Get ready to join your favorite Guardians on yet another adventure through time with David Alyn Gordon's Jigsaw: Shadow Ball. After a fierce battle with Noebert, Noah Patterson, a temporal guardian, suddenly finds himself in an alternate reality where racial integration in the major leagues of baseball has yet to happen. The nefarious group Global Harmony has set its agents to rewrite history by taking out those influential people in baseball who took the first steps toward racial integration and equality in the game. Francesca finds Noah, and the Guardians to stop Global Harmony agents from assassinating Rube Foster, owner of Chicago American Giants, and baseball legend Lary Doby. Meanwhile, Cheryl has her own plans to make the world better. Additionally, Noah and Francesca must put everything on the line to stop Project Shadow Ball.

A standout feature of David Alyn Gordon's stories is there are so many characters you can get attached to, and Jigsaw: Shadow Ball is no different. Noah and Francesca are, of course, the main protagonists. But this book features plenty of interesting secondary characters that make the story even more entertaining, including D'Ambrosio, Tori, Mueller, Cheryl, and even Lillith. Gordon has, once again, spun a fast-paced yarn with lots of suspense, action, and mystery. Using a non-linear narrative that switches timelines multiple times, the author subtly introduces all the factions and characters in this epic time-travel adventure tale. The sci-fi elements are intriguing, and you always feel the stakes, particularly during the action sequences. The book ends on a cliffhanger that leaves a couple of questions unanswered. Overall, it's a fantastic sci-fi adventure novel.

Jigsaw: Shadow Ball by David Alyn Gordon revolves around a time-traveling group of operatives, including Noah, Francesca, and D'Ambrosio, trying to preserve the timeline and prevent alterations that could change history. A malfunction aboard the Sonora causes a series of time anomalies and propels characters to alternate realities. They meet historical figures like Rube Foster and Larry Doby, with the mission to restore history, including ensuring Doby’s integration into Major League Baseball in 1948. Meanwhile, a group called Global Harmony works to sabotage these efforts by manipulating events and promoting racial segregation, often using violence and supernatural tactics. As the operatives fight to protect civil rights, they experience tragic losses in a battle to determine the future of both baseball and racial integration in America.

Jigsaw: Shadow Ball by David Alyn Gordon is a well-written novel with a nod toward moments that are left largely unexplored in the genre. As a reader in England, where baseball isn't “a thing,” I learned quite a lot about the history of the sport. Gordon’s writing is simple and straightforward, the pacing is taut, and there are loads of suspenseful moments. The most fraught ones are during confrontations with white supremacists and bearing witness to what Doby faces within the segregated baseball world. Gordon’s attention to detail, dialogue, baseball history, and the time-bending plot are all brought to life alongside characters that are fleshed out and developed. There are plenty of twists that I did not see coming and, overall, this is a great premise that turns into a fully realized story. Very highly recommended.