Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
This review is tough to write, because I CANNOT SEE THROUGH MY TEARS!
I would like to commend Taylor here, because in my opinion, she avoided the second book slump. When I first started reading this book, I was afraid I would not remember anything, since I had read Into the Dim back in 2015, but bits and pieces of the previous book were thoughtfully woven into the early chapters, which got me right back into the world and ready to go on a new adventure. I was just re-reading my review of the first book, and I like this book for essentially all the same reasons.
What I Liked
The Time Travel: This time we travel to Victorian New York. Being in 19th century NY made me really appreciate now-NY. I forgot how horrifying some aspects of life were back then, and I thought Taylor picked an interesting cross-section of social issues from that time period to explore. And, well, we also got to interact with Tesla, who is one of my favorite scientists, which was very exciting for me.
The Romance: I really feel like the swoon factor was turned up in this installment. I found myself furiously highlighting passages from the chapters where Hope and Bran interact. I am so firmly aboard this ship with all my heart. And to compound their lovely love, we get to take trips through Hope's memory as she begins to find pieces of her past life, and when she first met Bran. *heart-eyes*
Apples = Love
The Family: Yes, I am taking the word family out of quotes, because this group of people are a family. They don't need to share blood to share the love and ties of a family. There are so many things that happen, which just drives the point home. There are some sacrifices, HUGE sacrifices made and some lines drawn and crossed, but this is exactly what family does for one another. There are some joyous times shared, and a some really sad times shared, and I am so happy Hope had all these lovely people there to share them with.
The Mystery: And the plot thickens. Just when you thought you knew what was going on between the Viators and the Timeslippers, Taylor introduces another wrinkle in the form of yet more nefarious characters. Our villain group is either growing or shifting. Not sure yet, but looking forward to finding out how this is going to play out.
The Science: Like I said, we actually get Tesla on page, which is cool. There is less geek speak in this one, as we kind of already know the science behind the machinery, but there is a little bit here and there.
BONUS - The Highland Games: This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Here the characters were all together celebrating their heritage. They were eating, drinking, dancing, tossing cabers, and there were some really romantic things that happened here too.
Overall: A strong sequel filled with action, happiness, swoon, and some serious tears there at the end.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
BLOG|INSTAGRAM|BLOGLOVIN| FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 1 July, 2017: Finished reading
- 1 July, 2017: Reviewed