel with Dungeons &-Dragons and British eccentricity into quite an unusual literary concoction. We witness Ben and Georgie, reluctant adventurers thrown into a real-time, off-the-scale-hopping expedition as a strange capsule for an attic ends up meshing with their tabletop roleplaying. What starts out as fun and games becomes a wild race through flooded townships, medieval plagues, and personal reckonings.
Gray's prose is witty, fast-paced, loaded with sarcasm and nerdy references. Beneath the casual pop culture banter lies a profoundly introspective narrative about memory, regret, and the reacquisition of all its potential. Ben begins an emotional unraveling that contrasts with the tension-tight relationship between him and his manipulative ex-boss, Isaac, while Georgie, ever-witty, ever- grounded, becomes an anchor.
The story's disorderly structure reflects the shattered quality of memory and time, very much oriented toward disorientation, the inner confusion of the characters. Gray not only bends timelines- she inquires who exerts control over the story, or even has the right to.
If one enjoys Stranger Things, The Big Bang Theory, and weird British sci-fi, they just might enjoy this creative and character-driven story. Time & Time Again is as ginormously fun as it is deeply touching-a gutsy time-travel rumble with a good dose of irony and rude wit.
Time & Time Again, by Jacky Gray, is a witty and genre-crossing adventure that mixes time travel with Dungeons &-Dragons and British eccentricity into quite an unusual literary concoction. We witness Ben and Georgie, reluctant adventurers thrown into a real-time, off-the-scale-hopping expedition as a strange capsule for an attic ends up meshing with their tabletop roleplaying. What starts out as fun and games becomes a wild race through flooded townships, medieval plagues, and personal reckonings.
Gray's prose is witty, fast-paced, loaded with sarcasm and nerdy references. Beneath the casual pop culture banter lies a profoundly introspective narrative about memory, regret, and the reacquisition of all its potential. Ben begins an emotional unraveling that contrasts with the tension-tight relationship between him and his manipulative ex-boss, Isaac, while Georgie, ever-witty, ever- grounded, becomes an anchor.
The story's disorderly structure reflects the shattered quality of memory and time, very much oriented toward disorientation, the inner confusion of the characters. Gray not only bends timelines- she inquires who exerts control over the story, or even has the right to.
If one enjoys Stranger Things, The Big Bang Theory, and weird British sci-fi, they just might enjoy this creative and character-driven story. Time & Time Again is as ginormously fun as it is deeply touching-a gutsy time-travel rumble with a good dose of irony and rude wit.
July 15, 2025
Time and Time Again by Jacky Gray is an engaging mix of time-travel adventure and modern humor, blending elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and geek culture into a lively, fast-paced story.
The book follows a group of friends whose ordinary lives take an extraordinary turn as they find themselves caught in a series of unpredictable journeys through time.
With witty dialogue and imaginative scenes, Gray crafts a narrative that’s both playful and full of intriguing twists, offering readers a light but entertaining escape.
While the story is packed with charm and clever concepts, its quick pace and genre mashups might feel a bit chaotic for those who prefer more straightforward plots.
Still, the vibrant characters, humorous tone, and creative time-travel scenarios make Time and Time Again an enjoyable read, especially for fans of quirky, ensemble-driven adventures.
It’s a fun choice for anyone looking for a short, amusing tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The book follows a group of friends whose ordinary lives take an extraordinary turn as they find themselves caught in a series of unpredictable journeys through time.
With witty dialogue and imaginative scenes, Gray crafts a narrative that’s both playful and full of intriguing twists, offering readers a light but entertaining escape.
While the story is packed with charm and clever concepts, its quick pace and genre mashups might feel a bit chaotic for those who prefer more straightforward plots.
Still, the vibrant characters, humorous tone, and creative time-travel scenarios make Time and Time Again an enjoyable read, especially for fans of quirky, ensemble-driven adventures.
It’s a fun choice for anyone looking for a short, amusing tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
February 8, 2023
By a Bobble Hat For Bobble Hats
The above warning should have been stamped on the cover of this book. I kept hoping for it to turn into an actual story as opposed D&D games interspersed with COVID conspiracies. I had to chuck it a third of the way through. I don't usually give bad reviews but this an actual health warning for normal human beings.
The above warning should have been stamped on the cover of this book. I kept hoping for it to turn into an actual story as opposed D&D games interspersed with COVID conspiracies. I had to chuck it a third of the way through. I don't usually give bad reviews but this an actual health warning for normal human beings.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews