I have a fondness for time travel that is probably a bit overwhelming to people who encounter me on the street. So when I got the chance to read a time travel novella by Claudia Blod, I was quite excited.
1. Thoughts on the plot
This book follows Ravenne, whose daughter perished in a terrible accident. Only, Ravenne learns that she may not have, and must travel through time to find her again. Using such methods as near lightspeed travel, bending space, and other really cool technology, Ravenne learns that her future-self has been manipulating things, and that she may not be the only one.
As far as plots go, I think the premise of this book is really interesting. Time travel is always interesting, partly because there are so many different ways to go about it. I liked the exploration of the technology, and the different changes that Ravenne experienced during her near lightspeed journeys. However, I think the plot itself was a little thin. The entire novel seemed to focus on the technology, which is fine, but the drama of the beginning and the search for her daughter never seemed to expand past the basic plot point stage.
2. Thoughts on the characters
As far as characters go, I think Ravenne could have been very interesting indeed. She is a mother on a mission, and there are so many different ways to go about exploring her psyche and character. Some of that was there, especially with Lucky, but otherwise the whole focus was on the technology. I especially was disappointed in that we never really learned about the enemy in Ravenne’s future, who is so determined to see her fail. This person only appeared about 3/4 of the way through, and even then it was vague. There were other side characters who I think where interesting, but none really seemed to stand out.
3. Favourite part
I really liked the worldbuilding in this book, because it looked at Earth at several different points in its theoretical future, which is both very cool and slightly disturbing. I liked the extrapolation of certain events and the way that these events became such major, world-changing things.
4. Critique
Apart from the plot being a bit thin on the ground (which, honestly, I do get because this is technically a prequel novella), my biggest critique for this book is a nitpicky, indie author thing: the cover does not fit the genre at all. The current cover looks like a fantasy novel, or perhaps a romantic fantasy or something similar. I was not expecting time travel at all until I read the blurb just before my review read. I still enjoyed the book, but was not expecting it.
Overall, I would say that Ravenne was an interesting, entertaining time travel adventure. I really enjoyed the technology and am always pleased to read a book about time travel. A good book.