I won't give a synopsis of the book, the author and other reviewers did a fantastic job of that already, I just feel that I am about to burst about why people must read this book. I have to say this is my first ever review I've been really compelled to write, and I read and don't usually have time to review because I am too busy reading, as in sometimes 2-3 books a week. So the fact that this book moved me to write a review says something! Tempus actually had me reading until the very wee hours of the morning. Which is always a good sign, being a Mom of 2, when I will put a book ahead of sleep! A book has to be realllllllly good for me to lose sleep.
After I finished reading Tempus by Tyra Lynn, I made a list of things that usually do not apply to all the Indie YA paranormal romance book I've read. But in this case all of the following pleasantly surprised me:
1. That this book affected me on a deeper level. It moved me. The romance was so touching and beautifully written that it really really got to me. I am still thinking about the characters and the story.
2. Tempus is absolutely, without a doubt, so well written that it belongs on the shelves of retailers alongside best sellers and NY Times Best Selling Authors.
3. Piggybacking on #2, Tempus even though it is the debut novel for the author and first in the series, it reads like author Tyra Lynn has written dozens of novels and is a seasoned pro. It is THAT well crafted.
4. The romance, oh the romance. I could write a whole review based solely on it, but won't as to not give away any spoilers as this is the the core of the book and it unfolds so beautifully that to spoil it for anyone would be cruel. All I will say is that the romance has layers, it builds, it takes you on a ride, you feel what the characters feel. Tyra Lynn creates nuances and subtleties so lacking in the " let's rush to the I love you part" seen in too many YA romance novels out there.
She creates a who, what, why, when and how the characters not only fall in love, but actually love each other. It all falls into place. Of course it isn't too placed out for us in any way, it wouldn't be a romance novel based on the premise of fate if it were! Rather though, she gives the characters the instant "WHAMMO" that makes us swoon but then backs it up and writes the story so so beautifully that we believe it, we feel it! We know that the love they feel is real, and why it is. All because of what had been written.
4. The supporting characters. Oh how happy it makes me when an Author puts as much thought and care into the supporting cast of characters as the female and male leads. As well the setting and how much I can picture it, believe it exists. I could picture this world. I believed this world. This to me is a sign of not only a great author but a great book.
5. The Paranormal aspect was different than most out there, and that to me was appealing before I even started reading. I love a good shapeshifter, vampire, fae or zombie book as much as the next paranormal fan, but give me something different that is pulled off successfully, and you've made me a fan! The romance and Paranormal are intertwined and both essential to the plot. Both had to be written with finesse and played off each other successfully for the book to succeed, and again Tyra Lynn manages to pull this off like a pro.
I had heard great things about Tempus before reading it, but it actually exceeded my expectations, which does not happen very often, more often than not it gies the other way or else I say, yeah that was a good book! Tempus was a great book! I cannot stress how effortlessly it was written, the story was not rushed, it was well paced without me ever once feeling frustrated. It flowed as it should, I appreciate that time was taken for things to develop, because in the end it was all so very very worth it!
Now there is one thing in the novel that gave me a bit of pause and apparently I had that in common with the main character Jessie so I didn't feel that bad. I really was a bit confused when details of the important Paranormal aspects of the book were being explained by two of the major characters. Now I do not believe this to be the fault of the author, maybe a re-read by me is in order, and I usually re-read my favorites books anyway. However, I am hoping in the second book maybe I will gain a better grasp of how "things work...exactly, or well I'll settle for roughly".
I think perhaps though my favorite parts of the book were the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, all by notable people in history , all pertaining to the notion of "time". I thought this to be a very neat touch to the book, and very pertinent to the plot.
This is the first in the series, Arcanus: Tempus Book #2 comes out in Jan/12, to read an excerpt from Arcanus go to [...]
After you read this review, buy this book and then recommend it to your friends, co- workers and family. It is one of those paranormal books, that even those who are not normally Paranormal fans, but love a good romance novel will love, but that Paranormal fans will love equally. It has a wide appeal.