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timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe more time-travel stories should be novellas. This one gives us a tidy story without any padding. There's no room for long-winded explanations (although I'd like to have seen something abotu how Allen became an expert), and no room for long side stories that just stretch the flimsy fabric of time travel beyond its capabilities.
Given where Elise ends up, it will be interesting to see who's in #2. Not that we have much invested in Elise, who we don't really get to know.
Worth reading.
Given where Elise ends up, it will be interesting to see who's in #2. Not that we have much invested in Elise, who we don't really get to know.
Worth reading.
waclements7's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting take on time travel, history, and how we seem doomed to repeat our mistakes. Sort of. The characters are interesting, not entirely dimensional, but entertaining. It’s a quick read and goes quickly (despite my read dates—I was distracted for a bit)—once I returned to it the pacing was good. I’m not entirely sure the end would have occurred the way it did? Wouldn’t you have to prove you were from the Governing Agency before people would take your word for it to order an evacuation? I did like the tie-in with the Titanic, and that Chandler had found an orphan in the future when it was something so common in the past.
In a personal aside, I like the bit about Dr. Wells’ grandmother and genealogy. I’ve run into a few dead ends working on my own. Maybe I’ll just say they were time travelers. lol
In a personal aside, I like the bit about Dr. Wells’ grandmother and genealogy. I’ve run into a few dead ends working on my own. Maybe I’ll just say they were time travelers. lol
racheltho's review
5.0
The Continuum really surprised/impressed me! This is a good example of how a successful novella should be done: there was just the right amount of plot for the length of the book, which made the story fast-paced without feeling rushed or incomplete. It didn't negatively draw attention to the fact that it's a shorter book, and the story kept me hooked the entire time.
First of all, this is a book about time travel, which is awesome enough - but it was also done in a refreshing way. Rather than having characters who travel back in time in order to change something in the past or prevent something from happening in the present/future, The Continuum involves a travel agency that arranges vacations to the past and specifically prohibits their clients from altering the past. Jumps in time are strictly regulated by a careful set of rules.
But, of course, rules are broken and complications arise. Elise, the protagonist whose job is to retrieve people who don't come back to the present when they're supposed to, ends up getting sent to the future... which as far as she knew was not possible. The story takes place in three main settings: 1912 England, just as the Titanic is about to begin its voyage; 2012 New York, Elise's present-day life as an agent; and 2112, where Elise jumps to a futuristic settlement... in space.
Despite the time travel and space aspects, this story was not overly sci-fi or techy. I was also able to easily follow the 'rules' of time travel (i.e., How does going to the past affect the present/future? What happens if you run into yourself in the past? Answer: you don't, because the agency only allows you to jump to before you were born.) without feeling like my mind was melting. I really enjoyed the parallels between 1912 and 2112, which could've been tacky or cliché, but which I thought were handled elegantly and created a nice cyclical, history-repeats-itself effect.
My only complaint, if I had to come up with one, would be that I didn't really get to know Elise very well (although I was so caught up in the plot that I didn't notice this too much). I learned her values and who she was on some level based on her choices and actions, of course... but I would've loved to see more of her personal life, her past, and her more routine jumps to the historical past! Maybe Wendy Nikel will write some side stories about some of Elise's other adventures.
First of all, this is a book about time travel, which is awesome enough - but it was also done in a refreshing way. Rather than having characters who travel back in time in order to change something in the past or prevent something from happening in the present/future, The Continuum involves a travel agency that arranges vacations to the past and specifically prohibits their clients from altering the past. Jumps in time are strictly regulated by a careful set of rules.
But, of course, rules are broken and complications arise. Elise, the protagonist whose job is to retrieve people who don't come back to the present when they're supposed to, ends up getting sent to the future... which as far as she knew was not possible. The story takes place in three main settings: 1912 England, just as the Titanic is about to begin its voyage; 2012 New York, Elise's present-day life as an agent; and 2112, where Elise jumps to a futuristic settlement... in space.
Despite the time travel and space aspects, this story was not overly sci-fi or techy. I was also able to easily follow the 'rules' of time travel (i.e., How does going to the past affect the present/future? What happens if you run into yourself in the past? Answer: you don't, because the agency only allows you to jump to before you were born.) without feeling like my mind was melting. I really enjoyed the parallels between 1912 and 2112, which could've been tacky or cliché, but which I thought were handled elegantly and created a nice cyclical, history-repeats-itself effect.
My only complaint, if I had to come up with one, would be that I didn't really get to know Elise very well (although I was so caught up in the plot that I didn't notice this too much). I learned her values and who she was on some level based on her choices and actions, of course... but I would've loved to see more of her personal life, her past, and her more routine jumps to the historical past! Maybe Wendy Nikel will write some side stories about some of Elise's other adventures.
affiknittyreads's review against another edition
3.0
Counts for Read Harder task #17, a science fiction novel by a female author with a female protagonist. I have some other books I plan to read for that task, too (thanks to Sandy)!
herbalmoon's review against another edition
4.0
WOW! I loved this book way more than I thought I would! Even though it could use a little fleshing out and felt a little rushed toward the end, I really enjoyed it. (It went so fast!)
I'm only sorry that the door wasn't left open for a sequel. (Or would that be a prequel? Time travel makes the potential of extra books confusing!)
[I received a copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.]
I'm only sorry that the door wasn't left open for a sequel. (Or would that be a prequel? Time travel makes the potential of extra books confusing!)
[I received a copy through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.]
wordshaker12's review against another edition
4.0
I wish it was more fleshed out in places, especially the characters, but I did really enjoy this novella. Especially the past and future parallel and the ending.
soulfulsin's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free copy of this book from LibrayThing in exchange for an honest review.
Superb. I only wish it were longer, with everything more flushed out. It would be an amazing longer novel...as it is, it's still great.
Superb. I only wish it were longer, with everything more flushed out. It would be an amazing longer novel...as it is, it's still great.
anatomydetective's review against another edition
3.0
I can't say I feel motivated to read the next book in this series. 2.5 stars.
hjmo's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the idea of this book. The world-building was interesting and the MC competent and easy to root for. The story takes some good turns and ends in a fun and interesting way. There was so much potential but it just didn't all work together for me.
This time travel book covers a lot of territory in a very small footprint. The author is wonderful at conveying a lot with few words and building a world without info dumps. The pace is fast, too fast and the result is a bit of whiplash as we jump from plot point to plot point with little explanation or room for our characters to breathe. I think I found this frustrating because the story would have been amazing if it was double the length and everything was given more detail and time to grow. At some point while reading I had the thought that it felt like a short story more than a novel and then I got to the end and read that the author is primarily a short story writer. I have nothing against short stories (I will probably go look up her back catalog because she is really good!) but I felt the scope of this story would have been better served by making it a true novel.
Adding spoilers below specifically about the time travel and twist ending as part of my own notes/analysis on time travel stories.
Time Travel method:
outbound- a DeLorean Box that one stands in and it disappears around you. Can send you thru time and space.
inbound- a small round black device called both a Wormhole and time sphere. It only transports one back to present time and cannot transfer you thru space. programed to a person's thumbprint so it's unique to an individual. All of the above rules are quickly violated/ changed in the story. the Wormhole thumbprint is circumvented, twice. It is modified to transfer thru space. It is modified to transport to multiple times, so a DeLorean Box is not needed.
Paradoxes: Yes. The MC has to hide from people in her present and goes to the past to do it. Turns out the head of the time travel agency is her biological grandfather and knew this was coming all along. Solved by having the concept of a Confabulation- a person who forgets the time they are from and fabricates a past so they can live in their chosen time. Also solved by having MC go to a hypnotist to help her forget her own life/the future.
Time Travel uses: Used by an agency to help the hyper-rich travel to the past for vacations. Avoiding large disasters or pinch points. Have a bunch of rules to make it safe. Also used by a private firm to go forward in time to ensure their plan to build a giant spaceship would actually happen.
This time travel book covers a lot of territory in a very small footprint. The author is wonderful at conveying a lot with few words and building a world without info dumps. The pace is fast, too fast and the result is a bit of whiplash as we jump from plot point to plot point with little explanation or room for our characters to breathe. I think I found this frustrating because the story would have been amazing if it was double the length and everything was given more detail and time to grow. At some point while reading I had the thought that it felt like a short story more than a novel and then I got to the end and read that the author is primarily a short story writer. I have nothing against short stories (I will probably go look up her back catalog because she is really good!) but I felt the scope of this story would have been better served by making it a true novel.
Adding spoilers below specifically about the time travel and twist ending as part of my own notes/analysis on time travel stories.
Spoiler
Time Travel method:
outbound- a DeLorean Box that one stands in and it disappears around you. Can send you thru time and space.
inbound- a small round black device called both a Wormhole and time sphere. It only transports one back to present time and cannot transfer you thru space. programed to a person's thumbprint so it's unique to an individual. All of the above rules are quickly violated/ changed in the story. the Wormhole thumbprint is circumvented, twice. It is modified to transfer thru space. It is modified to transport to multiple times, so a DeLorean Box is not needed.
Paradoxes: Yes. The MC has to hide from people in her present and goes to the past to do it. Turns out the head of the time travel agency is her biological grandfather and knew this was coming all along. Solved by having the concept of a Confabulation- a person who forgets the time they are from and fabricates a past so they can live in their chosen time. Also solved by having MC go to a hypnotist to help her forget her own life/the future.
Time Travel uses: Used by an agency to help the hyper-rich travel to the past for vacations. Avoiding large disasters or pinch points. Have a bunch of rules to make it safe. Also used by a private firm to go forward in time to ensure their plan to build a giant spaceship would actually happen.