Wanna go back in time to hang out with Jesus?

STORY (time travel) - Okay. So there's two guys who are best friends. They're quantum physicists and have created a time-travel machine. One believes in God (David) and one doesn't (Tom). In a nutshell, they go back in time so that David can prove to Tom that God exists. The proof will be simply that Jesus either does or does not rise again after being crucified on the cross. The story goes back and forth between present day and BC, with probably more time spent BC.

Some reviewers have criticized the book as being overly religious, but I disagree. (I'm not particularly religious and I don't care for Christian books, so that is where I'm coming from when I say this.) That being said, religion is definitely a component to the story that you will have to be able to accept. David and Tom will meet Biblical characters and witness Biblical events, but I found it interesting to hear how they managed to exist in that time period and I enjoyed their bickering and present-day viewpoints. And there's a lot more going on, too. There is the sci-fi element of the time travel. There is also quite a bit of action, as David and Tom are pursued by the equivalent of "time travel police," whose job is to keep the past from being altered. There is also some mild romance. I thought the book was well-done and definitely a unique concept. My only complaint was it seemed a little slow at times, but it was still quite enjoyable.

PERFORMANCE - The narrator did a great job. He did Hebrew and African accents well, but I absolutely LOVED the way he performed the various characters when they were possessed by the demon called "the Legion." This demon is actually 50 demons all occupying the same body, often all trying to speak at once. The narrator did an awesome job of spitting out multiple voices in very rapid succession, sometimes with several voices in the same sentence. Wow.

OVERALL (actual rating 3.5) - This book stands alone. There is no sex, cursing or graphic violence. I'd recommend this to any adult who thinks they might enjoy the subject matter.

32 people found this helpful

Not what I expected at all.

Reading the description for the book I thought this would be another book preaching the Christian religion and trying to get everyone on the path to God but I was pleasantly surprised. I try to stay away from Spoliers in my reviews so I'll just say that our protaganists and their interaction with people in the past was a lot of fun. I found myself laughing at many points in the book. I am not a strictly devout Roman Catholic but I was raised in the faith so although my recollection of every story in the bible isn't near perfect I was able to remember enough to really enjoy the different events Tom and David encountered. My foreknowledge so to speak, did not ruin parts for me but instead enhanced the story I think.

On to the elephant in the room. Will a strict atheist enjoy the book? I have to say they might not. A very lage part of the core of this book takes for granted that Christianity is correct. I can't say more without offering up Spoilers so that is all I can say about that. I think that in order to really enjoy this book you must at least believe that a higher power just might exist. If you can not at least concede that point then sure, you might enjoy the book simply for its fictional storytelling value, but I think that you might not enjoy this book.

66 people found this helpful

Original and Fantastic!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to all my friends.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Thomas, because he was a very interesting character.

What about R. C. Bray’s performance did you like?

Everything, his voice and tone fit this story perfectly.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Our future depends on our past.

8 people found this helpful

Loved It!!

I think every one has thought about what it would be like to ge back in time. This reminds me of my own hidden desires to go back. Jeremy chooses an event and then creates what you would have experianced it, if you were really present. Jesus as a normal guy, with little pranks and indepth descussions. I was very impressed the whole concept of the book.

17 people found this helpful

loved every minute!

If you are a Christian you will probably love this book. I did! It felt like being along for the ride right beside the Lord Jesus. I think even a non believer could still enjoy this book, isn't in any way preachy. It mixed my 2 loves, Jesus Christ and Sci fi. It is most certainly worth a credit.

7 people found this helpful

I really enjoyed this book!

I am such a sucker for time travel but this book does it really well! It covered all my logical questions about not only time travel but what it might be like for a modern man to travel back 2000 years and try to survive without screwing up the past.

The reader was excellent and conveyed the attitude of the characters quite well.

It was a fantastic premise and carried off quite well. Bravo!

13 people found this helpful

Fascinating and Inspirational

Jeremy Robinson has become one of my favorite authors and Bray does a wonderful reading of the book with rich accents and great emotion. There are so many twists and turns in this book. I thought I had it all figured out and then something happened to take me in a new direction. I know this will be a book that I will go back to time and again and I really hope there is a sequel or two coming in the future - or the past. :-)

12 people found this helpful

Excellent

What does R. C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Bray does a fantastic job, at some points it was quite freaky and that just made it even more enjoyable. I utilised the whispersync for voice for the first time with this book and you really notice the difference between reading and listening.

Any additional comments?

This book was interesting, fun and at times a little freaky. Which let's face it, is what Jeremy Robinson does best. I didn't really know what to expect from this book but having heard a lot of positive things about it thought it was high time I gave it a go. I can see why the book got so many positive comments and why so many people consider it to be one of Robinson's best work to date. It really grabs your attention and doesn't let go until the final page.

15 people found this helpful

Straw man athiest meets Jesus

This is a time travel story used as a device to retell selected stories from the New Testament. The time travel technology, never explained, serves merely to put modern characters in contact with Jesus.

It's quite clear that the author has no doubts about Jesus's miraculous powers. The only character in the book that doubts Jesus is the token skeptic--even the authorial voice simply states Jesus's acts as facts. If the author really wanted to take us through the experience of a conversion from nonbeliever to believer, he might have set up the story so that the reader actually has reason to suspect that the skeptic might be right. He could contrast the apparent wisdom of Jesus with the possibility that he is a fraud. Then, in the end, create a situation where the skeptic verifies that Jesus is in fact dead and then experiences the resurrection in a situation that leaves no doubt.

As it is, the story presents the skeptic as a straw man who is ignorant of even the most basic elements of the Jesus story, which seems highly improbable. He is an Israeli, who was married to a devout Christian woman, and who lived in the United States for more than 10 years. He has an advanced degree. How is it that he doesn't know who Judas is? Or the Pharisees? This is appalling writing--the author is either ignorant himself, or chooses to set up a straw man.

If you are Christian and want to enjoy seeing a paper-thin skeptic proven wrong, you may enjoy this.

If you are a Christian and you want to recommend a book to a nonbeliever that you think might change their mind -- don't. This book provides no new perspectives and takes a stance that will alienate your non-believing friend. Try C. S. Lewis instead.

(The reader, however, is spectacular. I first encountered R. C. Bray in The Martian. I enjoy his tone and ability to vary voices and present different accents. )

26 people found this helpful

Sceptical walking in, walked out a believer

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would, and have already passed this on to my sons to enjoy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

A draw between David and Tom (tho Lazarus was a lot of fun as well). I related myself to David, I could understand his lack of faith at times even in the light of what was in front of him

12 people found this helpful