Book info

• Title TimeRiders: Gates of Rome
• Author Alex Scarrow
• Year 2012
• Genre Science Fiction

Project Exodus - a mission to transport 300 Americans from 2070 to 54AD to overthrow the Roman Empire - has gone catastrophically wrong. Half have arrived seventeen years earlier, during the reign of Caligula. Liam goes to investigate, but when Maddy and Sal attempt to flee a kill-squad sent to hunt down their field office, all of the TimeRiders become trapped in the Roman past. Armed with knowledge of the future, Caligula is now more powerful than ever. But with the office unmanned - and under threat - how will the TimeRiders make it back to 2001 and put history right?

Thoughts

The fifth installment in this time travelling adventure, and things are starting to become far less fun and much more serious. This outing also breaks the mould again - rather than Liam heading back to fix things whilst the others wait and watch, they all end up jumping about time all over the place.

Now it seems as though the secret is out and things are beginning to ramp up. Not just in terms of them as an agency, but within as well - Maddy finally decided to open up to her friends, which was quite refreshing!

What I have found now that the story is starting to twist and turn more and more, is that I have less patience for the action in the differing timeline. There’s a part of me that thinks, you know, this timeline is bound to be erased any minute now, why do I need to read extensive pages about some Romans fighting? It turns out those Romans are from Scarrow’s brother’s book which made me feel a bit guilty. I love a crossover handled well, and this was done expertly. Time travelling helps with that kind of thing.

Regardless, the above is not really a complaint but more of a back-handed compliment that the overriding story is so intriguing to me that I just want to get more of that. Who is this Waldstein and what the heck is going on?

Rating: 4 / 5