The Time Walker

by Abigail C. Edwards

It’s the Forbidden Festival, and anything could happen.

In the village of Tarkha, Greyfoot Volkov stands before a dusty storefront, listening to the haunting tick-tock of a million timepieces within. At the town square, a little girl named Ally flees from pirates through suffocating crowds of revelers. Within a deep and cavernous watch-shop, an old man hides from Captain Isabella and her fleet of time-traveling cutthroats.

Fifteen years ago, Greyfoot’s mother took a time winder from old Obadiah’s shop and disappeared into the labyrinth of time. When pirates attack and capture the watch-maker, Greyfoot is faced with a choice: abandon the madness now, or plunge headfirst into a half-baked recuse mission that may lead him to his long-lost mother.

Accompanied by an unlikely entourage of pirates and fugitives, Greyfoot and Ally embark on a journey across the bounds of space and time, from otherworldly convention centers to haunted graveyards, from cavernous black markets to infamous ships…

Welcome to the world of the Time Walkers.

517 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2023

About the author

Abigail grew up in North Florida in a house full of books, cats, and burgeoning writers. Following a supposably successful homeschooling career, she graduated from Florida State University with a BS in Hospitality & Tourism Management before attending the School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire, UK, for her Advanced Baking Diploma.

When it comes to writing, her emphasis has always been on catharsis and escapism: capturing the emotion of a nighttime car ride with the windows down; the taste of salt and freedom on a wild breeze; the tight embrace of a found family. To her core, she believes that the best story to write is the one you desperately want to read, whether that be YA lit fiction about the mafia, bakeries, and family drama, or a Middle Grade novel about time-traveling pirates. Her favorite books do not fit neatly within a single genre.

Abigail currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the book. I didn’t know what to think when I heard of the concept time traveling pirates but it was better than anything I could’ve thought of. The different timelines, the witty sarcastic characters, the hidden plot running alongside many others; amazing. I love books that keep me guessing, and engaged and this book did. I had no idea how it was going to turn out and I was not disappointed.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I have been looking for as a reader for years. It follows in the lineage of 100 Cupboards, The Graveyard Book, and Lemony Snicket...and is clearly written for all the kids who never outgrew their pirate phase. Very strong Treasure Planet vibes. Nerd conventions full of time travelers fighting over irrelevant topics. Pirates with a strong "pirates who don't do anything" leaning. I loved it, cover to cover. Give it to your kid, your teenager, your cool aunt, your great-grandma. This book is for everyone.

[Nicolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit! There have been very few books that I become attached to a character, but if you ask my girlfriend how many times I reread a line from Manuel she would roll her eyes. Can’t wait for what comes next!

[Avery Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a page-turning, swags-buckling adventure! Edwards’s characters are memorable, her language poetic. The plot moves along, the characters grow and change. I found myself wanting more backstories and adventures in this universe she’s created.