THE TIME BOAT

by Chad Huskins ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

In Huskins’ SF adventure, a time-traveling operative battles foes in the future and the past.

Pirate vessel the Sea Wolf picks up a castaway in the early 18th century. The man quickly warns the crew that a warship is on its way, and that the Wolf has no choice but to flee. There’s much more to the man, named John Abernathy, than the pirate crew can see, starting with the fact that he’s a former Navy SEAL from the 21st century. He’s just become a part of the Aperture Team, which sends “Players” like John through time-traveling tunnels. Not only are the origins of the tunnels unknown, but the Players are unsure of their destinations until they reach them. They’re pursuing detections of Ra-3 radiation, which indicates that a so-called Target is using the tunnels. The Target is who John is searching for in 1715, but on that warship, he’s fairly certain, is “the Agent,” an enigmatic figure who’s been taking out Players. John hopes to recruit allies to help battle the Agent while determining how he’ll return to the Boat (the vehicle used in the tunnels); he also must contend with a possible scurvy outbreak. Back with the Aperture Team in the modern day, a body is discovered in Port Royal that may be John’s. (There’s still much that John and the Team don’t understand about time travel and the tunnels.) John somehow winds up in a strange, futuristic place where he sees plenty of signs of fellow Players, including one who’s decidedly nefarious.

Huskins, for the most part, spins an accessible tale. The settings alternate among the 18th century, the modern day, and one location that may or may not be Earth, and the mystery concerns the notion of time travel. The Team can barely explain it themselves; they’re not even certain what happens to some of the Players who vanish, questioning whether they’ve died, been lost in time, or simply decided to stay where they are. This situation effectively adds tension to the story, since John must predominantly rely on himself. Fortunately, he has access to some fascinating tech, such as tac-lenses, which pick up traces of Ra-3 (presumably from the Target). Despite this novel’s epic length, the narrative feels brisk as it moves through confrontations with the Agent or other enemies and depicts entertaining run-ins with such historical figures as pirates Black Caesar and Captain Blackbeard. Some of the exposition sparks offbeat narrative avenues, as when John learns about “history” that hasn’t yet happened. The compelling protagonist faces a plethora of obstacles, from outright assailants to mental illness, the latter a strong possibility for Players (he constantly reminds himself that he exists in an era centuries before his birth). The story, as it progresses, further explores the concept of the tunnels; while this material answers some questions, it also muddles certain aspects of the novel. For example, Players hop around on a single timeline and understandably worry about the butterfly effect (“What if he hadn’t knocked? What if he’d called ahead and the Player had been waiting on the steps for him? How might things have changed?”), but characters occasionally mention multiple timelines with no elaboration. A dynamic hero headlines this absorbing tale of navigating multiple time periods.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2026

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

SCIENCE FICTION | TIME TRAVEL | ACTION & ADVENTURE SCI-FI