*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/my_feedback.php/action/view/id/3875078
Review #3875078
Viewing a review of: {citem:}
Review of  
Review by J. B. Anthony
In affiliation with The Dark Side to Magic  
Rated: | (4.0)
Access:  Public | Hide Review (?)
This is a brilliantly conceived piece, and a very good interpretation of the prompt. Your application of time travel (which is something of a point of contention in the science fiction community) is interesting and unique, and manages to avoid the logical inconsistencies that often accompany the more traditional time travel models. I love the pace of this - you can feel the movement as the plot gradually accelerates - and the many layers of the story blend well. The ending was...unexpected...but more or less works in the grand scheme (though the earliest humans didn't come to be until some 4 million years after the extinction that killed the dinosaurs).

There is room for improvement, of course, and I have some suggestions. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, I felt that the character of Peter was not developed enough for the reader to make a connection. You briefly explain his connection to the company, and repeatedly state his desire to take control, but the presentation is a bit flat - rather than a character that can be understood and related to, he seems to exist just to move the plot along. I would strongly suggest, should you be willing to revise this piece, that you let the reader spend more time with him, offering a deeper look at his character and motivations.

Secondly, the paragraph with the technician, Henri, is extraneous. I understand why you included it, and I don't think that the idea of it should be removed altogether, but the addition of a named character for just a few, isolated sentences in the middle of a quick-moving and intense plot like this is a mistake. For a story this length, you already have a large number of major, narrating characters - the rapid changes in perspective are an important part of the speed and flow of the story, and you've done that really well, but the tiny moment with this minor character breaks that flow. I suggest you try to assimilate that information into the moving body of the story instead of interrupting it, from the perspective of one of the major characters.

There are some small grammatical errors, especially in your dialogue - I'd be happy to send you a more detailed rundown of those, if you like. These are small, though, and don't damage the story very much.

Overall, a great idea, with great application of the prompt, and well-written piece that is exciting, fast-paced, and engaging. Some tweaking is possible to bring it to the next level, but there's no doubt that you've got a great thing going. Keep up the good work!

*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!.
   *CheckG* You responded to this review 07/07/2013 @ 1:11pm EDT
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/my_feedback.php/action/view/id/3875078