After reading A Ripple in Time, I wrote this review but I didn’t think I would read another Zugg book. Then one of my readers commented under that review, challenged me by pointing out a grammatical error in my blog entry while I criticized Zugg for his, and told me there was a sequel. Well, I couldn’t leave a time travel book unread.
But, unfortunately, it’s not a time travel book.
Mason, the protagonist, makes it back to 1720 at the end of A Ripple in Time. In The Planters, he comes out on the other side and the story tells how he finds his way back to the plantation, reunites with Karen, Jeremy and Lisa, and how they make a living running a plantation in 1720.
The twist is Nathan, one of the antagonists in A Ripple in Time, who unexpectedly survived the pirate raid and comes back to the plantation. While the story illustrates life in 1720 in South Carolina, and while the four survivors are occasionally drawing on their knowledge of history to drive their actions, and while Mason uses his Glock automatic pistol once to save their lives against pirates, there is absolutely no time travel in this book. Therefore, it would have been more effective to just call it a historical novel, but as such, it would not have lived up to those of the greats like Bernard Cornwell, for instance.
There were no significant grammar error in The Planters, unlike there were in A Ripple in Time, or at least I didn’t notice them. Perhaps the author had more proofreading done. I applaud that.
The way the story ended left it open to another sequel, which I definitely will not take the time to read.
It’s me again. I got a third of the way through it but then it started getting boring so I gave up on it. I agree it’s not really a time travel book. Certainly nothing like along the lines of “the man who folded himself” etc.
BTW, if you like time travel novels then I would recommend The ’86 Fix by Keith Pearson or Replay by Ken Grimwood (both books have the “soul” of the main character travelling back and inhabiting younger versions of their bodies). Or the novels by Jason Ayres.
Hi Ian – I loved Replay and I gave it 4 stars. Also, I loved Into the Deep by Grimwood. Search Grimwood on my blog and see both reviews. Yes on The Planters – it goes not get any better as you continue to read. It just meanders on, and there is no good, refreshing twist like at the end of the first book to make it worthwhile. However, in keeping with my commitment to myself – I work hard at finishing books once I get past the 5% sample. Very seldom do I abandon, but I do sometimes. You can find those when you select the category “Books (not finished reading)” on my sidebar. Each has a story.
Thanks for the recommendations, Ayres and Pearson.