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5.0 out of 5 stars
good historical fantasy/science fiction, February 13, 2011
This review is from: Madman's Dance (Time Rovers - Book 3) (Paperback)
(If this review seems familiar, it's the same one I used for the other books in the trilogy)
I picked this book up at my local library and received a very pleasant surprise. Despite the fact that this author is a relative newcomer to writing, she did a fantastic job making a very enthralling trilogy. It would have been very easy to take the story's premise and main characters and turn it into a cheesy and clique'd Harlequin romance with some fantasy and science fiction elements rivaling each other for page time. Instead, this book somehow manages to blend time travel and shapeshifting seamlessly, have two proper Victorian gentlemen love-interests without turning the novel into a bodice-ripper, and have an intelligent and down-to-earth female main character without turning her into a Mary Sue. The setting makes you want to do a little more research on Victorian-era and the Whitechapel murders.
The only bad thing about this book is its price. I'm not willing to spend $60 to buy the trilogy for my collection, so instead I'm going to settle with checking them out at my library until somebody publishes them in a mass market paperback edition.
Two thumbs up, five stars
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4.0 out of 5 stars
More like 4 1/2 stars...., March 18, 2009
This review is from: Madman's Dance (Time Rovers - Book 3) (Paperback)
Chaos is at hand as history is in the throes of an unexpected thread in the timeline. Events transpiring in the year 1888 are changing everything and it all centers around Time Rover Jacynda "Cynda" Lassiter and Victorian contemporary Detective-Sergeant Jonathan Keats. Unfortunately, Cynda is trapped in Bedlam, completely unaware of her name and with the mindset of a child while Keats is suspected of murder and on the run. If the timeline isn't corrected soon, the entire town of London could literally go up in flames.
If you haven't read the first two books in the series, stop what you are doing right now and read SOJOURN and VIRTUAL EVIL first. MADMAN'S DANCE picks up right where VIRTUAL EVIL left off but the complexity of events may confuse readers who haven't read the two prior books. Cynda's nature will seem a bit odd, especially when the spider reappears, to readers who haven't made the full journey with her to see how all the pieces fit together. In addition, the complexity of the world of the Transitives could be confusing unless one has seen the development of the world emerge.
Jana G. Oliver splendidly combines time travel with the creation of the Transitives to create a fascinating world. Thank goodness she didn't leave us with a cliffhanger like in VIRTUAL EVIL, however, as I'm not sure my nerves could have handled the wait! Ms. Oliver takes full advantage of the world she has created, cleverly using the en mirage ability of the Transitives to add an aura of mystery to each and every interaction.
Character development is critical to the success of the Time Rovers series. Cynda is a likable character and her journey back from Bedlam will have fans of the series cheering her along. Dr. Alistair Montrose is a fascinating secondary character as his insight and clinical mind add an air of believability to a tale that stretches the imagination. In fact, each and every character has his or her own sub-story as each one is multidimensional. Bravo, Ms. Oliver, for creating such realistic characters!
What a wonderful blend of science fiction, time travel, and characters we can love! MADMAN'S DANCE is easily recommended.
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Spider says:, February 12, 2009
This review is from: Madman's Dance (Time Rovers - Book 3) (Paperback)
The further adventures of Ms. Lassiter is absolutely fantastic. The intrigue, the politics and adventure left me craving for just one more page everytime I picked up Madman's Dance.
Who is behind the plot, will Cynda recover the dastardy attack orchestrated by the Company who controls time travel. Who is behind it all?
Another great book of the trilogy and I think the best of the three if that is possible to improve on a great story.
If you like adventure, intrigue, detecive work, sci fi and a bit of history, The Time Rover series is the series for you.
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