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Lost in Time
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2022)Control the past.
Save the future.
One morning, Dr. Sam Anderson wakes up to find that the woman he loves has been murdered.
For Sam, the horror is only beginning. He and his daughter are accused of the crime. The evidence is ironclad. They will be convicted. And so, to ensure his daughter goes free, Sam does what he must: he confesses. But in the future, murderers aren't sent to prison. Thanks to a machine Sam helped invent, the world's worst criminals are now sent to the past – approximately 200 million years into the past, to the dawn of the time of the dinosaurs – where they must live out their lives alone, in exile from the human race. Sam accepts his fate. But his daughter doesn't. Adeline Anderson has already lost her mother to a deadly, unfair disease. She can't bear to lose her father as well. So she sets out on a quest to prove him innocent. And to get him back. People around her insist that both are impossible tasks. But Adeline doesn't give up. She only works harder. She soon learns that impossible tasks are her specialty. And that she is made of tougher stuff than she ever imagined. As she peels back the layers of the mystery that tore her father from this world, Adeline finds more questions than answers. Everyone around her is hiding a secret. But which ones are connected to the murder that exiled her father?
Save the future.
One morning, Dr. Sam Anderson wakes up to find that the woman he loves has been murdered.
For Sam, the horror is only beginning. He and his daughter are accused of the crime. The evidence is ironclad. They will be convicted. And so, to ensure his daughter goes free, Sam does what he must: he confesses. But in the future, murderers aren't sent to prison. Thanks to a machine Sam helped invent, the world's worst criminals are now sent to the past – approximately 200 million years into the past, to the dawn of the time of the dinosaurs – where they must live out their lives alone, in exile from the human race. Sam accepts his fate. But his daughter doesn't. Adeline Anderson has already lost her mother to a deadly, unfair disease. She can't bear to lose her father as well. So she sets out on a quest to prove him innocent. And to get him back. People around her insist that both are impossible tasks. But Adeline doesn't give up. She only works harder. She soon learns that impossible tasks are her specialty. And that she is made of tougher stuff than she ever imagined. As she peels back the layers of the mystery that tore her father from this world, Adeline finds more questions than answers. Everyone around her is hiding a secret. But which ones are connected to the murder that exiled her father?
455 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
About the author
A.G. Riddle
20 books5,321 followersA.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction.
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.
His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.
Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.
No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: [email protected]
** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email
If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:
Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle
Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist
For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com
* * *
His debut novel, The Atlantis Gene, is the first book in The Origin Mystery, the trilogy that has sold a million copies in the US, is being translated into 19 languages, and is in development at CBS Films to be a major motion picture. The trilogy will be in bookstores (in hardcover and paperback) around the world in 2015.
His recently released fourth novel, Departure, follows the survivors of a flight that takes off in 2014 and crash-lands in a changed world. The hardcover will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2015, and 20th Century Fox is developing the novel for a feature film.
Riddle grew up in a small town in the US (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. During his sophomore year of college, he started his first company with a childhood friend. He currently lives in Florida with his wife, who endures his various idiosyncrasies in return for being the first to read his new novels.
No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: [email protected]
** For a sneak peek at new novels, free stories, and more, join the email list at:
www.agriddle.com/email
If you don't want to miss any Riddle news, you can:
Like the A.G. Riddle Facebook page:
facebook.com/agriddle
Follow A.G. Riddle on Twitter:
twitter.com/riddlist
For more, please visit:
AGRiddle.com
* * *
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,923 reviews
January 9, 2023
This is so poorly written I’m doing something I don’t usually do and writing a review without finishing the book.
The writing is so trite: one cliche after another. For example:
“He felt as though the sea was testing him, and there was no pass or fail. Only live or die. The crescent moon glowing...”
Sorry, but this is unreadable.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus, LTD. for providing an ARC (Advance Review Copy) in exchange for an honest review.
The book will be published on September 1, 2022.
#NetGalley #LostInTime
The writing is so trite: one cliche after another. For example:
“He felt as though the sea was testing him, and there was no pass or fail. Only live or die. The crescent moon glowing...”
Sorry, but this is unreadable.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus, LTD. for providing an ARC (Advance Review Copy) in exchange for an honest review.
The book will be published on September 1, 2022.
#NetGalley #LostInTime
August 13, 2022
I must admit I’m a fan of Riddle’s work! I enjoy some sci-fi but I’m very picky with what I read. Riddle’s books just hit that sweet spot for me.
If you hadn’t already guessed this story is about time travel, but in an interesting way. Set in the near future, a company called Absolom now has a stranglehold on dealing with violent criminals - murderers, serial rapists and terrorists - by sending them into the past. But not some cushy, Middle Ages or Stone Age past, oh no, they get sent to the Jurassic/Triassic era with no tools or weapons. It doesn’t look very promising for these exiles!
When one of the six founders of Absolom, Dr Nora Thomas, is killed CCTV footage shows only that Dr Sam Anderson and his 19 year old daughter, Adeline, visited her on that night. Even though they are both innocent, Sam confesses to the murder to protect Adeline and he asks his colleague Daniele Dannero to look after his children as he knows he will be sent back through time. That’s when it starts to get really interesting because the Absolom founders are planning to retrieve Sam although it is not yet technically possible.
You don’t need to get caught up in all the technical detail to enjoy this story. It’s all very speculative and I did get a little lost at times but if you press on and just go with it it is a very different and entertaining story.
One thing I love about Riddle’s books is that, while the plots are always interesting, the stories are, at heart, always about people - their relationships and how they deal with what life has thrown at them. His world building is not the main game, his characters are. And they are always very relatable and dealing with issues not much different to our own. So, while it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for me, this was another winner. Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
If you hadn’t already guessed this story is about time travel, but in an interesting way. Set in the near future, a company called Absolom now has a stranglehold on dealing with violent criminals - murderers, serial rapists and terrorists - by sending them into the past. But not some cushy, Middle Ages or Stone Age past, oh no, they get sent to the Jurassic/Triassic era with no tools or weapons. It doesn’t look very promising for these exiles!
When one of the six founders of Absolom, Dr Nora Thomas, is killed CCTV footage shows only that Dr Sam Anderson and his 19 year old daughter, Adeline, visited her on that night. Even though they are both innocent, Sam confesses to the murder to protect Adeline and he asks his colleague Daniele Dannero to look after his children as he knows he will be sent back through time. That’s when it starts to get really interesting because the Absolom founders are planning to retrieve Sam although it is not yet technically possible.
You don’t need to get caught up in all the technical detail to enjoy this story. It’s all very speculative and I did get a little lost at times but if you press on and just go with it it is a very different and entertaining story.
One thing I love about Riddle’s books is that, while the plots are always interesting, the stories are, at heart, always about people - their relationships and how they deal with what life has thrown at them. His world building is not the main game, his characters are. And they are always very relatable and dealing with issues not much different to our own. So, while it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for me, this was another winner. Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
March 16, 2023
I came across ‘Lost in Time’ when it was shortlisted for the Goodreads Science Fiction award for 2022. This is a very entertaining story blending aspects of time travel and crime. The key underlying premise for how time travel is used is quite unique.
Sam Anderson is a scientist – part of a team who have invented the revolutionary Absolom machine. He has lost his wife to illness and is close to his children – teenager Adeline and a much younger Ryan. Absolom had initially started as a research project to move objects across places using the concept of quantum entanglement. This effort morphed into a time travel discovery when the team found that they could displace location as well as the time for the object. A few governments are excited by the possibility of using this for sentencing of bad criminals. The worst of criminals are sent back in time – typically the Triassic era where the people have to survive among dinosaurs and other wild creatures.
The team is now working on Absolom 2 and not all agree this is a good thing. One of those is Nora Thomas, and she is found murdered. The last to visit her are Sam, who is developing a relation with her and Adeline. Surveillance video indicates there have not been any visitors after, and the knife has Adeline’s fingerprints. Police arrest Sam and Adeline, who are taken aback as Nora was alive when they left her apartment. Sam decides to confess to the crime so that Adeline at least will be in the clear. He leaves his children in the care of his colleague Daniele Danneros. Using Absolom, Sam is dispatched to the Triassic era. The land mass was one, referred to as Pangea, and there are many sections in the first half of the book describing his fight for survival. Adeline is determined to find who murdered Nora, and also get her dad back, if science can progress to that.
The story is based on broad based scientific concepts which can be regarded as plausible or at least not completely dismissible science. It is written as many short chapters, and is an engrossing read. There is a nice twist after about half-way into the book which I definitely didn’t expect. The way the story resolves aspects around the death of Nora was very different. I liked how Adeline’s character develops as the story progresses and the emphasis shifts from Sam’s survival to Adeline’s search for what happened. The resolution though leaves a key question open, and the author refers to this as being like the universe creation conundrum – what existed before the universe came into being? Though this has a touch of charm, this comes at the cost of a partly unexplained tie-up. A weak aspect in the story though is in the development of another key scientific discovery in the later sections, which is used to resolve am important aspect of the story. This seems rushed and force-fitted, in contrast to the more well-described development of Absolom.
Overall, a very well-written and entertaining read which I enjoyed reading. Definitely recommended - a great relaxing read.
I found the audiobook narration by John Skelley to be very good.
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
Sam Anderson is a scientist – part of a team who have invented the revolutionary Absolom machine. He has lost his wife to illness and is close to his children – teenager Adeline and a much younger Ryan. Absolom had initially started as a research project to move objects across places using the concept of quantum entanglement. This effort morphed into a time travel discovery when the team found that they could displace location as well as the time for the object. A few governments are excited by the possibility of using this for sentencing of bad criminals. The worst of criminals are sent back in time – typically the Triassic era where the people have to survive among dinosaurs and other wild creatures.
The team is now working on Absolom 2 and not all agree this is a good thing. One of those is Nora Thomas, and she is found murdered. The last to visit her are Sam, who is developing a relation with her and Adeline. Surveillance video indicates there have not been any visitors after, and the knife has Adeline’s fingerprints. Police arrest Sam and Adeline, who are taken aback as Nora was alive when they left her apartment. Sam decides to confess to the crime so that Adeline at least will be in the clear. He leaves his children in the care of his colleague Daniele Danneros. Using Absolom, Sam is dispatched to the Triassic era. The land mass was one, referred to as Pangea, and there are many sections in the first half of the book describing his fight for survival. Adeline is determined to find who murdered Nora, and also get her dad back, if science can progress to that.
The story is based on broad based scientific concepts which can be regarded as plausible or at least not completely dismissible science. It is written as many short chapters, and is an engrossing read. There is a nice twist after about half-way into the book which I definitely didn’t expect. The way the story resolves aspects around the death of Nora was very different. I liked how Adeline’s character develops as the story progresses and the emphasis shifts from Sam’s survival to Adeline’s search for what happened. The resolution though leaves a key question open, and the author refers to this as being like the universe creation conundrum – what existed before the universe came into being? Though this has a touch of charm, this comes at the cost of a partly unexplained tie-up. A weak aspect in the story though is in the development of another key scientific discovery in the later sections, which is used to resolve am important aspect of the story. This seems rushed and force-fitted, in contrast to the more well-described development of Absolom.
Overall, a very well-written and entertaining read which I enjoyed reading. Definitely recommended - a great relaxing read.
I found the audiobook narration by John Skelley to be very good.
My rating: 4.25 / 5.
September 15, 2022
I'm a big fan of A. G. Riddle. His books are smart, imaginative and serve to get you thinking about life and the world and about what we don't know yet. This story is about a traumatized young girl, separated unjustly from her father. The tale tracks her efforts and life choices necessary to find justice. The characters are great: warm, fleshed out, and likeable. It's kind of a feel good story and I'm all for those. I hope that you will enjoy this tale as much as I have!
December 22, 2022
Scientist Sam Anderson and his teenaged daughter Adeline are arrested for the murder of Sam’s colleague/lover Nora. Sam confesses to the murder to spare Adeline. As punishment he is sent millions of years into the past, using Absolom the time travel device invented by Sam and his colleagues. Adeline promises Sam that she will find a way to prove his innocence and bring him back.
Each of the characters in the book has one habit or trait that defines them, but none has anything approaching a personality. How Absolom works is pretty sketchy. Admittedly, time travel stories always confuse me, but this one seemed to be at the high end of illogical plots. I expected more dinosaurs. Don’t tease me with the Jurassic period and then leave out most of the beasties. And I didn’t like the ending at all. However, the book did hold my interest. 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Each of the characters in the book has one habit or trait that defines them, but none has anything approaching a personality. How Absolom works is pretty sketchy. Admittedly, time travel stories always confuse me, but this one seemed to be at the high end of illogical plots. I expected more dinosaurs. Don’t tease me with the Jurassic period and then leave out most of the beasties. And I didn’t like the ending at all. However, the book did hold my interest. 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 19, 2022
So, this was from a standing debate with a friend over the quality of self-published works. My friend (a self-published author himself) posited that the quality is just as good as traditionally published work, citing a list of authors who started off self-publishing and they got famous. Literary giants like E.L. James, that is.
Riddle was on that list so when his latest showed up on Netgalley, I figured I’d check him out. Sure enough, I stand strong on my position. Riddle, like James, like other similar authors, may have a very good understanding of the current market, but he’s probably never going to be accused of being a great writer.
Because he isn’t, not really, more like an author. Someone who can come up with the sort of ideas that get the general audience all steamed up and then cobble it together into a book, one flat serviceable sentence at a time. As this techno-thriller proves so perfectly.
The idea behind it is huge and bombastic, straight out of Michael Bay’s catalog and movie adaptation-ready. A man accused of a crime he didn’t commit is sent back in time because apparently that’s what they do to criminals in that reality.
Yeah, it’s one of those things that totally doesn’t hold up to overthinking. So there he is, with the dinos (and there’s sadly not enough of it), while back in his timeline his young daughter is fighting to solve the murder and prove her father’s innocence.
The twist is that her father is actually behind the technology that enables time-traveling and it was meant to be something different originally, but there it is.
Enter some pseudo-scientific babble, lots of business jargon, some dubious time-traveling logistics and paradoxes and a bunch of suspense, et voila, you got yourself a book. A much too long of a book for the quality of writing, but at least it reads quickly, due to its whambam thriller-pace.
Cardboard characters all around, the set is practically flammable with them. Nothing special, but lots of things in it that sell. An imminently marketable feature. Not something to love. Probably just waiting to be adapted into something starring Chris Pratt. Read at your own discretion. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Riddle was on that list so when his latest showed up on Netgalley, I figured I’d check him out. Sure enough, I stand strong on my position. Riddle, like James, like other similar authors, may have a very good understanding of the current market, but he’s probably never going to be accused of being a great writer.
Because he isn’t, not really, more like an author. Someone who can come up with the sort of ideas that get the general audience all steamed up and then cobble it together into a book, one flat serviceable sentence at a time. As this techno-thriller proves so perfectly.
The idea behind it is huge and bombastic, straight out of Michael Bay’s catalog and movie adaptation-ready. A man accused of a crime he didn’t commit is sent back in time because apparently that’s what they do to criminals in that reality.
Yeah, it’s one of those things that totally doesn’t hold up to overthinking. So there he is, with the dinos (and there’s sadly not enough of it), while back in his timeline his young daughter is fighting to solve the murder and prove her father’s innocence.
The twist is that her father is actually behind the technology that enables time-traveling and it was meant to be something different originally, but there it is.
Enter some pseudo-scientific babble, lots of business jargon, some dubious time-traveling logistics and paradoxes and a bunch of suspense, et voila, you got yourself a book. A much too long of a book for the quality of writing, but at least it reads quickly, due to its whambam thriller-pace.
Cardboard characters all around, the set is practically flammable with them. Nothing special, but lots of things in it that sell. An imminently marketable feature. Not something to love. Probably just waiting to be adapted into something starring Chris Pratt. Read at your own discretion. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2022
~ Quick Summary ~
Set in the near future where a technology called Absolom, is used to send criminals to the past, to the period of dinosaurs as a form of death sentence.
One of the 6 founding scientists and accused of murder, Sam has no choice but to take the blame for his daughter Adeline and be sentenced to the Triassic period. Adeline will stop at nothing to get her father back.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
🏃♂️ Medium paced
🧑🤝🧑 Some focus on characters and relationships
📚 Scifi
🕵️♀️ Murder mystery
🤯 twists
🦖 Surviving the Triassic period
⌛ Time travel (can be confusing)
~ What I Enjoyed ~
I loved the first third because the set up was amazing. There was mystery in the murder and what everyone was hiding. I was so intrigued by the time traveling technology and wondering how on earth will the father/Sam survive?!
Sam’s point of view and surviving in the Triassic time, it was action packed.
The twists got me! I didn’t expect .
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
Even though the set up was amazing, the characters, mystery and secrets weren’t well fleshed out.
- I feel this book tried to add a human element to make the reader connect to the characters but they didn’t have much depth and there weren’t many differences other than their situation. There wasn't as much character development as I would have liked and I didn’t care about any of them.
- Some of the secrets were one liner reveals. They added to the mystery at the start but I wish there was something that
- Adeline’s time undercover was rather flat. She got one task from Daniele and that was it.
- There was so much build up leading to Nora’s death I was very disappointed with the reveal.
- The tiny bit of romance was unnecessary.
-
Set in the near future where a technology called Absolom, is used to send criminals to the past, to the period of dinosaurs as a form of death sentence.
One of the 6 founding scientists and accused of murder, Sam has no choice but to take the blame for his daughter Adeline and be sentenced to the Triassic period. Adeline will stop at nothing to get her father back.
~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~
🏃♂️ Medium paced
🧑🤝🧑 Some focus on characters and relationships
📚 Scifi
🕵️♀️ Murder mystery
🤯 twists
🦖 Surviving the Triassic period
⌛ Time travel (can be confusing)
~ What I Enjoyed ~
I loved the first third because the set up was amazing. There was mystery in the murder and what everyone was hiding. I was so intrigued by the time traveling technology and wondering how on earth will the father/Sam survive?!
Sam’s point of view and surviving in the Triassic time, it was action packed.
The twists got me! I didn’t expect .
~ What I didn’t enjoy ~
Even though the set up was amazing, the characters, mystery and secrets weren’t well fleshed out.
- I feel this book tried to add a human element to make the reader connect to the characters but they didn’t have much depth and there weren’t many differences other than their situation. There wasn't as much character development as I would have liked and I didn’t care about any of them.
- Some of the secrets were one liner reveals. They added to the mystery at the start but I wish there was something that
- Adeline’s time undercover was rather flat. She got one task from Daniele and that was it.
- There was so much build up leading to Nora’s death I was very disappointed with the reveal.
- The tiny bit of romance was unnecessary.
-
January 5, 2023
A fast-paced twisty sci-fi thriller that I devoured in 2 sittings.
If you're looking for a book that will suck you in and keep you hooked until the last page, then Lost in Time is a strong contender. I loved the fast-paced murder mystery plot line that was made twistier when time-travel is added into the mix!
I do however, think that the synopsis is misleading. Don't go into this book expecting it to be full of dinosaurs as they play a rather small role in the plot.
If you're looking for a book that will suck you in and keep you hooked until the last page, then Lost in Time is a strong contender. I loved the fast-paced murder mystery plot line that was made twistier when time-travel is added into the mix!
I do however, think that the synopsis is misleading. Don't go into this book expecting it to be full of dinosaurs as they play a rather small role in the plot.
June 12, 2024
Was luke warm on this one. I think I was expecting something different. The concept of sending packages back through time intrigued me. Didn't really happen in the book the way I expected. Love time travel books. I did read it all the way through which of late is saying a lot.
d.
d.
June 28, 2022
“Lying there in the sand, in this prehistoric time, he finally did
what he couldn't do in his own time: he faced the fact that he had been mentally stuck. In a way, even before Absolom sent him to this place, he had been lost in time. He knew that now”
Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle is a fantastic blend of sci-fi, time travel and thriller that works perfectly to grab its readers right from the very first chapter. Riddle dramatically plunged me into a murder mystery, quite like nothing I’ve read before.
Sam Anderson is a widowed father raising two children in Absolom City. On the third anniversary of his wife’s death, Sam and his daughter, Adeline, are accused of murdering Sam’s colleague and lover, Nora. As the evidence mounts, Sam soon realises he and Adeline are certainly going to be convicted. In an attempt to save his daughter, Sam confesses to the murder. Yet this is the future, and in the future the world’s worst criminals aren’t sent to prison, they’re sent through the Absolom machine. This machine will send Sam back in time to the Triassic period, the era of dinosaurs. All in all it is a terrifying death sentence, a punishment with too many unknowns. Whilst Sam prepares for his fate, his daughter Adeline refuses to accept it. As the novel progresses Adeline plunges into an all consuming quest to prove her father’s innocence, to discover a way to bring him back. Everyone around her is a suspect, everyone holds secrets, and what Adeline eventually uncovers changes everything.
It may seem far-fetched or erring on the ridiculous side to have the most dangerous criminals sent back to the time of dinosaurs but looking more deeply, Absolom revolutionised the world, and crime rates instantly plummeted. I mean, would you want to be sent to prison or would you rather face your chances of surviving with the world’s ancient, ferocious and deadly animals?
“Adeline had always heard the saying that the devil you know
is better than the one you don't. That's what Absolom was to the world: a new devil.”
Honestly, when Sam is sent through the Absolom, that’s when the book really kicks off for me and the pages literally flew by. The moment Sam awakens in the Triassic period, he’s stranded and his chances of survival look slim indeed. That’s when we begin our duel narrative as Riddle switches each chapter to alternate between Adeline, who investigates the murder mystery element and Sam who delivers us a survival story. There are scenes of Sam foraging for food, seeking shelter, building a fire and using every ounce of his wits to stay alive. My little nerdy heart loved looking up pictures of each dinosaur he encountered and I held my breath each time one chased him. Throughout all this Sam’s entire driving force is seeing Ryan and Adeline again, his anchor within the storm. Yet Riddle doesn’t make this easy for our Sam, and the further he roams into Pangea, the more it seems he will never survive long enough to return to his own time.
Not that events are any easier for Adeline either. The deeper her investigation reaches, the more threatening and dangerous her life becomes. Each one of the inventors of Absolom hide secrets, they’re all suspicious in their own way, and Riddle leads us down many twisted roads involving each one of them. However Adeline is the one character who evolves the most in this novel, from a sullen teenager to a woman responsible for rescuing her father, taking care of her brother and also keeping herself safe, she travels an exceptionally emotional journey.
My favourite aspect of Lost in Time is the way Riddle cleverly portrays the threads of time. Through both characters we see how time can affect so much of our lives without us even realising; the time we waste, the time we long to go back to, hold on to, and the time we desperately want to change. From the author’s note I learned that themes such as grief, parenthood and regret within the novel come directly from the author’s personal life experiences and you can truly see that through the raw emotions present throughout many scenes.
“That was the way of the world, he thought; you give it your all; sometimes it's enough, sometimes it's not, and sometimes, the tide carries you in.”
I have to say the ending of the book was nothing like what I expected it to be. Riddle drops a completely mind blowing twist and changes the perspective of the entire novel. Lost in Time is easy to devour in one sitting, it’s easy to be wholly immersed into this twisty time travel tale, and before you know it, you yourself lose track of time.
ARC provided by Jamie at BlackCrow PR and Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review. Lost in Time is out 1st September in the UK
what he couldn't do in his own time: he faced the fact that he had been mentally stuck. In a way, even before Absolom sent him to this place, he had been lost in time. He knew that now”
Lost in Time by A.G. Riddle is a fantastic blend of sci-fi, time travel and thriller that works perfectly to grab its readers right from the very first chapter. Riddle dramatically plunged me into a murder mystery, quite like nothing I’ve read before.
Sam Anderson is a widowed father raising two children in Absolom City. On the third anniversary of his wife’s death, Sam and his daughter, Adeline, are accused of murdering Sam’s colleague and lover, Nora. As the evidence mounts, Sam soon realises he and Adeline are certainly going to be convicted. In an attempt to save his daughter, Sam confesses to the murder. Yet this is the future, and in the future the world’s worst criminals aren’t sent to prison, they’re sent through the Absolom machine. This machine will send Sam back in time to the Triassic period, the era of dinosaurs. All in all it is a terrifying death sentence, a punishment with too many unknowns. Whilst Sam prepares for his fate, his daughter Adeline refuses to accept it. As the novel progresses Adeline plunges into an all consuming quest to prove her father’s innocence, to discover a way to bring him back. Everyone around her is a suspect, everyone holds secrets, and what Adeline eventually uncovers changes everything.
It may seem far-fetched or erring on the ridiculous side to have the most dangerous criminals sent back to the time of dinosaurs but looking more deeply, Absolom revolutionised the world, and crime rates instantly plummeted. I mean, would you want to be sent to prison or would you rather face your chances of surviving with the world’s ancient, ferocious and deadly animals?
“Adeline had always heard the saying that the devil you know
is better than the one you don't. That's what Absolom was to the world: a new devil.”
Honestly, when Sam is sent through the Absolom, that’s when the book really kicks off for me and the pages literally flew by. The moment Sam awakens in the Triassic period, he’s stranded and his chances of survival look slim indeed. That’s when we begin our duel narrative as Riddle switches each chapter to alternate between Adeline, who investigates the murder mystery element and Sam who delivers us a survival story. There are scenes of Sam foraging for food, seeking shelter, building a fire and using every ounce of his wits to stay alive. My little nerdy heart loved looking up pictures of each dinosaur he encountered and I held my breath each time one chased him. Throughout all this Sam’s entire driving force is seeing Ryan and Adeline again, his anchor within the storm. Yet Riddle doesn’t make this easy for our Sam, and the further he roams into Pangea, the more it seems he will never survive long enough to return to his own time.
Not that events are any easier for Adeline either. The deeper her investigation reaches, the more threatening and dangerous her life becomes. Each one of the inventors of Absolom hide secrets, they’re all suspicious in their own way, and Riddle leads us down many twisted roads involving each one of them. However Adeline is the one character who evolves the most in this novel, from a sullen teenager to a woman responsible for rescuing her father, taking care of her brother and also keeping herself safe, she travels an exceptionally emotional journey.
My favourite aspect of Lost in Time is the way Riddle cleverly portrays the threads of time. Through both characters we see how time can affect so much of our lives without us even realising; the time we waste, the time we long to go back to, hold on to, and the time we desperately want to change. From the author’s note I learned that themes such as grief, parenthood and regret within the novel come directly from the author’s personal life experiences and you can truly see that through the raw emotions present throughout many scenes.
“That was the way of the world, he thought; you give it your all; sometimes it's enough, sometimes it's not, and sometimes, the tide carries you in.”
I have to say the ending of the book was nothing like what I expected it to be. Riddle drops a completely mind blowing twist and changes the perspective of the entire novel. Lost in Time is easy to devour in one sitting, it’s easy to be wholly immersed into this twisty time travel tale, and before you know it, you yourself lose track of time.
ARC provided by Jamie at BlackCrow PR and Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review. Lost in Time is out 1st September in the UK
August 16, 2022
Lost in Time is a stand-alone soft sci-fi novel mashed up with a murder mystery set in the near future. I’d enjoyed one of Riddle’s previous books so was keen to try this, and while I struggled with the premise in the first half, something then happens which changes the whole nature of the book and from then on I was hooked. I strongly recommend avoiding spoilers for this one to get the most out of it, and keeping going even if you’re thinking, like me, “that’s ridiculous, why would they do that?”
In the near future, Sam Anderson is part of a group of scientists who have created a time travel machine called Absolom, which has solved one of society’s biggest problems - what to do with the very worst criminals - by sending them back millions of years through time to an alternate universe where they can fend for themselves. Then Sam’s new partner is murdered, and he and his daughter Adeline are framed for the crime, so to save her, he confesses - and is himself exiled to the Jurassic era. Adeline vows to do whatever it takes to get him back, but how can she change the past without destroying the present?
This is not a book for serious sci-fi fans, or physicists, but if you like nonsensical Doctor Who-style timey-wimey shenanigans with clever twists, give this one a go. As mentioned previously, the idea that a government would use all that energy and cost to get rid of people they could just execute - since the outcome is the same, stopped me from engaging fully here in the first part. I’ve also decided I’m not a fan of split timelines or character perspectives in alternating chapters, as I find it too distracting. However after the first big twist, I was all in, and raced to the end to find out what on earth was going on - and was not disappointed!
As in The Extinction Trials, this has a range of likeable characters, with believable flaws but mostly good intentions, minimal violence (apart from some brutal dinosaur on dinosaur attacks that is), no sex and no swearing. The writing won’t win any prizes but that’s not what you look for in this kind of book, and more importantly it’s well paced and plotted with a denouement that hangs together if you don’t think too hard about the science. This was a fun read and I plan to check out more of his earlier books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Lost in Time is published on September 1st.
In the near future, Sam Anderson is part of a group of scientists who have created a time travel machine called Absolom, which has solved one of society’s biggest problems - what to do with the very worst criminals - by sending them back millions of years through time to an alternate universe where they can fend for themselves. Then Sam’s new partner is murdered, and he and his daughter Adeline are framed for the crime, so to save her, he confesses - and is himself exiled to the Jurassic era. Adeline vows to do whatever it takes to get him back, but how can she change the past without destroying the present?
This is not a book for serious sci-fi fans, or physicists, but if you like nonsensical Doctor Who-style timey-wimey shenanigans with clever twists, give this one a go. As mentioned previously, the idea that a government would use all that energy and cost to get rid of people they could just execute - since the outcome is the same, stopped me from engaging fully here in the first part. I’ve also decided I’m not a fan of split timelines or character perspectives in alternating chapters, as I find it too distracting. However after the first big twist, I was all in, and raced to the end to find out what on earth was going on - and was not disappointed!
As in The Extinction Trials, this has a range of likeable characters, with believable flaws but mostly good intentions, minimal violence (apart from some brutal dinosaur on dinosaur attacks that is), no sex and no swearing. The writing won’t win any prizes but that’s not what you look for in this kind of book, and more importantly it’s well paced and plotted with a denouement that hangs together if you don’t think too hard about the science. This was a fun read and I plan to check out more of his earlier books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Lost in Time is published on September 1st.
May 18, 2023
Hard to time travel back a million years and hatch a plan to save yourself and family in the present day future. Unsuccessful for yours truly. 3 of 10 stars
September 17, 2023
I don't even know where to start. Hear me out, I think this book was written by an A.I. Either that or a middle schooler trying to stretch to meet a word count.
Everything in this book is superficial. Like someone Googled "top 10 survival tips" and "top 10 money making tips" and so on without actually realizing that nothing these people do could ever be possible (and I'm not talking about the fictitious time travel part).
Never have I not cared about any character more than in this book. There is no emotional connection to any of them. And they aren't even convincing among themselves. They convey no emotion but all they talk about are their profound emotions that motivate them. It's flat.
Each chapter is about 30% plot and 70% random musings or philosophy/internal monologues about pointless topics - on repeat I might add. "As we were sewing I thought, this is like patching up my life..." "As I struggled, I thought...this is like life, sometimes you gotta struggle.."
Clichés everywhere.
There really is no struggle in this book. Every challenge is met immediately with a solution. Every question has an immediate answer. Nothing is ever missed, every plot device, however unlikely, is immediately discovered. "how am I going to survive here without ID? Oh look! My badge just melted and under it was an ID!"
In a book about time travel, there doesn't seem to be any concept of time at all. Or the author has no idea how actual humans work. The main guy learns how to survive the freaking Triassic period by reading a few books in like what? A week? Oh yeah, and by remembering The Hatchet and a kids book on dinosaurs? The possibility of surviving doesn't even cross his mind until he's told he has to, right after giving up and confessing to a freaking murder he didn't commit without even trying to find an alternative, and he's told he has to survive now at all costs (because of his love for his kids?)...he has to be told that, and he doesn't even buy into the idea, and we're supposed to believe that's his supreme motivating power to survive against all odds somehow now moving forward? The legwork to get me to buy in was never there.
Again in the Triassic, he's there for like a week. Not even long enough for a cut to heal? yet they bring him back describing him as in worse shape than Tom Hanks in Cast Away?
Speaking of flat characters, he meets a murderer in the past who has been stuck there for who knows how long, who, get this, immediately wants to murder (because that's what murders want?). And our guy freaking kills him (immediately) and suffers no emotional distress for it.
He starts a primitive fire perfectly on just his second try (because he learned it from a book?). Eats worms with barely a mention of the disgust. Spear fishes perfectly after just a couple tries because he read about it in The Hatchet?
The girl learns complete financial literacy and memorizes the 2008 financial crisis the same way. And can survive in Palo Alto on $3000 for long enough to make an astounding life for herself from said crisis? That's like less than a month's income.
Constance is suffering from HIV and is frail and on a lifelong mission to track down any she infected and use her fortune to help meet their medical needs. She has to travel to get special treatments from San Francisco. He describes her as the most sick patients from Dallas Buyers Club, but HIV antivirals had been out for decades before this story takes place and HIV would have zero impact on her overall health by this time. Not to mention cheap and readily available at any community pharmacy in the developed world. I know she's like super old or something too, but HIV is revealed to be her super secret condition that she has to disappear for secret treatments for. Just like 10% more effort in your research and you could have written better characters.
Constant time travel philosophy. Musings on causality as the motives for action. Constant stress to "do things the exact same way they were done before because we can't change the past at all costs" except it works the other way around too...the future exists because it happened, so just relax and do what is natural. You already know it works out because you know how things happen in the future.
There's even a tangent about time travel paradoxes and uses the earrings as an example....the ONE OBJECT WITH A CLEAR ENTRY POINT INTO THE TIME LOOP! IT DOESNT EVEN CREATE A PARADOX!
Quantum entanglement as the secret behind all the book's technology, except not a single piece devoted to explaining what that even means.
A guy with a gambling addiction who LIVES IN VEGAS has to have a secret underground casino to feed his addiction?? It's Las Vegas for heaven's sake, gamble forever, nobody cares!
What else...oh, what a sick way to choose to use your time travel technology...by cherry picking single individuals to save in natural disasters. I can just imagine them warping onto that Korean lady's dad's plane, like right in the aisle, body bag in tow, snapping something on her dad's wrist and then all zapping away while everyone else just stares at them and then they all die. Like WTF?
Oh yeah and you're a bazillionaire who creates a sovereign nation on an uninhabited Pacific island that you BOUGHT with your wealth and LOBBIED the UN to recognize, that is self-sustaining in super advanced ways with infrastructure in place and you stock it with MRE's to eat????? Seriously that's the best you could come up with? Google "top 10 nonperishable foods for an island"...
Seriously, this book was written by a robot who has learned so much about humans from the internet but doesn't have any actual experience being one.
I'm sure there is more, I just couldn't keep track of everything that made my eyes roll during this book. And I say that fully knowing I haven't written a book myself, but seriously...
Everything in this book is superficial. Like someone Googled "top 10 survival tips" and "top 10 money making tips" and so on without actually realizing that nothing these people do could ever be possible (and I'm not talking about the fictitious time travel part).
Never have I not cared about any character more than in this book. There is no emotional connection to any of them. And they aren't even convincing among themselves. They convey no emotion but all they talk about are their profound emotions that motivate them. It's flat.
Each chapter is about 30% plot and 70% random musings or philosophy/internal monologues about pointless topics - on repeat I might add. "As we were sewing I thought, this is like patching up my life..." "As I struggled, I thought...this is like life, sometimes you gotta struggle.."
Clichés everywhere.
There really is no struggle in this book. Every challenge is met immediately with a solution. Every question has an immediate answer. Nothing is ever missed, every plot device, however unlikely, is immediately discovered. "how am I going to survive here without ID? Oh look! My badge just melted and under it was an ID!"
In a book about time travel, there doesn't seem to be any concept of time at all. Or the author has no idea how actual humans work. The main guy learns how to survive the freaking Triassic period by reading a few books in like what? A week? Oh yeah, and by remembering The Hatchet and a kids book on dinosaurs? The possibility of surviving doesn't even cross his mind until he's told he has to, right after giving up and confessing to a freaking murder he didn't commit without even trying to find an alternative, and he's told he has to survive now at all costs (because of his love for his kids?)...he has to be told that, and he doesn't even buy into the idea, and we're supposed to believe that's his supreme motivating power to survive against all odds somehow now moving forward? The legwork to get me to buy in was never there.
Again in the Triassic, he's there for like a week. Not even long enough for a cut to heal? yet they bring him back describing him as in worse shape than Tom Hanks in Cast Away?
Speaking of flat characters, he meets a murderer in the past who has been stuck there for who knows how long, who, get this, immediately wants to murder (because that's what murders want?). And our guy freaking kills him (immediately) and suffers no emotional distress for it.
He starts a primitive fire perfectly on just his second try (because he learned it from a book?). Eats worms with barely a mention of the disgust. Spear fishes perfectly after just a couple tries because he read about it in The Hatchet?
The girl learns complete financial literacy and memorizes the 2008 financial crisis the same way. And can survive in Palo Alto on $3000 for long enough to make an astounding life for herself from said crisis? That's like less than a month's income.
Constance is suffering from HIV and is frail and on a lifelong mission to track down any she infected and use her fortune to help meet their medical needs. She has to travel to get special treatments from San Francisco. He describes her as the most sick patients from Dallas Buyers Club, but HIV antivirals had been out for decades before this story takes place and HIV would have zero impact on her overall health by this time. Not to mention cheap and readily available at any community pharmacy in the developed world. I know she's like super old or something too, but HIV is revealed to be her super secret condition that she has to disappear for secret treatments for. Just like 10% more effort in your research and you could have written better characters.
Constant time travel philosophy. Musings on causality as the motives for action. Constant stress to "do things the exact same way they were done before because we can't change the past at all costs" except it works the other way around too...the future exists because it happened, so just relax and do what is natural. You already know it works out because you know how things happen in the future.
There's even a tangent about time travel paradoxes and uses the earrings as an example....the ONE OBJECT WITH A CLEAR ENTRY POINT INTO THE TIME LOOP! IT DOESNT EVEN CREATE A PARADOX!
Quantum entanglement as the secret behind all the book's technology, except not a single piece devoted to explaining what that even means.
A guy with a gambling addiction who LIVES IN VEGAS has to have a secret underground casino to feed his addiction?? It's Las Vegas for heaven's sake, gamble forever, nobody cares!
What else...oh, what a sick way to choose to use your time travel technology...by cherry picking single individuals to save in natural disasters. I can just imagine them warping onto that Korean lady's dad's plane, like right in the aisle, body bag in tow, snapping something on her dad's wrist and then all zapping away while everyone else just stares at them and then they all die. Like WTF?
Oh yeah and you're a bazillionaire who creates a sovereign nation on an uninhabited Pacific island that you BOUGHT with your wealth and LOBBIED the UN to recognize, that is self-sustaining in super advanced ways with infrastructure in place and you stock it with MRE's to eat????? Seriously that's the best you could come up with? Google "top 10 nonperishable foods for an island"...
Seriously, this book was written by a robot who has learned so much about humans from the internet but doesn't have any actual experience being one.
I'm sure there is more, I just couldn't keep track of everything that made my eyes roll during this book. And I say that fully knowing I haven't written a book myself, but seriously...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2022
A clever and utterly addictive tale about a father and daughter—200 million years apart—trying to unravel a murder mystery across time. Full of high stakes action, dinosaurs and more plot twists than an M. Night Shyamalan movie, Lost In Time is a time travel centric, techno-thriller that, despite its grandiose ideas and mulitiple interwoven timelines (and universes) is a fairly light and easily digestible read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
It’s set in a (not too distant) future where a state of the art machine which allows governments to send the worst criminals of society (terrorists, serial killers and dictators) into millions of years into the past of a another timeline.
Dr Sam Anderson is one of the founders of ABSOLOM, the company that invented the machine that can send people into the past, but when he and his daughter are framed for the murder of his co-worker/ lover, Sam’s invention will become his undoing. In order to save his daughter, Sam confesses to a murder he didn’t commit and finds himself 201 million years into the past—in the midst of a mass extinction event.
Having lost her mother to Cancer three years ago, Adeline refuses to lose her father too, plunging herself into an all consuming quest to prove her father’s not the killer and more importantly, to find a way to bring him back. Everyone is a suspect, everyone has secrets. And what Adeline uncovers will change everything…
This was such an gripping read! I’m fairly new to the Sci-fi genre so I very much enjoyed how easy to read and straightforward the science/ tech aspects were. The short chapters were also well appreciated and definitely contributed to my super late binge reading sessions—although, given how incredible the twists were, the late nights were absolutely worth it.
The intricately woven narrative is told through two POVs (Sam and Adeline’s) and alternate between multiple timelines that really picks up in the second half of the book and doesn’t let up at all until the conclusion. I can’t go into to too much detail without accidentally dropping spoilers, but I can say that things do eventually make sense and the intrigue, action and suspense were all worth it in the end.
The characters were all very believable and realistic but I definitely had a soft spot for Adeline. She’s a flawed yet relatable character and I loved how she deftly navigates each and every situation she encounters no matter how complex or daunting it may be. Likewise, the struggles of the other characters were also well written and felt organic to each individual—Elliot’s grief was particularly emotional and the contrast in his and Sam’s own period of mourning really highlighted that everyone processes grief and trauma differently.
Overall, Lost In Time was an addictive, fun and fairly quick mystery that fans of plot twisty, time travel stories or Michael Critchon are bound to enjoy.
A massive thank you to Head Of Zeus and Black Crow PR for the finished copy.
It’s set in a (not too distant) future where a state of the art machine which allows governments to send the worst criminals of society (terrorists, serial killers and dictators) into millions of years into the past of a another timeline.
Dr Sam Anderson is one of the founders of ABSOLOM, the company that invented the machine that can send people into the past, but when he and his daughter are framed for the murder of his co-worker/ lover, Sam’s invention will become his undoing. In order to save his daughter, Sam confesses to a murder he didn’t commit and finds himself 201 million years into the past—in the midst of a mass extinction event.
Having lost her mother to Cancer three years ago, Adeline refuses to lose her father too, plunging herself into an all consuming quest to prove her father’s not the killer and more importantly, to find a way to bring him back. Everyone is a suspect, everyone has secrets. And what Adeline uncovers will change everything…
This was such an gripping read! I’m fairly new to the Sci-fi genre so I very much enjoyed how easy to read and straightforward the science/ tech aspects were. The short chapters were also well appreciated and definitely contributed to my super late binge reading sessions—although, given how incredible the twists were, the late nights were absolutely worth it.
The intricately woven narrative is told through two POVs (Sam and Adeline’s) and alternate between multiple timelines that really picks up in the second half of the book and doesn’t let up at all until the conclusion. I can’t go into to too much detail without accidentally dropping spoilers, but I can say that things do eventually make sense and the intrigue, action and suspense were all worth it in the end.
The characters were all very believable and realistic but I definitely had a soft spot for Adeline. She’s a flawed yet relatable character and I loved how she deftly navigates each and every situation she encounters no matter how complex or daunting it may be. Likewise, the struggles of the other characters were also well written and felt organic to each individual—Elliot’s grief was particularly emotional and the contrast in his and Sam’s own period of mourning really highlighted that everyone processes grief and trauma differently.
Overall, Lost In Time was an addictive, fun and fairly quick mystery that fans of plot twisty, time travel stories or Michael Critchon are bound to enjoy.
A massive thank you to Head Of Zeus and Black Crow PR for the finished copy.
November 22, 2023
Приятна за убиване на време, лека техно фантастика с малко разходки във времето, неколцина гениални учени, град в пустинята и едно убийство.
За съжаление, макар да има някои симпатични обрати, историята не е разгърната особено вълнуващо, а героите са схематични и не предизвикват особен интерес. Логиката на случващото се често липсва. Краят е без никаква посока, както впрочем и цялата история.
2,5⭐️
За съжаление, макар да има някои симпатични обрати, историята не е разгърната особено вълнуващо, а героите са схематични и не предизвикват особен интерес. Логиката на случващото се често липсва. Краят е без никаква посока, както впрочем и цялата история.
2,5⭐️
September 17, 2022
This is a disappointing mess. It offers up plenty of twists but somehow none of them are interesting. The settings are claustrophobic. Everything, even events that should be sprawling, seems to take place in a confined space. It's as though Riddle wrote it with a stage play in mind. The characters are flat sad sacks. The scientists pull magical breakthroughs out of their heinies, and the ethical decisions they make are abominable -- if you take them seriously, which is really impossible, given the absence of any serious attempt at logic. I can't recall feeling less invested in an outcome. I read it to the end, vaguely hoping for something to lift it, because I've enjoyed some of Riddle's previous work. I found no satisfaction. The two stars are for ambition, even though the end product is balderdash.
August 29, 2022
DNF. Another book where o wonder what I am missing. Everything should have appealed - murder, science and time travel. Yet every element seemed clunky and hollow and I just didn’t really believe in the characters or the story. Not if it seemed remotely credible
July 24, 2022
Lost in Time has a great cover and a great premise. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to them, but it's solid popcorn fun.
The Absolom, a time travel device, allows governments to imprison criminals in the prehistoric past. One of its inventors, Sam Anderson, is arrested and accused of killing Nora Thomas, his lover, and co-inventor of Absolom. He didn't commit the crime but must take responsibility for it - or his daughter Adeline will be framed for it.
The government uses Absolomn to send Sam to the Triassic period, where he has to deal with dinosaurs, lack of food, and earthquakes. His arc resembles a blend of Lost and Jurassic Park but is much more bland and streamlined.
In the present (sort of) timeline, Adeline is trying to find the real killer of Nora and find a way to rescue her father. There's a massive twist at brewing, so I'll stop with the synopsis. Suffice to say, all of Absolom's creators and investors hide secrets and painful pasts.
A.G. Riddle understands the market and knows the tastes of fans of techno-thrillers. He knows how to mix simplistic science with family drama and create uncomplicated but relatable characters. I mentioned that the creators of Absolom have secrets, and they do. Only none of them are truly nefarious, and their actions are driven by grief, compassion, and the need to atone for their sins.
The author excels at delivering short chapters with mini-hooks that force readers to read "just one more chapter." Good twists and personal stakes add to the excitement.
Still, I have a few criticisms of the book. First, Riddle's writing style is bland and clinical, and his dialog often seems unconvincing ( subjective ). The story and characters lack nuance, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because it makes the book easy to read for a wide audience. It just wasn't enough to excite me. I have a problem with the logic of sending depraved criminals to prehistoric times and with the logistics of time travel. It's not a deal breaker, though. But the biggest problem I have concerns the ending, and it's the kind of a problem I can't discuss in a review. Suffice to say, I'm not a fan of micro-utopias.
In all, Lost in Time is a fun popcorn read with both emotional and scientific thrills and well-placed twists. Fans of fast-paced techno-thrillers should give it a go.
ARC throughNetGalley
The Absolom, a time travel device, allows governments to imprison criminals in the prehistoric past. One of its inventors, Sam Anderson, is arrested and accused of killing Nora Thomas, his lover, and co-inventor of Absolom. He didn't commit the crime but must take responsibility for it - or his daughter Adeline will be framed for it.
The government uses Absolomn to send Sam to the Triassic period, where he has to deal with dinosaurs, lack of food, and earthquakes. His arc resembles a blend of Lost and Jurassic Park but is much more bland and streamlined.
In the present (sort of) timeline, Adeline is trying to find the real killer of Nora and find a way to rescue her father. There's a massive twist at brewing, so I'll stop with the synopsis. Suffice to say, all of Absolom's creators and investors hide secrets and painful pasts.
A.G. Riddle understands the market and knows the tastes of fans of techno-thrillers. He knows how to mix simplistic science with family drama and create uncomplicated but relatable characters. I mentioned that the creators of Absolom have secrets, and they do. Only none of them are truly nefarious, and their actions are driven by grief, compassion, and the need to atone for their sins.
The author excels at delivering short chapters with mini-hooks that force readers to read "just one more chapter." Good twists and personal stakes add to the excitement.
Still, I have a few criticisms of the book. First, Riddle's writing style is bland and clinical, and his dialog often seems unconvincing ( subjective ). The story and characters lack nuance, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because it makes the book easy to read for a wide audience. It just wasn't enough to excite me. I have a problem with the logic of sending depraved criminals to prehistoric times and with the logistics of time travel. It's not a deal breaker, though. But the biggest problem I have concerns the ending, and it's the kind of a problem I can't discuss in a review. Suffice to say, I'm not a fan of micro-utopias.
In all, Lost in Time is a fun popcorn read with both emotional and scientific thrills and well-placed twists. Fans of fast-paced techno-thrillers should give it a go.
ARC throughNetGalley
August 30, 2023
Stars: 1.5 out of 5.
Pfew, glad I'm finally done with this book. It's not particularly long, but boy it dragged. Truth be told, I only picked it up because the blurb promised time travel and dinosaurs. Unfortunately, there is precious little of them in this story. And that timeline is completely ignored for the last 50% of the book, much to my disappointment. Also, how can you make a story of survival at the time of dinosaurs boring? I thought that was impossible.
The characters are also nothing to write home about. And what I mean by that is that they are lifeless. They are just concepts with a few distinct traits and flaws to differentiate them by, not real fleshed out characters. Adeline is the worst offender in this department. Too bad she is the one we follow the most in this book. By the time the author completely drops Sam's story at the time of the big reptiles and focuses solely on Adeline and her valiant attempt at making her life even more boring than it was, I was sorely tempted to just DNF this book. But I had already read about 67% of the story, so I felt bad for my time investment and wanted to at least see this through and find out what this murder mystery was all about.
Spoiler alert - it makes no sense whatsoever. Turns out the murder is not really a murder, so all the pain and suffering for Sam and Adeline was for no good reason at all. Also, that whole plot twist with Adeline's time travel served no particular point either.
And the ending... don't start me on the ending. Are we really supposed to think that his little utopia island of theirs is supposed to be a paradise on earth? These people are effectively prisoners there until they die. How long before some of them decide they had enough and stage an insurrection?
Also, what was the point of this story? The murder wasn't really a murder, so the driving factor behind all this is moot. The end result is also deeply unsatisfying.
The writing stile was also very dry and impersonal. That coupled with one-dimensional characters made it very hard to stay engaged in the story or to care about what was happening at all. I don't think I will pick up another book by this author.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
Pfew, glad I'm finally done with this book. It's not particularly long, but boy it dragged. Truth be told, I only picked it up because the blurb promised time travel and dinosaurs. Unfortunately, there is precious little of them in this story. And that timeline is completely ignored for the last 50% of the book, much to my disappointment. Also, how can you make a story of survival at the time of dinosaurs boring? I thought that was impossible.
The characters are also nothing to write home about. And what I mean by that is that they are lifeless. They are just concepts with a few distinct traits and flaws to differentiate them by, not real fleshed out characters. Adeline is the worst offender in this department. Too bad she is the one we follow the most in this book. By the time the author completely drops Sam's story at the time of the big reptiles and focuses solely on Adeline and her valiant attempt at making her life even more boring than it was, I was sorely tempted to just DNF this book. But I had already read about 67% of the story, so I felt bad for my time investment and wanted to at least see this through and find out what this murder mystery was all about.
Spoiler alert - it makes no sense whatsoever. Turns out the murder is not really a murder, so all the pain and suffering for Sam and Adeline was for no good reason at all. Also, that whole plot twist with Adeline's time travel served no particular point either.
And the ending... don't start me on the ending. Are we really supposed to think that his little utopia island of theirs is supposed to be a paradise on earth? These people are effectively prisoners there until they die. How long before some of them decide they had enough and stage an insurrection?
Also, what was the point of this story? The murder wasn't really a murder, so the driving factor behind all this is moot. The end result is also deeply unsatisfying.
The writing stile was also very dry and impersonal. That coupled with one-dimensional characters made it very hard to stay engaged in the story or to care about what was happening at all. I don't think I will pick up another book by this author.
PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
September 24, 2022
I finished Lost in Time and within 5 minutes had ordered the beautiful Goldsboro limited edition with gorgeous colorful sprayed edges because this was a book that needed to be showcased on my bookshelves.
I read a lot of twisty time travel sci-fi but nothing prepared me for the brilliant twists of Lost in Time. This will be in my top 3 books of 2022 for sure!
In addition to being a novel about time travel, it’s also a sci-fi thriller, a suspense, and a murder mystery. If you are a fan of Crichton, you should enjoy this one.
Murderers are no longer sent to prison. They are sent back in time. 200 million years back to the time of the dinosaurs.
In Lost in Time, one of the inventors of the time travel machine confesses to the murder of the woman he loves, another of the six inventors, and is sent to the Triassic era of time where he has been exiled. In the meantime, his daughter is doing everything she can to get him back.
This was just so good and the big twist had me gasping in surprise. I’ll be checking out Riddle’s prior work of books for sure.
*Thanks so much to Head of Zeus Books and NetGalley for the advance eGalley!*
I read a lot of twisty time travel sci-fi but nothing prepared me for the brilliant twists of Lost in Time. This will be in my top 3 books of 2022 for sure!
In addition to being a novel about time travel, it’s also a sci-fi thriller, a suspense, and a murder mystery. If you are a fan of Crichton, you should enjoy this one.
Murderers are no longer sent to prison. They are sent back in time. 200 million years back to the time of the dinosaurs.
In Lost in Time, one of the inventors of the time travel machine confesses to the murder of the woman he loves, another of the six inventors, and is sent to the Triassic era of time where he has been exiled. In the meantime, his daughter is doing everything she can to get him back.
This was just so good and the big twist had me gasping in surprise. I’ll be checking out Riddle’s prior work of books for sure.
*Thanks so much to Head of Zeus Books and NetGalley for the advance eGalley!*
November 29, 2022
2.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/11/18/...
Time travel books often test the limits of what I can tolerate in terms of their mindfuckery and outrageous ideas, so I approached Lost in Time with no small amount of trepidation. As it turns out though, it wasn’t the story that got to be too much for me (it was, in fact, quite interesting and full of surprising twists) but factors like the lack of character development and some of the more arbitrary plot devices that took away from the experience.
Lost in Time takes place in the near future, where a team of scientists have developed a new technology capable of time travel called Absolom. Of course, with its capabilities being limited and astronomically costly to run, a deal was struck with the government allowing it to use Absolom to send the world’s worst criminals hundreds of millions of years into the past. Apparently, even monsters feared the unknown, because just the thought of being sentenced to permanent exile in the time of dinosaurs was enough to make the violent crime rate drop to zero overnight.
As one of Absolom’s inventors though, Sam Anderson never thought that he would one day face that fate. But on the anniversary of his wife’s death, while visiting her grave site with his children, Sam is arrested for the murder of his lover and fellow scientist Nora. Camera footage showed Sam and his teenage daughter Adeline at Nora’s house the night before and that they were last people to see her alive. Suspecting that they are being framed, Sam confesses to the crime to protect Adeline, which immediately earns him a one-way ticket to the prehistoric past. Devastated, Adeline sets out on a quest to prove her father’s innocence, and with his former colleagues, figure out a way to bring him back.
At first when I read the book’s synopses, I was instantly intrigued. I wondered at the time traveling elements and the science and tech concepts that must be involved, plus I was excited at the prospect of lots of dinosaurs. As it turned out though, the book was rather light on both these features. Mostly, we just have to accept Absolom as it is—a piece of time traveling tech that does what it does, the “science” behind it fine for a shallow dive but isn’t going hold much water against greater scrutiny or if the right, intelligent questions are asked. Still, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it does make Lost in Time a lot more accessible than the average time travel story, and it can be picked up easily even if you’re not into science fiction.
As it also happens, Lost in Time isn’t even really about Sam, but Adeline. If you were drawn to the book’s description because it teased a prehistoric survival adventure, then there’s a good chance you’ll be disappointed because the novel strives to be a more human story instead, focusing on a daughter’s love for her father and her willingness to go to any length to set him free. Which would have been fine and good, but the problem was the writing style. I feel that A.G. Riddle’s prose is better suited to straight-up technothrillers where it’s more acceptable for bombastic action and linear narratives to take precedent over character development.
The truth is though, not only did I feel a lack of genuine emotion from the characters, I also couldn’t bring myself to care about them. The novel reads quickly and explosively, but that’s about it. As I alluded to before, I believe Lost in Time would have fared much better as a straight-up technothriller, except Riddle clearly intended it to have a more human, emotional element. Regrettably though, the writing itself felt too sterile and non-nonsense for me to connect with any of the (stereotypical) characters on a deeper level. With no real warmth, atmosphere, or intensity behind the prose, the whole human element behind Adeline’s epic journey quickly fell apart.
Ultimately, as a reader who places great value on character development, I’m afraid Lost in Time simply did not appeal to me on that front. That being said though, if you are drawn to sci-fi action for its cinematic qualities and breakneck pacing, there might be something for you here.
Time travel books often test the limits of what I can tolerate in terms of their mindfuckery and outrageous ideas, so I approached Lost in Time with no small amount of trepidation. As it turns out though, it wasn’t the story that got to be too much for me (it was, in fact, quite interesting and full of surprising twists) but factors like the lack of character development and some of the more arbitrary plot devices that took away from the experience.
Lost in Time takes place in the near future, where a team of scientists have developed a new technology capable of time travel called Absolom. Of course, with its capabilities being limited and astronomically costly to run, a deal was struck with the government allowing it to use Absolom to send the world’s worst criminals hundreds of millions of years into the past. Apparently, even monsters feared the unknown, because just the thought of being sentenced to permanent exile in the time of dinosaurs was enough to make the violent crime rate drop to zero overnight.
As one of Absolom’s inventors though, Sam Anderson never thought that he would one day face that fate. But on the anniversary of his wife’s death, while visiting her grave site with his children, Sam is arrested for the murder of his lover and fellow scientist Nora. Camera footage showed Sam and his teenage daughter Adeline at Nora’s house the night before and that they were last people to see her alive. Suspecting that they are being framed, Sam confesses to the crime to protect Adeline, which immediately earns him a one-way ticket to the prehistoric past. Devastated, Adeline sets out on a quest to prove her father’s innocence, and with his former colleagues, figure out a way to bring him back.
At first when I read the book’s synopses, I was instantly intrigued. I wondered at the time traveling elements and the science and tech concepts that must be involved, plus I was excited at the prospect of lots of dinosaurs. As it turned out though, the book was rather light on both these features. Mostly, we just have to accept Absolom as it is—a piece of time traveling tech that does what it does, the “science” behind it fine for a shallow dive but isn’t going hold much water against greater scrutiny or if the right, intelligent questions are asked. Still, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it does make Lost in Time a lot more accessible than the average time travel story, and it can be picked up easily even if you’re not into science fiction.
As it also happens, Lost in Time isn’t even really about Sam, but Adeline. If you were drawn to the book’s description because it teased a prehistoric survival adventure, then there’s a good chance you’ll be disappointed because the novel strives to be a more human story instead, focusing on a daughter’s love for her father and her willingness to go to any length to set him free. Which would have been fine and good, but the problem was the writing style. I feel that A.G. Riddle’s prose is better suited to straight-up technothrillers where it’s more acceptable for bombastic action and linear narratives to take precedent over character development.
The truth is though, not only did I feel a lack of genuine emotion from the characters, I also couldn’t bring myself to care about them. The novel reads quickly and explosively, but that’s about it. As I alluded to before, I believe Lost in Time would have fared much better as a straight-up technothriller, except Riddle clearly intended it to have a more human, emotional element. Regrettably though, the writing itself felt too sterile and non-nonsense for me to connect with any of the (stereotypical) characters on a deeper level. With no real warmth, atmosphere, or intensity behind the prose, the whole human element behind Adeline’s epic journey quickly fell apart.
Ultimately, as a reader who places great value on character development, I’m afraid Lost in Time simply did not appeal to me on that front. That being said though, if you are drawn to sci-fi action for its cinematic qualities and breakneck pacing, there might be something for you here.
May 21, 2023
4.50 Stars — “Lost in Time" by A.G. Riddle takes you on a rather exhilarating adventure by blending science fiction, historical elements and often, uniquely crafted suspense to create a truly captivating story. Riddle's ability to weave together multiple timelines and intricate plotlines is impressive, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.
The novel follows a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and secrets, as they navigate through time and unravel a mystery that could alter the course of history. From ancient civilizations to futuristic societies, Riddle's vivid descriptions and meticulous attention to detail transport readers to various eras, making the settings come alive.
One of the highlights of "Lost in Time" is the author's skillful handling of complex scientific concepts. Riddle manages to explain intricate theories and ideas in a way that is accessible and engaging, without overwhelming the reader. It's evident that extensive research has been done, lending credibility and depth to the storyline.
The pacing of the novel is generally well-maintained, with moments of intense action and suspense balanced by slower, more introspective scenes. However, there are instances where the plot becomes slightly convoluted, with numerous subplots and twists that may require readers to pay close attention to keep track of the narrative threads.
The characters in "Lost in Time" are diverse and well-developed, each carrying their own burdens and flaws. Riddle explores their individual growth and motivations, allowing readers to connect with their struggles and triumphs. While some characters could have benefited from further exploration and deeper emotional arcs, their interactions and dynamics are intriguing and drive the plot forward.
The only small yet also notable drawback of "Lost in Time" is the occasional reliance on exposition to explain certain plot points. While necessary for the complexity of the story, it can sometimes disrupt the flow and feel heavy-handed.
Overall, "Lost in Time" is an enthralling novel that will captivate fans of science fiction and historical fiction alike. A.G. Riddle's meticulous research, gripping storytelling, and imaginative world-building make this an enjoyable read. Despite a few minor flaws, the book successfully merges the excitement of time travel with thought-provoking ideas, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series
Set on an alternate future earth, taking place largely in the Year 2027, there is as a new and powerful weapon against crime — Absolim — A machine that abolishes criminals millions of years into the past, to an alternate earth. The story centred around its creators & the dire consequences they must pay as a result of their creation.
This is not your average SciFi novel. Lost in time is a powerhouse of a novel that will touch each corner of your mind & leave a residue there to be explored in the preceding days, weeks and likely months upon finishing it. One if the more original reads I’ve digested in a while, Lost in time is a twisty, emotional journey that combines tropes of other SciFi greats like Back to the Future and adds intrigue based on some truly captivating and unique turns that are seamlessly weaved together to create a sensational narrative I found impossible to get away from!
The novel follows a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and secrets, as they navigate through time and unravel a mystery that could alter the course of history. From ancient civilizations to futuristic societies, Riddle's vivid descriptions and meticulous attention to detail transport readers to various eras, making the settings come alive.
One of the highlights of "Lost in Time" is the author's skillful handling of complex scientific concepts. Riddle manages to explain intricate theories and ideas in a way that is accessible and engaging, without overwhelming the reader. It's evident that extensive research has been done, lending credibility and depth to the storyline.
The pacing of the novel is generally well-maintained, with moments of intense action and suspense balanced by slower, more introspective scenes. However, there are instances where the plot becomes slightly convoluted, with numerous subplots and twists that may require readers to pay close attention to keep track of the narrative threads.
The characters in "Lost in Time" are diverse and well-developed, each carrying their own burdens and flaws. Riddle explores their individual growth and motivations, allowing readers to connect with their struggles and triumphs. While some characters could have benefited from further exploration and deeper emotional arcs, their interactions and dynamics are intriguing and drive the plot forward.
The only small yet also notable drawback of "Lost in Time" is the occasional reliance on exposition to explain certain plot points. While necessary for the complexity of the story, it can sometimes disrupt the flow and feel heavy-handed.
Overall, "Lost in Time" is an enthralling novel that will captivate fans of science fiction and historical fiction alike. A.G. Riddle's meticulous research, gripping storytelling, and imaginative world-building make this an enjoyable read. Despite a few minor flaws, the book successfully merges the excitement of time travel with thought-provoking ideas, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series
Set on an alternate future earth, taking place largely in the Year 2027, there is as a new and powerful weapon against crime — Absolim — A machine that abolishes criminals millions of years into the past, to an alternate earth. The story centred around its creators & the dire consequences they must pay as a result of their creation.
This is not your average SciFi novel. Lost in time is a powerhouse of a novel that will touch each corner of your mind & leave a residue there to be explored in the preceding days, weeks and likely months upon finishing it. One if the more original reads I’ve digested in a while, Lost in time is a twisty, emotional journey that combines tropes of other SciFi greats like Back to the Future and adds intrigue based on some truly captivating and unique turns that are seamlessly weaved together to create a sensational narrative I found impossible to get away from!
November 23, 2022
Lost in time was so much better than what I expected going into it. I expected a fun sci-fi thriller that did not have much depth to it, but what I got was an amazing murder mystery revolving around sending people to the age of the dinosaurs. I was originally drawn in by the stunning cover when I saw it on display at my Library and decided to check it out after it got nominated for the goodreads choice award for Science Fiction.
The main characters in this novel were a father daughter duo that got falsely accused of committing a murder and the daughter has to find a way to save her father. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns that this book has to offer because just when you think you know where this book is going it changes the course of these characters to something completely different. I see this book in the same light as I do Dark Matter because it seemed like your average time travel thriller when you started it, but by the time you are half way through reading it you realize that this book will be something special.
The main characters in this novel were a father daughter duo that got falsely accused of committing a murder and the daughter has to find a way to save her father. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns that this book has to offer because just when you think you know where this book is going it changes the course of these characters to something completely different. I see this book in the same light as I do Dark Matter because it seemed like your average time travel thriller when you started it, but by the time you are half way through reading it you realize that this book will be something special.
September 5, 2022
Trite, clunky, flat.
August 11, 2023
Time travel? I'd like to travel back in time and stop myself from reading this sorry excuse for a 5th grade writing project. It was like shoving my head into a bag of rotting milk and taking deep, gulping breaths. Somewhere near the 25% mark of this book, I was done, ready to DNF, but through some disgusting quirk of masochism I decided it might be fulfilling to read the whole thing just to write a savage review at the end...And here we are.
International scientific megacorp Absolom is harboring a dark secret. A secret that knits together the small band of scientist-founders and will lead our main character on a daunting journey... You see, before discovering how to transmit matter through space and time, they were originally researching how to transmit matter just through space!!!!!!!! It is a great secret that they must keep from their children...and the world!!!!
I'm sorry, what? Why the hell is that even a secret? Scientists serendipitously discover related technologies all the time. I mean, sure, if you forced me to, I could come up with some reasons and let the author know about them, but in the actual book, they act like it's this huge deal in order to create mystery and suspense when it clearly isn't, and in the process, I, the reader, am left wondering where all this supposed mystery and suspense was.
And holy hell the ridiculous premise. They invented the groundbreaking ability to travel through time and transport matter to another dimension and the thing society decided to do with it was to...transport criminals??? And this super neato new punishment that only applies to the worst criminals eliminated almost all crime?? First, yeah right. Second, in America alone, we spend 10s of billions of dollars every year disposing of nuclear waste. Even a minimally creative person would understand that something more mundane but necessary/profitable such as trash disposal or nuclear disposal would be more likely. (tbf, the author does mention this in passing around the 90% mark of the book, but, like the rest of his fiction, his explanation isn't even a little convincing.)
The author's gross lack of any scientific or common sensibilities shows at every turn. It's a hard number to pin down, but there are estimates that as few as 5% of species that exist leave a fossil record. So if you were a world renowned expert and knew every single fossil ever discovered and then you went back 200 million years, then you might recognize maybe 1 out of 20 of the animals walking around. Not our main character though. This megagenius had a couple chats with his biology-literate financial advisor before being transported to the Triassic and he confidently gives the scientific name for every single species he encounters.
Reviews made a big deal out of the twists and turns and surprises but I swear to god the author revealed every single twist chapters ahead of time with a convenient "hint". . And don't even get me started on how stupid our main character's adventures in the Triassic were. 'Painfully cringe' is about all I have the energy to write.
I don't know if this is real literary advice, but after reading this book, if it isn't, it should be. "Show, don't tell". This author is seemingly incapable of communicating a character's thoughts, feelings, emotions, or personality through anything except bland and stilted information sessions. In a better book, you might follow along with a character's journey and witness their raw intelligence, or the way they blossom into a confident adult. In this glorious work, we are treated to such brilliant prose as:
and
Anyway, I hate this book, and I hate myself for reading it. If you somehow have the good fortune to be reading this review before plunging neck deep into the putrid filth that is Lost in Time, do yourself a favor and find some other book, any book, and read that instead.
International scientific megacorp Absolom is harboring a dark secret. A secret that knits together the small band of scientist-founders and will lead our main character on a daunting journey... You see, before discovering how to transmit matter through space and time, they were originally researching how to transmit matter just through space!!!!!!!! It is a great secret that they must keep from their children...and the world!!!!
I'm sorry, what? Why the hell is that even a secret? Scientists serendipitously discover related technologies all the time. I mean, sure, if you forced me to, I could come up with some reasons and let the author know about them, but in the actual book, they act like it's this huge deal in order to create mystery and suspense when it clearly isn't, and in the process, I, the reader, am left wondering where all this supposed mystery and suspense was.
And holy hell the ridiculous premise. They invented the groundbreaking ability to travel through time and transport matter to another dimension and the thing society decided to do with it was to...transport criminals??? And this super neato new punishment that only applies to the worst criminals eliminated almost all crime?? First, yeah right. Second, in America alone, we spend 10s of billions of dollars every year disposing of nuclear waste. Even a minimally creative person would understand that something more mundane but necessary/profitable such as trash disposal or nuclear disposal would be more likely. (tbf, the author does mention this in passing around the 90% mark of the book, but, like the rest of his fiction, his explanation isn't even a little convincing.)
The author's gross lack of any scientific or common sensibilities shows at every turn. It's a hard number to pin down, but there are estimates that as few as 5% of species that exist leave a fossil record. So if you were a world renowned expert and knew every single fossil ever discovered and then you went back 200 million years, then you might recognize maybe 1 out of 20 of the animals walking around. Not our main character though. This megagenius had a couple chats with his biology-literate financial advisor before being transported to the Triassic and he confidently gives the scientific name for every single species he encounters.
Reviews made a big deal out of the twists and turns and surprises but I swear to god the author revealed every single twist chapters ahead of time with a convenient "hint". . And don't even get me started on how stupid our main character's adventures in the Triassic were. 'Painfully cringe' is about all I have the energy to write.
I don't know if this is real literary advice, but after reading this book, if it isn't, it should be. "Show, don't tell". This author is seemingly incapable of communicating a character's thoughts, feelings, emotions, or personality through anything except bland and stilted information sessions. In a better book, you might follow along with a character's journey and witness their raw intelligence, or the way they blossom into a confident adult. In this glorious work, we are treated to such brilliant prose as:
Adeline was discovering a whole new side of herself. There was a fighter inside of her, a person she never knew existed and wouldn’t have if not for Nora’s death and her father’s exile. She marveled then that one never knew what they were made of until their back was against the wall.
and
The name of the dinosaur he had seen occurred to him too. It was a Coelophysis. Daniele had pronounced the C like an S, the first part of the name pronounced like “seel,” the middle like “oh.” He was amazed that his mind worked like that—he could remember the tiniest details that fascinated him (like dinosaurs), but most days he could barely remember what he did the day before.
He decided to call the dinosaur a “seelo.” If he ever saw one again.
...
That’s how his mind worked: he liked to name things and order them. That may have been what made him a successful physicist.
Almost against his will, Sam laughed at that. Successful. Yeah right. What a career he’d had: faking enthusiasm for a time travel machine he thought was baloney (in order to make money to save his dying wife), then accidentally helping to create that supposedly fake time travel machine, and finally being banished from his own universe with the machine he had faked enthusiasm for in the first place. There were disasters, and then there was his life.
Anyway, I hate this book, and I hate myself for reading it. If you somehow have the good fortune to be reading this review before plunging neck deep into the putrid filth that is Lost in Time, do yourself a favor and find some other book, any book, and read that instead.
September 14, 2022
I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Black Crow Pr.
Lost in Time is a cleverly written time travel story with elements of mystery and sci-fi that were perfectly combined.
Set in the near future we meet Sam Anderson who is part of a group of scientists who have invented and put together a time travel machine that had impacted the world by taking the worst criminals to walk the earth back in time to an alternate universe millions of years away. But Sam's new partner is then murdered and he and his daughter Adeline get framed for the murder. To save his daughters life Sam confesses to the murder and then gets transported back in time where other murderers are sent. This time period is during the jurassic period where dinosaurs walked the earth. I got some serious doctor who vibes from this book and would only recommend it if you like non serious sci-fi type novels. I really liked Adelines character and the l8ve she has for her father. She wants to save him from his fate and a crime he didn't really commit and will do anything to change the past, but she has to tread careful so as not to end up destroying the present and future in the process. There are of course dinosaurs in this book and I found it an entertaining, fun read.
Lost in Time is a cleverly written time travel story with elements of mystery and sci-fi that were perfectly combined.
Set in the near future we meet Sam Anderson who is part of a group of scientists who have invented and put together a time travel machine that had impacted the world by taking the worst criminals to walk the earth back in time to an alternate universe millions of years away. But Sam's new partner is then murdered and he and his daughter Adeline get framed for the murder. To save his daughters life Sam confesses to the murder and then gets transported back in time where other murderers are sent. This time period is during the jurassic period where dinosaurs walked the earth. I got some serious doctor who vibes from this book and would only recommend it if you like non serious sci-fi type novels. I really liked Adelines character and the l8ve she has for her father. She wants to save him from his fate and a crime he didn't really commit and will do anything to change the past, but she has to tread careful so as not to end up destroying the present and future in the process. There are of course dinosaurs in this book and I found it an entertaining, fun read.
September 6, 2022
This book wasted my time.
It failed to hook me from the start. I think the promise (and presumably the marketability!) of dinosaurs was massively overplayed - don’t be fooled by the cover, there’s no flying prehistoric life at any point in this book! - so I went in with unrealistic expectations. Finance and Investment Banking take up a significantly bigger part of this book, and whilst still interesting, I’d been promised dinosaurs in this role. The disappointment was real.
Ultimately, the time-travelling was really interesting. The characters are pretty good. But there’s some catastrophic decisions made for me as a reader than made me loathe this book. Not a good loathing, ranting, need to read more of the book. The bad, ‘I hate reading as an activity right now’ sorting of loathing for the book. It’s rare I consider DNFing, but as I slogged through to the end this was a serious decision I kept contemplating.
Go in for a time-travelling murder mystery, you may love it. Don’t go in for a time-travelling murder mystery dinosaur thriller, because you’ll be so disappointed you’ll want to throw the book out a window.
It failed to hook me from the start. I think the promise (and presumably the marketability!) of dinosaurs was massively overplayed - don’t be fooled by the cover, there’s no flying prehistoric life at any point in this book! - so I went in with unrealistic expectations. Finance and Investment Banking take up a significantly bigger part of this book, and whilst still interesting, I’d been promised dinosaurs in this role. The disappointment was real.
Ultimately, the time-travelling was really interesting. The characters are pretty good. But there’s some catastrophic decisions made for me as a reader than made me loathe this book. Not a good loathing, ranting, need to read more of the book. The bad, ‘I hate reading as an activity right now’ sorting of loathing for the book. It’s rare I consider DNFing, but as I slogged through to the end this was a serious decision I kept contemplating.
Go in for a time-travelling murder mystery, you may love it. Don’t go in for a time-travelling murder mystery dinosaur thriller, because you’ll be so disappointed you’ll want to throw the book out a window.
January 10, 2023
Quantum entanglements that complicate time travel is the basic premise of A.G. Riddle's stand-alone book. Frankly, I didn't think this was his best because I think Riddle made it TOO complicated, even for him, leaving too many loopholes and too many times that I said, "Oh come on!" over a ludicrous plot element that seemed a bit over the top. That was disappointing because I was really looking forward to this book.
Thing is, Riddle is really great at building fast-paced suspense and fiddling with space and time, especially if you're familiar with his other works. He's also classic Riddle by not untangling the entire mystery until the very end, which is one of the only reasons why I finished because even though I had a pretty good idea, I just wanted to know for sure. This is not a book for character development or even great science but simply exploring possibilities that come with changing our linear time assumptions and discovering whether we even SHOULD. Surprisingly, Riddle takes a stance here that most choose not to broach, and that of course will leave you thinking.
I think Riddle bit off more than he could chew with this one, and I won't give spoilers. Still, if you love Riddle, you will always look forward to another good time/space continuum novel of his in the future.
Thing is, Riddle is really great at building fast-paced suspense and fiddling with space and time, especially if you're familiar with his other works. He's also classic Riddle by not untangling the entire mystery until the very end, which is one of the only reasons why I finished because even though I had a pretty good idea, I just wanted to know for sure. This is not a book for character development or even great science but simply exploring possibilities that come with changing our linear time assumptions and discovering whether we even SHOULD. Surprisingly, Riddle takes a stance here that most choose not to broach, and that of course will leave you thinking.
I think Riddle bit off more than he could chew with this one, and I won't give spoilers. Still, if you love Riddle, you will always look forward to another good time/space continuum novel of his in the future.
September 27, 2022
3¾⭐
Ɱ◎◎ĐႽ…
◾ Science Fiction/Time Travel ◾ Twisty ◾ Mystery Thriller ◾ A visit to the Triassic period with a few dinosaurs
Imagine a world where murdering felons are sent back in time to when Dinosaurs walked the earth. It sounds super interesting…doesn’t it? The time travel aspect, although underexplained, was interesting. But…my biggest disappointment with this is the lack of dinosaurs…I thought there were going to be more dinosaurs. The time spent in the Triassic period is so minor and yet, the blurb suggests that it’s an integral part of the plot. Admittedly, I was kind of entertained despite these issues…I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it, either.
◾Narrated by: 🎙️ John Skelley📣 He was really good. But…it really should’ve had a female narrator for the female POVs.
Total Score 7.29/10 ◾ Opening-8 ◾ Characters-7 ◾ Plot-7.5 ◾ Atmosphere-7 ◾ Writing Style-7 ◾ Ending-7.5 ◾ Overall Enjoyment- 7 ◾
Ɱ◎◎ĐႽ…
◾ Science Fiction/Time Travel ◾ Twisty ◾ Mystery Thriller ◾ A visit to the Triassic period with a few dinosaurs
Imagine a world where murdering felons are sent back in time to when Dinosaurs walked the earth. It sounds super interesting…doesn’t it? The time travel aspect, although underexplained, was interesting. But…my biggest disappointment with this is the lack of dinosaurs…I thought there were going to be more dinosaurs. The time spent in the Triassic period is so minor and yet, the blurb suggests that it’s an integral part of the plot. Admittedly, I was kind of entertained despite these issues…I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it, either.
◾Narrated by: 🎙️ John Skelley📣 He was really good. But…it really should’ve had a female narrator for the female POVs.
Total Score 7.29/10 ◾ Opening-8 ◾ Characters-7 ◾ Plot-7.5 ◾ Atmosphere-7 ◾ Writing Style-7 ◾ Ending-7.5 ◾ Overall Enjoyment- 7 ◾
June 30, 2022
His best book yet. Time travel, dinosaur's murder mystery this book has it all could not put it down.
I received this book from Head of Zeus and Netgalley for a review.
I received this book from Head of Zeus and Netgalley for a review.
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