A Door into Time

An Alex Hawk Time Travel Adventure, Book 1

By: Shawn Inmon

Narrated by: Johnathan McClain

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Not all guys obsess over tiny details…but Army Special Forces do.

The wall just didn’t look right. Alex has been trying to cope. Life after his deployment had been rough. His ex-wife thought he needed to stop disappointing their daughter. She was right.

He would try harder.

With six hours before his little girl’s fourth birthday party, he saw the anomaly. One wall was too short. Plenty of time to tear out a panel and look behind it. He found a brick wall. His house wasn’t made of brick.

Behind that was another just like the first. He still had time. When the second wall came down, Alex stood and stared at the shining doorway. Next to it, held up by a knife, was a note. It was a warning - and he didn’t listen.

You’ll love being transported through time, to a future unlike anything we’ve imagined, where Alex’s fight to get back home becomes an epic struggle. This first book in the series will blow you away.

©2020 Shawn Inmon (P)2020 Podium Audio

maybe 8 year old boys would like this

I'm an avid fan of Shawn Inmon's Middle Falls time travel series and have loved just about every time travel book I've ever read ... or heard. I was completely disappointed about every aspect of this boring story.. and I feel awful about it. I kept hanging on but it never got better. of all the times and places Alex could go...and the author chose this?? He is due for his daughters birthday party but jumps through a gate knowing he could miss it??? That doesn't make the reader root FOR him; in, fact it angered me and left me feeling like he deserved whatever misfortune befell him. there were way too many gross details about flu symptoms, mutilating, hunting and killing animals, war and other revolting images that weren't necessary. Too much info about that and too little about characters and relationships. It was hard to follow the characters since every name sounded almost the same. there was so little character development I couldn't really follow who was when, and felt little connection to them so wasn't affected by their defeats or deaths. And whenever the main character is thinking the narrator whispers!!! did you forget this is an audiobook? people are listening in cars and while exercising. we don't want to have to stop and pull out the player to adjust volume.. and by the time we do we've missed it and have to rewind or...oh forget it. almost every minute I considered returning it but kept hanging on out of loyalty, but I never enjoyed any of it. I wish I'd heard the authors message at the end before I got this book. now his choices make sense, but his goal was completely unmet. it was just like an old story and had the same effect that reading and old fashioned adventure story would have on today's readers. I'm so sorry. I gave a 4 or 5 on all the Middle Falls books and know this is different from that, but it's the most bland time travel story I've ever heard, so I won't be getting the rest of this series unless he reconnects with his daughter (his ex had him pegged correctly) and travels somewhere interesting to do something meaningful, and maybe even surprising and entertaining

Where was his editor?

The narration is ok (god love him), the plot is ok, but characters names border on unpronounceable and all sound alike. What a ridiculous indulgence by the author. I say PASS - don’t waste your money or credits.

Run Through the Jungle

Whoa, thought it was a nightmare
Lord it was so true
They told me don't go walking slow
The devil's on the loose
BETTER RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE….

Thus begins CCR's classic Vietnam-era anthem, which might be the perfect soundtrack to accompany this first novel in the "ALEX HAWK" series, which, really, is more of a TRIBAL TALE than it is a TIME-TRAVEL TALE (although, it does make use of time travel). The vast majority of the book is set in a JUNGLE VILLAGE, and while it is a different jungle than we're used to and everything's SUPERSIZED, including the natives (sort of a jungle on steriods, if you will), still, the bulk of the story is about a JUNGLE TRIBE—so, without meaning to detract at all from the quality of the tale, it may be helpful to know that if you ARE expecting a great deal of focus to be on TIME TRAVEL (possibly because of the book's title and description—again, NOT accusing anyone, here, of misleading intentions), you will, INSTEAD, spend most all of your time in the JUNGLE.

The time-travel element promises to be MORE of a plot-focus as the series progresses, but I am only speculating. At present, "A Door Into Time" is about a CIVILIZED man having to adapt to a PRIMITIVE, tribal way of life and the challenges and benefits that accompany gaining acceptance into such a tribe (and perhaps also a bit of a lesson on the true meaning of these terms, PRIMITIVE and CIVILIZED). Both parties have something to gain, here, although it is not readily apparent at first how the tribe might benefit from allowing our hero entrance into their community. The same might be said of this series…[insert rim shot].

Overall, I DO recommend this audiobook for it's EXCITING plot, EXCELLENT narration, and VIVID world-building. The various character names, which all sound very similar to one another, can be a bit confusing at times, but this is more of a nitpick. This is very different book and style than I'm used to from this author, but it held my attention. Yet, it really is very different. Other than the time-travel and the fish-out-of-water aspect of its protagonists, little—if any—comparison can be made to Inmon's other series, "Middle Falls." (Perhaps Jeremy Robinson's "Alter" might be a better choice.) Indeed, this first entry of "Alex Hawk," with its extended battle sequences and lingering descriptions of military tactics, bears little resemblance to the world of Middle Falls. I am impressed, however, that Inmon pulled off this shift to action-oriented story-telling so effortlessly.

Worst book ever written

What a horrible book. Kept waiting for something to happen, but....it only gets worse

Sucks

1) this book has nothing to do with time travel.
2) incredibly predictable.
3) service to the plot means the main character makes decisions that are completely contrary to common sense.

Good Story, Character names confusing.

I enjoyed the story, well written and a good pace. Looking forward to the next book! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was I found the characters' names confusing. I couldn't tell if he was talking about his friend or his dog until I realized the context. I'll listen again, see if I can work it out.

a decent time travel yarn

I took a chance on this. I think mine will be the first review on audible. I liked it. Narrator was great and the tale was engaging. I will order the second one too.

Fun Story

looking forward to the listening to the continuation of this tale. It was an entertaining listen.

Super Story

Was not expecting this but it was great. I think I have mastered a new language reading it. As I read it I can tell that it has Shawn Inmon writing style that I like so much. The only downside is that now I have to wait for Book 2.

A real snoozefest

Alex is an idiot who cares only for his own personal enjoyment and his own prestige. I gave up about 50% of the way and Fast Forwarded to the end. It was like a teenage boy wrote a story for school where he went through a magic door to a better world where he got to be a mighty fighter, a hero and much loved leader who always won because of his superior skills of a couple years compared to those who have spent a lifetime doing the same things. White man meets Native Americans and shows them why he is better than them.

bailed after 5 chapters

sorry I very rarely write negative reviews but this was dire, narration was completely over egged and such a standard storyline ... couldn't go on after chapter 5

Mediocre at best, annoying at times.

I'm not a fan of negative reviews but this needs to be said: this is not a time travel book and it's quite monotonous. With the exception of the protagonist going through a Narnia like door in his basement (no spoiler there) he does nothing but exist in a different world 'in the future', it could as easily be an alternate reality. While he is missing from his real life and family in his normal time frame, I presume no one bothered to check his basement and discovered a magic portal,nor did they pay his bills, mow his lawn... or in any way do anything to find the guy who went missing. An easy solution to that problem would to have had the guy who went missing 40 years before be only slightly aged from when he entered this alternate reality.
But I digress. The real bugbear of all this is the ridiculous names of people and places. I only listened to this on Audible, thankfully I didn't have to read these names. But all the tribes people had incredibly pretentious names that ended in -AH or -AK or something. Listening to that was incredibly off-putting. Drogan-Ak said to Gunden-Ah, "travel to Steppen-Ah and see if the Torren-Ak have arrived" Jeeez.
The storyline was part "Avatar" (the film) part "Dances with Wolves" and part "the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". No conclusion at the end. Which was disappointing as all hell. If you like Alternate reality stuff, this may work for you. If you like TT stuff, maybe not so much.
One thing to mention, as I listened to this in my car while commuting - the bits where Alex said something, or thought to himself, that were narrated as if he was casually talking, were far too quiet. I couldn't hear them over the rumble of the road and the engine of my car. I'd often miss parts as it's not legal to handle your phone while driving and reverse it for 10 secs. They were only 5 or 10 secs long, but damn was it annoying for the sound to almost mute, while he mumbled to himself about something. Bit of a failure there.

Medicare

not what I expected. instead of being an adventure into the future and being in awe at all the tech it's more like a trip into the past with a long list tribe.

it's boring in places really boring.
story is ok just not great.

A surprising gem

Didn't know anything about this author or this series when Audible recommended it, so I was more than a little surprised when it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable books of them all! Really engaging, excellent story arc and a superb narrator. I highly recommend! 👍

An underrated masterpiece

add Adventure a touch of the lost world and a tiny splash of Sci-Fi and a little splice of combat and you have A Door into time

Horrible audio

Could not make it through more than 5 chapters. I don't know what they were thinking when recording this. The narration is loud and clear - except when the main character is thinking or talking to himself. Then it goes extremely quiet and mumbly. It was not possible for me to listen to this comfortably - turn it up enough to hear the quiet bits and the rest is uncomfortably loud, or listen at a healthy level and miss out on the inner dialogue. Even with noise cancelling headphones inside in a quiet house is impossible. I've listened to so many audio books and this is the only one I've had to stop because of the production.

Obviously I cannot comment on the story but didn't find it very captivating, and it doesn't seem to be about time travel. Reminded me more of Journey to the Centre of the Earth. But worse.

War story more than time travel or adventure

The story was ok but more focused on battles and fighting than I was expecting/looking for

Not a time traveling book

There's nothing in this book that focuses on time travel. It just happens to be a factor in the way the main character gets to another place. The story could have been told by having him go by boat to a primitive tribe and fight the "modern man's" attempts to invade them and their neighboring tribes.

Hooke from chapter 1

A great story superbly written and narrated with style..
Read in about 3 days...
I highly reccomend CAST UNDER AN ALIEN SUN...

Loved it!

I was hesitant after reading some negative reviews but had listened to some of shawns other books from his middle falls series which I enjoyed. This was an excellent read in my opinion, a different take on time travel from what I’ve read before with plenty of adventure and great story lines. The rest of the series is brilliant aswell, can’t wait for the next (hopefully not last) instalment. I also have to disagree with the comments about the narration, I thought Johnathan McClain did a great job. Easily recommended.