Ratings121
Average rating3.7
When I picked up the book, I was exited about the plot: a secret governmental agency responsible for managing and safeguarding the course of history through time travel. It promised a blend of historical intrigue, adventure, and a touch of science fiction, all things that I typically love. However, the book fell short in several key areas.
I think that overall I need to agree that it feels a bit like a fanfiction. I will explain more now: First, the narrative felt disjointed and inconsistent (kinda like someone earlier said. Like a 14 year old fanfiction.). While the concept of time travel and historical manipulation is complex, the storytelling often seemed to lack direction. The pacing was uneven, with some sections dragging on unnecessarily while others rushed through potentially fascinating events and encounters. This made it difficult to stay engaged and fully immersed in the story, again leading it to just drag out.
Character development was another huge issue. The protagonists, came across as underdeveloped and somewhat one-dimensional, ok super one-dimensional honestly. Their motivations and personal backgrounds were not explored in sufficient depth, making it hard to connect with them. Instead of feeling like fully realised individuals, they often seemed to serve as mere vehicles for advancing the plot. Or in a less fancy way, the characters all felt like puppets instead of actual alive people that the author is just guiding in their story.
The historical settings and events sometimes suffered from a lack of authenticity. As someone who enjoys historical fiction, I found myself frustrated by inaccuracies and that just makes me feel less connected as I know it is not actually accurate. I mean do your research properly. The book sometimes took too many liberties with historical facts, which, while maybe intended to help the narrative, ended up destroyingit in some ways.
The prose itself was another sticking point. While there were moments of evocative writing, these were overshadowed by a general sense of inconsistency. Some passages were beautifully crafted, drawing me into the world, while others felt clunky and awkward, pulling me out of the story. Like I felt I was on some kind of awkward rollarcoaster that pulls you back and forth.
Small line that I dont know where to put in the main subjects I like to keep in my reviews: THE ROMACE. I mean, it was not needed and felt all wrong to me. I would be fine without it in any and every way.
Small posetive thing tho since everything before was so negative: The concept remains a compelling one, and there were flashes of brilliance in the way certain historical figures and events were portrayed. The idea of exploring history through the lens of time travel is undeniably fascinating, and there were moments where the book's potential shone through.
Just overall sucks that my expectations and wants in this book were not met at all. The concept was so good, it just was way to inconsistent and not properly written. So in conclusion, it was a 2star for me. Borderline 1.75 but decided to keep it up at 2.