A Twist in Time

By: Brent A. Harris

Narrated by: Kyle Bullock

Dickens Meets Steampunk.

Foundlings are disappearing from the workhouse where Oliver Twist once begged for a second bowl of gruel. He sets out to save them, with help from tinkerer, Nell Trent, and a slew of fantastical contraptions - including a mysterious pocket watch that allows its bearer to bend the rules of time. With Oliver's childhood nemesis, the Artful Dodger and her lethal bag of tricks dogging their steps, he discovers that there is more at stake than his own life and the missing orphans.

Can he save London from the flames?

©2020 Brent A. Harris (P)2020 Inklings Press

Twist on a classic

A Twist in Time puts a great twist on Dickens' classic story. Harris keeps the beloved characters they are just 10 years further down the road. The steampunk twist brings in many fun new inventions including a timepiece that allows the user to bend the rules of time. It gives Oliver a chance to right some wrongs and find out what is happening to the foundlings that are going missing and why. Things are never what they seem in this imaginative retelling of an old tale.

Excellent Production

The perspective shifts were a little difficult to follow in the audio format ,and I almost wished that the entire book had stayed in the first person present tense just for ease of listening. That being said, the time travel aspect which I feared would be easy to get lost in was seamless.

It features solid writing and an excellent performance from the narrator.

I would highly recommend this audiobook to fans of Steampunk, time travel, or Dickens.

captivating

Well written. Found myself being transported right into the story and experiencing it along with the characters.

Dickens, Time Travel, and a Pinch of Steampunk

Imagine Oliver Twist ten years after the events of the novel by Charles Dickens. Now add a splash of time travel and a pinch of steampunk. The result is A Twist in Time by Brent A. Harris.
It is a fast-paced adventure through the streets of Victorian London. Overall, a satisfying listen. I was pulled into the story and found myself breathless as Oliver dashes from one end of London to the other.
I found the use of modern idioms a bit off-putting at first, but the story was so compelling I soon forgot they didn’t fit the era and just enjoyed the ride. But I was surprised, when the otherwise good performer, used the American pronunciation for the Thames.

A delightful tale with a lot of heart

Dickens meets Steampunk. That’s the first line in the description of A Twist in Time, the latest novel by Brent A. Harris. I mean seriously, what more do you want? Why yes, sir, I would like some more.

Brent A. Harris is a talented writer of alternate history, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. He first grabbed my attention with A Time of Need, an AH tale where George Washington fights for the British. Harris has a unique talent for intriguing premises, so I was instantly hooked by a time-traveling adventure featuring Oliver Twist.

This story focuses on a grown-up Oliver trying to save a group of orphans who have vanished from his old workhouse. With the help of tinkerer Nell Trent, he sets out to solve the mystery by use of a pocket watch that allows him to travel through time. The pacing is very good and hooks the listener from a fiery first chapter. From there, it gallops through tense encounters and gripping action while trying to dodge the Artful Dodger (rimshot).

Harris also has a talent for dialogue. The period speak is very effective without bogging down the story. All too often, period pieces can leave you scratching your head while the narrator carries on to the next section. Not so here. Harris guides you through each scene while allowing you to intuit meaning from the tone. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, and the author seems to strike it with ease. It’s quite apparent that a lot of care and research went into this novel. In addition, the quirks and traits of each character are clearly defined in their speech. As a result, many exchanges between Oliver/Nell and Oliver/Dodger stick out as highlights of the book.

The use of humor is subtle and sharp. Some of Oliver’s random one-liners actually made me laugh out loud. I also enjoyed the Groundhog Day approach to time travel, especially during pivotal scenes. There is a very clever twist (rimshot x2) hidden within the plot device, which I found to be an effective and rewarding reveal.

Overall, A Twist in Time is a delightful tale with a lot of heart. Harris has managed to give even more depth to these beloved Dickens characters, an impressive feat that should be cherished and celebrated. Kyle Bullock also does a fantastic job bringing this world to life through his talented narration. I really enjoyed this book and can recommend it to all. There is something for everyone, so sit back and strap in for a satisfying adventure.

Amazing Steampunk Adventure

It is a rare thing to come across a book that grabs your attention so fully that you want to stop everything else so you can finish the story. A Twist in Time, the new novel from Brent A. Harris, is one such book. Enter one Oliver Twist, a young orphan taken in by the friendly, helpful Artful Dodger and taught the ways of the street as a pick pocket. Oh, you think you’ve heard this story before? If you took a high school English class you probably did, but this is not the Oliver Twist we know from Dickens. This is a London that has the gleam of punk added onto the burgeoning age of steam. It is on these altered Victorian streets that the young Oliver ply’s his trade as a pick pocket, but the pocket watch Oliver just stole will change his life. Jump forward ten years and Oliver has become, not quite a gentleman, but lives a comfortable life and has some modicum of fame from Dickens novel. (Yes, some fourth wall busting here, and I love it.) He’s trying to help others like himself, the young orphans of the city, although poverty and indifference make this a daunting task. But orphans in the city have gone missing, and when Oliver makes a visit to the old Foundling Workhouse where he’d grown up, one of the young orphans that Oliver has tried to save is taken. Oliver gives chase and soon finds himself out of his depth, sliding toward a future he has little control over. As Oliver continues to dig and pry, he uncovers a fiendish plot to reshape London. Oliver might be able to stop this plot and save the city if he can embrace his past and who he really is.

There are so many things I love about this book. A steampunk adventure that involves some of literature’s best known characters AND involves time travel – sign me up. But that’s not the main reason I love A Twist in Time (it’s a good reason, but not the only one). Brent Harris has a wonderful way with words, making them dance and sing to bring the story to life. For example: “In the evening, gaslights mourn, there isn’t a dry spot on the walks to be found to sleep on; dampness clings to you like a cloak, ice and snow paralyze the city in place.” Or: “The two made for an interesting sight, two desperate street urchins showing the truth of Victorian life.” This descriptive narrative is intermixed with Victorian slang and a sprinkling of humor in a lively prose.

Harris has also created characters we want to care about. He has taken a character you thought you knew, Oliver Twist, and shown us a young man who’s gliding through life, trying to do the right thing, but unsure of who he really is. Oliver is torn between the many roles and personas he was – poor orphan boy, street urchin – and the person he has become, and who he thinks he needs to be. Oliver is surrounded by people who constantly remind him of these different personas. Edward, a young orphan that Oliver is trying to protect, reminds Oliver of his past life, as does the Artful Dodger, and each reflects the different people Oliver had been. Mr. Brownlow, Oliver’s benefactor and mentor, ties Oliver to the ease and comfort provided by his fame and wealth. As the story progresses, we see Oliver struggle, trying to come to terms of who he is: orphan, urchin, or gentleman. The other characters are just as developed. Nell is a rock for Oliver, keeping him grounded and on track, and serving as mentor and trainer. The Artful Dodger, Jill Dawkins, is a free spirit and a force of chaos, constantly reminding Oliver where he came from and how disappointing his life has become. Each seems to tug and pull Oliver, both adding to his struggle for identity and helping him to resolve who he must become to save the city.

Great characters are only part of a good formula, you also need a good story. And again, Harris has delivered. A Twist in Time’s plot jumps and weaves as gracefully as the Artful Dodger slips away from trouble. The action and pace move at a cinematic clip, and new revelations and changes to the plot are peppered throughout to keep you turning the page. The final twist in the story might be anticipated by a few sharp readers, but it ties the entire story together.

In A Twist in Time Brent Harris has delivered a masterpiece of steampunk action-adventure fused with Victorian science fiction. He’s created an alternative literary history for characters we thought we knew and who will grab our attention just as much as the originals do. This is a story that Charles Dickens himself would enjoy.

Kyle Bullock does a wonderful job bringing the characters and setting to life. His performance was outstanding and immersed me into the world that Brent created. He also gave personality and individuality to each of the characters, making them distinct and clear to understand who was speaking. There were no problems with the production.