In January 2027, Robert ‘Rob’ Gryffon, an archaeologist and TV star based in Silver Spring, Maryland, takes a vacation to Costa Rica with a group of his college friends. On the return flight, Rob experiences severe turbulence and engine failure, but lands safely. However, he is shocked to learn he is two years in the future and much has changed. Not only is his fiancée dead, but a malicious eldritch entity is moving fast through North America, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Soon he meets Tovan, a pilgrim from Wolt, an ancient mother world in another galaxy, who claims he has been searching for him for a long time. Rob learns that an evil master on Wolt has found a gateway to Earth, and the recent attacks are part of his plan to conquer the world. According to Tovan, Rob is the Meridian of Power, part of an ancient prophecy, and is the only one who can save Earth from the looming danger. Is Rob ready for the challenge ahead? Find out in Between Worlds by Steve Teets.

If you are looking for a time-travel sci-fi novel laced with mythical lore, adventure, a hint of romance and drama, psychological thrills, suspense, and plot twists, Between Worlds by Steve Teets is a worthy pick. Teets offers a tense introduction that sets the stage for the mystery. The multi-perspective narration moves at a steady pace, alternating between reflection, tension, and bursts of action. One moment, I was watching Rob grapple with the reality of his new circumstances, abilities, and responsibilities. The next thing, I was either following the Wolt band as they ruthlessly pursued their goal or the military fighting them. Teets unravels the story, revealing just enough to keep me turning the pages. The horror and the pervasive sense of foreboding gave the storyline a dark, apocalyptic feel. I understood Rob’s confusion, fear, despair, and reluctance as he interacted with the cast and his dilemma. This debut in The Great Trespass series is packed with conspiracy, deceit, secrets, betrayal, and close calls.

Steve Teets’ Between Worlds begins with the gruesome massacres in the Yukon attributed to an invading force known as the Wolt, and the betrayal of antiquarian Taylor Cerutti in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. The story then follows Rob Gryffon, a television host who boards a flight from Costa Rica in January 2027 and disembarks in March 2029. The Wolt, night-stalking creatures from a parent world linked to Earth, have seized Seattle and turned Canada into chaos. Rob discovers Taylor, his fiancée, is dead in this timeline, his mother is dying, and he is slipping uncontrollably between years. Tovan, a mysterious pilgrim, reveals that Rob is the prophesied Meridian of Power, marked by a solar-system birthmark and destined to turn back the minions of the Wolt Lord Arsgrath. A treasonous Army colonel serving a Wolt Master and compromised NSA agents are after him. As Rob flees west, he is determined to return to 2027 and save Taylor, but can he?

Between Worlds is imaginative, and the unpredictable plot had me racing through the pages. The relationship between Rob and Taylor is so cleverly built that it fuels the suspense. Steve Teets effortlessly melds time-slip science fiction, elements of an archaeological thriller, and apocalyptic horror to create a propulsive story that is hard to put down. The pacing is electrifying, feeding on Rob’s disorientation, Taylor's Morocco expedition, and military briefings at Mountain Home Air Force Base while delivering an unsettling atmosphere. This author is a master of suspense, with scenes that build the tension. A bold, intelligently plotted story that examines faith, destiny versus free will, and the power of prophecy. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Steve Teets’ Between Worlds follows Rob Gryffon, host of the TV show Historic Anomalies. He boards a flight from Costa Rica in 2027 and lands in 2029 in a world where nightmarish creatures called the Wolt have overrun western Canada and have just destroyed Seattle. Antiquarian Taylor Cerutti, his fiancée, is dead, and his mother is dying. Rob himself is a stranger in his own life. Rob slips between timelines: one where Taylor still lives, another where he is a hunted “Wolt terrorist.” Then a mysterious pilgrim named Tovan reveals that Rob is the Meridian of Power, the one prophesied in the Brown Book of Daytwan to turn back the minions of Arsgrath. His life is also in grave danger. Rob is pursued by a turncoat colonel loyal to Wolt Master Grun'kin and NSA agents who serve a rival Master. As he flees west, Taylor, in the past, is manipulated toward a Moroccan dig, the Eyes of Melqart, that may open the very gateway Rob is destined to destroy.

Steve Teets skillfully blends portal fantasy with apocalyptic thriller, and the mash-up works perfectly. Between Worlds follows different perspectives, from Rob to Taylor, the military, and the collaborators, which keeps the momentum high. The worldbuilding is impeccable, and it provides the ominous atmosphere that injects a noir element into the story. Seattle's fall is relayed through radio dispatches and barroom televisions, building slow-burning dread. Character work is stellar, and Rob is an appealingly reluctant hero; Taylor is intelligent and driven; and Neon is a whiny collaborator who doubles as a memorably seedy villain. The pacing is brisk, and the tension grows. This propulsive read makes a great opener for a series I am excited to follow.

Between Worlds by Steve Teets follows Robert Gryffon, a TV star who hosts a show about historic mysteries. His world is turned upside down when he somehow travels two years into the future. His fiancée has been murdered, his mother is dying of cancer, and night-hunting creatures called the Wolt are rampaging across the Pacific Northwest. Robert learns he is at the center of an ancient prophecy called the Great Trespass. He is the man destined to save humanity. However, before he can understand his role, Robert is pulled back to his own time, where his fiancée is alive and walking toward the same fate. Before he knows it, Robert is jumping between timelines while the U.S. Army and the NSA hunt him down. Suddenly, he doesn’t know who he can trust and who he cannot. Can he find out who the Wolt are and stop them in time? Or will he perish with the rest of the world?

Author Steve Teets created a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. I absolutely loved Robert and the way he rose to the occasion. He starts as a regular TV host who just wants to protect the people he loves, and I couldn’t help rooting for him. The timeline jumping could have been hard to follow, but the dates and places at the start of each scene made it easy. Of all the secondary characters, Tovan was my favorite. He’s a jaded man that only Rob can see, and I loved that he’s a little funny and mysterious. The Wolt were truly scary, and the news interviews in the first chapter made the invasion feel real. The pace was just right, the characters were easy to relate to, and I needed the next novel in the series the moment I finished this one. Between Worlds is perfect for readers who want a smart sci-fi thriller with time travel, monsters, and a protagonist who refuses to give up.