erinarkin20's review against another edition
5.0
Dear Trisha Leigh, You just seem to get me. I mean, time travel, boys, fate and a bit of mystery all in one book. GAH! I'm going to be needing the next book real soon please. No pressure.
I had my eye on Return Once More by Trisha Leigh way back when she was calling it The Historians so OF COURSE the first moment I saw this up on NetGalley I was going to request this. Not only did I love Leigh’s First Year series so I know her writing style is right up my alley, but for real…History and time travel – it’s like she asked me what my favorite books include and decided to write this story just for me. As always, I am going to try to do this review spoiler free…don’t hate me if I don’t answer all the questions and leave you wanting to know more.
This book leads off by bringing us along to observe the death of Julius Caesar right alongside the Historians. I loved how Leigh pulled me right into this world where there is a look but don’t touch mentality. Here they are, faced with the death of a very influential leader and as Historians, they are not allowed to do anything but: “Research. Record. Reflect.” Not only can I see that as being very frustrating but if the event has something to do with you, would you be able to step back and allow something horrible to happen without a second thought? Something to think about.
Kaia is the main character and she is living on Sanchi, a planet within the solar system Genesis, because Earth Before has environmental concerns and other issues that prompted the leaders to relocate. Now the role of the Historians is to make sure the same issues that plagued Earth Before don’t happen again. Kaia is also training to be a Historian and since the age of ten, has been living at the Historian Academy with her six classmates. As her birthday comes around, one of the questions Kaia has to ask is whether she would like to know the name of her True Companion – the one person (born or unborn) who was made to love her. I mention this because this plays a fairly large role in the story but I will come back to this.
Kaia is an interesting character and I liked her. She isn’t afraid to step outside the rules to get what she wants. With that said, she never does anything with the intention of hurting someone but because of her actions, there is collateral damage. She definitely cares about her people (friends and family) but she isn’t afraid to push the envelope when it comes to the dictations of the Elders.
Kaia has some pretty supportive friends in Analeigh and Sarah. Analeigh especially supports Kaia throughout the story and really steps in to help her out whenever she is in a pinch or just plain needs a friend. In addition to them, their group of friends includes Sarah’s True Companion, Oz. The other character who plays a fairly important role is Kaia’s brother Jonah. The thing to note about Jonah is that he has been on the run for the last three years and we don’t really find out what he has going on until later on in the story. The thing we do know is that he is definitely wanted by the Elders and has some information that would definitely be useful for Kaia to know.
One thing I will mention here is that Leigh does a great job of creating this world that Kaia lives in. Not only are the descriptions of the places Kaia visits detailed, but the academy where she lives and the people and things she encounters along the way are very well done. Adding the science fiction to the story was a great way to show how Kaia and the people of Sanchi have the ability to transport to different eras as well as use tattoos to communicate, translate language, and pay for things.
So of course I am going to spend a bit of time talking about the boys in this book. Remember how I mentioned that Kaia has the option to find out who her True Companion is…well she decides she wants to know who it is and once she does, she makes the decision to learn more about him. Now…I don’t want to say too much here but Kaia’s True Companion is definitely swoony and although we only get snippets of him, I really found myself liking him more and more. He is absolutely presented with something unbelievable and he never really questions Kaia about who she is and he has to help her realize what the right decision is and I loved his integrity and ability to listen without reacting negatively.
Oz is a bit of a mystery through most of the book. I knew something was up with him and there were points of the story where it was clear he was hiding things from everyone. There were also points where I wanted to smack him and others where I was glad for his reaction and/or quick thinking. I won’t say too much more about Oz but I am definitely curious to see what happens next for him.
So it is probably pretty obvious that I really enjoyed this book but I will say it…Trisha Leigh knows how to write a fantastic story. She blends in a bit of history, some sci-fi, and wonderful world building to create something that had me turning the pages quickly just to find out what happens next for everyone. The only bad thing about reading this book so quickly is that I finished it soooo quickly. I am definitely looking forward to the next book of this series (is it too soon to ask when it comes out??) and trust me people, grab this one when you can!
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!
I had my eye on Return Once More by Trisha Leigh way back when she was calling it The Historians so OF COURSE the first moment I saw this up on NetGalley I was going to request this. Not only did I love Leigh’s First Year series so I know her writing style is right up my alley, but for real…History and time travel – it’s like she asked me what my favorite books include and decided to write this story just for me. As always, I am going to try to do this review spoiler free…don’t hate me if I don’t answer all the questions and leave you wanting to know more.
This book leads off by bringing us along to observe the death of Julius Caesar right alongside the Historians. I loved how Leigh pulled me right into this world where there is a look but don’t touch mentality. Here they are, faced with the death of a very influential leader and as Historians, they are not allowed to do anything but: “Research. Record. Reflect.” Not only can I see that as being very frustrating but if the event has something to do with you, would you be able to step back and allow something horrible to happen without a second thought? Something to think about.
Kaia is the main character and she is living on Sanchi, a planet within the solar system Genesis, because Earth Before has environmental concerns and other issues that prompted the leaders to relocate. Now the role of the Historians is to make sure the same issues that plagued Earth Before don’t happen again. Kaia is also training to be a Historian and since the age of ten, has been living at the Historian Academy with her six classmates. As her birthday comes around, one of the questions Kaia has to ask is whether she would like to know the name of her True Companion – the one person (born or unborn) who was made to love her. I mention this because this plays a fairly large role in the story but I will come back to this.
Kaia is an interesting character and I liked her. She isn’t afraid to step outside the rules to get what she wants. With that said, she never does anything with the intention of hurting someone but because of her actions, there is collateral damage. She definitely cares about her people (friends and family) but she isn’t afraid to push the envelope when it comes to the dictations of the Elders.
Kaia has some pretty supportive friends in Analeigh and Sarah. Analeigh especially supports Kaia throughout the story and really steps in to help her out whenever she is in a pinch or just plain needs a friend. In addition to them, their group of friends includes Sarah’s True Companion, Oz. The other character who plays a fairly important role is Kaia’s brother Jonah. The thing to note about Jonah is that he has been on the run for the last three years and we don’t really find out what he has going on until later on in the story. The thing we do know is that he is definitely wanted by the Elders and has some information that would definitely be useful for Kaia to know.
One thing I will mention here is that Leigh does a great job of creating this world that Kaia lives in. Not only are the descriptions of the places Kaia visits detailed, but the academy where she lives and the people and things she encounters along the way are very well done. Adding the science fiction to the story was a great way to show how Kaia and the people of Sanchi have the ability to transport to different eras as well as use tattoos to communicate, translate language, and pay for things.
So of course I am going to spend a bit of time talking about the boys in this book. Remember how I mentioned that Kaia has the option to find out who her True Companion is…well she decides she wants to know who it is and once she does, she makes the decision to learn more about him. Now…I don’t want to say too much here but Kaia’s True Companion is definitely swoony and although we only get snippets of him, I really found myself liking him more and more. He is absolutely presented with something unbelievable and he never really questions Kaia about who she is and he has to help her realize what the right decision is and I loved his integrity and ability to listen without reacting negatively.
Oz is a bit of a mystery through most of the book. I knew something was up with him and there were points of the story where it was clear he was hiding things from everyone. There were also points where I wanted to smack him and others where I was glad for his reaction and/or quick thinking. I won’t say too much more about Oz but I am definitely curious to see what happens next for him.
So it is probably pretty obvious that I really enjoyed this book but I will say it…Trisha Leigh knows how to write a fantastic story. She blends in a bit of history, some sci-fi, and wonderful world building to create something that had me turning the pages quickly just to find out what happens next for everyone. The only bad thing about reading this book so quickly is that I finished it soooo quickly. I am definitely looking forward to the next book of this series (is it too soon to ask when it comes out??) and trust me people, grab this one when you can!
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!
justanothernerdling's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as an E-ARC from the publishers through NetGalley - this does not affect my review in any way
Return Once More is definitely... unexpected. Its so rare to read books that are both considered to be science fiction and historical fiction! That’s something I really enjoyed about the book - the characters were zipping through space and time with awesome technologies, all to understand and to be able to record the Earth’s history (Known as Earth Before in the book). I really love sci fi, and I also have an appreciation for historical fiction (eg. in Stravaganza). Leigh managed to weave the two together very creatively. I really loved the science-y aspect of it! If I could choose where to go, as the characters can, it’d be in renaissance Florence *-*
The characters are nice. Kaia is incredibly curious about the past, but also about other people’s business. She is also very determined to do what she thinks is right, despite the rules enforced on her by society.
Oz is surprisingly protective. Even though he is portrayed as somewhat a ‘bad guy’, I still liked his character and his hidden protectiveness.
Cesarion was almost too goody-good. I was sad that there wasn’t a lot of character development from his part.
Kaia’s friends were nice, but I’m a bit disappointed that their main character developments only happen towards the end of the book. It’s only at the end that we see that Sarah is a tech genius, and that Annaleigh has a bit of a rebellious side.
Jonah (hehe same name as my bro) honestly sounded like a cool guy. I wish he could have come up more often in the book, though!
However, one thing that REALLY bothered me about this book - in which the relationship between Kaia, the protagonist, and her True, Cesarion, an Egyptian prince, was a central point - is that the romance between the two of them felt somewhat fake and enforced. I dunno, I just didn’t like the to of them together. When the two of them first meet, when Cesarion is in mourning for his mother, he basically treats Kaia like one of his servants. Then, she goes right back to him (not explaining much to avoid spoilers). In this way, It seems like their relationship, even though strong in the book, seemed enforced. A lot of the time, Cesarion seemed confused as to why his feelings were strong, while Kaia knew that he was the one who’s genes matched best with hers. I dunno, it didn’t seem very genuine...
However, I do kinda like the idea introduced at the end of the book better, of Kaia and Oz being together. ^-^
About the end of the book - it was sad. It wasn’t even cliff-hanger-esque, and I feel like it was missing out some resolution. Again, not mentioning much, to avoid spoilers! But it’s obvious that there’s going to be a sequel.
The little mystery in the book was very interesting as well. I think that if that had been made the focal point of the book, rather than the romance between Kaia and Cesarion, the book would have had a different stance to it, and the story could have gone deeper.
The pacing and the writing in the book were both good, and kept me reading at an easy pace. Sometimes, their expressions were a bit strange though, I must say!
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even though it had a few things that bothered me. However, it is a good debut, and, hopefully, some of the loose ends presented in this first installment will be tied together in future books! :)
Return Once More is definitely... unexpected. Its so rare to read books that are both considered to be science fiction and historical fiction! That’s something I really enjoyed about the book - the characters were zipping through space and time with awesome technologies, all to understand and to be able to record the Earth’s history (Known as Earth Before in the book). I really love sci fi, and I also have an appreciation for historical fiction (eg. in Stravaganza). Leigh managed to weave the two together very creatively. I really loved the science-y aspect of it! If I could choose where to go, as the characters can, it’d be in renaissance Florence *-*
The characters are nice. Kaia is incredibly curious about the past, but also about other people’s business. She is also very determined to do what she thinks is right, despite the rules enforced on her by society.
Oz is surprisingly protective. Even though he is portrayed as somewhat a ‘bad guy’, I still liked his character and his hidden protectiveness.
Cesarion was almost too goody-good. I was sad that there wasn’t a lot of character development from his part.
Kaia’s friends were nice, but I’m a bit disappointed that their main character developments only happen towards the end of the book. It’s only at the end that we see that Sarah is a tech genius, and that Annaleigh has a bit of a rebellious side.
Jonah (hehe same name as my bro) honestly sounded like a cool guy. I wish he could have come up more often in the book, though!
However, one thing that REALLY bothered me about this book - in which the relationship between Kaia, the protagonist, and her True, Cesarion, an Egyptian prince, was a central point - is that the romance between the two of them felt somewhat fake and enforced. I dunno, I just didn’t like the to of them together. When the two of them first meet, when Cesarion is in mourning for his mother, he basically treats Kaia like one of his servants. Then, she goes right back to him (not explaining much to avoid spoilers). In this way, It seems like their relationship, even though strong in the book, seemed enforced. A lot of the time, Cesarion seemed confused as to why his feelings were strong, while Kaia knew that he was the one who’s genes matched best with hers. I dunno, it didn’t seem very genuine...
However, I do kinda like the idea introduced at the end of the book better, of Kaia and Oz being together. ^-^
About the end of the book - it was sad. It wasn’t even cliff-hanger-esque, and I feel like it was missing out some resolution. Again, not mentioning much, to avoid spoilers! But it’s obvious that there’s going to be a sequel.
The little mystery in the book was very interesting as well. I think that if that had been made the focal point of the book, rather than the romance between Kaia and Cesarion, the book would have had a different stance to it, and the story could have gone deeper.
The pacing and the writing in the book were both good, and kept me reading at an easy pace. Sometimes, their expressions were a bit strange though, I must say!
Overall, I enjoyed this book, even though it had a few things that bothered me. However, it is a good debut, and, hopefully, some of the loose ends presented in this first installment will be tied together in future books! :)
alexperc_92's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on *Milky Way of Books*
I seriously stumbled upon this book by chance! Bless GoodReads for noticing it! What should I say first? That the girl on the cover is stunning with the glasses and the egyptian/arabic background? Or about the fact that Kaia is a Historian from the future and she travels back in time? This last part id what I WANT TO DO!
Plus, the future home of humanity is away from our solar system and many sci-fi goodies like terraforming, light speed and brain info tattoos have already been invented!
But Kaia, the heroine, she cares not only about the major historic events which ld to humanity's escape to the stars but also getting to know the people of the past. She is social and has friends like Sarah, Analeigh and Oz.
So in her 17th birthday, a day in which you can aslo learn about your True, Kaia finds out that her True is Cesarion, Cleopatra's son! (major mind breaking). The term of "True" goes for your soulmaye across time and space, which has also been solved in genetic terms.
There were lots of tears, happy moments and quite a lot History which also added to my knowledge. Add in the mystery of Elders and the jaw-dropping ending and you have me rolling in the floor begging for the second book! This ne is the perfect blend of historical fiction and sci-fi!
I seriously stumbled upon this book by chance! Bless GoodReads for noticing it! What should I say first? That the girl on the cover is stunning with the glasses and the egyptian/arabic background? Or about the fact that Kaia is a Historian from the future and she travels back in time? This last part id what I WANT TO DO!
Plus, the future home of humanity is away from our solar system and many sci-fi goodies like terraforming, light speed and brain info tattoos have already been invented!
But Kaia, the heroine, she cares not only about the major historic events which ld to humanity's escape to the stars but also getting to know the people of the past. She is social and has friends like Sarah, Analeigh and Oz.
So in her 17th birthday, a day in which you can aslo learn about your True, Kaia finds out that her True is Cesarion, Cleopatra's son! (major mind breaking). The term of "True" goes for your soulmaye across time and space, which has also been solved in genetic terms.
There were lots of tears, happy moments and quite a lot History which also added to my knowledge. Add in the mystery of Elders and the jaw-dropping ending and you have me rolling in the floor begging for the second book! This ne is the perfect blend of historical fiction and sci-fi!
sir_presh's review against another edition
4.0
First...Wow! I very much avoid romance novels but this takes the cake!
While it contained the usual formula of Teenages+Love= Stupid, Annoying decisions, I found the author's style of writing totally engaging and the plot completely mesmerizing.
....
While it contained the usual formula of Teenages+Love= Stupid, Annoying decisions, I found the author's style of writing totally engaging and the plot completely mesmerizing.
....
crafty_crow's review
4.0
Wow, that was an exciting book. And I'm glad there's a second one immediately available, because waiting to find out what happens after the conclusion of this book would be torture! It's a great mix of time-travel, suspense, and romance in one book. I had a few late nights because I couldn't put it down.
I got a little annoyed at times with Kaia's reminiscing, although I'm not sure why. Her thoughts and feelings were genuine, and proceeded how one might expect a teen who's discovered their true love would act. Perhaps I'm not accustomed to first-person perspective from a romantic standpoint?
But that's a minor annoyance, really. I enjoyed this book, I'd easily recommend it.
I got a little annoyed at times with Kaia's reminiscing, although I'm not sure why. Her thoughts and feelings were genuine, and proceeded how one might expect a teen who's discovered their true love would act. Perhaps I'm not accustomed to first-person perspective from a romantic standpoint?
But that's a minor annoyance, really. I enjoyed this book, I'd easily recommend it.
froggylibrarian1's review
5.0
I love time travel books that mess with your head a bit. In this book Kaia lives in a futuristic society in another planetary system. Earth became devasted and now, with new technology, Kaia's people can travel back to observe what led to Earth's demise to learn from the mistakes of the past. Kaia is training to be a historian and believes in the noble calling of that profession but has always had trouble following the rules. On her seventeenth birthday Kaia learns the identity of her true match and when she learns it is Caesarian - son of Cleopatra and Caesar she can't resist the chance to go back in time to meet him before his untimly death. But her visit causes changes and she also discovers that other people are traveling back to Earth and attempting to change the course of history.
This was a lot of fun. I almost decided not to finish it - partly because I should be reading Cybils nominees and partly because it became apparent early on that this wouldn't be getting an endorsement from me for MSBA due to language and Kaia and Caesarian's relationship (not too far but still - for my younger readers it was a bit much) - but the book sucked me in. I was a bit disappointed near the end because I realized it was going to be the first in a series and it didn't end as well as I would like but overall I enjoyd it.
This was a lot of fun. I almost decided not to finish it - partly because I should be reading Cybils nominees and partly because it became apparent early on that this wouldn't be getting an endorsement from me for MSBA due to language and Kaia and Caesarian's relationship (not too far but still - for my younger readers it was a bit much) - but the book sucked me in. I was a bit disappointed near the end because I realized it was going to be the first in a series and it didn't end as well as I would like but overall I enjoyd it.
menrk's review against another edition
5.0
I was shipping them sooo much, that ending was the best cliffhanger in the history of cliffhangers. 😍😍😍
caitlincasillas's review against another edition
4.0
When I started reading 'Return Once More' I kind of rolled my eyes and thought "gosh another dystopian YA the world that I s corrupt and the heroine is the only one who can save it" deal.
But as I read and fell- I realized where the book was actually going, I couldn't help but be hooked with the poetry, the history and the future mixing perfectly to make a great book!
I love the fact that true love is attainable (even if it means maybe jumping through time and breaking rules!) and then BOOM! Enter so many other cool tidbits that helps bring sew a great story and make you say "I GOTTA READ THE NEXT ONE!!"
A real great recommendation!
But as I read and fell- I realized where the book was actually going, I couldn't help but be hooked with the poetry, the history and the future mixing perfectly to make a great book!
I love the fact that true love is attainable (even if it means maybe jumping through time and breaking rules!) and then BOOM! Enter so many other cool tidbits that helps bring sew a great story and make you say "I GOTTA READ THE NEXT ONE!!"
A real great recommendation!
naduah82's review against another edition
5.0
**Originally posted on my blog @ Miranda's Book Blog
"My heart slammed into my ribs, and my mouth went dry. What felt like a million tiny little magnets came alive under my skin, tugged me toward the still form, but walking with knees made of water proved impossible.
Something deep in the core of me recognized him, even without seeing his face."
OMG the heart-pounding, smiling like an idiot feels! I'll admit that I have a soft spot for time-travel romance, add into the mix that it's a YA and I was sold when reading the summary! Now if you aren't the type who likes 'one true love' type books, have no fear! This is also for the action hungry, dystopian fans out there too! So yeah, the best of both worlds so to speak! Kaia and Caesarion's utter attraction, love and devotion for each other had me head over heels in swoon-worthy moments! Ahh it's utterly romantic and I LOVED every minute of it!
"We can't change the past without consequence. Every person, every event, affects at least one other."
Kaia makes the decision to travel back in time to see her one true love. But it's not without it's consequences. This is where the action kicks in people, one moment you are swooning, the next you'll be swimming in tons of action!
The world in which Trisha Leigh has created is phenomenal! I'm not even sure where to start. Earth has become uninhabitable, so humanity has fled into space in the year 2510. Humans were able to find a distant galaxy and terraformed them into livable planets with artificial atmospheres. The thing that makes this book just perfect is the time travel. Imagine being stuck on a planet that's been made to be artificially habitable, but being able to time travel to Earth and surround yourself with amazing environments!
This book is so well written, it's a mix of sci-fi, historical and romance all rolled into one perfect story! The historical references are wonderfully written and will keep you on your toes! It's not often that an author completely takes me by surprise with the plot. So my advice: READ. THIS. BOOK. Now the ending, I have no words. I will leave you with this.
"My heart slammed into my ribs, and my mouth went dry. What felt like a million tiny little magnets came alive under my skin, tugged me toward the still form, but walking with knees made of water proved impossible.
Something deep in the core of me recognized him, even without seeing his face."
OMG the heart-pounding, smiling like an idiot feels! I'll admit that I have a soft spot for time-travel romance, add into the mix that it's a YA and I was sold when reading the summary! Now if you aren't the type who likes 'one true love' type books, have no fear! This is also for the action hungry, dystopian fans out there too! So yeah, the best of both worlds so to speak! Kaia and Caesarion's utter attraction, love and devotion for each other had me head over heels in swoon-worthy moments! Ahh it's utterly romantic and I LOVED every minute of it!
"We can't change the past without consequence. Every person, every event, affects at least one other."
Kaia makes the decision to travel back in time to see her one true love. But it's not without it's consequences. This is where the action kicks in people, one moment you are swooning, the next you'll be swimming in tons of action!
The world in which Trisha Leigh has created is phenomenal! I'm not even sure where to start. Earth has become uninhabitable, so humanity has fled into space in the year 2510. Humans were able to find a distant galaxy and terraformed them into livable planets with artificial atmospheres. The thing that makes this book just perfect is the time travel. Imagine being stuck on a planet that's been made to be artificially habitable, but being able to time travel to Earth and surround yourself with amazing environments!
This book is so well written, it's a mix of sci-fi, historical and romance all rolled into one perfect story! The historical references are wonderfully written and will keep you on your toes! It's not often that an author completely takes me by surprise with the plot. So my advice: READ. THIS. BOOK. Now the ending, I have no words. I will leave you with this.