Timepiece (Review)

Hourglass: Timepiece | Myra McEntire

YA, Science Fiction

Characters ★★★★★

Setting ★★★☆☆

Writing Style ★★★★☆

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples - cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan landers, the man who tried to murder is father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers' return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered - with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

REVIEW

Timepiece was fast-paced and dangerous, with stakes much higher than Hourglass (or at least for me, since I didn't completely care what happened to Michael). This book grounded me more in the emotions of Kaleb than it ever did with Em. I fell hard for Lily as Kaleb did, but wasn't really fussed with Michael as a love interest. In fact I grew to love him in Timepiece because of his brotherly relationship with Kaleb. There was just something about Hourglass that kept me removed, but Timepiece had none of that.

I much prefer Kaleb's voice to Em's, and I loved the way his perspective clearly showed him falling in love. Kaleb was sweet and infuriating, and utterly honest. The development of his relationship and interest in Lily progressed in a very real way from lust to fierce love.

I also liked how this book took the characters to different places - it was nice to go somewhere other than Ivy Springs and meet new characters. ((I'm a little tired of reading books set in small Southern towns. This is probably my fault for my choice of books but ... it was refreshing to go to a city that felt bigger and less claustrophobic))

The introduction of Teague and Chronos was unexpected and quite brilliant. Not only were the MCs threatened by Jack Landers and his manipulative plot, but the new antagonists made staying alive feel utterly impossible. I cannot forsee a way out of this, though I'm going to assume Lily will find the Infinityglass, because Teague and Jack are a thousand steps ahead, always rendering anyone's efforts hopeless.

I loved this book so much more than Hourglass, and I thought it was much better written as it was capable of sucking me into the story - something the first book never did. I can only hope that Infinityglass will be even better.

★★★★☆