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The Call to Search Everywhen #1
Travel Glasses
Calla Winston’s mobile devices sit in a corner of her room, covered in dust. Weeks ago, she shared photos and laughs with her best online friend. Now, after having felt the sting of betrayal, she prefers being hidden and friendless. She equates privacy with security and technology with pain.
Then she meets Valcas, an otherworldly time traveler who traverses time and space with a pair of altered sunglasses. When an ethereal being knocks Calla to the ground near her family’s lakeside cottage, Valcas uses the Travel Glasses to help her escape. He offers his further protection in exchange for a promise. Intrigued by Valcas and the possibility of time travel, Calla accepts. That is until she learns that his search for her was no mere coincidence.
Calla sets off on her own, taking the Travel Glasses with her. Torn between searching for her estranged father and reuniting with the rest of her family, she tracks down the inventor of the Travel Glasses in hopes of discovering more about Valcas’ past and motivations. The Travel Glasses take Calla’s mistrust of technology to all new levels. But without them, she’ll never make it back home. With Valcas hot on her trail, Calla hopes to find what she’s looking for before he catches up.
The Call to Search Everywhen is a serial series of novel-length installments.
Then she meets Valcas, an otherworldly time traveler who traverses time and space with a pair of altered sunglasses. When an ethereal being knocks Calla to the ground near her family’s lakeside cottage, Valcas uses the Travel Glasses to help her escape. He offers his further protection in exchange for a promise. Intrigued by Valcas and the possibility of time travel, Calla accepts. That is until she learns that his search for her was no mere coincidence.
Calla sets off on her own, taking the Travel Glasses with her. Torn between searching for her estranged father and reuniting with the rest of her family, she tracks down the inventor of the Travel Glasses in hopes of discovering more about Valcas’ past and motivations. The Travel Glasses take Calla’s mistrust of technology to all new levels. But without them, she’ll never make it back home. With Valcas hot on her trail, Calla hopes to find what she’s looking for before he catches up.
The Call to Search Everywhen is a serial series of novel-length installments.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 19, 2016
2.5 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Czidor Lore, LLC and NetGalley.)
This wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t for me.
Calla was an okay character, although she maybe shouldn’t have trusted Valcas quite as much as she did having only just met him. You’d also think that she’d maybe learn from that mistake also, but she really didn’t!
The storyline in this just lost me. We hoped around all over the place, once minute Calla was mad at Valcas and the next she was lusting after him, and I just got really lost and bored unfortunately.
5 out of 10
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Czidor Lore, LLC and NetGalley.)
This wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t for me.
Calla was an okay character, although she maybe shouldn’t have trusted Valcas quite as much as she did having only just met him. You’d also think that she’d maybe learn from that mistake also, but she really didn’t!
The storyline in this just lost me. We hoped around all over the place, once minute Calla was mad at Valcas and the next she was lusting after him, and I just got really lost and bored unfortunately.
5 out of 10
February 28, 2015
Thank you netgalley for sending me this book in exchange of an honest review
This book is really unique and unlike anything I've read, after reading ruby red I'm extremely fascinated with the idea of time travelling. Though there is not much similarities between these two books but I found myself enjoying this book nevertheless.
I thought the plot was great though is not action packed but it is indeed suspenseful. The one problem I have is that the beginning is a bit unrealistic but after going through the first 15% of the book everything make sense again. As for the world building, I'm extremely intrigued by it's complexity however from times to times it gets confusing. The writing style I think is okay easy to adjust, it didn't took me long to be captivated by the story.
The protagonist Calla is not you typical protagonist I guess? By all means she is not annoying or whinny, the way of she deals with things are mature which I really appreciate. As for the other protagonist Valcas, well I'm really fascinated by him. I won't say I like him but he definitely makes the book a lot more interesting. Though the characters are really tolerable, I did not grow to like them enough to as a matter of fact care for them, after all this is only the first book in the series.
Overall I think travel glasses is a decent read, I would recommend this book if you're interested into reading time travelling books :D
This book is really unique and unlike anything I've read, after reading ruby red I'm extremely fascinated with the idea of time travelling. Though there is not much similarities between these two books but I found myself enjoying this book nevertheless.
I thought the plot was great though is not action packed but it is indeed suspenseful. The one problem I have is that the beginning is a bit unrealistic but after going through the first 15% of the book everything make sense again. As for the world building, I'm extremely intrigued by it's complexity however from times to times it gets confusing. The writing style I think is okay easy to adjust, it didn't took me long to be captivated by the story.
"No doubt you've experience something similar in books, movies, novels- whatever you use as an excuse to get away, to suspend reality. Literacy character, like these projections, draw you in a cultivate feelings or friendship on your part. Although, no matter how much you learn about them, how much time you spend with them- how far you can see into their thoughts and words, how they interact with others, their looks, what they wear- they will never, ever know you."
The protagonist Calla is not you typical protagonist I guess? By all means she is not annoying or whinny, the way of she deals with things are mature which I really appreciate. As for the other protagonist Valcas, well I'm really fascinated by him. I won't say I like him but he definitely makes the book a lot more interesting. Though the characters are really tolerable, I did not grow to like them enough to as a matter of fact care for them, after all this is only the first book in the series.
Overall I think travel glasses is a decent read, I would recommend this book if you're interested into reading time travelling books :D
March 3, 2015
This story has some interesting and imaginative elements, but overall I just didn't click with it well.
I liked Calla well enough and appreciated very much the fact that although Valcas is good looking and demonstrates a strong infatuation with her she doesn't leap into a romance with him, and has reservations. In spite of the fact that she is attracted to him.
But there were a lot of things that I found strange and confusing. At the start we learn Calla has been terribly betrayed by a good friend. To the point that the authorities had to get involved and she shut herself off from interacting with her peers. However when Valcas mysteriously shows up she trusts him immediately. After that ends up not working out so well she meets another person and trusts him. That just didn't seem realistic, in spite of how nice they seemed to be.
Narrated in first person the reader is mostly limited to knowing what Calla knows, which leads to some confusion. I would also have liked to have more description setting the scene. Calla travels to many places, but we only get small bits of information about these places, what they look like, sounds, sights, it made it hard for me to picture them and feel I was there.
There are so many things in this story that I think the story became overcomplicated, and without really fleshing these things out. For example bringing a person forward in time causes them to be a type of shade, that over time simply fades away, but doesn't effect the real person. And I didn't understand why this was the case for others, but didn't occur to Calla. And then there was the concept that people you visit in the past won't remember you the next day, unless there is some kind of physical reminder. I just felt like there were a lot of interesting ideas, but too many thrown in together and most not explained very well.
Overall this one missed the boat for me, but there are elements here to like, and I enjoyed Calla's voice. I'll be keeping an eye on this author in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in consideration of an honest review.
I liked Calla well enough and appreciated very much the fact that although Valcas is good looking and demonstrates a strong infatuation with her she doesn't leap into a romance with him, and has reservations. In spite of the fact that she is attracted to him.
But there were a lot of things that I found strange and confusing. At the start we learn Calla has been terribly betrayed by a good friend. To the point that the authorities had to get involved and she shut herself off from interacting with her peers. However when Valcas mysteriously shows up she trusts him immediately. After that ends up not working out so well she meets another person and trusts him. That just didn't seem realistic, in spite of how nice they seemed to be.
Narrated in first person the reader is mostly limited to knowing what Calla knows, which leads to some confusion. I would also have liked to have more description setting the scene. Calla travels to many places, but we only get small bits of information about these places, what they look like, sounds, sights, it made it hard for me to picture them and feel I was there.
There are so many things in this story that I think the story became overcomplicated, and without really fleshing these things out. For example bringing a person forward in time causes them to be a type of shade, that over time simply fades away, but doesn't effect the real person. And I didn't understand why this was the case for others, but didn't occur to Calla. And then there was the concept that people you visit in the past won't remember you the next day, unless there is some kind of physical reminder. I just felt like there were a lot of interesting ideas, but too many thrown in together and most not explained very well.
Overall this one missed the boat for me, but there are elements here to like, and I enjoyed Calla's voice. I'll be keeping an eye on this author in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in consideration of an honest review.
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January 13, 2020
A generic first-person Young Adult novel, attempting to be the next Twilight. Same old story: young girl is moody because she's so different and no-one understands (with missing parent figures, tick), she meets a boy who is described as beautiful within the first few pages, she falls for him and they run off together. But it's okay, because she constantly questions whether she should have feelings for him, making this 100% feminist literature.
Because women can run off with men at a moment's notice, too. Even if they've been let down by their parents and betrayed by their friends and don't trust anyone any more, why wouldn't they just drop their knickers plans for the first hot male that appears out of nowhere?
The author used a thesaurus far too much and was keen to show off her knowledge of words. Unfortunately, quite often those words were used in the wrong place. The concept is quite nice and has dashes of originality, but the execution is poor. We visit different places but none are ever described much at all, the world-building is non-existent which is usually fine for fans of YA because they prefer character development, but there is little of that here, too.
Because women can run off with men at a moment's notice, too. Even if they've been let down by their parents and betrayed by their friends and don't trust anyone any more, why wouldn't they just drop their knickers plans for the first hot male that appears out of nowhere?
The author used a thesaurus far too much and was keen to show off her knowledge of words. Unfortunately, quite often those words were used in the wrong place. The concept is quite nice and has dashes of originality, but the execution is poor. We visit different places but none are ever described much at all, the world-building is non-existent which is usually fine for fans of YA because they prefer character development, but there is little of that here, too.
November 16, 2014
A Mysterious Stranger Out Of Nowhere
This series must be read in order. This is the first book.
Calla has become a hermit. She had a bad experience online and has completely disengaged with all things cyber. She also does not really get along with the kids her age that live in her tourist town. Bullies are something that she has always felt with( and tried to avoid). First by finishing school online from the earliest age possible and second by graduating as soon as possible. She has been out of school for years though soon she will start college ( well that's the plan anyways). All she does is run and sit in her room and read. She doesn't know her father and is estranged from her mother ( she can't bear her daughter's resemblance to said father so she works all the time)... She lives with her Uncle and keeps to herself. In essence she is disconnected from everything and everyone. Until the night that all changes when she meets a gorgeous stranger beside the lake in very odd circumstances. She feels an instant attraction to him and accepts his dinner invitation without a thought. Who is this mysterious boy who seems so interested in her? What does he want? More importantly what happened by the lake?
This fast paced time travel adventure is filled with action, thrills and suspense all centered around a mystery and a very unlikely romance. I truly enjoyed it even though I am still a bit lost. I can't wait to find out what happens next! There are still tons of mysteries to unravel as well as many adventures to explore! I will be avidly waiting for the next installment! All good time travel adventures should leave you a little lost after all!
***This series is suitable for mature young adult through adult readers
This series must be read in order. This is the first book.
Calla has become a hermit. She had a bad experience online and has completely disengaged with all things cyber. She also does not really get along with the kids her age that live in her tourist town. Bullies are something that she has always felt with( and tried to avoid). First by finishing school online from the earliest age possible and second by graduating as soon as possible. She has been out of school for years though soon she will start college ( well that's the plan anyways). All she does is run and sit in her room and read. She doesn't know her father and is estranged from her mother ( she can't bear her daughter's resemblance to said father so she works all the time)... She lives with her Uncle and keeps to herself. In essence she is disconnected from everything and everyone. Until the night that all changes when she meets a gorgeous stranger beside the lake in very odd circumstances. She feels an instant attraction to him and accepts his dinner invitation without a thought. Who is this mysterious boy who seems so interested in her? What does he want? More importantly what happened by the lake?
This fast paced time travel adventure is filled with action, thrills and suspense all centered around a mystery and a very unlikely romance. I truly enjoyed it even though I am still a bit lost. I can't wait to find out what happens next! There are still tons of mysteries to unravel as well as many adventures to explore! I will be avidly waiting for the next installment! All good time travel adventures should leave you a little lost after all!
***This series is suitable for mature young adult through adult readers
September 24, 2017
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Whether you're young, old, or somewhere in between, you'll find yourself captivated by this time travel novel. Unlike cult favorites such as Doctor Who, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and the Back the Future franchise, migrating through the eras has been simplified. Forget the phone booths, the DeLorean, and say hello to teleporting glasses.
Oh, the very notion of donning a pair is enough to ignite a reader's imagination. Where would you go? What year? Whom would you like to spend a brief moment of time with? If no location were off limits, would you embark on a voyage?
For me, I'm not sure if I would. Not because I wouldn't want to visit a certain person or location. No, I'd be afraid of changing one small event in history and the ripple event becoming disastrous. In Travel Glasses, there was an organization that policed time and space travel. TSTA was needed to keep the present visitors from disrupting the past. Violators are held accountable for their blunders. It's the only way to ensure history is not altered in the slightest bit. Of course, accidents still happen and the toll of traversing through time alters a traveler. Chess Desalls shows the reader the effects the voyages take on a person, mentally and physically.
Science fiction lovers, I do suggest you give Chess Desalls a chance. It's a book the whole family will love and will be eager to discuss at the dinner table.
(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
Whether you're young, old, or somewhere in between, you'll find yourself captivated by this time travel novel. Unlike cult favorites such as Doctor Who, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and the Back the Future franchise, migrating through the eras has been simplified. Forget the phone booths, the DeLorean, and say hello to teleporting glasses.
Oh, the very notion of donning a pair is enough to ignite a reader's imagination. Where would you go? What year? Whom would you like to spend a brief moment of time with? If no location were off limits, would you embark on a voyage?
For me, I'm not sure if I would. Not because I wouldn't want to visit a certain person or location. No, I'd be afraid of changing one small event in history and the ripple event becoming disastrous. In Travel Glasses, there was an organization that policed time and space travel. TSTA was needed to keep the present visitors from disrupting the past. Violators are held accountable for their blunders. It's the only way to ensure history is not altered in the slightest bit. Of course, accidents still happen and the toll of traversing through time alters a traveler. Chess Desalls shows the reader the effects the voyages take on a person, mentally and physically.
Science fiction lovers, I do suggest you give Chess Desalls a chance. It's a book the whole family will love and will be eager to discuss at the dinner table.
(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
March 12, 2015
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. (I added this to my "to read" shelf because I did not finish reading, and I do not want this to count towards my 2015 reading goal.)
The beginning was too improbable. I felt as if I was not let in on a secret or something. Seventeen-year-old Calla has shut herself off from technology after being betrayed by her friends, however, she trusts a complete stranger enough to go out with him on a date after a one-minute meeting? A white light knocks Calla to the ground, a mysterious stranger shows up wearing sunglasses, and she agrees that going on a date later that night would be a good idea.
So they go on a date, and he’s wearing his sunglasses at night. Not creepy? Next, he asks her if she can run, even though he has not spoken to her at all during dinner and has made it clear they are not on a date. Hmmm… is he wondering if I run fast enough to escape a kidnapping? Nah, why would a perfect stranger think that? He yells at her to run, and she does. Suddenly, he somehow ends up on a jet ski (traveling from the restaurant to the lake in no time flat) which magically transforms into a row boat and takes her to a creepy hole in the ground with a sleeping bag. Oh, and by the way, its 1812! No worries though. Sleep here for the night. Tomorrow you can pretend to be my fiance in front of my family. Okay! No worries about rape or kidnapping or murders at all. Totally normal teenage date, right?
Wait, what? Things don't add up. There needed to be more build up because everything is accepted without question. Even if it is questioned, Calla gets no answers, and she’s okay with that….????
Time travel? Okay. I’m good.
Leaving my uncle for the rest of my life because a flash of light is suddenly chasing me? Okay.
You’re not going to explain anything before you leave me to sleep in a hole in the ground, and it’s suddenly 1812? Makes perfect sense.
“This is my home” says mysterious stranger as we jump off a cliff. Sure, I’ll be your girlfriend!
I’ve shut myself off from technology? Time travel I’ll totally buy into.
This is not a book I want my teenage girl reading.
There are so many other books I have on my “to read” list, so I’m not going to waste time with a poorly developed plotline. The synopsis sounded so interesting, but the execution doesn’t work. After being abandoned by her father, distanced from her mother, betrayed by her friends, Calla should not be following strange men without good reason. You’d think she’d have trust issues, not trust like a trained puppy dog because he’s her age and he’s cute.
The beginning was too improbable. I felt as if I was not let in on a secret or something. Seventeen-year-old Calla has shut herself off from technology after being betrayed by her friends, however, she trusts a complete stranger enough to go out with him on a date after a one-minute meeting? A white light knocks Calla to the ground, a mysterious stranger shows up wearing sunglasses, and she agrees that going on a date later that night would be a good idea.
So they go on a date, and he’s wearing his sunglasses at night. Not creepy? Next, he asks her if she can run, even though he has not spoken to her at all during dinner and has made it clear they are not on a date. Hmmm… is he wondering if I run fast enough to escape a kidnapping? Nah, why would a perfect stranger think that? He yells at her to run, and she does. Suddenly, he somehow ends up on a jet ski (traveling from the restaurant to the lake in no time flat) which magically transforms into a row boat and takes her to a creepy hole in the ground with a sleeping bag. Oh, and by the way, its 1812! No worries though. Sleep here for the night. Tomorrow you can pretend to be my fiance in front of my family. Okay! No worries about rape or kidnapping or murders at all. Totally normal teenage date, right?
Wait, what? Things don't add up. There needed to be more build up because everything is accepted without question. Even if it is questioned, Calla gets no answers, and she’s okay with that….????
Time travel? Okay. I’m good.
Leaving my uncle for the rest of my life because a flash of light is suddenly chasing me? Okay.
You’re not going to explain anything before you leave me to sleep in a hole in the ground, and it’s suddenly 1812? Makes perfect sense.
“This is my home” says mysterious stranger as we jump off a cliff. Sure, I’ll be your girlfriend!
I’ve shut myself off from technology? Time travel I’ll totally buy into.
This is not a book I want my teenage girl reading.
There are so many other books I have on my “to read” list, so I’m not going to waste time with a poorly developed plotline. The synopsis sounded so interesting, but the execution doesn’t work. After being abandoned by her father, distanced from her mother, betrayed by her friends, Calla should not be following strange men without good reason. You’d think she’d have trust issues, not trust like a trained puppy dog because he’s her age and he’s cute.
May 19, 2014
I had the extreme pleasure of being a beta reader for this book, and I am leaving an honest review based on reading an advance review copy.
Travel Glasses is a captivating tale about a young woman, Calla, and her misadventures that she encounters once she meets the mysterious, yet intriguing Valcas and his unusual sunglasses that allow him to travel through time and space.
Throughout the story, we are introduced to many interesting characters, of which their personalities are excellently portrayed. The author did a great job with describing their traits and the surroundings, which made the story come to life on paper.
There are many twists and turns along the way, which makes this book an interesting read and keeps the reader guessing.
I highly recommend this book to an audience who enjoys novels about science-fiction, humor and love that is all nicely bundled up together.
Since this is only the first of the series, I cannot express how eager I am to read the next installment :)
Travel Glasses is a captivating tale about a young woman, Calla, and her misadventures that she encounters once she meets the mysterious, yet intriguing Valcas and his unusual sunglasses that allow him to travel through time and space.
Throughout the story, we are introduced to many interesting characters, of which their personalities are excellently portrayed. The author did a great job with describing their traits and the surroundings, which made the story come to life on paper.
There are many twists and turns along the way, which makes this book an interesting read and keeps the reader guessing.
I highly recommend this book to an audience who enjoys novels about science-fiction, humor and love that is all nicely bundled up together.
Since this is only the first of the series, I cannot express how eager I am to read the next installment :)
December 2, 2014
Time travel, mystery, romance and plenty of adventure, this book captivated me with interesting characters and a plot that was unlike anything I had ever read before. From the first page when a shy girl named Calla, is knocked off her feet moments before the arrival of Valcas, I was intrigued and wanted to know what was going on. The mystery of who Valcas is, and why he chose Calla to run away with continues throughout the book as we learn more about both of them .
I had a hard time putting this one down even reading as much as I could while cooking dinner for my family. While the target audience is young adult, and at fifty-years-old I’m quite a bit past that, I enjoyed this immensely. I would recommend that other adults look past the age ratings and discover a world of fascinating books.
I had a hard time putting this one down even reading as much as I could while cooking dinner for my family. While the target audience is young adult, and at fifty-years-old I’m quite a bit past that, I enjoyed this immensely. I would recommend that other adults look past the age ratings and discover a world of fascinating books.
June 26, 2018
Fascinating look into what it means to fall in love at first sight! Einstein’s theories will get you wondering about the possibilities here. Can you fall in love with someone you despise by going back in time? Can you bring someone you love forward into the future you have made? Is it even a life worth living if you squirrel yourself away in some quiet little backwater where time has stopped completely? Who is real and who is simply a shadow of themselves?
This book will have you wondering about many things, past, present, and future; most especially what happens to Calla next? Some reviews complained that the book is not action-packed. That is true, it isn’t. But why must all books be action-packed? If you want a nice summer read or a book to tuck into under the covers when everyone has gone to bed, settle in and read “Travel Glasses”.
This book will have you wondering about many things, past, present, and future; most especially what happens to Calla next? Some reviews complained that the book is not action-packed. That is true, it isn’t. But why must all books be action-packed? If you want a nice summer read or a book to tuck into under the covers when everyone has gone to bed, settle in and read “Travel Glasses”.
September 18, 2017
There are many different ways to time travel - really, just look at all the versions in various novels. Desalls uses a pair of sunglasses modified to allow the wearer to simply envision their destination. In this first installment of The Call to Search Everywhen series, a teenage girl, Calla, embarks on a journey of time travel after being kidnapped into time by Valcas. As they travel to various places and times on a journey of discovery, Calla meets characters and settings, so richly described as to add dimension and depth to Calla’s search for home and her desire to escape and understand Valcas and his motives. Travel Glasses, the first book in the series The Call to Search Everywhen, will draw readers to the sequels as they seek to understand and explore Calla’s dilemma.
September 25, 2015
Fantastic storyline
This book seemed very different the world building was fantastic . They were parts of the "science" that left me puzzled and I hope eventually as I read the other books to become more clear . I love the love story and I am left wondering how things will work out .
This book seemed very different the world building was fantastic . They were parts of the "science" that left me puzzled and I hope eventually as I read the other books to become more clear . I love the love story and I am left wondering how things will work out .
June 10, 2014
Fun fantasy book
This book is written simply enough for younger readers to follow but there are enough plot twists and information just out of reach to keep a more mature reader on her toes. I look forward to the next book.
This book is written simply enough for younger readers to follow but there are enough plot twists and information just out of reach to keep a more mature reader on her toes. I look forward to the next book.
March 4, 2015
Cross-posted on Knizhnitsa
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Travel Glasses” enters the YA market with a fresh premise and the ambition to explore a topic that is still underrepresented in the genre. Time travel is not an easy subject to tackle, yet “Travel Glasses” manages to find an interesting and innovative approach to this classic sci-fi concept.
Chess Desalls’s debut novel is the story of Calla - a girl who lives a secluded and protected life. Her world turns upside down after she meets Valcas - a charming young man who can travel through time and space with the help of a pair of altered sunglasses.
However, Valcas is not who he appears to be. He has reasons for offering Calla his help and protection beyond caring for her safety. Once Calla finds this out, she manages to escape him and sets out on a journey through time on her own. With the help of the Travel Glasses, she tries to solve the mystery that is Valcas and find a safe way back home.
The Plot
In “Travel Glasses” Chess Desalls takes a new and interesting approach towards time travel by designing the Travel Glasses as the device used by the characters to traverse time and space. I found this very refreshing and intriguing as opposed to the ever-present giant and complex machines and portals that reign in the sci-fi realm. However, the principles behind the Glasses are confusing and sometimes contradictory. Theory of time travel is hard to understand in general but I think what makes it particularly hard to grasp in “Travel Glasses” is how the information is being presented - which often feels as if a big bomb of information is being dumped on the reader without giving them the time to understand and analyze it.
The plot itself is saturated with action and plot twists. The simple writing style makes the story easy to follow while keeping it engaging at the same time. However, the quick sequence of events sometimes makes the novel feel rushed and disorientating. As I previously said, this is due to the fact that there isn’t much time for the reader to evaluate the information that they are being presented with.
Overall, I feel that it would be fair to give points to the author for her imagination and ambition and the ability to keep the reader entertained throughout the book.
The Setting
Traversing time and space with the Travel Glasses gives the reader the opportunity to see several different worlds and time periods through Calla’s eyes. Chess Desalls explores a versatile set of worlds by assigning each of her characters a world that fits their personality. From the wondrous world where Valcas lives to the quiet and secluded world of the inventor of the Travel Glasses, the author uses every trick in the book to present the full set of possibilities that time travel creates for the traveller.
The Characters
Calla is not my prefered type of character to read, especially in first person prose, but at the end of the day, she fits the novel well. Her lack of knowledge about time travel and every new world she visits, her investigation about the Travel Glasses and Valcas, gives the reader to opportunity to explore the context of the novel alongside her. She asks the questions the reader would like to ask, demands explanation of the same things the reader doesn’t understand.
At the beginning of the novel, a lot of Calla’s reactions and actions don’t make sense (for example, she has cut connections with pretty much anyone she knows and doesn’t trust anyone, yet she chooses to go on a dinner with Valcas the same day she meets him). However, with the progress of the novel, qualities such as her bravery and determination to find answers to her question and survive prevail over the weaker aspects of her personality and give her the adventurous spirit that the narrative demands.
The Verdict
I feel like I might have been a bit too old and experienced for this novel (as in, I have read a lot of YA paranormal novels and I have consumed too much media). However, I found the novel a pleasant and much needed representative of the time-travel subgenre in YA literature. I would recommend this for the moments when school and work are too overwhelming and you just need something to take your mind off things.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Travel Glasses” enters the YA market with a fresh premise and the ambition to explore a topic that is still underrepresented in the genre. Time travel is not an easy subject to tackle, yet “Travel Glasses” manages to find an interesting and innovative approach to this classic sci-fi concept.
Chess Desalls’s debut novel is the story of Calla - a girl who lives a secluded and protected life. Her world turns upside down after she meets Valcas - a charming young man who can travel through time and space with the help of a pair of altered sunglasses.
However, Valcas is not who he appears to be. He has reasons for offering Calla his help and protection beyond caring for her safety. Once Calla finds this out, she manages to escape him and sets out on a journey through time on her own. With the help of the Travel Glasses, she tries to solve the mystery that is Valcas and find a safe way back home.
The Plot
In “Travel Glasses” Chess Desalls takes a new and interesting approach towards time travel by designing the Travel Glasses as the device used by the characters to traverse time and space. I found this very refreshing and intriguing as opposed to the ever-present giant and complex machines and portals that reign in the sci-fi realm. However, the principles behind the Glasses are confusing and sometimes contradictory. Theory of time travel is hard to understand in general but I think what makes it particularly hard to grasp in “Travel Glasses” is how the information is being presented - which often feels as if a big bomb of information is being dumped on the reader without giving them the time to understand and analyze it.
The plot itself is saturated with action and plot twists. The simple writing style makes the story easy to follow while keeping it engaging at the same time. However, the quick sequence of events sometimes makes the novel feel rushed and disorientating. As I previously said, this is due to the fact that there isn’t much time for the reader to evaluate the information that they are being presented with.
Overall, I feel that it would be fair to give points to the author for her imagination and ambition and the ability to keep the reader entertained throughout the book.
The Setting
Traversing time and space with the Travel Glasses gives the reader the opportunity to see several different worlds and time periods through Calla’s eyes. Chess Desalls explores a versatile set of worlds by assigning each of her characters a world that fits their personality. From the wondrous world where Valcas lives to the quiet and secluded world of the inventor of the Travel Glasses, the author uses every trick in the book to present the full set of possibilities that time travel creates for the traveller.
The Characters
Calla is not my prefered type of character to read, especially in first person prose, but at the end of the day, she fits the novel well. Her lack of knowledge about time travel and every new world she visits, her investigation about the Travel Glasses and Valcas, gives the reader to opportunity to explore the context of the novel alongside her. She asks the questions the reader would like to ask, demands explanation of the same things the reader doesn’t understand.
At the beginning of the novel, a lot of Calla’s reactions and actions don’t make sense (for example, she has cut connections with pretty much anyone she knows and doesn’t trust anyone, yet she chooses to go on a dinner with Valcas the same day she meets him). However, with the progress of the novel, qualities such as her bravery and determination to find answers to her question and survive prevail over the weaker aspects of her personality and give her the adventurous spirit that the narrative demands.
The Verdict
I feel like I might have been a bit too old and experienced for this novel (as in, I have read a lot of YA paranormal novels and I have consumed too much media). However, I found the novel a pleasant and much needed representative of the time-travel subgenre in YA literature. I would recommend this for the moments when school and work are too overwhelming and you just need something to take your mind off things.
June 29, 2022
“Travel Glasses” is an interesting, detailed time travel adventure with mystery and romance. It’s well edited, with vivid writing that enhances the story. “A run around the lake usually softened the bladed edges of the painful longings.”
Calla is a seventeen-year-old girl living with her uncle. Her Mom is gone and she knows nothing of her mysterious, missing father. Valcas is a handsome, scary young man. After they meet, Calla becomes an unexpected time traveler. There are complex rules and paradoxes within time traveling. “Travel Glasses” explores friendship and love across time and space. Well done!
Calla is a seventeen-year-old girl living with her uncle. Her Mom is gone and she knows nothing of her mysterious, missing father. Valcas is a handsome, scary young man. After they meet, Calla becomes an unexpected time traveler. There are complex rules and paradoxes within time traveling. “Travel Glasses” explores friendship and love across time and space. Well done!
May 16, 2019
Travel Glasses (The Call to Search Everywhen Book 1)by Chess Desalls
For me this was a somewhat deceptive novel that managed to capture me within the offered sample even though it gave a slight difference of appearance than my usual fare.
When we first meet her, Calidora Winston lives in a resort community coming near the end of tourist season and she's contemplating back-to-school. She lives with her Uncle while her mother is off somewhere keeping busy. She is out for a run, because she has given up on making friends and has eschewed technology; since the time she befriended someone online who later began publishing lewd and hateful pictures and information about Calla and even though Calla had used a different name the person had somehow found and publisher her real name. So she spends her days running and this day something mysterious knocks her down; that's how she meets Valcas who assists her and asks her out to dinner.
So, yes, I thought pretty much a romance coming up here. But I'm glad I continued to read. Soon it appears that Valcas has saved her from some sort of attack and he appears to have to do so again while they are on the date, which he admits is not a date since he came to help her. This pushes her into a time travel nightmare that starts out almost romantic but quickly turns to something that sounds creepy and makes Valcas look mostly like a kidnapper. The story is vindicated when Calla starts feeling the same way and decides to be proactive. When Calla discovers that the time travel device is built into the strange glasses that Valcas wears everywhere, she plots to steal them and escape. But escape is not so easy, since the rules of time travel involve the need to focus on someone in history as your target point.
When Calla escapes she seeks out the creator of the Travel Glasses based on a rather suspect algorithm of what she would expect the creator to look like. Oddly she does manage to find a gentleman who claims to have created them and that Valcas had stolen them. The place where she finds the man is something straight out of Alice in Wonderland and it doesn't take long for this reader to decide that the turn this story is taking could easily be viewed as the resulting thought experiment conducted if Albert Einstein had met Lewis Carroll for an evening of tea and contemplation.
Aside from the ease with which she finds the creator of the glasses the time travel rules stay fairly tight and consistent. There was one minor possible quibble that comes with the mention of silhouettes, which perhaps I missed something or it might be better explained later as to who and how a time traveler becomes and is qualified as a silhouette. Otherwise I felt that for the story internally the time travel held it's consistency well. You will have to read the novel to see what I mean about those mentions above. There are even a clever set rules and regulations enforced by the TSTA Time and Space Travel Authority.
This novel took several twists and turns to get to the meat, which I felt was when Calla finally decides to confront her kidnapper and manages to do so in a timeline that is prior to the act. This allows her the possibility of seeing what lies behind the nature of Valcas and it allows the reader a chance to see more depth in Calla as she navigates through it all and begins to grow into a character that the reader can better relate to and understand.
The unveiling of Valcas possible motives and the discovery of the true Callas made this novel a gem and I'll be moving on to the second novel to see what happens next.
This is a rather unusual time travel tale that might be more comfortable in a paranormal classification, but still holds strong as SFF time travel. And it might be a bit less of a romance than it appears on the surface.
J.L. Dobias
For me this was a somewhat deceptive novel that managed to capture me within the offered sample even though it gave a slight difference of appearance than my usual fare.
When we first meet her, Calidora Winston lives in a resort community coming near the end of tourist season and she's contemplating back-to-school. She lives with her Uncle while her mother is off somewhere keeping busy. She is out for a run, because she has given up on making friends and has eschewed technology; since the time she befriended someone online who later began publishing lewd and hateful pictures and information about Calla and even though Calla had used a different name the person had somehow found and publisher her real name. So she spends her days running and this day something mysterious knocks her down; that's how she meets Valcas who assists her and asks her out to dinner.
So, yes, I thought pretty much a romance coming up here. But I'm glad I continued to read. Soon it appears that Valcas has saved her from some sort of attack and he appears to have to do so again while they are on the date, which he admits is not a date since he came to help her. This pushes her into a time travel nightmare that starts out almost romantic but quickly turns to something that sounds creepy and makes Valcas look mostly like a kidnapper. The story is vindicated when Calla starts feeling the same way and decides to be proactive. When Calla discovers that the time travel device is built into the strange glasses that Valcas wears everywhere, she plots to steal them and escape. But escape is not so easy, since the rules of time travel involve the need to focus on someone in history as your target point.
When Calla escapes she seeks out the creator of the Travel Glasses based on a rather suspect algorithm of what she would expect the creator to look like. Oddly she does manage to find a gentleman who claims to have created them and that Valcas had stolen them. The place where she finds the man is something straight out of Alice in Wonderland and it doesn't take long for this reader to decide that the turn this story is taking could easily be viewed as the resulting thought experiment conducted if Albert Einstein had met Lewis Carroll for an evening of tea and contemplation.
Aside from the ease with which she finds the creator of the glasses the time travel rules stay fairly tight and consistent. There was one minor possible quibble that comes with the mention of silhouettes, which perhaps I missed something or it might be better explained later as to who and how a time traveler becomes and is qualified as a silhouette. Otherwise I felt that for the story internally the time travel held it's consistency well. You will have to read the novel to see what I mean about those mentions above. There are even a clever set rules and regulations enforced by the TSTA Time and Space Travel Authority.
This novel took several twists and turns to get to the meat, which I felt was when Calla finally decides to confront her kidnapper and manages to do so in a timeline that is prior to the act. This allows her the possibility of seeing what lies behind the nature of Valcas and it allows the reader a chance to see more depth in Calla as she navigates through it all and begins to grow into a character that the reader can better relate to and understand.
The unveiling of Valcas possible motives and the discovery of the true Callas made this novel a gem and I'll be moving on to the second novel to see what happens next.
This is a rather unusual time travel tale that might be more comfortable in a paranormal classification, but still holds strong as SFF time travel. And it might be a bit less of a romance than it appears on the surface.
J.L. Dobias
September 30, 2014
Chess Desalls is a breath of fresh air in the Young Adult genre ~ no zombies or vampires! Travel Glasses is just what it sounds like, a book about time travel where the characters travel through time and place using a special pair of glasses. What a fun, innovative idea, I thought when I bought the book. And boy was I right! Her characters are polished with just enough mystique and depth to capture and maintain our interest throughout the book.
The main character, Calla, is an insecure, yet determined seventeen-year old girl with father abandonment issues, whose mother is always gone. Calla lives with her emotionally distant uncle and is unable to discuss peer problems with him when they arise. It’s no surprise when a handsome, sophisticated stranger appears in the form of the enigmatic Valcas and sweeps her off her feet. After a strange brush with an unknown darkness, Valcas convinces her she is in mortal danger. Using the travel glasses, she flees with him into his past. Bad decision! But then, she is seventeen! Yet just as her implusive behavior endangers her, it also helps launch her own fast-paced adventure.
Word of warning! Do not gallop through the book no matter how tempted. And you will be tempted. Desalls’ writing sparkles and the adventure is gripping. If you go too fast you’ll miss out on all the author’s well-placed hints, tantalizing clues and fabulously developed plot twists.
Finally, let me say that time travel holds a particular fascination with me, and I approach it with a systematically critical eye. Chess Desalls clearly woven plot addresses each twist and turn of time travel’s potential dichotomy. Her world and characters are persuasive, logical and convincing. It’s an exciting adventure with a unique approach to time travel. I highly recommend this book and can not wait to read the next one.
The main character, Calla, is an insecure, yet determined seventeen-year old girl with father abandonment issues, whose mother is always gone. Calla lives with her emotionally distant uncle and is unable to discuss peer problems with him when they arise. It’s no surprise when a handsome, sophisticated stranger appears in the form of the enigmatic Valcas and sweeps her off her feet. After a strange brush with an unknown darkness, Valcas convinces her she is in mortal danger. Using the travel glasses, she flees with him into his past. Bad decision! But then, she is seventeen! Yet just as her implusive behavior endangers her, it also helps launch her own fast-paced adventure.
Word of warning! Do not gallop through the book no matter how tempted. And you will be tempted. Desalls’ writing sparkles and the adventure is gripping. If you go too fast you’ll miss out on all the author’s well-placed hints, tantalizing clues and fabulously developed plot twists.
Finally, let me say that time travel holds a particular fascination with me, and I approach it with a systematically critical eye. Chess Desalls clearly woven plot addresses each twist and turn of time travel’s potential dichotomy. Her world and characters are persuasive, logical and convincing. It’s an exciting adventure with a unique approach to time travel. I highly recommend this book and can not wait to read the next one.
January 31, 2015
A really great read! Perfect for those who enjoy novels about time travelers.
We are immediately introduced to the main character, Calla. She has become a hermit after experiencing a harsh cyber bullying; she then hates electronics altogether and avoids them as much as possible. Her mother left Calla with her uncle, Al, at Lake Winston, and she knows he gets upset with her for being anti-social. Calla's father is out of the picture and she knows absolutely nothing about him; Calla's mother was no help whenever she inquired about him. Just when Calla believes that her life will hold nothing but brooding, a strange event happens: she is suddenly knocked into the ground by a strange character who appears from nowhere and wears dark glasses...even in the nighttime. His name is Valcas, and Calla soon learns he is a time traveler.
Calla finds out that Valcas' glasses is the way he's been traversing through time. Once she gets her hands on them, everything she knew about the world is shattered.
We are immediately introduced to the main character, Calla. She has become a hermit after experiencing a harsh cyber bullying; she then hates electronics altogether and avoids them as much as possible. Her mother left Calla with her uncle, Al, at Lake Winston, and she knows he gets upset with her for being anti-social. Calla's father is out of the picture and she knows absolutely nothing about him; Calla's mother was no help whenever she inquired about him. Just when Calla believes that her life will hold nothing but brooding, a strange event happens: she is suddenly knocked into the ground by a strange character who appears from nowhere and wears dark glasses...even in the nighttime. His name is Valcas, and Calla soon learns he is a time traveler.
Calla finds out that Valcas' glasses is the way he's been traversing through time. Once she gets her hands on them, everything she knew about the world is shattered.
June 29, 2015
I received an audio version of this book in exchange for a review.
I really did enjoy this book. I thought it was imagnative and extremely descriptive. It took me a long while to get through because I didn't have my usual time to listen. The narrator did a good job being distinct with her voice to know when she was reading dialogue from other characters. The author did a great job describing all of the jumping although it did get a little confusing towards the end. I was glad to find out that there are more books in this series because I am anxious to find out what happens next. I found the female lead to be decisive and self aware. There were times when she would jump to a conclusion and I wanted to scream at her to think this through. It was properly paced with little down time. It was my first time travel book and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I really did enjoy this book. I thought it was imagnative and extremely descriptive. It took me a long while to get through because I didn't have my usual time to listen. The narrator did a good job being distinct with her voice to know when she was reading dialogue from other characters. The author did a great job describing all of the jumping although it did get a little confusing towards the end. I was glad to find out that there are more books in this series because I am anxious to find out what happens next. I found the female lead to be decisive and self aware. There were times when she would jump to a conclusion and I wanted to scream at her to think this through. It was properly paced with little down time. It was my first time travel book and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from this author.
June 19, 2018
This has to be the strangest way anyone has ever time traveled. That being said the start was pretty confusing and weird. But then the story started to come together and even though I felt many of the characters lacked development, it ended up being a pretty inventive story.
June 4, 2015
Okay, so Chess is a turd and I need the next book NOW. You can't do that to me! Valcas can't be all damaged but in the right way like that. UGH!
December 19, 2017
I'm hooked!
This story had me hooked from the beginning. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to know what happens.
This story had me hooked from the beginning. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to know what happens.
November 9, 2018
This book takes a fun new look at girl whisked away on a journey. Featuring many twists and turns, some you'll see coming and some you won't!
December 9, 2019
Enjoyed reading about Calls and could grasp her fears.
May 4, 2019
The world building was very good. I liked the timetraveling part. What I didn't like that Calla just went along with everything at first. I expected her to ask more questions and demand answers. Instead she just went happily along, until she decided it was better to run off. I also didn't like how she went from hate to loving someone. Many things went to easy and felt unrealistic. I did like the story and writing so kept reading. All in all this was not a bad read, but also not a great one.
August 25, 2018
Travel Glasses is a whirl-wind time travel fairy tale. Like Beauty and the Beast merged with Aladdin, the story encapsulates vivid characters in a combination of warped eras.
September 27, 2015
This is a Young Adult read. It's done with no violence or overly intimate scenes. Good clean story with a young girl learning her way in the world and getting to experience friendships she never had.
I grew attached to Calla and green eyed Valcas. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the future books. I ended this book surprised that it ended. I want to know what comes of what she learns of her mother's job and her hearing with TSTA. Then what Valcas will say and if there is a connection here with him in the current time. I'm still wondering on what was after Calla too. And her missing father...
****FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
Valcas is helping Calla, and he could use her help too. He's saved her from some thing that's after her, and it's not safe for her to return home. He's also in a tight spot and she can help him by posing as his betrothed. Calla realizes a bit late that the rule she's to play for Valcas seems more long term than she originally thought. When she learns he's searched her out specifically she becomes upset, and Valcas has her locked in her rooms. Young Calla knows the only way out of this palace is the same way they got in. She must retrieve Valcas's traveling glasses, the ones that give him the ability to travel through time and places. To do this, she must act the part she was brought here to be. After she has the glasses, she goes on her own mission to stay safe and learn what she can of Valcas.
Natalie narrates this story with accents for characters from different parts of the world, and time. We have Romaso from Venice and Shirlyn from England. Valcas has a prim and proper sound to him that is relayed in his speaking and the terms he uses. However in the beginning I didn't feel a lot of emotion in her voice while reading. In the end of the book it felt her connection with Calla and Calla's growth grew in her voice acting.
The first few chapters happen fast and left me with lots of questions. All good as I wanted to know all the answers! What's after Calla? Why? What's knocking her over? He say's it's 1812? Why does Valcas have sunglasses on in the dark? Things change fast and I'm curious as to why and how, jet ski to row boat. I have to keep going to see what's going on!
As you guessed it, the sunglasses are the travel glasses. They are what helps move from world to world and time to time. They do have their affects on the users though.
The neat thing of this story that I enjoyed when thinking back through the story is my thinking process of how or why things are the way they are changes. Each trip to the past or another place brings something to mind that could be an explanation of why. I do like that you can't change the past. Well, there are the written personals you can leave, but there are rules against such things that are monitored by the TSTA, Time and Space Travel Agency. So the changing the past is not an easy answer to everything. I have changed my mind on Valcas's motives about three times with what I learned. lol.
Valcas...Hmm. I love him and think he's scary. How is that? Well, when we first meet Valcas he comes across a bit strong. Calla's view of him leaves us with a creepy feel for him. But when Calla goes to visit a younger Valcas, before he uses the traveling glasses, he is sweet. I think Calla has fallen for this version of Valcas. Then we learn something else about Valcas, after we too have fallen for him, that changes our view yet again. I want to hear Valcas explain things and see what happens with this 'older' Valcas with Calla. I quote older because there is a special thing with Valcas. By the end of the story I'm liking him very much.
Calla. At first I thought it was a bit quick for her to go to dinner with a boy she's just meet. But things move on and I get to know Calla a bit more as the story goes. She is seventeen and still learning the way of the world. Her thinking is a bit innocent in the seventeen year old's ways as well. But at the end of the book it seems Calla is learning and trying to do the right things. Calla also has in mind her father. She's never known her father and maybe, just maybe, she has the means now to find him. But I think that's another story.
This is a Young Adult read. It's done with no violence or overly intimate scenes. Good clean story with a young girl learning her way in the world and getting to experience friendships she never had.
I grew attached to Calla and green eyed Valcas. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the future books. I ended this book surprised that it ended. I want to know what comes of what she learns of her mother's job and her hearing with TSTA. Then what Valcas will say and if there is a connection here with him in the current time. I'm still wondering on what was after Calla too. And her missing father...
I grew attached to Calla and green eyed Valcas. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the future books. I ended this book surprised that it ended. I want to know what comes of what she learns of her mother's job and her hearing with TSTA. Then what Valcas will say and if there is a connection here with him in the current time. I'm still wondering on what was after Calla too. And her missing father...
****FULL REVIEW****
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.
Valcas is helping Calla, and he could use her help too. He's saved her from some thing that's after her, and it's not safe for her to return home. He's also in a tight spot and she can help him by posing as his betrothed. Calla realizes a bit late that the rule she's to play for Valcas seems more long term than she originally thought. When she learns he's searched her out specifically she becomes upset, and Valcas has her locked in her rooms. Young Calla knows the only way out of this palace is the same way they got in. She must retrieve Valcas's traveling glasses, the ones that give him the ability to travel through time and places. To do this, she must act the part she was brought here to be. After she has the glasses, she goes on her own mission to stay safe and learn what she can of Valcas.
Natalie narrates this story with accents for characters from different parts of the world, and time. We have Romaso from Venice and Shirlyn from England. Valcas has a prim and proper sound to him that is relayed in his speaking and the terms he uses. However in the beginning I didn't feel a lot of emotion in her voice while reading. In the end of the book it felt her connection with Calla and Calla's growth grew in her voice acting.
The first few chapters happen fast and left me with lots of questions. All good as I wanted to know all the answers! What's after Calla? Why? What's knocking her over? He say's it's 1812? Why does Valcas have sunglasses on in the dark? Things change fast and I'm curious as to why and how, jet ski to row boat. I have to keep going to see what's going on!
As you guessed it, the sunglasses are the travel glasses. They are what helps move from world to world and time to time. They do have their affects on the users though.
The neat thing of this story that I enjoyed when thinking back through the story is my thinking process of how or why things are the way they are changes. Each trip to the past or another place brings something to mind that could be an explanation of why. I do like that you can't change the past. Well, there are the written personals you can leave, but there are rules against such things that are monitored by the TSTA, Time and Space Travel Agency. So the changing the past is not an easy answer to everything. I have changed my mind on Valcas's motives about three times with what I learned. lol.
Valcas...Hmm. I love him and think he's scary. How is that? Well, when we first meet Valcas he comes across a bit strong. Calla's view of him leaves us with a creepy feel for him. But when Calla goes to visit a younger Valcas, before he uses the traveling glasses, he is sweet. I think Calla has fallen for this version of Valcas. Then we learn something else about Valcas, after we too have fallen for him, that changes our view yet again. I want to hear Valcas explain things and see what happens with this 'older' Valcas with Calla. I quote older because there is a special thing with Valcas. By the end of the story I'm liking him very much.
Calla. At first I thought it was a bit quick for her to go to dinner with a boy she's just meet. But things move on and I get to know Calla a bit more as the story goes. She is seventeen and still learning the way of the world. Her thinking is a bit innocent in the seventeen year old's ways as well. But at the end of the book it seems Calla is learning and trying to do the right things. Calla also has in mind her father. She's never known her father and maybe, just maybe, she has the means now to find him. But I think that's another story.
This is a Young Adult read. It's done with no violence or overly intimate scenes. Good clean story with a young girl learning her way in the world and getting to experience friendships she never had.
I grew attached to Calla and green eyed Valcas. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the future books. I ended this book surprised that it ended. I want to know what comes of what she learns of her mother's job and her hearing with TSTA. Then what Valcas will say and if there is a connection here with him in the current time. I'm still wondering on what was after Calla too. And her missing father...
April 5, 2017
An intriguing, original time travel novel by Chess Desalls. There's something for everyone in this book: action, time travel, history, discovering your destiny, romance, adventure. Small issue with continuity and stalled plotline but overall, a great book. I look forward to reading more by this author.
My Rating: 4 stars
My Rating: 4 stars
June 24, 2018
Loved this book
February 29, 2016
In "Travel Glasses" the first book in the innovative and imaginative "The Call to Search Everywhen" series Chess Desalls blends the time travel of scify and the fantasy of exotic new worlds where time slows into a thrilling adventure that begins when Calla Winston a girl who hates technology because of the betrayal of an online friend is swept off her feet at a dock near her family's lakeside cottage. Dusting herself off she's entranced by a good-looking teenage boy wearing sun glasses,holding a yellow and black jet ski under his arm who entices her on a date only to whisk her away to his palace with a proposal that intrigues her. Only when she's locked up in her room against her will does Calla begin to question Valcas's ulterior motive for holding her prisoner. In a daring escape after stealing Valcas's Travel Glasses she sets out on an adventure across time and space looking for a way home only to discover that nowhere is safe when he is hunting her.
Well-developed and with a fluid writing style, the plot is filled with twists and turns that keep the reader on edge from beginning to end. The action never slows as Calla begins a journey to learn more about her dogged tracker travelling not only to the home of the inventor of the glasses, but to the past, falling under the spell of one of Vulcas's silhouettes. With clever dexterity Chess Desalls blends past and present, reality and illusion as Calla not only learns about the intricacies of the travel glasses, but the danger of getting her lost in time and space the more she travels.
Unique and inventive technology like the zoboscope, holo-brary, and Estrel-Flyer gives an otherworldly, unreality as well as an artistic dimension to a plot where Calla searches for the truth behind Valcas's drive to gain kingdoms and power. As the story flows swiftly and smoothly towards a climax where she will again confront the real Valcas, a wrench is thrown into the mix when her mother calls from TSTA ( Time and Space Travel Agency) that prompts a cliff-hanger with details about her past, her father and the charges pending against her.
The personalities of the characters are fascinating and complex although some are surreal. Calidora (Calla) Winston educated online and betrayed by a friend tends to be a loner, preferring the security of a non-technological environment. Estranged from her mother and living with her uncle she 's a worrier, but as the adventure unfolds becomes bold, resourceful and brave. Valcas the nephew of the inventor of the travel glasses is smart enigmatic and arrogant. Growing up with only the friendships in the holo-brary to keep him company while his parents travelled, his emotions shifted between excitement, anger, pain, and loss, knowing little hope or happiness until meeting Calla. Edgar Hall is the highly intelligent, gentle and helpful inventor who befriends Calla in her travels while his younger version although kind seems distant, absorbed by his scientific research. These main characters and others infuse the adventure with passion, energy and drama.
I liked "Travel Glasses" a fresh and imaginative YA scify-fantasy that looks at trust and relationships, and gives a unique new spin to a romance. I look forward to reading the sequel.
Well-developed and with a fluid writing style, the plot is filled with twists and turns that keep the reader on edge from beginning to end. The action never slows as Calla begins a journey to learn more about her dogged tracker travelling not only to the home of the inventor of the glasses, but to the past, falling under the spell of one of Vulcas's silhouettes. With clever dexterity Chess Desalls blends past and present, reality and illusion as Calla not only learns about the intricacies of the travel glasses, but the danger of getting her lost in time and space the more she travels.
Unique and inventive technology like the zoboscope, holo-brary, and Estrel-Flyer gives an otherworldly, unreality as well as an artistic dimension to a plot where Calla searches for the truth behind Valcas's drive to gain kingdoms and power. As the story flows swiftly and smoothly towards a climax where she will again confront the real Valcas, a wrench is thrown into the mix when her mother calls from TSTA ( Time and Space Travel Agency) that prompts a cliff-hanger with details about her past, her father and the charges pending against her.
The personalities of the characters are fascinating and complex although some are surreal. Calidora (Calla) Winston educated online and betrayed by a friend tends to be a loner, preferring the security of a non-technological environment. Estranged from her mother and living with her uncle she 's a worrier, but as the adventure unfolds becomes bold, resourceful and brave. Valcas the nephew of the inventor of the travel glasses is smart enigmatic and arrogant. Growing up with only the friendships in the holo-brary to keep him company while his parents travelled, his emotions shifted between excitement, anger, pain, and loss, knowing little hope or happiness until meeting Calla. Edgar Hall is the highly intelligent, gentle and helpful inventor who befriends Calla in her travels while his younger version although kind seems distant, absorbed by his scientific research. These main characters and others infuse the adventure with passion, energy and drama.
I liked "Travel Glasses" a fresh and imaginative YA scify-fantasy that looks at trust and relationships, and gives a unique new spin to a romance. I look forward to reading the sequel.
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