Customer Reviews

The Circle Of Gold (The Book Of Time III)

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4 star:		(2)
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After rescuing his father from Dracula's castle, Sam Faulkner's days as a time traveler should be over. Unfortunately, the unknown enemy who tried to prevent their return isn't finished complicating things. Sam must journey through time again in an attempt to put a stop to the evil force threatening to destroy his family.

Sam travels to Rome during the Renaissance, seeks an ancient Chinese emperor's tomb, and takes a frightening trip into the future as he tries to save his loved ones.

The final book in THE BOOK OF TIME trilogy doesn't disappoint. Twists and turns and revelations thrilled me with each turn of the page. Though I'd never been a fan of time travel, I couldn't help but enjoy the ride as I skipped through time with Sam and the other characters in Prévost's series.

I loved the way Prévost tied all three books together and brought the story full circle in the end. I enjoyed time traveling with Sam and, when I'm ready to travel again, I can pick up the THE BOOK OF TIME and start all over.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

Guillaume Prevost's THE CIRCLE OF GOLD tells of Sam, who survives a Viking attack, threats from Chicago gangsters, and more to rescue his father. The Book of Time III continues his adventures, for even though he's returned with his father to the present, the enemy waits to capture them again - and Sam must take a last series of steps through time to confront not only the past, but the future. Collections with the other series books will welcome this.

In Book I of The Book of Time trilogy, Sam Faulkner's journey to find his father begins on his 14th birthday after he visits his father's antique bookstore. In Book II, THE GATE OF DAYS, his quest continues with the help of his 12-year-old cousin Lily, who inadvertently joins him to rescue his father from the dungeon of Bran Castle. Along the way, he encounters the evil Arkos Man, who seems to be one step ahead of his every move. Also in the second installment, Sam meets a guide who shares secrets about time travel and stands up to the bloodthirsty Vlad the Impaler, the model for infamous vampire Count Dracula.

In Book III, THE CIRCLE OF GOLD, Sam has returned to present time after rescuing his father Allan from Bran Castle, where he has been imprisoned for months. But Allan is now in a deep coma and lies in a hospital bed, tethered to machines, unresponsive and seemingly without hope or the will to live. While at his father's bedside, Sam whispers his plan to go back in time to save his mother, using what he has learned during his previous time-travel voyages. Sam's words briefly trigger a reaction by his father, signaling hope for a recovery.

As Sam prepares to leave the hospital, he is both surprised and happy to see Alicia Todds, the girl of his dreams, who has come to visit his ailing father. At his grandparents' house a few days later, Sam is shaken awake by Rudolf, his Aunt Evelyn's overbearing boyfriend. Rudolf tells him that Mrs. Todds is downstairs and needs to talk to him right away. A frantic Mrs. Todds informs Sam that Alicia has been missing since the previous night and asks if he has heard from her.

Sam knows nothing about Alicia's disappearance but promises to see if she has left a message for him. Back in his room, he discovers an email from the wicked Arkos Man claiming to be behind Alicia's abduction and demanding Sam's silence and assistance to ensure her safe return.

To rescue Alicia, Sam needs to travel through time to an emperor's tomb in China and then on to Renaissance Rome, where he must venture inside the Vatican to retrieve a Treatise that holds the key to powerful and dangerous knowledge. With the clock ticking, Sam has to follow the bidding of the evil Arkos Man, all while someone close to Sam is working against him. More terrifying than traveling to a violent past to rescue Alicia and change the course of history to prevent his mother's death is the possibility of a bleak --- and deadly --- future for Sam.

In THE CIRCLE OF GOLD, Sam has come full circle with his time travel quest. In each voyage, he uses what he has learned along his journey into the past to prevent a deadly outcome in the future. This final installment of the trilogy has the same fascinating time travel plot and historic references as the previous two books, as well as more developed characters and a stronger emotional impact. Readers of Books I and II will not be disappointed with the surprising and satisfying conclusion.

--- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

My favorite book out of the series was the 3rd. To me it was the most interesting and exciting. I felt engaged throughout the whole book. Great job!

I must say that I enjoyed all three books in the Circle of Time tripogy and the conclusion was great about tying everything together.

There is no way, in my opinion, you could skip to book three and not read the first two. There is way too much background knowledge you need to know about how the author sets the boundaries for time travel.

There is tons of action and suspense in this book at it starts to tie in all the little pieces that are eluded to in teh first two books. When I was done I was upset that this was the final book as I enjoyed the ride!