A capable and enthusiastic character, Cathal eagerly signs on to the dangerous mission, aided by new super healing abilities and help from his 17-year-old cousin Liam and the angelic Elluna warrior Gabriel. To gather the stones, Cathal and Liam travel to prohibition-era Chicago, the Rape of Nanking in 1937, Nazi Germany in 1944, and to the Kingdom of Poland in 1241, where they track the Mongolian army. At every turn, they are threatened by Tarnok agent Skorn, a Delta Force soldier from 1999, who is aided by Viking and Nazi assistants. Acknowledging man’s inhumanity to man, Cathal remarks, “Every generation experiences terrible tragedy. History often does seem to repeat itself.” Gurkovich keeps the action rolling with Tommy guns and swords, land mines, and magic scrolls.
Traditional science fiction tropes of time travel and a quest to gather many pieces of a puzzle are fused with a clever mix of cultural and historical detail. Although some clunky language and anachronistic dialog distract from immersion (“This Terranos fellow, he sounds pretty intense”), Gurkovich provides plenty of twists, suspense, and resourceful characters. Readers will be drawn in to the time jumps and sticky situations.
Takeaway: This exciting time travel adventure offers suspense and surprises with the fate of the world in the balance.
Great for fans of: Rysa Walker’s Timebound, Ryan North’s How to Invent Everything.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
