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The Everyday Timekeeper's Almanac #1
The Arrow of Time
Only minutes after his tragic murder—and a hundred million years before he’ll be born—Aloysius Cook gets the offer of a lifetime.
Joining a team of time-traveling commandos may not sound like a cushy gig, but at the moment Al’s only alternative involves a closed casket. If he hopes to survive working for The Institute at the Beginning of Time, he’ll need a crash course on temporal paradoxes, recursive causal loops, and the very real possibility of the multiverse folding in on itself like a poorly made origami giraffe.
Luckily for Al, every new recruit receives a copy of The Everyday Timekeeper’s Almanac, the only guide to spacetime a time traveler will ever need. Compiled by an infinite number of researchers from across all possible realities, it contains every fact and every theory that might prove useful to a time traveler, plus helpful tips on how to avoid obliterating the multiverse.
Armed only with his Almanac, Al must dive into the time stream alongside a short-tempered saint, a self-centered cyborg, and an embittered survivor of the climate apocalypse. To prevent a cataclysm that threatens The Institute itself, they’ll need to outwit a deadly cadre of rival time travelers—hopefully without stepping on any butterflies or becoming romantically involved with someone’s grandmother.
Read what the critics are
“It looks like you’re writing a novel.”
—Talking Paperclip, anthropomorphic digital avatar and longtime collaborator
“Did you blurb for a short science fiction novel”
—Search Engine, suggested result
“File integrity verified.”
—Antivirus Software, trusted confidante
“Reasonably funny if you’re into that sort of thing.”
—B.T. Lamprey, noted author and aspiring time traveler
Joining a team of time-traveling commandos may not sound like a cushy gig, but at the moment Al’s only alternative involves a closed casket. If he hopes to survive working for The Institute at the Beginning of Time, he’ll need a crash course on temporal paradoxes, recursive causal loops, and the very real possibility of the multiverse folding in on itself like a poorly made origami giraffe.
Luckily for Al, every new recruit receives a copy of The Everyday Timekeeper’s Almanac, the only guide to spacetime a time traveler will ever need. Compiled by an infinite number of researchers from across all possible realities, it contains every fact and every theory that might prove useful to a time traveler, plus helpful tips on how to avoid obliterating the multiverse.
Armed only with his Almanac, Al must dive into the time stream alongside a short-tempered saint, a self-centered cyborg, and an embittered survivor of the climate apocalypse. To prevent a cataclysm that threatens The Institute itself, they’ll need to outwit a deadly cadre of rival time travelers—hopefully without stepping on any butterflies or becoming romantically involved with someone’s grandmother.
Read what the critics are
“It looks like you’re writing a novel.”
—Talking Paperclip, anthropomorphic digital avatar and longtime collaborator
“Did you blurb for a short science fiction novel”
—Search Engine, suggested result
“File integrity verified.”
—Antivirus Software, trusted confidante
“Reasonably funny if you’re into that sort of thing.”
—B.T. Lamprey, noted author and aspiring time traveler
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2022
6 people are currently reading
806 people want to read
About the author
B.T. Lamprey
1 book9 followersB.T. Lamprey grew up in a perfectly normal house that wasn’t haunted. He went to college somewhere that really didn’t have much bearing on the rest of his life. Eventually he married a brilliant woman with questionable taste in men. Together they’re raising two incredible sons who had nothing to do with the bathroom sink flooding. The four of them love each other very much despite wildly contradictory opinions on the appropriate pancake-to-syrup ratio.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 5, 2022
I admit I had no idea what to expect when I began this book but I truly enjoyed it. After getting a slow start due to the busyness of life, I read the last 170 pages in a single day.
This book is: clever, original, laugh out loud funny, and full of wonderful characters. I love the author’s sense of humor and dry wit. I’m thrilled to know that there will be a second book. I hope there are more dinosaurs!
This book is: clever, original, laugh out loud funny, and full of wonderful characters. I love the author’s sense of humor and dry wit. I’m thrilled to know that there will be a second book. I hope there are more dinosaurs!
September 22, 2023
I am one of the judges of team Space Girls for the SPSFC3 contest. This review is my personal opinion. Officially, it is still in the running for the contest, pending any official team announcements.
Status: Cut
Read: 100%
Comedy books can be very hit or miss with me. Some books make me laugh nonstop (even ones that don't have stellar reviews), and other books just feel very flat to me. I believe this book will be enjoyed by readers that loved the kind of banter in the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series. So I do hope my difficulty connecting isn't because the book is bad, it's just not my cup of tea. I read one of the Hitchhiker's guide books over 20 years ago with great enthusiasm and spent half of the book wanting to dnf it. Just proof that every reader is very different and with comedy, even more so because it is such a difficult genre to write.
We quickly realize from chapter 1 our protagonist Al is both not a particularly clever middle aged office employee and he is about to die without much fanfare. I felt chapter 1 was written a bit more solidly than later chapters of the book. Mostly because there isn't much dialogue and the book has a better chance to display the irony of the MC's fate.
In the last millisecond before his death, Al gets teleported to a concrete building with a window display featuring... dinosaurs? I liked the idea that our time travel police force decided to set their HQ in a random place in the Cretaceous period. It was such a sin the book wishes to rush into the main save the day plot without letting us enjoy some dinosaurs. We could have had a page or two of Al running to the window and gawk at the Triceratops walking around while a bored Joan (yes THE Joan of Arc) closes the window. Quite a missed opportunity for character conflict!
I liked Joan, she was the only character in the book I actually had fun spending time with. This is one thing that can be very hit & miss about this book. Since 70% of the story is hearing the 4 time traveller characters arguing with each other while Al serves as a cultural liason of his era, you need to like them or else the book becomes unenjoyable. Given I liked Joan but not anyone else including Al, it was a bit hard for me to enjoy the book.
We later on meet the other two members of the team: a gigantic brutish woman named Impala that lived a century after Al in a polluted and chaotic Cleveland and an obnoxious cyborg nicknamed HLM. The cyborg is certainly very similar to the snarky robots I remember in the Hitchiker's series. If a person loved that book, they will find HLM funny. The problem is... I thought the book was spending too much time having HLM trying to make witty jokes with a disconcerted Al that made me skim through the passages. It isn't just a 1 time thing and the story moves on. We get pages and pages and pages of interaction that goes nowhere with Al complaining about being hungry and the cyborg offering counter arguments about how advanced his circuits are that he has minimal need for nourishment. I just wanted to look outside the window and gawk at the dinosaurs. :'(
The sense of plausible believability is a factor that I felt missing in this book. And I am not referring to the time travel technology and futuristic mustard yellow unitards. It's the fact that Impala and the cyborg have zero experience traveling to Al's time period yet they were selected for this mission because they are veterans. The cyborg is capable of hacking into an ATM to steal money, but he doesn't want to connect into the USB drive of a tablet and risk catching a virus? Huh? Even Joan who is the most level-headed and experienced member of the team seems rather lost in her flight attendant costume.
I like the idea of having the cast wear such outlandish costumes. But it would have made more sense if it was Al who selected them by mistake when he was fiddling with the buttons of his time traveller touchpad. This mistake was very plausible for the plot and his clueless persona. Everyone assumed the bureaucrat that selected him out of all the potential recruit time traveller candidates would have chosen someone capable. And Al could have messed with several buttons and now they were stuck wearing their costumes. Maybe spend a portion of the plot where the cyborg is trying to fix the glitch and offer us a myriad of comical mistakes. I would have thought this was funny.
The middle portion of the book bored me because it was just endless filler with dialogue that made me skim through most of it. Fortunately, this book is an insanely fast read and it can be completed in as little as 2 hours. I liked the final chapters, though. Since the book is no longer stuck in between endless dialogue sessions, we get some story action and an endearing villain. The ending is also quite nice.
In a nutshell, this book will have its fans that can connect to the kind of humor it was going for. Perhaps it wasn't the right book for me, but I liked the basic story premise and Joan.
2 1/2 stars!
Status: Cut
Read: 100%
Comedy books can be very hit or miss with me. Some books make me laugh nonstop (even ones that don't have stellar reviews), and other books just feel very flat to me. I believe this book will be enjoyed by readers that loved the kind of banter in the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series. So I do hope my difficulty connecting isn't because the book is bad, it's just not my cup of tea. I read one of the Hitchhiker's guide books over 20 years ago with great enthusiasm and spent half of the book wanting to dnf it. Just proof that every reader is very different and with comedy, even more so because it is such a difficult genre to write.
We quickly realize from chapter 1 our protagonist Al is both not a particularly clever middle aged office employee and he is about to die without much fanfare. I felt chapter 1 was written a bit more solidly than later chapters of the book. Mostly because there isn't much dialogue and the book has a better chance to display the irony of the MC's fate.
In the last millisecond before his death, Al gets teleported to a concrete building with a window display featuring... dinosaurs? I liked the idea that our time travel police force decided to set their HQ in a random place in the Cretaceous period. It was such a sin the book wishes to rush into the main save the day plot without letting us enjoy some dinosaurs. We could have had a page or two of Al running to the window and gawk at the Triceratops walking around while a bored Joan (yes THE Joan of Arc) closes the window. Quite a missed opportunity for character conflict!
I liked Joan, she was the only character in the book I actually had fun spending time with. This is one thing that can be very hit & miss about this book. Since 70% of the story is hearing the 4 time traveller characters arguing with each other while Al serves as a cultural liason of his era, you need to like them or else the book becomes unenjoyable. Given I liked Joan but not anyone else including Al, it was a bit hard for me to enjoy the book.
We later on meet the other two members of the team: a gigantic brutish woman named Impala that lived a century after Al in a polluted and chaotic Cleveland and an obnoxious cyborg nicknamed HLM. The cyborg is certainly very similar to the snarky robots I remember in the Hitchiker's series. If a person loved that book, they will find HLM funny. The problem is... I thought the book was spending too much time having HLM trying to make witty jokes with a disconcerted Al that made me skim through the passages. It isn't just a 1 time thing and the story moves on. We get pages and pages and pages of interaction that goes nowhere with Al complaining about being hungry and the cyborg offering counter arguments about how advanced his circuits are that he has minimal need for nourishment. I just wanted to look outside the window and gawk at the dinosaurs. :'(
The sense of plausible believability is a factor that I felt missing in this book. And I am not referring to the time travel technology and futuristic mustard yellow unitards. It's the fact that Impala and the cyborg have zero experience traveling to Al's time period yet they were selected for this mission because they are veterans. The cyborg is capable of hacking into an ATM to steal money, but he doesn't want to connect into the USB drive of a tablet and risk catching a virus? Huh? Even Joan who is the most level-headed and experienced member of the team seems rather lost in her flight attendant costume.
I like the idea of having the cast wear such outlandish costumes. But it would have made more sense if it was Al who selected them by mistake when he was fiddling with the buttons of his time traveller touchpad. This mistake was very plausible for the plot and his clueless persona. Everyone assumed the bureaucrat that selected him out of all the potential recruit time traveller candidates would have chosen someone capable. And Al could have messed with several buttons and now they were stuck wearing their costumes. Maybe spend a portion of the plot where the cyborg is trying to fix the glitch and offer us a myriad of comical mistakes. I would have thought this was funny.
The middle portion of the book bored me because it was just endless filler with dialogue that made me skim through most of it. Fortunately, this book is an insanely fast read and it can be completed in as little as 2 hours. I liked the final chapters, though. Since the book is no longer stuck in between endless dialogue sessions, we get some story action and an endearing villain. The ending is also quite nice.
In a nutshell, this book will have its fans that can connect to the kind of humor it was going for. Perhaps it wasn't the right book for me, but I liked the basic story premise and Joan.
2 1/2 stars!
November 1, 2022
O.m.g. this book was just what I needed! After having just read the last line of the epilogue, all I can say is yesss... now THAT'S how you write a great Time Travel, SciFi story. It crushed the Trifecta of Awesomeness (writing, world building, and character developement)!!
The writing?
Well, glad you asked! This book was Hitchhiker's Guide- adjacent. The humor was very much along the same silly, dry(ish) vein as Douglas Addams' tales... something I don't say often but something I truly appreciated... yet it had its own flavor/timbre and social commentary. And you know what?? I adored ALL of it!! I actually chuckled out loud... a lot! And when I wasn't chuckling I was smiling... a lot! That's crazy to me! Not since I read Jenny Lawson (insert any Jenny Lawson book here) have I had such smiling til my cheeks hurt fun.
The Background?
The World building was robust. It was able to take us from the Cretaceous Period, to 15th century France, to a future where tech & man become one, to a post apocalyptic landscape and back around to 21st century California. This was done so well that it was easy to imagine and easier to get lost in. I am anxious to see how it builds from here.
Now the Characters.
These characters were dynamic and silly and oh so very flawed in such beautifully human (and cybernetic) ways. Only here can you find a Cyborg, a (more than) slightly ferral post apocalyptic survivor, Joan of Arc (yes THE Joan of Arc) and Al (our neurotic, bumbling, oft times reluctant 21st century "expert") all teamed up. They were stationed somewhere in the Cretaceous Period and their mission? To save the world(s?) from rogue time traveling agents (this time at a scifi-fantasy based convention in modern day Fresno) that are plotting to tamper with historical events to serve their own dastardly (?) plans. BUT who's really doing the saving?? Good question, all I know is that I fell hard for this dysfunctional crew. Each crew member added a certain je ne sais quoi to the mix and in the end the product was a loveable, relateable group of oddballs. Characters are usually the key ingredient for a successful book and although the characters were quite charming and easy to root for, I truly believe that each of the Trifecta held its own here.
Overall:
I'm a sucker for a good time travel story and this book was far better than Good! It had a healthy dose of SciFi (yummm) including parallel worlds, paradox avoidance and future tech. I can see this blossoming into one freaking awesome series... taking us to key moments in history with this ragtag crew of misfits and a cabal of nefarious (?) time travelers dueling it out. Will I look out for book #2? Heck yeah! Just shut up and take my money already! I MUST. HAVE. MORE! Ok, enough fangirling...
my last 2 cents: you should be adding this to the tippy top of your TBR especially if you like time travel, SciFi, Douglas Addams type (dry) funny reads.
~ Enjoy
*** I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ***
The writing?
Well, glad you asked! This book was Hitchhiker's Guide- adjacent. The humor was very much along the same silly, dry(ish) vein as Douglas Addams' tales... something I don't say often but something I truly appreciated... yet it had its own flavor/timbre and social commentary. And you know what?? I adored ALL of it!! I actually chuckled out loud... a lot! And when I wasn't chuckling I was smiling... a lot! That's crazy to me! Not since I read Jenny Lawson (insert any Jenny Lawson book here) have I had such smiling til my cheeks hurt fun.
The Background?
The World building was robust. It was able to take us from the Cretaceous Period, to 15th century France, to a future where tech & man become one, to a post apocalyptic landscape and back around to 21st century California. This was done so well that it was easy to imagine and easier to get lost in. I am anxious to see how it builds from here.
Now the Characters.
These characters were dynamic and silly and oh so very flawed in such beautifully human (and cybernetic) ways. Only here can you find a Cyborg, a (more than) slightly ferral post apocalyptic survivor, Joan of Arc (yes THE Joan of Arc) and Al (our neurotic, bumbling, oft times reluctant 21st century "expert") all teamed up. They were stationed somewhere in the Cretaceous Period and their mission? To save the world(s?) from rogue time traveling agents (this time at a scifi-fantasy based convention in modern day Fresno) that are plotting to tamper with historical events to serve their own dastardly (?) plans. BUT who's really doing the saving?? Good question, all I know is that I fell hard for this dysfunctional crew. Each crew member added a certain je ne sais quoi to the mix and in the end the product was a loveable, relateable group of oddballs. Characters are usually the key ingredient for a successful book and although the characters were quite charming and easy to root for, I truly believe that each of the Trifecta held its own here.
Overall:
I'm a sucker for a good time travel story and this book was far better than Good! It had a healthy dose of SciFi (yummm) including parallel worlds, paradox avoidance and future tech. I can see this blossoming into one freaking awesome series... taking us to key moments in history with this ragtag crew of misfits and a cabal of nefarious (?) time travelers dueling it out. Will I look out for book #2? Heck yeah! Just shut up and take my money already! I MUST. HAVE. MORE! Ok, enough fangirling...
my last 2 cents: you should be adding this to the tippy top of your TBR especially if you like time travel, SciFi, Douglas Addams type (dry) funny reads.
~ Enjoy
*** I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ***
November 9, 2022
Disclosure: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily - and I hold the honesty of my reviews with integrity.
If you liked HHGTTG (and if you know what that means, you liked it), you'll likely enjoy The Arrow Of Time. Mostly.
This got off to a good start. The author's writing is that same slightly cheeky, witty, and pun-laden entertainment provided by authors like Robert Kroese (with his Mercury series), or the inimitable Douglas Adams. It is science fiction waiting to be read when you need something light, fun, and quick. I enjoyed it - as far as that goes.
And there is more good stuff. But the book falls down in a couple of ways. First, it's more like a novella than a novel. Given the pace of the story's development, I expected this to run for a while - and then, suddenly, the story is over (modulo the Epilogue). The ending felt abrupt. I wondered after finishing if the author is approaching this a bit like Hugh Howey did with the Silo series - starting with a good short effort to snag people's interest, then develop it with longer stories in a series. That worked for Howey; but somehow Howey's first book (Wool) left me more compelled to read the follow-ons to The Arrow of Time.
Second, in the briefness of the book I came up just short of developing a fondness for any of the characters. They're all clever; #nospoilers here. But, I there were a couple of characters that mirrored personalities in some of the other landmark books above that people *did* connect with. I just didn't get there (yet); maybe if the next book is longer & develops some things to love (or love to hate).
Finally, I have to admit that getting 5 stars is REALLY hard to get from me, because I have standards! ;-). In fact, you'll see why it is going to be really hard to get 5 stars from me when you read them (below). Given those standards, this book gets a 3.5. (Thus, this may not be a review the author wants to see. Understood!)
Rating system:
- Five stars is when you read a book to the end, put it down, take a deep breath, pick it up and start reading it all over again - or you would if you weren't so anxious to read the next book in a multi-book series. Or, it's simply really good.
- Four stars is when you tell yourself : ”This is good, this is well-written, this is full of interesting ideas/characters/plot points”, but you know you will never read it again.
- Three stars is when it is good enough to read it to the end, but then you put it down and proceed to forget all about it as you move on to your next choice of book.
- Two stars when it's so bad that it makes you laugh, or sigh, and want to write a review, but you can't remember the name of the book or dislike it so much that you don't.
- One star when you can't read past chapter 3, even as penance for your sins.
If you liked HHGTTG (and if you know what that means, you liked it), you'll likely enjoy The Arrow Of Time. Mostly.
This got off to a good start. The author's writing is that same slightly cheeky, witty, and pun-laden entertainment provided by authors like Robert Kroese (with his Mercury series), or the inimitable Douglas Adams. It is science fiction waiting to be read when you need something light, fun, and quick. I enjoyed it - as far as that goes.
And there is more good stuff. But the book falls down in a couple of ways. First, it's more like a novella than a novel. Given the pace of the story's development, I expected this to run for a while - and then, suddenly, the story is over (modulo the Epilogue). The ending felt abrupt. I wondered after finishing if the author is approaching this a bit like Hugh Howey did with the Silo series - starting with a good short effort to snag people's interest, then develop it with longer stories in a series. That worked for Howey; but somehow Howey's first book (Wool) left me more compelled to read the follow-ons to The Arrow of Time.
Second, in the briefness of the book I came up just short of developing a fondness for any of the characters. They're all clever; #nospoilers here. But, I there were a couple of characters that mirrored personalities in some of the other landmark books above that people *did* connect with. I just didn't get there (yet); maybe if the next book is longer & develops some things to love (or love to hate).
Finally, I have to admit that getting 5 stars is REALLY hard to get from me, because I have standards! ;-). In fact, you'll see why it is going to be really hard to get 5 stars from me when you read them (below). Given those standards, this book gets a 3.5. (Thus, this may not be a review the author wants to see. Understood!)
Rating system:
- Five stars is when you read a book to the end, put it down, take a deep breath, pick it up and start reading it all over again - or you would if you weren't so anxious to read the next book in a multi-book series. Or, it's simply really good.
- Four stars is when you tell yourself : ”This is good, this is well-written, this is full of interesting ideas/characters/plot points”, but you know you will never read it again.
- Three stars is when it is good enough to read it to the end, but then you put it down and proceed to forget all about it as you move on to your next choice of book.
- Two stars when it's so bad that it makes you laugh, or sigh, and want to write a review, but you can't remember the name of the book or dislike it so much that you don't.
- One star when you can't read past chapter 3, even as penance for your sins.
November 22, 2022
I very, very rarely write or post reviews, which should already demonstrate that I loved this novel. This book is a delightful journey of hilarious and absurd comedy seamlessly blended with science fiction, with imagery and descriptions that accurately and imaginatively capture each moment, including the existential experience of escaping impending and unavoidable death through time travel.
The cast of characters includes a crew of some of the less reliable time travelers and world saviors: a bumbling and deeply relatable “every man” who is our accidental and reluctant hero, willing to be sidetracked from saving the world for pizza; a snarky, proud, and often comically socially inept cyborg trying to analyze and decipher human experiences while continuously offering to use his rocket hand to assist the mission (or just to neutralize annoyances); a ravenous and sometimes frighteningly savage nun (who isn’t actually a nun) who survived (until she didn’t survive) a futuristic post-apocalyptic environmental wasteland, and still begrudges and blames previous human inhabitants for our destruction of earth; and an uptight, organized, and slightly traumatized Joan of Arc trying desperately to keep everyone on task. Their mission is to blend in (with hilarious disaster and in the most ridiculous fashion) to ensure that a terrible event occurs without meddling by rogue time travelers, all for the greater sake of preserving the timeline. With some detours in the Cretaceous period, 15th century France, and 23rd century Midwestern wasteland, the climax of the action occurs in almost-modern-day Fresno, lending this book to witty and thought-provoking social and political commentary of our current times, with passages describing a time traveler’s guide to 21st century cell phone obsession, a global future after an impending environmental apocalypse, cyborg’s literal understanding of colloquialisms and humor, and the importance of not underestimating Neanderthals.
Providing sardonic commentary of modern life in the package of science fiction and absurd narrators, Lamprey ties in all aspects of a successful book into one (although I’m hoping for sequels!) wonderfully crafted, absolutely hilarious, vastly creative and interesting, plot and character driven novel. This book will cause wry smiles, chuckles and/or snorts of humor, and frequent laughing out loud moments: be cautious where you read this or you will be stared at by others for your reactions to this unique work of art. Read and enjoy!
The cast of characters includes a crew of some of the less reliable time travelers and world saviors: a bumbling and deeply relatable “every man” who is our accidental and reluctant hero, willing to be sidetracked from saving the world for pizza; a snarky, proud, and often comically socially inept cyborg trying to analyze and decipher human experiences while continuously offering to use his rocket hand to assist the mission (or just to neutralize annoyances); a ravenous and sometimes frighteningly savage nun (who isn’t actually a nun) who survived (until she didn’t survive) a futuristic post-apocalyptic environmental wasteland, and still begrudges and blames previous human inhabitants for our destruction of earth; and an uptight, organized, and slightly traumatized Joan of Arc trying desperately to keep everyone on task. Their mission is to blend in (with hilarious disaster and in the most ridiculous fashion) to ensure that a terrible event occurs without meddling by rogue time travelers, all for the greater sake of preserving the timeline. With some detours in the Cretaceous period, 15th century France, and 23rd century Midwestern wasteland, the climax of the action occurs in almost-modern-day Fresno, lending this book to witty and thought-provoking social and political commentary of our current times, with passages describing a time traveler’s guide to 21st century cell phone obsession, a global future after an impending environmental apocalypse, cyborg’s literal understanding of colloquialisms and humor, and the importance of not underestimating Neanderthals.
Providing sardonic commentary of modern life in the package of science fiction and absurd narrators, Lamprey ties in all aspects of a successful book into one (although I’m hoping for sequels!) wonderfully crafted, absolutely hilarious, vastly creative and interesting, plot and character driven novel. This book will cause wry smiles, chuckles and/or snorts of humor, and frequent laughing out loud moments: be cautious where you read this or you will be stared at by others for your reactions to this unique work of art. Read and enjoy!
August 7, 2023
Thanks to author BT Lamprey for giving me a free copy via Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Wacky time travel story that starts with a mundane office meeting that turns into an active shooter situation. Our lead character Aloysius Cook dies, but then the Institute at the Beginning of Time intervenes to save him. Aloysius becomes the unwitting new recruit for a time travel mission to prevent rogue operatives from altering history in 21st century Fresno.
In the moments this book shines, it’s 5-star quality.
- The author has fun with the offbeat logic of the Institute and time traveling in this world. Choices are made about time travel logic in this world.
- We get information unnecessary to plot advancement but great for enhancing reading enjoyment (e.g. explanations for UFO and Bigfoot sightings).
- Lamprey assigns his characters distinct personalities, histories, and quirks. MVP Joan!!
- The team dynamics consist of a never-ending stream of banter, wry humor, and funny miscommunication.
While I liked the humor, these are not laugh-out-loud jokes. Additionally, Aloysius' character can be an uncooperative, willful, and/or ignorant poor excuse for a time travel, which can be funny but also annoying. The time spent with the characters while they were prepping for their time travel mission was slow-paced, but the last third of the book took off.
If you don’t click with the authorial voice at the outset, then you probably will struggle with the book. It’s not about the destination—it’s all about the journey and friends made along the way. Fun read!
Wacky time travel story that starts with a mundane office meeting that turns into an active shooter situation. Our lead character Aloysius Cook dies, but then the Institute at the Beginning of Time intervenes to save him. Aloysius becomes the unwitting new recruit for a time travel mission to prevent rogue operatives from altering history in 21st century Fresno.
In the moments this book shines, it’s 5-star quality.
- The author has fun with the offbeat logic of the Institute and time traveling in this world. Choices are made about time travel logic in this world.
- We get information unnecessary to plot advancement but great for enhancing reading enjoyment (e.g. explanations for UFO and Bigfoot sightings).
- Lamprey assigns his characters distinct personalities, histories, and quirks. MVP Joan!!
- The team dynamics consist of a never-ending stream of banter, wry humor, and funny miscommunication.
While I liked the humor, these are not laugh-out-loud jokes. Additionally, Aloysius' character can be an uncooperative, willful, and/or ignorant poor excuse for a time travel, which can be funny but also annoying. The time spent with the characters while they were prepping for their time travel mission was slow-paced, but the last third of the book took off.
If you don’t click with the authorial voice at the outset, then you probably will struggle with the book. It’s not about the destination—it’s all about the journey and friends made along the way. Fun read!
October 19, 2022
An accidental hero, a cyborg, a post-apocalyptic survivor, and Joan of Arc are tasked with saving the world from an attempt to disrupt the timeline at a convention in Fresno. The Arrow of Time is a fun and fantastic adventure, suitable for all ages. It's fast paced, more than a little silly, and enjoyable from start to finish. Lamprey blends sci-fi concepts with prosaic workplace comedy and many odd diversions, in the mold of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, to which it pays explicit homage. Actually the series it reminds me of most is Charles Stross' Laundry Files in which Schroedinger's theories of quantum information transfer form the basis for a governmental department dedicated to fighting demonic incursions. In the Arrow of Time, Lamprey uses classic sci-fi concepts of paradoxes and parallel worlds to backdrop a story of a mysterious bureaucracy that is working to prevent time travelers from destroying the universe. I really enjoyed it a lot, and have already recommended it to my 15 year old son, who I think will get a kick out of it. Highly recommended for sci-fi and comedy fans of all ages.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 21, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
I really enjoyed some aspects of this novel and I disliked others.
I thought the characters were well written and interesting. The plot was fun and several times I laughed out loud. I particularly enjoyed the chapters that gave the history of the characters, those were my favorite scenes.
My main problems were the dialogue and the length of the story. Many parts of the book were humorous, but the dialogue just tried too hard. Every single sentence was a quip. And when everything is trying to be a joke then nothing is actually funny. This was especially true from the beginning through the middle of the book. Near the end it felt like the author settled down and found his groove and the dialogue flowed much more naturally.
As for the length, I just wanted more. I wanted more explanation, more details, more world building. I think another 100 pages or so of fleshing out the book would make it much stronger.
Overall, this was good. I hope the next entry in the series is even better.
I really enjoyed some aspects of this novel and I disliked others.
I thought the characters were well written and interesting. The plot was fun and several times I laughed out loud. I particularly enjoyed the chapters that gave the history of the characters, those were my favorite scenes.
My main problems were the dialogue and the length of the story. Many parts of the book were humorous, but the dialogue just tried too hard. Every single sentence was a quip. And when everything is trying to be a joke then nothing is actually funny. This was especially true from the beginning through the middle of the book. Near the end it felt like the author settled down and found his groove and the dialogue flowed much more naturally.
As for the length, I just wanted more. I wanted more explanation, more details, more world building. I think another 100 pages or so of fleshing out the book would make it much stronger.
Overall, this was good. I hope the next entry in the series is even better.
October 19, 2022
A Hilarious and fun read
These are the protectors of the timeline who are like timekeeping commandos. They are a bit of a dysfunctional group who moves through time, they kept me fully engaged with plenty of dry humor, sarcastic humor, cyborg humor and talk of paradox loops.
The writing had this fun flow to it, sometimes the author would say a lot but at the same time not saying much, how does an author do that?
Great descriptions of the passing of time and at the same time there is a plot unfolding and a resolution to the task at hand. I can see this book going forward as a series with further stories with this unlikely bunch traveling through time to set things right. The main character, Al, reminded me of Forest Gump, he is not the brightest guy out there, but as he bumbles along things seem to just fall into the right place. I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed.
These are the protectors of the timeline who are like timekeeping commandos. They are a bit of a dysfunctional group who moves through time, they kept me fully engaged with plenty of dry humor, sarcastic humor, cyborg humor and talk of paradox loops.
The writing had this fun flow to it, sometimes the author would say a lot but at the same time not saying much, how does an author do that?
Great descriptions of the passing of time and at the same time there is a plot unfolding and a resolution to the task at hand. I can see this book going forward as a series with further stories with this unlikely bunch traveling through time to set things right. The main character, Al, reminded me of Forest Gump, he is not the brightest guy out there, but as he bumbles along things seem to just fall into the right place. I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed.
October 19, 2022
This book reminded me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and had me laughing out loud, dreaming about a nun and pizza delivery driver, and wishing the whole series was already released so I could spend more time in B.T. Lamprey's multiverse. The Arrow of Time is a hilarious, action-packed adventure that brings a zany cast of humans (and a cyborg) from different centuries and continents to present-day Fresno, California in a race against time and paradox avoidance. If you enjoy reading about time traveling, dangerous paradoxes, unforgettable characters (picture Joan of Arc as a flight attendant), and comical misunderstandings between humans and cyborgs, I highly recommend this book, it's a really entertaining and fast read!
October 20, 2022
I've read a lot of time travel team stories and hoped this one would be fun. As I dip back into the story, I can't figure out why it didn't gel for me. The backstory for each character was well done, the organizations hinted at enough to get the corporate flavours and I could imagine being in each part of the story but the pacing was a little off. I felt the mission concluded unexpectedly.
That said, I didn't find Al particularly likable, especially Al. He wasn't endearingly bumbling, just smug and irritating. Impala also didn't seem to act as I would expect from her history.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
That said, I didn't find Al particularly likable, especially Al. He wasn't endearingly bumbling, just smug and irritating. Impala also didn't seem to act as I would expect from her history.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 11, 2022
This book made me laugh out loud! Here’s one of my favorite passages that will give you a feel for the humor, without spoiling the plot:
“Great care should be taken when the time traveler must interact with another’s personal cell phone. Touching someone else’s device without their leave violates one of the culture’s strictest taboos. It is exceedingly rare for such a device to be offered to any but family members and the closest of friends, and the occasion should be considered a great honor. Even then, it is primarily used to display pictures and videos of children and cats, which must be admired and cooed over.”
“Great care should be taken when the time traveler must interact with another’s personal cell phone. Touching someone else’s device without their leave violates one of the culture’s strictest taboos. It is exceedingly rare for such a device to be offered to any but family members and the closest of friends, and the occasion should be considered a great honor. Even then, it is primarily used to display pictures and videos of children and cats, which must be admired and cooed over.”
November 12, 2022
This was quite a clever, rollicking, and enjoyable read.
I don't usually care for reviews that immediately jump to comparing a work to other authors' work, but if you're a fan of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this feels like a time-travelling riff on it that Douglas Adams himself might have written and been proud of.
I look forward to the next instalment in this series.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I don't usually care for reviews that immediately jump to comparing a work to other authors' work, but if you're a fan of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this feels like a time-travelling riff on it that Douglas Adams himself might have written and been proud of.
I look forward to the next instalment in this series.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 12, 2023
My apologies to the the author, I am sure you spent many hours writing this book. I persevered with this book but gave up 70% into the book. The story line and characters are pretty awful. I think the author was trying to be funny like Terry Pratchett but couldn’t accomplish it. I was pleased to end it when I did. But as i said at the beginning I feel sorry for the author that this book turned out to be abysmal.
October 22, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. There was nary a dull moment. Loved the motley collection of characters. Did remind me quite a few times of The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy, but this book can hold its own. Had me chuckling and guffawing from start to end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 7, 2022
Starting the book, all I knew was that it was going to be a funny sci-fi read. Then there was the unlikely protagonist and his troupe and the moral/ethical problems that they discover along the way. I really did laugh out loud more than a few times. I did not want to put the book down and stole away from a busy life to keep turning the pages of this book!
November 8, 2022
This was a cheeky, satirical romp through culture, politics and bureaucracies. With the backdrop of a time travelling bureaucracy, we follow a truly misfit team led by Joan of Arc as they try to prevent someone from changing history. The plot works primarily as a foil for the satire.
It was a fun and pleasant read.
It was a fun and pleasant read.
December 25, 2022
this was a great start to the Everyday Timekeeper's Almanac series, it was what I was hoping for from the description. B.T. Lamprey does a great job in telling the story that was needed to, and it was really well written. I was invested in the characters and can't wait for the rest of this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 11, 2023
I didn't know what to expect. This book is in the category humour. I am a fantasy and mystery reader. I found the story by times a bit confusing, because of the jumps in time. The whole things felt Monthy Python-ish. The questionnaire in chapter 3 was absolutely hilarious and made me laugh out loud.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 17, 2023
Fun read
I really liked this read. A simple story with some fascinating characters that have to make sure a bomb goes off as a mass killing. It’s a silly story but I couldn’t put the book down. If you want to laugh and smile while you read this is the book.
I received this book free through Goodreads.
I really liked this read. A simple story with some fascinating characters that have to make sure a bomb goes off as a mass killing. It’s a silly story but I couldn’t put the book down. If you want to laugh and smile while you read this is the book.
I received this book free through Goodreads.
October 19, 2022
I really loved this book. The narrator has a dry sense of humor, and every scene is peppered with amusing, and pointed, social commentary. The time travel story line is very satisfying--complex but coherent. And Joan of Arc is a main character! 10/10 recommend!
July 4, 2023
I loved the world building and how the author implemented the back stories of each main character into it. I also loved how he wrote the dialogue between the characters. It was a fun silly quick read. I'm looking forward to reading the next one when it comes out.
January 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this. Very funny!
November 8, 2022
This time travel adventure is not only entertaining and funny, but well thought-out and interesting. I read it with my middle schooler, and we both had a hard time putting it down. Highly recommended even for those who don't usually love the genre.
October 20, 2023
Disclaimer - read 30% for SPSFC. I am only 1 judge and this is my opinion only.
Humour, like book is highly subjective and despite the odd moments unfortunately the humour here didn't work for me. I found myself more irritated by the main protagonist than amused.
For these reasons I will be cutting this book (though its position in the semis is still to be made official)
Like I said though, humour is subjective so there are bound to be readers that enjoy this type of comedy.
Humour, like book is highly subjective and despite the odd moments unfortunately the humour here didn't work for me. I found myself more irritated by the main protagonist than amused.
For these reasons I will be cutting this book (though its position in the semis is still to be made official)
Like I said though, humour is subjective so there are bound to be readers that enjoy this type of comedy.
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