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The Time Weaver Chronicles #1
The Time Weaver
A reluctant hero must come to terms with a new world, new powers, and a family history buried deep in the folds of time.
Seth Alkirk is a 30-year-old programmer who doesn't know he can control time. Problem is, others do. When he's kidnapped from his quiet Iowa life and taken to the parallel world of Galadir, Seth thinks he's in a dream from which he can't wake.
His kidnapper, the warrior Malia, needs his help. Her kingdom is in danger from an evil wizard who will stop at nothing to exact revenge on those who exiled him. Seth needs her protection. The same wizard is after Seth's powers, knowing they will grant the advantage he needs to conquer Malia's kingdom. Seth and Malia must work together as they travel hundreds of miles to reach the safety of her castle.
Learning to accept and control his powers is the hardest thing Seth has ever had to do, but the longer he spends in Galadir, the more he grows to love this new world and the female warrior accompanying him. When a much more ancient and dangerous wizard awakens and threatens to destroy Galadir, Seth is the key to defeating him. Now he must save a world he never knew existed with magic he never knew he could wield, if only he could learn to control it in time.
Seth Alkirk is a 30-year-old programmer who doesn't know he can control time. Problem is, others do. When he's kidnapped from his quiet Iowa life and taken to the parallel world of Galadir, Seth thinks he's in a dream from which he can't wake.
His kidnapper, the warrior Malia, needs his help. Her kingdom is in danger from an evil wizard who will stop at nothing to exact revenge on those who exiled him. Seth needs her protection. The same wizard is after Seth's powers, knowing they will grant the advantage he needs to conquer Malia's kingdom. Seth and Malia must work together as they travel hundreds of miles to reach the safety of her castle.
Learning to accept and control his powers is the hardest thing Seth has ever had to do, but the longer he spends in Galadir, the more he grows to love this new world and the female warrior accompanying him. When a much more ancient and dangerous wizard awakens and threatens to destroy Galadir, Seth is the key to defeating him. Now he must save a world he never knew existed with magic he never knew he could wield, if only he could learn to control it in time.
306 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2011
23 people are currently reading
1132 people want to read
About the author
Thomas A. Knight
10Ìýbooks28ÌýfollowersThomas A. Knight built a career out of software development and took up writing in his spare time. Since then, he has published three books and more in the works. His novels are epic fantasies set in Galadir, an alternate world of his own design.
His debut novel, The Time Weaver, is the recipient of an indiePENdents Seal of Good Writing, has reached both the Sci-Fi/Adventure and Epic Fantasy Amazon best-seller lists, and is considered by many to be an exciting and unique story that appeals to readers of all types.
When he's not writing or developing software, Thomas enjoys family time with his wife and two teenage girls, or playing fantasy role-playing games. He is also an avid supporter of Free and Open Source software, and uses entirely Linux and open source software in the writing and production of his novels.
His debut novel, The Time Weaver, is the recipient of an indiePENdents Seal of Good Writing, has reached both the Sci-Fi/Adventure and Epic Fantasy Amazon best-seller lists, and is considered by many to be an exciting and unique story that appeals to readers of all types.
When he's not writing or developing software, Thomas enjoys family time with his wife and two teenage girls, or playing fantasy role-playing games. He is also an avid supporter of Free and Open Source software, and uses entirely Linux and open source software in the writing and production of his novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 10, 2011
I really liked the opening of this one - a dramatic wizardy end-of-the-world type battle, which turns out to be - well, something else (not wanting to spoil the surprise). An elegant way to introduce the main characters and the backstory in one go.
The plot is not the most original ever for a fantasy novel. There's a King. Check. Beautiful Warrior Babe. Check. Wizards. Check. Farm boy with unsuspected magical powers. Check. [OK, so he's a geeky software developer, same deal.] Magic Sword. Check. The Dark Lord. Check. [Didn't he get defeated before? Once or twice?] Well, nothing wrong with the familiar tropes, if the author adds a new twist. This one has a mystery (what happened to the software guy's father), and some nice humour wrapped round the cross-universe culture clash. The warrior babe assumes modern world people are peasants because they have no swords. Well, you would, wouldn't you? And Seth (geeky software guy) is astonished by simple fire-lighting magic, and horrified at being asked to use a sword: "Do I look like the kind of person that can handle a sword?"
This is all good knockabout stuff, no problem there. And I like that Seth isn't just spirited away to the alternate universe in the middle of the night, to be returned later (presumably) with no one any the wiser. Instead it all happens in the middle of a busy intersection, with a mega pile-up going on, leaving behind a dead monster and lots of witnesses to swear they saw a knight in armour kill said monster with a sword and then walk into a big blue hole with an unconscious man and vanish. Great fun.
So far, so good. Unfortunately the writing isn't quite up to the promise of the opening. The characters are all rather stereotyped, with not much subtlety to them. There's a lot of heavy description of people and places, the point of view hops about confusingly, and we rarely get any sense of what the characters are feeling, although Seth's sense of disorientation is clear. Sometimes the tension in a dramatic scene is dissipated instantly by a particularly clunky line. After a wizard meets a vividly gruesome end, we get only: "The remaining five council members suffered a similar fate..." There are quite a few typos, too, like 'isle' instead of 'aisle', 'peal' instead of 'peel' and the inevitable 'peaked' instead of 'piqued'. I can ignore the over frequent use of 'shall', which is probably intended to sound archaic, and the lack of 'had' (as in 'Some healers arrived already and...') which is an Americanism, I think, but the use of 'that' instead of 'who' really grated (as in '...children that ran about'). My pedantic school teachers would never have allowed it. Nitpicks, maybe, but if you notice them they really interfere with the suspension of disbelief.
The story jumps backwards and forwards between the two worlds, which works rather well. However, the modern world investigation into the incident soon turns up DNA differences between Malia (the Warrior Babe) and regular humans, and Seth is even more different. The military immediately jump to the weapons potential. This makes the whole magic business no more than a matter of chromosomes, and somehow it all becomes far more mundane. I don't mind magic that has a system or rules of some kind, but when there's an actual sciencey-type explanation for it, it loses its - well, its magic. As for the need for words to make magic happen, that's fine, it's a bit of a tradition, but I've always thought that in a wizard battle, you'd really want to choose the spells with the fewest words. Or else talk really, really fast. Apart from that, the magic system is nicely thought out, and I like the way a defended spell turns itself against the caster, with dire consequences.
Just as I thought things were straying into military scifi territory, the campy Cedric and the Man in Black turn up and the plot really cranks into high gear. After that, it's a matter of hanging on tight as things roller-coaster to the end. If you like wizardy thunderbolt battles and armies of weird creatures and the whole farmboy turned hero scenario, not to mention some interference from the gods, this book is for you. There's nothing wildly original in any of this, but if you can ignore the rather flat and heavy writing style, and you don't expect too much depth, it's an entertaining romp. I'm not sure what age group the author is aiming for but there are some wonderfully gruesome moments that would appeal to a certain type of child: "His eyes exploded out as his brain superheated in his skull, and then he fell to the ground, smoke rising from his empty eye sockets." Eew, gross. Ultimately, although I kept reading to find out how it ends, and it had some very enjoyable moments and a couple of nice twists at the end, it turned out to be not really my thing, sadly, [*] so combined with the weaknesses in writing, that keeps it at two stars.
EDIT: [*] It occurs to me that it's unhelpful and sounds a bit arbitrary to say that a book is "not really my thing" without explaining why, so I'm going to elaborate, which strays into spoiler territory.
The plot is not the most original ever for a fantasy novel. There's a King. Check. Beautiful Warrior Babe. Check. Wizards. Check. Farm boy with unsuspected magical powers. Check. [OK, so he's a geeky software developer, same deal.] Magic Sword. Check. The Dark Lord. Check. [Didn't he get defeated before? Once or twice?] Well, nothing wrong with the familiar tropes, if the author adds a new twist. This one has a mystery (what happened to the software guy's father), and some nice humour wrapped round the cross-universe culture clash. The warrior babe assumes modern world people are peasants because they have no swords. Well, you would, wouldn't you? And Seth (geeky software guy) is astonished by simple fire-lighting magic, and horrified at being asked to use a sword: "Do I look like the kind of person that can handle a sword?"
This is all good knockabout stuff, no problem there. And I like that Seth isn't just spirited away to the alternate universe in the middle of the night, to be returned later (presumably) with no one any the wiser. Instead it all happens in the middle of a busy intersection, with a mega pile-up going on, leaving behind a dead monster and lots of witnesses to swear they saw a knight in armour kill said monster with a sword and then walk into a big blue hole with an unconscious man and vanish. Great fun.
So far, so good. Unfortunately the writing isn't quite up to the promise of the opening. The characters are all rather stereotyped, with not much subtlety to them. There's a lot of heavy description of people and places, the point of view hops about confusingly, and we rarely get any sense of what the characters are feeling, although Seth's sense of disorientation is clear. Sometimes the tension in a dramatic scene is dissipated instantly by a particularly clunky line. After a wizard meets a vividly gruesome end, we get only: "The remaining five council members suffered a similar fate..." There are quite a few typos, too, like 'isle' instead of 'aisle', 'peal' instead of 'peel' and the inevitable 'peaked' instead of 'piqued'. I can ignore the over frequent use of 'shall', which is probably intended to sound archaic, and the lack of 'had' (as in 'Some healers arrived already and...') which is an Americanism, I think, but the use of 'that' instead of 'who' really grated (as in '...children that ran about'). My pedantic school teachers would never have allowed it. Nitpicks, maybe, but if you notice them they really interfere with the suspension of disbelief.
The story jumps backwards and forwards between the two worlds, which works rather well. However, the modern world investigation into the incident soon turns up DNA differences between Malia (the Warrior Babe) and regular humans, and Seth is even more different. The military immediately jump to the weapons potential. This makes the whole magic business no more than a matter of chromosomes, and somehow it all becomes far more mundane. I don't mind magic that has a system or rules of some kind, but when there's an actual sciencey-type explanation for it, it loses its - well, its magic. As for the need for words to make magic happen, that's fine, it's a bit of a tradition, but I've always thought that in a wizard battle, you'd really want to choose the spells with the fewest words. Or else talk really, really fast. Apart from that, the magic system is nicely thought out, and I like the way a defended spell turns itself against the caster, with dire consequences.
Just as I thought things were straying into military scifi territory, the campy Cedric and the Man in Black turn up and the plot really cranks into high gear. After that, it's a matter of hanging on tight as things roller-coaster to the end. If you like wizardy thunderbolt battles and armies of weird creatures and the whole farmboy turned hero scenario, not to mention some interference from the gods, this book is for you. There's nothing wildly original in any of this, but if you can ignore the rather flat and heavy writing style, and you don't expect too much depth, it's an entertaining romp. I'm not sure what age group the author is aiming for but there are some wonderfully gruesome moments that would appeal to a certain type of child: "His eyes exploded out as his brain superheated in his skull, and then he fell to the ground, smoke rising from his empty eye sockets." Eew, gross. Ultimately, although I kept reading to find out how it ends, and it had some very enjoyable moments and a couple of nice twists at the end, it turned out to be not really my thing, sadly, [*] so combined with the weaknesses in writing, that keeps it at two stars.
EDIT: [*] It occurs to me that it's unhelpful and sounds a bit arbitrary to say that a book is "not really my thing" without explaining why, so I'm going to elaborate, which strays into spoiler territory.
April 14, 2013
With the same appeal as Stephen Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and a thoroughly intriguing premise, Thomas A. Knight has created a fascinating parallel world in his novel The Time Weaver, endowing it with pleasingly dangerous and exciting interactions with our own. A father reads to his son then disappears. A son grows up with vague memories and an unopenable book. Then 30-year-old Seth Alkirk finds his life suddenly threatened by car accidents, monsters, magic and more. But Seth just might be the long awaited time weaver and his survival, as well as the survival of worlds, might depend on his learning and using his hereditary skills.
There’s an enjoyable mix of otherworld magic and our-world solid science in this story, with some very appealing discoveries and plenty of threat. But Seth’s soon committed to friends in his other world, slowly learning who his father might have been, recognizing friend and foe, and discovering the secrets of his destiny.
Gods and goddesses control the elements of magic. Political kings control one world’s armies while military scientists take charge of the other's. Wizards advise. A most wonderful dragon helps. And it all ties together into a grown-up coming-of-age story, where Seth learns new values and wiser definitions of success, and the reader enjoys a wild exciting ride. I’d classify this as new adult rather than young adult for language and violence. There’s minimal romance, but just enough to add depth and character, and there’s a powerful ending that feeds straight into more mystery and the hope of more stories. I checked on Amazon and volume 2’s just come out, so enjoy.
Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy of this novel by the author with a request for my honest review.
February 6, 2012
What I liked about this book was the quick way it pulls the reader into the story and doesn't really let go. I read it in half the time I expected because I couldn't find a good place to put it down. It has all the detail that a fantasy reader would look for in a story: wizards, magic, a dragon, a castle, etc. Some of the magic elements are unique, as well as how Galadir and Earth intersect or differ.
My biggest complaint about THE TIME WEAVER is that it ended quite abruptly, with the promise of a sequel. There are too many unanswered storylines--almost to where the book can't stand on its own. If you like a clean, upbeat ending where you need to know where and how the protagonist is, you will be disappointed. I also found the violence at time gratuitous, and many of the scenes/world-building predictable and at times cliche.
With a little more editing, including a line-edit, this will be a great book, and a solid start to what promises to be a successful series.
My biggest complaint about THE TIME WEAVER is that it ended quite abruptly, with the promise of a sequel. There are too many unanswered storylines--almost to where the book can't stand on its own. If you like a clean, upbeat ending where you need to know where and how the protagonist is, you will be disappointed. I also found the violence at time gratuitous, and many of the scenes/world-building predictable and at times cliche.
With a little more editing, including a line-edit, this will be a great book, and a solid start to what promises to be a successful series.
May 25, 2012
This story was so much fun to read. Very entertaining and great unexpected twists.
I thought the mixture of characters and personalities was fun and brought some humorous dialogue.
With a unique twist to the usual stories including wizards, dragons and castles is all very magical and lead to some great visuals while reading along.
Even though I read mostly books for teens, when I was approached by the author to review the book I thought that the readers on my blog would be interested in this one as well. It has an adult main character, but the adventures and trials that he has to go through are very entertaining and it has a lot of action and adventure.
I thought the mixture of characters and personalities was fun and brought some humorous dialogue.
With a unique twist to the usual stories including wizards, dragons and castles is all very magical and lead to some great visuals while reading along.
Even though I read mostly books for teens, when I was approached by the author to review the book I thought that the readers on my blog would be interested in this one as well. It has an adult main character, but the adventures and trials that he has to go through are very entertaining and it has a lot of action and adventure.
December 18, 2015
The full review is now up at
From the first line, The Time Weaver grabbed me and hauled me inside a crazy world, on a wild ride! I have rarely felt so connected with the main character after just the first line, and I just had to turn the page, see what would happen next, and continue to be amazed. Thomas A. Knight wields his words with the same sure elegance Seth learns his magic.
The rest can be read on the blog above :)
From the first line, The Time Weaver grabbed me and hauled me inside a crazy world, on a wild ride! I have rarely felt so connected with the main character after just the first line, and I just had to turn the page, see what would happen next, and continue to be amazed. Thomas A. Knight wields his words with the same sure elegance Seth learns his magic.
The rest can be read on the blog above :)
January 11, 2013
Don't you just hate it when a story is so good, that when it ends, on a cliffhanger no less, you are just wildly disappointed? lol. Well, that's what happened here. A well written fantasy tale with just the right amount of action and (blush) romance. I will be waiting patiently to read the next book in the series. Well done Thomas, well done.
February 4, 2019
I loved this book. Right from the beginning, the reader is pulled into the mystery of Seth's life. A life he doesn't even know about yet.
I think I paid .50 cents. Now I need to find the 2nd book.
I think I paid .50 cents. Now I need to find the 2nd book.
November 11, 2011
On the morning of Seth Alkirk’s 30thbirthday, a book that his father left him and which was locked for 25 years mysteriously opens for him. He discovers that it is written in a language that he can’t understand and takes it to work in his lap-top bag for his friend and business partner Dave to have a look at.
At lunch that day there is a moment when a glass appears to fall to the floor in slow motion, before it breaks. That evening he is involved in an automobile accident in which time completely stops, allowing him to walk away from an accident that should have killed him. As he tries to absorb that, a rift opens and a beast emerges. Running through the silent, immobile city and trying to escape the beast, Seth is placed under a compulsion to face the beast down. Without knowing why he does so, he unleashes a powerful magic attack on the beast. Deterred momentarily but not stopped, the beast seizes him.
At this point I was hooked. The plot had me, and I put aside everything and did nothing but read until I had read the whole book.
It turns out that Seth is the son of the most powerful time-weaver in the history of the parallel world of Galadir. His inadvertent opening of the book and use of his powers has alerted both friends and enemies of his existence. Merek, the arch-magus, sends a warrior, Malia, to retrieve him. She rescues him from the beast (which is a demon-like thing called a Narshuk), and takes him back to Galadir through the rift that the beast had used. They must get to Findoor Castle, and have a long trip ahead of them. On their journey they meet a bard, Cedric and he eventually finds himself aiding them in exchange for their aid in getting him to Findoor, and vouching for him.
Unbeknownst to arch-magus Merek, his apprentice, Grian, has turned to evil. Upon hearing of Seth’s existence Grian steals a dangerous book. Catching him in the act of the theft, Merek exiles him to the Badlands. Unfortunately, that was where Grian wanted to be. The high council, of which his father is a member, goes to the Badlands to confront him. Grian murders the entire council including his own father in his effort to consolidate his power. Now the forces of evil are looking for Seth in the world of Galadir.
Even worse, in the world that Seth left behind General Mathers is looking for him also. The general has taken DNA left at the scene by Seth and Malia, and has used it to create a serum that can make a super-human. A mysterious man in black, Cy the Betrayer, murders the lab tech in charge of the experiments and uses the serum on himself. Now that he has used the serum he can return to Galadir, and he does so. It turns out that he is a vessel for the soul of Gladius, the leader of the forces of evil whom all had hoped was dead. This is where the action really begins happening.
This tale has some exciting twists and turns and just when you think it is going one way it goes in another. The characters are well drawn, and believable, and the worlds are vivid and colorful. Morganath, the Dragon is a wonderful character. There is romance and action, although there is a certain amount of rough language, and a great deal of graphic violence. For the most part these don’t detract from the tale.
Much in the way that Tad Williams does in The War of the Flowers, Thomas A Knight manages to create a neat meshing of urban fantasy and sword and sorcery. The ending is an exciting roller coaster of emotions, and I really enjoyed it right to the last word. Knight has left me hanging, and waiting for the next book!
At lunch that day there is a moment when a glass appears to fall to the floor in slow motion, before it breaks. That evening he is involved in an automobile accident in which time completely stops, allowing him to walk away from an accident that should have killed him. As he tries to absorb that, a rift opens and a beast emerges. Running through the silent, immobile city and trying to escape the beast, Seth is placed under a compulsion to face the beast down. Without knowing why he does so, he unleashes a powerful magic attack on the beast. Deterred momentarily but not stopped, the beast seizes him.
At this point I was hooked. The plot had me, and I put aside everything and did nothing but read until I had read the whole book.
It turns out that Seth is the son of the most powerful time-weaver in the history of the parallel world of Galadir. His inadvertent opening of the book and use of his powers has alerted both friends and enemies of his existence. Merek, the arch-magus, sends a warrior, Malia, to retrieve him. She rescues him from the beast (which is a demon-like thing called a Narshuk), and takes him back to Galadir through the rift that the beast had used. They must get to Findoor Castle, and have a long trip ahead of them. On their journey they meet a bard, Cedric and he eventually finds himself aiding them in exchange for their aid in getting him to Findoor, and vouching for him.
Unbeknownst to arch-magus Merek, his apprentice, Grian, has turned to evil. Upon hearing of Seth’s existence Grian steals a dangerous book. Catching him in the act of the theft, Merek exiles him to the Badlands. Unfortunately, that was where Grian wanted to be. The high council, of which his father is a member, goes to the Badlands to confront him. Grian murders the entire council including his own father in his effort to consolidate his power. Now the forces of evil are looking for Seth in the world of Galadir.
Even worse, in the world that Seth left behind General Mathers is looking for him also. The general has taken DNA left at the scene by Seth and Malia, and has used it to create a serum that can make a super-human. A mysterious man in black, Cy the Betrayer, murders the lab tech in charge of the experiments and uses the serum on himself. Now that he has used the serum he can return to Galadir, and he does so. It turns out that he is a vessel for the soul of Gladius, the leader of the forces of evil whom all had hoped was dead. This is where the action really begins happening.
This tale has some exciting twists and turns and just when you think it is going one way it goes in another. The characters are well drawn, and believable, and the worlds are vivid and colorful. Morganath, the Dragon is a wonderful character. There is romance and action, although there is a certain amount of rough language, and a great deal of graphic violence. For the most part these don’t detract from the tale.
Much in the way that Tad Williams does in The War of the Flowers, Thomas A Knight manages to create a neat meshing of urban fantasy and sword and sorcery. The ending is an exciting roller coaster of emotions, and I really enjoyed it right to the last word. Knight has left me hanging, and waiting for the next book!
September 15, 2012
I really enjoyed this fantasy novel. I thought the idea was interesting and unique. The beginning grabbed me immediately and sucked me in! I couldn’t put this novel down, despite the fact that I wasn’t really in the mood for fantasy at the time. The author created a spellbinding story that was descriptive and it grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.
When the story switches to the regular world and we meet Seth, I was a bit disappointed. I feel now that perhaps the author was much more comfortable with his world of Galadir than he was in the regular world. The dialogue was a little forced and didn’t flow very well in the beginning. Once the adventure began and Seth found himself in Galadir, all of the awkwardness I felt went away. The author was definitely at home in Galadir and showed in his writing.
A female soldier, Malia, is sent to grab Seth and take him to Galadir as it is his rightful home and he is the last Time Weaver. I absolutely loved her character. I think it was incredible to have a world that allowed a woman to be a soldier without a second glance. I say this because a lot of fantasy novels reflect older times in the world where women keep the homes or castles and if they do venture out onto the battlefield, they are constantly ridiculed. This didn’t appear to be an issue at all in the world of Galadir and I enjoyed this aspect.
The author’s writing was so superb that I found myself immersed in every sentence. Each time a character from Galadir spoke, I could hear their accents in my head and picture them so well. I cannot applaud the author enough for weaving such a well executed story that flowed so smoothly. I fell in love with the characters, like the Bard, the old wizard Merek, and Malia. Seth seemed to find his place in Galadir, too.
I found the plot to be unique and captivating. Seth has the ability to stop the flow of time and perform magic with just a thought. He doesn’t have any idea how to wield his powers and the adventure he finds himself on is a learning experience for him each step of the way. He seemed confident in himself, which I liked, while also being confused and shocked each time he learned to control a new power. It felt believable for me and made him more real to me.
With unforgettable characters, a unique and action packed plot, and descriptive writing, The Time Weaver is a wonderful fantasy novel. I’m looking forward to the sequel and reading other works by Thomas A. Knight. I haven’t felt so at home inside of the pages of a fantasy novel in a long time. I definitely recommend this book to others that enjoy fantasy. A lot of elements of it were some that I haven’t seen before and I found it to be extremely refreshing.
When the story switches to the regular world and we meet Seth, I was a bit disappointed. I feel now that perhaps the author was much more comfortable with his world of Galadir than he was in the regular world. The dialogue was a little forced and didn’t flow very well in the beginning. Once the adventure began and Seth found himself in Galadir, all of the awkwardness I felt went away. The author was definitely at home in Galadir and showed in his writing.
A female soldier, Malia, is sent to grab Seth and take him to Galadir as it is his rightful home and he is the last Time Weaver. I absolutely loved her character. I think it was incredible to have a world that allowed a woman to be a soldier without a second glance. I say this because a lot of fantasy novels reflect older times in the world where women keep the homes or castles and if they do venture out onto the battlefield, they are constantly ridiculed. This didn’t appear to be an issue at all in the world of Galadir and I enjoyed this aspect.
The author’s writing was so superb that I found myself immersed in every sentence. Each time a character from Galadir spoke, I could hear their accents in my head and picture them so well. I cannot applaud the author enough for weaving such a well executed story that flowed so smoothly. I fell in love with the characters, like the Bard, the old wizard Merek, and Malia. Seth seemed to find his place in Galadir, too.
I found the plot to be unique and captivating. Seth has the ability to stop the flow of time and perform magic with just a thought. He doesn’t have any idea how to wield his powers and the adventure he finds himself on is a learning experience for him each step of the way. He seemed confident in himself, which I liked, while also being confused and shocked each time he learned to control a new power. It felt believable for me and made him more real to me.
With unforgettable characters, a unique and action packed plot, and descriptive writing, The Time Weaver is a wonderful fantasy novel. I’m looking forward to the sequel and reading other works by Thomas A. Knight. I haven’t felt so at home inside of the pages of a fantasy novel in a long time. I definitely recommend this book to others that enjoy fantasy. A lot of elements of it were some that I haven’t seen before and I found it to be extremely refreshing.
September 24, 2012
On the morning of Seth’s birthday, he is finally able to open a book left by his father before his disappearance 25 years earlier. Seth brings the books with him to work to ask his friend’s help with deciphering the contents.
That night Seth is involved in a car accident. Instead of being killed, as he should have, Seth literally stops time. While reeling from the experience an aperture opens and a beast erupts which leads Seth to facing down and unleashing powers heretofore unknown to him. What we soon learn is Seth is the son of a powerful time-weaver from the world of Galadir and that his opening of the book coupled with the use his powers sets off a chain of events he couldn’t have dreamed.
Reading this story is like being on a roller-coaster careening up and down, left and right surprising the reader with the twists and turns the story takes. Thomas A. Knight’s, The Time Weaver is epic in every way. The world building is stunning and detailed, full of scary creatures, monumental landscapes and wonderful characters.
This a great read!! For fantasy/science fiction fans this is a no brainer and for those new to this genre The Time Weaver is great starting point. What’s not to love? There are monsters, wizards, magic, grand battles and so much more. Don’t miss this one, The Time Weaver is a terrific story.
That night Seth is involved in a car accident. Instead of being killed, as he should have, Seth literally stops time. While reeling from the experience an aperture opens and a beast erupts which leads Seth to facing down and unleashing powers heretofore unknown to him. What we soon learn is Seth is the son of a powerful time-weaver from the world of Galadir and that his opening of the book coupled with the use his powers sets off a chain of events he couldn’t have dreamed.
Reading this story is like being on a roller-coaster careening up and down, left and right surprising the reader with the twists and turns the story takes. Thomas A. Knight’s, The Time Weaver is epic in every way. The world building is stunning and detailed, full of scary creatures, monumental landscapes and wonderful characters.
This a great read!! For fantasy/science fiction fans this is a no brainer and for those new to this genre The Time Weaver is great starting point. What’s not to love? There are monsters, wizards, magic, grand battles and so much more. Don’t miss this one, The Time Weaver is a terrific story.
March 22, 2012
This is the second Sci-Fi book I really delved into. I found it about nine months ago and kept thinking about the buy button. Is this something that would really capture the attention and imagination or was it going to be another story of Hocus Pocus or retreading waters of "The Ring?" Well, sorry I waited so long to purchase this work.
It is brilliantly written with plenty of sub-plots for even those who are hard core sci-fi fans. Whether it be movies or books, how many of us try and plan ahead and assume which way the story is going so we can pat ourselves on the back for outfoxing the writers. Not the case with this work. Many times I made false assumptions where the story was headed and was pleasantly surprised right up to the end. Even the end (?) was a shocker.
One of the best parts of the book was how Mr. Knight weaved two completely different universes together; make believe and our own world. Nothing in this novel is over-done or dwelled on endlessly. The story is constantly moving forward with a breath-taking pace.
Mr. Knight is apparently working on a second book in the series. Yes, I will be getting the next one. He has definitely grabbed my attention.
Well done Mr. Knight.
June 13, 2013
Another hundred page burnout.
A failed beginners attempt at epic fantasy. All the right elements were there--obviously so--but the story is too wooden and predictable and the story telling is sophomoric. (I was tempted to list the apparent sources of many of the elements, but don't want to waste anymore time on this story. The reader will have no trouble picking them out.)
An interesting parallel worlds premise, but the author betrays complete ignorance about how the military and governments work. Given the emotional state of most of the principle characters, this story must be aimed at young readers. If I were a teen, I think I'd be insulted.
Don't waste your time.
A failed beginners attempt at epic fantasy. All the right elements were there--obviously so--but the story is too wooden and predictable and the story telling is sophomoric. (I was tempted to list the apparent sources of many of the elements, but don't want to waste anymore time on this story. The reader will have no trouble picking them out.)
An interesting parallel worlds premise, but the author betrays complete ignorance about how the military and governments work. Given the emotional state of most of the principle characters, this story must be aimed at young readers. If I were a teen, I think I'd be insulted.
Don't waste your time.
June 4, 2017
'Couldn't put it down' so to speak. Other that a break for food I just had to read finish it the day I started it. Was great fun in a genre that I don't normally wander in.
September 11, 2012
Kindle Version (free via author for honest review)
What do you do when your entire life and existence as you know it is all turned upside down? Seth learns quite quickly how little he really knows about his life, his past, and his family on one eventful day. He stares mystery and lots of questions in the face when he has a car accident in the city he is living in. During this accident he learns that things are not always what they seem and that sometimes it's better just to flow with it than fight it. He learns he has powers, special powers, that can be used to save a far off and world, one that only exists in the past and the past of his family. You see Seth is a Time Weaver, just like his father. Seth doesn't know much of his father, as he left when Seth was just a small child of only five years old, but he does know that he still possesses his father's old "storybook" that he used to read to him out of as a child. Seth is now thirty and finds that he can finally open this special "storybook" with just a swipe of his fingers over the clasp. Why is he now able to open the book? And what kind of foreign language is it written in that Seth is unable to read? Soon he is faced with powers that seem unreal and dreamlike and is found by an old world warrior and told he needs to go with her to help save the world she comes from. Full of confusion and disbelief, Seth has no choice but to help the female warrior when he discovers he can stop time and that monsters, that could only be from his imagination, are real and doing real damage to a world he only knows from stories told by his father and his own world he has lived in for his entire life that. Seth is the key to ridding the old world from the evil that is trying to take over. How can Seth save a world he never knew existed with magic he never knew he could wield? Can he be taught and wrap his mind around what is happening in time to save a world that he is coming to love the longer he is part of it? Can he find the link from his past that will tell him what to do and how to win the battle over evil and dark magic? He is more than willing to try if it means saving and helping the female warrior that came to his world and saved him and asked him for help. She is more than a magic wielding warrior in Seth's eyes. She is a beautiful woman who seems to be capturing his heart in the process of helping him discover who he truly is.
This book is otherworldly, and not just because it takes place between two different worlds/times. I was caught up in this book from the moment I started reading it. It was so full of action, adventure, magic, mystery, evil, and a twist of romance that I couldn't help but keep reading. The characters in this book are truly amazing as is the plot. I never once had a moment of wonder if I should or could continue reading! The action and wonder of this magical book just kept on flowing. I felt like I had a movie going on in my head as I continued reading and envisioning the vivid, wonderful story taking place. I read this book in only 2 short days and was left with my head reeling and wondering when the next book will come out by this terrific author in this magical series. The twist of the Time Weaver and the settings being two different worlds (old and new) just made the story that much more interesting for me. I found at some parts of the book I couldn't read fast enough to see what was going to happen next. Seth really handles his new found magic quite well, but the beautiful warrior helping him along the way may have something to do with that. This book had it all, magic, adventure, romance, dragons, and much much more! I very highly recommend this read for anyone looking to bring some spark into their reading day. I can't wait to read more of Thomas A. Knights books in this series as they come out! I just have to see what other adventures Seth gets taken on as he finds more of the "true" him deep inside.
5/5 Stars!!!
What do you do when your entire life and existence as you know it is all turned upside down? Seth learns quite quickly how little he really knows about his life, his past, and his family on one eventful day. He stares mystery and lots of questions in the face when he has a car accident in the city he is living in. During this accident he learns that things are not always what they seem and that sometimes it's better just to flow with it than fight it. He learns he has powers, special powers, that can be used to save a far off and world, one that only exists in the past and the past of his family. You see Seth is a Time Weaver, just like his father. Seth doesn't know much of his father, as he left when Seth was just a small child of only five years old, but he does know that he still possesses his father's old "storybook" that he used to read to him out of as a child. Seth is now thirty and finds that he can finally open this special "storybook" with just a swipe of his fingers over the clasp. Why is he now able to open the book? And what kind of foreign language is it written in that Seth is unable to read? Soon he is faced with powers that seem unreal and dreamlike and is found by an old world warrior and told he needs to go with her to help save the world she comes from. Full of confusion and disbelief, Seth has no choice but to help the female warrior when he discovers he can stop time and that monsters, that could only be from his imagination, are real and doing real damage to a world he only knows from stories told by his father and his own world he has lived in for his entire life that. Seth is the key to ridding the old world from the evil that is trying to take over. How can Seth save a world he never knew existed with magic he never knew he could wield? Can he be taught and wrap his mind around what is happening in time to save a world that he is coming to love the longer he is part of it? Can he find the link from his past that will tell him what to do and how to win the battle over evil and dark magic? He is more than willing to try if it means saving and helping the female warrior that came to his world and saved him and asked him for help. She is more than a magic wielding warrior in Seth's eyes. She is a beautiful woman who seems to be capturing his heart in the process of helping him discover who he truly is.
This book is otherworldly, and not just because it takes place between two different worlds/times. I was caught up in this book from the moment I started reading it. It was so full of action, adventure, magic, mystery, evil, and a twist of romance that I couldn't help but keep reading. The characters in this book are truly amazing as is the plot. I never once had a moment of wonder if I should or could continue reading! The action and wonder of this magical book just kept on flowing. I felt like I had a movie going on in my head as I continued reading and envisioning the vivid, wonderful story taking place. I read this book in only 2 short days and was left with my head reeling and wondering when the next book will come out by this terrific author in this magical series. The twist of the Time Weaver and the settings being two different worlds (old and new) just made the story that much more interesting for me. I found at some parts of the book I couldn't read fast enough to see what was going to happen next. Seth really handles his new found magic quite well, but the beautiful warrior helping him along the way may have something to do with that. This book had it all, magic, adventure, romance, dragons, and much much more! I very highly recommend this read for anyone looking to bring some spark into their reading day. I can't wait to read more of Thomas A. Knights books in this series as they come out! I just have to see what other adventures Seth gets taken on as he finds more of the "true" him deep inside.
5/5 Stars!!!
October 12, 2012
Originally posted at .
The Time Weaver starts with a small jump back to the main character's childhood, where his father, ominously and mysteriously, has to leave the family as "he" has found them. Then we jump to the main story. Seth is a software designer (Funny thing is, the author is also a software designer. If I were to write a book, I'd definitely make my main character a translator. Sorry, The Translator. Handsome, charismatic, charming and swashbucklingly awesome. It would also be in the genre of fantasy... Ok, moving on. *grin*)
After a bit of back-story and setting things up, it gets interesting. There's a car crash. Time stops. A huge ass werewolf thing rends space and time and claws its way to Seth, our main character. Who promptly proceeds to metaphorically shit his pants and run like hell. I would too, mind you. I may be swashbuckingly awesome, but mama didn't raise no dum-dum. Big ass werewolf thing = run. If you leave this blog learning nothing but one thing, let this be that one thing. Run away from big ass hairy things. Unless you're into that sort of thing. In which case, have fun! *wink*
From the car accident/space rend incident, the book takes off for me. It starts good. I enjoyed it a lot. And as you read on, it gets better. And better. There are times when I feared it would fall in clichés, but it doesn't. When I thought Seth would go one path, the normal fantasy drag-things-along path, BAM, fireball to the face. Seth felt out of place and confused and scared shitless, but when push came to shove, he got things done.
None of the usual stumbling along, never quite mastering your powers until the very last second, good guy doesn't kill a fly cause it would be wrong. Nope. Allow me to grab my light sword, which I materialized out of thin air, and skewer you like a kebab. I said good day. I. Said. Good. Day. !
There was self-doubt, and running away, and crying. But only to a manageable degree. If he'd been all "I know kung fu" and blasé about it, no chance I'd bought it. If I were attacked by a 12 foot beast thing and dragged to another world through a lightning emitting wormhole thingy, I'd be mildy nervous. So I can't judge others, fictitious characters or not. I bring this up because self-doubt in main characters usually annoys me. It didn't this time.
I liked two things the most. I feared the characters would be predictable. The old arch-magus. The smart-alecky bard. The fierce stubborn female warrior. I was pleasantly surprised. They were not formulaic at all, even if they did seem so at first. Not sure if it was actually the case, or if my preconceptions made me think of them that way. Regardless, I liked them all. I agreed with their choices pretty much at every turn. I was sad when some of them died. Happy when some of them didn't, or did. There was this one douche that had it coming, but didn't get it. But there's always book two! *happy*
The other thing I really liked was the story. It starts out normal, for a fantasy that is. And then it grows. And grows. And doesn't really stop until the end. Characters develop, the story unfolds, it expands, it breathes. I stayed up till 1am to finish reading it. Didn't play Skyrim (awesome game by the way). Didn't watch Doctor Who (awesome show if you haven't seen it for some reason). I found this book to be that good.
I'm really looking forward to book two. I hope the author gets a few of the kinks out. (There were some points in the book were I felt something was a bit off, but couldn't figure out what it was - didn't detract from the experience though). I hope it lives up to my expectations and the potential the story, and the author, have. And I hope I get to read it and review it. Great story, great characters, great read. Happy little reviewer here. :)
The Time Weaver starts with a small jump back to the main character's childhood, where his father, ominously and mysteriously, has to leave the family as "he" has found them. Then we jump to the main story. Seth is a software designer (Funny thing is, the author is also a software designer. If I were to write a book, I'd definitely make my main character a translator. Sorry, The Translator. Handsome, charismatic, charming and swashbucklingly awesome. It would also be in the genre of fantasy... Ok, moving on. *grin*)
After a bit of back-story and setting things up, it gets interesting. There's a car crash. Time stops. A huge ass werewolf thing rends space and time and claws its way to Seth, our main character. Who promptly proceeds to metaphorically shit his pants and run like hell. I would too, mind you. I may be swashbuckingly awesome, but mama didn't raise no dum-dum. Big ass werewolf thing = run. If you leave this blog learning nothing but one thing, let this be that one thing. Run away from big ass hairy things. Unless you're into that sort of thing. In which case, have fun! *wink*
From the car accident/space rend incident, the book takes off for me. It starts good. I enjoyed it a lot. And as you read on, it gets better. And better. There are times when I feared it would fall in clichés, but it doesn't. When I thought Seth would go one path, the normal fantasy drag-things-along path, BAM, fireball to the face. Seth felt out of place and confused and scared shitless, but when push came to shove, he got things done.
None of the usual stumbling along, never quite mastering your powers until the very last second, good guy doesn't kill a fly cause it would be wrong. Nope. Allow me to grab my light sword, which I materialized out of thin air, and skewer you like a kebab. I said good day. I. Said. Good. Day. !
There was self-doubt, and running away, and crying. But only to a manageable degree. If he'd been all "I know kung fu" and blasé about it, no chance I'd bought it. If I were attacked by a 12 foot beast thing and dragged to another world through a lightning emitting wormhole thingy, I'd be mildy nervous. So I can't judge others, fictitious characters or not. I bring this up because self-doubt in main characters usually annoys me. It didn't this time.
I liked two things the most. I feared the characters would be predictable. The old arch-magus. The smart-alecky bard. The fierce stubborn female warrior. I was pleasantly surprised. They were not formulaic at all, even if they did seem so at first. Not sure if it was actually the case, or if my preconceptions made me think of them that way. Regardless, I liked them all. I agreed with their choices pretty much at every turn. I was sad when some of them died. Happy when some of them didn't, or did. There was this one douche that had it coming, but didn't get it. But there's always book two! *happy*
The other thing I really liked was the story. It starts out normal, for a fantasy that is. And then it grows. And grows. And doesn't really stop until the end. Characters develop, the story unfolds, it expands, it breathes. I stayed up till 1am to finish reading it. Didn't play Skyrim (awesome game by the way). Didn't watch Doctor Who (awesome show if you haven't seen it for some reason). I found this book to be that good.
I'm really looking forward to book two. I hope the author gets a few of the kinks out. (There were some points in the book were I felt something was a bit off, but couldn't figure out what it was - didn't detract from the experience though). I hope it lives up to my expectations and the potential the story, and the author, have. And I hope I get to read it and review it. Great story, great characters, great read. Happy little reviewer here. :)
July 16, 2012
As a child Seth Alkirk was always very taken by his father’s stories of another world, of magic and epic battles. Twenty-five years later Seth has little left of that childhood except scant memories and his father’s old book, which he has never been able to open. He is a software developer with not much of a social life but his thirtieth birthday brings promise of perhaps something more, but on his way to meet friends after work, a car crash hurls Seth into the midst of the very things his father’s stories told of.
On Galadir, the scryers� discovery of a new Time Weaver promises a saviour, one that can heal the rifts created in their world long before, but those who serve the king are not the only ones to have made the discovery and the race between good and evil forces to claim the Time Weaver for themselves begins.
The king’s wizard, Merek, must retrieve the Time Weaver if he has any hope of saving Galadir from destruction. He dispatches Malia, a highly skilled Swordmage, to cross over to the other world and fetch the Time Weaver. Though the risks and consequences to herself are great, Malia accepts the task and steps through a rift, bringing the reality of another world and another possible future into Seth’s path.
My first impression of The Time Weaver was that the characters were all instantly likeable and so I was pulled immediately into the story and found myself rooting for them as the dangers grew. My second impression was that there is something incredibly unique about it. Nothing that happened was predictable or overly familiar, and nothing I had heard of the book before reading it prepared me for the scale of the story nor of the other world that is on offer in Galadir.
I think the strongest element of the writing here is the voice, which remains consistent throughout, and balances just the right amount of confidence, narrative knowledge and lighter tones to keep the reader interested and empathising with the characters. This leads into another great main strength � the protagonist; I felt he was a good rendition of a modern fantasy hero as he struggled to come to terms with his new life and his abilities having been completely removed from his comfort zone very early on.
Sometimes the traditional fantasy elements � dragons, magic, monsters and so forth � contrasted a little too sharply with the technological and scientific elements for my taste, but this did not detract from a story that was sound in its execution and is more of personal preference than any fault with the story.
The pace of the book is good and there is no lack of action at any point. If anything, occasionally the pace was perhaps too much and I felt pulled from a scene before I had time to fully digest what had happened or reflect upon it. There were a few times when I felt that having a moment to really appreciate the characters� dilemmas or the consequences of an action would have heightened the depth of the story. Nonetheless this is a thoroughly enjoyable read, a strong introduction to a tale that is in no way lacking in scope or possibility and certainly the start of an epic adventure.
Elloise Hopkins.
On Galadir, the scryers� discovery of a new Time Weaver promises a saviour, one that can heal the rifts created in their world long before, but those who serve the king are not the only ones to have made the discovery and the race between good and evil forces to claim the Time Weaver for themselves begins.
The king’s wizard, Merek, must retrieve the Time Weaver if he has any hope of saving Galadir from destruction. He dispatches Malia, a highly skilled Swordmage, to cross over to the other world and fetch the Time Weaver. Though the risks and consequences to herself are great, Malia accepts the task and steps through a rift, bringing the reality of another world and another possible future into Seth’s path.
My first impression of The Time Weaver was that the characters were all instantly likeable and so I was pulled immediately into the story and found myself rooting for them as the dangers grew. My second impression was that there is something incredibly unique about it. Nothing that happened was predictable or overly familiar, and nothing I had heard of the book before reading it prepared me for the scale of the story nor of the other world that is on offer in Galadir.
I think the strongest element of the writing here is the voice, which remains consistent throughout, and balances just the right amount of confidence, narrative knowledge and lighter tones to keep the reader interested and empathising with the characters. This leads into another great main strength � the protagonist; I felt he was a good rendition of a modern fantasy hero as he struggled to come to terms with his new life and his abilities having been completely removed from his comfort zone very early on.
Sometimes the traditional fantasy elements � dragons, magic, monsters and so forth � contrasted a little too sharply with the technological and scientific elements for my taste, but this did not detract from a story that was sound in its execution and is more of personal preference than any fault with the story.
The pace of the book is good and there is no lack of action at any point. If anything, occasionally the pace was perhaps too much and I felt pulled from a scene before I had time to fully digest what had happened or reflect upon it. There were a few times when I felt that having a moment to really appreciate the characters� dilemmas or the consequences of an action would have heightened the depth of the story. Nonetheless this is a thoroughly enjoyable read, a strong introduction to a tale that is in no way lacking in scope or possibility and certainly the start of an epic adventure.
Elloise Hopkins.
December 5, 2013
Thomas A. Knight's debut novel, The Time Weaver, has left me wanting to continue on with The Time Weaver Chronicles.
As a little boy, Seth Alkirk listened to his father's fantastic stories, but one night he overhears an argument between his parents, and then his father disappears. The story then jumps ahead to Seth's 30th birthday and his world takes on another dimension - in essence he comes into his own and becomes what he was born to be - a Time Weaver.
Seth discovers he is now able to open the mysterious book, the only thing he has left of his father's possessions, but when he finally does open it, it is filled with strange symbols and a language he is unable to decipher. He takes the book to a friend who might be able to discover its secrets. In the meantime, Seth is involved in a vehicle accident, and then he is attacked by a creature not from earth. He has no idea where he drew the power from, but he actually is able to temporarily strike the creature down; however, he is soon overcome by its brute strength. Enter a beautiful maiden warrior from another dimension - Malia Corsair.
Malia has been sent by the great wizard, Merek, from the land of Findoor, to retrieve the Time Weaver before the dark forces get to him. She barely manages to escape back to her land, having to drag an unconscious Seth, and fight off the police force trying to stop her from re-entering the portal between earth and her world.
Of course, she does not land right at Findoor, and must journey to get there. The evil forces are intent on getting to Seth, who at this point appears to be the last of the Time Weavers, and therefore of utmost importance to all sides. Along the way, Malia and Seth meet up with Cedric, a traveling Bard, who assists them to get to their destination, and also helps Seth to begin to handle this gift he seems to have been burdened with. Everyone keeps saying that Seth is the son of Krycin, the Time Weaver who once defeated Gladius, the dark lord.
The dark forces are on their heals, desperate to harness the powers of the Time Weaver. Cedric leads Seth and Malia to an old friend of his - a golden dragon upon which Seth's father used to ride. Together, they make haste to Findoor, hoping to get there before it falls into evil hands. Along the way, Seth becomes more aware of the immensity of his power, and when he reaches Findoor Castle, Merek assists him in the handling of his powers before the dark army arrives.
Not to give away anymore of the story, take the journey with Seth - you will not be disappointed. The twists and turns the story takes will leave you breathless and wanting to keep turning the pages. I cannot wait to read Legacy, book two of The Time Weaver Chronicles. This series is a must read for those who love to read fantasy.
As a little boy, Seth Alkirk listened to his father's fantastic stories, but one night he overhears an argument between his parents, and then his father disappears. The story then jumps ahead to Seth's 30th birthday and his world takes on another dimension - in essence he comes into his own and becomes what he was born to be - a Time Weaver.
Seth discovers he is now able to open the mysterious book, the only thing he has left of his father's possessions, but when he finally does open it, it is filled with strange symbols and a language he is unable to decipher. He takes the book to a friend who might be able to discover its secrets. In the meantime, Seth is involved in a vehicle accident, and then he is attacked by a creature not from earth. He has no idea where he drew the power from, but he actually is able to temporarily strike the creature down; however, he is soon overcome by its brute strength. Enter a beautiful maiden warrior from another dimension - Malia Corsair.
Malia has been sent by the great wizard, Merek, from the land of Findoor, to retrieve the Time Weaver before the dark forces get to him. She barely manages to escape back to her land, having to drag an unconscious Seth, and fight off the police force trying to stop her from re-entering the portal between earth and her world.
Of course, she does not land right at Findoor, and must journey to get there. The evil forces are intent on getting to Seth, who at this point appears to be the last of the Time Weavers, and therefore of utmost importance to all sides. Along the way, Malia and Seth meet up with Cedric, a traveling Bard, who assists them to get to their destination, and also helps Seth to begin to handle this gift he seems to have been burdened with. Everyone keeps saying that Seth is the son of Krycin, the Time Weaver who once defeated Gladius, the dark lord.
The dark forces are on their heals, desperate to harness the powers of the Time Weaver. Cedric leads Seth and Malia to an old friend of his - a golden dragon upon which Seth's father used to ride. Together, they make haste to Findoor, hoping to get there before it falls into evil hands. Along the way, Seth becomes more aware of the immensity of his power, and when he reaches Findoor Castle, Merek assists him in the handling of his powers before the dark army arrives.
Not to give away anymore of the story, take the journey with Seth - you will not be disappointed. The twists and turns the story takes will leave you breathless and wanting to keep turning the pages. I cannot wait to read Legacy, book two of The Time Weaver Chronicles. This series is a must read for those who love to read fantasy.
April 19, 2013
This was a fantasy book that appeared to follow the usual routes but with a bit of a twist, and it was done very well. It starts out with a battle approaching a castle, introducing a number of characters and the main evil one. It then jumps into our own reality with a software developer on his birthday. Time freezes when he gets into an accident, and then he gets transported to the world of Galadir, but thats not the end of the story in our reality. People witness the aftermath of a fight with a monster, some casting of magic and our MC disappearing through a huge rift in the fabric of space and time, the army and scientists become quite interested in this series of events and begin investigations. That particular aspect I really enjoyed along with something I have never come across before - an explanation of how magic could actually be performed in clear and feasible scientific commentary - I loved that, the blending of reality and fantasy and the possibility that magic could exist for real.
There are also soldiers, dragons, beasts, magic, violence, gods and all sorts in this novel to keep any fantasy fan entertained and happy. The side characters are quite interesting too and I particularly liked Cedric, although we dont find out a huge amount about him he's definitely one to watch in future books I think/hope. There are parts of the book which felt a bit unnecessary, such as parts where characters walked into rooms and closed doors, took off their boots etc, sometimes an entire paragraph of something a character did, which lead to nothing, but I didnt mind that so much - I think perhaps it was an attempt to bring more realism into the scene at points where perhaps in a film the camera would cut away.
My only fault would be that sometimes it felt like things weren't properly fleshed out, for example at one point seth needs to use some magic, tries and fails, one sentence later he manages perfectly fine, and it is written pretty much like that, so it pretty much detracts from the original attempt. However I still really enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the next one.
There are also soldiers, dragons, beasts, magic, violence, gods and all sorts in this novel to keep any fantasy fan entertained and happy. The side characters are quite interesting too and I particularly liked Cedric, although we dont find out a huge amount about him he's definitely one to watch in future books I think/hope. There are parts of the book which felt a bit unnecessary, such as parts where characters walked into rooms and closed doors, took off their boots etc, sometimes an entire paragraph of something a character did, which lead to nothing, but I didnt mind that so much - I think perhaps it was an attempt to bring more realism into the scene at points where perhaps in a film the camera would cut away.
My only fault would be that sometimes it felt like things weren't properly fleshed out, for example at one point seth needs to use some magic, tries and fails, one sentence later he manages perfectly fine, and it is written pretty much like that, so it pretty much detracts from the original attempt. However I still really enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the next one.
December 10, 2012
WOW! What an exciting, fast-paced fantasy.
What do you do when your entire world is turned upside down in the blink of a second? How does an everyday person, who is nothing special, cope with a new world, new powers, and a family history never before heard? This is a fantastic story of one such person, a very special person that is called a Time Weaver.
This book is very fast-paced. It is exciting. It is an imaginative story told in a way to allow enjoyment, fear, and love to flow throughout the book. I was not thrilled that the ending of this story leaves me wanting more!
This book is great reading. If the authors goal was to write a book that the average fantasy reader would greatly enjoy, he truly succeeded. And, if the authors goal was to write a book that would leave the reader wanting more, he succeeded.
I would recommend this to all fantasy readers who enjoy a fast-paced, exciting book. If you can't stand waiting for the next book in the series, wait until it is published before grabbing this one. However, I would grab this now, so when the next book is released, you are ready for it! I will be getting the next book when it is ready, myself. I will probably read this one again, just to be sure I am ready when that next book comes out.
Many thanks to the author for supporting Reglue. As he states, "$0.50 from every eBook sold is donated directly to Reglue (reglue.org), a charity that provides free computers to underprivileged children and families."
What do you do when your entire world is turned upside down in the blink of a second? How does an everyday person, who is nothing special, cope with a new world, new powers, and a family history never before heard? This is a fantastic story of one such person, a very special person that is called a Time Weaver.
This book is very fast-paced. It is exciting. It is an imaginative story told in a way to allow enjoyment, fear, and love to flow throughout the book. I was not thrilled that the ending of this story leaves me wanting more!
This book is great reading. If the authors goal was to write a book that the average fantasy reader would greatly enjoy, he truly succeeded. And, if the authors goal was to write a book that would leave the reader wanting more, he succeeded.
I would recommend this to all fantasy readers who enjoy a fast-paced, exciting book. If you can't stand waiting for the next book in the series, wait until it is published before grabbing this one. However, I would grab this now, so when the next book is released, you are ready for it! I will be getting the next book when it is ready, myself. I will probably read this one again, just to be sure I am ready when that next book comes out.
Many thanks to the author for supporting Reglue. As he states, "$0.50 from every eBook sold is donated directly to Reglue (reglue.org), a charity that provides free computers to underprivileged children and families."
February 25, 2013
This is the first book in a series. It is the story of Seth, who finds himself drawn into an epic battle in a parallel world when that world intrudes on his own. Your typical average Joe, Seth discovers things about himself and the father he hardly knew. He finds power (magical and personal), love and a dragon.
This is a well edited novel with a well-crafted world. The secondary characters are complex and potentially interesting in their own right. If I had to say what I would like to see improved on, I would say Seth. His conflict, confusion and terror at the strangeness and danger this run-of-the-mill guy is thrust into does not come through. His internal journey and battles with his own perceived past and the revelations should be as powerful as the battle scenes.
This is a well edited novel with a well-crafted world. The secondary characters are complex and potentially interesting in their own right. If I had to say what I would like to see improved on, I would say Seth. His conflict, confusion and terror at the strangeness and danger this run-of-the-mill guy is thrust into does not come through. His internal journey and battles with his own perceived past and the revelations should be as powerful as the battle scenes.
July 14, 2012
I really got into this book and finished it very quickly since I wanted to know what would happen next to the characters. The book is well-written and subplots dovetail nicely. The whole time I read, it was easy to visualize this book as a movie. I came to like the main characters and still have some unanswered questions, so I'm hoping there will be a sequel!
July 20, 2013
I won this book with good reads first reads so first off thanks. I really enjoyed this book, I don't tend to read too many fantasy book but this one pulls you in from the first page. Really good definitely going to read the next one.
April 22, 2013
It's fantastic,and I'm not just talking about the genre. Knight has created a brilliant complex world in which to base this amazing novel. Crack on, and get it read!
January 4, 2013
Enjoyed 98 % of this Just every now and then had to reread particularly when it suddenly swopped from one charachter to another. Still found it a good plot and curious to see what happens next
March 8, 2013
I got this book free through the first reads program.
There are a lot of things a sword and sorcery book can do to appeal to me. They can have interesting characters, world building, or an imaginative magic system. If this book had even one of these things, I probably could have ignored its other shortcomings and focused on something it did right. Unfortunately, this book has very little to offer but a by the numbers tale staring a rather shameless Marty Stu.
Our main character Seth Alkirk is not only one of the last time weavers in existence, he also just so happens to be able to wield all but one type of magic, befriends a dragon, faces little to no adversity from his enemies, and is also somehow a brilliant tactician. This type of "child of destiny" story is the main reason I stopped reading The Sword of Truth series after one and a half books. When you make it to where one character can do anything, you make the story boring. A few other characters help round out the cast, but their mostly there to tell Seth how awesome he is or, in the case of love interest Malia, to have a huge personality shift midway through the book and start making puppy dog eyes at him. Malia could have actually been an interesting character. As the only female swordmage in the kingdom, there was a lot of room to empower her and make some point about gender equality, etc. But instead she spends her time either getting injured (so Seth can come in and miraculously save her...twice) or pining over her love, who she has known for all of two weeks.
With gender equality off the table as far as theme goes, what message does this book offer up in its place? Well, the better part of the asides are dedicated to commenting on how great life is in the alternate world as opposed to the bustling city life Seth left behind. He comments several times about how clean the air is, how lush the trees are, and how there are no places like that on his world. This bothers me for two reasons. Either we are to believe that this is the author's belief, in which case I feel like I'm being preached to, or we have to assume Seth is just an idiot who has never been anywhere outside of his city. The whole of earth is not paved over and there are hundreds of places one might go to experience the same sensations Seth describes.
I feel this review is becoming overly long, so allow me to just rapid fire some of the more egregious problems I encountered. The military goes from discovering a new type of DNA to being able to make a serum from it and giving people magic powers IN 6 DAYS. One of the villains is introduced without any foreshadowing or acknowledgment of his existence a third of the way into the book. After an entire book of people loosing limbs, having holes fired in their chest, ribs break, and magical infections spreading through their bodies and yet being healed by magic, one character gets hit by lightning and ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT IS MADE TO SAVE HIM. The sequel bait plot is laughable and only seems to work because everyone other than the main character is completely incompetent. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I often base my feelings on one book in a series off how much I am looking forward to the next. Well, I have no interest in reading the next book in this series. This one was enough to get through.
There are a lot of things a sword and sorcery book can do to appeal to me. They can have interesting characters, world building, or an imaginative magic system. If this book had even one of these things, I probably could have ignored its other shortcomings and focused on something it did right. Unfortunately, this book has very little to offer but a by the numbers tale staring a rather shameless Marty Stu.
Our main character Seth Alkirk is not only one of the last time weavers in existence, he also just so happens to be able to wield all but one type of magic, befriends a dragon, faces little to no adversity from his enemies, and is also somehow a brilliant tactician. This type of "child of destiny" story is the main reason I stopped reading The Sword of Truth series after one and a half books. When you make it to where one character can do anything, you make the story boring. A few other characters help round out the cast, but their mostly there to tell Seth how awesome he is or, in the case of love interest Malia, to have a huge personality shift midway through the book and start making puppy dog eyes at him. Malia could have actually been an interesting character. As the only female swordmage in the kingdom, there was a lot of room to empower her and make some point about gender equality, etc. But instead she spends her time either getting injured (so Seth can come in and miraculously save her...twice) or pining over her love, who she has known for all of two weeks.
With gender equality off the table as far as theme goes, what message does this book offer up in its place? Well, the better part of the asides are dedicated to commenting on how great life is in the alternate world as opposed to the bustling city life Seth left behind. He comments several times about how clean the air is, how lush the trees are, and how there are no places like that on his world. This bothers me for two reasons. Either we are to believe that this is the author's belief, in which case I feel like I'm being preached to, or we have to assume Seth is just an idiot who has never been anywhere outside of his city. The whole of earth is not paved over and there are hundreds of places one might go to experience the same sensations Seth describes.
I feel this review is becoming overly long, so allow me to just rapid fire some of the more egregious problems I encountered. The military goes from discovering a new type of DNA to being able to make a serum from it and giving people magic powers IN 6 DAYS. One of the villains is introduced without any foreshadowing or acknowledgment of his existence a third of the way into the book. After an entire book of people loosing limbs, having holes fired in their chest, ribs break, and magical infections spreading through their bodies and yet being healed by magic, one character gets hit by lightning and ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT IS MADE TO SAVE HIM. The sequel bait plot is laughable and only seems to work because everyone other than the main character is completely incompetent. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I often base my feelings on one book in a series off how much I am looking forward to the next. Well, I have no interest in reading the next book in this series. This one was enough to get through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2016
If you are a fan of the multi-player, constant action epic with a high body count and a heavy sprinkling of magic, then The Time Weaver will be right up your street.
I found a pleasing number of novel elements in this story (along with quite a lot of old favourites) and some of the set pieces (like when Seth meets the Man in Black in a look-alike western saloon complete with swing doors) were nicely delivered. I’m not, however, a fan of lots of nasty wet stuff � crunching bones and gratuitous gore are not my chosen companions just before I go to sleep.
I am very impressed with the author’s ability to write a strong female character � I could relate easily to Malia. There were a couple of times when Seth’s weaker side grated � I like my heroes to be wall-to-wall courage and I could not relate to the relationship between Merek and King Verand � neither came off looking good from their encounters. Loved Morganath � like a composite of all my favourite dragons (and there are many), but especially Kilgharrah from the UK TV series Merlin and Cedric put me in mind of Paul Bettany’s Chaucer in a Knight’s Tale (not that I ever need an excuse to think of that movie, or that man).
The more I read them, the more I realise that I am not entirely happy reading books with large casts where pretty much everyone gets a crack at the mike. In formal, writerly speech, this means I do not like omniscient narrators. Maybe it’s symptomatic of the genre � epic fantasy is not my normal read, but this series was recommended by a good friend whose opinion I respect and I actually read the second book first. I’m glad I persevered with this story as I like the ideas and so many of the ideas and imagery resonate with my view on life.
I have already bought the third book and am really pleased to see Malia front and centre in the first chapter. It will be interesting to see how the tale progresses and concludes � no doubt with a bang.
I found a pleasing number of novel elements in this story (along with quite a lot of old favourites) and some of the set pieces (like when Seth meets the Man in Black in a look-alike western saloon complete with swing doors) were nicely delivered. I’m not, however, a fan of lots of nasty wet stuff � crunching bones and gratuitous gore are not my chosen companions just before I go to sleep.
I am very impressed with the author’s ability to write a strong female character � I could relate easily to Malia. There were a couple of times when Seth’s weaker side grated � I like my heroes to be wall-to-wall courage and I could not relate to the relationship between Merek and King Verand � neither came off looking good from their encounters. Loved Morganath � like a composite of all my favourite dragons (and there are many), but especially Kilgharrah from the UK TV series Merlin and Cedric put me in mind of Paul Bettany’s Chaucer in a Knight’s Tale (not that I ever need an excuse to think of that movie, or that man).
The more I read them, the more I realise that I am not entirely happy reading books with large casts where pretty much everyone gets a crack at the mike. In formal, writerly speech, this means I do not like omniscient narrators. Maybe it’s symptomatic of the genre � epic fantasy is not my normal read, but this series was recommended by a good friend whose opinion I respect and I actually read the second book first. I’m glad I persevered with this story as I like the ideas and so many of the ideas and imagery resonate with my view on life.
I have already bought the third book and am really pleased to see Malia front and centre in the first chapter. It will be interesting to see how the tale progresses and concludes � no doubt with a bang.
January 24, 2013
A DELIGHTFUL FANTASY (reviewed by Ia Uaro)
Trouble brews in Findoor, a parallel world to our normal land. Greed and revenge drive ambitious black magicians assisted by mythical beasts to conquer prosperous Findoor. To succeed, each of the feuding armies need on their side The Time Weaver's power to control time. Both race to kidnap Seth, your average computer geek from Iowa who is totally unsuspecting of his ability to decide a nation's future. As the last of The Time Weaver, will Seth have the freedom of choice?
This richly detailed fantasy is a delightful blend of the Dark Age's customs, sorcery, and contemporary sci-fi. Thomas Knight describes Seth's adventures where Seth unwittingly uncovers his own background and the action-packed wars in Findoor, while on earth the US Defence develops an ambitious serum using Seth's super-nonhuman DNA to advance the military. While it has unbelievable parts and gory butchering, The Time Weaver is sure to entertain mass of fantasy fans who appreciate vivid imagination.
Trouble brews in Findoor, a parallel world to our normal land. Greed and revenge drive ambitious black magicians assisted by mythical beasts to conquer prosperous Findoor. To succeed, each of the feuding armies need on their side The Time Weaver's power to control time. Both race to kidnap Seth, your average computer geek from Iowa who is totally unsuspecting of his ability to decide a nation's future. As the last of The Time Weaver, will Seth have the freedom of choice?
This richly detailed fantasy is a delightful blend of the Dark Age's customs, sorcery, and contemporary sci-fi. Thomas Knight describes Seth's adventures where Seth unwittingly uncovers his own background and the action-packed wars in Findoor, while on earth the US Defence develops an ambitious serum using Seth's super-nonhuman DNA to advance the military. While it has unbelievable parts and gory butchering, The Time Weaver is sure to entertain mass of fantasy fans who appreciate vivid imagination.
November 16, 2016
This book is great! The characters are well developed and I enjoyed their stories and adventures. I'm not huge on fight scenes, so some of those scenes are a bit long for me - but they're written well and the detail is phenomenal - enough to give you the picture, not enough that he is repeating himself or focusing too much on one fight.
I often find books to be a spin off of others, or a mix of others... that was not the case here! TAK uses the elements in a really unique manner. I was continually learning and enjoying each chapter!
I often find books to be a spin off of others, or a mix of others... that was not the case here! TAK uses the elements in a really unique manner. I was continually learning and enjoying each chapter!
goodreadingguide-com
November 9, 2014HS to review @
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December 21, 2012Kindle freebie, 12/21/12
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