Janet B. Taylor
Series: Into the Dim, #2
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
For the first time in her life, Hope Walton has friends . . . and a (maybe) boyfriend. She’s a Viator, a member of a long line of time-traveling ancestors. When the Viators learn of a plan to steal a dangerous device from the inventor Nikola Tesla, only a race into the past can save the natural timeline from utter destruction. Navigating the glitterati of The Gilded Age in 1895 New York City, Hope and her crew will discover that high society can be as deadly as it is beautiful.This review is tough to write, because I CANNOT SEE THROUGH MY TEARS!
I would like to commend Taylor here, because in my opinion, she avoided the second book slump. When I first started reading this book, I was afraid I would not remember anything, since I had read Into the Dim back in 2015, but bits and pieces of the previous book were thoughtfully woven into the early chapters, which got me right back into the world and ready to go on a new adventure. I was just re-reading my review of the first book, and I like this book for essentially all the same reasons.
What I Liked
- The Time Travel: This time we travel to Victorian New York. Being in 19th century NY made me really appreciate now-NY. I forgot how horrifying some aspects of life were back then, and I thought Taylor picked an interesting cross-section of social issues from that time period to explore. And, well, we also got to interact with Tesla, who is one of my favorite scientists, which was very exciting for me.
- The Romance: I really feel like the swoon factor was turned up in this installment. I found myself furiously highlighting passages from the chapters where Hope and Bran interact. I am so firmly aboard this ship with all my heart. And to compound their lovely love, we get to take trips through Hope's memory as she begins to find pieces of her past life, and when she first met Bran. *heart-eyes*
Apples = Love - The Family: Yes, I am taking the word family out of quotes, because this group of people are a family. They don't need to share blood to share the love and ties of a family. There are so many things that happen, which just drives the point home. There are some sacrifices, HUGE sacrifices made and some lines drawn and crossed, but this is exactly what family does for one another. There are some joyous times shared, and a some really sad times shared, and I am so happy Hope had all these lovely people there to share them with.
- The Mystery: And the plot thickens. Just when you thought you knew what was going on between the Viators and the Timeslippers, Taylor introduces another wrinkle in the form of yet more nefarious characters. Our villain group is either growing or shifting. Not sure yet, but looking forward to finding out how this is going to play out.
- The Science: Like I said, we actually get Tesla on page, which is cool. There is less geek speak in this one, as we kind of already know the science behind the machinery, but there is a little bit here and there.
- BONUS - The Highland Games: This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Here the characters were all together celebrating their heritage. They were eating, drinking, dancing, tossing cabers, and there were some really romantic things that happened here too.
Overall: A strong sequel filled with action, happiness, swoon, and some serious tears there at the end.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
Have you ever watched the Highland Games?
Let us know in the comments!
I remember being super excited to read Into the Dim, but it must have slipped my mind, but wow! I'm so glad the book doesn't suffer from second-book syndrome. I'll admit I struggle with time travel books sometimes, but you make such a strong case for this one! Especially with that paragraph on the romance. ;) And Tesla being on page!! I'm going to add this to my TBR!
ReplyDeleteLovely review, Sam! :)
I am getting chills just thinking about all the beautiful romantic moments in this book. There are some really touching ones too, which come out after the "tragic event". Now I'm crying. 😭
DeleteI love when a sequel easily gets you right back into the world, even if it has been a long time since you read the previous. I need to make sure Into the Dim is on my TBR because you have me wanting to read this!
ReplyDeleteI am a fan. I liked both time periods Taylor included, and just the whole family vibe. Plus Tesla 😄
DeleteI really appreciate your visit to my blog last week, Sam! I meant to drop by right away, but things got a little complicated....:( Well, here I am now!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of "Into the Dim". It's one of those books that I have been wanting to get to for some time now, too. Time is the problem, of course! This sequel sounds SO GREAT!! And I LOVE that cover!!
I really like your review style, and appreciate how well-written this review is, too! Thanks for putting this book on my radar! <3 <3
Last but not least, thanks for dropping by, and commenting on my CWW post!! <3 :)
Thanks for all the love. I hope you someday get to this book. It's a series that I am definitely enjoying.
DeleteSOLD! I am completely sold on this one, Sam. You mentioned several aspects that were ticking all the right boxes for me: time travel, romance, swoon factor, family (in whatever form it comes in), and even Highland games?! I remember when Into the Dim came out but it seemed like it didn't make much of a splash at the time (or I was just missing any hype) but I'm definitely going to start this series.
ReplyDeleteEverything I loved in the first book was so MORE in this one. It was also cool, how their past was woven into the story. Now, things from the first book are less random, and it just made it all the more swoony too. I know in the first book, people were annoyed with Hope, but she grew, and she is almost a new person in this book, because she is happier. She is loved. I like that kind of payoff for the characters in a book.
DeleteThere was a lot more geek-speak in the first book, where they explained how the machine worked and what not, but there is a little in here. I was actually more happy with all the swoony stuff. I felt like there was a lot more than in the previous book.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the first one, but this sounds really great! I'm very curious - and I'm glad the sequel was a good follow up. I'll have to look into these now!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
I really liked the first one, so the sequel was a no brainer for me.
DeleteOh YAY I am so excited that you loved this one!! I am excited to read it, but I was also a little worried because I have been having the worst time with sequels this year- but you saying that the author avoided the sequel slump has me ready to dive right in! Great review!!
ReplyDeleteWell, romance is my thing, and she turned it up a notch. She also chose a time period, where she could challenge some social issues, such as race and mental illness, which I think offered an interesting dimension to this time travel visit. She went pretty big with the tragic event to, gave us more of Bran and Hope's "historical" backstory, and we got a big reveal as well. For me, Taylor took the story in a good direction. I was happy.
DeleteThis sounds lovely -- and amid all the goodness, I am looking forward to see how the author worked in the social issues of the era and a pretty damn brilliant story!
ReplyDeleteI feel like she chose that time period and the treatment of the mentally ill in order to illustrate how sort of savage the other time travelers were.
DeleteI have an ARC of the first book that I haven't had a chance to read yet. It sounds like I need to move it up the pile and work it in. I love time travel so this one really appeals to me. Glad you enjoyed book 2 as much as you did.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way she blended the history into the story and she gave us people to root for, villains, nefarious plots, romance. It has so many things I like.
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