Review of The Time Stone

[cynthia libby]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Time Stone" by Jeffrey Estrella.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Time Stone by Jeffrey Estrella hooked me from the first page. The story is imaginative and kept me engaged throughout. I never felt like I’d read a similar story or could guess what would happen next.

The Time Stone is referenced in the first chapter as being dull and lifeless. However, in subsequent chapters it is described as extremely valuable and glowing. Obviously, this stone is more than it seems on the surface. A mysterious organization has devised a complicated plot to overtake the world using technology that is vastly superior to technology available at the current time. These are incredibly evil and shadowy figures that are unconcerned with working outside the law or any impact their actions have on past, present or future humans. You would hope that the team fighting to stop them would be well trained and supported by a government with equally powerful technology. Unfortunately, existing governments are either unaware or complicit. Saving the world is up to a team of individuals that ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. On paper they don’t have any skills that would make their mission successful. But, like the time stone, don’t judge them based on their appearances.

The author makes references to many different cultures, languages and art. Stories from cultures at different times and locations were pulled together to show how a particular artifact was represented differently based on the experiences and knowledge of the people at that time. Those parallels seemed plausible and enhanced the story. The protagonists find themselves in such diverse situations it was almost like reading an anthology of short stories linked with a common theme. A classical pirate ship and crew delighted me with the incongruity, but it worked in this book.

There is a large cast of characters interwoven in the story. Many times, I thought a particular character was simply used to advance the story slightly, but they ended up returning with a larger role. I don’t know how the author kept the timelines and characters straight – I had to flip back and reread sections to refresh my memory.
Several times reading through this book I wished that the right editor had been involved. This book could have been so much more with the right people working to keep continuity. The writing was occasionally awkward enough to take me out of the story.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

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The Time Stone
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