The flying machine hovered over the island of Dooleys Wood, a single blade whining in the balmy air.
Various memorised schematics of helicopters popped into Blue’s mind (he remembered everything). The aircraft was like no other helicopter. A hybrid. Directional jet engines slung on either side of the fuselage. A traditional helicopter was heavy, noisy and mechanical, challenging gravity for a place in the sky. This machine had no such contest. A bronze-coloured, flitting hummingbird.
The crack of breaking branches and a substantial brass-like ladder crashed through the canopy.
“Hey, Gote.” A youthful voice over a tinny speaker. “Get on board.”
Blue stared open-mouthed.
“Do you want rescuing or not?”
Rescue.
The word jarred him into action and Blue grabbed hold of the ladder. The whine of the helicopter increased in volume. A few seconds later, Blue dangled hundreds of feet above an inland sea of never- ending water. A plain white logo of the Earth within a ring adorned the fuselage. The artist had done a sloppy job on the continents; the outlines were unrecognisable. Underneath, three words, OUR VERY EARTH. Undaunted by the height, Blue pulled himself into the golden-skinned craft.
The ladder retracted and the door slid shut with a hiss.
“Ready for the ride of your life, Gote?” came a boyish voice over the speaker. “Time to light the fuse. Wahoo!”
With a deafening roar of engines and prop, quick acceleration flung Blue against the back wall of the compartment.
Blue Into The Rip by Kev Heritage (Kindle Locations 172-186).
Time travel is supposed to be fun, or at the very least it should start out that way. After years of reading and movie watching it seems to me that the act of time travel (whether forward or backward) at least starts off as a lot of fun. There is usually that time where you are all excited about seeing something old or discovering something new, but for Blue, the awkward teenager with the unusual eyes, time travel was a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from or escape.
THE GOOD
The story and setting here are wonderful and creative. The blend of the modern day with a distant, dystopian future that seems all too possible is a winner from the very beginning. It can be all too easy to dwell on how awful things have become in this sort of setting, but the author, Kev Heritage, does a great job of using a soft touch that points out the dangers while not burying the reader in mind numbing darkness and dread. The main characters are distinct and vivid in their presentation and portrayal, so I do not get confused by the actions of the ensemble cast. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot that keep the action lively and the suspense tangible. There is a lot to enjoy in this book.
THE BAD
There is not a lot to complain about in this book other than the occasional bout of teenage angst, but that is to be expected with a Young Adult novel. The majority of the characters are teenage cadets, so the anxiety and drama that accompanies that age group plays a major part in the story.
THE TAKEAWAY
This is an excellent piece of science-fiction that can be enjoyed by adults as well as teenagers. It is an enjoyable read and the first book in a series.
Check out Kev Heritage’s Home Page HERE, or His Blog HERE.
Find Kev on your favorite social media site:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kevheritagefans
Twitter: @KevHeritage
Buy Blue: Into the Rip at these locations:
Smashwords: http://ow.ly/pYpsh
Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/qsy0q
KINDLE: Amazon.co.uk: http://ow.ly/qr8CI or Amazon.com: http://ow.ly/qmjOK
Paperback: http://ow.ly/qswBo
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