Future Unfolds by J.L Yarrow

About this Book:

Generations from now, the future of humanity is grim. To save their fate, the Time Forward Project pins their hopes on their force-of-nature time agent, Kristen Winters. She’s sent on missions into the past through an unstable wormhole in deep space, attempting to change historical events. The group determines that the bombing of the Masjid Alahmari Mosque in Manhattan is the trigger to a nuclear conflict on Earth that leads to the post-apocalyptic predicament they inherited. Kristen and her partner, present-day hotshot AI scientist Hunter Coburn, embark on a last-ditch effort to prevent the destruction. The duo is drawn into the Dark Void, a tantalizingly dangerous augmented reality, risking Hunter’s powerful AI, Comperi. They plow through nearly insurmountable odds but are astounded to come face-to-face with an even more formidable foe. Time Unfolded is a fascinating exploration of how the past holds the key to humanity’s survival and the lengths we will go to protect it. Buckle up―this extreme adrenaline-fueled race through time will both vex and electrify you.

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Rating: 5/5

My Review:

Hmmm.. how do I begin? Do you remember watching one of those secret agent movies, where the stakes keep getting higher and higher and if they lose the world gets destroyed? Well, that’s exactly what the book reads like. And no I don’t just mean the plot. I mean the writing structure, the narration, the interaction between characters, the unfolding of the real story, the way incidents are described in the book. I could imagine it in my mind scene-by-scene like a movie.

If anything, I definitely think this book looks ready to be adapted to screen. It is fast-paced and thrilling. I enjoyed seeing how little elements and scenes that are thrown here and there throughout the novel end up connecting to the greater plot eventually. It was definitely a page-turner with crisp editing and not too much detailing that takes away from the story at hand. The writing creates this sense of urgency, this high-adrenaline rush and keeps moving without a pause. (Note: I would suggest finishing the book in one-sitting, the breaking of continuity would ruin the fun).

Now that we got my feelings out of the way, let’s dissect the book so you can see if it is our cup of tea (or vodka) or not.

Time Travel. Check.

A humorous AI character. Check.

Highly believable protagonists with angst and inner turmoil regarding their choices and decisions they have to make. Check.

Complexity of Plot with different timelines. Double Check

Action-packed scenes that make you taste blood. Also Check.

Yet, there is more to this story than previously explored tropes and cliches. And that difference comes in the reasoning and the themes that the book deals with. The element of morality, the consequence for actions and the utter dilemma of doing what IS good for the world but doesn’t FEEL right. It is in these nuances that the book is able to stand apart from the crowd.

The writer imbues emotions and feelings, genuine thoughts and being haunted by one’s actions in the story. It is not as simple as fighting an evil force but coming to terms with humanity and the ugly shape it can take. I found it so relevant to the contemporary world we live in. The book read like a mixture between a Doctor-Who episode and a James bond movie. Highly recommend.