Gwendolyn Clare

In the City of Time by Gwendolyn Clare, with its plot about three geeky young scientists and time travel, should be a novel I adore because I love it when stories get all nerdy and scientific. Unfortunately, I do not love when authors make up entirely new laws of science to explain their science fiction, which is precisely what Ms. Clare does in this latest novel. Her explanations of time travel are so far from scientific that I could not even begin to understand what she was trying to say. Sadly, her scientific explanations were not the only issues I had with the novel. Her use of polyamory feels a little opportunistic; it feels like Ms. Clare jumped onto the inclusive bandwagon without considering whether it is the right thing for the characters. That particular relationship doesn’t even feel like a romantic relationship to me but rather more like best friends with occasional benefits. And I don’t believe that someone from the 1800s would be 100 percent okay with polyamorous relationships and willingly enter into one after only a few minutes of thought. The lack of science alone made me hesitant to pick up In the City of Time every day. Add in the questionable inclusion choices, and it all made for a novel that was a slog to read.… (plus d'informations)

I so wanted to love this book. The premise was intriguing and I had heard good things. Unfortunately, this book is not for me.

1) The omniscient point of view doesn’t work here. I typically love it, but the characters didn’t seem fully developed because the POV kept bouncing around. I think a first person POV would allow the author to more thoroughly explore one character to create depth.

2) The writing itself seemed mechanical. All the plot points were there, but there wasn’t enough description between the main points.

3) The relationships were forced. Her friendships seemed stilted even after she had apparently learned to have friends. Her “feelings” for Leo came out of left field. There was no build-up, no subtlety.

4) I know this is set in another time period, but the teenage characters spoke like they had college degrees. Even their banter was too academic most of the time.

TL;DR: The writing and characters were not believable.… (plus d'informations)

Summary:
Elsa is a conjured person created from a powerful book that can affect the worlds both inside and outside its pages. Elsa is a scriptotolgist, a person with the ability to write anything into existence. When Elsa’s mother was kidnapped from their created world of Veldana, Elsa followed into the Earth realm where she met other people with skills like her own (called pazzerellone). With their help, Elsa was able to stop a nefarious plot only to be betrayed by Leo, a fellow pazzerellone and member of the Order.
Now Elsa and the remaining members of the Order (other pazzerellone) must stop Leo from giving the editbook to his estranged father and head of the Carbonari, a group that wants to use the book’s power to literally change the Earth and all other worlds into whatever is desired by the holder of the book. Elsa will have to infiltrate the Carbonari and convince Leo’s father that she is one of them if she is to retrieve the editbook. Will she be able to stop the oncoming apocalypse and maybe save her troubled friend Leo as well? The whole of creation depends on Elsa and the decisions she makes. One mistake and all could be lost.

Evaluation:
This rollicking read picks right up where “Ink, Iron, and Glass” ended and it keeps moving. This is a highly inventive and well thought out universe for the characters to traverse. The main themes of love, loyalty, and faith are well represented throughout the story. The characters and the various powers they wield are logical and well developed. Several different points of view give the reader a richer experience. This is a wonderful sequel and is best read with its predecessor to truly get the most out of both stories. Recommended for fans of action and adventure who love great world building and multidimensional characters. For grades 7-11.… (plus d'informations)