THEN…Timewalker Book 2 is Available on Amazon
Blurb:
Will Pandora and her World Alliance rule from Atlantis, under the sea… until the world above no longer breathes?
The much awaited sequel to the highly acclaimed dystopian fantasy novel, WHAM! is here.
“Zipping from the gorgeously enchanting to the darkly terrifying, THEN… is dystopian fantasy at its finest. And it’s even better than Book 1.”
–Stuart Kenyon, author of the SUBNORMAL series & SWIFTLY SHARPENS THE FANG
While the underground frantically works to mount a resistance against Pandora and the World Alliance, the potentate’s evil grows.
She stages withering chemical attacks wherever the underground may survive. She passes more laws to hamper their movements.
And new inventions to control their minds.
And as Nia grows heavy with the potentate’s child, her desperation to escape before the birth turns to panic.
Get ready for hours of entertainment, from the busy pens of Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps.
Get your copy!
Review: Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
Then… is a genre-mashing work of fiction for young adults, penned by co-authors Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps. In the second book in the Timewalker Series, the sequel to the weird and wonderful Wham!, we once again pick up the adventures of sisters Tess and Nia as the deadly threat of the World Alliance looms over their lives. Nia, captive and pregnant, knows that her body is a ticking time bomb that sets a limit on her escape. Meanwhile the underground movement works hard to build a resistance to Pandora and the World Alliance, and dystopian politics once again clash with the fairy world in order to do so.
Having recently read Wham!, I was easily swept back into this conceptually intriguing world where the fairy past and the distant future collide as good battles evil all over the world. I very much enjoyed the heightened level of threat as the problem becomes more global, reaching beyond just the personal lives of the central characters. The new threats developed by the WA are inventive and dangerous, presenting a powerful war story right in the middle of Tess’s and Nia’s own personal dramas. I felt that Nia really featured in this book as a star character, and her emotional journey was harrowing to follow. Authors Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps have done a great job of cementing the lore of their wacky world in this second novel, which overall makes Then…Timewalker Book 2 another excellent read for fans of fantasy, dystopia and powerful heroic narratives.
THEN…Timewalker Book 2 Paperback is Available on Amazon
THEN…Timewalker Book 2 Audio Book is also Available
REVIEWS:
5.0 out of 5 stars‘Fantastic Fantasy’
January 13, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Combing genres in a story, though common today, is challenging with many writers failing at the very premise.
Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps, in their Timewalker series, have again delivered a fascinating and fun story that carefully mixes pure fantasy with futuristic dystopian science fiction – something few writers would even attempt.
If you enjoyed ‘Wham,’ the first book in this series, you’ll certainly find enjoyment in ‘Then,’ book two. With the same cast of characters and similar themes, the authors have sketched yet another enchanting tale that will take you on a delightful fantasy journey.
The concept of ‘Timewalking,’ is nicely handled with the progression of simultaneous stories, Tess, the main character from Wham in the Fairy past, and Nia, her sister, in the distant future, still the captive companion of the manipulative and divisive Potentate, Pandora.
The story moves quickly, which demonstrates, in my opinion, intentional respect for the reader, and there is enough character development to generate engagement and plenty of sentimentality to create empathy – the most important feature in all storytelling.
In addition, the goals of the main characters (No spoilers here) are established early, as are the obstacles. For me, someone who gauges a book on: Level of engagement, pace of the read, clearly established goals and obstacles for the hero or heroine, level of conflict and whether I felt empathy for the characters, I found Then by Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps to be a thoroughly satisfying read.
What I liked most:
The Hero’s journey:
Though cliché, I’m someone who needs a clear through-line, and a well-developed hero or heroine on a clearly defined journey to remain engaged.
Tess’ voyage is established early, as is Nia’s, and one can easily empathize with their plight when viewing the formidable obstacles they must face.
Story ensemble:
This is an ensemble piece with three, often four, different, intertwined storylines moving simultaneously. I like the complexity of this design and applaud authors who can pull it off without confusing the reader.
I had no difficulty following the varying paths laid out by the Phipps team.
World building:
For this type of story, world-building is an essential component. I’ve often felt the measure of the world-building to be as follows: Would the story be interesting if you subtracted the main characters?
e.g.
Would the JK Rowling books be intriguing without Harry Potter? Would George Lucas’ Star Wars be interesting without Luke Skywalker? And my answer would be a strong resounding yes to both.
Similarly, both the fantasy and futuristic worlds painted by the authors of Wham and Then have been done so with creativity and precision.
Take Nia and Tess out of this story and you would still have a wonderfully imaginative, captivating world.
Criticisms:
I have one, and nothing that would lessen my 5-Star rating or a high recommendation.
The authors included many characters in this piece. This can challenge the reader. I did, at times, find myself reading back to reacquaint myself with a specific character and their significance to the story.
Faster readers, and readers who aren’t typically reading two or three books and an assortment of screenplays simultaneously, while writing would probably not experience this difficulty.
Summary and Recommendation:
Then, Timewalker Book 2, is a creative Fantasy / Adventure with heart, realistic dialogue and a nice dose of sentimentality that is well-written and engaging.
I give Then, the second instalment in the Timewalker series by Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps, 5-Stars and my highest recommendation.
Review by TE Mark – Writer / Screenwriter
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5.0 out of 5 starsTHE EPIC FANTASY SAGA Continues
January 4, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
If you Loved “WHAM!” you will be swept away and into “THEN”, part 2 in the Timewalker Series by Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps. “THEN” is a gem of book. The epic story continues with artful weaving of time, history, language, and psychology of the characters. The predominant theme is the hero’s journey in a sci-fi Dystopian reality that connects characters and the plot through different times of the past, present and future. This interlacing of time is done brilliantly and with concise clarity. In this journey, there is loss, magic, mystery, conflict, awakenings and reunion as well as serious sheer adventure that stems right from the extraordinarily unique imagination of the authors. There is a classic and timeless quality to “THEN” that reminds me of varied authors like Chaucer, Tolkien, and Edmund Spenser’s epic book, “The Faerie Queene”. Within the textural and sensual depths of the beautiful imagery and remarkable creativity in “THEN”, it is quite apparent that the allegories from this extraordinary Sci-Fi Dystopian Fantasy are evident in our world today as archetypes and stereotypes in our reality. It takes a highly crafted and thoughtful author to be able to hold the story to its genre of fantasy while allowing the reader to see parables that are current to today. The Hero’s Journey in “THEN” is a journey of the soul of finding inner truths against the background of super-natural reality wedded with obstacles and deception as well as innocence and magic. The authors have done a brilliant job! I highly recommend this book to both young adults and adults.
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5.0 out of 5 starsRiveting story & series!
January 3, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Then… (Timewalker #2) is absolutely as riveting as Wham! (Timewalker #1)! A dystopian Earth that is dominated by Pandora & her evil World Alliance. Pandora uses horrific tools to control the world that eerily seem like they could soon come true in our own world. It will take all of Earth’s creatures from Elves to Trolls to humans to help Tess & her sister Nia fend off the evil & sadistic Potentate and save the Earth & it’s inhabitants. How can I possibly wait for the next book in this series? Congrats to the authors on a splendid series!
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5.0 out of 5 starsPowerful and Mesmerizing
January 4, 2019
It’s here- the long-awaited sequel and second book in the Timewalker series by writing dynamos Carol Marrs Phipps and Tom Phipps. Look at the gorgeous and compelling cover of this book. (I would have named the book “Wow!”) And “Wow!” is also what I said after I finished reading the book.
The idea of “Timewalkers” is a good way to understand this YA Dystopian book. In this story, we are connected to fairy-type beings from the past, hundreds of years before the main events of this book, which takes place in the near-future. And in a particularly wonderful twist, the main characters visit a town 100 years in the past. So, you can see that the authors have created a large and marvelous canvas for this story.
My favorite characters from the first book in the series are back in Book 2. LongBark is a female everwaking oak who is the oldest, wisest and most magically potent begin on earth, even more than the head of the fairies, Meri Greenwood. Maxi is a troll barber and friend of Tess’s father, the fairy Kellen Greenwood. The main heroine is Tess Greenwood, who is half fairy and half human. Morrigan, the skinwalker is part of the story, along with her other form, Bart the crow.
The evil potentate Pandora and her World Alliance are back, concocting even more evil and ingenious plans to destroy the world, as she waits for the birth of Nia’s baby. The science of their exploits and plots is fascinating. Just as Tess and her loyal band work even harder to persevere against the World Alliance and also try to save Nia, so does the Potentate become increasingly more aggressive and abusive. The book ends in a flurry of adventure that promises an even more exciting Book 3.
And yet amidst the evil, is a more thoughtful and loving Pandora revealed in this book? The character development is another reason that this book and series are mesmerizing.
There are so many amazing creatures to get to know in this book- it is also entertaining to read the detailed “General Dramatic Personae” that is included. I hope you have read Wham, the first book in the series so you can dive into Then.
Highly recommend.
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January 24, 2019
Carol Marrs Phipps & Tom Phipps have done it again with this fantastic dystopian fantasy read! ‘THEN’ is the second installment of the Timewalker series and I absolutely loved it. (I loved ‘Wham’ too.) Pandora and the World Alliance wreak havoc, as sisters, Tess & Nia (and many others) do everything they can to save the world from their evil agenda. If you like Sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian stories, you’ll love this excellently-written read. Well done!
5.0 out of 5 starsDystopian fantasy at its finest
4 January 2019
Verified Purchase
I always look forward to books by the Phippses. So when the author generously offered me an advanced reader copy of their new book, I jumped at the chance! Of course, I’d be happy to wait in line like everyone else, such is the esteem in which I hold Carol and Tom’s work.
THEN… picks up where its predecessor, WHAM!, left off. The genie is out of the lamp now, and revolution is brewing, but not if diabolical dictator Pandora has her way. From her hidden sanctuary, she continues to oppress her people. Spying on them, gassing them and dealing with dissidents harshly, her hunger for power knows no bounds. Those that stand against her – a ragtag collection of humans, trolls and fairies from the past and present – must fight almost impossible odds.
Underdogs fighting back against tyranny is by no means a novel idea, but the TIMEWALKERS stories are brilliant enough to outshine the crowd. The plot moves rapidly, twisting and turning, flitting from character’s one point of view to the next at breakneck speed. Action is frequent; dialogue is charming one moment, disturbing the next; the various locales are beautifully depicted. We’re transported from wondrous Lewis Carroll-esque utopias to ugly, ravaged places, from undersea paradises to places which almost look like our own world. If you read for escapism, if you love to be immersed in a fantastical universe with magical characters and compelling plots, you should read WHAM! and THEN… immediately. I also heartily recommend the writers’ HEART OF THE STAFF series, which has been recently revamped.
Zipping from the gorgeously enchanting to the darkly terrifying, THEN… is dystopian fantasy at its finest. It’s even better than Book 1, too, and I wish I could award it more than 5 stars!
