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:  

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

The Golden Spiral (Hourglass Door #2)

Lisa Mangum

May 10th, 2010

Pages: 365 (now in paperback)

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Source: Publicist

Summary (Spoilers for 1st book):

The bank is eroding. The barriers are thinning. And time is running out. 

The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Although giving him up was the hardest test she ever faced, Abby knows that Dante is the only one who can stop the others from destroying time itself. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby's worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.  

With each change that ripples into her present, Abby's life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point. Zo's power is greater than Abby ever imagined. Will her love for Dante be enough to turn the tide? 

The Golden Spiral is nothing short of spectacular. The story is creative and exciting - Lisa Mangum is an author to keep an eye on.

Abby’s life is becoming more of a mess by the day as Zo flits through time with only chaos on his mind. The more he changes Abby's life, the more the barriers of time begin to wane. Despite everything horrible that’s happening, Abby toughens up and actively attempts to fix everything – including her seemingly impossible task to save Dante. But it is characters like Valerie and Zo who truly steal the spotlight. Zo is more threatening than ever with his controlled yet chaotic behavior, while Valerie's manic personality constantly surprises with every story she tells. Valerie especially grew to be a favorite character of mine, despite how frustrating I found her in book one.

Mangum intertwines events from the past novel together with those taking place in The Golden Spiral quite expertly. Time travel and the drawbacks of messing of time are more present in this story in comparison to the previous one. The characters are more developed, the risks are higher, and the ending will have you eager to snag a copy of newest and final novel, The Forgotten Locket.

Highlights: The characters, especially supporting ones like Zo, V, and Valerie, truly stunned me with how much more depth they all gained as characters. The build up to the conclusion was especially well done, and managed to surprise me despite a few hints here and there. Mangum's writing is as beautifully descriptive (and sometimes even poetic) as it was in the first novel.

Lowlights: Just once, I got a bit iffy regarding the dialog between Abby and Dante (the spot I'm referencing seemed a dash over the top). Things also seemed to work out too well regarding a couple aspects of the plot.

Note: You need to read The Hourglass Door (#1) to understand this novel, and I'd definitely recommend it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

Book: Wildwing  

Author: Emily Whitman

Release: September 21, 2010

Pages: 320

Source: Publicist

My Summary:

Adelaide "Addy" has grown up only knowing the life her mother has, a life full of hard work and serving others. So when the spunky girl gets stuck being a maid in Mr. Greenwood's home, she's not too thrilled because not only is she missing out on her opportunity to play the queen in her school play, she's not allowed to even continue school.

But then Addy discovers a lift in the middle of a room Mr. Greenwood always keeps locked. When she steps inside, she accidentally presses a button and is whisked back in time. People mistake her for Lady Matilda there, and Addy isn't too keen on correcting them. In this century, everyone treats her like a queen. Life could be absolutely perfect for Addy here.

But then she meets Will, and suddenly everything gets a bit more complicated. Now, Addy has to decide: Stay and live a life of luxury, but a life that she can't agree with, or try to find her way back to a life she was dying to escape from only weeks before?

Review: Wildwing is filled with lively scenes, exceptional characters, and a protagonist that really grows throughout the story.

Addy starts off seeming a bit immature, with some spunk and sass to her personality as well (thankfully, because it made her all the more interesting). But hey, you can't blame the girl for acting her age. Growing up 1913, Addy is a bastard daughter, living in poverty and she's bullied consistently by the richer girls, so it's easy to sympathize. When she lands herself in the past, it was humorous to be just as clueless with her as to the normal customs in 1240. Her mistakes were refreshing, and her growth throughout the story was wonderful to follow.

Life seems to jump off the pages and Whitman makes Wildwing rich with enough detail without it being overbearing. The falcons, the history, the characters, the story...I loved every second of diving into history with Addy. If you're a fan of historical YA, then you'll probably thoroughly enjoy Wildwing.

Highlights: The characters were all so very unique from one another. I loved Mr. Greenwood and would have enjoyed more of him; Will was wonderful as well; Sir Hugh was vulgar and almost vile (well, to me anyway). But the falcons, they fascinated me so much. Whitman pulls off scenery and characters so flawlessly in Wildwing, it's easy to lose yourself in her words and the story. I really enjoyed the time travel method as well, it was a bit different than what I usually read. 

Lowlights: I wasn't too fond of the ending (not that it's bad, but a bit obvious), but I guess it works out the way it should.

Rating:    

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum Review

The Hourglass Door
Lisa Mangum
May 13th, 2009
Source - Publisher
My Summary:

Abby's life has always gone according to plan, nothing ever changes. Except now that it's her senior year, she's thinking about different options...like instead of going to State with everyone else, she might really want to go to Emery back east. And maybe perfect, always-has-an-answer Jason just might not be the guy for her. Everything starts unraveling at the seams when she meets Dante Alexander, the new foreign exchange student. He's unlike anyone else in town, and shrouded in mystery. Time doesn't seem to pass the same way whenever she's around him. The more Abby gets to know him, the more she can't deny that there is something unusual about him. In the end, Abby's life could change because of one guy, and his secrets...

Surprising and intriguing, The Hourglass Door is addictive from the very first page to the last. 

Abby's got her life all pulled together in a neat little bow, but it all falls apart when Dante comes around. I found Abby to be very easy to relate to, especially since she's a stagehand for her school's play productions (a job I used to hold when I was in high school). At first, she came across as a bit bland, and very average (but I felt like she changed throughout the novel). Dante himself is intriguing, but what I love about him most is that he isn't the "bad boy" that YA books seem to love throwing into stories. He's actually a really good guy, and his relationship with time travel is very different than I expected. 

The characters that make up the band Zero Hour were interesting as well, and their roles have me curious about what will happen in the second novel. The plot surprised me at a few points, and the end shocked me again. By the time I finished the last sentence of The Hourglass Door, I was scrambling to start The Golden Spiral in order to find out what happens next in such a captivating trilogy. This is a very fun novel to read if you're in the mood for a bit of mystery, romance and an ending that will leave you wanting to dive into the sequel. 

Highlights: I've never read a time travel book quite like this one. The Hourglass Door grabbed me when it should, and made it very difficult to stop reading. 

Lowlights: It did seem like there was something missing, although I can't really say for sure what. It got a bit confusing at a couple points too, so I had to reread a few sections. Much like Meyer's Twilight series, Mangum is a great storyteller, and I can easily see people enjoying this one. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Image from Goodreads