Monday, July 9, 2012

Review: Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Timepiece
Myra McEntire
June 12th 2012
336 pages (hardcover)
Egmont USA
Source - Netgalley
A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...
The second installment in the Hourglass series, Timepiece introduces Kaleb Ballard as the narrator. Things have been a little crazy since the last book, especially Kaleb's relationships with his friends and family. He's still going out, getting drunk, spiraling downhill and self-destructing. But, Kaleb has more to worry about lately. The time ripples are getting worse and more intrusive, there's a girl he just can't win over, and everything he knows may cease to exist if Kaleb doesn't find Jack Landers soon. Now, Kaleb's left with only two options: Find Jack, or deal with the consequences. 

The risks are higher and the tension is palpable in Timepiece. Initially, I was wary of having Kaleb as a narrator, but there's more to this guy than meets the eye. The story sets off with a humorous moment that turns heart-pounding and somewhat terrifying. From there, the story only continues to grow and shine with each page and plot twist. While the plot alone is intriguing enough to capture a readers attention, Kaleb's voice (and character growth) is what brings this book to life. Timepiece is a solid and standout sequel -- I can't wait to see what happens next in Infinityglass.

Highlights: Kaleb's voice was engaging, amusing, endearing, and completely unlike what I expected from him. His interactions with Lily were hilarious. The mysteries in this book captivated me from start to finish. The romance was sweet and perfectly paced. Also, I love McEntire's inclusion of some architectural terms (the flying buttress scene was particularly amusing) and the overall descriptions because it helped me envision each scene. Also, character growth!

Lowlights: (Maybe a slight spoiler - highlight to read) You can't spend an entire novel talking about the Infinityglass, looking for the Infinityglass, and then never actually find it because you're saving it for book three. Nothing important was actually resolved in this book, so that was a bit frustrating.

Note: Reading Hourglass first is somewhat necessary when it comes to this novel. Even though these books have different narrators, the story in Timepiece will make more sense if you read Hourglass first. Thankfully, both books are thoroughly enjoyable. 

Rating:  

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5 comments:

  1. I agree with your lowlight-I ended up feeling like nothing was resolve either and it added to my frustration of not really liking Kaleb and not being able to remember all of the character relationships from Hourglass.

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  2. I'll admit I didn't even notice the Infinityglass and not finding it because I genuinely liked Kaleb's voice. I did, however, get crazy frustrated at the ending. It was just so abrupt and cut-off that I didn't feel any sort of conclusion to the book and geared up for the next one. I'm excited about it and looking forward to it, but don't like the "wait, what just happened to the ending?" feeling I got at the end.

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  3. I didn't notice the whole Infinityglass thing either. I was far too engrossed in Kaleb. I was hesitant to read this book because I was so into Emerson but Kaleb won me over pretty easily. I'm going to miss him in the third book.

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  4. I haven't read Hourglass yet, but I've really been wanting to. Love the concept. I'm glad the change in narrator wasn't too jarring and you ended up liking him because that's always a concern of mine when the author decides to change it up. Thanks for the review!

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  5. I still need to read the first book, but OMG I just adore this cover. This cover is so fabulous, I'm in love with it. I want a huge poster of it. I also love the premise of the first book and this one sounds fantastic too. Great review!

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