Time Spike

By: Eric Flint, Marilyn Kosmatka

Narrated by: Graham Winton

Length: 17 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Deadliest Predators of Three Separate Eons

Captain Andy Blacklock was overseeing the change of shifts at the state of Illinois' maximum-security prison when the world outside was suddenly ripped apart. They thought it was an earthquake until they found that the Mississippi River had disappeared, along with all signs of civilization. Then the sun came up - in the wrong direction. And a dinosaur came by and scratched its hide against the wall of the prison....

Something had thrown the prison back in time millions of years. And they were not alone. Other humans from periods centuries, even millennia, apart had also been dropped into the same time. Including a band of murderous conquistadores. But the prison had its own large population of murderers. They couldn't be turned loose, but what else could be done with them? 

Death walked outside the walls, human savagery was planning to break loose inside, and Stephens and the other men and women of the prison's staff were trapped in the middle.

©2008 Eric Flint & Marilyn Kosmatka (P)2019 Recorded Books

A Great Idea but a Terrible Book

I finished this book. It entertained me while I was painting the master bedroom. The Plot: A maximum security prison is sent back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. The whole prison with all the prisoners guards and staff. What you get: A sanitized, nerdy, and juvenilely rendered book more concerned about what Spielberg called Raptors then the interactions of hundreds of starving convicted felons and their over worked guards. My opinion: A couple more big carnivores like the ones on the book cover could have saved this book. Is this a young adult book? With the premise of the story one would think not. I still don't know but I am beginning to wonder about books where Eric Flint as an editor. Regardless, this book was just barely competent enough for me to not return. It did leave me shaking my head and feeling cheated. If this IS a Young Adult Book why is it for sale in the Grown-up section with no warning for whom it is intended? If it isn't, perhaps it could be edited a bit and re-published in that genre instead.

good story

some issues here or there with this but over good. I'm a big fan of eric flint and grantvill

Enjoyed it

For a few years I've been reading the Ring of Fire books; I really enjoy the concept and the stories that come with it. There were really only two things about this book. First, the dinosaurs didn't get enough face time; there was too much talking about seeing dinos running around and not enough seeing them run around. For example, their first closeup encounter with a dino was when one scratched itself against the prison wall, but the only reason I knew that was because the characters talked about it days after the fact; there needed to be more danger, more wonder, more presence involving the wildlife. The same goes for the Spanish; they just weren't present enough, except to establish that they were the bad guys in a side story. If Andy and Co. had had to fight a two front war against the convicts and the Spanish, the creativity needed to do so would’ve made the story way more interesting.

This story could not hold my interest.

The narration was ok but there were so many confusing story parts that it just could not hold my interest. I attacked the story of several occasions but found that I could not keep the story going. The other reviews gave me enough to try the book but the story just did not work for me. Returned.

very interesting

very interesting concept i hope this series continues one day! although the present day portions were less interesting I am very much Excited to one day maybe find out more about the future of this new world. (I also wonder if Eric had been inspired by the Turok)

Disappointing ending.

There numerous storylines to keep up with and they did not wrap up the last one, which was the scientists trying to figure out who caused the time spike etc..

could have been better

Interesting concept but comes off prejudiced and sometimes racist even though it tries not to be. it tends to really stereotype people

Great Listen

I enjoyed the story. good guys, bad guys and you aren't always sure who is who. looking forward to another story in this series. Science, history and Human nature, redemption, vengeance and Justice. this book has it all .

Excellent audiobook.

The book causes you to suspend your belief in facts. It is a time travel audio book after all. It is however a good listen with an excellent narrator.

fun book

I thought this book was highly entertaining. good concept, good story. it was fun to listen to. narration was good, characters were realistic for the situation. worthy of a credit.

Poor

A wonderful premise, but an ugly, messy, poorly-written book. What the hell was the point of the modern-day "Project" plotline, which went nowhere and did nothing? How are we supposed to root for the "good guys" when they've turned into hypocritical cold-blooded murderers halfway through the book? Why does every male/female pair fall in love with each other? How are we supposed to believe the stupidity of the people running the prison when they give an openly rebellious guard the keys to the entire prison and a solo patrol route? What's with Boomer's half-assed characterization and badly-attempted written dialect? How cheap is it that the "good guys" get to have their cake and eat it too when the bad guys take over the prison and kill almost all the potentially troublesome prisoners?