Timeriders the Infinity Cage Book 9

(This review has ****spoilers*****) Initially I loved this series. I waited for a long time for Amazon to put them all on Kindle and when they didn’t I ordered the rest of the set and started reading. The struggling started with the “Gates of Rome” but I loved “City of Shadows”. To me, “Pirate King” wasn’t even needed in the series and I think, at that point, I started losing some of my love of the series. About the middle of “The Myan Prophecy” I started getting a feeling of where the series was going to end and I was disappointed to be correct in my assumptions. By the time I got to “Infinity Cage” I could no longer ‘suspend my disbelief’ and I just struggled through to find out what would happened to those beloved characters. Did anyone else feel like the end of the series was very preachy? Did anyone else feel cheated about the fate of Sal, Maddy, Liam, Becks, Bob, and Rashim? What happened to Sponge Bubba? What happened to a lot of things? That’s what happens when you can no longer suspend disbelief; you start seeing the holes in the story, you start finding things that don’t make sense. ******spoiler alert********** Aliens and Jesus: Really? And the biggest question of all is: If Liam was essentially cloned from the DNA of Waldstein’s son and we know he was implanted with certain impressions of a life, how did Liam know so much about the preaching’s of Jesus and the content of the Bible? And his concern about the contamination of scriptures through the ages was just silly. Did Liam not realize that no matter how accurately he recorded the words of Jesus that his words would most likely be just as contaminated by the year 2070 as they were in the current timeline? Apparently not in Alex Scarrow’s world. And to have the fate of the whole human race determined by aliens was just disappointing! I could have probably accepted the aliens had he not thrown in Jesus. But, to me having our fate decided by aliens and wanting us, on the other hand, to accept the teaching of Jesus on love and peace were like trying to mix vinegar and oil. It only works for a few seconds, then you have to shake it again. I already miss Liam, Maddy and Sal !!!!!

The Time Riders series (nine books) has ended with this last one, The Infinity Cage. Time Riders is easily the best time travel fiction I have ever read, and I am so sorry to see it end. The deaths of characters we came to know and love as the books continued were hard to read; the author showed us he was not averse to plot twists we never expected. Similarly, the plot of each separate book had its own satisfying ending, and the plots followed each other naturally and in context with the greater story. Alex Scarrow is a genius similar to (dare I say it?) Stephan King, whose character development and plot twists never fail o entertain and amaze. I am so sorry this 9-book adventure is over. The ending was satisfying and logical, but I am still sad - no more Time Riders books to anticipate. But thanks for the memories, Alex!

So sorry this is the last book. The whole series was great, but I'm partial because I love time travel. Each book just grabbed me and kept me turning the pages faster and faster. This was absolute genius of Alex Scarrow to put this together with all the different story lines for each book. I loved each one!

Book came in the time expected ! I'm really excited to read it but I have to finish pirate kings and Mayan prophecy first :) I was a little dissappointed when there were a few bends in pages and cover and a few scratches but oh well I can read it and that's all that matters !

I haven't read it yet but looking forward to this last addition of the TimeRiders. Book just arrived and was way earlier than expected delivery date (Aug 11 or so) so that was a BIG plus. New and spotless like stated so I'm loving it. Can't wait to actually read it!

LOVE THIS BOOK. I've been following the series since the start. Great ending for a great series of books

Great series!

wowhope he releases a short story that gives us more about the other planets that had time travel!

Liam, Maddy and Sal are taken from their respective time periods to 2001, a man known as Foster had recruited them as Time Riders, their were to protect any time fluctuations created by anyone trying to change history, Two clones Bob and Becks assisted them and later they were joined by Rashid and Adam, during their travels they had discovered they themselves were clones, they decided to travel to 1890 and set up home their, they now decided they would change the past to make a better furtureOn their last trip they had found a time machine in the jungle, clues found said there was another machine hidden in history, maybe this would give them some answers, Maddie, Rashim and Becks went to find Waldstein the inventor of time travel, Liam and Bob Head for when they could find the other machine Jerusalem in the time of Christ, Liam see's Jesus preaching to the people and finds the machine under the templeMaddie and Becks find Walstein their creator, they have many questions to ask, in the conclusion of this book some big choices have to be made as everything becomes slowly clear

This final novel in the Timeriders series is a little disappointing in terms of maintaining an exhilarating narrative that the previous 8 books delivered. Having said that, the purpose of this final instalment was to drill a definitive message on the state of our world in ecology, religion and the nature of humanity. It does so with an aggressively preaching approach and very much directed at the the fresher minded youthful generation. In fact, at the end of the book after the end of the story, the author Alex Scarrow, writes a special message to readers inviting ...no, strike that...instructing us to offer our opinions...coaxing a certain train of thought. I noticed that Alex has been touring around schools and I thought nice tactical idea to market his books but having finished the book, I realise there is more to his touring the schools than that. I realise he is spreading the messages of the books to encourage young people to think of the world's future and what religions are about...its a commendable mission. Although I ahve to say he may be brainwashing his readers and schools that he has visited! But you know what, if I had to be brainwashed then I rather be brainwashed by Alex Scarrow! Well in all honesty I am too old to be brainwashed, I already have my own opinions which I admit are not so extreme as the authors.So know this, the author is very aggressive with his opinion on world religion and ecology in this final novel. Its very blatant and hardly subtle so keep it in mind.Sorry, let me get back to the book itself. Its always a joy to be alongside our familiar protagonists and the author maximises the poignancies of their epic experiences and developing maturity and relationship. Unlike many other YA series fiction, the author does not dwell on romantic slush and in fact makes realistic choices for each of our protagonist's directions. The author keeps it real with our protagonists journeys and destinies as well as emphasising love, friendship, trust and loyalty.Its all very very subdued, though. There is a somewhat lack of dynamic to the journey's conclusion. Its one long journey of contemplation and reflection. Although there is a fair amount of tension in the air, there are is no sense of adventure here as in the previous books just a few dotted around but nothing on a significant scale. Perhaps its inevitable and deliberate but I cant help feeling it could have been injected with something more in the narrative. Nevertheless, there are several moments of brilliance, some especially taking advantage of one of the major settings...ie 2000 years in Jerusalim. Perhaps the most significant setting in the whole series to advance the authors ultimate delivery of the story's morals and message. It is quite ingenious in fact. Very very clever, I loved that...as well as a little worried where the author was taking this regards to a particular historical figure of the time.What really satisfies me is that all the secrets are revealed, no stone was left unturned. However, it feels to me that the author was so impatient to deliver these revelations and moral messages that he did not bother to give this last instalment a more visceral finale and a dynamic reveal to all these secrets. Instead, all revelations are done in conversations. In fact the whole novel is mainly filled with conversations on basic philosophy, religion and thankfully some much needed humour. That's no bad thing by any means just be prepared for a lot of talk in this one. When I think of other popular series, I realise there is a similar pattern with how final books conclude. Ie a long desolate journey of contemplation.The concept all through the narrative is powerful and in fact deliberately depressing. The revelations are suitably satisfying for the series. They dont quite knock me for six but it pleases me that the revelations serve a purpose in moral and a means to have younger readers thinking and perhaps encourage them to make a difference in the world's troublesome direction and for that I absolutely commend and recommend this series to be enjoyed by everyone.As I have only just finished the book a few hours ago, time will tell how much this series will leave a mark on me but I have been a fan, owning all the collector's editions. This final instalment, despite all of my criticisms, justfies my collection. Its a satisfyingly thought provoking and moral conclusion to a wonderfully exciting and heart pounding scifi series. I highly enjoyed the journey.For the whole series, this gets a 9.5/10 from me.For this book 9 final instalment, I'll give it 7.5/10

Great ending to a wonderful series and really sad that there will be no further titles. If you are reading this then you have probably thoroughly enjoyed the series and there’s no real need to sell it. One of the key messages that Alex is trying to drive home with this series is the need for humanity to think about the future and act now to make it a better place. I completely agree, there are too many that live in the here and now and don’t care about the future as it will not impact their own lives.Information: Spoilers belowIf I read the below will it ruin the series?Bob: AffirmativeBecks: Do not read until after you have read the series!Sal: jahullaLiam: you’re such a meat sack, so you are.Maddy: well, that’s frickin great!Computer Bob: ;-pI’m really torn up about a major continuity error that I’m surprised has ended up in print given how meticulous and well planned out Alex Scarrow has been with the entire series.Here it is...So the caretakers have set up a pocket universe which humanity lives in, with the last two thousand years being played over and over as ultimately humanity repeatedly fails as they just can’t seem to “grow up”. If humanity can “grow up” then they will be allowed to leave the “pocket universe” and join the “greater universe”. However, In setting up this “time period” (from the birth of Christianity to the extinction level event) the caretakers have a “field” in place that allows the reset to happen after each failed attempt. This field is manipulated by Roald Waldstein via his time displacement machine and therefore enables time travel.Now here’s the thing...if this “field” is only in place for 2000 years, then how come they were able to travel back to the time of the dinosaurs? Surely they can only travel via the field, I.e. 2000 years?!!Liam: errr Bob, how come you didn’t think of this? He’s right, so he is.Bob: Affirmative, error 404.Computer Bob: :-0Next 10 books in the series...”Caretakers”All eyes in the greater universe are on humanity for the 2000 years where there are no resets, no second chances, this is it! As the caretakers watch humanity finally grow up so does Alex and he writes the series targeting the adult market. Let’s have a series that includes all of the many aspects that make humanity what it is...love, hate, war, peace, anger, compassion, free will, subjugation, mortality, immortality, kindness, cruelty, understanding, ignorance, genius, stupidity, sympathy, mercy, leniency, tolerance, loyalty, betrayal, good, bad, pity, jealousy, benevolence, tyranny, charity, greed, aspiration, indifference, ambition, capitalism.You get the pointAre the caretakers actually out for the success of the human race or is there a much more sinister plot, after all they already did replace the previous caretakers! How, why, when, in what manner? Who were the previous caretakers? Why did they need to be replaced?Who watches the caretakers?Can the caretakers actually just watch humanity or do they feel the need to manipulate events?There is so much that can be done with the ending to this series, and could be the beginning of an even bigger plot and really home in on what makes Homo sapiens such a great species!

I know, I know, YA fantasy/SF shouldn't be read and enjoyed by someone of my age. But I have been reading this stuff on-and-off since I was eight or nine years old (John Christoper, John Wyndham, Robert Heinlein, etc.) so when something catches my eye, I give it a go. And Scarrow knows his stuff - great plotting, timelines that weave backwards and forwards, characters who grow, mysteries that are set up and payoffs that are delayed. Through nine volumes he has kept up a consistently tautly plotted story which reaches its satisfying conclusion in this book.

Ok, having been a great fan of Alex Scarrows "adult" books I read the first Time riders at a time when I couldn't find anything new to download. I read the reviews for time riders and a lot of people didn't think these books were only suitable for younger readers so I took a chance and glad I did. This has been a gripping 9 book series with some great characters, plots and settings. In times the plot strays a little into more juvenile areas but overall a wonderful read for adults and younger readers. Highly recommended.