Portal: The Timeslip Trilogy: Book I

Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars...It's About Time!
Review: With self-publishing so accessible, writers have opportunities like never before. Unfortunately, I have read very few self-published novels that were well-done, and, as with this book, the covers always turn me off.

Ignore those concerns. Set aside your prejudices. This is everything a good suspense story should be: exciting, unpredictable, with interesting characters, and a thought-provoking concept. Mixing ideas from "Back to the Future," "Timeline," and such recent novels as "Time Lottery" by Nancy Moser, Reaves adds his own creativity to keep the story fresh.

Brian Reaves writes with confidence. Although a professional editor may have weeded out some minor point-of-view discrepancies and a penchant for adverbs (everything in this story happens "slowly" or "quickly" or "suddenly"), the sentences flow and the pace never flags. Rather than aim too high, Reaves pulls us into the world of his characters through a simple device: a lost love from high school. He whips this simple idea into a heart-spinning tale. Then, as the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, he sneaks in a final twist that hooks us for the sequel.

It's about time a self-published writer made his mark. One or two moments stretched my credulity, particularly when the main character forgets a vital piece of evidence--twice!--but my hat is off to this up and coming writer. I have no doubt he'll be picked up by an established publisher soon. His time has come.

Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars...It's About Time!
Review: With self-publishing so accessible, writers have opportunities like never before. Unfortunately, I have read very few self-published novels that were well-done, and, as with this book, the covers always turn me off.

Ignore those concerns. Set aside your prejudices. This is everything a good suspense story should be: exciting, unpredictable, with interesting characters, and a thought-provoking concept. Mixing ideas from "Back to the Future," "Timeline," and such recent novels as "Time Lottery" by Nancy Moser, Reaves adds his own creativity to keep the story fresh.

Brian Reaves writes with confidence. Although a professional editor may have weeded out some minor point-of-view discrepancies and a penchant for adverbs (everything in this story happens "slowly" or "quickly" or "suddenly"), the sentences flow and the pace never flags. Rather than aim too high, Reaves pulls us into the world of his characters through a simple device: a lost love from high school. He whips this simple idea into a heart-spinning tale. Then, as the story comes to a satisfying conclusion, he sneaks in a final twist that hooks us for the sequel.

It's about time a self-published writer made his mark. One or two moments stretched my credulity, particularly when the main character forgets a vital piece of evidence--twice!--but my hat is off to this up and coming writer. I have no doubt he'll be picked up by an established publisher soon. His time has come.