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A Rewarding Experience
Jigsaw: Temporal Apocalypse follows The Temporal Guardians as they face their most dangerous challenge yet and try to stop history from being rewritten. What inspired you to conclude the Jigsaw series with a threat as enormous as the Temporal Apocalypse?
Thank you for the question. I wanted the last book in the ten book Jigsaw Series to be epic and end (???) the adventures of Francesca and Noah with a bang so to speak so the readers would really have a rewarding experience at the end (???) of their story. I also wanted to call attention to the fact that the dangers we face to Democracy and the freedoms we all enjoy today have happened in earlier historical periods and that the people then overcame them then and we will do so again.
Your novels consistently explore lesser-known historical events and locations. How do you discover the stories that capture your imagination?
My background, as readers know, includes being a history teacher. Most introductory history courses do not probe in depth many of the historical topics I introduce in my books. In Temporal Apocalypse, we set the epic in Fiume whose leader D’Annunzio helped inspire Mussolini. We set it in Jerome and Tempe to remind readers that there was labor strife and some opposition to Wilson’s war efforts. We also set part of the story on the Russo-Polish War following World War One to show how close the treaties ending the war came close to being upended literally months after they were signed.
How have the Guardians changed since the beginning of the series? Were there characters who unexpectedly became more important as the series evolved?
The Guardians themselves have matured throughout the course of the books and have become more of a team ensemble. Originally, Francesca and Noah were the central protagonists but Tori and Mueller, mostly because of the development of the Case File Series, became just as intriguing and maybe more three dimensional than the original heroes. On the flip side, while Mariah and Bonomi are important figures who contribute to the storylines and give us Angelo, they are more peripheral than Francesca, Tori, Noah, and Mueller as the series progresses.
Were there scenes that proved especially difficult to write because they marked the end of long-running story lines?
I would not say difficult. I would say evolving. Some of the secondary antagonists introduced in this book, the take over and shutdown of the Foundation, and the Liberty Town storyline were inspired by people and organizations that have made an impact on current events since 2025. That said, the Jigsaw series has always been a commentary against rising white nationalist authoritarianism in this country and around the world and we used episodes from history to demonstrate that this is not the first time these fringe reactionary movements have tried to circumvent the American Ideal of an inclusive Republic where all people have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
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THE TEMPORAL APOCALYPSE IS IMMINENT — TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
The Temporal Guardians must prevent Lilith, Ahriman, and their evil allies from unleashing Akoman’s Amulet — an ancient weapon with the power to destroy reality.
In the shattered aftermath of the Great War, across battlegrounds torn between nations and ideologies, the fate of history itself hangs by a thread. The world teeters on the brink of a totalitarian nightmare — a ruthless order imposed by the powers of darkness where eugenics decides who rules and who serves.
If the Guardians fail, the very fabric of society—and their own identities—will be erased forever. Every second lost brings them closer to a future none can escape.
The clock is ticking.
The Guardians must stop the coming of the Temporal Apocalypse before it’s too late
Jigsaw: Temporal Apocalypse
Jigsaw: Temporal Apocalypse is a sprawling time-travel adventure that combines historical fiction, supernatural fantasy, science fiction, political intrigue, and a generous amount of pulpy action. It’s the tenth Jigsaw novel and the fifteenth book in the larger Jigsaw Universe, and the author recommends reading the earlier installments first. The story follows the Guardians as they try to stop Lilith, Ahriman, Pilo, and their allies from reshaping history and triggering a Temporal Apocalypse. The plot moves across centuries, from Roman-occupied Judea and medieval trade routes to postwar Europe, 1910s Arizona, the Russo-Polish War, and the strange political experiment in Fiume. That scale gives the book the energy of a season finale in which nearly every character, artifact, rivalry, and historical thread has returned for one enormous confrontation.
David Alyn Gordon’s greatest strength here is his enthusiasm for overlooked history. The novel doesn’t treat the past as scenery. Labor struggles, racial violence, extremist movements, wartime upheaval, political opportunism, and religious traditions all become active parts of the story. The shifting missions in Arizona, Poland, and Fiume gradually connect through the fragments of a powerful amulet, while the Nazi Bell and other temporal devices add a science-fiction framework to the supernatural conflict. There’s a lot happening, but the structure creates the feeling that separate pieces of history are clicking into place. Gordon also has a knack for choosing settings that are dramatic on their own, then finding ways to raise the stakes with demons, immortals, vampires, zombies, and time travelers.
For all its apocalyptic danger, the book is often funny and affectionate. Noah, Francesca, Tori, Mueller, Mariah, and the rest of the Guardians speak to one another like people who’ve survived far too many bizarre missions together. Their teasing, arguments, romantic bonds, and family connections give the story warmth between battles. The dialogue can be blunt and deliberately theatrical, especially when the villains explain their plans or heroes trade jokes during a crisis, but that style fits the book’s larger-than-life personality. The emotional farewell scenes near the end are particularly effective because they draw on relationships built across the series. Even after the central conflict is settled, the final chapters leave room for births, reunions, new beginnings, and the amusing realization that retirement may be harder for these characters than saving history.
I’d recommend Temporal Apocalypse most strongly to established Jigsaw Universe readers, especially those who enjoy seeing long-running character arcs and earlier plot elements brought together. It’ll also appeal to readers who like alternate-history adventures packed with real historical figures, supernatural mythology, political commentary, and fast-moving ensemble action. Someone fascinated by lesser-known episodes from the aftermath of World War I or early Arizona history will find plenty to explore. Because the story assumes familiarity with a large cast and extensive backstory, its biggest rewards will go to readers who’ve already traveled through the earlier books and are ready for a crowded, energetic culmination.
Pages: 258 | ASIN : B0H28LCRTT
Vital Historical Knowledge
Jigsaw: Shadow Ball follows a group of Temporal Guardians trying to preserve and repair the timeline from a ruthless organization set on altering history and erasing the racial integration of Major League Baseball. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Excellent question. I love baseball, and I have always wanted to do a story on that. However, in the vein of my formerly titled History’s Forgotten series, I wanted to focus this book on Larry Doby, the second man to break the color barrier in baseball after Jackie Robinson. Most know the story about Robinson, but not as many know about Doby, and I wanted to delve into his importance in baseball and integration in American society in general.
When discussing the civil rights movement, most people automatically think of figures like Dr. King and other politically recognized activists; the involvement of athletes is not as well known, and I appreciate that you brought this aspect into the series. Was it important for you to deliver a moral to readers, or was it circumstantial to deliver an effective novel?
Yes. I want my stories to be both entertaining and educational where readers enjoy the tale but also take away vital historical knowledge, character education lessons, and moral parables.
I find that authors sometimes ask themselves questions and let their characters answer them. Do you think this is true for your characters?
Sometimes, especially with my two major protagonists, Francesca and Noah.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where, and when, will the story take readers next?
The next installment in the Jigsaw Series, titled Temporal Apocalypse will be released in the spring of 2026. It will center on the post-World War I era and take place in Jerome, Arizona, the Russian-Polish war front, and Fiume off the Adriatic Coast.
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A rip in reality is spreading, and the fate of history hangs by a thread.
The ruthless organization Global Harmony has launched Project Shadow Ball, a devastating mission to erase the racial integration of Major League Baseball—rewriting the past to build their own twisted future.
Temporal Guardians Francesca and Noah are the only ones standing in their way. As they hurtle through time, they must protect baseball greats Rube Foster and Larry Doby, whose very existence is at risk.
With every pitch, every stolen base, and every moment altered, the fate of history—and the fight for truth—hangs in the balance.
Time is slipping away. The stakes have never been higher.
Can Francesca and Noah outwit their enemies before baseball’s greatest revolution is erased forever?
Or will history be rewritten in the shadows?
If they fail, history shatters. If they fall, the future is lost.
Jigsaw: Shadow Ball
Jigsaw: Shadow Ball is a thrilling time-traveling adventure that mixes sci-fi action with powerful lessons from America’s racial past. Centered around a group of Temporal Guardians trying to preserve and repair the timeline, the story follows Noah and Francesca as they battle against shadowy forces like Global Harmony and the Grey Branch Foundation. Along the way, they cross paths with historical legends such as Larry Doby, Rube Foster, and Bill Veeck, learning how Black baseball helped kickstart civil rights movements. The book deftly interweaves speculative fiction with real history, taking readers on a rollercoaster from 1897 Texas to a dystopian 1980 Phoenix ruled by fascism and eugenics.
Reading this felt like binge-watching a high-stakes Netflix series. Gordon’s writing is snappy, visual, and deeply emotional when it needs to be. The characters are flawed but brave, and the dialogue flows like people talking in real life, not stiff, not overly clever. I loved how the story used baseball as a lens to view much bigger things: racism, resistance, and the price of progress. Rube Foster’s quote, “We are the ship. All else the sea,” really stuck with me. It gave the book a kind of heartbeat. But what hit me even harder was Cheryl’s descent. Her idealism turns to horror, and watching her realize how she accidentally created a nightmare world was genuinely heartbreaking.
At times the historical exposition gets a little dense. You might be deep in a firefight or an emotional reunion, and suddenly the story drops into a history lesson. It’s good stuff, important stuff, but it can slow the pace. Still, I’d rather have a story try something ambitious than play it safe the whole time. Gordon clearly cares deeply about this history, and it shows in every scene.
I really dug this book. It’s smart, bold, and weird in the best ways. If you’re into baseball, time travel, civil rights, or just want a wild story that respects its characters and its readers, this one’s for you. Shadow Ball would be perfect for high schoolers, history buffs, teachers, or anyone who believes that stories still have the power to change the future.
Pages: 160 | ASIN : B0DXMQXXZ8
Jigsaw: Sonora
Jigsaw: Sonora is a time-hopping, genre-blending adventure that weaves historical fiction with science fiction, political thriller, and a touch of emotional family drama. The story centers around a network of time-traveling guardians from the Falcone Foundation who are thrust into a global conspiracy orchestrated by a rogue splinter group called Global Harmony. Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, World War I, and a future ravaged by ideological extremism, the novel features multiple timelines and perspectives, villistas spying near the U.S.-Mexico border, modern-day scientists, grieving families, and zealots seeking to rewrite history. The central object tying these narratives together is a mysterious zeppelin named Sonora, a vessel of both literal and symbolic weight.
This story was thrilling, jarring, and slightly disorienting at times. David Alyn Gordon’s writing is fearless. He throws you headfirst into rapid scene changes and complicated timelines without much handholding. The dialogue snaps and pops with sarcasm and humor, even when characters are in mortal danger. Some chapters feel cinematic and full of suspense, while others read like exposition dumps wrapped in tech-speak and geopolitical history.
That said, the emotional moments work beautifully. Scenes like Noah’s funeral, Francesca’s fierce interventions, and Tori and Cheryl’s strained romance really resonated with me. They ground the story in human stakes, which is needed when the plot starts spinning into viral warfare and shadowy authoritarian takeovers. I found myself rooting for the characters, even when I wasn’t always sure where (or when) they were. And the villains are chilling in their calm, calculated evil. I especially liked how the historical injustices, like the Bisbee Deportation or school segregation, were blended into the sci-fi narrative. It made the stakes feel real.
Jigsaw: Sonora is an inventive, passionate, and unorthodox book. It’s not always easy to follow, but it’s never boring. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy time travel with a conscience, ensemble casts, and layered conspiracies. If you like shows like 12 Monkeys or Fringe, or books like Cloud Atlas, you’ll probably find something to love here.
Pages: 162 | ASIN : B0CZTWP2N5
Jigsaw: Powder Keg: An Adventure in Time and History
Jigsaw: Powder Keg is a historical sci-fi thriller that blasts across centuries with the force of a grenade and the precision of a surgeon. The story flips between timelines, ancient Persia, WWI and WWII Europe, post-Holocaust Italy, 1950s Alabama, and even Victorian England, while weaving together a massive, complex tale of shadowy global conspiracies, time travel, and supernatural battles. At its heart, it’s about a clandestine group trying to ignite chaos to build a new world order and the people, both mortal and not, who are working to stop it.
Gordon doesn’t waste time easing you in. The first chapter sets the pace: ancient betrayals, magic orbs, and a fire-slinging villain trapped by angelic brothers. It felt like Indiana Jones meets The Sandman, only with more Persian and Balkan war references. That blend of fantasy and real-world history gives the book its kick. One of my favorite examples is the underground lab beneath Santa Croce Church being repurposed by WWII resistance fighters and refugee educators into a high-tech, post-war Renaissance Academy. It’s absurd on paper but it works and somehow it all clicks.
The emotional heart, though, belongs to Noah and Francesca Pitto. Their post-war efforts to rescue orphans and battle corrupt bureaucrats are surprisingly moving. A scene that stuck with me was when they blackmail an insurance exec into releasing funds for Holocaust survivors’ children using documents from their own future selves. It’s a bizarre premise, but the fury and desperation feel real, especially Francesca’s barely contained rage. And just when you think it’s all war and espionage, there’s an adorable baby named Roberto and a running joke about changing diapers. The blend of sweet and bitter is sharp and honest.
Regarding the time travel aspect, the mechanics are not extensively detailed; however, this did not detract from my overall engagement with the narrative. This book isn’t about hard sci-fi; it’s about emotional and moral stakes. There’s a werewolf named Mueller, a vampire named Tori, and a golem named Frank, who wears wigs. At one point, Jack the Ripper shows up, and you find out who he is through footage recorded by a time-traveling dog with a camera on her collar. I had to stop and just laugh, but it is memorable. I didn’t always buy the motivations of the supernatural characters, but their presence made for some great action and surprisingly deep existential questions.
Jigsaw: Powder Keg is a chaotic, ambitious ride. It’s packed with history, mysticism, alternate futures, and moral gray zones. I wouldn’t hand this to someone looking for a light beach read. But if you like your fiction dense, imaginative, and bursting with heart, it’s worth your time. Fans of historical fantasy, time travel sagas, and books with a conscience will find a lot to dig into here.
Pages: 192 | ASIN : B0CLL1FPWN
