The multiverse is collapsing. The time machine is broken. And humanity’s last hope? Might already be dead.
Seven months after the EMPs brought the world to its knees, a handful of scientists are racing against extinction—and each other. Somewhere in a flooded skyscraper lies a wormhole generator that might be able to undo the apocalypse. If they can find it. If it still works. If it doesn’t kill them first.
Meanwhile, Diego Nadales wakes in a cell, his face bloodied and his memories fractured. He's being accused of terrorism, treason, and time travel. The last one, at least, is true.
Isabel is trapped inside a biodome ruled by the man she once trusted. But her bees—microscopic drones designed to save the planet—have been hijacked and weaponized. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, her creation will wipe out the last threads of life on Earth.
Old friends return. New enemies rise. And somewhere in the chaos, one small spark of hope just might be enough to ignite a revolution.
The clock isn’t ticking. It’s blowing up.
Seven months after the EMPs brought the world to its knees, a handful of scientists are racing against extinction—and each other. Somewhere in a flooded skyscraper lies a wormhole generator that might be able to undo the apocalypse. If they can find it. If it still works. If it doesn’t kill them first.
Meanwhile, Diego Nadales wakes in a cell, his face bloodied and his memories fractured. He's being accused of terrorism, treason, and time travel. The last one, at least, is true.
Isabel is trapped inside a biodome ruled by the man she once trusted. But her bees—microscopic drones designed to save the planet—have been hijacked and weaponized. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, her creation will wipe out the last threads of life on Earth.
Old friends return. New enemies rise. And somewhere in the chaos, one small spark of hope just might be enough to ignite a revolution.
The clock isn’t ticking. It’s blowing up.
The BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, D. L. ORTON, lives in the foothills of Colorado where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops. Her future plans include completing the books in the BETWEEN TWO EVILS series followed by an extended vacation on a remote tropical island (with a Starbucks).
When she’s not writing, playing tennis, or helping with algebra, she’s building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.
When she’s not writing, playing tennis, or helping with algebra, she’s building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.
Ms. Orton is a graduate of Stanford University’s Writers Workshop and a past editor of “Top of the Western Staircase,” a literary publication of CU, Boulder. The author has a number of short stories published in online literary magazines, including Literotica.com, Melusine, Cosmoetica, The Ranfurly Review, and Catalyst Press.
Her debut novel, CROSSING IN TIME, has won numerous literary awards including an Indie Book Award and a Publishers Weekly Starred Review. It was also selected as one of only 12 Great Indie Stars by BookLife’s Prize in Fiction.
The Hive Tour was last year and I didn't have the time to read it. So I've included it here.
What if saving the future meant rewriting the past?
In a dying world overrun by microdrones, humanity's last survivors cling to life inside the Eden-17 biodome. Isabelle Sanborn knows her time is running out, but one desperate plan might give humanity a second chance. With the help of Madders, an enigmatic AI built from the memories of a brilliant physicist, Isabelle sends Diego Nadales—the love of her life—35 years into the past. His mission? To change the course of history and prevent their world's collapse.
When Diego arrives in the vibrant yet fragile Main Timeline, he's forced to confront ghosts of the past, including a younger, ambitious version of Isabelle. As he battles to shape a better future, Diego must navigate a delicate web of relationships and events without destroying the very fabric of time.
Brimming with suspense, heart-pounding action, and a poignant love story that transcends time, Madders of Time - Book One is a breathtaking science fiction adventure. Award-winning author DL Orton weaves a tale that explores sacrifice, resilience, and the timeless power of love.
Fans of The Time Traveler's Wife and Dark Matter will find themselves captivated by this unforgettable journey through parallel worlds and intertwining destinies.
The clock is ticking. Can love survive the collapse of time itself?
Prepare to lose yourself in the first installment of the Madders of Time series—a story that will keep you turning pages and leave you hungry for more.
D.L. Orton
Sci-Fi | Time Travel
6 May 2025
350 Pages
My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble
The beginning of this book is the grim end of humans on Earth. They’ve just buried Isabelle Sanborn’s ex-husband, David Kirkland (a class A asshole, btw) and with Isabelle herself dying, she needs to convince the love of her life, Diego Nadales, to go back in time and try to fix their timeline. They need him to avert the apocalypse that destroys everything they were trying to save.
In 2020, I read Crossing in Time by the author. It’s essentially this story, but much more polished. The issues I had in CiT are resolved in Hive and the story moves along at an even and smooth pace. The characters are flawed making them feel more real and the situation is nail biting. Kirkland is a real jackhole. Wow. Why in the hell did Isabelle marry him over Diego? We aren’t given an answer to that question, but I question her intelligence about a guy so obviously awful. One disappointment is there is no real POV for “old” Diego who travelled back in time. We glimpse him here and there, but that’s it. Bummer. The ending is a cliffhanger setting up Book 2 Jump and I’m looking forward to seeing how it unrolls. If you like some time travel and apocalyptic action in your sci-fi then be sure to pick this up.
**I apologize for the lateness of this review. Real Life has been tough.
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