Book Review: Vortex (Tempest #2) by Julie Cross

Vortex (Tempest #2) by Julie Cross

Release Date: January 15th 2013

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback
Pages: 435
Rating: 4.5/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2014 RC and 2014 SSC

Summary from Goodreads:

"Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again."

Review:
** Spoiler Alert: Read at your own risk**

I'm currently finding it very hard to figure out my thoughts on this one, just because it's been weeks since I actually finished reading this. So I'm going to do something different - I'm going to try out a pros and cons list.

- Pros -

• I liked the plot overall. Vortex took our character's in a new direction. Instead of focusing more on the romance in Tempest, Vortex very much focused on the time travel, and the mysteries behind it, and the government corporations all getting in on the action. And I liked that. 
• I like what they did with Holly. In Tempest Holly was our protagonist Jackson's love interest, and the main driving force behind everything he did. In Vortex, for reasons I won't go into, she's his enemy. It was hard to wrap my head around it at first, because you've also got Jackson still hung up on the old Holly, and the majority of his actions revolve around protecting her, but once I started to think of her as a completely new character, I could appreciate what Cross has done with her.  
• I liked Stewart and Kendrick. I loved Kendrick as the new best friend, and Stewart was an interesting character. You start out maybe not liking her so much, but she grows on you and in the end, you're glad Jackson has her. The only downside is that I don't remember Stewart in Tempest AT ALL, so I have absolutely nothing to compare her to in terms of character growth
• I LOVED the ending. Very wacky, very strange, but very well done. 
• There are still so many unanswered questions, which I can't wait to find out about in Timestorm. Why was Jackson's Dad abducted from the past? Where did Courtney come from and how is she doing what she's doing? Emily is still mysterious, I need more information on her. Healy said Thomas wasn't the guy he's been sending to try to convince him to do what he wants - so who is it? Is it Holly? Emily? Also Stewart seemed at bit off at times, does she have a deeper role? AND ADAM, WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE??? There are so many questions raised that make my anxious to get my hands on Timestorm so I can get my answers. 

- Cons -

• I suffered majorly from book amnesia, so I had a hard time remembering what actually happened in Tempest. Which in turn made it harder to understand everything going on in Vortex, because background information was missing.
• A lot of information about the intricacies of time travel went completely over my head. There were a lot of explanations about time travel, alternate universe's, and Jackson's role in all of this, but most of the time I just couldn't completely understand what was happening. It's very complex, and I think since I didn't have my head completely wrapped around it, it made it harder to completely understand plot points
• I'm still not sure exactly who Eyewall are. Eyewall are Jackson's enemy, but even after all the focus on Eyewall in this novel, I still have no idea who they are or what exactly they do. Which isn't great, considering the major role they have in all the action. I wasn't entirely sure in the end if they were as bad as what we're supposed to think they are. Hopefully their purpose is explained more thoroughly in Timestorm.   

So overall, I really, really enjoyed this. Vortex impressed me in taking the story in a new direction, and avoiding second book syndrome entirely. It's fast paced, full of action, and there's a bit of romance thrown in there, but it's completely different to the romance in Tempest. I'm excited to get my hands on Timestorm and finish this story, in what I'm sure is going to be a fitting finale. 

Sidenote - is this sort of review something you enjoy reading. I like the pros and cons list, I think it's actually easier to write out my reviews, but is it something you enjoy reading? Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy #1) by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy #1) by Kerstin Gier
Release Date: 10th May 2011

Publisher: Henry Holt 
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 322
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 ODY and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust."

Review:

This was a quick, fun read for someone looking just for that. Not sure if time travel is your thing - then I suggest you give this one a go.

Ruby Red is a quick, addictive read, about a 16 year old girl named Gwyn who's just discovered she can time travel. With zero preparation, she's inducted into this secret society, travels back in time, and unearths mystery after mystery. I loved how engrossed in this book I was - I didn't think I would be! In the first couple of chapters, possibly even the second, we're thrown into the time travel aspect. There's no slow build up - it's literally just, Yeah so there's this random time travel gene in my family. Holy crap, I can time travel! And I loved that - I enjoy being thrown right into the story.

And the mysteries - there were a lot of mystery's established, revolving around Gwyn, her family, and almost everyone in the secret time travel society (I forget what they're actual name is). I like that these are set up here, ready to be solved in the following books. And that twist at the end, that we only get to see in the epilogue - well done Gier, you kept me busy with all the other mysteries that I didn't even think about that one.

I loved a lot of the aspects in this novel - the plot, as i've established, was written well, there was a mix of characters you love (Gwyn, Lesley) and those you don't (Charlotte, Creepy Saint-Germain), but the main problem I had with this book was that it felt too short. Now, I'm not sitting here complaining that a book I loved was over too soon, what I'm getting at is that the pacing just... wasn't quite right. We get thrown into the action, introduced to this new world, establish some relationships, get to a scene that feels super important, and then BAM, book ends. I just don't think it ended properly.

Regardless, I'm definitely going to read the sequels, hopefully soon since I'm sure they'll be so easy to just fly through.

Book Review: Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross

Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross 

Release Date: 5th January 2012 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan 
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 352
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Summary from Amazon:
"The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world."

Review: 
I really, really enjoyed this book - much more than I expected to. and its kinda hard for me to explain exactly why. With the clarity of hindsight (that is, I've been too busy to get around to this review for a month or so), I can say that the novel isn't necessarily anything special. What I mean is, there isn't really anything I can pinpoint that sets this novel apart from the rest (I mean, romance with a bit of time-travel thrown in there, it's been done before). But there is just something about this book that made me enjoy it immensely. The plot was interesting and well thought out, and the characters were likeable and relatable. Just go and read the book....NOW! :D 

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Release Date: 27th May 2004
Publisher: Baker and Taylor
Format: eBook
Pages: 224
Rating: 5.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2012 OTS Challenge and 2012 ATS Challenge

Summary from Amazon:

"A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.

An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come."

Review:

First off, I have to say that I am so, so sorry that it took me so long to get around to writing this review. And while this review won't be long, I think I'll be able to get across what I need to say.

All I'm going to say is this - this has to be one of the best romance novels I've ever read. Not only do you have this once-in-a-lifetime love depicted, which is written really well, but you also have a bit of the supernatural thrown in, with Henry being able to time-travel. This one extra aspect makes this novel unlike any other romances.
 

This is a complex story about love, life and loss. It can be a bit hard to get into because of the time traveling - I found it a bit hard at the beginning to figure out the ages, what with the time traveling, and exactly which Henry was in each scene. But once you figure it out, this book is a piece of cake to read, and could quite possibly be one of the best romance novels you ever read.