Unbelievable... and not in a good way

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone who has no interest in character development, a semi-believeable plot, or anything beyond a superficial story may enjoy it. The premise is interesting, but the execution is awful.

What was most disappointing about Eddie Upnick’s story?

The utter destruction of my suspension of disbelief was the most disappointing part of the story. I love science fiction, but it has to have at least an ounce of plausibility or else the reader (listener) is unable to remain immersed in the story. In addition to that, the characters were one-dimensional, boring, and not memorable. Major historical figures (FDR, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, even Adolf Hitler) were all caricatures that seemed to be created from superficial research of their personalities and histories.

What about David Doersch’s performance did you like?

His accents were pretty well done and his pace was good. I especially liked the voice he used for Einstein.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Time Will Tell?

The main scene that pushed me over the edge from at least still being amused by the train-wreck of a story to actually feeling like I wasted my time listening to the book is when Svetlana, the mother of the boy with cancer, "repays" the main character for helping her son. It was over the top and borderline offensive. I only continued pushing through because I paid for the book, but I wish I had just stopped then.

Any additional comments?

I wish I had something better to say about this book because I was excited by the introductory synopsis. The premise seemed interesting and had so much potential. There are some interesting ideas in the book, but there aren't many and they are lost in the sprint from one ridiculous scene to the next.

I take some blame for not noticing the last line of the synopsis when I chose to give this book a try, "After the war, the lives of everyone on Earth are threatened by powerful aliens with their own designs for our planet." I either didn't read it initially or forgot about it because when the aliens showed up, I literally yelled, "What?" It was an unpleasant surprise and just made the story even more ridiculous.

5 people found this helpful

A bit rushed

I listen to audiobooks almost constantly, as I am renovating a house, and the books entertain me while I work. What I look for in an audiobook, therefore, may differ from the norm, and it is VERY common for me to abandon an audiobook without finishing it, if it isn't holding my attention. I did not get very far in this audiobook, but for one primary reason that might make it perfect for someone else - it felt rushed.


The narrative flow just skipped off the surface of action to fast forward past the context needed to introduce you to the characters, build their personalities, and create the history that brings them to the actions the author wants to describe. In the first six minutes the author brings out the narrator and the protagonist, has the protagonist agree to tell his incredibly top secret, classified, life story to the narrator without much development of either character, or much development of a relationship between them that would make this decision to divulge secrets ring true, emotionallly, and then has the protagonist launch right into "so I'm a time traveler and in my timeline the Nazis controlled the world."


The details aren't skipped altogether, just described very succinctly and mostly with short, declarative sentences to advance the story to the meat of the plot. This didn't work for me, as I look for books that are immersive, where I feel like I'm getting to know the characters. It might be awesome for other people, who would prefer to get right into the heart of the action and can pick it right up with the author.


The audiobook narration is great - the narrator reads smoothly, makes the voices of each character distinct without being melodramatic about it, and is pleasant to listen to. 

Very good.

I really enjoyed listening to the story, I kept wondering what was going to happen next, the narrator was great.

A wild ride

This book was simply amazing. The topic was easy to grasp at the start making it easier to follow than some other audiobooks. After you get a feel for your surroundings the book would change. Like a non-stop superhero comic. It was like almost like listening to a child explain their crazy dreams. I loved it and will be listening to the rest of the series.

Fantastic Book!

Note, I got a free code for this book from the author.

Having said that, I truly enjoyed this book. The author does a splendid job of wrapping real life history into an alternate reality work of fiction. The narrator does a superb job with a variety of different voices. I truly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

Super weird but very entertaining.

The narration was phenomenal! This novel was a rollercoaster that just kept up a steady incline the whole way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The story of escape from a bad timeline

"I promised not to tell this story until ten years after his death."

That's pretty much the start, a fascinating old man has died at an assisted living facility, and the narrator is telling the story he was told, one that involves alternate timelines, time travel, Nazis, and WWII.

In the opening we find that the protagonist died as a happy old man. So we start knowing how it ends. Perhaps not much of a spoiler since it's the opening of the book.

In between, I found the MC and his story interesting and delightful. Highly recommended.

I wasn't expecting what I got

After reading the story description I walked into this expecting a fun alternate history about time travelling Nazi's. What I got was so much more. The story is full of little details, such as one about Mary Shelly and her husband.

Overall it was extremely fun to listen to and entertaining, so much so I would find myself stopping what I was doing to hear what was next.

I received a code for this book, but the review is all mine

History from another point of view

I find that I often enjoy a good time travel story. Although the basis for this story is time travel, this story is really about history (as we know it) as a small group of people work to change history as they remember it and create the one we remember. There's a mind bender for you.
This story was well written and well read. Kept you involved and engaged throughout. This is not about the science but about the people involved in living the story.

Will definitely be reading more of this series.

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Great action packed sci-fi thriller!

What made the experience of listening to Time Will Tell the most enjoyable?

The story and the narration.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Time Will Tell?

When Jeff had lunch with Hitler.

What about David Doersch’s performance did you like?

Excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both. It was a fast paced action packed thriller with many stories within the story.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to the next two books in the series, Future Tense and 2052.

1 person found this helpful