Invictus
Author: Ryan Graudin
Grade: C
Invictus was one of the big reads I was waiting for this year and in the end I felt like it was just okay. I’m a sucker for time-travel and this book about time-traveling bandits lead by a kid who was literally born outside of time was described as Firefly meets Doctor Who so I really, really expected a lot.
Farway and his crew steal things from events in history where they won’t be missed or were already lost. That’s why their on the Titanic when someone beats them to the punch and quiet a lot of trouble is caused. There’s a lot more than time-travel going on in this book and I don’t want to give away spoilers so I think I’ll leave it at that.
As a time-travel enthusiast there was a lot for me though maybe a little too much. I mean you can’t really debate the inner workings of time travel after all. It’s just what you feel works and doesn’t.
I liked the crew but one thing, and maybe this was the Firefly comparison, they all felt like they were older. It was like having the Firefly crew in the body of teenagers. Priya especially just came off as older- which isn’t a bad thing. While part of me liked her relationship with Far and appreciated that there was no love triangles or jealousy or anything another part of me was like, “You can do better than this kid.”
I also felt like it wrapped up a little too neatly.
Overall Invictus was, by no means, a bad book. It held my interest and had a lot of potential. But it’s one I likely won’t remember much of in a month. Bonus points for being a standalone.
Recommend: Eh. If you like Graudin, time-travel and just want a standalone. Otherwise I’d say give her Wolf by Wolf duology a try first.
Paradox Bound
Author: Peter Clines
Grade: B
Paradox Bound showed up in my September Page Habit and I was upset that it wasn’t Invictus only to wind up liking it a little bit more. Eli Teague is just a little boy the first time he runs into Harry. He meets her again years later and nothings changed for her. (Yes, Harry is a woman.) One more meeting and he’s pulled into a strange time-traveling treasure hunt involving old cars, American myths, the entire country and faceless men.
I’ve heard this one described as National Treasure like and I’d agree. I won’t spoil what they’re looking for except to say it might not work for everyone but I enjoyed it.
I also really appreciated both characters (especially Harry who I kept picturing as a blonde Rebecca Ferguson for some reason) and their back and forth. They definitely like each other but it’s mostly back burnered while they do what must be done and try to survive.
I also liked how Clines does the time-travel elements not something I had read before and it was an interesting idea in terms of the history of the country as well.
Recommend: Yes. Especially if you liked National Treasure or the treasure hunt element of it.
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