Item - Return to the Cave of Time

This is actually the third book in the series involving the Cave of Time (the previous two being The Cave of Time and The Forbidden Castle), and while it is written by Edward Packard, it has a bit of metaphysical weirdness which sounds like it's the product of R. A. Montgomery's mind. The book is interesting in that it is quite unpredictable -- you never quite know where or when you'll end up. However, this unpredictability is also the book's downfall. The reader has no real motivation to revisit the Cave of Time, and the events that occur never arrange themselves into anything resembling a coherent plot. Still, there are some interesting ideas here and there. Perhaps the highlight of the book is the ending on page 78; the text is rather dull, but the illustration that accompanies it completely changes its tone and adds a wonderful twist. I can't help wondering if this illustration was "scripted" by the author or if it was simply added as a joke by the illustrator.... And speaking of the illustrator, this is the first book in which I noticed that Don Hedin doesn't just draw like Paul Granger; Don Hedin is Paul Granger! I wonder what convinced him to start using his real name.

More reviews by Demian

I read the U-Ventures version and loved it. I found neither ending nor artwork on page 78, so there might be significant differences between this and the original version. I thought this was a great story that introduces the idea of time travel, with some very subtle references to some of the conundrums involved. This story is great for the aspiring anthropologist, historian, wilderness survivor and sci-fi aficionado, with its range of distant past and far future adventures. My favorite CYOA so far!

More reviews by Dtar

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I did enjoy a good number of the threads, I cannot say that the overall book is as memorable as its predecessor, The Cave of Time; in my opinion, this one does not capture the magic and essence of the first one. However, I do think that some of the stories are pretty intriguing. The "five minutes into the future" thread is a pretty neat and thought-provoking concept, as is the thread which puts the reader back on a slave ship. Some of the other storylines felt a bit flat, putting them in the realm of mediocrity. Overall, this is a decent book that is, for the most part, average in all of its aspects.

More reviews by Enigmatic Synergy

First of all, I love the reissue artwork. It took a lot of patience to wait for a copy to show up online.

Having read most of these books as an adult, my love for the earlier books has waned, and I've found that many of the later books are better written, better structured, and more satisfying reads.

And this is no different. The original Cave of Time title had a lot of problems - too many situations where you just land somewhere, and immediately encounter a fatal hazard. While this book doesn't have the larger number of choices or endings, it has much more fleshed-out paths.

There is one complaint I have; there are two significant paths that involve you on a ship. First, the Bounty, then a slave ship.

This is a book that would have benefited from being a specialty title, like one of the Super Adventures. It probably would have been appropriate to recognize the 50th title in the series.

More reviews by Jordashebasics

This book is not brought down like the original book, The Cave of Time, in that it does not have dozens of short, unsatisfying storylines, but rather has a few longer, more developed ones. It was pretty random and unpredictable, like the first, so the style is either love-or-hate. I loved this book, and found the different time periods interesting. Perhaps the highlight of Return to the Cave of Time is where the reader is placed in a time period 5 minutes ahead of everyone else. It proves to be interesting and very complicated to think about.

More reviews by Waluigi Freak 99