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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Time Siege

Time Siege (Time Salvager #2)

Time Siege picks up where Time Salvager, the first book, left off. James Griffin-Mars is a fugitive time traveler on the run with Elise, the woman he brought to the future in the last book, and the tribe of refugees they've been sheltering with. Six months or so have passed and the tribe is slowly running out of resources. James and Elise have managed to keep them safe but there are constant skirmishes with the time agency and megacorporation forces hunting them. James meanwhile is cobbling together a ship so he can get offplanet and try to get resources and a cure for his sister.

Quick recap: in book one James left the time agency after breaking a cardinal law- he brought someone back from the past, saving her life in the process. He and Elise fell in love on the run and they're trying to survive on a desolate Earth in the 24th century- the planet is wracked with monster storms, rising sea levels and environmental degradation. Most everyone who can leave has, and the remaining inhabitants live in a state of fear or are just surviving. James has been haunted by the disappearance of his sister twenty year ago, and the book ends with him going back in time and rescuing her as well.

James has managed to keep things going but things look rough for the tribe and for his sister. James and Elise split up, with James heading off to find resources and Elise leading the tribe. At the same time they are being hunted by Kuo, the ruthless Corporation operative who has been ordered to retrieve Elise at any cost. The megacorporation wants her for unknown reasons. James and Elise are reunited as the tribe takes refuge in a flooded out New York City, but the megacorp is closing in and things get dire. James is also an alcoholic and that, along with the wear and tear on his body from years of time jumping, begin to take their toll.

There are several viewpoints here- we get the perspectives of James and Elise as well as Levin, the former nemesis of James who is now an uneasy ally. He becomes absolutely critical as the future of the time agency that he and James both belonged to appears to be in doubt. This is a world where megacorporations rule with an iron fist and a time agency that is supposed to be neutral is riven with dissension.

James and Elise go through relationship challenges and have to come to terms with their leadership roles in the tribe- it's not just about them anymore. As the story progressed and the stakes got higher I got sucked in and enjoyed it a lot more. I liked the depictions of the world, with flooded cities and wind so polluted you can actually see it, and there's a lot of imagination as we visit offworld locations. My biggest peeve is the villain Kuo- she just seems so one dimensional. Is it too much to ask to have some nuance? But having said that, this is an imaginative story with some great characters- if you like dystopian worlds with flawed, grounded characters this is a good read.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like a really juicy dystopian novel. Not sure I'd want to read it, but if I go on a dystopia reading kick I'll be sure to check out this series.

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    1. It is pretty good. I wasn't sure I'd like this one, it started a bit slow but then took off. If you do get on a sci fi or dystopian kick it might not be a bad read. :)

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  2. The more I read, the more interesting it sounded. An alcoholic MC? An uneasy alliance? If only I didn't hate time travel books so much lol. Aside from that though, it actually does sound really interesting. Glad you're enjoying the series!

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    1. Yeah his alcoholism and personal issues take a big toll on him in this book. Much more than the first one. And I like the way thg perspective shifted around, so we see some different views. But yeah- time travel. :)

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  3. I definitely want to get started on this series! I was curious to see what you made of the sequel and it sounds pretty positive despite the villain issue. I do love time travel so much ♥ GREAT review^^x

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    1. Time travel rocks! I think the first one is better, there's more actual time travel in it, this one the time travel is actually pretty minimal and it's more a straight up science fiction survival tale.

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  4. Nice cover! I am not a fan of time travel, but this series does sound interesting. It sounds like there's a lot going on with them trying to survive and the corporation that's after them. Too bad the villain is too one dimensional.

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