Reviews

No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor

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disreputabledog's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

mbenzz's review

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4.0

3.5 Stars...

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The ghost that Markham keeps seeing, the jump back to 1643 St. Marys to investigate what happened on that day, and who it is that Markham is seeing...great stuff.

The jump back to the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851 provided a lighter day, but definitely not without its drama. Running into old enemies and a spotting a beloved friend made that jump both fun and exciting.

The salvage mission to Old St. Pauls in 1666 was high drama and action-packed. It was also very sad and very cruel. There were a lot of people in that jump, and it ended with tragic results. The St. Marys Open Day that came on the heels of that started out as a great distraction but ended with more tragedy (though I wasn't too upset about that particular death).

It's around this time that I started to become irritated with Max and her extremely irresponsible attitude. She was very seriously injured at Open Day and refused to grasp the importance of just calming down and getting better. That there were other people out there who care for her.

Her behavior during the jump to Florence in 1497 during the 'Bonfire of the Vanities' was so incredibly wrong. She told everyone else to just get in, get what they needed, and get out.

Do. Not. Interfere.

This rule is the most basic rule of being an Historian. What she did in Florence was so stupid and so unnecessary, and it almost killed both herself and Leon. It also made me like her a lot less. I no longer see her as crazy quirky Max who goes her own way...I started seeing her as the irresponsible and disobedient child she acts like. Every time she screws up, someone has to go save her, putting their life at risk, and it's getting old.

The last jump to Thermopylae in 480 BC was a little redeeming. Yes, there was high drama and a lot of tense moments, but for once Max did what she was told and didn't almost kill anyone. The book ended on a sweet note and I'm hoping that Max's new position will maybe calm her down a bit.

Overall, while I enjoyed the bulk of the story, this book felt a bit stale. This is Book 5...Max REALLY needs to grow the hell up and stop acting like it's all just fun and games. She knows better, and what was once jovial charm is now just irresponsible and dangerous.