TimeRiders: Day of the Predator - Alex Scarrow (Book 2)

TimeRiders: Day of the Predator - Alex Scarrow

by Renjith Joseph
Liam and a new support unit, Becks, is sent to 2015 to a zero-point energy plant, to look out for Edward Chan, the first “inventor” of time-travel. But when Maddy stuffs something up, a huge explosion takes place at the plant, and Liam, Becks, Edward and about 30 other school students are thrown back into the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago. It is the same basic structure as the previous book: Liam has to find a way to communicate to Maddy so that they can safely return to 2001.

There is a wonderful twist this time, though. A lost species of dinosaur is watching the new arrival of pale, thin-skinned creatures, and learns how to use spears, how to make huts and bridges, and they evolve. A timewave is caused by this unplanned evolution and turns New York 2001 from a noisy colourful city to a dark jungle filled with biped lizards and Maddy and Sal end up running off their generator.

I loved this book as much as the previous one, but was disappointed in one thing. The last page of the novel seems like Scarrow added it in for no reason other than to make a few jaws drop. It messes the story line up and also tells us how the three teenagers will eventually die if you think hard about it. 7/10 because of this, otherwise it would have been a 9.

EDIT: After reading book 6, this rating is entirely wrong. Definitely a 9/10.