R.E.birth

Rain Experience #1

by Thomas W. Everson

A man faces death after an attack, but his life is spared when time travelers Ami and Agatha nurse him back to life. When he awakes in their home he's disoriented and can't remember who he is or what happened. Fearing the unknown attacker, he adventures through time as an escape, but doesn't realize the bigger dangers he's soon to face.

Traveling through time provides a new life, allowing him to make new memories in place of the missing ones. Injustices in different eras begin to define his character, and he wavers between wanting to help others and violent impulses. His personal discoveries, the new sensations, and the exploration of time become his life - the Rain Experience.

Genres: Time Travel

392 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2014

About the author

Thomas W. Everson is a husband and a father. His family is his motivator and the loves of his life. He loves to spend time with them by indulging in fictional worlds through books, shows, movies, and games.

Check out his book trailer for the 'Rain Experience' series. A little sci-fi, a little fantasy, a lot of action!

Reviews

[Sam (Rescue Dog Mom, Writer, Hugger) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a series of at least 3 books. It's different from every other time travel story I have ever read. The author put a very different spin on the concept I find quite interesting. The characters are wonderful and the worlds are well-described. I like how two people are willing to help out a total stranger in need, take care of him, and share what they have. In return, he helps them, often putting himself in danger. This theme occurs throughout the book. It's one of the reasons I like this story so much.

Besides time travel, magic, and different worlds, there is also humor. Later in the book, two people who previously were at each other's throats wind up getting along and working together. They also come to understand each other better. There is a question he asks her early in their reconciliation. Her answer made me laugh so hard, I shed tears. I laughed so long that my e-reader turned itself off.

If you like time travel stories, I recommend you give this interesting, fun, and well-written story a chance.

[Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s start off with what drew me into the book in the first place, the original concept of the book. A man on death’s doorstep is saved by two strangers from a different time. Trying to fill the void his amnesia has left him with, Rain decides to join Ami and Agatha on their time traveling adventures. I loved the concept. The potential conflicts are numerous as the three of them discover new times and people.

One of the most important skills of a good author is clean structure. A work without annoying spelling mistakes, run-on sentences and incomprehensible prose. Thomas W. Everson possesses this important skill. Without this, a story will never work.

Details. Details help to bring the story alive. Thomas W. Everson goes into great detail with R.E. birth. He truly places you into the lives of Rain, Ami and Agatha; the reader is with them as they journey through time.

R.E. birth is a well-constructed story, it has an elaborate plot with well-developed characters. If you enjoy science fiction, time travel and a well written story, I would encourage you to give R.E. birth a shot. Not every book is for every reader. R.E. birth was not my usual type of read, but I can appreciate all of the good that is evident in the book.

[★Moonrise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rain, having emerged from the forest, wounded and bleeding, is discovered by a woman and her daughter who take him inside their home, and tend to his wounds, in an effort to save his life. Several weeks pass, and slowly Rain begins to regain his strength. He awakens, disoriented, and without any memories from his past. He isn't even sure he's safe with his mysterious rescuers.

The peculiar behavior exhibited by the mother, Agatha; and her daughter, Ami, combined with eerie shadows around every corner are perplexing. His concerns deepen, as strange dreams bring glimpses from his past. But it's Ami's words of warning that cause the greatest distress: He isn't safe in their home. And he must leave before it's too late.

Soon, Rain learns that a curse has befallen Agatha and Ami. And the home where Rain is being cared for is very much a part of it. With each passing day, Agatha and Ami are one step closer to an inevitable shift in time that will propel them through the ages, bringing new challenges to their doorstep. And if Rain stays, he will become part of it, too.

More secrets are uncovered, but many questions remain. Someone from his own time wants him dead. So, with few options, Rain decides to leave the Dark Ages to embark on a journey through time with Agatha and Ami. The source of the curse begins to surface. But the most surprising revelation for Rain will be what he is about to discover... about himself.

This is a complex, well thought out story, full of adventure! And despite a few slow passages, I was eager to see what was next for our travelers. I would have liked to see more attention given to Rain's speech patterns, as they did not reflect the time period from which he came. But it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story!

There is a cliffhanger, so if you aren't prepared to continue on with the series, you should probably pass. Otherwise, this is a great start to what could develop into a genuinely delightful series! Anyone who enjoys time travel and adventure will find this book entertaining. Definitely worth the read!

4 1/2 Stars

Note: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine waking after a traumatic experience and finding yourself without any memory. Nothing looks remotely familiar. Rain regains consciousness after a near fatal injury, to be nursed back to health by two mysterious women. He is out of sync with them, a prisoner of his time as much as they are prisoners of theirs. He realizes something is strange, they are unlike anyone else he's ever met before. The women are harboring a secret. He learns they are time travelers, doomed to land in an unknown place, trapped in different time periods, once a month. Rain decides to join them on their next slip through time. This was a fun book, Everson's descriptions of the world through the eyes of someone who has never used a bathroom or eaten peanut butter, was fun and refreshing. Filled with adventure, a touch of romance, and a lot of fascinating characters, this is an exciting journey where the meaning of the expression time will tell just scratches the surface.

[Christina McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read for me. In all honesty, there were several stylistic elements that would normally have me putting the book down before giving it a chance. But it almost seemed like the author saw my list of pet peeves and took them as a personal challenge, hooking me in before I could even begin to nitpick.

This is an interesting take on time travel. We don't really know exactly where in History this book takes place, only that our protagonist seems to come from somewhere in the dark ages while his rescuers are from modern(ish) times. All we know is they are destined to wander time until the curse on the house they are bound to is broken.

This is a fun adventure. One I would highly recommend to both fans of time travel and even those who are tired of the genre. Quite fun!

[Dawn Napier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the innocent-eye introduction of the story. A time-traveling family is a rather odd concept, and I think the author did a great job of introducing Ami and Agatha by showing them through the eyes of a complete innocent, a wounded, helpless man who doesn't even remember who he is.
The only issue I have about the book is purely personal; I prefer short, snappy sentences a la Hemingway, and Mr. Everson's prose is more wordy. But that is purely a personal thing, and not something I would consider to be an actual flaw in the book.
I'm looking forward to seeing more from Mr. Everson.

[Riley Amos Westbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel plus amnesia works

I will admit it took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did I read through it fast. Once it hooks ya, it hooks ya good.

[Katheryn Avila · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This book was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5 Stars rounded up!

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before - and that’s awesome! Very rarely does something outside my typical genre keep my attention long enough to finish, let alone for me to enjoy it as thoroughly as I enjoyed this. Everson does an amazing job of pulling the reader in immediately with Rain’s struggles, and the predicament in which he finds himself. It’s difficult to keep someone interested when the protagonist spends so much time unconscious in the beginning, but Everson makes it look easy. His writing is fluid and quick, following Rain’s thoughts and emotions - a perk of writing in first person.

Every description and scene is vivid, and you truly feel like you’re seeing the world through Rain’s eyes. The reader shares in his confusion and curiosity, and that makes for a very immersive read. Rain is relatable, despite the fact that he doesn’t even know himself, and that makes him sympathetic almost immediately. Ami, Agatha, and Evelyn are also delightful characters, keeping Rain more than entertained with their day to day life. At times I did find that Ami was a bit exaggerated, almost a caricature of what “typical girl” would be like, I did come to realize that it makes sense - given her lack of interaction with anyone else but her mother and aunt from a very young age. Agatha and Evelyn are a bit more down to earth, though Evelyn can be a little larger than life at times, but this is what makes her my favorite character. Even the background characters are very real, as well, from little Emma to Burly. The constant time travel could make it difficult to have those passing characters come across as genuine, but once again Everson excels. It feels like we’ve just scratched the surface of this cast, and I’m looking forward to learning more about them!

Another bit from this book that had me wanting more was the settings! I wish they could have spent more time in each period, because the author manages to seamlessly and smoothly implant them into each one with little to no explanation. There’s no exposition of annoyingly long descriptions of where they are, or anything that would put a reader off as too much information. Rather, like Rain and the others, we learn about each time period as we go, with bits of info picked up from their experiences and surroundings. That’s expert world-building, in my opinion, and perfect for the sci-fi genre.

I won’t give too much about the ending, but I will say that it has me chomping at the bit to buy the second book, which came out a couple of weeks ago, so hooray!

[Wren Figueiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.E. birth begins quite mysteriously, narrated by a man with amnesia who is in a very confusing situation. As the story progresses, the reader gets clues as the narrator does, slowly piecing together what is happening. The plot has many twists and keeps readers wondering how the narrator will get out of the trouble he always seems to get into.

The author shows his extensive creativity through the settings in which the characters are placed. They travel to several different locations, all of which are intricately described. Occasionally, though, I would have liked more information about the characters in those places, about how their societies work and how they got to be where they are in life. Perhaps, the lack of information in those instances is done on purpose as the story is part of a series which will possibly expand on the details given in the first book.

Very mild spoiler ahead Though I enjoyed the story and found it entertaining, there was one thing that took me out of the story at times: the way in which the narrator spoke. If his assumption is true, that he is from the Dark Ages, (it’s possible he isn’t and the author never specifically states that the story occurs on Earth, so maybe things are different in his world) then he wouldn’t speak as he does. He would not speak modern English, but perhaps Middle or even Old English. The author does mention several times that the narrator’s dialect is different from other characters, but mentioning it is different from writing it. The narrator uses words like “okay,” “cheesy,” and “psyche,” all of which would not have been used by someone in the Dark Ages. There are also details about his time that seem off, like the fact that someone had books available. While that is of course possible as the person had money, the books wouldn’t have been in English and would have been very expensive, not to mention not fictional. A Bible would have been the most likely. Mass production of books did not begin until later. Considering how creative the author is, and how well he can write a scene, I think that his stories would be even better if he took care with small details.

R.E. birth takes the reader on a wonderful voyage to many places and times. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy worlds mixed with a little sci-fi. I give it 3.5 stars as I enjoyed the story, though it wasn’t the usual genre that I read.

[Yolanda Ramos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of two women,mother and daughter,trapped in a house that travels through time. The book starts with these two women, Agatha and Ami,rescuing a man,Rain, who is badly wounded in a fight.They take him in and tend to his injuries, which includes amnesia.

Much of the dialogue is stilted and although Rain is from the dark ages, his speech and internal thoughts are nothing like that of a person from this time period. Leaving out contractions does not turn modern English into Old/Middle English. There is also a lot of telling instead of showing, a lot of repetitive word use, and too many sentences and paragraphs that begin with words ending with 'ing,'which for me made the prose a bit tedious and flat.

During their time travels,they experience many adventures. The places and people are well described,but I would have liked to know exactly what time/year they are in. For me, it would be the first thing I'd want to know. The plot also became a bit predictable because wherever they landed in time, women were always throwing themselves at Rain, it just wasn't believable and some characters were one dimensional.

For me,this book is okay,which is why I gave it two stars.

[Margaret Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

it started slow, but the more you the more interesting it gets. after awhile you don't want to put it down. i can not wait to read the sequel.
m. cochan