3 out of 4 stars
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Crossing in Time is a fiction novel set in Denver, Colorado that deftly mixes romance and apocalyptic sci-fi. D.L. Orton crafts an intricate and inventive story with a captivating writing style that makes it hard to put down. The book follows three narrators, all of whom succeed in having a unique voice and creating a suspenseful back and forth while Orton weaves between timelines. Although some authors struggle to keep readers engaged when jumping back and forth through different points of time, Orton succeeds in using subtle cues at the right moments to re-orient the reader. The three perspectives drive the story and give a much deserved sense of urgency.
Orton grabs the reader with a prologue that introduces one of the main characters, Isabel, as an industrious yet terrified geneticist attempting to deal with the fallout of a yet unknown disaster. Although the initial few chapters after this felt like the beginning to a cheesy romance novel, that prologue keeps the reader curious enough to wonder how the author will direct the story from the uncomfortable first encounter with Diego to the world practically ending. Luckily for us, Orton wastes no time in bringing on the disasters. While Isabel has the reader rooting for her from the get go, Diego eventually proves himself to be very likeable and relatable. Far from the ‘knight in shining armor’ archetype, he is a very normal guy in a severely abnormal situation.
Besides Isabel and Diego, our third narrator is the physics professor Matt, who does a hilarious job of detailing the main players tasked with attempting to prevent the impending doomsday. Matt’s character has a dark and sarcastic sense of humor that wonderfully balances the slight overdose of sappy romance between our other two stars. Matt and his compatriots keep the science just confusing enough to drive the story forward without losing the reader.
Some of the concepts behind the time travel seemed a little weak, despite there being so much potential to get really creative with the technological discoveries that were occurring. Some of the discoveries and new technology seemed to be developed so quickly that it disrupted the believability. Orton does mention the crowds present for some of the big breakthroughs, but since we only see the tech advances from Matt's point of view it occasionally ends up sounding like it's a small group of geniuses doing miraculous things in a really short period of time. I don’t think this detracted significantly from the story, but I was left wishing that the author gave us a bit more.
I’m pleased to give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I was surprised to find that this is actually the author's first novel. It is part of an ongoing series with book #2 currently available, which I will be adding it to my ‘to read’ list. I would have liked to see more done with the technology as noted above, and I feel the final chapters involving the lovers dragged on a bit with content that could have been cut. If there are any editorial errors present, I was so enthralled in the story that I didn’t notice them. Lots of wit and humor scattered throughout, some of the puns had me rolling my eyes and giggling at the same time. Orton is clearly no stranger to erotica, the sex scenes were tasteful but make the book unsuitable for youth. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger; Orton gives just enough to satisfy the reader that the book is over, but leaves you wondering what happens afterwards. This book would lend itself well to the big screen, given the mix of action, thriller, romance, and likable characters. There is a little bit for everyone, and it's a great book for anyone searching for a quick and exciting weekend escape.
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Crossing in Time
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