Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Untimed, Andy Gavin (4 stars) Review & Giveaway


Untimed Book Summary

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, even his own mother can’t remember his name. And girls? The invisible man gets more dates.

As if that weren’t enough, when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously.

Still, this isn’t all bad. In fact, there’s this girl, another time traveler, who not only remembers his name, but might even like him! Unfortunately, Yvaine carries more than her share of baggage: like a baby boy and at least two ex-boyfriends! One’s famous, the other’s murderous, and Charlie doesn’t know who is the bigger problem.

When one kills the other — and the other is nineteen year-old Ben Franklin — things get really crazy. Can their relationship survive? Can the future? Charlie and Yvaine are time travelers, they can fix this — theoretically — but the rules are complicated and the stakes are history as we know it. And there's one more wrinkle: he can only travel into the past, and she can only travel into the future!


Buy Untimed at Amazon: paperback or Kindle

Prices/Formats: $5.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $24.00 hardcover
Publisher: Mascherato Publishing
Pages: 325
Release: December 19, 2012

Review

Charlie just wants to be noticed, not just by the pretty girl in school but by his own mom. He knows something about his life is different, but just as his dad is about to share the family secret, everything changes.

Transported to 1725 London, Charlie searches for a way back home. Thankful for his father's forced history lessons, he at least understands the time period. Then, his path crosses with another time traveler, Yvaine. Can she help him get back home? Is the future depending on them?

So many factors are at play in this novel--time travel, a budding romance, family issues, historical events, and the power of choice. The action and intrigue start from page one and never let up, especially as Yvaine and Charlie jump to various times in a struggle to preserve history and to simply survive.

The best part... the story doesn't just rely on action to keep the reader engaged. I was as captivated by the characters and their relationships and feelings as I was the action. Kudos to the author for creating layers of interest. Even when the time twists confused me, the characters' interactions kept me turning the pages.

Pick up Untimed and get ready for an adventure with heart.

Rating: 4 stars

About Andy Gavin

Andy Gavin is a serial creative, polymath, novelist, entrepreneur, computer programmer, author, foodie, and video game creator. He co-founded video game developer Naughty Dog and co-created Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. He started numerous companies, has been lead programmer on video games that have sold more than forty million copies, and has written two novels.

His first book, The Darkening Dream, has been well-received by fans and critics alike. Publisher’s Weekly called it “gorgeously creepy, strangely humorous, and sincerely terrifying.” Untimed is an even more ambitious follow-up. It is a lavish production with a cover by acclaimed fantasy artist Cliff Nielsen and twenty-one full page interior illustrations by Dave Phillips.

For more information on the author, please visit his website, Facebook page, Twitter page, blog, GoodReads, Pinterest, or Wikipedia.

This is a blog tour, please visit the Untimed blog tour for more stops.

Note: I received a complimentary copy from Tribute Books for review purposes. No other compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the views expressed are my own.

For more information on Tribute Books, please visit their website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.


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Giveaway
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2 comments:

Tribute Books said...

Tia, you have a talent for expressing so much in such a concise manner. Bravo! Glad you enjoyed Andy's book :)

Tia Bach said...

Nicole, You are a dear. That comment made my day! ;-)