Timecop: Viper's Spawn: #1

Viper's Spawn is a fair kickoff to the Timecop novel series (outside of Perry's film novelization), but fans of the show should keep in mind a few things.1. The novel is not consistent with the series. Characters wear blast suits to travel in time (as seen on the cover of "The Scavenger"), for instance. Also, somehow, this story features the "first" introduction of Logan and Claire, but it takes place on Dec. 31, 2007, *after* the TV series where they were paired takes place. Continuity's something that can be fudged by saying "oh, things changed somehow," but still, stuff like that would be a no-brainer for consistency, wouldn't it?2. As such, Claire has virtually no role in the story. The historian side more closely resembles the original pilot for the show (aired 5th, called "Rocket Science"), with Amy Fuller and Bob O'Donnelly paired with Easter, rather than Claire.3. The novel's timing also isn't consistent with Parkinson's own immediate follow-up, "The Scavenger," as that novel references events in this one, but is dated, again, earlier in 2007 than the ending of Viper's Spawn, which is on 12-31-07.If you can get past those glaring inconsistencies, it's a fun read.

A major improvement on the first book in the series, Dan Parkinson brings us a grand tale of time travelling Nazis versus the heroic TEC. Loads of fun, this tale reads like a pulp adventure in the classic style, with plenty of time-jumping and event manipulation thrown in. Parkinson explains some of the stuff he threw in to the first book, which allows this tale to make a lot more sense. The pace of the book is frenetic from beginning to end, with some genuinely nail-biting moments. If you liked the series, or are just after some thrilling entertainment, pick this book up.