Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars 
Sunday, Sept 12, I introduced Traveller Probo, Book 2, of the Traveller series and included a quick review of Book 1, Traveller Inceptio along with my first installment of a multi-part review of Book 2. Please join me as I review the third (and final) installment of this master journey.
Book Blurb:
Would you survive if sent one-thousand years into the past?
Development of the Transporter saw highly trained researchers, called Travellers, successfully sent one-thousand years back in time to early medieval Saxon England.
Traveller Missions now mean enormous national prestige and the recovery of priceless lost artefacts and knowledge, so nations vie for the use of the Transporter and more daring Traveller missions are planned. Politics and power soon come into play.
To study lost peoples and civilisations, Special Forces researchers have to be even better trained, equipped and prepared to put their lives on the line.
While Michael Hunter continues to build a life in Saxon England, the tragically injured Tony Osborne finds his resurgence in a mission to ancient Byzantine Turkey, a mission Professor Adrian Taylor joins to better outmanoeuvre his calculating academic colleagues.
From the misty shores of New Zealand to the shining splendour of the ancient Byzantine Empire, it is proved how sending modern researchers into the past carries enormous rewards and tragedies.
Book 2 – Part 2 – (Redux my review)
Following the explosion of interest from many nations with the bucks to pay for a mission with the Transporter, decisions are made for a mission to be made to the Byzantinium Empire, with back-up missions to the Ukraine/Russia and the Mississippi (near St. Louis, Missouri) in the US.
Still keenly aware of the disastrous mission to New Zealand, new cautions, men, and equipment are set to monitor the safety of the Travellers. Unfortunately, the Ukranians that were fully vetted have managed to steal the Transporter assigned to them along with the kidnap of several of the Travellers amid the outcry of the Russians.
The main characters again shift slightly to those who will be sent to the new locations and periodically reverts to the continuing story of Michael Hunter of the original Traveller mission to Saxon Aengland. He is chafing over the continued invasion of the original purpose of the mission to the shift of military and political goals.
Book 2 – Part 3 (my review)
Hunter is deeply settled in Giolgrave with his pregnant native wife, Tatae. The traditions and superstitions of her people regarding the process of childbirth is examined in detail, culminating in the birth of their daughter. Separately, it is requested that he lead a training mission in the woods surrounding the village that he deeply opposes.
There is a strong rift of subterfuge in the background with most of the teams’ participants being the unwiser, the professor delighted in the wealth of history and storied leaders seeing little beyond his academic interest. The latter third of the novel discloses the ugly inhumane treatment of persons with stomach-turning descriptions of torture.
As many of the Traveller teams appear to become pawns in a game of monstrous profits, maneuvering, and power, the narrative continues to examine the moral rightness of invading peoples of a millennia in the past. The original goal of no interference, contact, or involvement is thrown out of the window in the rush to gain new objectives.
The conclusion ends with shocking developments in the Byzantium Traveller mission as well as the revelation of an introduction to 1st Century Judaea. It is an obvious cliff-hanger to the next installment. The research and writing style as well as the characters, both loathsome and pleasant, make this a totally immersive novel, one that obviously has more roads to travel. The storyline is engaging, non-stop action, fascinating historical detail combined with hapless but sincere characters. Who is real antagonist? The reader is just beginning to get a glimpse—and it’s not pretty.
I would suggest your starting with Book 1, but if this grabs you (and it should), it could actually work as an immersive standalone.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and these are my honest opinions. This is an extended adventure into time-travel you won’t want to miss. Highly Recommended.
Book Details:
Genre: Time Travel Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction, Science Fiction Adventure
ASIN: B0938K6MKP
Print Length: 506 pages
Publication Date: April 22, 2021
Source: Direct author request
Title Link(s):
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
The Author: An English-born Australian, Rob Shackleford has lived in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with a varied career that has included Customs Officer, Scuba Instructor, College Teacher and management roles in too many places.
With degrees in the Arts and Business, he is mad keen on travel, Scuba diving, Family History, martial arts, astronomy, and playing Djembe and Congas. Despite that, he is actually not that boring.
Rob is father of two and has made his green escape with his lovely lady into Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland.
©2021 V Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 