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A Strange Place in Time #1
The Recalling of John Arrowsmith
John Arrowsmith is a happy-go-lucky biker, living in the town of Courtenay on Vancouver Island. He builds motorcycles and enjoys a wide and odd range of music, and is generally content with his life. But lately a strange and almost desperate urge to travel has come upon him, so he sets out on his bike to an unknown destination, leaving behind his home and adoptive parents. He will end up farther from home than he ever knew he could go on a motorcycle, finding himself in a strange land of magic, elves, dragons and shape-shifters. Plagued by nightmares he cannot understand, he slowly learns to fit into this new world. But the urge to travel is upon him again, and he has no choice but to follow that need. Leaving behind his new friends and a lover, he sets out across the open plains. Soon however he will find himself facing ghosts, dwarves, and the mysterious White Palace, a thousand year old city that is the home of the Wizard-King of Dargoth and his enigmatic Court. There he will learn something about himself that will change him forever.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 1, 2008
This was the first part of an on-going series of books by Alyx Shaw. I love her use of the protagonist, John Arrowsmith, as a means of introducing a new world through the eyes of someone who also has no idea what is going on. I found that the characters were well built and engaging, there was nothing one-dimensional about anything, including the villains. If you enjoy character studies with a solid plot line, this is a book that you might like to check out.
March 29, 2012
An interesting and well developed fantasy world. I love the fact that the author took the time to introduce the reader to the characters and the setting before jumping right into the main conflict of the series. It gave me time to become invested in them, and I enjoy that. I had to start the second one as soon as I finished the first.
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January 22, 2011
John Arrowsmith was abandoned by his mother at the tender age of three months. Adopted and raised by his mother's motorcycle gang, John has known no other way of life. Escaping a shitty life consisted of booze, fighting and getting high.
Arrowsmith custom made Harley, this huge motorcycle beast that could "chew through the radiator" of an 18 wheeler. Harley seems almost alive with his own personality. Although Arrowsmith talked to Harley, the beast had yet to answer.
The wander lust comes onto Arrowsmith and he leaves the only home he knows. He doesn’t know why he has to leave or why he has to get to Fraser Canyon. All he knew was that he had to be there quickly...only to be ran off the road to never the river hit the river 100 feet below.
John wakes up on a mountain in a strange land with strange constellations and a head injury. Arrowsmith begins a journey that will change the course of his life. He continuously thought he was either tripping or in a hospital room with tube up his nose or he was just going flippin' crazy.
I FREAKING LOVE this Biker meets Tolkien series. And Harley! He is so much more that he seems.
Arrowsmith custom made Harley, this huge motorcycle beast that could "chew through the radiator" of an 18 wheeler. Harley seems almost alive with his own personality. Although Arrowsmith talked to Harley, the beast had yet to answer.
The wander lust comes onto Arrowsmith and he leaves the only home he knows. He doesn’t know why he has to leave or why he has to get to Fraser Canyon. All he knew was that he had to be there quickly...only to be ran off the road to never the river hit the river 100 feet below.
John wakes up on a mountain in a strange land with strange constellations and a head injury. Arrowsmith begins a journey that will change the course of his life. He continuously thought he was either tripping or in a hospital room with tube up his nose or he was just going flippin' crazy.
I FREAKING LOVE this Biker meets Tolkien series. And Harley! He is so much more that he seems.
February 10, 2014
3.5~4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Oh my freaking God, I can’t believe the cliffhanger. Just kill me now! Or rather don’t, I have #2 waiting for me so I won’t suffer long, though I fear what the end of that book is going to bring.
But back at this one, well what an enticing book this was. The first thought that came into my mind was “I’m reading a really weird book. Nice weird. Tolkien weird. It’s fascinating!” and then again further into the story I was reminded of World of Warcraft’s Wrath of the Lich King. It was surreal somehow that this book mixed up an assortment of favourites for me. The World it was set upon, the magical creatures and the people who inhabited this world, they were all alluring slowly drawing me in and managing to capture my interest and hold onto it...
Read the entire review here.
Thommie
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Oh my freaking God, I can’t believe the cliffhanger. Just kill me now! Or rather don’t, I have #2 waiting for me so I won’t suffer long, though I fear what the end of that book is going to bring.
But back at this one, well what an enticing book this was. The first thought that came into my mind was “I’m reading a really weird book. Nice weird. Tolkien weird. It’s fascinating!” and then again further into the story I was reminded of World of Warcraft’s Wrath of the Lich King. It was surreal somehow that this book mixed up an assortment of favourites for me. The World it was set upon, the magical creatures and the people who inhabited this world, they were all alluring slowly drawing me in and managing to capture my interest and hold onto it...
Read the entire review here.
Thommie
December 7, 2012
This is an okay book. I’d probably like it better if I read all three books. The basic plot is a group of magic beings (for lack of a better word) who are reincarnated when their world needs them. This first book in the trilogy is just John Arrowsmith’s remembering his past lives. Throughout this story, John is compelled by some part of his psyche to go on trips. During his journey (journeys??), he meets the other members of his family. Through these trips, journeys, whatever, the world is built and we meet many different types of people and creatures. I like the baby dragonhawk, Chaos. That was a cute scene. The book ends with John Arrowsmith remembering and being arrested for declaring who he is.
March 17, 2020
My Comfort Read
This is the First in a trio of books by Alyx J Shaw called “A Strange Place in Time” These books are my comfort reads. They have Gay characters, straight characters, trans characters. Elves, half elves, dragons, dwarves, Gods, magic and a motorcycle gang. The books read as if Douglas Adams and Erma Bombeck had a love child with JRR Tolkien.
This first book deals with World Building and Character development. You get to know who these people are and where they live.
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This is the First in a trio of books by Alyx J Shaw called “A Strange Place in Time” These books are my comfort reads. They have Gay characters, straight characters, trans characters. Elves, half elves, dragons, dwarves, Gods, magic and a motorcycle gang. The books read as if Douglas Adams and Erma Bombeck had a love child with JRR Tolkien.
This first book deals with World Building and Character development. You get to know who these people are and where they live.
reply | edit | delete | flag *
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December 13, 2014Free 12/13/14 all day
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May 31, 2019
3.75 stars
A very interesting and weird (good kind of weird) book. John Arrowsmith on his Harley meet with an accident and is somehow transported to a world where there are elves, assassins, chiefs, Moon Goddess warrior who is kick-ass, trolls, dwarves and so on. It is somewhat like entering the world of "Princess Bride", especially with the names. Really well thought out world building. The pages flew fast.
A very interesting and weird (good kind of weird) book. John Arrowsmith on his Harley meet with an accident and is somehow transported to a world where there are elves, assassins, chiefs, Moon Goddess warrior who is kick-ass, trolls, dwarves and so on. It is somewhat like entering the world of "Princess Bride", especially with the names. Really well thought out world building. The pages flew fast.
October 11, 2012
A Strange Place in Time
TOP SHELF
An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers
Copyright 2007 © by Alyx Shaw
A Strange Place in Time is a wonderful trilogy from talented writer Alyx Shaw. A Trilogy of books chronicling the protagonist John Arrowsmith as he returns to a world that he does not know and yet seems to remember, is a delightful travel into a crazy quilt world of what is known, unknown and needs to be remembered.
The first book is The Recalling of John Arrowsmith, and it introduces us to him, and Harley the seemingly sentient motorcycle.Custom made and with an attitude that anyone that has been around a ‘Hawg’ knows and loves.
It also introduces with incredible detail without losing the mystery of every main character, Blackbird, Moonhound, Monnshika, Misty, Infamous, Wess and the rest of the cast of characters that makes the world of Dargoth a wonderful world to visit.
The White Palace Awakens and The Merry Executioner Returns, are books two and Three in the trilogy. Where dangers comes on swift rotting wings and feet and then the battle begins. In both new friends are met, as well as old enemies. Where a world where magic is the norm and technology and Earth collides, the fun, excitement and danger make these two books as impossible to put down as the first!
Alyx Shaw writes in a wonderful descriptive style that allows the viewer to paint a wonderful cinematic picture of her books world. She writes in an easy relaxed style, with a touch of arrogance that every leather wearing, motorcycle riding, Hell’s Angel or a wannabe understands, which lends the realistic and human feel to John Arrowsmith her main character.
She leads you down paths, trails and through walls, never giving too much away but yet making you want to turn the next page, read the next word and ever wanting for more.
A Strange Place in time is a set of books one would want to have, to read both when one just wants to curl up with several good books in front of a fire, or when one needs to revisit old friends, to sit by the fire, and laugh as well as cry and let your cares on this world slip away.
I highly recommend the books and would love to see more from Alyx Shaw in the future.
January 23, 2015
I will admit that I'm a complete sucker for fantasy. I love magic, and I adore elves. I also have a deep and abiding affection for bikers, and Harleys. So I went into this book already tickled.
I love how the premise unfolds, with just the right amount of introduction to the world in which John Arrowsmith wakes. It's familiar enough to be recognizable, and yet alien enough to hold my interest, and the characters! They are wonderfully written, with personalities that leap off the page. The lore is rich and detailed, and deftly incorporated, adding to the depth of the story.
I have the rest of the series on my to-be-read shelf, and I can't wait to finish, so I ca write a proper review. But I loved this book, right up to the moment I read The End and screamed, "Don't leave me there, without a hint!" In fact, that might be my only quibble with this book. I love a good cliffhanger, but that was like walking into a wall in the dark.
I love how the premise unfolds, with just the right amount of introduction to the world in which John Arrowsmith wakes. It's familiar enough to be recognizable, and yet alien enough to hold my interest, and the characters! They are wonderfully written, with personalities that leap off the page. The lore is rich and detailed, and deftly incorporated, adding to the depth of the story.
I have the rest of the series on my to-be-read shelf, and I can't wait to finish, so I ca write a proper review. But I loved this book, right up to the moment I read The End and screamed, "Don't leave me there, without a hint!" In fact, that might be my only quibble with this book. I love a good cliffhanger, but that was like walking into a wall in the dark.
December 12, 2014
I really liked this series, but the books need to be read in order to be understandable in my opinion. There is not a lot of heat, but there is good characterization. It shows the development of people & plot rather than just telling the reader. There's a satisfactory ending although more could have been done with it. I've gone back to read it several times over the years.
Raised in a motorcycle gang, John Arrowsmith has a bad case of wanderlust. He's not sure what drives him, but he knows he has to go, & he has the perfect machine to ride on; the big custom bike he calls Harley. Then unexpectedly he and Harley find themselves in a strange world where several people he can't remember meeting seem to know him.
Raised in a motorcycle gang, John Arrowsmith has a bad case of wanderlust. He's not sure what drives him, but he knows he has to go, & he has the perfect machine to ride on; the big custom bike he calls Harley. Then unexpectedly he and Harley find themselves in a strange world where several people he can't remember meeting seem to know him.
July 12, 2011
I'm not usually one who writes review, tending to be the type who just says - it was really good! - or - i didn't like it. But I really feel like I have to try for these books. Alyx did an incredible job with her world building. I was drawn into the story immediately and just flew through the books, not hardly noticing the passing of time. Her characters are likable and even lovable in some cases. If you are a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, I strongly recommend you give these a try. Even if you aren't a sci-fi/fantasy fan, go ahead, I dare you...
July 15, 2014
This was an interesting start to a series of books. I really liked the biker falling into a strange medieval land and making his way around. This first book is more set-up getting to know the characters and a little about what is going to happen in the future. What is interesting about the world is it isn't really back in time because people are award of technology and the harm it can do becaue of their own world's past. I'm really interested in seeing where this story really goes to.
September 8, 2016
I adore this series! The characters are diverse and lovable, with odd little quirks. I am completely entranced by the world in this book and it's characters. It's a world I'd very much like to live in, or at least visit. With a rich, Tokieniske culture, quirky characters, and lore, it's a compelling tale that I find impossible to put down. It made me laugh numerous times, and if I didn't have the second to read right away, the cliff hanger at the end would be murderous.
February 24, 2011
I am pleasantly surprised to find this VERY interesting. Off I go to read the second book!
September 30, 2013
3.75 reread story on 9/2013
July 12, 2015
Amazing world building.
lurking-in-kindleland
December 13, 2014Torquere 12 days of Christmas freebie 13.12.14
could-not-finish
November 24, 2017By the time winter was over, I realized I was more curious about that ninth character who disappeared centuries ago than I was about any of the eight characters who were still there. The one foot or more difference in heights between all the other characters, their indeterminate ages, and lack of back-stories for all but one of them did not help.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews