Overview

When Rand sails to 15th-century London, he acquires the first books ever printed in English. Worth millions, he hopes to transport these back to the 21st century, where he will build that multi-billion-dollar app. While there, he hears of the rarely-seen, priceless 2,500-year-old manuscripts hidden in Spain that encompass the lost wisdom of the ages. If he can overcome numerous dangers to acquire these treasures, with his newfound status and wealth, he hopes to marry the beguiling Princess Marie, the most tantalizingly beautiful woman of any century. Along his perilous journey, he encounters the newly crowned King Henry the VII, the ambitious explorer Christopher Columbus and resplendent Queen Isabella as she and Ferdinand conquer Spain. Meanwhile, back in Bunkillarny, his abusive nemesis, Reginald, has seized control of the shire and instituted a corrupt regime plotting to become the wealthiest and most powerful man in all of Ireland. To secure his reign, he threatens Rand's friends with imprisonment, rape and murder, leaving the previously thriving shire's downtrodden populace desperate for rescue.

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9781736627181

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Reviews

""A creative fantasy rendition of past-meets-present.""-Kirkus Reviews ""Silicon Valley app developer continues his time-traveling literary adventures in the second installment of Oberst's adventure series, set in the 15th and 21st centuries. Californian tech inventor Rand Roberts, jaded after the theft of his smartphone application by venture capitalists, seeks solace in a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon. A near-fatal fall into rapids reveals to him a secret cave-and the secret of time travel. He's transported to 1491 Ireland, where he's nursed to health by a young woman named Gwendolyn. He eventually operates a then-revolutionary printing press and becomes implicated in complex castle politics. Rand aims to revolutionize knowledge across England by printing ancient Greek and Roman texts in English, making them available to all; he also wants to marry his love, Princess Marie. Meanwhile, he's unaware that Ireland is in political turmoil after the assassination of King Edward and the ascension of child-king Patrick; Lord Reginald and Lord Boston are hatching a sinister plot to overthrow the rightful heir. The book thus follows two parallel storylines: Rand's travels to Salamanca, Spain, where the university holds tomes of ancient texts he hopes to print, and the political goings-on back in Bunkillarny, involving the scheme to overthrow the king. Rand's adventures bring him into contact with several historical figures, such as Queen Isabella of Spain and Christopher Columbus himself, armed only with a 20th-century smartphone with a download of Wikipedia. This story's unlikely swashbuckling hero has a satisfying yet suspenseful resolution at the end of the book. Overall, this work is full of intriguing historical personages and details, and classic historical fantasy fodder is effectively combined with Silicon Valley references, as when Rand comes in contact with real-life printer and publisher Wynkyn De Worde, whom he compares to ""Gates and Jobs, Bezos and Zuckerberg."" ...the protagonist's enthusiasm for democratizing ancient knowledge is contagious and a well-incorporated central theme.""

Author Information

Rob Oberst presented to scores of universities and management groups and has written books and articles on various topics, including time travel, technology, and finance. He possesses a BS in Systems Analysis from Miami University, a Master's from Case Western Reserve University and has been a Cleveland Plain Dealer guest columnist. As a management consultant, he co-founded a successful quarter-billion-dollar (2025 dollars) technology business. Rob designed and implemented numerous applications and has consulted on behalf of dozens of S&P 500 companies, including Kraft, Sherwin-Williams, Verizon, GE, Toyota, JP Morgan Chase and Goodyear.

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