Madders of Time: Book 1
Publication Date: May 6, 2025
In a crumbling biodome surrounded by endless seas and swarms of microdrones, humanity’s last survivors cling to hope. For Isabel, a dying scientist, and Diego, the man she loves, time is running out—literally. The Earth is ravaged, and the biodome that was meant to save them is failing. But when Isabel stumbles upon a long-lost time bridge, the possibility of changing the past emerges, offering one final chance to rewrite history.
There’s just one problem: only one person can make the journey.
As they grapple with the weight of impossible choices, love, and regret, Isabel and Diego must decide whether altering the course of time is worth the risk. Will their sacrifice save the future, or will tampering with the past ensure humanity’s extinction?
Tense, emotional, and thought-provoking, Hive is a story of survival, love, and the ultimate cost of second chances. When the future is at stake, how far would you go to change it?
With the Earth’s population down to two people stuck inside an underground cryovault, it’s only a matter of time for either a critical system to fail or the microdrones to find an opening.
Author D. L. Orton serves up a treat for dystopian fiction readers that not only delivers a fascinating sci-fi storyline but also packs a side order of time travel chased by romance.
Hive marks the first installment in the Madders of Time series. With the help of a colleague’s consciousness uploaded to the biodome’s guardian AI, Isabel and Diego decide to utilize a time travel device to see if they can rewrite history. The catch? Only one person can go, leaving the other one to die.
Told in alternating chapters by the characters, the story takes readers into the past, where we see whether the clues will be enough to change the trajectory of time or whether Earth truly is doomed for extinction.
Hive offers a fascinating look at alternate timelines and the desire for survival.
The AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR D. L. ORTON lives in the Rocky Mountains where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops.
In her spare time, she’s building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.
Amy-
Thank you for this thoughtful and beautifully written review! I love that you picked up on the “side order of time travel chased by romance”—exactly the blend I was aiming for: heart, high stakes, and a ticking clock wrapped in quantum uncertainty. Isabel and Diego’s choice still wrecks me, even though I made them do it. And I’m so glad Madders got a shoutout—every dystopia needs a snarky uploaded consciousness, right?
Can’t wait to share what’s next in Jump. The stakes get higher, the timelines messier, and the consequences? Let’s just say they don’t stay buried for long. ⏳
Warm regards,
Deb