Transgression

Time travel and history! My favs

I love hard science fiction (NOT fantasy) and time travel is my favorite theme--when it's done well. Transgression is truly a remarkable mix of science, adventure, history, religion, and even romance. The balance is perfect. This is the first book I've read by Ingermanson, but now I'll read the others for certain. I do highly recommend Transgression--reading it is like taking a vacation into the past. As a Catholic, I enjoyed the Christian slant to it. I really can think of no criticism--definitely 5 stars!

Another of Randall Ingermanson's books, he uses his impressive scientific and Biblical knowledge to write an incredible story. Rivka Myers finds herself used as an unwitting guinea pig and sent back in time to Ancient Israel! Fortunately, she is skilled in ancient linguistics, and manages to get around town pretty well...until she is mistaken for a prostitute. (Cut-off jeans, and no covered hair...shocking!) A "fellow" prostitute covers for Rivka until she can get her bearings and recover her modesty. She soon learns that the "mad" scientist who sent her back in the first place has followed her into his "wormhole" and into Ancient Times. Rivka must find out why, while also dealing with a new friend coming to her rescue...even after they had a fight.I have it from a good source (the author) that his book is only the first of three (or was it five?) books in this series.This book is incredibly well-written, entertaining, interesting, believable, and action-packed. There's twists and turns all along the way, and the fun's not over yet! Buy this book, and be on pins and needles for the next!One question: It's never made clear why this book is called Transgression. Perhaps it will in future books, but for now, it's a mystery.

I was skeptical. Time-travel and wormholes, Jerusalem and an attempt to assassinate the Apostle Paul? Great concepts, but could this new author pull it off?Ingermanson not only pulls it off, he tells a story worth re-reading. I was impressed. "Transgression" works as a historical/futuristic suspense novel--and, on top of that, offers theological insights. This story of Rivka, an archeaology student, and Avi, a physicist, is suspenseful and taut. The dialogue is crisp, with subtle depth and honesty. As his characters took form early on, I was intrigued by their religious differences and wondered how they would interact once they time-traveled back to A.D. 57. Not only are they challenged by one another, they are confronted with a world of varying customs and traditions. In their quest to save the Apostle Paul from a modern scientist with a madcap scheme, they encounter various minor characters, all of whom are depicted with depth and grace. With numerous little details, Ingermanson builds a credible view of first century Jerusalem and I found myself wanting to visit, wanting to check some of the incidents described against the history of the New Testament.To round off an entertaining and thought-provoking novel, Ingermanson also throws in a few doses of romance. Some of it worked for me, some of it seemed sudden and/or stilted. But give him credit for mixing in a little spice to this already flavorful book. Better quality publishing might've helped this book out (I personally found the graphics and cover a bit substandard), but the author managed to override my qualms with solid storytelling. I'm looking forward to reading his newest, titled "Oxygen."

Transgression is captivating and intelligent, a real pleasure to read. It is truly a surprise to find such engaging characters, historical insights, and well reasoned theoretical physics all combined in one work. To find all of these in a first novel should send up flags - bookmark this author! Randy Ingermanson's characters ring true. Not only are they intelligent, but they just feel real. The Israeli dialog, from both modern and first century periods, is very authentic, and naturally scented with Hebrew words. The compelling plot, intertwining with another plot straight from the bible, make this an exceptional page turner. An excellent read, and a wonderful gift for readers.

WOW! WOW! WOW! I couldn't put it down.The entire book was really fabulous. I tend to be pretty picky about books, looking for things that don't pass the "smells right" test, and though my physics education is limited to that needed for engineering, all the non-physics parts of the book were great. The physics parts were cool too, but way over my head! I was kept guessing every step of the way. I cannot find the words to say how much I enjoyed this book.