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ithinktfiam's review against another edition
1.0
Idiocy with time travel. It's something bad writers still can't learn to avoid. Time travel is hard, and rarely done well. This is not one of those rarities.
Joe doesn't remember anything as he gets off a train, but somebody knows him. He was brought up as a slave in a London conquered by France after France won the Battle of Trafalgar. The author makes slavery seem tidy and wonderful, as the owner acts almost like Joe's a son.
There's a post card, a lighthouse, and a portal between his current time and 80 or so years earlier. There's an a-hole named Kite, who is supposedly the lonely English hero fighting in the past time before Edinburgh is besieged by the French. He already captured three engineers then says he killed them rather than using the people, so of course Joe is captured and dragged to the past to change history. He worries about wiping out his daughter's existence but claims he's strong by going along with it and silently thinking mean thoughts. He doesn't tell Kite to kill him to save his daughter.
Oh, yeah, and Kite is the captain, Joe a noob on the ship, but a wave hits the ship, Kite stumbles and Joe saves him. Yeah, and Kite gets personnel through impressment and kidnapping. A true hero.
This was all in the first 150 pages, and it was all I could handle. Terrible.
Joe doesn't remember anything as he gets off a train, but somebody knows him. He was brought up as a slave in a London conquered by France after France won the Battle of Trafalgar. The author makes slavery seem tidy and wonderful, as the owner acts almost like Joe's a son.
There's a post card, a lighthouse, and a portal between his current time and 80 or so years earlier. There's an a-hole named Kite, who is supposedly the lonely English hero fighting in the past time before Edinburgh is besieged by the French. He already captured three engineers then says he killed them rather than using the people, so of course Joe is captured and dragged to the past to change history. He worries about wiping out his daughter's existence but claims he's strong by going along with it and silently thinking mean thoughts. He doesn't tell Kite to kill him to save his daughter.
Oh, yeah, and Kite is the captain, Joe a noob on the ship, but a wave hits the ship, Kite stumbles and Joe saves him. Yeah, and Kite gets personnel through impressment and kidnapping. A true hero.
This was all in the first 150 pages, and it was all I could handle. Terrible.
annashiphrahhan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
aglavalo's review against another edition
3.0
Still processing this book. 3.5 or maybe even a 4. Still not sure. Gorgeous cover. Strange, twisty, book.
motionab's review against another edition
5.0
Currently in bed after finishing this book and wow!
This is a historical fiction/time-travelling story. It tells the story of Joe, Kite, and Agatha.
The story itself is exciting and draws you into it quickly, though it is a very confusing way of storytelling. However, it is very worth it to get to that ending. the main plot point and mystery are very easy to deduct halfway through the book, but how they solve it is the most satisfying.
The way the author deals with it almost reminds me of Stephen King and how he solves his plots!
It's tough to find stories that tell of similar love but with happy endings. The plot is tied up in the end in the most beautiful of ways.
It's hard to write a review for this because it was so lovely and so warm and at the heart of it, it's not a story of time travel, war, or battleships, but a story of love, and finding your way back to love.
My heart is warm and cosy. Recommended.
This is a historical fiction/time-travelling story. It tells the story of Joe, Kite, and Agatha.
The story itself is exciting and draws you into it quickly, though it is a very confusing way of storytelling. However, it is very worth it to get to that ending. the main plot point and mystery are very easy to deduct halfway through the book, but how they solve it is the most satisfying.
The way the author deals with it almost reminds me of Stephen King and how he solves his plots!
It's tough to find stories that tell of similar love but with happy endings. The plot is tied up in the end in the most beautiful of ways.
It's hard to write a review for this because it was so lovely and so warm and at the heart of it, it's not a story of time travel, war, or battleships, but a story of love, and finding your way back to love.
My heart is warm and cosy. Recommended.
lada1's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to enjoy this book, the premise of historical fiction, love story, time travel, alternate reality all appealed to me and although initially the first few chapters were interesting I found it a painfully slow read . Although I have read many books set across different times, this was really hard to follow. I also wasn’t that invested in the characters despite the attempts to make the protagonists and lovers appealing, I really didn’t find they were. I did find the England ruled by France a great concept though. Such a shame, I fear it has put me off this author as it was the first of her books I have read.
sorryuser's review against another edition
3.0
joe was an (annoying) idiot up until pg. 351, then we were BOTH idiots because we forgot what letter kite's last name started with. but, ANYWAYS, this book was hard to understand but once i did start to understand it was so good! it got even better when the piece's started coming together towards the end. now, i know i rated it three stars but the last chapter got me.
"And then it was all there, everything, and all of him: Jem, Joe Tournier, Joe Zhang, different and not, three winking facets of a person who he wasn't sure had a name. Whoever he was, though, he had a surge of joy when Kite sank forward against his shoulder."
"And then it was all there, everything, and all of him: Jem, Joe Tournier, Joe Zhang, different and not, three winking facets of a person who he wasn't sure had a name. Whoever he was, though, he had a surge of joy when Kite sank forward against his shoulder."
embi's review against another edition
3.0
I like the concept, but the ending wasn't fully satisfying for me. I'm also left with too many questions about what one of the characters thought he was doing
grcolby's review against another edition
3.0
This is an intriguing story of life, love, and time travel. It may have been better to read this book vs via audiobook. It was a bit challenging at times to follow the timeline jumps, as well as keeping track of the various characters in the different timelines.
But it was still an enjoyable story, that kept me engaged.
But it was still an enjoyable story, that kept me engaged.