Welcome Children of Earth. Do not be afraid.After a devastating car crash leaves her addicted to pills and her best friend dead, Meredith Gale has finally been pushed to her breaking point. Ending her life seems like the only way out, and that choice has left her dangling by her fingertips from a bridge above the freezing water of the San Francisco Bay.But someone, or some thing, has other plans … Bay.
But someone, or some thing, has other plans for Meredith. As her fingers slip from the cold steel of the bridge, a disembodied voice ask her a simple question: “Candidate 13: Do you wish to be saved?”
Realizing her mistake too late, Meredith screams “Yes!” and instantly finds herself transported to a mysterious island, alongside hundreds of other Candidates like her, each pulled from human history with seemingly little in common. But when Meredith stumbles across a cryptic message meant only for her, she uncovers an even bigger mystery — a mystery that places the fate of humanity’s future firmly in her hands.
With the help of her new companions, Meredith sets out on an impossible journey to find the one person who can solve the riddle of why they were brought to this strange, alien Earth… assuming they can survive the dangers that lurk within this new world and the dark forces massing against them.
Don’t miss the first book in the This Alien Earth Series, a futuristic adventure featuring a strong female lead, perfect for fans of Jeremy Robinson, Stephen King, and Lost.
Also available on Audible and Whispersync, narrated by the award-winning Kate Reading.more
** mild spoiler alert ** Main character, Meredith, loses a promising future in law after the death of her closest friend in a car accident that also left her addicted to painkillers. At the moment that she chooses to end it all, a disembodied voice asks her if she wants to be saved. Choosing yes leaves her in an unknown land trying to figure out how she got there and what she’s supposed to do next.
This was an enjoyable time travel/alternate universe story. The story moves at a nice steady clip and didn’t really suffer from any dead spots. My interest was held throughout. This book ends in a clear cliffhanger so don’t expect to read this book without the rest of the series. There’s no resolution here.
When Wild Bill Hickok made an appearance early on in the story, I rolled my eyes, thinking that there was going to be a string of corny occursnces in this book, but that was not the case at all. Also, at one point in the audiobook, a character whose name is Edward, was referred to as William. I don’t know if this occurred in print or not. These were my only real issues with this book. I really enjoyed and will be moving on to the next book in the series.
There is always some new & unexpected as you read the pages. The fantasy world is intriguing. Keeps you wondering what will happen next.
Poorly constructed and left me feeling like the last few pages had been left out. No real conclusions to this part of the story.
Now I have to read the sequels to this story!
The premise of this book is very original. People are plucked from different places and times. They are to help fix the world. But something goes wrong. The interactions between people so different is really done well. The how’s and why’s keep you turning the oages. I can’t wait for book 2.
This could be the start of something big
Paul Antony Jones has started his Alien Earth Series with a bang. Start with the strange disembodied voice who recruits participants with deathbed query – “Candidate XYZ, do you wish to be saved?” Salvation apparently involves a cold-water landing a la Normandie beach, a mechanized greeting committee of malfunctioning robots, and a mysterious mastermind of the whole scenario who is threatened and thwarted by an unknown Adversary. Crazy-good mystery with Survivor-like tasks and alliances, this one promises to be a techno-thrill ride into a bizarre future. Sign me up!
I couldn’t help but be excited as I started The Paths Between Worlds. I really missed Emily Baxter from the Extinction Series and now I find someone, Meredith, who I’m sure I am going to fall in love with also. This band of (time) travellers–Meredith, Albert, Chou, Freuchen, and Silas–are certain to have many adventures as they set out to figure out what their mission is. I am amazed at the intelligence of this group. When I finished, and sat back to ponder what I’d read, I found that it played back in my mind like a movie. I “saw” the characters, especially Meredith; she and I both being redheads, I fit right into being the heroine character in this book…LOL. Can’t wait for the next in the series. I read that it took Paul Anthony Jones 7 years to get this book from start to finish. I hope that means the series, and not just the book. In the real world, you never know if you’re going to be around in 7 more years…and I definitely am anxious to read the second and third books of the trilogy.
The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. ―Marcus Aurelius
Wow! This has been an unexpected turner. I am completely wowed with this story! It’s the least I could have guessed, and I’m totally impressed with how the plot has developed. Whenever a mystery is unraveled another springs up. What kind of an intelligence could be capable of such god-like feats? It’s a super fast-paced read filled with suspense. The writing in this book is excellent, with fantastic setting descriptions, clever dialog, and some unexpectedly profound observations about humanity. The moral and ethical issues are highly defined. The characters are intriguing. The plot was well laid out. It’s fast paced and a fun adventure. It’s a I want to go on reading but don’t want it to end kind of book. Wish book 2-3 were already out! Magnificent!
I received an early version of this book from the publisher and my review is entirely voluntary.
An incredible tale of strong will and survival!