Still reeling from the death of his mentor and friend, Rutt is taken aback once more when confronted by a young girl late one night in the lab. One question leads to another, and Rutt soon learns that she is not who he believes her to be, nor is she the person she appears to the naked eye. Like a bolt of lightning, Rutt is struck with the realization that the thing he has worked on, believed in, and hoped for is finally standing before him in the form of a young, lost girl.

Myth Agent, by L.A. MacFadden, features main characters experiencing time travel from both sides. MacFadden has managed to provide readers with a fantastic story of time travel while incorporating a bit of mystery. I actually loved that I needed to reread the first few pages of chapter one because MacFadden gives readers a story that could indeed be set in any time period. I found it incredibly appealing that I didn’t immediately picture the setting as far as century. This is a story that could be situated neatly in any decade, but the fact that it is tucked into the early 20th century makes it unique.

As the mother of two teens, I have spent my fair share of time watching science fiction movies and have read many science fiction novels. MacFadden’s techniques stand out among the many approaches to time travel I have seen. It’s practically ingrained in us as a part of pop culture that time travelers will somehow be beamed up or disappear as a pixelated image before our eyes. MacFadden, however, has chosen to have her characters travel in a manner much more befitting, and somehow more believable.

In addition to the uniqueness of MacFadden’s choice of time travel description, I am intrigued by the manner in which characters’ time travel begins. I love the idea that the fossilized bone is the kickstarter for the whole process. The divide between prehistoric times and the futuristic feel of time travel itself is immensely appealing in this story line.

Rutt’s story is both relatable and enjoyable while Odessa’s serves to give more depth to the story. I appreciate the break MacFaddengives readers from overly technical details, machines, and text riddled with terms specific to technology. There is, within the chapters of Myth Agent, a well-developed story line surrounding Rutt’s backstory and the way in which he comes to know and love Minnie.

I find MacFadden’s work to be much more a story of perseverance than a work of science fiction and thoroughly enjoyed both story lines, though I found Rutt’s story tugged at my heartstrings most. I would recommend this book to anyone who has yet to become fully invested in science fiction and is looking to dabble in this particular genre. This is a fabulous starter book for any reader more interested in character development than the typical elements of science fiction.

“Myth Agent” is a lot of fun, and MacFadden’s quality is apparent right from very early on; an incredibly engaging and intriguing book, which is perfectly written by an author with a wonderful narrative voice.  This inoffensive and universal tale of time-travel is gripping, with a small streak of unidentifiable menace running beneath it, which grows very subtly in tension, eloquently setting up the reader’s anticipation by its midway point.  With its increasingly dark undertone, MacFadden’s early twentieth century fantasy brings to mind the writing of Lovecraft and, of course, Verne.

Events move quickly in this book – perhaps a touch too quickly at times, occasionally not allowing the reader time to digest and savour events, or become too heavily involved in great details.  But, the story is sound and well-structured, even though it didn’t necessarily move in the direction I was anticipating.  To be honest I was a tad disappointed that it didn’t deliver on this anticipation, or indulge as completely as I had hoped it was going to; it did leave some yearnings in me a touch unfulfilled, and without spoiling, leads toward a surprisingly downbeat culmination, without a real antagonist or payoff development of the underlying threat.  For me, I think, the real issue was that it didn’t really seem to delve into the fundamentals of its time travel aspect, nor the native American element of the backstory - I felt that it wasn’t really made clear what the connection was between the mammoth bone and the time machine, and in this respect I did find the overall product a touch disjointed.  I wonder if the book’s blurb may perhaps be a touch too revealing, its events not unfolding until late in the story and only forming one part of it.

Still, I am sincerely loath to make any criticism of “Myth Agent”, purely because MacFadden is such a tremendous author.  She is all but flawless, her language and grammar superb, and she provides a real sense of the era, which feels so authentic it could almost have been written in the first person.  Although she creates what for some could be a complicated, non-linear timeline, with confusing intersections and points of crossing, she does so without missing a beat.  Watching all the strands of this tale being seamlessly and flawlessly woven together is a pleasure to behold; there is no single error – either editorially or in the time-shifting narrative; she ties her dates together perfectly, clearly knowing the story and its characters, intimately.  This is a very clever and dedicated author, with a strong ethic of hard work and attention to detail, whose work I am very keen to read more of.

Myth Agent by L.A. MacFadden is a thrilling new novel about the truth of time travel, and the desperate lengths some will go to keep that truth hidden. Bouncing around the 20th century with eccentric characters like Rosenbaugh and Shatto make this a delightfully intriguing and well-researched read, as well as one that skillfully balances science and fiction. With a great story and a deft pen, MacFadden delivers enough action and suspense for those seeking a quick escape, but also a moderate dose of head-scratching philosophy and scientific theories to give the writing authenticity and depth.