If you’re a fan of Twilight Zone-esque blends of science fiction, fantasy, and psychological twists with a moral at the end, and you’d enjoy a little “tongue in cheek” humor along the way, then Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age by John Joseph Teressi is for you. Grippland is a technologically advanced but repressive dystopian world where the government maintains control through regimentation, imprisonment, Thought Police, and Thought Stalkers. A museum holds all the inspiring and hopeful words the people are no longer allowed to write or say. But now, a terrible disease threatens them. Ten criminals volunteer to make the highly risky journey into the future to look for an advanced civilization which might hold the key to a remedy.

In an exciting, frightening, at times deadly but always colorful, time travel adventure, the team encounters the unexpected, the mysterious, the incongruous, and the bizarre in a world of natural beauty filled with strange beings such as they’ve never seen and don't initially understand. Stumbling along, they can't remain unaffected by the experience, which chips away at everything they ever held as true. Will their perseverance win the day as they “grab on, grip on, and grind on,” or will they be lost forever in the Vortex of Time, never to “come to Gripps with” (pun intended) The Seven Harmonies that could save their world? After all, age is only a state of mind. In Portals in Time, Teressi presents both a warning given in good humor, and a way forward given with sincere intent. An entertaining adventure and a thought-provoking read.

Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age by John Joseph Teressi is an inspirational fantasy, a story with a complex plot and sophisticated characters, written with deep layers of spirituality and powerful hints of philosophy. You’ll experience both adventure and time travel, and follow compelling characters on a very exciting quest as they are faced with life-changing choices and chances to alter the fate of their people — the Gripps. We meet ten volunteers from Grippland, sent on a time travel mission to uncover the secret of un-old-age, each one a specialist in their field. This team is known as “Eye of Time Exploration Team” and the survival of a civilization depends on them. The Gripps have been aging fast and this group will have to travel to a point in time where they’ll discover the secret to stopping this phenomenon. But will they be able to return to their own time with the results expected of them or will they abandon themselves to a new consciousness?

Things get very interesting the moment the team sets out. They are thrust into a world with strange realities that fascinate them, and they encounter intelligent life forms and magical beings. Beings like the skilled time travelers known as the Guardians of Acronos, the wise seven Harmonies, Delphos, and many others will excite the explorers and lure them in unimaginable ways. John Joseph Teressi has the gift of storytelling and, while the adventures of the characters can be exciting, the author succeeds in awakening a deep spiritual longing in the hearts of readers, making them see themselves in the characters. The setting of Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age is a fictional world that some of us must have dreamed about. The story is told in fine prose and in a captivating tone. The author balances the strong descriptive prose with believable dialogues. This book takes you to dreamland and makes you feel as if you belong to a spiritual world of endless possibilities.

In the gripping fantasy novel, Portals In Time (The Quest for Un-Old-Age) by John Joseph Teressi, ten time-travelers living in a dystopian world on the verge of obliteration, volunteer for a mission of redemption. The citizens of Grippland are aging at an alarming rate and the entire population is at risk. Gripp High Command chooses ten volunteers from their prison and forms the Grippland Eye of Time Exploration Team. The team's objective is to travel through time and search for the answer to the extension of life and, ultimately, bring back a cure. The group embarks on what they believe is a scientific journey, but are dropped into another dimension, in the mystical land of Acronos. The two guardians of Acronos meet the travelers and try to guide them. Suspicious and paranoid, the exploration team spurns the proffered help. With unexplained energy waves, frightening magical creatures, and changes in time and space, the Gripps fight and struggle to survive. Despite the team's antagonism, the guardians stay close, attempting to assist the ignorant intruders through a cosmological maze. With the visitors' lack of respect and courtesy for Acronos, can the guardians keep the Gripp team safe and find a cure?

Portals In Time (The Quest for Un-Old-Age) by John Joseph Teressi is an exciting fantasy novel with a riveting plot suffused with the mysteries of time and space. It is a brilliant philosophical New Age novel in which the qualities of two centuries-old classics, Lewis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland" and John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," are melded into a dynamic futuristic tale. Surpassing dystopian and utopian novels, it is an inspiring spiritual journey that delves into metaphysics and the fundamentals of reality. The time-traveling aspect of the story has the capricious effect of going "down the rabbit hole," and is an enthralling part of the adventure from the first chapter to the last. The stark contrast between Grippland's egotistical lack of care for its ecological environment, and Acronos, where ego is non-existent, and nature seems to have a life of its own, will especially thrill those who are interested in spirituality, mysticism, holism, and environmentalism.

Suicide Squad meets time travel in Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age by John Joseph Teressi. To begin with, the story handles the time travel aspect really well. I loved how complex the characters were and how well the author merged the characters and the story line together. Although the characters were intense, they brought something new to the story on every single page and kept me interested in the plot. There is nothing that I don’t like about this novel. It is a well-developed and fast-paced story that had me riveted from the get go.

The story follows ten convicts and a team of intellectuals who make up the Eye of Time Exploration Team that travel through time to find a cure for a disease that is making their people die of premature old age. How they are getting old, why they are getting old ... no one knows. This is the reason why the “volunteers” are time traveling - to find the “Secret of Un-Old-Age” that can help these people. However, even though they have two of the best time travelers with them, the journey is paved with unforeseen terrors and dangers that no one can predict. What will become of this team of brave travelers? Will they find the cure for this terrible disease or will they be lost forever?

Thoroughly entertaining, the novel grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Although at first glance the story seems like science fiction, in fact, it expertly merges many genres together to make the perfect amalgamation of thriller, mystery, science fiction, psychological thriller and many more. The best thing is, the author handled them all really well and ensured that the narrative held its own with very strong characters and becoming a living, breathing being that cannot be ignored. Perfect!

Portals in Time is a heart-racing mental thriller that grips the reader in its fantastical story! “The Eye of Time Exploration Team” consists of convicts considered a danger to society along with those hand-chosen from the scientific community. These team members were part of time travel experimentation.
Those who controlled the laws and the land were “High Command.” Many of the laws were imagined and it was impossible to discern what was legal any longer. This story is a trip down the “rabbit hole” (Pardon the comparison).
The engineer, Stare, is one of the main characters. He loses himself in the madness of the experiment, his desire to be free of his “alleged” crimes, and the idea of whether any of it even mattered.
Find the time to become lost in this story. You will be mesmerized, confused, and in awe of the author’s attention to detail, as well as the mind-boggling journey it creates in your head. John Joseph Teressi has written a great new fantasy that will leave you questioning our role, as humans, in all of this madness.

Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age by John Teressi reminds me of a cross between George Orwell’s “1984” and James Redfield’s “The Celestine Prophecy.
This is a story about ten members of the “Eye of Time Exploration Team”, basically time travelers who are sent from another time to find out how to stop their people from aging prematurely and save their civilization.

Along the way they encounter storms and their greatest fears. They encounter lessons in harmonies that they don’t want to see. I loved the spiritual lessons presented in this book, about living in the present and finding your "rhythm".

Through the teams many misadventures great spiritual truths are uncovered. If you enjoyed the “Celestine Prophecy” series you will like this book as well.

I loved this book.

“Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age” is not only a very engaging tale, it is relevant to society today as a guide for a peaceful and happy life. I plan on reading it again after it is returned to me from the people who are currently reading my copy. If only our political leaders would read this book, maybe our countries would have a chance for peaceful interactions.
Thank you John Teressi for your persistence in writing this book.

Beautiful writing, great action, fun characters, and a unique plot!

Beautiful writing, great action, fun characters, unique plot…Just an amazing, eye-opening read that really delivered in terms of exploring different aspects of humanity, flaws, weaknesses, and sins, but also change, growth, redemption, and hope. I admit this isn’t really my normal genre of reading but the sample pulled me in, and it was just so easy and fun to read.

I thought John Joseph Teressi’s writing was so powerful…descriptive (without being overdone) and each of the (many) characters add to the story in a believable way, even though some are quite ‘out there’ (but in a good way!) Adventuresome at times, intense and shocking at others – this feels like a literary acid trip and I mean that as a compliment. Some scenes happen that are just weird and you are trying to figure out what it all means – but that is what makes reading this fun...its when you finally do figure it out. At least I think I did -ha-ha.

Anyways, I liked the poetic feel also, how the various threads weave together in an ending that I can only describe as being truly inspired. It is richly layered with meaning and wisdom – philosophical and spiritual – that some may miss, but others will marvel at. I admired how Teressi utilized the language to create such a vivid, almost hallucinatory atmosphere each step of the way, and he never gets too heavy-handed in the imagery. An inspiring, engrossing novel that stays with you long after you are done and makes you want to read more from him soon. (5 stars) Steph Coleman– Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

Multi-Faceted and Thrilling, Fantasy Fiction - What an extraordinary, magical journey!

I’m not one for rehashing the plot (that’s what the summary is for on the book description page), but trust me when I say you’ve never read anything like this before! It’s quite deep, metaphysical, and is not for the stupid or easily bored or those lacking in a sense of spirit or having closed minds. But if you like multi-faceted and thrilling, fantasy fiction, which is also philosophical and enlightening and fun to read, you’ll love this one.

As I was reading this novel, I was thinking about how I really felt like I was part of this whole quest/voyage/journey…in a mythical, but relatable setting…and was having encounters with various characters who shape the course of reality in unexpected ways. While it’s not a long book, it’s not a ‘fast’ read either – one you should take your time with as it will take you through new ideas and perspectives that you may not have read before. And experiencing the various character’s perspectives throughout is as enlightening as it is entertaining. It’s also sad and even shocking at times. But I like how Mr. Teressi inserts us in their lives and writes in a way so we really feel like we are there with them throughout everything.

This is not your traditional novel with an obvious 3-act arc, it is more like watching their lives intertwine with each other's lives in unexpected ways for unexpected results.  Overall an interesting, if not surreal novel that pushes the boundaries of typical literature and is a great addition to the field. Would love to read more from this author someday.  (5 stars)  Claire Middleton– Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

"Portals in Time" felt almost like one long poetic dream!

This book was a lot of fun and really different.

I read some reviews that compare it to “Celestine Prophecy” and/or “Twilight Zone” and I can see elements of both – and so much more. It’s pretty astounding the different themes that go into play here-- it’s a thriller, suspense, fantasy, action, drama, spiritual, philosophical, metaphysical, literary feat! And once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop until I’d finished the whole book.

It pulls you in from the beginning, and I loved the author’s ‘voice’ and his whole style of writing, but I can definitely see it not being for everyone. Their loss. The various plotlines were complex and well-developed and not predictable, and the characters were some of the most fun (and most interesting!)  I’ve come across in a long time - and it’s almost like they could have so easily become caricatures, but weren’t – like their whole personalities/scenes were sort of like ‘metaphors’ for the bigger story – does this make sense? It’s done in a good way.

The dialogue was fantastic because it definitely had that ‘authentic’ feel – At times it did feel a little overwritten, but I didn’t sweat it – it wasn’t annoying. The editing was practically perfect – I notice and appreciate that! Nothing I hate more than sloppy editing and this one had a very polished and professional feel, from the cover to the formatting, writing quality and editing. I must say I think this book might fall flat with the wrong audience – those looking for more traditional, in-your-face, obvious, fast-paced action and simple high-stakes drama. It is here, just more low-key, more philosophical and more profound. Oh, and I thought that ending was beautiful. Made the whole book feel almost like one long poetic dream. (5 stars) Brenda Maxwell – Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

An Engaging, Creative…Even Ground-Breaking Novel! It captured my attention from the start and never once let it go!

Each scene was riveting, imaginative, and very well described– We really experience things through the various characters’ eyes for better or worse.  I liked the character, Stare, a lot, but many others also (and there are a lot of them with great names, too). There was little to no lull in the forward action, but at times the pace does slow. But I think this is just showing us more of Teressi’s spiritual side, his musings or observations, which I really liked – but sometimes I felt there was a lack of focus and wondered what the point of some scenes was.

However, even with that said, I think Teressi is an immensely gifted writer, and his prose is some of the best I have seen in some time, combined with a searching for truth to discover more about the nature of man’s psyche and soul. He has a real talent for crafting a well-thought-out story and developing complex, memorable characters who are light years from the ordinary and a profound exploration of spirituality/harmony. Definitely, an author to watch. (4stars) Cody Brighhton– Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

Keeps You Totally Hooked Right Up Until the End!

I became interested in the story right away with the prologue – I like the concept of time travel and exploring alternate possibilities, and of course when they say “There is nothing to worry about…” you know there are things to worry about!

We do feel shot through a “Portal”, and it opens dimensions beyond the obvious. So to me, that is where the story’s strength lies – in its ability to capture the essence of humanity – profound questions on existence and theories of what is ‘known’ and ‘unknown’. I will say that it did take me some time to fully grasp what John Joseph Teressi was really creating here--I kept waiting for some dramatic ‘plot twist’ and then I realized there isn’t any particular one – because essentially the WHOLE thing is one intriguing turn after the other. It actually infuses life-lessons and spiritual insight with the story as it evolves and thus carries more significance than just some ‘time travel’ book.

Definitely more existential and metaphorical than a typical literary sci-fi novel, “Portal” has all the goods to keep you totally hooked right up until the end. I think the most brilliant thing about it is how when you do reach the end, it almost makes you look back on the whole book in a whole new light. Recommend. (4- 5stars) C.J. Jones– Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

 

This book was amazing…provocative, thrilling, suspenseful, intelligent, spiritual and philosophical!

This book was amazing. I’ll be honest - at first, I was like “what is going on?” and thought it was just too weird… but even then, I thought it was intriguing and how the author writes is so intense… but very readable and literary. I just kept on reading and got into this book and was amazed when I realized just how brilliant it really was.

I have read literally thousands of books in my life across all genres. I do have a soft spot for fantasy/ alternative-reality/ philosophy/ spiritualism genres, but am often slightly disappointed with the lack of ingenuity or a deeper message. This was definitely not the case with this book, “Portals in Time”. From the very beginning of the book we are drawn into Teressi’s strange new world, and meet a whole cast of characters unlike any I’ve met before. I am hard pressed to think of another book that combines so many literary elements, from being provocative, thrilling, suspenseful, intelligent, spiritual and philosophical… a sci-fi with a beautifully poetic nature that is also filled with unexpected drama and crazy escapades.

While the writing style is literary, the action flowed seamlessly from one page to the next and was unpredictable and bizarre enough to make me just *have* to see what would happen next. Not formulaic or cookie-cutter at all, and I liked how this book also touches on the profound nature of life and man’s condition on so many levels…and the consequences of his actions – even if allegorical (like the reason for the Gripps aging prematurely). And the ending just makes you feel good – words of wisdom we can all benefit from. This strikes me as the type of book that either the reader will ‘get it’ and love it, or it will go over their head and they will be confused. Glad I’m in the former category. (5 stars) Essie Harmon– Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers

Great Spiritual Truths Uncovered!

Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age by John Teressi reminds me of a cross between George Orwell’s 1984 and James Redfield’s the Celestine Prophecy. This is a story about ten members of the “Eye of Time Exploration Team”, basically time travelers who are sent from another time to find out how to stop their people from aging prematurely and save their civilization.

Along the way, they encounter storms and their greatest fears. They encounter lessons in harmonies that they don’t want to see. I loved the spiritual lessons presented in this book. Through the team's many misadventures great spiritual truths are uncovered.  If you enjoyed the “Celestine Prophecy” series, you will like this book as well. I loved this book.

I would like to thank the author and publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Reviewed by Rose of www.InsightsIntoBooks.com (5-Stars)

Humorous, Inspirational, Adventurous, Mysterious!

If you love fantasy, time-travel, and adventure, delivered through inspirational, melodic, and mystical prose, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything more original, satisfying, or motivational than “Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old Age” by John Joseph Teressi.

Grippland is in dire need of a remedy for the premature aging of its civilization.  At risk of extinction, scientists begin human trials sending citizens (known as Gripps) on expeditions to find a cure.  Unfortunately, these travelers disappear, never to be heard from again. Are they lost in time forever or have they suffered a fate even worse?  Assured that all necessary adjustments have been made to the program, the latest “volunteers” are selected from citizens imprisoned for faults against Grippland society.  These Gripps are promised their freedom and other substantial rewards upon the completion of a successful mission.  From here the story begins, with the Grippland Eye of Time Exploration Team as they navigate through the trials and tribulations of a new world in their efforts to succeed.

There is so much going on in this story I hardly know where to start, but it has to be with the characters – so many delightful characters.  The Gripps will drive you insane with their inability to grasp any concept on any level outside of the ideas that have been ingrained within them over time. Regardless of the peril, these Gripps simply do not get it! Readers might find a bit of themselves or someone they know within each character as they navigate through the adventures of the well-intentioned but misguided Gripps.

The secondary characters, although none of them actually felt secondary, are colorful, exciting and literally out-of-this-world, as are the fantastical scenes within the incredible world of Acronos.  Fabius and Filloloper, the Guardians of Acronos, are knowledgeable and wise and try to help the Gripps, but their efforts are often met with distrust and animosity. They are saints in my book with the faith they place in the Gripps, even though time after time the Gripps fail to “get a grip” so to speak.

There is a lot of metaphysical wisdom and influence in the story. As the Gripps face some of their biggest fears, it is clearly exhibited that what you think becomes your reality.  The consequences of the Gripps’ actions (and sometimes inactions) are brilliantly described through Teressi’s unique and spellbinding delivery.  In fact, this story is so well-written, it’s actually quite beautiful and I can only imagine the amount of time the author put into the story.  In addition to the storyline text that flows effortlessly, Teressi’s characters are often reciting poetry and songs, riddles and rhymes, all in an effort to get through to his Gripps.  The attention to detail provides readers with vivid imagery and focus. What a wonderful and creative imaginative mind.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old Age” by John Joseph Teressi.  Humorous, inspirational, adventurous, mysterious – it is a complex story full of elements to satisfy a wide spectrum of readers.— (5-Stars) Reviewed by Sheri Hoyt, Managing Editor Reader Views, June 12, 2018

Wow! Just…Wow! What an insane book! Holy bananas!! Very highly recommend!!

Okay, I don’t even know where to begin because so much happens, and I don’t want to give anything away…

“Portals in Time” by author John Joseph Teressi is far and away one of the most original and just flat-out interesting and crazy and surreal thriller/suspense/sci-fi/fantasy/action fiction novels I’ve ever read (and I read a lot!).

I liked it for so many different reasons:  first, the writing was really solid--very literary (beautiful prose) and the editing was very clean. The fluid narrative, fast-paced chapters, and engaging dialogue makes it a very easy book to sink into; and the characters all feel very unique and individual based on their conversations and action, not on some narrative ‘description’ of them in the story (a pet peeve of mine), but there is a character list after the story is over if you want to keep track of them better, which I liked.

There are enough descriptions where you can picture everything perfectly, but not so much that it bogs down the pacing. The characters are so incredibly interesting and bizarre, and yet believable (for the most part – a few over the top aspects, but still we can buy into them for entertainment’s sake), and I like how they all had their own unique stories and backgrounds that lead them to what/who they are.

There were so many different plotlines and even though at first, you don’t see how or if it’s connected, it was fascinating to see how it all came together in the end which was awesome. It does wrap up well (with a beautiful ending), but I hope there is more in the future from Teressi. This is one mind-bendy read that stands out in terms of depth and even teaching some wonderful life lessons in an organic, spiritual way. Very highly recommend!!— !! 5-Stars— Gillian Hancock, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Indie Book Reviewers

Profound and Visionary!

Profound and visionary, “Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age” by John Joseph Teressi really struck me as unique due to the depth and complexity of the characters and the fact that even for a science-fiction/fantasy/metaphysical adventure the rules seemed to go out the window and really threw me for a loop several times.

The writing is very strong (so surprised to read this is the author’s first novel!) and the plot is compelling and intelligent enough to really keep our attention despite the hefty length (414 pages) – which is honestly saying a lot considering I get bored reading most books these days. This one just flows so much smoother and faster and keeps picking up steam as it goes along. Kept me turning the pages late into the night!

One thing I’ll say is that I was impressed with how John told this story using a variety of different character perspectives, which really allows us to get in the different characters’ ‘heads’ in a way and see the bigger picture. Some parts we feel like a bystander, other times like a willing participant. There are a LOT of characters (handy guide at the end for the main important ones) with some of the coolest names (Stare, Delphos, Twist, Scheme, Babble, etc. etc.…) and he creates his own new world/cultural system that is fantastical, yet we can still relate to it.

Execution and presentation-wise, the editing and the formatting were nearly flawless. Very rare, especially in e-books. I am usually not a fan of the time travel motif but it works well here, and in a way that makes sense for the story. I really wondered how all the different plot points would wrap up and come together in the end, but it was so perfect! Loved it! And after the book is over keep reading on for the “Harmonies” which are wonderful! Probably too complex for younger readers but highly recommend for fans of SciFi and fantasy with a philosophical/spiritual element. 5-Stars, —Sam Ryan, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Indie Book Reviewers

Creative, thought-provoking and downright addicting!

“Portals in Time…” by John Joseph Teressi is by far one of the more different, creative, thought-provoking and downright addicting books I’ve read in a long time! I was completely drawn in from the get-go in the different characters’ minds in this strange world and watched as they slowly became entwined and deeper in this complex drama as more twists and character motivations were revealed – some which are seriously jaw-dropping.

It does take some time for us to really understand where the story is going, but we know it is very ‘science’ based and the race of people known as “Gripps” age faster than normal, so they send an exploration team through time to figure out why. But that brief description barely touches the surface of this novel which encompasses so many facets of the human condition and consciousness and has several tangents ranging from scandalous, to spiritual, philosophical, scientific, fantasy, mysterious, intellectual… you name it.

I enjoyed Teressi’s literary ‘voice’ and thought the character and plot development to be extremely well done. This level of complexity with the various interweaving subplots and a large cast of characters could have ended up badly, but instead, I darn near gobbled the whole thing down in three nights! (And this is a pretty long book, 414 pages.) The writing is genuine and authentic, as is the dialogue in a way that truly brings this memorable story to life. At times it does almost border on being almost too strange and unbelievable, and some of the characters I felt like I had a good sense of, but some just felt like names. This has a surreal vibe that will make you think outside the box, even for a SciFi fantasy, but it also speaks to your heart and soul in profound ways that I didn’t expect. Occasional bouts of needless scenes/wordiness, but overall an impactful journey—emotional, spiritual-physical—that we go on with these characters and definitely worth a read. 4-Stars — Karen Matthews, Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers