Nomad

by J.L. Bryan

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, New Adult, Dystopia, Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy

202 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2013

About the author

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife and son. He is the author of the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper books and some other assorted novels like Inferno Park, The Unseen, Jenny Pox, and basically a lot of supernatural stories, some of it dark, some of it very dark, some of it less dark than that.

Reviews

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

JL Bryan has always impressed me with the level of originality and excitement he works into his novels (big fan of Jenny Pox), and I was yet again taken aback, this time by a time-travel dystopian that is full of thrills and a kick-ass heroine to boot!

Time-travel dystopian! When I saw those words together my mind kind of flipped, making me unsure of what to expect. For one, time-travel is nothing to play around with if you're not fully committed to deliver. I have a low level of patience for ignored time loops and paradoxes, and while I'm still wrapping my head around the details of JL's take on it with Nomads and the universe taking care of itself, it's one of very few time-travel plots that I can say I'm ok with (and "ok" is about the best you'll get). Some things still hurt my brain if I think about it too hard, but that's time-travel for ya.

Taking us straight into the action, this story begins with Raven suddenly finding herself in 2013 with no recollection of where she is, nor where she's from. It doesn't take long for her to realize she's in unfamiliar terrain, though, with old-fashioned… everything and bizarre gadgets in her pockets. It also takes just as long for trouble to find her! Raven's personality and smarts made it easy for me to take a liking to her. She's quick on her feet and intelligent in a way that completely fits with where she's really from - the future is not a pretty place. It also makes her loyal to her cause. However great of a protagonist she is, though, she brought out my enthusiasm more than my emotions. Perhaps due to the nature of the plot with its distant past and new present, together with flashbacks and the Nomads theory, it made it hard to get attached with this nonlinear character building. I did, nevertheless, find myself intrigued and unexpectedly enthused by the peculiar romance that she stumbles upon with its sensual pull and lingering sense of wrongness. I was also surprisingly content with the direction JL decided to take with these two.

This plot brings in a layered butterfly effect that requires pinpointing what needs to be changed to bring about a full metamorphosis of Raven's future. This means most of the book takes place in our day and age, where she wants to try to make things better with a nudge - or bullet - but what if it isn't enough? Or makes it worse? Aside from this fun to ponder time-travel bit, I loved learning about the future Raven came from; especially the realistic plausibility of it all. The advancement in technology, the history that lead to this dystopian society, even the fashion, it's a solidly imagined world that is made believably futuristic without any overkill.

Highly entertaining with a time-travel aspect that is just as fascinating as it is perplexing, Nomad is a unique dystopian that's perfect for reluctant dystopian readers, or those who just want a different mix! You might as well pick it up; this book is in your future! (I've seen it!)

FYI - This book is considered New Adult; college life, sex, violence, and a few swear words thrown in.

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An advance copy was provided by the author for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you're dealing with time travel, I like to say "Go big or go home." Raven, here, she's going to go big. AND WHY SHOULDN'T SHE? Her life in the future is craptastic. She's a soldier that's fighting a losing war and her fellow rebels are dying all around her. Going back in time to stop this badness before it happens seems like the thing to do.

Except... events don't always play out the way we expect them to. And this is VERY true in Raven's case. Every scenario she imagines has permutations and twists that she can't control.

So what does she end up doing? BADASS stuff with plasma guns and time travel and OTHER THINGS THAT SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS!

I'm not going to lie, the whole paradox thing scrambled my brains. I honestly love how the universe deals with that here. Knowing that if she succeeds she'll become a Nomad, Raven's willingness to continue with her mission rocks. Bonus, I completely understand how she'd want a better life for herself, even it if wasn't the herself that was traveling through time.

I know. I had a fun time wrapping my head around that, too. Trust me, though, it works.

Things aren't always pretty in Raven's world, but the fun never stops! You know, if by "fun", I mean plasma charges that can burn a hole through you and potentially screwing up the world as she knows it. *thumbs up*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Tanja (Tanychy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

Few months ago I was lucky enough to host this author and share his guest post on my blog. You can check it here and if you do you'll laugh so hard. I realized that this author can be really hilariously witty and the best part of it he transferred that into Nomad or better said Raven which made this reading experience pleasurable.

This story starts in the middle of everything. We met Raven walking on the road without previous memories. She is completely lost in place and time and slowly she discovers that some people are after her so she knows that she must defend which is like breathing to her as she is a soldier. With all advanced technology from future she realizes that she is on a mission to fix things and save future. She came back to kill a future dictator while he is still young and powerless. Of course, things are never as easy as they seem.

Beside a really kick-but character, which I enjoyed being, Nomad has a great idea which is nicely developed. The world building was great and it was so easy to picture the destroyed future in which Raven grew up. There is also romance here, so it wasn't put aside. Add great pacing to all that, and you realize it's a nicely balanced book for all lovers of dystopia and those who are yet to become that.

Only thing is that I wish there was more Jabbie here. I was so curious about his character so I only wish he had been more developed. But nonetheless you won't be able to put this book down and you'll turn pages frantically just to see what happens next. It's addictive.

[Faith Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nomad is as a time travel story with a kick-ass, thinks on her feet protagonist following the theme of going back in history to remove the key individual who made it all go wrong. This is dream fulfilment really. If you said to a friend “What would you do if you could travel back in time”, the usual answers would be about lottery numbers or stopping Hitler. However, the things that don’t seem threatening to us now, like the insidious Pringles Corporation, might grow into mind-death behemoth sicko megalomaniac control-o-freak-o-monsters a decade or two from now (you heard it here first) and only people from the future would know it was going to happen (and me). They even admit it in their tag line: “When you pop, you can’t stop.” See? Why can’t either of us stop? Where’s it all leading? Am I the only one who’s even a little bit concerned at the suggestion there are other things you can use the tube for? I don’t think Haribo are totally trustworthy either because gelatine comes from boiling bones and where do they get that many bones? Well? I’m waiting for an answer to my NUMEROUS letters. Anyway…

…and I’m back in the room. Okay, if anyone’s still reading this (I’ve been awake for over 30 hours, by the way. You can probably tell from the sound of my eye-lids dipping against the keys), I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet that this is a really thumpingly exciting book and you should read it – an action flick blast of entertainment from beginning to end which I’m happy to recommend. I noted consistently readable writing, a strong plot, flowing momentum and it has some useful concept solving behind it (like how the Universe copes with a time travel paradox). Although it starts with guns as the solution, the heroine soon realises that option won’t work (she’s in a repetition loop) and tries to solve it in a more considered, feminine way, stalking a guy on a college campus. It’s interesting to see a soldier figure try to influence an outcome by talking to people and using charm instead of reaching for the usual blast grenade (I have a small, hard and knobbly, probably also clothy and tasteless pineapple in my room at the moment, which could be the most offensive piece of fruit in Hampshire today and it made me think of that).

I’m still thinking. Why are several people only giving this three stars when it’s a great example of its kind? Hint: It might be the suggestive cover.

I normally review the story, not the cover art, but I mean, did the publisher really ask someone to dress up like that? Where did they find her? The platform shoes look dangerously unstable, especially if she’s going to spend a lot of time in that position, and she also looks so lithe and thin, which is amazing really when you think of all the calories in cum. Seriously though, there’s a saying that you shouldn’t pass opinions until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. If I tried to walk a mile in her shoes, I’d fall on my bum quite smartly. She’s described in the book as being covered in scars and bruises (it’s the shoes, I’m telling you. Really, the whole thing could be avoided). Enough then, sarcastic honour has been satisfied.

Laying aside my odd mood today, it’s only fair to say that I didn’t just like the book, I really enjoyed it. The chase scenes, cool technology, funny friendships, rock climbing, anti-social social cliques, dictatorial stuff, hiding in cupboards, cutting lasers, exploding cupboards, evil uncles, super-heated hydrogen pellets and all the rest really punched the adrenal gland and got my attention. If I’d written this I’d be proud of myself for a month. Usually I don’t review books billed as YA because they’re too simplistic but I think this has been mistakenly described as YA because it entertains beyond that limited age range; higher as well I mean, not younger. If you are a prude who has somehow purchased this without seeing the cover, it does have a few sexy moments described within but the author knows when to stop. As do I.

[Micheline · Rating 3 out of 5]

**An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

~Actual rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars~

Before I even start my review, I just wanted to put this out there: I love time-travel. There just no way around it, the concept is so freaking fascinating to me and I can't get enough of it. That being said, I was instantly attracted to Nomad because it not only dealt with time-travel, but the idea of traveling back in time in an effort to save humanity from a darker, dystopian future. How awesome is that idea?! Add a kick-butt female assassin as your main character, and you couldn't have kept me away from this book if you tried!

Nomad hooked me right from that intense opening sequence and after that, I was hooked. It reminded me of something like The Bourne Identity, but with a futuristic female in the lead role. The protagonist, Raven was seriously epic and fierce, I found myself liking her instantly. She arrives in our time with chunks of her memory missing and I really liked being along for the ride as she pieced everything together. It was easy to feel for her and her situation too as she struggled to adjust to the year 2013 and how vastly different the world is compared to the future horrors she knows will come to pass. Raven knows how to think on her feet, while keeping a level head but I also appreciated that she wasn't terribly impulsive or rash. She was willing to adapt and change her plans as needed and to me that made her braver and all the more noble.

As far as supporting characters, the cast featured in Nomad as kept relatively small, which I like. It's easier to remember character details that way and the focus stays on the plot and MC. I found all of the characters to be fully developed and very real. I won't say anymore about them because - spoilers - but it's clear that the main focus of the book is on Raven and her mission...with a few exceptions.

Time travel is a tricky concept to deal with - it can easily become disastrous but author JL Bryan managed to make things very realistic. He kept the technical time-travel bits simple, but as a reader, you could tell that there was a lot of thought and planning that went into the explanations and details that were readily offered. Still, I wouldn't have minded it if it had been a bit more complicated and technical, but then again I'm weird like that and I like to groove in all the technicalities and details of sci-fi fun like this!

There is a sort of romantic element that develops in Nomad which was a bit surprising for me, simply because I wasn't expecting the story to evolve in that way at all. It wasn't a bad thing though and it still kept me turning the pages, dying to know how everything was going to go down. Again I don't want to hint at anything spoiler-y so I'll leave it at that.

To sum it up, Nomad was an exciting and addictive read. The future that Raven comes from is chilling and horrific and the details we get about it set the tone nicely all throughout the book. The middle parts did slow down a bit, as the MC becomes comfortable in our present day but I found that it didn't bother me much since at this point I was really invested in the story and in Raven's mission. Nomad also seems like a stand-alone book so far, which is exciting since there seem to be so few stand alone books nowadays. To be fair though, if a second book should be in the works I'd be all over that . Adult fans of sci-fi, dystopians and time-travel should definitely check this one out!

For this and other reviews like it- visit my blog:

[Jenni Arndt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5, rounded up because I loved the ending so much!

I became a fast fan of author J.L. Bryan when I began his Songs of Magic series and fell in love with the adorable cast of characters. I was a bit wary going into Nomad as it’s a dystopian novel and let’s face it, there is nothing more overdone than dystopian in YA fiction right now. But rest assured that Nomad is not your typical dystopian novel. At times I struggled with it a bit but in the wrap up it had me captivated and I adored how everything came together in the end.

We meet Raven as she comes to on the side of interstate 65 with no idea how she got there and no idea where she came from. We watch as she unravels her past and realizes that she has travelled from the year 2064 to carry out a very important mission. She is to change the course of history and prevent Logan Carraway from becoming the dictator that he is in her time. It quickly comes to light that this mission isn’t as easy as simply assassinating Logan, there are so many fine threads weaved together as time goes on and so much more needs to be changed. I liked that we got to learn alongside Raven in this one, she had no idea what was going on in the beginning and really didn’t know what to do. We get to work through the information that she finds along with her and I think that really helped me grasp the science of the time travel aspect of the story. Normally I find myself pretty confused with stories such as this but the information that we get through people that Raven meets is laid out quite well and I was able to follow along really easily.

It’s good that I didn’t have to scratch my head too much on the science of this one because that allowed me to really get to know the characters. Raven is the definition of a kick ass chick. She not only isn’t afraid to take action when the situation calls for it but she is also able to step back and use her head which was perfect. She didn’t overreact to everything and jump to conclusions, she was able to remove herself from the situation and see the bigger picture. Raven also didn’t become some smitten girl who lost herself as the novel progressed. She was a bit quick to romance with Logan but she always had her wits about her and was constantly working towards achieving her goal. We see her really struggle with her feelings and accepting that she did have a connection with Logan even though that felt so wrong. Logan was also a character that I came to like quite a bit. He was a free spirit, thinking about how the Logan we meet in 2013 became the dictator of 2064 is crazy because he was such a nice guy in his past.

One complaint that I do want to touch on briefly is that the pacing did feel a bit off in places. As Raven settled in in New Haven and figured out what she needed to do to get to her goal I did find my interest in the story waning a bit. It took a bit for the action to pick back up from the beginning and it did lead me to be bored in chapters here and there. Though once the halfway mark hits the story really picks up and I was sucked in and enjoyed the ride. The way the story concludes is my favorite though, we get to see how all the strings of time have changed and how that affected everyones future.

A strong addition to an overdone genre, Nomad creates a dystopian society that is well done and incredibly frightening. If you haven’t read anything by J.L. I think this could definitely be a good place to start!

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

--

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

[Unabridged Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

When J.L. Bryan asked if I was interested in reading Nomad When J.L. Bryan asked if I was interested in reading Nomad I knew I just had to read it. Described to me as a futuristic time travel dystopian with a twisted romance (his exact description) now how could I not want to read it. It paid off, Nomad is so much better than even I expect, and I expected something fantastic. The story told in Nomad took me completely be surprise is such a good way.

I was worried that the time travel aspect might be confusing, but it allows a marvelous story to take place. One section that discusses the ramifications of time travel and it did have my head spinning trying to process the idea but it is not confusing once explained. Raven is sent back in time to stop a great evil from taking place, but it is not as simple as she originally thought. Raven "wakes" up on the interstate with amnesia and no clue where she is or why she is there. To top it off, security agents from the future are tracking her down. As memories of the war torn and fractured future come back to Raven, she begins to understand why she was sent back from 2064 to 2013

While the mission is the central storyline, that does not mean there is no room for more. Raven concentrating on the mission is distracted by a possible romance interest. She is to interact as little as possible in the past otherwise risk changing everything, and one romance could change the world as Raven knows it.

Fans of science fiction and dystopian will truly enjoy Nomad. Nomad is a New Adult with more mature content but has appeal for fans of mature YA. J.L. Bryan always seems to surprise me with his writing and I loved the experience of reading Nomad. I cannot wait to see what J.L. Bryan comes up with next.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**

[Irene ~ Witchy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another amazing read by J.L Bryan, his writing always seems to astonish me!

I received a copy of this book from the author. This in no way influences my honest opinion!

Review
This book started with a bang, a girl standing in the middle of the high way with no recollection of how she got there or who she is. She hitches a ride with a kind truck driver. And from there the action starts, because she is not the only one who travelled back in time.

Raven is being hunted, and is lucky enough to escape, but the nice truck driver isn't that lucky.

A good start of this book, you might think, and it is also what the gorgeous cover promise us, but all good things end. In this book they end when Raven gets part of her memory back. This is the point in the book were the river slow down to a little stream.

In the end I really enjoyed the book, but it was hard for me to keep mind with it. I think that was due to the slow pace. Towards the end the book picks up again and the way Raven solved her puzzle was very well done. I was very satisfied with the ending.

Full review on: http://www.icecoldpassion.com/2015/01...
Nederlandse recensie: http://www.ijskoudepassie.com/2014/10...

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book right before I left to go to UtopYA in Nashville. And boy was I excited. Beyond excited. I mean, come on, it's JL Bryan!!! I secretly fangirl him. <-Not as dirty as it sounds....

So anyway I read it on the plane trip to and from Nashville. What a great way to avoid the strangers I sat by on the mini-plan. Nothing says anti-social politely like reading a great book!!!! Anyway it was a great way to spend the two hours I actually flew and the four+ hours I spent sitting in airports.

Raven wakes up in the middle of the road. She has no idea who she is, where she comes from or what she is doing. What she does know is that she has a pack with clothes, money, and a fancy gun. As things progress her memories come back to her. She remembers her life. The life of a child solider living under a tyrant. Raven is out to change things for the better, but will she make thing worse.

JL Bryan, thanks a lot for messing with me like this! This book is great. Do you like action in your books? Do you like romance? Kick ass heroines? Do you like twists? Science Fiction? If you said yes, oh yes, definitely, yup, and duh? Then Nomad is the book for you. This book was epic beyond epicness. What does that mean? It means JL Bryan took the best parts of almost every book I have read and threw them in here. It was a wild ride.

Raven was a great character. I laughed with her, I yelled at her, and she almost made me cry. Actually, I think I might still be mad at her.

The ending. Ahh. When you finish this book you will hounding JL for a sequel. I would but I just admitted secretly fangirling him. I think personal contact from now on might result in a restraining order....so do me a solid and tell him I want a sequel? K, thanks!

From page one I was drawn into this cool dark world. JL painted me a pretty(ugly) picture and he made it so vivid that I forgot that I was a deathly height above ground (did I mention that I am afraid of heights). I wanted to crawl into Raven's life and look around for a bit. I would have lived her life for about an hour or two.

The time travel aspect of the book was the only place where I might have tripped up. But that's because I am a science moron. Come on folks I'm a social scientist, not a magician. I think a normal person, who isn't a complete moron like myself ,will understand the how time travel vodou that is going on here.

Now the dystopian. Yeah I got that. I loved that. I have no problem picturing a world that is the opposite of utopian. NONE. AT. ALL. I might have issues.

If you like a cool kick ass futuristic dystopian time travel book then this is the book for you! If you loved his Jenny Pox series then you will like this series. JL Bryan is a great author!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nomad starts out with butt-kicking action and reminded me of the Terminator movies. However, the story grabbed me from the start and I was hooked. Then it takes a turn into the usual YA romance, BUT THEN comes the unexpected and very surprising ending, which I loved. Not as good as Jenny Pox, but definitely worth the read.

[Smash]

Isn’t that cover exciting? It really sets the tone for the story, which starts off with a BANG, just like the cover conveys. Raven shows up out of nowhere, literally, and almost gets run over by a Mack truck. She is standing in the rain, bewildered, while the truck skids to a stop. The trucker, Jebbie, gets out and asks if she’s alright. But she isn’t. She is far from O.K., except she just doesn’t remember that yet. You see, Raven has lost all memory of her life previous to this moment. Of course, they come back to her throughout the book as she learns why she is in the year 2013. She’s from the future and has a mission, you see, and she’s been trained to carry it out. Booyah! After some serious action at the start of the book, Raven travels to New Haven, where she settles in to carry out her assassination. She creates an alias, moves in with a college student, and starts learning more about her target.

Either with a death ray (or plasma beam, in this case) or just some boot scootin’ ass kickin’, Raven is the sort of chic you want on your side in a fight. She’s tough, inside and out, and has some hardcore life experiences in the future to back up her bad assery in the now. That doesn’t mean Raven is only a lean, mean killing machine. She has a heart, and she has a brain, too. Smart enough to figure out assassination might not be the right course of action, Raven digs in deep and does some hands-on investigation with her target. Let’s just say that things get…complicated.

Raven was an exciting character. She had all the right strengths and flaws. It was great to learn about her memories right along with her. As she pieced her future life together, she grew into a great character. I was impressed with her character growth and I enjoyed watching her bloom like a deadly Venus fly trap. There were other notable characters, as well. You can always count on Jeff to give us at least one character that will bring the snort-laughs. Raven’s short run-in with trucker Jebbie was quite comical. He’s an older man, on the heavy side, with a Country twang and a good heart. His phrasing had me giggling profusely. “Devil’s Dingleberries” has to be my favorite.

Jeff’s take on time travel makes sense in my head. Time travel can be ridiculously confusing for me, especially in book-form. However, the explanations given by characters and situations work. I also love his take on the Time Nomad, which is a pretty interesting concept in this world. When you interfere with the past, which changes the future, you sometimes screw yourself right out of a, well, existence. Except you still exist, only to walk through time like a nomad. And your future you exists, as well, but in that new future you’ve created, that you cannot be a part of. Of course, there’s more to it than that, but it’s a neat concept.

Did I mention I enjoyed this book? Well, if you didn’t gather that by now, then I’m sending Raven after you. Watch yo back, sucka!

[Savannah (Books With Bite) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I read books that are soo good, that I wonder why didn’t I pick up the book sooner? Why??? Now, when it comes to reading time travel, I’m very picky with it. Mainly because if the plot does not flow right, the plot can become confusing with a bunch of details with the story going absolutely no where. In Nomad, that is not the case. This story carries the plot right, and time travel is of essence.

Plot: Time Travel. Who does not like time travel? I adore this plot. Moving fast and intriguing, Nomad is freaking awesome. The gist of the plot is this: there is a girl sent back in time to kill a horrible dictator that will take over the world and all of humanity. Of course with author JL Bryan, you know that this plot is much more complicated that that. Believe me when I say, that you will fall for it.

Love: This love is so unexpected and completely took me over. Seriously, best plot twist ever!!! Just sayin’.

Ending: I have to admit that this ending is pretty amazing. JL Bryan fits all the pieces nicely into a ending that is complete and explained. If anything, I enjoyed the book so much, I wanted more. It completely blew me away. Pure genius.

If you can’t tell, I’m in love with this story. It’s fast and fierce, blowing everything you knew about time travel away. Nomad races across the pages, coming to life right before the reader eyes. Harmonizing a fantastic plot and explosive characters, Nomad is stupendous.

[Jeanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazingly complicated story. I only wish it was a series, as I'd love to continue to read about Rhea/Raven & her mystery beau. I rate this sci-fi a 5 & would recommend it to anyone needing a sci-fi fix who enjoys time travel theory.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The America Raven grew up in consists of war-torn slums and is ruled by a dictator. When her rebel group learns of the existence of experimental time travel technology, they form an audacious plan: Go back in time, assassinate the dicator long before he takes over, and change the future. Once arrived in 2013 with nothing but the necessary data about her target's known movements and a gun to take him out with, Raven finds that changing the future might not be quite that easy, especially when you've got a bunch of heavily armed enforcers working for the regime she needs to topple before it even exists on your tail.

I realized a couple of chapters in that I'd read this before but for some reason apparently never logged in on GR - not that I minded the re-read. Nomad is a cleverly crafted standalone time travel tale, with a kickass protagonist and a bunch of interesting twists. Really loved the ending.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and good idea about time travel

I really enjoyed the book and it kept me interested. There are a few spelling errors in it and a few misused works or character names. This is a minor issue. I really enjoyed how they explained how time travel worked and how paradoxes worked. I kind of wish this was a series of books because I could see this becoming a good long story.

[Jan]

An interesting book. Set mainly in 2013, with several mentions and travels back and forth to 50 years into the future. Raven the soldier from the future is now living in 2013 where her mission is to stop one teenage rich boy from Yale from becoming the Dictator she knows exists in 2063.
She tells herself it's her job to interact and get to know him, but not all of it is a bad job to do!

[Volpot · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Not bad. Story was interesting

[Holly Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I loved this book. Loved the plot twist. Great action from the start. I was already a fan of Ellie and now Raven.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raven literally explodes back in time, appearing in a lightning bolt onto a highway during a storm in 2013. A semi-truck narrowly misses her, and even though she can't remember who she is or where she is, she reluctantly decides to go with the kindly truck driver on the road to get out of the rain. All she has is a backpack that contains some men's clothing, a huge wad of cash, a futuristic looking cube, and a plasma gun that sears through flesh. But their trip in the big rig to a truck stop and grungy hotel (with separate rooms) is cut short just as Raven is trying to figure out why the food in the restaurant was so cheap and plentiful, and everyone is walking around so carefree. Then the men attack--using a spinning drone shooting laser beams--and Raven and the truck driver try to escape the men from the future sent to kill her. But not everyone gets out alive in this brutal, fast-paced, and action filled beginning of JL Bryan's lastest novel.

Raven's original world is bleak and full of war. The government is a full-on dictatorship, and she has been fighting with the rebellion supporters since she was a little girl. She's lost her parents to the dictator's security forces when she was eight, and she was hidden away and turned into a soldier. She became a damned fine one at that. When the rebellion leaders find out about a time travel device developed by the government, they devise a plan to storm the scientific lab and steal it so they can go back in time to kill the dictator, hoping to change the course of history for the better. Raven was supposed to only be part of the team to storm the lab, but when the man who was trained to jump back in time for the assassination is killed, she makes the sacrifice to go in his place.

That's when she discovers that learning about your past in bits and pieces gives you some perspective on the right way to handle things, and maybe killing Logan, the future dictator before he's corrupted by power won't change the future as much as the Rebellion thinks it will. So Raven has to devise a new plan, one that has her clawing her way into Logan's life when he's just a simple freshman at Yale, and more interested in having fun and dating instead of money and power. But Raven finds that things get much more complicated than she ever imagined the longer she stays in 2013.

Raven is a strong, smart, and charismatic. She is a fierce fighter with years of experience from living in a war torn country and also quick to think on her feet, and that makes her even more realistic and likable to me. She has her faults and getting a bit too comfortable in 2013 is definitely one of them. But who can blame her when the future is so bleak and war torn? I even found myself liking the future dictator Logan towards the middle of the book. The secondary cast of characters was kept decently small so you can keep track of everyone but they were still well developed. I especially enjoyed the trademark goofy character that JL Bryan always includes that have funny/strangely dirty names for things--in this case it was the truck driver Jebbie.

I give Nomad a five out of five. This thrilling dystopian sci-fi takes the age old question of "If you could travel back in time and stop an evil person, would you?" and explores the repercussions of changing the course of history. How would it effect your life if you alter the events of the past? Could you really kill someone to save the rest of the country? Would it even work? Raven has to answer these tough questions, and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the answers to those mysteries in this fast paced new adult book. If you enjoy science fiction and time travel, especially if it's to change a very dark and bleak future, then this book is for you.

Copy provided by author in exchange for honest review

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[louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I had only read two of JL Bryan’s books prior to reading Nomad, I would definitely consider myself of his awesome and unique work. I just could not turn down Nomad, but I wouldn’t have wanted to anyway because it falls under the category of my favourite genre: my beloved science fiction. Plus, there’s time travel! Infinite win! I think it’s safe to say that I kind of had a good feeling that I wouldn’t be disappointed and it’s a good thing that I trusted that good feeling because I definitely wasn’t disappointed at all!

As soon as Nomad begins, we meet Raven who finds herself alone in the middle of a highway, unable to remember where she is or where she came from, with only a few select images standing out in her memory. As she goes on her way, she gradually remembers what she is doing and that she has arrived in 2013 from the year 2064, where the United States has become a horrific dictatorship with many people living in poverty, including Raven herself. From a weird gizmo she has found on herself, she is reminded of what it is she has to do: she must find the future dictator and assassinate him before he comes into power. I love how we are thrust straight into the action once the book begins, which told me that I was in for something totally awesome. Throughout the plot, there are flash-forwards to Raven’s time which help to explain her mission, what is going on in the future and also the whole concept of time travel and what happens when history is changed, which I thought was explained very clearly. I didn’t have any problem with following the storyline and the time travel concept and I found it very interesting and original. Although I liked the way that the story progressed as a whole, I did find some parts of the book to be just a little bit slow compared to other parts.

Our heroine, Raven, is just all kinds of awesome and I loved her for that. She is strong, smart and really knew what she was doing. I liked how she was able to gather her thoughts relatively quickly so that she was able to get on with her mission as swiftly as possible and do the best job possible and also that she didn’t let on to anybody that she was from the future, that can be due to how well she managed to integrate with our modern society. I really admired how intelligent she was. She thought out everything carefully and considered both the benefits and consequences of her actions, rather than just going head first into doing something. I also loved how badass she is: this girl knows how to kick some butt and handle a weapon. What could be more awesome than that?

Even though Nomad primarily takes place in our time, I really liked the world-building of the future. I enjoyed learning about how far technology has advanced and also how the general state of things in the US has deteriorated to the point of extreme poverty (hopefully something like that wouldn’t happen in real life, or even in the UK where I am!). Thanks to the fantastic world-building, I really enjoyed the flash-forwards and was always excited to return to this harrowing future that I certainly would not hope for.

I loved how unique Nomad is; I haven’t read many dystopians that feature time travel, which has been done so well here. I wasn’t confused by anything at all, but the book did leave me wondering a few times. Every time I came back to the story, I just read and didn’t want to stop (unfortunately, the real world gets in the way) because I was enjoying the story so much. However, there were a few slower moments here and there, but once I’d gotten past them they were definitely worth it due to the book’s awesome ending that I kind of didn’t expect.

An advanced copy was provided by the author for review.
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Please visit my blog for more reviews!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Genre* New Adult, Dystopian, Time Travel
*Rating* 3.5-4

*First Impressions*

I won Nomad by J.L. Bryan from Jenni @ Alluring Reads in one of her flash giveaways! I've had this book on my "looks interesting list" since I was part of the cover reveal for the book a few weeks ago. It should also be notated that this is the first book that I've ever read by J.L. Bryan, and it won't be my last.

Raven is a 19 year old revolutionary who lives in the year 2064 where life isn't exactly a Utopian society. Raven has been fighting a guerrilla warfare against the tyrannic regime of Supreme Executive Logan Carraway for 10 years and in the process, she has lost nearly everyone she's ever loved in the process.

When a chance to change history and stop Logan falls into the revolutionaries lap, Raven ends up being transported back to the year 2013 where she arrives with no recollection or memories of where she came from, or why she's in the middle of a highway with a backpack filled with items that obviously aren't hers.

Thankfully, she has a few trusty gadgets on hand that slowly brings her memories back to the reason that she is in 2013 in the first place, and what she has to do. She also realizes that whatever mission she's on, it won't be easy with Logan's Providence Security team hot on her tail trying to stop her in her tracks.

As for Logan, I would say that he's a stereotypical male character in a new adult setting. He's a charmer, he parties like it's 1999, he does things like rock climbing just for the thrill of it and probably to aggravate his family. He takes classes just to impress certain female acquaintances and he doesn't understand that his family is the cause of all future problems for the country until Raven comes along and enlightens him to that fact.

Time travel has been a fascination of mine since I was knee high to a grasshopper. What can I say, I'm a science fiction geek! I've often wondered what it would have been like to go back in time and kill dictators like Adolf Hitler (Germany), Joseph Stalin (Russia), Mao Zedong (China), and others, and then return to my own time. Would it actually matter if the dictators were killed before they could commit heinous atrocities on their OWN people? Or, would someone else step up in their place and continue their evil machinations and therefore making the trip back in time seem useless? This is also Raven's dilemma she has to contend with. I love the idea of Paradox in that one mistake could have a devastating affect on the time line and even on your own life.

There is a bit of everything thrown into Nomad. You have a kickass heroine in Raven who is also very intelligent and makes some very interesting choices. There is also the obvious romance angle that New Adult is known for. There is the surprising appearance of a character named Eliad who shows up and apparently knows Raven and makes her think about the consequences of killing Logan. But, the bottom line is that nobody can help Raven. Not her best friend Kari, not her new roommate Audra, and not anyone from her own time period.

Nomad is an extremely fast paced novel that I read in less than 5 hours. I loved Raven. I enjoyed reading about her thinking through problems as they come along, and she ends up making the best of a difficult situation. I will say that I am one of those readers that would NOT mind seeing Raven again very soon. I am especially interested in her relationship with the mysterious Eliad and what they do as nomadic time travelors.

Expected publication: July 26th 2013 by www.jlbryanbooks.com

[Aeicha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read my reviews in the past you've probably noticed that I generally stick to middle-grade and young-adult books. I don't read much New Adult. Honestly, I'm not really a fan of most New Adult...but, when I heard that J.L. Bryan wrote a new New Adult book AND it was a cool mix of dystopian and time-travel, I knew it was one New Adultish book that I wasn't going to pass up. And I'm so glad I didn't because Nomad is just as awesome as I hoped it would be.

I'm a huge fan of J.L. Bryan's Song of Magic series (which is for younger readers), so I was excited to delve into one of his books for older readers (and Nomad is definitely meant for the older YA and NA crowd), and he continues to impress and enthrall me with his fantastic storytelling and ability to weave entertaining, intriguing stories.

Nomad is a gripping, richly complex, and fresh story with a thrilling mix of dystopian and sci-fi and captivating doses of action and romance. I'm always fascinated by time-travel and love when authors aren't afraid to take this concept to some complex and thought-provoking places. So many time-travel premises are severely lacking simply because they aren't well thought-out or their authors create too many plot-holes. In Nomad J.L. Bryan has thought of everything and boldly takes on the concept of time-loops and paradoxes. Bryan's time-traveling premise is so smartly crafted, multifaceted, and anything but simple. For the most part I found the complexity and intricacy of the story to be easy to follow, and certainly intriguing, but at times it could be a bit overwhelming.

One of the things I love best about Bryan's writing, is his vivid and layered world-building abilities. Nomad takes place mostly in our present day (Yale University to be exact), with flashbacks (flashforwards?) to Raven's dystopian future. Normally, I'd be frustrated with a book that didn't spend the majority of time in its more intriguing dystopian future, but the way Bryan sets his story mainly in present day and sprinkles brief glimpses into Raven's future throughout, works really well for the story being told; and the world-building of Raven's dystopian future doesn't suffer at all. Bryan is deftly able to create and explore this dystopian future, with more showing than telling, without creating a disjointed flow between the “then” and the “now”. I'd love to read more about Raven's dystopian future though...perhaps in a new book set there... hint hint wink wink Mr. Bryan ;)

Raven is a great heroine and I really liked her. She's smart and capable, with an engaging mix of strength and vulnerability, compassion and logic, relatability and badassary. Raven finds herself in an unfamiliar time and place, caught between desire and duty, and has the balls to do what she has to to get shit done. She also finds herself caught up in an unexpected romantic entanglement and I really like what Bryan does with this storyline and where he take its. The interaction between Raven and her guy is amusing and addicting, and the sexytimes are hot and fun.

Nomad has a clever and really satisfying ending that brings the story full circle.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Nomad is an awesomely original and well-written dystopian, with a complex time-travel premise, entertaining story, and J.L. Bryan's signature world-building and witty dialogue. New Adult fans looking for something a bit different, but still craving great characters and sexytimes, will definitely enjoy Nomad.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nomad was probably the best book I read in 2013. The main character, Raven, is a time traveler. In her future, the USA has been taken over by a dictatorship. Both her parents were killed when she was young, and since then she has been trained by the resistance to take down the government.

One of the many wonderful things about this book is how it handles time travel. In Nomad, if a time traveler goes back in time and changes something that massively alters the course of their own life, the 'universe' replaces them due to the fact that they no longer fit in the new future. This is a nice twist on the time traveler aspect. In most stories, a time traveler can simply return to their own time, no matter how much they have changed or altered. This always raised some question with me such as, "What if the future is so different that there is no place for them?" or "what if they don't even exist in the new future?". This book gives us answers, which I appreciate.

The characters are also very well written. Raven, our heroine, is about as kick ass as one can imagine. She's a futuristic fighter, she's intelligent, and she actually has a personality. One thing I've noticed in female characters that are casted as 'fighters' in a lot of stories is that they usually are limited to the 'tough girl' persona and not much else. Raven makes connections with the people she comes across, and instead of being a strait up killing machine, she's an actual person who has emotions and doubts. Logan, the future dictator, is also an interesting character. In the future he's the kind of evil, power hungry asshole that we expect, but in the past (our present) he's just a rich kid going to college. It's implied that he still has that, quote unquote, 'glint in his eye' that future Logan has, but he's still far from being the man he's going to be.

The story itself reminds me of Terminator, but instead of robot Arnold, we have a human girl, but the similarities begin and end with both of them going back into the past to kill a powerful figurehead. This story takes a rather sharp turn when Raven begins to have doubts about killing her target, for reasons that you'll find out by reading the book. This was a pleasant surprise, and the direction J.L. Bryan took this story was done very well, with little to no complaints from me.

All around, I thought Nomad was a very good book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys time travel, dictatorships, romance (not of the Twilight kind), and a main character that is both relatable and really effing cool.

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[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

When J.L. Bryan contacted me to review his new novel, to put it mildly, I was ELATED! Jenny Pox was actually the first e-book I ever read and I absolutely adored it, and the following book, Tommy Nightmare. The synopsis sounded so interesting; I’m becoming more and more interested in Science Fiction and the time travel element me intrigued immediately. I’ve only read a handle of books about time travel but every one I have thoroughly enjoyed. Needless to say, Nomad did not disappoint me.

Immediately you are thrust into action with the first chapter. Raven “wakes up” on a highway, nearly getting killed by a truck, with absolutely no memory of how she got there. She is covered in blood and wearing completely different clothes from the people around her. She soon realizes she is on a race for her life and to save the future as she knows it.

Raven was freaking AMAZING. Ohemgee, she was tough, smart and incredibly loyal to her loved ones. I adored her immediately. There is not a single fault I could find in her, she was perfect in my opinion. Her strength and toughness is so rare in female main characters and she did had both of those qualities nailed down. The character building was great in Nomad. Even the characters that you only seen glimpses of, or only appeared every so often(Kari for instance) you felt such an attachment to them from Raven’s flashbacks(or are they flashforwards?? Time travel always trips me up!). Gosh, I even started to warm up to Lucas, the evil dictator!

The world building was intense. Future USA is bleak, at best, but has a crazy amount of advanced technology. Well, obviously, they can travel back in time now. The weapons, the visual devices, all of it was fascinating. The best part about it all was that it was entirely believable. The futuristic world is not something that is entirely non plausible so it was easy to imagine yourself there, fighting for your existence and freedom.

The plot and pacing was phenomenal. I clung to this book for the entire second half. In fact, I wouldn’t even pick it back up until I was certain I had the time to sit and read it through to the end. Everything starts to come together so quickly at the end that it’s impossible to put down. It’s extremely fast paced and there was times I was TERRIFIED for Raven(and the other characters), and it also broke my heart a few times as well. It’s hard to explain why without spoiling anything, but believe me, the emotional part of the story is just as incredible as the action. The time travel aspect was awesome. I can never fully wrap my head around the concept of it, it really mystified me, but I enjoy it very much. The whole idea that what you change in the past, will change the future and then where do you end up? It leaves my head aching but I LOVE it every time.

J.L Bryan did an amazing job of taking an existing genre(dystopian) and putting an entirely unique and enjoyable twist on it. OH! And the ENDING! Oh my gosh… And that’s all I will say. ;) There isn’t a single negative thing I can say about this. I suggest you pick this up, especially if you love dystopian and science fiction, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

[Shanon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nomad is definitely the most complex, interesting, action-packed and mind-blowing book I've read all year! J.L. Bryan has cleverly constructed a novel that is so descriptive and engaging that throughout the book he literally had me cheering, laughing, and yelling in a rather loud fashion. He writes in such a way that it's like a piece of you merges with the characters and you can't help but be completely swept up in their emotions. I cannot express enough how much I adore this book!

Another reason to fall head-over-heels for this novel is the fact that its premise is so unique. It's a time-travel dystopian that features a kick-ass chick named Raven, who is a "Nomad". The entire concept and explanation of what a Nomad is will probably leave you feeling brain-banged, but in an awesome way, if that even makes sense! Just be prepared for the mind explosion. Raven's Nomad status definitely adds to the allure of her character.

Raven is amazing: she's a highly intelligent young woman who has seen and been through so much. She's from the future where an evil dictator, named Logan Carraway, reins over the U.S. and he's turned the states into a terrifying, heinous place. Raven has been tasked with the duty of traveling back in time, to the year 2013, to assassinate this awful man when he is young and hasn't done any damage yet. But things get incredibly complicated in more ways than one when she crosses paths with this man!

When Raven makes contact with her target, Logan, some very unexpected things happen. I had a lot of confusing and conflicting emotions towards Logan. I know, and Raven knows, that he will evolve into a tyrant that is largely responsible for the fall of the U.S. and the deaths of many. Yet when Raven meets him, he's just a regular college guy. He's annoyingly cocky, but still, he's just a regular, charming and vivacious fellow. He hasn't done terrible things yet. Raven's entire plan and thought process changes when she meets him, and so does mine. The things that transpire between these two feels warped and kind of dirty, but I still liked it. This is what J.L. Bryan does: he extracts emotions from you that you never expected to feel, which leaves you stunned and surprised!

There's excitement at every turn in this book, and the ending was no exception. Raven sacrifices a lot to save the future of the country, and the magnitude of her actions are palpable. I was simultaneously shocked and pleased by the last events of the story, and everything felt very bittersweet.

There is SO MUCH going on in this book, it's insane, but in a good way. I was completely consumed by all of the action, information, terror and romance being thrown my way throughout Raven's journey. It's safe to say that her character and this book will not be easily forgotten by me.

*Special thanks to J.L. Bryan for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found at: www.escapingwithfiction.com

[Isalys B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

How's this for an opening line?

"Her hands were red with blood, but the cold rain washed it away. Whose blood? She couldn't remember."

The year is 2064 and life sucks! It's a cruel world where people are imprisoned, beaten and murdered. A world where most live in fear because of one man, an evil dictator known as Secretary-General of the United States. Technology and weaponry is advanced. In fact, it's so advanced that the government is on the verge of completing the first working time-travel machine.

Meet Raven. A 19-year old revolutionary rebel. Orphaned at a young age, she grew to loathe the government and its sadistic, tyrannical leader. She helps organize a group of fighters who will steal the time-travel device before the government can use it for its own nefarious purposes, and she succeeds. She travels to the past where she intends to assassinate the future leader before he comes into power. One problem, though. She awakens in the year 2013 with no memory of the future or her mission. She must now put together the few clues she has to change the course of history!

I love time travel stories, mainly because I desperately wish I could do it, but even I know that time travel is nothing to sneeze at. It's complicated with its loops and paradoxes and many what-ifs. I am wholly impressed with J.L. Bryan's take on it. He explained it in such a way where it made sense, as much as it could anyway, without getting overly scientific or tedious. It was original and plausible.

Raven is the kind of girl that makes a lasting impression. She's brave, smart, logical, loyal, and not altogether unrealistic. She knows what she has to do and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Yet she understands that her actions, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, hold the potential to change the future. I loved being in her mind as she studied the various situations she found herself in and tried to figure out the best course of action. I also enjoyed getting to know the year 2013 through her eyes and how simplistic it was compared to her own time. Makes you think that maybe we don't have it so bad, after all?

Logan, our young future dictator is your quintessential rich, preppy college boy. He's handsome, charming, and all around good at everything. He's the very antithesis of what he's to become so upon meeting him, Raven has a difficult time of consolidating this innocent, fun-loving guy with the tyrant that he's to become. She comes up with a plan to ingratiate herself into his life in an attempt to "change" him and in doing so, learns who the real villain is.

There is so much more to this story than I can put into this review, but suffice it to say that J.L. Bryan has done it again! Taken a fascinating concept, two in the case of Nomad, and melded them to create a complex, thought-provoking, engaging story that will make your head spin (but in a good way!)

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw J.L. Bryan was releasing a new book I knew I had to read it. I love his Fairyvision series, and his Jenny Pox series. Imagine my surprise when I received an email off the author himself with a request to review Nomad. There was no question about it, I replied with a big YES.

Nomad is different to his other works, set in a dystopian future with time travel and possibly the greatest gadgets known to man. Raven, the protagonist, is disorientated and finds herself stumbling along a highway, a truck driver, who seconds earlier had nearly run her down, offers her a lift to the nearest motel (which sounds dodgy in itself and is later confirmed in his hints). Raven can't remember much, who she is, where she is heading, are all a jumble in her foggy memory, she occasionally gets glimpses into a life she knew, with friends she vaguely remembers, but not much else.

Within the first few pages I was hooked, there was just enough hints and memory's added into the first chapter that I was very curious myself over who Raven is and what she is doing. As the story progresses we a drawn into a world of time travel, and the old age question of if you go back in time and kill your grandfather, then you can't be born, so therefore can't go back in time. We slowly learn why Raven is there and what her mission is as she slowly pieces the memories together. I do love time travel books, and prefer them to not be too technical, and although there were some theories mentioned in Nomad, I managed to keep track of a lot of the scientific information, which was a bonus for me.

One character who I instantly liked was Audra, I thought she was a great room mate for Raven in every way, and I liked how she unknowingly helps Raven find a solution to her assassination problem.
I was surprised that Raven revealed her true intentions to others, and even more surprised they took it all in, with the help of her futuristic gadgets, and believed things she was telling them. Logan I wasn't too sure on at first, but as we get to see the real him I began to warm up to him especially when he stands up for Raven, and then when we see him for the final time.

I thought it was great how Raven fixed the wrongs with Audra and Kari, those moments were bitter sweet, but also felt 'right' for the path Raven chose. I found myself enjoying Nomad more than what I expected to. I love how I could never guess what it would all end up like, and when the ending is finally revealed I never would have guessed the ending we are left with, although I do think it was the perfect ending for Raven. J.L. Bryan has once again managed to create a world that is so easy to fall into, and hard to climb back out. I enjoyed every single page of Nomad and the cover design fits it perfectly.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just WOW! I have read almost all of Jeff Bryan's books and this one just really, really rocked! It's New Adult and if you're like me I haven't found much in that category that didn't seem to have sex as it's main story line. Not so with NOMAD. NOMAD has a plot that will have you on the edge of your seat, biting your fingernails. Here's why:

Raven is from the future that is torn apart by an evil dictator, Logan Carraway and his security force. Her mission is to kill him before he ever has a chance to become the evil dictator. But Raven has amnesia and is growing a conscience as she begins to remember. Used to kill or be killed on a daily basis, life in 2013 is full of plenty of food and shelter and even a sort of peace. Even if she has to look over her shoulder for security forces from her time. We get to see Raven's life through flashbacks, memories of life with her parents and what Logan Carraway's dictatorship did to the U.S., to her life. We understand her mission, but we have doubts as well when she begins to question whether assassination will be enough to bring about the change needed to protect the world from destruction. When Raven finds herself doing the opposite of what her mission is, she questions everything she knows about her world and the Logan Carraway of her time.

This is an action packed time traveling adventure. There is never a dull moment whether Raven is running from the security people in her time that have traveled back to kill her or she's trying to lure Logan in who is a thrill junkie, by rock climbing or doing something equally dangerous, the story is very fast. J.L. Bryan is not a writer that is given to overly descriptive passages or telling instead of showing. I felt like I was in the story, thinking like Raven (who goes by several names) always planning ahead or running from someone. The conclusion was satisfying and as it should be with all loose ends tied up.

I asked about sequels, but J.L. Bryan says none are planned at this time. I think we should all write emails and demand for more!! (Just a suggestion :) This is definitely my favorite of J.L. Bryan's novels so far, but then I think that every time. This is in the New Adult genre. The characters are in college. There are some sex scenes (tastefully done and not that many) and some violence. More violence than anything else.
A mature YA reader could handle this one easily. This is the first New Adult novel I have reviewed on my blog. NOMAD has a story to it, it's about the story and sex is safely on the side, a part of the story not the story. THAT'S how I like my New Adult

Again, I received a copy of this novel from the author for review. This in no way influenced me. The opinions expressed are my own. Thank you Jeff Bryan!!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC for an honest review

I am so impressed with JL Bryan's ability to tell a story. He is a true writer. He brings his stories to life with descriptive detail that doesn't overwhelm the reader, but allows them to experience the world he is creating. Nomad was an attention grabber. Page after page I devoured the words. I am in awe of how each book JL Bryan writes just gets better. His Paranormal series was unique and awesome. The Fairy series was fun and creative. And now, with Nomad, he has done it again. I usually don't like books that have a time travel element to it, but this one was so well written that I believed it. I took a chance on it because of the author's name on the cover, and he did not disappoint.

The story was written with the perfect amount of detail that created the future world from which Raven travels from. The comparisons to technology and world events that led to the future Raven comes from is so believable. My hubby is the IT director in my school district. He is always talking about the latest technology, so it was easy for me to imagine the sophisticated technology that the future world has. The story line was interesting. Raven comes to complete a mission that she has failed at before. This time she tries a different approach that takes the reader along an action packed ride.

Each character elicits a reaction from the reader. Raven was a kicka** character. With memory loss from the time travel. She pieces together enough information to set her on the right path. She's resourceful and determined. She's also caring. Logan Carraway is Raven's mission. In the future he is a heartless dictator but in 2013 he is a young college student at Yale. Raven puts herself in Logan's path and a relationship forms. "Uncle" Henry is a power driven man. In the future he is the mind behind Logan's dictatorship. He is deceitful and ruthless. The way the story unfolds leads to a riveting ending. JL Bryan wraps it up with a nice view at how the completed mission changes the future. I loved the meeting between Raven and Logan in the future.

This is a book that I recommend without hesitation. It is a complete book with a resolution in the end. With the end of the book, I can see the possibility of other books with maybe different Nomad time travelers. It would be interesting to meet other Nomads and travel with them. Are you reading this JL Bryan? Hint, Hint? Anyway, grab a copy and take a little journey with Raven.

[Linz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh off a winning streak with two awesome series, Jenny Pox (The Paranormals) and The Songs of Magic, J.L. Bryan is back with something completely different, and it's incredible! I was so very pleased with his latest offering in NOMAD. First of all, just LOOK at that cover! It's freaking awesome. This is not the first time Bryan has gone with a violet/pink theme, and I can't help but think he does it on purpose, with my blog in mind (*ahem* The VIOLET Hour). Okay, okay, just kidding. Kinda. Moving right along…

NOMAD starts out with a KILLER opening line: "Her hands were red with blood, but the cold rain washed it away. Whose blood? She couldn't remember."
Okay. I'm in. NOMAD was a really fun time travel read. I wouldn't call it a 'light' read, but it's not emotionally heavy either. Parts of it put me in mind of the movie Looper. One big difference is that when I watched the movie and the characters were trying to explain time travel...I didn't follow. JL Bryan wrote this story in a way that didn't make me feel bad that I don't understand time travel because neither did Raven, really, BUT I explained it to my husband and he knew exactly what was going on. Time travel is complicated, folks!

I really enjoyed this story. Raven was a pretty complex character that went from a girl with memory loss getting into a semi-truck, to a BA nomad with a plasma gun trying to change the future...but not TOO much. I loved being in her head as she plotted to get close to the enemy, and then when things start to spin out of control and her plan gets thrown in the crapper. She's just a tough chick that made a big impression on me. My favorite character was Jebbie. He, unfortunately, didn't have a big role in this story, but I'll always treasure his amazing lines. Gems like, "Devil's dingleberries!", "What in the name of James Earl Jones was that thing?" and "Helen's damnation, they done set the Flying J afire!". That kind, Moon Pie hat wearin' truck driver will always hold a special place in my heart.

JL Bryan is a fantastic writer, and I will always be a huge fan. He's done horror, faeries, and now time travel - it's all great. He has such a range of imagination. I love reading his stories and getting sucked into a new world. Get this book!

*Since this is mostly a YA review blog, I need to reiterate that this book has some ADULT SCENES.*