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Carnival of Mysteries
Rook's Time
Simeon Bell just hasn’t been himself.
Although he has spent a happy year as a roustabout with the Carnival of Mysteries—accompanied by his beloved, Crow Rapp—lately something has felt off. Maybe he hasn’t been himself because he doesn’t fully know who he is. Abandoned in a foundling home as an infant, he has never known anything about his family and has never met another of his kind.
A tiny box found on the carnival midway leads Simeon and Crow on a quest to Simeon’s childhood home in the Victorian slums of London, where he discovers the ability to move through time. With Crow’s steadfast love as his anchor, Simeon searches across the decades for answers about his identity. The more he travels, the more he learns about his history… and the more he faces the danger of losing himself entirely.
Rook's Time is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series and a sequel to Crow's Fate. Each book includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains an East End orphan and Illinois farm boy, both of whom are far more than they seem; occasional help from three mysterious women; and a lot of rooks, crows, and their kin.
Although he has spent a happy year as a roustabout with the Carnival of Mysteries—accompanied by his beloved, Crow Rapp—lately something has felt off. Maybe he hasn’t been himself because he doesn’t fully know who he is. Abandoned in a foundling home as an infant, he has never known anything about his family and has never met another of his kind.
A tiny box found on the carnival midway leads Simeon and Crow on a quest to Simeon’s childhood home in the Victorian slums of London, where he discovers the ability to move through time. With Crow’s steadfast love as his anchor, Simeon searches across the decades for answers about his identity. The more he travels, the more he learns about his history… and the more he faces the danger of losing himself entirely.
Rook's Time is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series and a sequel to Crow's Fate. Each book includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains an East End orphan and Illinois farm boy, both of whom are far more than they seem; occasional help from three mysterious women; and a lot of rooks, crows, and their kin.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2024
6 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Kim Fielding
175 books1,305 followersKim Fielding lives in Oregon and travels as often as she can manage. A professor by day, at night she rushes into a phone booth to change into her author costume (which involves comfy clothes instead of Spandex and is, sadly, lacking a cape). Her superpowers include the ability to write nearly anywhere, often while simultaneously doling out assistance to her family. Her favorite word to describe herself is "eclectic" and she finally got that seventh tattoo.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 16, 2024
I honestly didn't remember anything from Crow's Fate 🙈 ... but that was fine, I got the gist of it anyway, which I thought was a PLUS point for Kim Fielding because he could drop some information for new readers but helped those who still remember that book, without it being overwhelming.
Anyway, this book mainly focuses on Simeon Bell and his past. And it was interesting! It involved some supernatural powers and -- and I loved the part where That will be FUN to watch on movie/TV episode.
And now I wonder if Fielding will write about Bran
Anyway, this book mainly focuses on Simeon Bell and his past. And it was interesting! It involved some supernatural powers and -- and I loved the part where That will be FUN to watch on movie/TV episode.
And now I wonder if Fielding will write about Bran
July 10, 2024
Rating: 5 stars
Review By Ulysses Dietz, Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Name of Book: Rook’s Time
Series: Carnival of Mysteries (year 2)
Author: Kim Fielding
Publisher: Tin Box Press
Release date: 2024
Page Count: 315
Genre: paranormal m/m
It seems unfair to tag this as a romance—although a great love story is its foundation. It is an adventure, with a paranormal motif running strongly throughout (shifters, magical time travel). However, it is really a psychological study of a young man whom we’ve met before, in Kim Fielding’s first book for this series, “Crow’s Fate.” This is Simeon Bell, whose real name and extremely complicated family history we discover as the book opens before us. He was really important in the first book, but we never got to know him.
Crow Rapp is important, for sure. The tall, blond, 20th-century farm boy is Simeon’s anchor. Their love sustains both of them in this adventure, in which they decide to leave the security of Mr. Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries in order to find out the truth of Simeon’s life ‘before.’ In this book Crow steps back, and lets the author’s light shine on his beloved.
The series last year established the Carnival’s purpose: to go where and when it was needed. Issues of fate and self-determination are always part of these stories, but especially here, in Kim Fielding’s beautifully written explorations of free will and destiny. Interestingly, this book spends less time looking at the details of the Carnival of Mysteries itself, and focuses more on its whole. The Carnival saved both Crow and Simeon; but it also brought them together, and ultimately helps them leave its sheltering community in order to find truth. Familiar details make the Carnival like an old friend we’re revisiting, but the point of this book is to be found elsewhere.
Simeon Bell is as rich and endearing a character as any in Dickens (and I’ve read all of Dickens). A lot of this story takes place in Victorian England, which is not something Crow anticipated when he fell in love with the ailing British lad from some other time.
Fielding does her homework, and gives the past settings a three-dimensional believability that helps drag the reader head-first into a pretty hair-raising plotline. I particularly loved Mr. and Mrs. Frugis, who are presented as both weird and comforting. They are very clearly paranormal, and yet feel entirely apt to the England of the 1870s and 80s they inhabit in the course of the story. I can’t dwell much on them without spoiling the fun—but they are important, and embody the kind of rich detail that brings the story to life as the two young men risk everything without quite knowing what they need to find.
It all comes back to the Carnival, where once again Miss Persephone offers sage advice, that may or may not be magical, and is (as usual) not entirely clear. Life is like that. We choose our path, never knowing where the paths we did not choose might have taken us.
It’s a really good book, and an auspicious start to the second go at this inventive series.
Review By Ulysses Dietz, Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Name of Book: Rook’s Time
Series: Carnival of Mysteries (year 2)
Author: Kim Fielding
Publisher: Tin Box Press
Release date: 2024
Page Count: 315
Genre: paranormal m/m
It seems unfair to tag this as a romance—although a great love story is its foundation. It is an adventure, with a paranormal motif running strongly throughout (shifters, magical time travel). However, it is really a psychological study of a young man whom we’ve met before, in Kim Fielding’s first book for this series, “Crow’s Fate.” This is Simeon Bell, whose real name and extremely complicated family history we discover as the book opens before us. He was really important in the first book, but we never got to know him.
Crow Rapp is important, for sure. The tall, blond, 20th-century farm boy is Simeon’s anchor. Their love sustains both of them in this adventure, in which they decide to leave the security of Mr. Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries in order to find out the truth of Simeon’s life ‘before.’ In this book Crow steps back, and lets the author’s light shine on his beloved.
The series last year established the Carnival’s purpose: to go where and when it was needed. Issues of fate and self-determination are always part of these stories, but especially here, in Kim Fielding’s beautifully written explorations of free will and destiny. Interestingly, this book spends less time looking at the details of the Carnival of Mysteries itself, and focuses more on its whole. The Carnival saved both Crow and Simeon; but it also brought them together, and ultimately helps them leave its sheltering community in order to find truth. Familiar details make the Carnival like an old friend we’re revisiting, but the point of this book is to be found elsewhere.
Simeon Bell is as rich and endearing a character as any in Dickens (and I’ve read all of Dickens). A lot of this story takes place in Victorian England, which is not something Crow anticipated when he fell in love with the ailing British lad from some other time.
Fielding does her homework, and gives the past settings a three-dimensional believability that helps drag the reader head-first into a pretty hair-raising plotline. I particularly loved Mr. and Mrs. Frugis, who are presented as both weird and comforting. They are very clearly paranormal, and yet feel entirely apt to the England of the 1870s and 80s they inhabit in the course of the story. I can’t dwell much on them without spoiling the fun—but they are important, and embody the kind of rich detail that brings the story to life as the two young men risk everything without quite knowing what they need to find.
It all comes back to the Carnival, where once again Miss Persephone offers sage advice, that may or may not be magical, and is (as usual) not entirely clear. Life is like that. We choose our path, never knowing where the paths we did not choose might have taken us.
It’s a really good book, and an auspicious start to the second go at this inventive series.
July 17, 2024
Kim Fielding's first book in this series was excellent (and does need to be read first) so I was thrilled to be able to dive into more adventures with these two men. Here it's Simeon who is gaining a whole lot of new self-knowledge and many questions along the way, as the two men leave the Carnival for the London of his youth. Why was he left in a foundling home as a baby? Does he really have family somewhere? Who and what are rooks like himself, who can shift into bird form? And why is there a dark prophecy that seems to involve him?
The oddities Simeon discovers about himself include the ability to peer back through time, or sometimes forward. And yet, there seem to be parallel times that don't always make sense, and it's not something he controls. The mysterious-appearing women of fate who helped and baffled Crow make an appearance, in variably helpful ways. It's hard to write a story with time jumps and alternate timelines and have it make sense. This one was masterfully done. (The first time a sentence cut off without punctuation I thought it was an error; by the second time, I recognized it for an effective device.)
We see less deeply into Crow here, his role mainly to be supportive as Simeon struggles with all the versions of his past. But it balances the first book, and by the end, both characters are people I cared deeply about and was happy to see find a HEA.
The oddities Simeon discovers about himself include the ability to peer back through time, or sometimes forward. And yet, there seem to be parallel times that don't always make sense, and it's not something he controls. The mysterious-appearing women of fate who helped and baffled Crow make an appearance, in variably helpful ways. It's hard to write a story with time jumps and alternate timelines and have it make sense. This one was masterfully done. (The first time a sentence cut off without punctuation I thought it was an error; by the second time, I recognized it for an effective device.)
We see less deeply into Crow here, his role mainly to be supportive as Simeon struggles with all the versions of his past. But it balances the first book, and by the end, both characters are people I cared deeply about and was happy to see find a HEA.
August 18, 2024
4.5 A-
I loved the first book Ms Fielding wrote for this multi-author series, Crow's Fate, and I'm happy to say that while I didn't love it quite as much (maybe because I listened to the first one on audio narrated fantastically by Joel Leslie), it was still a wonderfully original story with clever world building and great characters.
In Crow's Fate we met Crow Rapp as he tried to find out the answers to who and what he was
and to outrun his fate. It was a fascinating, moving story. Simeon is important in that book as Crow's lover. We know little about his background, though, mainly because he doesn't know all that much either. Rook's Time is Simeon's "origin story," along with untangling some gnarly mysteries along the way. Recommended, but start with Crow's Fate!
I loved the first book Ms Fielding wrote for this multi-author series, Crow's Fate, and I'm happy to say that while I didn't love it quite as much (maybe because I listened to the first one on audio narrated fantastically by Joel Leslie), it was still a wonderfully original story with clever world building and great characters.
In Crow's Fate we met Crow Rapp as he tried to find out the answers to who and what he was
and to outrun his fate. It was a fascinating, moving story. Simeon is important in that book as Crow's lover. We know little about his background, though, mainly because he doesn't know all that much either. Rook's Time is Simeon's "origin story," along with untangling some gnarly mysteries along the way. Recommended, but start with Crow's Fate!
June 29, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive this book as an advanced reader copy.
This is a continuing story from Crows Fate and we get to learn more about Rook and his past.
The carnival travels not only through space to different parts of the world but also time. They end up in the same time zone as when Rook left London and also England and joined the carnival. He and Crow decide to leave and go to find out more information on Rook and his history on his ability to change into his bird.
A very sweet and clever story about not taking what you have for granted and like us all not push for what you need.
We meet some new people and see things as they are and what they might be while also seeing our 3 favourite muses again I do love these women!
This is a continuing story from Crows Fate and we get to learn more about Rook and his past.
The carnival travels not only through space to different parts of the world but also time. They end up in the same time zone as when Rook left London and also England and joined the carnival. He and Crow decide to leave and go to find out more information on Rook and his history on his ability to change into his bird.
A very sweet and clever story about not taking what you have for granted and like us all not push for what you need.
We meet some new people and see things as they are and what they might be while also seeing our 3 favourite muses again I do love these women!
November 21, 2024
3.5 stars.
It took me over three months to finish reading this, in part because it's slow until those last several chapters, and in part because a hurricane's rain flooded my house, and we are still dealing with all that. In a way, disruption is a theme here, but I didn't really want a direct demonstration of that, universe, thanks anyway. The first book, about Crow, was just as slow-paced, so I knew to take my time. But although I liked how that last bit was handled, I can't say these will ever be a favorite. They are just not interesting enough to earn such a place--I don't care about the characters enough. This author is capable of making me care. I wish that had happened here.
It took me over three months to finish reading this, in part because it's slow until those last several chapters, and in part because a hurricane's rain flooded my house, and we are still dealing with all that. In a way, disruption is a theme here, but I didn't really want a direct demonstration of that, universe, thanks anyway. The first book, about Crow, was just as slow-paced, so I knew to take my time. But although I liked how that last bit was handled, I can't say these will ever be a favorite. They are just not interesting enough to earn such a place--I don't care about the characters enough. This author is capable of making me care. I wish that had happened here.
July 27, 2024
Can't wait to read more!
Kim Fielding hooked me with this book and I can't wait to get the next in the series!
It was a fun and interesting story. The characters were easy to fall for. The storyline was interesting and full of action and adventure. I didn't want to put it down.
The time travel aspect was fascinating and the Author handled it brilliantly, making it easy for the reader to keep up with.
I'm grabbing the next book now.
I highly recommend you grab a copy for yourself!
Kim Fielding hooked me with this book and I can't wait to get the next in the series!
It was a fun and interesting story. The characters were easy to fall for. The storyline was interesting and full of action and adventure. I didn't want to put it down.
The time travel aspect was fascinating and the Author handled it brilliantly, making it easy for the reader to keep up with.
I'm grabbing the next book now.
I highly recommend you grab a copy for yourself!
July 19, 2024
I am very glad that Simeon got his story. I shared the characters' frustration that no one is able to provide information and everyone is cryptic (especially the sister trio we already know).
Fun fact: in my language (Lithuanian), the month of March is named in honor of rook, although I don't remember if I have seen this bird (or rather, from a distance, I call all black crow birds as raven)
Fun fact: in my language (Lithuanian), the month of March is named in honor of rook, although I don't remember if I have seen this bird (or rather, from a distance, I call all black crow birds as raven)
July 21, 2024
I just about remembered Simeon's story from before with Rook.
In this book we go back to 1880s London and we are taken on an adventure as Simeons past comes to life and we meet his brother.
I will admit that some of the story was a little confusing to me as we kept flipping through time and chapters ended with incomplete sentences.
In this book we go back to 1880s London and we are taken on an adventure as Simeons past comes to life and we meet his brother.
I will admit that some of the story was a little confusing to me as we kept flipping through time and chapters ended with incomplete sentences.
September 18, 2024
Not an easy read
I didn't find this book an easy read but a fascinating one. It was at times both exasperating and stimulating with the flow of ideas, knowledge, and scholarship. Enjoy!
I didn't find this book an easy read but a fascinating one. It was at times both exasperating and stimulating with the flow of ideas, knowledge, and scholarship. Enjoy!
April 18, 2025
A time traveling trip. An excellent romance with interesting characters and part of the fun Carnival of Mysteries series. But so twisty! At the end I thought I was on Borges Garden of Forking Paths. Fielding is always original.
August 5, 2024
Took a bit time get into this story . I love this author, so I stuck with it and, by the end, was glad I did.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews