Chaos Critters Bookshelf: Time Trials

A Review of Time Trials by M.A. Rothman and D.J. Butler. Also, details about our new Miniature American Shepherd! And "exciting" footage of the first of Crokell's AKC Temperament Tests.

The question for this week is: what is your pet’s favorite book?

Adding Dante to the Chaos

Keeping up with our new addition this week has been fun and a little chaotic. We are all adjusting to the new schedule, especially me. I am now getting up at 5:30 am instead of 6:15 or later to play with and take Dante out in the morning before work while it is still cool out. Tod, who usually is the first one up, has been sleeping “in” till 6am.

Dante is very different from Crokell, who was much more independent, not even wanting to sleep in the same room as us. Dante doesn't like being left alone, but is soothed by an audio book, mostly. We will be working on the separation, but for now, I am very grateful that we have 3 people in our house. The dogs are currently kept separate, only meeting through the puppy gate, if one can call it that.

Crokell likes his little brother and really likes that the schedule now includes more play time, not just training. I am hoping I can turn the play time energy I am seeing in both dogs into focus or, in Crokell's case, faster responses. Crokell has also decided that since the puppy is there, he must test some boundaries, such as trying to get treats. We trained Crokell to leave treats, even when left out at his eye level. Yesterday, he tried to take some when he thought I wasn't looking. It is amusing how animals, like humans, always try to test boundaries when something changes.

Time Trials

Today, I am going to take a break from our normal updates and gush over a book, and not one I am writing, but the one I just finished reading. Time Trials by M.A. Rothman and D.J. Butler.

I have been working my way through different authors from Baen Books. When we were at LibertyCon, we got a chance to hear M.A. Rothman and D.J. Butler give a reading. It was fun and I really enjoyed the story - which happened to be Time Trials. At the Baen Roadshow, I got to pick up a free hardcover book (since it was my first Roadshow). I chose Time Trails, which is the first in a new series. I hadn’t picked up the book before because in general I am not one for time travel adventures. I say that, but then two or three really good time travel exceptions cross my mind, not counting Robert Heinlein and H.G. Wells. But there are very few where time travel works really well for me.

This book was different. I told a friend that it was rich in texture and tone - the cultures felt real, as did the social dynamics. The writing was a joy to read and the book had no patois. (I haven’t been able to read other books by Dave [Butler] because I cannot read patois.) Reading it made me feel I was almost experiencing the events. The story was gripping. I don’t have that much time to read for fun, so I tend to safe guard it and have learned therefore to put aside books that don’t pull me all the way in. This book didn’t lag once for me. I cared about the characters and best of all, they all felt real - instead of being carboard cut outs, dancing to the author’s command, or being the perfect of Prince of Light or Devil of Darkness. While there was a clear “good” and “bad” side, many of the challenges that the characters faced were more than a simple fight or die.

The book starts in modern day, which they keep time period vague. The main character basically gave up academic life to become a wood worker, but gets called in on a private archeological dig. A slightly funny set up, but hey - we’ve written weirder ones. I feel like there are more than a few people that are well qualified that walked away from academia for various reasons, even if they aren’t as colorful as the main character’s. (Most became bakers from what I heard. -Tod)

I was worried at first that the plot would be a rehashing of Stargate. With Egypt and aliens in the same story, there are some unavoidable similarities. But the plot and characters were fresh. They have a fun cast which have different skill sets, most of which are beyond what I would expect, but such is fiction. Overall, I loved this book, which is amusing because most of my favorite books are romances and Heinlein’s Juveniles.

So, if you haven’t picked up the book, I can’t recommend it enough. You can get it at the Baen website (https://www.baen.com/time-trials.html) or from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Time-Trials-M-Rothman/dp/1982192488).But if you are going to order the e-book (consider ordering it from Bean, I think the authors get a better cut that way.)

Even Beleth enjoyed the book. He thinks the sequel should have more Bastet in it though.

Chaos in Motion

Tod here! This week’s video, I edited using CapCut. I think I might have finally found my one-stop shop for video. I was able to do everything in CapCut (https://www.capcut.com/) using the free version with no headache or cussing. I even tried out their text-to-voice narration. Anna requested that I narrate it myself next week, as she prefers that. (It is cuter and more… us. ~Anna)

The video is the first of two tests that Crokell took for his AKC Temperament Testing at NRG Center.

Chaos Critters Tip of the Week

Fill your arms with puppies so no one can ask you for help. It works with kittens too, but they scratch more.

~Anna and Tod