It’s easy to get stuck in a rut reading the same authors, which is not necessarily a bad thing. For me, I enjoy peering into the imaginations of Blake Crouch, Daniel Suarez, Andy Weir, Eliot Peper, and A.G. Riddle on a regular basis. However, I also find it enjoyable to explore new authors. The storytelling changes. The ideas are different. And who knows, I might even discover a new author to add to my regular reading rotation.

For my latest author exploration, I decided to read Extracted by RR Haywood.

Extracted is an interesting take on the classic time travel story. Instead of basing the story on the inventor as the hero and primary protagonist, it centers on three individuals who are “extracted” prior to their imminent deaths, without their knowledge or consent. They’re from different time periods, and they’ve been selected based on their bravery and courage under fire. They’re been given the mission of training themselves physically and mentally to save the earth from an apocalyptic event that threatens the future of humanity.

It should be noted that Extracted is the first book of a trilogy. I found it a bit disappointing that the book does not stand on its own. It more or less ends midstream and relies on continuing to read through the trilogy to find out what happens.

Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly enjoy the first book, but It wasn’t due to the writing. The book is structured and written well. My primary issue is that it was long and meandering. There were spots that contained lots of environment details and extended dialog between characters that didn’t add a lot to or significantly advance the story. I prefer storytelling with a faster pace and more action with the environment and characters developed as part of the story.

Overall, I found the concept interesting and the writing solid, but I wasn’t captivated by the storytelling. And therein lies the beauty of reading different authors with different writing and storytelling styles. What I like may not be someone else’s cup of tea. So while I’ve decided to pass on the remainder of the Extracted series, you may like Haywood’s storytelling style, particularly if you enjoy books that explore characters and the environment in depth.