Alice Payne Rides (Alice Payne)

by Kate Heartfield

• ISBN10: 1250313759
• ISBN13: 9781250313751
• Publish Date: 1 April 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

It was a bit weird diving into this one in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic since there is a bit about smallpox in it. Once I got past that part, I enjoyed Alice's and Jane's time hopping adventures to correct time. In some books that can be confusing, Heartfield masters the jumps through time and it is easy to follow.

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Alice Payne Rides from Tor.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Alice Payne Rides is the second novella in the Alice Payne series. It’s a time traveling series full of strong and brilliant women, and some admittedly curious situations that they managed to get themselves into.
If you had any doubt about its ability to follow up the first then put them to rest. Alice Payne Rides was everything I could have hoped for out of a sequel, and then some. It was just as intense as the first novella, if not more so. It furthered the plots already started, and best of all, it continued developing all of the characters we’ve met so far.
The world of Alice Payne is beautiful and dark. Time traveling has opened many doors that science fiction authors have warned us about for years – and then some. This series does a phenomenal job of showing us the cost of time traveling, while also highlighting the hope that it can carry with it simultaneously.



Alice Payne Rides was an absolutely brilliant read. The plot was enchanting and the characters charming. This series has become everything I never knew I wanted out of a time travel story. The sequel easily held up to my raised expectations and honestly has raised them even further for any future novellas.
In many ways, I think I enjoyed this novella more than Alice Payne Arrives. Mostly because the world and characters were already established, so we were able to jump right into the thick of things. This novella already had a good starting point, what with an intriguing plot involving time travel, and fascinating yet quirky characters already introduced.
I’ll confess some surprise to the level of some of the characters involved in the second novella. I knew that certain characters would obviously be involved in trying to deal with time travel missions…but there was one I certainly hadn’t expected. While I hadn’t expected…I do appreciate the decision made here. It added something to the plot, more tension for one thing. I also ended up liking this character more than I had previously, so that was a bonus as well.
Speaking of characters, I adore the three main characters in this series. Alice is so intelligent and independent – regardless of what time period she’s from. The fact that she lives in 1780 just makes her personality that much more striking. I adore her tenacity and refusal to meet cultural expectations.
Likewise, I adore Jane. I do feel more compelled to see her protected, but that has more to do with my initial impression of her being a naive genius. She’s brilliant, but she also has the tendency to hope for the best from people. In that sense, she really is perfect for Alice. They balance each other out and take care of each other.
Prudence is tough and has had to go through a lot to keep her memories in check. I adore the complicated steps that time travelers take here. I also loved her character arc in this novella. I think that we’ll see more of that in any following novellas, so I’m looking forward to it.
The plot itself was fast-paced and intense. Everything moved forward with surprising swiftness. I suppose a combination of willful determination and the ability to time travel would have that effect on people’s lives.
I adored this novella, and can honestly say that I read it in one sitting. I rather wish I hadn’t, since I don’t have the ability to time travel, and thus cannot experience this novella for the first time ever again. At least I have future stories from this world to look forward to.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks