All Our Yesterdays Review

All Our Yesterdays

Cristin Terrill

Publisher: Bloomsbury

E-Arc Courtesy of Netgalley and Bloomsbury

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet. Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future...

I am a massive geek (I even studied Physics at university for four years) so any book that has a hook of time travel just has me quivering in excitement and hope that it is done well. I am very pleased to announce that it is done well here – and makes for a very exciting and tense read.

Marina has been in love with the boy next door, James for as long as she can remember. James is a genius, but when his brother, a Congressman is shot everything starts to fall apart. Em has been on the run for years, held captive and desperately wants to see Finn, the boy in the cell next to hers before she dies. However, soon she is given a chance to change everything. The differences and similarities between these two lead characters is wonderfully done as their experiences vary and their voices change.

The technology and how of time travel is brushed over fairly quickly focusing on the moral issues and characters. After all is it fair to blame someone for crimes they haven’t committed yet..? This issue is at the heart of the story with added complications coming from your memories of how a person used to be verses who they are now. It’s incredible to think how the person you will be in a few years is very different from the person you are now.

The characters are great and the action is well written. The romance elements never overwhelm the main plot but serve to explore different elements of Marina and Em. I liked Finn – his dedication to Em is great and even the younger Finn is an interesting character who could have been a stereotype but instead is a well rounded personality with his own cares and woes. James is just as intriguing and despite the high concept and great action sequences, this book is really about the relationship between the three main characters and how it changes. This is a cut above most YA books and one that makes for a great summer read!

Recommended for fans of Lauren Oliver and Sarah J Maas. 8 out of 10

Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By Review

Doctor Who: The Silent Stars Go By

Dan Abnett

Publisher: BBC Books

The winter festival is approaching for the hardy colony of Morphans, but no one is in the mood to celebrate. They're trying to build a new life on a cold new world, but each year gets harder and harder. It's almost as if some dark force is working against them. Then three mysterious travelers arrive out of the midwinter night, one of them claiming to be a doctor. Are they bringing the gift of salvation or doom? And what else might be lurking out there, about to wake up?

This was my first ever Dr Who book. While I am a BIG fan of the series, I’ve never bothered with all the additional stuff (conventions, dress up, magazines etc), but on an impulse last week I decided to try one of the books out – and I decided on this one as it was the eleventh Doctor with companions Amy and Rory joining him. They were aiming for Christmas 2011 but ended up on an alien world in the grip of winter, when one of the villagers has gone missing.

This followed the standard adventure layout for the Doctor and his companions – they arrive in the wrong place at a sensitive point in time, one of the companions is separated from the Doctor early on and then a fairly standard, chase, search and investigation plot follows. The locals are divided with some helping the Doctor and some refusing to help, there is something menancing in the snow and there is an ‘unexpected’ twist. All in all this reads very much like an episode in the TV show and I could easily picture all the events happening in front of me. However, this is both a strength and a weakness. It very much feels like a ‘lost’ episode of the show with threatening bad guys, companions in peril, the Doctor being brilliant and lots of running (lots and lots of running!). The banter between the Doctor, Amy and Rory was spot on – I could picture the actors saying exactly those words to each other and loved the joy of the discussions between Earth-like and Earth-esque, Leanish-ness of the Tardis and how it felt like Christmas. I have no issues with either the actions of the characters or their voices.

I guess my issue is that this felt like a TV episode rather than a book. We never get beneath the skin of the characters in a way that wouldn’t be possible on screen. An insight into what Rory really thinks of Amy & the Doctor’s relationship, if Amy ever thinks of leaving the Tardis, if the Doctor ever worries about the danger he brings to his companions would have been nice to see. However, we rarely get to see what any of the characters are actually thinking as opposed to what they are doing. The Doctor and Amy barely seem to give Rory two thoughts once they become separated and none of the events have an emotional resonance for our main characters. So while I raced through the pages and enjoyed the adventure, it never really made a deep impact on me – a bit like a two-minute massage. Nice but not long or deep enough to really make a difference to my muscles.

Overall, I would say that this is a fun read, spot on for those that love the TV show and would like an extra adventure and some lively banter with the Doctor. But it b=never really expands the characters or the world of Doctor Who in any novel way. (Pun intended!)

Recommended for fans of the TV show. 7.5 out of 10

The Time Machine Review

The Time Machine

H.G. Wells

Kindle Book

When the Time Traveller courageously stepped out of his machine for the first time, he found himself in the year 802,700--and everything has changed.  In another, more utopian age, creatures seemed to dwell together in perfect harmony.  The Time Traveller thought he could study these marvelous beings--unearth their secret and then retum to his own time--until he discovered that his invention, his only avenue of escape, had been stolen.  

I picked this book up on a whim – I had been reading a lot of YA books and still had one more to read and review, but I really fancied something in a different genre and seeing as this book is only 120-odd pages I thought I could slip it in easily enough. Long term followers will be aware that I don’t tend to read many classics (Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice are still books I might get around too at some point), but I’ve quite enjoyed dipping into HG Wells back catalogue in the past plus I just love time travel stories. I blame Marty McFly and Doc Brown for that particular love!

The story is told by a friend of the Time Traveller who first of all hears his theories of time travel and then his extraordinary story of his first travel through time. One of the things that I noticed almost straight away is the lack of names given characters in this story. The Time Traveller is always referred to as the Time Traveller, his dinner companions are usually referred to by their jobs – the Journalist, the Editor, the Doctor (no, not The Doctor...at least I don’t think!). This allows them to almost be caricatures in your own head rather than actual personalities.

As to the adventure, it is both similar and completely different to the numerous films based on the book. He does travel to the far future and meet the child-like Eloi (his words) and the dark dwelling Morlocks. Overall, there is less action in the story than you’d expect with most of it based on thoughts and a lot of walking around rather than much positive action. The Traveller has numerous theories as to how the Eloi and Morlocks evolved – so at times it almost feels like a subtle lecture from HG Wells on the ills of the class system in Victorian times.

That said, there are some fascinating ideas that are played with and the Travellers experience both with the Eloi and the Morlock and his other adventures in time are never less than interesting. It is easy to understand how this has become the template for most time travel stories. Well’s writing is both challenging and encouraging. This is a classic for a reason and one I think is worth reading for any fan of time travel stories.

Recommended for fans of Alexander Dumas and Lewis Carroll. 8 out of 10

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children Review

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive...

This was the book you guys chose for me to read this month and once again you picked a book that I probably wouldn’t have picked up from the TBR pile any time soon, but has turned out to be a good choice! This really is a book of two halves. The first part is spooky and atmospheric with our main character, Jacob, going through a big emotional upheaval as well as struggling to figure out what he wants from life - as opposed to what everyone else has planned for him. The mystery of his Grandfather’s past and what happened to him is intriguing and compelling and Jacob’s fragile emotional state gives a nice question over what is happening – is it real or just in his head...?

However, the second half of the book changes tracks completely and moves it to a familiar plot for many YA stories – the discovery of  hidden skills and a clash of good and evil hidden from the world and should come as a startling revelation. But the discoveries on the island and what Miss Peregrine’s home really are follow a track that seems very familiar to many readers of YA. The bonus is that it is done very well here and it takes a while to realise that the haunting atmosphere has changed to the recognizable design of adolescent discovery of magic. However, there is enough skill in the characters and events that helps balance with the slight disappointment that the story isn’t as unique as you first thought.

The writing hits the right balance between modern and timeless. The haunting photos add to the atmosphere and I did find I spent a lot of time staring at them, trying to read details for the plot into them. While I preferred the first part of the story, I was never less than invested in Jacob’s journey and I’m curious about what a sequel will bring – hopefully it will be able to take the familiar and make it seem new and different.

Recommended for fans of Laini Taylor and Erin Morgenstern. 8 out of 10

On My Wishlist #96

This is a meme that started on Book Chick City before moving to Cosy Books and is now hosted by the wonderful Sarah at Workaday Reads. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track!

Now I'm officially on a book buying ban I am expecting my wishlist to start growing at a massive pace...in the meantime I can't resist a bit of time travel...

The Company of the Dead - David Kowalski

Publisher: Titan

Can one man save the Titanic?March 1912. A mysterious man appears aboard the Titanic on its doomed voyage. His mission? To save the ship.The result? A world where the United States never entered World War I, thus launching the secret history of the 20th Century.
April 2012. Joseph Kennedy - grand-nephew of John F. Kennedy - lives in an America occupied in the East by Greater Germany and on the West Coast by Imperial Japan. He is one of six people who can restore history to its rightful order -- even though it may mean his own death.

This is a very big book - but I've read some good reviews and I love the idea that the Titanic survival would have such a major impact on world events...

The History Keepers: The Storm Begins - Damian Dibbens

Publisher: DoubleDay Childrens

When Jake is kidnapped by strangers on a stormy London night he discovers his loving parents have been leading a double life and are now missing, lost somewhere in history. He is plunged into a world of secret societies, dangerous double agents, and a terrifying countdown to oblivion. Transported by a Spanish galleon back to 19th century France, he finds himself in the headquarters of The History Keepers - a remarkable league of time-travelling special agents. The History Keepers preserve the true course of history against those who would change it for their own gain, such as the diabolical Prince Zeldt. Driven by a sense of adventure and a desire to reunite his family, Jake makes the most thrilling - and dangerous - decision of his life.

I picked this up in Waterstones a while ago because the cover and the title intrigued me. I didn't buy it at the time and now I regret it!

Time Travelers Never Die - Jack McDevitt

Publisher: Ace Books

When physicist Michael Shelborne mysteriously vanishes, his son Shel discovers that he had constructed a time travel device. Fearing his father may be stranded in time—or worse—Shel enlists the aid of Dave Dryden, a linguist, to accompany him on the rescue mission. Their journey through history takes them from the enlightenment of Renaissance Italy through the American Wild West to the civil-rights upheavals of the 20th century. Along the way, they encounter a diverse cast of historical greats, sometimes in unexpected situations. Yet the elder Shelborne remains elusive.
And then Shel violates his agreement with Dave not to visit the future. There he makes a devastating discovery that sends him fleeing back through the ages, and changes his life forever.

Who wouldn't want to visit the Wild West?

If you could visit one era of history, what would it be?
Personally Ancient Egypt with the Pharoahs would be my favourite!

Audiobook: The Ancient Future

The Ancient Future: The Dark Age

Written by Traci Harding

Read by Edwina Wren

Late one evening, en route to visit a relative, an accident leaves Tory - the attractive, twenty-something daughter of a prominent history professor - stranded near a ring of stones in Britain. Tory resolves to spend the night at the stone circle and seek help in the morning.... But across the vortex of time and space, she is taken back to the Dark Age. There she meets Prince Maelgwn of Gwynedd and his band of warriors. Initially her 'strange' appearance frightens them and they believe she is the notorious witch fabled to frequent the site. But she overcomes their fear and soon the tales of her adventures, brave deeds, and beauty spread across the land.

I have to confess I was very surprised to come across an Audible version of this book as I’ve had trouble getting hold of any of Traci Harding books outside Australasia. I read this book originally about five years while travelling and loved the mixture of adventure, romance, time travel and philosophy that the story covered, so I thought I would give the audible version a spin as well. The story starts out as deceptively simple and easy to follow but gets more complex and layered as it progresses and introduces more characters, more ideas and more magic. Tory is an Australian visiting her aunt in Britain when her car breaks down. She decides to spend the night in a circle of fairy stones (as you do!) and ends up transported back to the 6^th century, where magic is still common place. She ends up teaming up with Prince Maelgwn and using her knowledge of Tae Kwon Do to capture the hearts and minds of the 6th century lords.

Tory is a great heroine even if she is pretty much perfect at everything. She can speak ancient Welsh (lucky considering where she finds herself!), is an expert at Tae Kwon Do and mediation techniques, can play the saxophone and is generous person who welcomes everyone and want equality for all. However, you just can’t help liking her – hoping to be like her. Her developing relationship with Maelgwn is very sweet and will satisfy most romantics. Maelgwn himself is extremely likeable with a streak of jealousy that stops him from being completely perfect – but makes him human. There are a number of characters that stand out with Brockwell particularly being memorable as he has one of the most character developments over the course of the story. Katrin seems more than adequate foil for him.

There are a couple of elements that gets a little annoying while listening though. The strange mix of modern phrases mingles with ‘ancient welsh’ speak sounds really odd. “Thou art breaking my heart” for example, just sounds wrong when you listen to it. Although I must confess it never bothered me when I was reading it. It frustrated me as it meant I was pulled out of the story. However, overall the narration is passionate and does a good job at conveying the tone and element of the plot – once you get used to the Australian accent. J

For me this is really one of those stories that you get swept up in. I started it thinking, it’s alright, but by the end I really wanted to start on the next book in the trilogy (which sadly isn’t available in the UK on audio). It has something for everyone and even manages to get you thinking about how to think about some of the greater mysteries of life – what’s the meaning of life, etc? But most of the time, it’s just a lot of fun. Hell, I just want to be Tory!

Recommended for fans of PC Cast and Rachel Aaron.  8 out of 10

Early Review: Raven Calls

Raven Calls (Walker Papers 7)

- CE Murphy

Publisher: Luna

E-Arc courtesy of netgalley and Luna Books

**Warning - may contain apoilers for earlier book**

Suddenly, being bitten by a werewolf is the least of Joanne Walker’s problems. Her personal life in turmoil, her job as a cop over, she’s been called to Ireland by the magic within her. And though Joanne’s skills have grown by leaps and bounds, Ireland’s magic is old and very powerful…
In fact, this is a case of unfinished business. Because the woman Joanne has come to Ireland to rescue is the woman who sacrificed everything for Joanne—the woman who died a year ago. Now, through a slip in time, she’s in thrall to a dark power and Joanne must battle darkness, time and the gods themselves to save her.

Raven Calls starts pretty much the minute after Spirit Dances ends. (Read my review here). At the end of the last book, Joanne Walker was rushing off to Ireland after a vision of a warrior woman who had managed to bind the werewolves – which was handy as Joanne had recently been bitten by a werewolf as well. Joining her on this adventure is Gary, her 74 year old best friend and side-kick, but this time she has left behind the rest of her support in Seattle. There is no Billy, Melinda – Morrison and Coyote only appear in brief cameos. This means there are plenty of new characters most of them female, that are introduced as Joanne and Gary prepare to battle the Master who has been tormenting her since she came into her shaman power a year ago.

Joanne rarely seems to think before acting – as a result a lot of this book is fast-paced followed by periods of explanations of why she did what she did. This also means you can never be sure what will happen next as Joanne rarely seems to think beyond the next issue let alone a big picture. However, she is snarky which is fun and much more emotionally available than she was at the beginning of this series – and there is plenty here that develops her and particularly her relationship to her mother. It also shows how much she’s grown since the start of the series. However, there are a lot of references to events in previous books and even short stories in the series which can be overwhelming if you haven’t read them all – or if it’s been a while. I found it best to just let the references flow over me to focus on the current story. A lot happens within a short space of time and it can be quite breathless trying to figure out what is happening!

It was good to see Joanne and Gary outside of Seattle though and able to explore her Irish heritage. Her Irish family play a small role in the story through her cousin who joins them for a while and the exploration of Irish myths and legends did make the world seem colourful than limiting it to native American myths. Having read most of the previous books I enjoyed catching up with Jo again – but be warned it ends on another tangent that will start the next book rolling! A fast paced and action packed adventure – suited to those who get bored easily but still like intricate adventures.  

Recommended for fans of Karen Chance and Jennifer Estep. 8 out of 10

How To Live Safely In A Science-Fictional Universe Review

How To Live Safely In A Science-Fictional Universe

-          Charles Yu

Kindle Book

Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That’s where Charles Yu, time travel technician—part counselor, part gadget repair man—steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he’s not taking client calls or consoling his boss, Phil, who could really use an upgrade, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a one-hour cycle of time, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory..

This is a hard book to describe. Set in a universe where there wasn’t quite enough reality to make it work properly, the universe seems to struggle by using science fiction tropes as filler, which basically means the line between real and not, is fine and difficult to spot. Charles Yu is our narrator, continually stuck between the present and the past and working as a time machine repair man with just his imaginary dog and a female simulated personality computer for company. Charles can’t seem to live in the present so he spends most of time in his time machine until he is called home to have his machine serviced...

This book is weird. It is part philosophical pondering and part a search for lost family, but most of it seems to rely on clever verb and idea conjugation. I have to admit I never found myself fully committed to the story as I couldn’t relax and let it flow around me. It feels like a very worthy book, however I read mostly to distract myself from my commute and as such this book didn’t really work for me. That’s not to say others won’t enjoy it – indeed some elements especially in the second half of the book were exciting and an interesting twist on the whole seeing your earlier self in time travel. There was also an amusing incident early on with a certain L. Skywalker, but overall I never felt like the thought provoking elements sat easily next to the basic search for his father.

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I certainly feel it will work well for others but I’m a simple reader – I like action, I like plot and I like characters. Soul searching when done away from any excitement does not hold my interest. Somehow though I feel like this is more my own failing than the book itself.

Recommended for fans of Hannu Rajaniemi and Simon Morden. 5 out of 10  

The Eternal Enemy Review

The Eternal Enemy

-          Christopher Pike

Publisher: UK – Hodder

Rela has just bought herself a new VCR. She sets the machine to tape a movie, but instead she gets the news--tomorrow's news. Soon Rela is regularly recording next week's news, even what is to happen in the far future. It's fun at first, until she sees herself on the news, and learns that there is no future for her...

I remember reading this as a teen and enjoying it immensely. However, the first thing that struck upon picking this up again is how dated the premise is now. In the current age of downloads, streaming and digital recording, the idea of using a video player is very old fashioned. So the idea of recording tomorrows news by mistake is slightly bizarre to me now! However, once you get past that idea (and shudder at the idea of anyone finding Mel Gibson fancy-able any more!), there is an interesting idea. What if you knew tomorrow news – and could make money from it and perhaps save lives...? And what if my changng the furture, means there is no future for you any more...?

The set up of the story takes a while and I have to confess I don’t understand what Rela sees in her love interest, Chris. The characterisation is a little shallow but as the whole book is less than 200 pages, there is no extraneous detail. However, the initial idea is so intriguing – and just when you think it reaches a climax, there is a twist out of left-field which puts all slow introduction into perspective.  

Christopher Pike has a fascination with philosophy, what it means to be human and what is the meaning of life – all fascinating ideas that people struggle with for their whole lives and it is refreshing to see them introduced into a teen book. I think it was the early exposure to these ideas that lead to an early interest in physics and how the universe works. The last 60 pages are full of little ideas that stay with you long after the book is closed.

Recommended for fans of LJ Smith and Jeri Smith-Ready. 7 out of 10

Guest Review: Touch The Dark

There are lots of books I read and loved before I started blogging that I can't review - at least not reading them for the first time! Luckily I have my very own guest reviewer, Sarah to review these types of books...

Touch The Dark

- Karen Chance

Publisher: UK - Penguin

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire- and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay.

Now, Mel was more than happy for me to review this book, as she read it long before her blogging days and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Touch the Dark stars Cassie, a clairvoyant fighting against the oppression of seemingly every supernatural (predominantly vampire) that she meets.  Her powers are growing, and with it other’s desire to own her, or kill her.

From the moment Cassie reads her own obituary at the beginning of the novel, through the vast amounts of running and fighting that follow, to a conclusion that is merely only a pause in the story, this is one hell of a thrill ride.  I love the fact that we - the reader - are as totally in the dark as Cassie is regarding literally everything that is going on around her, and have to stumble through the plot as she does, creating ideas, supposition and leaps of faith as she (and we) go.  This does, however, lead to us getting a lot of wordy explanations from other characters, and you REALLY need to be paying attention.  The few times I got distracted I’d be only a page further on, and have absolutely no idea what was happening! 

There is a large ensemble cast, but Karen Chance shows great skill in making sure they all get some, if not plenty, of characterization.  I was particularly intrigued by the ghost Billy Joe, who provided a lot of the humour, but without turning into a shallow, comedy character.  The novel also has a decent size dollop of erotica in, but to my surprise Karen Chance manages where plenty of other fantasy books have failed, and actually makes it sexy, without resorting to debauchery or baseness.

A cracking debut novel that has definitely encouraged me to read on in the series, hopefully without quite so much ‘infodump’ to keep Cassie (and the reader) informed.  One for those who like Carrie Vaughan’s Kitty, and Rachel Vincent’s Faythe Sander’s series, 8 out of 10.

Guest Review: The Sterkarm Handshake

Back in May I held a competition for you all to suggest a book for my regular guest reviewer, Sarah to recieve for her birthday and then review. Well, the winning book was The Sterkarm Handshake and here's Sarah's review! :-)

The Sterkarm Handshake

- Susan Price

Publisher: Scholastic

For generations, the Sterkarms plundered the Scottish border. They were known for shaking on a bargain with a dagger clutched firmly in one hand — and for not keeping their promises. Now people from the 21st century have found a way to travel to the Sterkarms' time. The 16th century is rich in natural resources and historical detail, perfect for the modern investor or scholar. Anthropologist Andrea Mitchell finds more than research there, as she falls in love with a young Sterkarm warrior. But when he realizes how powerful and destructive the visitors truly are, he vows to keep them from his land forever. And in the bloody battle that ensues, Andrea must choose between her love and her world.

My birthday prize review is finally here!!!!  To remind you, I picked The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price, for the reason that I had yet to find a time travel book I liked, and because the nominator obviously loved the book and had done so for a long time.  And I am very glad I selected this book, because finally I have read a time travel novel I could actually enjoy.

The Sterkarm Handshake is set in both the 16th and 21st centuries, which have been connected via The Pipe, a physicist's creation that the author doesn't bog the reader down with too much information about.  Whilst I know many authors like showing off their intelligence and imagination by coming up with the pseudo-science behind inventions, it was refreshing to not have to worry for once about whether I'd even understood the individual words!

The 21st Century protagonists aim to create amicable relations with the 16th Century Sterkarms (a territorial, clannish race of people that live in the no man's land between England and Scotland), often via bribery with aspirin and whiskey, in order to plunder the 16th Century's natural resources for 21st Century use.  Strangely, at no point do the 21st Century scientists seem to consider whether taking oil, coal etc from the 16th Century could actually have an effect on the current day...

The central characters are a very mixed bunch from teenage pretty boys to last chance saloon down and outs, and in fact I ended up much more on the side of the 16th Century (which I'm not sure I was supposed to!).  There is also a multi-time love story, which, unfortunately, I really disliked.  The lady concerned is a whiny, indecisive, cry-baby, which is not a description many central characters should be proud of...

To conclude, there is much to like about The Sterkarm Handshake - it's an engaging, easy-to-read book with some fascinating commentary on 16th and 21st Century politics and lifestyles - however, for me there were also some serious flaws.  They didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book as a whole, but they do prevent it being rated as a favourite, 7 out of 10.

Morlock Night Review

Morlock Night

-       K.W. Jeter

Publisher: Angry Robot

E-Copy courtesy of netgalley and Angry Robot - Available now

JUST WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE TIME MACHINE RETURNED? Having acquired a device for themselves, the brutish Morlocks return from the desolate far future to Victorian England to cause mayhem and disruption. But the mythical heroes of Old England have also returned, in the hour of the country's greatest need, to stand between England and her total destruction

A semi-sequel to HG Well’s classic The Time Machine, Morlock Night picks up the night the inventor returned to 1892 and told his story to his dinner companions. Commonly known as one of the first Steampunk novels(first published in the the 1970s), this has so many ideas packed in, sometimes it’s difficult to breathe! As well as the underground-living, time travelling Morlocks from the distant future, there are elements of King Arthur and Merlin, and the long-lost city of Atlantis thrown into the mix. This means there is so much happening, the story cracks along at a sprinting pace. Both danger and exposition leap at our heroes from all sides.

The characters are minor points in this play with all the focus on the various ideas and action sequences. Reading it felt like watching a two hour blockbuster with a huge special effects budget as so many separate ideas merge and roll the action forward. I loved the scope and sheer scale of what was happening, but I did miss deeper emotional depth My one disappointment was the sudden ending – it seemed to be over much too quickly after all the build up. Still this is a summer reading for steampunk and classic fans who want a roller coaster of action and adventure in Victorian London – after all who doesn’t love the idea of Arthur fighting Morlocks? J

Recommended for fans of HG Wells & James Rollins. 7.5 out of 10.

Tomorrow's Guardian Review

Tomorrow’s Guardian (Hourglass Institute 1)

-          Richard Denning

Kindle Book

Time Travel sounds like fun ... until you try it. In the case of Tom Oakley he discovers the perils and challenges that time travel brings. He must choose how to use his talents - for self gain, to dominate others or to protect his world.

When I first started reading this I thought it was going to be a simple school boy time travel adventure with a villainous bad guy and too good to be true good guys. Instead I found a layered mystery with a sophisticated use of the time travel and parallel world theory that draws you in. It was subtle at first as the story progresses from Tom noticing small things going wrong to controlling his powers and finally making tough choices.

I loved the time travel aspect – it’s always been a big favourite of mine and the clever it’s introduced and developed without getting too technical is great. I loved the additional characters Tom discovers and bonds with in his journey – despite differences in their ages and backgrounds. The plot moves at a cracking pace, and doesn’t hesitate to ask the big questions – what would you do to safe guard the future? How much would you sacrifice? At the same time there are huge battles, fires, terrorists, concentration camps and mysterious, shadowy figures who’s agenda in unknown. I had great fun as Denning constantly played with my expectations and created a thrilling adventure for everyone.

While the writing is aimed more at early teen age group, there is plenty for the young at heart of all ages to enjoy and I’m looking to catching up with Tom and his friends in the sequel, Yesterday’s Treasures.

Recommended for fans of Tomorrow, When the War Began and Tamora Pierce. 8 out of 10.

On My Wishlist #40

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track This week I'm leaping back and forth through time...

 

The Kings of Eternity - Eric Brown

Publisher: Solaris

1999. On the threshold of a new millennium, the novelist Daniel Langham lives a reclusive life on an idyllic Greek island, hiding away from humanity and the events of the past. All that changes, however, when he meets artist Caroline Platt and finds himself falling in love. But what is his secret, and what are the horrors that haunt him?
1935. Writers Jonathon Langham and Edward Vaughan are summoned from London by their editor friend Jasper Carnegie to help investigate strange goings-on in Hopton Wood. What they discover there – no less than a strange creature from another world – will change their lives forever.

I found this when flicking through one of my magazines and I liked the cover plus I like the look of this with both time periods being in the past...

The Annubis Gates - Tim Powers

Publisher: Gollancz

Brendan Doyle is a twentieth-century English professor who travels back to 1810 London to attend a lecture given by English romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This is a London filled with deformed clowns, organised beggar societies, insane homunculi and magic. When he is kidnapped by gypsies and consequently misses his return trip to 1983, the mild-mannered Doyle is forced to become a street-smart con man, escape artist, and swordsman in order to survive in the dark and treacherous London underworld. He defies bullets, black magic, murderous beggars, freezing waters, imprisonment in mutant-infested dungeons, poisoning, and even a plunge back to 1684. Coleridge himself and poet Lord Byron make appearances in the novel, which also features a poor tinkerer who creates genetic monsters and a werewolf that inhabits others' bodies when his latest becomes too hairy.

This is supposedly a real classic story and I love the hint of Steampunk with Egypt and Victorian era colliding...

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - Yasuta Tsutsui

Publisher: Alma Books

The Girl Who Leapt through Time is the story of fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Kazuko, who accidentally discovers that she can leap back and forth in time. In her quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure that she believes to be responsible for her paranormal abilities, she'll constantly have to push the boundaries of space and time, and challenge the notions of dream and reality.

Another gorgeous cover and an intriguing idea - what would you do if you could travel in time when you were 15?

What are you wishing for this week?

On My Wishlist #34

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track! This week the theme is time travel...

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

Publisher: UK - Hodder Paperbacks

They say 'live every day as if it's your last' - but you never actually think it's going to be. At least I didn't.

The thing is, you don't get to know when it happens. You don't remember to tell your family that you love them or - in my case - remember to say goodbye to them at all. But what if, like me, you could live your last day over and over again? Could you make it perfect? If your whole life flashed before your eyes, would you have no regrets? Or are there some things you'd want to change...?

Groundhog day on your last ever day! Sign me up for that book! :)

Red Ruby - Kerstin Gier

Publisher: UK - Henry Holt & Company

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

I love time travel stories - always have ever since I saw Back To The Future when I was younger. The cover of this book looks gorgeous and the story looks right up my street!

Blackout - Connie Willis

Publisher: Spectra

Oxford in 2060 is a chaotic place, with scores of time-traveling historians being sent into the past. Michael Davies is prepping to go to Pearl Harbor. Merope Ward is coping with a bunch of bratty 1940 evacuees and trying to talk her thesis adviser into letting her go to VE-Day. Polly Churchill’s next assignment will be as a shopgirl in the middle of London’s Blitz. But now the time-travel lab is suddenly canceling assignments and switching around everyone’s schedules. And when Michael, Merope, and Polly finally get to World War II, things just get worse. For there they face air raids, blackouts, and dive-bombing Stukas—to say nothing of a growing feeling that not only their assignments but the war and history itself are spiraling out of control. Because suddenly the once-reliable mechanisms of time travel are showing significant glitches, and our heroes are beginning to question their most firmly held belief: that no historian can possibly change the past.

I've not read any Connie Willis books before - they're quite difficult to find in the UK, but these one sounds great. Blitz era is such an atmospheric period of London history so the idea of reading about time travellers there sends a shiver up my spine!

So what are you wishing for this week? :)

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale Review

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale

-       Christina Bell

Publisher: Carina Press

E-Arc Courtesy of netgalley & Carina Press

I'm a time pirate—born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be. That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later. I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed...

The Twisted Tale is a fun time travel romance with a great leading lady. Stormy has a great voice having grown up both on the streets in the early 19^th century and in the 21^st century so she knows how to take care of herself and her innocent, trusting brother Bacon. When Bacon loses his Time Travel Mechanism in a game of cards, Stormy has to pose as a fortune teller to get the device back. However, the Duke certainly seems to have more than just his own fortune on his mind – and Stormy has to use all her womanly wiles to stay one step ahead.

This is a relatively short novella, but I was never bored and really enjoyed the banter between Stormy and the Duke as each tried to find out what the other was really up too. The romance was perhaps a little quick for my liking (I like some wooing first!), but felt in context for the story. As with a lot of Carina Press stories, I liked the fun element of the story and was in a much better mood by the end. A thoroughly enjoyable time travel romance that will lift the spirits and leave you with a smile on your face.

Recommended for fans of historical romance and Gail Carriger. 8 out of 10.   

Books Remembered #8: The Ancient Future - Traci Harding



This is a semi-regular feature I had last year where I reminisce about books or even series that I read over and over again. Or even a book read once that changed the way I looked at life. I wanted to re-introduce it as I wanted to highlight some books that have been out for a while and maybe don't get as much attention as the new releases. It’s not a review of the book(s) but merely remembering the impact it had on me and how it’s shaped my reading habits and likes –what made that book(s) memorable. So this month, I'm remembering The Ancient Future by Traci Harding.

A few years ago I quit my job, up sticks and went travelling for six months. I spent most of that time in Australia and New Zealand travelling around, living out my backpack, sleeping in youth hostels and generally have a great time. While I was there I always had a book to read with me and I was generally limited by whatever the hostel I was staying, had on there to swap. One day I picked The Ancient Future by Traci Harding and found a new favourite.

The story starts with Tory’s car breaking down in the English countryside late one night and her deciding to spend the night in the circle of standing stones nearby. Once there something happens and she finds herself in the distant past and faced with a roaming band of knights who suspect her of witch-craft. From there the plot moves fast and covers romance, family betrayals, magic, time travel, philosophy, action, eastern martial arts, soul mates and gods. I loved it! It hit all my favourites in one – romance, fantasy, history, time travel complete with a strong female lead and a dashing prince. It was even set in Wales where I went university.

When I finished the book I could barely bring myself to put it back on the swap shelf so I went out and bought a copy and shipped it back home. I then proceeded to collect the rest of the trilogy (I was so happy to find out it was a trilogy!) – An Echo in Time and Masters of Reality and devoured them over the next two weeks. Turns out Traci Harding is fairly popular down under – in one of those top 100 favourite books as chosen by the public, The Ancient Future appeared high on the list. The books always remind me of that time of my life and the stories are still ones I like to reread regularly. My one regret...Traci Harding isn’t published in the UK so I struggle to continue to buy her books – in this regard even Book Depository doesn’t have many!

So if you’re far from home and want a comfort read, The Ancient Future is one I would recommend!