Friday, June 8, 2012

Review: Timepiece

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 follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.


Summary from (Goodreads)


Review: Timepiece picks up a little after Hourglass stops. But wait! There's more. Instead of having the lovely sarcastic Emerson Cole narrating this book, you've got Kaleb instead. One of the main things I really loved about Hourglass, other than the time-traveling, was Emerson herself. She was a fabulous narrator, with so much voice and personality that she became a real person in my head. She wasn't there just to tell a story. Emerson made the story. Without her voice...things were weird at first. Before this turns into a gushing review about Hourglass, I'll bring Kaleb back into the picture.


I love Kaleb. I really do. It's harder to be inside of his mind because it was so much fun to observe him from afar in Hourglass. Kaleb is seriously the king of banter. The dialogue in this book is so hilarious. The first line of this book had me in a fit of giggles and it took me forever to just calm down and keep reading. Inside Kaleb's head, you don't have to guess what other people are feeling. He just tells you. With the way it's written, it's very direct and natural, which is good, because Kaleb's used to being an empath. Myra McEntire is a fabulous author. She really understands people and in Kaleb's point of view, while I could tell it was a guy main character, she remembered to make him a person instead of a cardboard cutout of GUY. Oh, what else do I have to say? While I missed Emerson a lot, Kaleb's point of view was fantastic. He was a very interesting (wink wink) character in Hourglass, but with Timepiece he really came to life. Suddenly, you understand him. And it really is sad. Kaleb carries an unimaginable amount of guilt and hurt. He's so real in Timepiece.


Oh, and his love interest. What do I have to say about her? Oh yes, I so called it as soon as I heard Timepiece was from Kaleb's point of view. I. called. it. Honestly, it took me a while to accept Kaleb's blossoming romance with his love interest. It was downright hilarious and fun to watch unravel, but a small part of me had been hoping that Emerson would ditch Michael and marry date Kaleb. What's that I hear? Am I crushing hopes? Sorry, but the sooner you accept this, the more you'll enjoy reading this book. I still ship Kemerson, though. (Sorry, I thought up the couple name in less than a second. I'm not good at these things) Sexy Pirate, meet Tiny Ninja. Y'all should get married. (Not happening.) I really was heartbroken when they didn't get together.


The cast of characters introduced in Hourglass carry on into Timepiece with a flawless transition. Some minor characters became more important and some of the main characters stepped down to let others shine. Myra McEntire has a knack for creating people.


The plot is as confusing as the plot in the first book, maybe even more. Part of the reason it seemed so confusing may be because I skim a little when reading on a ebook reader. The time rips get  more frequent and now everyone with a time related ability gets sucked in. The stakes are upped, which is insane because throughout the entire first book, there's this intense feeling that something is going to happen. That's the same feeling you'll get from Timepiece except for the fact that it's much more foreboding because you have no idea what'll happen next. The characters were running around in a panic and it's so painful to watch because I also had no clue what was going on. The pacing was amazing. The intensity of the story kept me addicted, but at the same time she gave her characters enough rest time for them to be human and grow. The characters weren't there for the sole sake of filling out a role--they made the story.


You get a little more insight on the evil Jack  but even then, you're not sure if it's the truth or if he's lying. He's a fabulously constructed antagonist because while you know his plans, you don't quite understand his motives. The edge of mystery that surrounds him made me wish to see him more often and wish he'd never show up at all at the same time.


If you haven't read the first book yet, then I don't suggest you pick this one up until you've read Hourglass. Some second books in series can be read without the first, but Timepiece is not that kind of book. Most of the quirks and science to time travel, as well as some important character-building events from the first book are needed to fully understand the story Myra's constructed for us.


Overall, I think this was a great sequel to a gripping series. I just can't wait for what happens next in Infinityglass. 


Rating: 4/5 stars

6 comments:

  1. YAY!!!! So glad to hear you loved Timepiece :) I adored the fist book and I am so excited to hear that this book is in Kaleb's perspective! I will definitely be reading this one! Glad to hear the characters and writing was so good!!!!! Great review!

    Following your blog!
    SeeitORreadit

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  2. Glad you liked it! I haven't started the series yet so its good to see others liking it. Awesome review!

    ~Shane @ Itchingforbooks
    new follower

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  3. This is a really great review, thank you for sharing! I haven't read Hourglass yet but I really want to, I just have to get my hands on a copy :) I'm glad the series seems to be going well!

    New to your blog,

    Steph @ Stepping Out of the Page

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  4. I was a bit apprehensive when I first heard this book would be from Kaleb's point of view. I do like him, but I was sure I would miss Emerson. I haven't read this book yet, but I'm glad to hear Kaleb's POV is done well. Great review! it's good to see you enjoyed this. :)

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  5. I've been trying to get around to this series for weeks now and it just hasn't happened! I hope I don't find them too confusing! The covers are so awesome.

    Lovely review, Julie! :D

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  6. I never thought I'd actually recionsider and decide to read this series after all, but with all the lovely reviews I've been reading lately, yours included, I did. It's good to know that the transition is seamless, despite the change of narrators.
    Amazing review, Julie!

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