Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Nick of Time: A Nick McIver Time Adventure
    Unavailable
    Nick of Time: A Nick McIver Time Adventure
    Unavailable
    Nick of Time: A Nick McIver Time Adventure
    Ebook465 pages9 hours

    Nick of Time: A Nick McIver Time Adventure

    By Ted Bell

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    Nick of Time is the first young reader's book written by bestselling author Ted Bell - a wondrous tale of time travel, adventure, and riches, in which twelve-year-old Nick McIver sets out to become "the hero of his own life."

    The setting is England, 1939, on the eve of war. Nick and his younger sister, Kate, live in a lighthouse on the smallest of the Channel Islands. Nick and Kate come to the aid of their father who is engaged in a desperate war of espionage with German U-boat wolf packs that are circling the islands. The information they provide to Winston Churchill is vital as he tries to warn England of the imminent Nazi invasion.

    One day Nick discovers an old sea chest, left for him by his ancestor, Captain Nicholas McIver of the Royal Navy. Inside, he finds a time machine and a desperate plea for help from the captain. He uses the machine to return to the year 1805. Captain McIver and, indeed, Admiral Nelson's entire fleet are threatened by the treachery of the French and the mutinous Captain Billy Blood. Nick must reach deep inside, using his wits, courage, and daring to rescue the imperiled British sailors.

    His sister, Kate, meanwhile, has enlisted the aid of two of England's most brilliant "scientific detectives," Lord Hawke and Commander Hobbes, to thwart the invading Nazis. She and Nick must face England's underwater enemies, a challenge made all the more difficult when they discover the existence of Germany's supersecret submarine.

    In this striking adventure for readers of all ages, Nick must fight ruthless enemies across two different centuries, on land and sea, to help defeat those determined to destroy his home and his family.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMay 13, 2008
    ISBN9781429938501
    Author

    Ted Bell

    Ted Bell was the former vice-chairman of the board and creative director of Young & Rubicam, one of the world’s largest advertising agencies. He was the New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Hawke series. Ted Bell passed away in 2023.

    Related to Nick of Time

    Related ebooks

    Children's Science Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Boba Fett Rules!

      Dec 16, 2021

      Boba Fett Rules!
      3 min read

    • Article

      Movie Novels Are Still Around, And They Aren't All Trash — Just Ask The Chicagoans Who Wrote Them

      Apr 1, 2020

      CHICAGO - Recently, during C2E2 at McCormick Place, the Random House imprint Del Rey, which publishes Lucasfilm-licensed "Star Wars" books, made an unusual choice and offered the novelization of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" three weeks early. A

      9 min read

    • Article

      Dune

      Oct 6, 2021

      Dune
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Day The Earth Shook

      Aug 30, 2021

      The Day The Earth Shook
      1 min read

    • Article

      Medieval Armoured Skull

      Sep 6, 2018

      Medieval Armoured Skull
      1 min read

    • Article

      Jack Ryan, Reaganite Hero

      Aug 31, 2018

      Jack Ryan, Reaganite Hero
      4 min read

    • Article

      Extinction By Supernova

      Oct 8, 2020

      Extinction By Supernova
      2 min read

    • Article

      Anthony Horowitz

      Mar 25, 2020

      HOW, AS A WRITER, DO YOU RETURN TO A character over multiple books without writing yourself into a corner? This was a problem that confronted Anthony Horowitz a few years back with one of his most famous creations: teenage secret agent Alex Rider. Wi

      3 min read

    • Article

      First Western Gunfighter?

      Nov 24, 2020

      First Western Gunfighter?
      11 min read

    • Article

      “So This Is War!”

      Jul 21, 2020

      “So This Is War!”
      22 min read

    • Article

      Neil Peart Rip

      Feb 14, 2020

      Neil Peart Rip
      1 min read

    • Article

      George R.R. Martin Returns To A Whole New World With 'Nightflyers' On Syfy

      Nov 28, 2018

      LOS ANGELES - Only a few days removed from this year's Emmys, George R.R. Martin was feeling a bit tired. It had been another big night for the "Game of Thrones" writer, whose intricate "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels continued their run of prestige

      5 min read

    • Article

      Long Live The Tiny .22

      Aug 16, 2022

      Long Live The Tiny .22
      5 min read

    • Article

      No Man Left Behind

      Oct 19, 2021

      No Man Left Behind
      6 min read

    • Article

      Rowing Gears In Arizona

      Nov 19, 2021

      Rowing Gears In Arizona
      6 min read

    • Article

      A New Kind Of Firepower

      Dec 29, 2020

      A New Kind Of Firepower
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Adventures of TINTIN

      May 1, 2022

      The Adventures of TINTIN
      2 min read

    • Article

      Antarctica, Explored

      Jul 2, 2020

      Antarctica, Explored
      8 min read

    • Article

      SONG For The SAILING MOON

      Mar 1, 2023

      SONG For The SAILING MOON
      1 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Nick of Time

    3.5/5

    78 ratings14 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Loved this book.
    • 4/5
      I am liking this more than I thought I would. Not knowledgeable of sea terms.
    • 3/5
      This is an odd sort of story. I thought all through it that I was reading a book intended for an adult audience with a teenaged protagonist. I really felt like this was just a story that will cater best to fans of Ted Bell's other books rather than the average teen book reader.
    • 3/5
      Exciting for a junior reader; predictable for an adult. Life in the time of Nazis in Britain. Contains some history not usually found, in regard to Churchill's "spies" prior to his service as Prime Minister during WWII.
    • 2/5
      I liked the time period, WWII in Britain, as well as the Napoleonic wars in the 19th century, but as much as I liked the characters, I never really got into the story. So, a little lack-luster. Then again, it might be more geared for 11-14 year old boys.... Some books are ageless, while some, though readable at most any age, definitely feel as if they were written with a very specific audience in mind, usually to the detraction of the story.
    • 5/5
      This was a great pirate adventure mixed in with some good old fashioned time traveling (oh, and some nazis). The book takes place months before WWII starts in the English Islands that are close to France. The main character, Nick, is the son of a lightkeeper and longs to be as great a seaman as his hero Lord Nelson, Lord of the Sea. One day while he's out sailing, he takes a rest in a cove and comes across an old sea chest-only it doesn't look old, it looks brand new. Soon after he meets two vicious pirates looking for the same chest and who look like they just stepped out of the past (which they did). This sounds kind of strange when I write it but this is definitely a book worth reading.
    • 2/5
      I really thought I would have liked Nice in Time. Its basic plot sounds like just the kind of "fluff" book I enjoy. I didn't know that anyone could actually make it bad!Since this is a YA book, I would have assumed that any and all nautical references would be explained...they are not. I live in a very flat and dry state so I had no idea what most of the boating terminology meant.The characters are flat. Take the Nazi submarine commander: Wolfgang Von Sinister-German. He does "evil" things to his own crew...for the sake of showing you how evil he is? It was done poorly. Katie is the "cute kid" and it got annoying quick. The only character I even slightly liked was the hermit-like Lord Hawke because he reminded me of Lord Groan from the Gormenghast books (which are excellent by the way), but for being so solitary he warmed up to three new people quickly.There's quite a lot of action I suppose, but the plot moves slowly and even though this is a young adult's book I questioned a lot of decisions made by the adults. I could go into them on this review, but I don't want to give away the plot.All in all the way the book jumped into action and had all of these boating and sea terms it felt like some kind of boy's life pulp fiction. I really thought I would have liked Nice in Time. Its basic plot sounds like just the kind of "fluff" book I enjoy. I didn't know that anyone could actually make it bad!Since this is a YA book, I would have assumed that any and all nautical references would be explained...they are not. I live in a very flat and dry state so I had no idea what most of the boating terminology meant.The characters are flat. Take the Nazi submarine commander: Wolfgang Von Sinister-German. He does "evil" things to his own crew...for the sake of showing you how evil he is? It was done poorly. Katie is the "cute kid" and it got annoying quick. The only character I even slightly liked was the hermit-like Lord Hawke because he reminded me of Lord Groan from the Gormenghast books (which are excellent by the way), but for being so solitary he warmed up to three new people quickly.There's quite a lot of action I suppose, but the plot moves slowly and even though this is a young adult's book I questioned a lot of decisions made by the adults. I could go into them on this review, but I don't want to give away the plot.There are good YA books out there but I can't recommend this one.
    • 5/5
      Reason for Reading: I have the second book, but thought I had better read the first book, well ... first. I read this aloud to my son, as he loves seafaring adventures.Set in 1939, just before war is declared, on the smallest of the Channel Islands. Nick's father is lighthouse keeper and a secret spy for politician Winston Churchill reporting back any German U-Boat activity in the Channel waters. A strange man called Billy Blood kidnaps Nick's dog Jipper and thus starts a seafaring adventure that will cross time. Billy Blood is a pirate of Admiral Lord Nelson's time and not only has he taken Nick's dog, he has also kidnapped Lord Hawke's two children. Lord Hawke, Nick and his friend Gunner go back in time with a time machine device of Hawke's which Blood just happens to have the only other existing one. While there they must help Nelson's fleet out of a dangerous situation that only Nick can guide them through. Meanwhile, back at home, Nick's younger sister, Kate, has been left with Commander Hobbes to take some vital information about a special U-Boat to England unbeknownst that said U-Boat is hot on their trail.Rip-roaring adventure from beginning to end in the fashion of "Treasure Island" and in the same vein the illustrations are a handful of full-page drawings as one would find illustrative plates in an old copy of "Treasure Island". A gripping story with Nick certainly in the lead as main character. He is an independent twelve-year-old, though respectful to his parents, who was born with the sea in his blood. He spends as much time as possible out in his boat sailing the waters in good and bad weather, even mapping a route through a dangerous coral reef into a cove. His hero is Admiral Lord Nelson and he thinks of him every time he starts to feel discouraged in life. His sister, Kate, is only seven and maintains her position well, despite being cute and funny she is smart as a tack and manages to save the situation at the last minute many times.We both loved this book. The story is engaging and the shared time between the two time periods is very exciting. The chapters alternate with one set of characters in 1805 then back to the present with the Nazis in 1939. All of the main characters are likable and each has a sense of humour which adds a light tone in between the action scenes. The story is realistic and the battles scenes in 1805 are not for the very young or sensitive as battle wounds are described in full, and blood and violence are shown in their proper place in war, though never unnecessarily or gratuitously. The pirates, and well most adults, do use a small amount of language using the British curse words bloody/bleeding frequently and taking the Lord's name in vain quite often. Since I was reading aloud, I was able to say the words about half the time as they applied, something really was bloody in the battle and I spoke the Lord's name in a way that the character was now calling upon Him rather than swearing, the other half of the time I edited it out. But these are two small complaints in a book aimed at this age group.I just love finding books that are definitely aimed at boys, there are of course many girls who enjoy this type of action and they have the character of Kate to identify with, but I appreciate when the male/female characters are brother/sister thus eliminating the awkward love angle or the even more annoying battle of the sexes angle. Kate and Nick are especially a nice team as they are loving family members, far enough apart in age that Nick is Kate's parent-in-absentia figure and Kate adores her big brother.A wonderful book with family values, adventure, really bad guys (pirates and Nazis) and an edge of your seat action set in exciting historical times. Looking forward to Book 2 in the series.
    • 4/5
      This young adult book is a fast paced, continually moving adventure. It is clear to see that Ted Bell is a lover of history because he puts our hero, Nick, right smack into the middle of some very real events of the world’s past. Mixing all of this up with a time machine, that everyone wishes they had, throwing in a pirate, nazi's, spies, how could you go wrong?I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a history buff, and having just finished an American History course for college, I am a bit burnt out on the subject. The story of Nick McIver, his little sister and their (adult) friends made the history moments more than worth it. Anyone that does love history or adventure on the high seas is likely to fall in love with this story as well. Rating: 4/5Kole’s ReviewThe characters within this story were intriguing and appealing. Hawk was one of my favorites because he had a mysterious aura about him in the beginning and then quickly became friendly and even fought beside Nick in his battle. I found myself rooting for the good guys and hoping the bad ones were killed off. Although it may be a good story many parts felt unreadable since I was lost knowing nothing about the history within the story itself. It was a good tale with the time traveling adventures, the numerous battles, and the friendship of the characters. I’m happily reading the sequel, The Time Pirate, next. Rating: 4/5
    • 4/5
      +Sharpen Your Cutlass, Point your Compass towards a Maritime Adventure for Boys+Veteran spy thriller author Ted Bell, turns his storytelling to a new high adventure book for young sailors, a tale of the high seas for boys 8-12 years old. Drawing from his other adult novels, Bell takes his popular spy character of Alex Hawke and brings the family name into Nick of Time, a story of Hawke’s ancestors. Nick of Time begins in 1939, with 12 year old Nick McIver sailing through the Channel Islands in his boat the Stormy Petrel, with his dog Jip and his 5 year old adorable kid sister Kate. Encountering a voracious storm, they struggle to keep afloat, fighting against towering waves that will drive them into a hidden cove where they land to wait out the storm. When setting their feet upon the shore, they stumble over what appears to be a vintage sea chest from the past. The two children drag it into a nearby cave for safe keeping, and wonder what could be inside. But something seems strange about the chest, although it appears to be of a design a hundred years old or more, Nick notices that it’s in nearly new condition, no marks, or scuffs or signs of use at all. Kate and Nick wonder if they have found a treasure chest but with no tools handy to prize it open, they must leave it behind until they can return for it. When the storm passes they jump back on the Stormy Petrel and race off to visit their friend Gunner, a local pub owner who might help them recover their prize. But when they arrive at the Inn, an even bigger surprise awaits them, two very scary pirates are drinking ale by the fire who have come looking for a lost item, the very sea chest lying hidden in the cove below. Nick and Kate are then whisked away home before their parents begin to worry about them, but when they arrive back to the lighthouse that they live in, more shocking news stuns them as Nick and Kate learn that their father is a British spy working for Winston Churchill. His mother calls it “bird watching’, but Nick’s father Angus McIver explains to his son that he’s actually watching for Nazi U-boat activity, making daily excursions out on the dangerous waters jotting down all the German submarines that are coming and going as they are soon to be entering World War II. Nick, Kate, and Gunner plot to transfer the treasure chest to the legendary Hawke’s Castle, a haunting place believed to be owned by the famous Lord Hawke, a mysterious and dangerous recluse who lost his children in a kidnapping . Nick believes that the only safe haven for the sea chest is at Hawke’s Castle where no one dares to tread, and feels if they could just talk to Lord Hawke he could help them uncover the mystery. And uncover the mystery Hawke does as he and his hilarious butler Hobbes who is also a secret spy and weapons master, inform Gunner and the kids that within that chest, lies a wonderous secret, and the answer to his prayers to finding his lost children. Opening the treasure chest carefully, what unearths is a small glowing golden ball, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Tempus Machina! And so begins two rollicking, high seas adventures that alternate back in forth in time. Hawke and Nick will take the time machine back into the past of 1805, and encounter the exciting and dangerous world of the Napoleonic wars where they will be transported onto Nick’s great grandfathers’ ship the Merlin, and will fight side by side for King and country, climb the riggings with cannons exploding, seeking out the infamous and dreaded, most evil pirate of them all, Billy Blood. Billy Blood also wants the time machine and will hold Hawke’s children ransom until he gets it back! The flip side story offers a hilarious and devious scenario with little Kate, Gunner’s cat Horatio, and Hawke’s butler Hobbes who together land in the hands of the Germans and are held captive on a U-boat. Their humorous antics, award winning acting, and calculating plan to outwit the Germans that lead up to an incredible escape will have readers both clapping and laughing simultaneously. As each chapter alternates back and forth with Nick and Hawke sharpening their swords and performing heroic deeds aboard piratical Spanish galleons and one of Nelson’s British Man of War ships in 1805 , and continually skipping back to Kate and Hobbes outwitting the Germans on the submarine, there is a lot of hooting and hollering as the reader cheers both sides on, finding themselves breathless with all the high-tension action going on in both worlds of 1805 and 1939. This story is about heroes, both young and old, and will be 100% enjoyed by boys and men of all ages who enjoy a maritime sea tale that will rival that of Robert Louis Stevenson, Raphael Sabatini and Patrick O’Brien. Ted Bell can certainly fly his Jolly Roger for a guaranteed success with this one!
    • 2/5
      12-year-old Nick McIver lives with his 6-year-old sister, Kate, and their parents on an island on the north shore of Greybeard Island, an English island in the English Channel. It is the summer of 1939, there have been rumored sightings of German U-boats in the Channel, and Nick’s family is under suspicion of going against the British government’s decree and spying on the Nazis.Then, Nick and Kate stumble across a mysterious sea chest that turns out to be a time machine highly sought after by the time traveling, kidnapping pirate Billy Blood. Blood will do anything to get his hands on the time machine, and so Nick enlists the help of Lord Hawke, the eccentric and reclusive proprietor of Hawke Castle, who’s lost his two young children to Blood for ransom. They travel back to 1805 to help Nick’s naval ancestor do battle with Blood, but the situation is also exceedingly dire back in the present world, as the Nazis close in on Greybeard Island.This book is a good example of what NOT to do when writing a historical fantasy for young readers. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read something that contained so much amateuristic and unnecessary blither and blather that perhaps that only way to describe why this book should NOT be lauded as a noteworthy piece of juvenile historical fantasy is in a list:1.It feels like a mediocre adult thriller writer’s attempt to write for children, i.e. it fails. Excessive description, lack of character development, confusing and unappealing plot.2.The protagonist, Nick, undergoes no growth throughout the novel.3.Dialogue is overly dramatic and artificial. Great for a puppet show performed for a crowd of pre-schoolers. As a middle-grade novel? Not so much.4.The plot is uneven, with things dropped into the story and never to be seen again, and too-long tangents that readers will not care about. The time machine element is not even introduced until halfway through the 400+ page novel, and by then readers won’t cry anymore.5.Having Kate be the only semi-appealing character in the book does not justify the other 99% of awfulness. Six-year-old main characters are just not relatable, and more often than not become extremely annoying, even as they are supposedly charming.6.The characters are inauthentic. The villains are overly villainified, and the “joker” characters bumble around and speak geeky nonsense.NICK OF TIME may only appeal to those who can deal with a lot of nautical terminology, who are willing to sacrifice character and plot development for the sake of a vaguely interesting concept, and who think that one okay child protagonist makes up for all the other unappealing ones. Otherwise, I’d say don’t waste your time. There are millions of other better historical fantasy books for readers of all ages out there.
    • 3/5
      This rollicking adventure story stars Nick McIver as he spies on the Nazis, sails ships, protects his little sister, and travels through time. The tone is old-fashioned, reminiscent of classic adventure stories. I didn't totally buy Nick's voice and I think there was too much going on. It might have been a lovely historical adventure novel without everything else. Still, this will appeal to kids looking for an absorbing adventure story.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I read another review that said something to the effect of "I don't know if this is a kid story written for adults or an adult story written for kids," but I liked it precisely for this reason. The story was fresh, exciting, and well-written. My only complaint was the odd typo (there were around 10 or so throughout the book), but in its defense, I have an Advanced Reader Copy, which may have been through more editing before final release. I hope it was, anyway, it needed more proofreading.The story is about Nick McIver, a twelve-year-old living in a lighthouse on one of the Channel Islands in 1939. Nick's father is engaged in spying on German vessels passing through the English Channel, because despite the government denying an upcoming war, many people (including Winston Churchill) believe it is inevitable. Nick gets caught up in his father's work, as does his younger sister.Nick finds a sea chest with his name on it, buried in the sand, looking as if it was brand new despite the fact that such chests were made almost a century before. Nick is confronted by a creepy man searching for this chest, who kidnaps Nick's dog to help motivate Nick to give him the chest. It turns out this man is the infamous pirate Billy Blood, who stole a time-travel device made by DaVinci and is trying to collect its mate so he can control all of time.Nick flees to the mysterious Hawke castle with the chest, where Lord Hawke helps him use the device to find Blood in the 1800s and join Nick's ancestor (also named Nick) in a sea battle to save Lord Nelson and the entire English fleet from a sneak attack by the Spanish and French.It's a rousing tale, and not at all cheesy or silly. The pacing was done well, and although it is a bit long for younger readers, I think it's an excellent story for all ages.I'm very grateful to Mr. Bell for sending me an autographed ARC, and hope that others will read this review and pick this book up on my recommendation.
    • 2/5
      Tepid adventure "through time" (although the time travel is very low-key and down-played) in which 12-year-old Nick saves England from pirates and Nazis. It seems as though Bell can't decide whether he is telling a kid's story to adults or and adult story to kids, and the book suffers greatly because of it.