Agent of Time (In Times Like These #1.5) by Nathan Van Coops

Agent of Time (In Times Like These #1.5) Reviews

• 
  Louie the Mustache Matos

  The short novel Agent of Time is a quick-paced, time-bending tale from the Nathan Van Coops’ multiverse series called In Times Like These. Although it serves as a part of a series that I have not been privy to in the past, the story works as a standalone narrative. I never felt lost or as if I was missing some necessary ingredient that would be revelatory. Stella York is a federal agent beginning her career with a misogynistic partner who is dubious of what a female agent can accomplish. It is for that reason that she is tasked with the paper and grunt work in their current murder investigation, but when the timeline fails to make logical sense, she is forced to investigate things on her own. The story is not a bad one. It is just that time travel stories tend to be similar in scope and execution. As always there is the over-stated concern for paradox and the migraine-inducing, expositional technobabble that overanalyzes alternate possibilities. Overall, I think this is a middle of the road read. Not bad, but just another one in the line of time-altering, alternate reality stories with little to no originality.
• 
  donna backshall

  Nathan Van Coops has a real talent for world building, which comes in handy when the potential for countless time streams becomes possible in the "In Times Like These" series. I was excited to see a book inserted between books 1 and 2 in the series, and hope there will be more! My only complaint is that this audiobook was 4 hours. Why not 8? 10? I'll take all I can get in this wacky universe.
  
  In this betweener story, we aren't experiencing time travel alongside a character. We get to view the idea of time travel and futuristic ideas through the observant eyes of an ambitious FBI Special Agent, investigating impossible happenings. As if she didn't already have a whole bucket of crazy and misogyny to deal with -- this is happening back in the 1980s-90s -- now she needs to accept the improbable and then convince others of the same. In a not-so-distant time when women were still being told to smile, because it makes them look prettier (such the priority!), Stella York carries the burden of proof of time crimes on her feminine shoulders, where most "manly" men would only see hysteria.
  
  Watching, in bits and pieces, the wild ride of time travelers popping in and out of various times past was fun. Plus, I'm glad to have the perspective that comes with remembering that era. I was in tech as early as the late 1980s, still am today, but it's been a long time since anyone called me "sweetheart" in the office.
  
  For the audiobook, narration by Kylah Williams was all right, not great but definitely not bad. She left me wondering in which part of the US people pronounce it "eee-mediately".
• 
  D.S. Mac

  “It’s rare for someone to be consciously aware of a paradox, but it’s possible that because you were so close to the epicenter of the change that your consciousness was able to perceive both of the diverging realities simultaneously.”
  
  What happened to the normal people during In Times Like These. Well for FBI Agent Stella, her world got strange!
  With a Serial killer seemingly popping up everywhere, a confusing time loop and a Paradox she shouldn't have been able to see. Will Stella ever see the world the same way again. I think not.
  
  This was a Brilliant little story and I'm so glad it was written.
  Stella is a very likeable character trying to prove herself as a woman in the FBI with her piers disrespecting her and a time travel conundrum making her look crazy.
  
  Can she prove her theories and catch a Serial killer?
  
  “It’s about time.”
• 
  Maarja Kruusmets

  I first fell in love with this author's writing when I read the first book of his In Times Like These time travel series. Agent of Time is a story that belongs into the same world and is similarly fast paced, captivating and witty, bringing back fond memories of the rest of the series.
  What I especially like about this book is the strong and fully capable female protagonist, who is definitely someone I would like to personally know in real life. The struggles she faces in the male-dominated and masculine work environment are something that women everywhere can relate to. And as always, in between all the action you can find a slowly blossoming romance no woman can do without.
  I have read every book by Nathan Van Coops and I've loved every one of them. This one is no different. Fully recommend it.
• 
  Ginelle Blanch

  So fast paced and so action packed.
  
  Female Special Agent Stella York is just starting her FBI career and, given it's 1985 (end of the year, almost '86), she has a lot of chauvinism to deal with. But, through it all, she goes about her job in a professional way with a more open mind than most would.
  
  I enjoyed the different angle to the book In Times Like These. Looking at it from the perspective of someone who had absolutely NO idea what was going on. I could really empathize with Special Agent Stella! It was really great to see the original crew "together" again as well.
  
  A real seat of your pants, heart in throat read. I gotta say, the last line of the book was the best! Really good read!
• 
  Bethany Cousins

  The In Times Like These universe has been so well crafted that the potential for new stories and adventures within it is limitless. Nathan Van Coops showcases this once again in Agent of Time by giving the reader a totally new perspective on some of the major events from the first book in the original series.
  Special Agent Stella York finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery, with the odds already against her as one of the few female agents in the industry at that time, and one who now has the seemingly impossible concept of time travel to complicate the resolution of the case. Along this fast-paced adventure the reader is treated to a few original character run-ins, as well as a more behind-the-scenes look at the chaos that the FBI and other departments found themselves in as a result of those first significant happenings.
  From the first page to the last line, as always, the writing is riveting and brilliant. Agent of Time was easy to follow along with and so exciting to read, even if the other books in the series haven't been read yet. There are just the right amounts of action, mystery, danger and heroism to keep any science fiction adventure enthusiast enthralled.
• 
  Ejayen

  The first half was great.
  The third quarter was slow.
  And the last one had a naked man in it.
• 
  Fila Trece (Liantener)

  Me gustó la aventura en paralelo a la primera novela. Muy buen manejo del suspenso, y del drama criminal. Definitivamente una historia para los fans, puesto que vamos conectando los hechos que ya conocemos con los nuevos. Como cereza en el pastel, Van Coops abre la puerta para tener nuevas aventuras dentro del universo de "In Times Like This" pero con nuevos personajes.
  Sin ser espectacular, es una buena adición a la serie.
• 
  Brad

  Another Great Time Travel Story
  
  I’ve read many of the books in the In Times Like These series. This story fits well into the convoluted time line but views it from a very different perspective. Stella’s story fits her time as she struggles to be accepted as an FBI agent while trying to solve a time travel mystery.
  
  I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two stories as well as the great character development and story telling that surrounds Stella.
  
  Well done! You’ll enjoy reading this.
• 
  Yahuhanan (יהוחנן) Yukia (雪亮) Sese (謝) Cuneta (ᜃᜓᜈᜒᜆ)

  Excellent
  
  A great story from that timeline which was only hinted at in the originals. I've always wondered what happened to that timeline, the stories it can tell, and I'm glad to finally see one from it. Great job as always!
• 
  Uma

  An exhilarating, mind boggling , stimulating adventure!
  
  FBI Special Agent Stella York witnesses an incident that has occurred in a timeline that has changed. When she submits her report, no one believes her, her partner agent refuses to work with her and she is taken off her case and moved to Las Vegas.
  
  She hasn't given up on trying to resolve the paradox incident and has been adding information to it. When she gets a call from the detective Danny Briggs whom she had met all those years ago when she was investigating the mysterious disappearance of a psychopath criminal, she decides to go to California in pursuit of the criminal and to work with detective Briggs.
  
  What follows is a never imagined twist of events that combines characters from different timelines unbeknownst to Stella and needs to be read to be enjoyed in its entirety. The narrative keeps the reader totally engrossed and glued to the book until the end.
  
  A big thank you to the author for a brilliant and outstanding adventure! I am now off to check if there are more Stella York adventures available!!!
  
• 
  Mark Owen

  This is the second book I've read from Nathan Van Coops, an author who focuses on one of my favorite Sci-Fi sub-genres - time travel. While the characters from his series are all present in this book, it follows a female FBI officer in the 1970s who is working on a case that doesn't seem possible. Fighting sexism and questioning her own sanity and reality eventually lead her down the path that time travelers are involved. Van Coops tells a good stand alone story, but it might be helpful to know the basics and people before starting the book. At just over 4 hrs, I listened to it on audible while exercising, and I found it easy to follow and an engaging plot. His descriptions of each scene are so thorough that you can picture them in detail, but perhaps they are so over described that it leaves less room for imagination. The author does handle time travel consistently, has credible challenges associated with time travel, and presents the logistical problems if a traveler is a criminal or murderer. Good listen, I suspect I'll do some more from this series.
• 
  Michelle Henderson

  “I wanted to write an adventure story where time travel wasn’t just a way to get a character to a different time once or twice, but it was able to be used constantly to solve problems.”
  Nathan Van Coops
  
  Agent of Time is a science fiction novel that is apart of the In Times Like These series by Nathan Van Coops. The author has created strong characters that readers will be able to identify with if put in the same situations. The main character, Agent Stella York, is trying to prove herself as an FBI agent in 1985. Her first case involves time travel events and evidence, but no one will believe her. Thirteen years later, she is able to solve the case and finds her life’s purpose. She accepts a new job as an agent with Time Crimes. Readers will enjoy discovering how time travel is accomplished in Agent of Time. If you love time travel and mystery stories, this book is for you!
• 
  Kristin

  Agent of Time is a novella set in the world of Nathan Van Coops’ In Times Like These series. The storyline runs parallel to the first book in the series (In Times Like These), so it really helps to have read book one first. I kind of wish I’d reread it before reading this one.
  
  The story centers on FBI Special Agent Stella York who ends up investigating a case where the facts, and the timelines, just aren’t adding up. Stella is a well-developed character given the short length of the story and I genuinely liked her. I hope Van Coops continues to include her in future storylines for this series.
  
  Agent of Time is very plot-driven and moves along quickly. I read it in four days because I only read a little before bed, but could have easily read it all on a lazy Sunday… I think it heavily relies on book one, so I would have been very confused had I not read that. But, because of that, part of the story which would require drawn-out explanations can be skipped over. Either you’ve read the first book and you get it, or you haven’t and really understand the way Stella feels.
  
  Solid four stars. I’ve liked every book (full-length and novella) in this series and I can’t wait for more!
• 
  Warren Dunn

  This is a tough book to review, because it involves a single character watching the events of a book I haven't read. Still, while the story is short, the characters are well drawn out. The crime is set in the 1980s, and the author makes reference to the styles of that era, which brings some realism to it. The two characters of note, Stella and Detective Briggs, have enough substance to make them feel real, too. My favorite parts of the book involved the time paradoxes, where effect preceded cause. The highway accident that killed one of the perpetrators was really nicely written. The continuous reference to her status as a woman was annoying, but I think that was done on purpose, to highlight how things have changed in the intervening years (though I suspect a lot has stayed the same below the surface).
• 
  Jim Kratzok

  A nice addition to the series
  
  This book is sort of an aside, not about one of the main characters we've seen previously although they do make appearances in this story. Stella is an FBI agent on the 1980s when women were just becom9ng part of the bureau. She's treated rather poorly by her sexist partner who tends to put down anything she has to say. Her job, in his opinion is to make the coffee, keep her mouth shut, and not do anything that will make him look bad. I know, right? Despicable! So in spite of him, she gets involved in the Elton Spenger case in St. Petersburg, FL that our friends Ben, Carson, Robbie, and Francesca were involved with. It's a fun story that provides some behind the scenes action on a story we've already read. Nicely done!
• 
  Dana Wood

  I seriously don't know how anyone writes time travel books that go back and forth in time and then mention parallel universes and paradoxes. Makes my mind spin. Anyway, this was a good story about an FBI agent who stumbles upon this time traveling group in the 80's and it spans a couple decades. There is one psycho path in the group that the detective is determined to catch. Of course no one believes her when she mentions time travel. Oh and events that she sees seem to disappear. Yet she keeps searching.
• 
  Caroline

  This was an interesting idea to show the initial time travel events from the perspective of someone now time traveling, but being great impacted by all the time travelers. Admittedly, I didn't remember the first book in great detail since it had been a while since I read it. In a way maybe that helped because sometimes, like Stella, I was a little confused about what was happening. But it all comes together nicely in the end and it was very creative.
• 
  Daniel Lewis

  I love this series, The first book took a while to get through the first part then from there I consumed them, I waited a bit to get this one because its a short story but then there was a publishers pack that had this and two small books with it so I jumped on it. If you are into time travel books then you want to pick this series up. I will warn you that the first book does take a while to get into the story, keep going its worth it. Once you do you will want to read the entire series.
• 
  Dean

  2.5 Stars at most. I decided not to continue with this series after book 2, but I had downloaded this already and it's only a short book that sits between the first and second books so I thought I would give it a go.
  
  Cliched characters, and a story full of OTT coincidences that will only really make sense if you have recently read book 1 (I read too long ago to remember too much detail).
  
  Also, this is more of the same 'House of Cards' approach to time travel.
• 
  Alison

  After reading the first "In Times Like These" I found this book and saw it was invetween the first and second in the series so thought I would give it a go.
  
  I feel harsh rating it 4 stars as I did enjoy it. I just didn't feel it was quite 5 stars for me. I felt this was alot slower paced than the first book, which I found odd as it is only a short story.
  
  I would definitely recommend this for a read, but only after reading the first book.