Review

Summary: Sophia Tims, the daughter of cartologists, is determined to find her parents. This quest is all the more difficult because the world has broken up into different Ages. Are they lost in an Ice Age tundra? Stuck in Papal Europe? Trapped in the Golden Age of Piracy?

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Notes: If you think you’ve read every variation of time travel, think again! I can’t tell why it’s different; that would ruin the story. It is a rather...unusual book. Usually, you can tell if the author has a particular bend...here, it is practically impossible. I'd love to meet her, to ask her what she thinks on a whole host of topics. Nevertheless, this is a very well written book and the beginning of an engrossing trilogy. The world-building is amazing. It has to be, since in this book, time is more like guidelines. Maps. I love maps! This trilogy revolves around maps. I wish I could say more, but that would spoil the story. One thing: there is no clear religion. Christianity is mentioned...mostly as pertains to some zealous knights. Many of the characters believe in the three fates. There are also the (rather unsavory) Nihilismians. (I may have spelled that wrong)

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Age of main character: fourteen-ish

 

Violence: Yes. See the grappling hook guys on the cover? Those are the bad guys. And yes, those are scars on their mouths. There’s broken bones, mad scientists, weird religion-thing, chases, escapes, explosions, duels, secrets, slave trade, corrupt politicians, and so on.

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Romance: Very little.

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Scary themes: Bad guys ransack a house, creepy villain-lady, mysterious dream, and faceless wailing people.

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Genre: Historical Fiction/Alternant Reality