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The Forest on the Edge of Time
The Future of Another Timeline meets The Bone Clocks in this dazzling piece of time-travel climate fiction.
Recruited by the mysterious Project Kairos to change history and save the future from ecological disaster, Echo and Hazel are transported through time to opposite worlds. Echo works as a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens, embroiled in dangerous politics and wild philosophy. Hazel is the last human alive, in a laboratory on a polluted island with nothing but tiny robots and an untrustworthy AI for company.
Both women suffer from amnesia, but when they fall asleep, their consciousnesses transcend time and they meet in their dreams. Together, they start to uncover their past – but soon discover the past threatens humanity’s survival.
If Echo and Hazel have a chance of changing the future, they must remember to forget…
THE FOREST ON THE EDGE OF TIME is a novel about family and duty and the worlds we try to save along the way.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Recruited by the mysterious Project Kairos to change history and save the future from ecological disaster, Echo and Hazel are transported through time to opposite worlds. Echo works as a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens, embroiled in dangerous politics and wild philosophy. Hazel is the last human alive, in a laboratory on a polluted island with nothing but tiny robots and an untrustworthy AI for company.
Both women suffer from amnesia, but when they fall asleep, their consciousnesses transcend time and they meet in their dreams. Together, they start to uncover their past – but soon discover the past threatens humanity’s survival.
If Echo and Hazel have a chance of changing the future, they must remember to forget…
THE FOREST ON THE EDGE OF TIME is a novel about family and duty and the worlds we try to save along the way.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2026
59 people are currently reading
10647 people want to read
About the author
Jasmin Kirkbride
8 books32 followersJasmin Kirkbride is an author and academic.
Her debut science fiction novel, THE FOREST AT THE EDGE OF TIME, is due out with Tor in February 2026. Her short speculative fiction has appeared in places including Reactor, and her story ‘Sand’ was featured in Some of the Best from Tor.com 2021.
Her eco-poetry has appeared in places including Frogpond and Presence, and she was the 2022 Researcher-in-Residence for the British Haiku Society, investigating haiku in the climate crisis.
An ex-editor and book trade journalist, Jasmin holds an MA in Ancient History from King’s College London, and an MA and PhD in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Her research explores hope in dystopian climate fiction and intergeneration healing in feminist mushroompunk.
By day, she is a Lecturer, and lives in Norfolk (UK).
Her debut science fiction novel, THE FOREST AT THE EDGE OF TIME, is due out with Tor in February 2026. Her short speculative fiction has appeared in places including Reactor, and her story ‘Sand’ was featured in Some of the Best from Tor.com 2021.
Her eco-poetry has appeared in places including Frogpond and Presence, and she was the 2022 Researcher-in-Residence for the British Haiku Society, investigating haiku in the climate crisis.
An ex-editor and book trade journalist, Jasmin holds an MA in Ancient History from King’s College London, and an MA and PhD in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Her research explores hope in dystopian climate fiction and intergeneration healing in feminist mushroompunk.
By day, she is a Lecturer, and lives in Norfolk (UK).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 24, 2025
This was such a wild take on a time-travel/cli-fi story, featuring adorable little robots, sassy AIs, and also Xenophanes who has got to be one of my top three pre-socratic philosophers!
Picture a seesaw, except that seesaw is the timeline. As a part of a mysterious project to secure to safe future of humanity, Hazel and Echo travel through time. Hazel moves forward to an isolated research station in the far future inhabited by CHARL1E, a cheeky AI, and the Tinys, a group of little helper robots. On the other end of the time seesaw, Echo ends up in 514 BCE Athens to establish a school of philosophy that will hopefully improve the eco-consciousness of the future. In the middle, at the hinge of the seesaw, teenager Anna is struggling with the usual teenager issues during COVID-19.
Is the seesaw analogy too much? Well, the time travel system in this book is a little complicated, so it helped me to think of it that way. Big fan of the Tinys, I was picturing them all as little Wall-Es, and I appreciate the idea that a very sophisticated AI like CHARL1E would end up being kind of bitchy so I'm a fan of him too. I followed the 514 BCE pov a lot less but love that like everyone there was gay, this was biblically accurate Ancient Greece, and the discussions around citizenship and class-based slavery were engaging. This isn't a very character-driven story so I wasn't blown away by the characters, but that's not a big deal. Some of the scene transitions, especially at the beginning, were hard to follow for me. I also definitely favored Hazel's pov at the beginning, but I warmed up to the other two as the story went on. I will say that Anna's texts with her friends made me cringe so hard. I was about the same age as Anna during COVID and I promise I never typed "im rlly curious bt im not sur i shd read it, yknow" or "even wen she isnt rite shes at least tryin. Idk mbbe its coz its just u 2 or sumthin."
Fun book, super wild and I love new takes on time travel because it's inherently cool, but I was left a little wanting. Now, where can I get myself a Tiny to me me shitty tea and make me go outside?
Thank you to Jasmin Kirkbride and Tor Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
Picture a seesaw, except that seesaw is the timeline. As a part of a mysterious project to secure to safe future of humanity, Hazel and Echo travel through time. Hazel moves forward to an isolated research station in the far future inhabited by CHARL1E, a cheeky AI, and the Tinys, a group of little helper robots. On the other end of the time seesaw, Echo ends up in 514 BCE Athens to establish a school of philosophy that will hopefully improve the eco-consciousness of the future. In the middle, at the hinge of the seesaw, teenager Anna is struggling with the usual teenager issues during COVID-19.
Is the seesaw analogy too much? Well, the time travel system in this book is a little complicated, so it helped me to think of it that way. Big fan of the Tinys, I was picturing them all as little Wall-Es, and I appreciate the idea that a very sophisticated AI like CHARL1E would end up being kind of bitchy so I'm a fan of him too. I followed the 514 BCE pov a lot less but love that like everyone there was gay, this was biblically accurate Ancient Greece, and the discussions around citizenship and class-based slavery were engaging. This isn't a very character-driven story so I wasn't blown away by the characters, but that's not a big deal. Some of the scene transitions, especially at the beginning, were hard to follow for me. I also definitely favored Hazel's pov at the beginning, but I warmed up to the other two as the story went on. I will say that Anna's texts with her friends made me cringe so hard. I was about the same age as Anna during COVID and I promise I never typed "im rlly curious bt im not sur i shd read it, yknow" or "even wen she isnt rite shes at least tryin. Idk mbbe its coz its just u 2 or sumthin."
Fun book, super wild and I love new takes on time travel because it's inherently cool, but I was left a little wanting. Now, where can I get myself a Tiny to me me shitty tea and make me go outside?
Thank you to Jasmin Kirkbride and Tor Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
I’d describe this book as a massive leap through time-travel tropes. I didn’t love it, but I didn't hate it either—it falls right in the middle for me at 3.5 stars. The premise is cool: Echo is in Ancient Athens, dealing with philosophy and politics, while Hazel is the last human alive on a polluted island with robots and a sketchy AI. They connect through their dreams to try to save the world from ecological disaster.
The problem for me was that there were just too many elements thrown into one pot—past wars, historical events, future robots, and AI. It felt a bit overcrowded, and the plot details didn't quite click for me. That said, the audiobook narrator was fantastic and really kept me going!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley and Tor/Forge!
I’d describe this book as a massive leap through time-travel tropes. I didn’t love it, but I didn't hate it either—it falls right in the middle for me at 3.5 stars. The premise is cool: Echo is in Ancient Athens, dealing with philosophy and politics, while Hazel is the last human alive on a polluted island with robots and a sketchy AI. They connect through their dreams to try to save the world from ecological disaster.
The problem for me was that there were just too many elements thrown into one pot—past wars, historical events, future robots, and AI. It felt a bit overcrowded, and the plot details didn't quite click for me. That said, the audiobook narrator was fantastic and really kept me going!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley and Tor/Forge!
October 12, 2025
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a sucker for a time travel book. In The Forest on the Edge of Time, a pair of time travelers are recruited to join Project Kairos, a secretive organization created to prevent the future from cascading into disaster by changing ancient events. They must travel to the dystopian future and the ancient Grecian past, but in doing so will forget their memories, their purpose, and their connection. Our travelers-Hazel and Echo-learn that they can communicate within the “dreamscape,” a place that their consciousness travels when they’re asleep. They must collaborate despite their restrictions in order to save humanity’s collective future.
I found this book both interesting and challenging at various times (but in a good way)! You meet an advanced AI and peculiar helper robots in the future that help the forward traveler survive and learn her mission objectives. In Ancient Greece, you meet the ruler’s son, a healer, ancient philosophers, and their companions, who help the backwards traveler complete her mission. Both travelers have difficulty adjusting to their role and experience the frustration of profound confusion and loss of identity. But there is so much hope baked into the story!
For me, the language was occasionally a bit dense, but appropriately so given the subject matters and settings (I did look up a word once or twice only to discover it was made up for the novel which lol). I loved the interaction and personalities of the Tinys and would watch a full cartoon series of just their lives. Some of the existential dread felt a bit over-the-top, but it’s near-future earth where humanity has essentially been wiped out—so the dread makes sense!
Overall, I’d recommend picking this one up when it comes out if you have a thing for ancient history, time travel, sci-fi, or a confusing mystery of a ride. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the advanced egalley copy!
I found this book both interesting and challenging at various times (but in a good way)! You meet an advanced AI and peculiar helper robots in the future that help the forward traveler survive and learn her mission objectives. In Ancient Greece, you meet the ruler’s son, a healer, ancient philosophers, and their companions, who help the backwards traveler complete her mission. Both travelers have difficulty adjusting to their role and experience the frustration of profound confusion and loss of identity. But there is so much hope baked into the story!
For me, the language was occasionally a bit dense, but appropriately so given the subject matters and settings (I did look up a word once or twice only to discover it was made up for the novel which lol). I loved the interaction and personalities of the Tinys and would watch a full cartoon series of just their lives. Some of the existential dread felt a bit over-the-top, but it’s near-future earth where humanity has essentially been wiped out—so the dread makes sense!
Overall, I’d recommend picking this one up when it comes out if you have a thing for ancient history, time travel, sci-fi, or a confusing mystery of a ride. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the advanced egalley copy!
February 9, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.
This was an interesting and unique take on time travel. I enjoyed most of the book but the middle of the book dragged on quite a bit. It started off really well and the ending twist was pretty cool too. But, some of the chapters felt repetitive. I know it was probably to make a point about how hard they were trying but it just took me out of the story. Anna's PoV, especially her texts were very annoying and that's the one part that sucked while listening to an audiobook. Her PoV also didn't add much to the story except partially for the twist I suppose. I liked all of the robot characters in Hazel's timeline. I get annoyed when authors just throw the word "quantum" around just to make it sound futuristic. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a time travel with two timelines and Greek philosophy.
The narrators did a brilliant job, especially with the robotic voices.
This was an interesting and unique take on time travel. I enjoyed most of the book but the middle of the book dragged on quite a bit. It started off really well and the ending twist was pretty cool too. But, some of the chapters felt repetitive. I know it was probably to make a point about how hard they were trying but it just took me out of the story. Anna's PoV, especially her texts were very annoying and that's the one part that sucked while listening to an audiobook. Her PoV also didn't add much to the story except partially for the twist I suppose. I liked all of the robot characters in Hazel's timeline. I get annoyed when authors just throw the word "quantum" around just to make it sound futuristic. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a time travel with two timelines and Greek philosophy.
The narrators did a brilliant job, especially with the robotic voices.
January 26, 2026
I don’t know what it is about the concept, but I love stories about time travel. I love seeing the way different creatives approach it, and there were so many things about this one in particular that I really enjoyed. The idea of a whole enterprise created to address things in the timeline is pretty cool.
This book follows three different timelines, one in ancient Athens, one in 2020, and one at an unknown future; and all three we are following different characters. My biggest barrier was the chapters focused in Athens with Echo. The other two sections, Anna and Hazel, felt much more character driven and I was a lot more invested in their individual journeys than I was with the actual plot of what had to happen in Athens. Overall, I did really enjoy the character work in this book and the way that each separate timeline intertwined with the rest. There is a side love story in Athens that I was invested in as well.
I did really enjoy the time travel elements specifically and the way they are laid out in this book. A lot of it felt familiar (using the Sator Square and other palindromic phrases) and a lot of it felt new to me with the dreamscape elements and how the characters actually interact with the different spaces around them.
All in all, I really liked this and will look forward to future releases from the author!
I received an advance review copy of this book.
This book follows three different timelines, one in ancient Athens, one in 2020, and one at an unknown future; and all three we are following different characters. My biggest barrier was the chapters focused in Athens with Echo. The other two sections, Anna and Hazel, felt much more character driven and I was a lot more invested in their individual journeys than I was with the actual plot of what had to happen in Athens. Overall, I did really enjoy the character work in this book and the way that each separate timeline intertwined with the rest. There is a side love story in Athens that I was invested in as well.
I did really enjoy the time travel elements specifically and the way they are laid out in this book. A lot of it felt familiar (using the Sator Square and other palindromic phrases) and a lot of it felt new to me with the dreamscape elements and how the characters actually interact with the different spaces around them.
All in all, I really liked this and will look forward to future releases from the author!
I received an advance review copy of this book.
November 5, 2025
Wow, there is a whole lot going on in this read. We have two very different timelines via time-travel, an ecological catastrophe, a mysterious organization called Project Kairos and high stakes that hold the future in it’s hands. We have two protagonists, Echo, living in ancient Athens and Hazel, the last human alive. Eventually, through the unique version of time travel their timelines merge. The time travel system seems very complicated and I do wish there was more intricate detail but I realize that would turn some readers off. I am just all about the details in my sci-fi but I know others are not and this story is already pretty dense at times so might have been a good call overall for the success of the novel.
This read was both challenging and intriguing at the same time, leaning heavily n the latter. There are many references to historical, philosophical, religious and political systems throughout history but lets be honest that is to be expected since they are all ubiquitous to humanity and it’s culture. This novel takes on some heavy themes. For example, the idea that even when civilizations vanish, humanity persists, offering hope that empathy can transcend distance and time. Another example is ecological collapse and the eventual renewal, reflecting current anxieties about climate change and humanities survival.
Overall this was a challenging yet fascinating read that I truly enjoyed.
This read was both challenging and intriguing at the same time, leaning heavily n the latter. There are many references to historical, philosophical, religious and political systems throughout history but lets be honest that is to be expected since they are all ubiquitous to humanity and it’s culture. This novel takes on some heavy themes. For example, the idea that even when civilizations vanish, humanity persists, offering hope that empathy can transcend distance and time. Another example is ecological collapse and the eventual renewal, reflecting current anxieties about climate change and humanities survival.
Overall this was a challenging yet fascinating read that I truly enjoyed.
February 3, 2026
If you're into time travel concepts, multiple POV, and sci-fi with tiny robots, this may be your kind of read.
I listen to a ton of audiobooks, and it's not usually hard for me to follow along. For whatever reason, this one took me a bit to settle into.
Overall, I liked the audiobook, though this felt a story that would have benefited from having a physical copy alongside the audio. With so many moving pieces and timelines, having pages to flip back and reference would have helped me fully absorb some of the details.
Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for an advanced listening copy!
I listen to a ton of audiobooks, and it's not usually hard for me to follow along. For whatever reason, this one took me a bit to settle into.
Overall, I liked the audiobook, though this felt a story that would have benefited from having a physical copy alongside the audio. With so many moving pieces and timelines, having pages to flip back and reference would have helped me fully absorb some of the details.
Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for an advanced listening copy!
Want to read
July 17, 2025anything with time travel is right up my alley - reference to bodies definitely intended
February 8, 2026
4 Stars
A wild imaginative ride. Honestly at first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. It took a little bit for me to get into the story. I kept going because I wanted to know more about these characters—who they were, what they were trying to achieve and if they could pull it off. The book jumps between three POVs at different time periods. Echo sent back in time to Ancient Greece, Hazel sent forward in time and Anna in Pandemic London. Tying the three together is their desire to save the planet.
The author does an amazing job at creating three very realistic time periods. There is no romanticizing the past or the future. Ancient Greece is often a burial world full of societal limitations. The future is desolate and lonely with only an AI and robots for company. And London is a limited world in lock-down with a teenager having friend/boyfriend troubles.
I quickly became highly invested in all the characters and had to know how it turned out for all of them—including the non-humans. I think most readers know how rare this is as with multiple time periods there is usually one that is less interesting. Not in this book . There were parts at the end that almost made me cry. For all the mind spinning time travel the end was incredibly sweet and satisfying.
I was provided a copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audio book we very well produced, it was easy to tell when we changes characters added by the author breaking them up by chapters. This is very important when dealing with different timelines. The voice actors did great job with the characters and AI making all of them sound different. I highly recommend the listen.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Tor Books!
A wild imaginative ride. Honestly at first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. It took a little bit for me to get into the story. I kept going because I wanted to know more about these characters—who they were, what they were trying to achieve and if they could pull it off. The book jumps between three POVs at different time periods. Echo sent back in time to Ancient Greece, Hazel sent forward in time and Anna in Pandemic London. Tying the three together is their desire to save the planet.
The author does an amazing job at creating three very realistic time periods. There is no romanticizing the past or the future. Ancient Greece is often a burial world full of societal limitations. The future is desolate and lonely with only an AI and robots for company. And London is a limited world in lock-down with a teenager having friend/boyfriend troubles.
I quickly became highly invested in all the characters and had to know how it turned out for all of them—including the non-humans. I think most readers know how rare this is as with multiple time periods there is usually one that is less interesting. Not in this book . There were parts at the end that almost made me cry. For all the mind spinning time travel the end was incredibly sweet and satisfying.
I was provided a copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audio book we very well produced, it was easy to tell when we changes characters added by the author breaking them up by chapters. This is very important when dealing with different timelines. The voice actors did great job with the characters and AI making all of them sound different. I highly recommend the listen.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Tor Books!
January 29, 2026
A time travel story about trying to save the world from destruction by changing earlier attitudes.
We meet Anna, a 13-year-old climate activist stuck inside with her mother during the COVID lockdowns. The world really does need help. Interestingly, the author posits returning to Greece, around the time of Socrates and the Pythagorists, to change human understanding. There’s a time traveler in the future, trying to guide the time traveler in Greece (some 2000 years previously) via lucid dreaming. It’s quite interesting but also a bit muddled. Best for those who like time travel, Ancient Greece, family dynamics, climate fiction, magical realism, cute robots, and snarky AI.
Several narrators are listed for the audiobook but, except for the teen girl, they sounded very similar to me. Still, I enjoyed the narration and am happy to have listened to the audiobook. 3.8 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheForestattheEdgeoftheWorld for review purposes. Publication date: 3 February 2026.
We meet Anna, a 13-year-old climate activist stuck inside with her mother during the COVID lockdowns. The world really does need help. Interestingly, the author posits returning to Greece, around the time of Socrates and the Pythagorists, to change human understanding. There’s a time traveler in the future, trying to guide the time traveler in Greece (some 2000 years previously) via lucid dreaming. It’s quite interesting but also a bit muddled. Best for those who like time travel, Ancient Greece, family dynamics, climate fiction, magical realism, cute robots, and snarky AI.
Several narrators are listed for the audiobook but, except for the teen girl, they sounded very similar to me. Still, I enjoyed the narration and am happy to have listened to the audiobook. 3.8 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheForestattheEdgeoftheWorld for review purposes. Publication date: 3 February 2026.
February 4, 2026
Combine time-travel with climate change and add a dash of ancient philosophy, and you've got The Forest on the Edge of Time. This story has a unique narrative, bouncing between Ancient Greece and the far-off end of the world. With Anna in the past and Hazel in the future, communicating only through dreams, they must work together to save the timeline. This is a very original take on a time travel story, though I did have a hard time at first with the switches between Hazel and Anna. I think that anyone looking for a climate-driven science-fiction narrative would thoroughly enjoy this story. While I did enjoy this story, especially Hazel's tiny robot helpers, there was something slightly lacking. While I understood the overall plot, Hazel and Anna's backstory felt slightly incomplete. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 3, 2026
I wanted to like this book. It had a lot of interesting ideas. I think the writing was OK and some of the characters were really unique - like the tinys. But it just got a little too convoluted and hard to follow. The different timelines were OK but there were some plot holes (like how could they be in the lucid dreaming at the same time when they were in different times and places? That's a time difference nightmare!). And I wasn't sure what Anna's story had to do with Hazel and Echo's.
The narration was excellent and I would listen to this narrator again.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the alc.
The narration was excellent and I would listen to this narrator again.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the alc.
February 10, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ALC Review
The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the advanced audio of The Forest on the Edge of Time.
✨Synopsis:
Recruited by the mysterious Project Kairos, Echo and Hazel are sent through time to prevent an ecological collapse, only to end up in vastly different worlds. Echo becomes a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens, caught in dangerous politics and philosophy, while Hazel finds herself as the last human alive on a polluted island, watched over by tiny robots and an AI she doesn’t trust. With memories missing and their minds connecting through shared dreams, the two begin unraveling a truth that could either save humanity… or erase it.
Tropes:
✨Time travel
✨Parallel timelines
✨Amnesia
✨Dream connection
✨Ecological sci-fi
✨Female-led sci-fi
✨My Thoughts:
I’ve fully entered my sci-fi era, so when I saw this one, I knew I needed to listen to it. The way time travel was handled felt really fresh and clever, and I loved slowly uncovering how all the characters and timelines connected. It was one of those stories that makes you want to keep going just to see how everything fits together.
The narrators did an amazing job bringing the story to life, and the audio format really worked for this one. If you like thoughtful sci-fi with emotional depth and a unique approach to time travel, this is definitely worth checking out.
The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the advanced audio of The Forest on the Edge of Time.
✨Synopsis:
Recruited by the mysterious Project Kairos, Echo and Hazel are sent through time to prevent an ecological collapse, only to end up in vastly different worlds. Echo becomes a healer’s assistant in Ancient Athens, caught in dangerous politics and philosophy, while Hazel finds herself as the last human alive on a polluted island, watched over by tiny robots and an AI she doesn’t trust. With memories missing and their minds connecting through shared dreams, the two begin unraveling a truth that could either save humanity… or erase it.
Tropes:
✨Time travel
✨Parallel timelines
✨Amnesia
✨Dream connection
✨Ecological sci-fi
✨Female-led sci-fi
✨My Thoughts:
I’ve fully entered my sci-fi era, so when I saw this one, I knew I needed to listen to it. The way time travel was handled felt really fresh and clever, and I loved slowly uncovering how all the characters and timelines connected. It was one of those stories that makes you want to keep going just to see how everything fits together.
The narrators did an amazing job bringing the story to life, and the audio format really worked for this one. If you like thoughtful sci-fi with emotional depth and a unique approach to time travel, this is definitely worth checking out.
February 19, 2026
This story was a chaotic unfolding. I always appreciate a good sci-fi that makes you question everything. The use of amnesia after time travel really amplified this story, so you get to experience the challenges together with the characters. The synopsis is pretty straightforward and covers the whole thing. Two members of a climate protection group travel in opposite directions through time to try to save the planet from complete annihilation. The stakes are high, and the relationships they build along the way make it even more important.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
February 5, 2026
TOR, I love you! When will you start giving me ARCs?!
I blew through this in two days, even though it was technically a very complicated quantum mechanics time travel wibbly wobbly book. I’m not sure what was so entertaining about this, but it was! There’s just something about the unexpectedness of sci-fi that will get me every time. There was humor, suspense, and heartfelt emotion in perfect amounts. Would recommend to any sci-fi geek and anyone who gets emotionally attached to robots (me).
I blew through this in two days, even though it was technically a very complicated quantum mechanics time travel wibbly wobbly book. I’m not sure what was so entertaining about this, but it was! There’s just something about the unexpectedness of sci-fi that will get me every time. There was humor, suspense, and heartfelt emotion in perfect amounts. Would recommend to any sci-fi geek and anyone who gets emotionally attached to robots (me).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this science fiction novel that deals with the mess we have made of the Earth, a daring plan to both change the past and the future, the reasons why people do good things, with a lot of weird things happening along the way.
I have loved science fiction for most of my life. I loved the aliens, the UFO's the going to new worlds and new civilizations, and all that stuff. I was still in my apprenticeship of reading science fiction when I found that beyond the cool monsters and ray guns there was something that science fiction was hiding, a spirit that we as humans could do better. Stories about fireman destroying books, television shows featuring bright futures, pointing out things that we wrong with society and offering solutions. These were the stories I was drawn to, though I still love my big space operas. Which is probably why I enjoyed this book so much. A familiar trope, offering big problems, big ideas, and best of all a really creative way of presenting the story, one that I couldn't put down once I started. Best of all I have a new author that I will be following. The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride is a novel of the now, the past and the future, a time travel story that is fresh and new, about a world we are destroying.
The book begins in chaos. Two people are desperately trying to keep technology from coming apart. Bulbs are bursting, current is going everywhere but where it is supposed to. The two jump forward together, but find themselves in different places, and times. Hazel, at least that might be her name, awakens in a lab, with dead bodies, and a group of robots maybe awaiting Hazel's arrival. Hazel has little memory of what is happening, but knows there is a reason for being here. Hazel is brought before an AI, who puts the unreliable in unreliable narrator, who tells Hazel her memory has been disrupted by time travel. Hazel is in the future, the last human on a dead, polluted Earth, but this is part of the plan. Echo, who also jumped, if that is her name, awakens somewhere, making contact with a local speaking an ancient language, but an understanding of who she is, and why she is there. And that Echo must hide who she is. Echo is in the past, also part of a plan, to create a new philosophical school, one based on keeping the environment safe, from what is coming. Only by dreaming can Echo and Hazel meet and share what is going on, as they try to solve the mystery of what is going on, and how they can save the future.
A really good book that starts right from the first page and never really lets up. Even the quiet moments, the periods where the characters are getting over time travel, or the revelations they are facing, are filled with information, and reasons to keep flipping pages. Kirkbride is very good at doling out information, revealing things carefully, never infodumping. Kirkbride's use of temporal travel and the side and after effects is interesting, and handled well, much more than just a simple plot point. The characters including Anna who is younger character existing in the time of COVID are all unique and well-developed. There is a lot going on, from ancient history, philosophy, weird science, language, brain conditions. And of course about environmental failure. All of which Kirkbride does a very good job of explaining, and even better makes entertaining.
This is the first of Jasmin Kirkbride's works I have read and I really enjoyed it. The story, the tech the ideas, were fun, thoughtful and have stayed with me. A book for those who love deep science fiction with great ideas, and a message. I look forward to more by Kirkbride.
I have loved science fiction for most of my life. I loved the aliens, the UFO's the going to new worlds and new civilizations, and all that stuff. I was still in my apprenticeship of reading science fiction when I found that beyond the cool monsters and ray guns there was something that science fiction was hiding, a spirit that we as humans could do better. Stories about fireman destroying books, television shows featuring bright futures, pointing out things that we wrong with society and offering solutions. These were the stories I was drawn to, though I still love my big space operas. Which is probably why I enjoyed this book so much. A familiar trope, offering big problems, big ideas, and best of all a really creative way of presenting the story, one that I couldn't put down once I started. Best of all I have a new author that I will be following. The Forest on the Edge of Time by Jasmin Kirkbride is a novel of the now, the past and the future, a time travel story that is fresh and new, about a world we are destroying.
The book begins in chaos. Two people are desperately trying to keep technology from coming apart. Bulbs are bursting, current is going everywhere but where it is supposed to. The two jump forward together, but find themselves in different places, and times. Hazel, at least that might be her name, awakens in a lab, with dead bodies, and a group of robots maybe awaiting Hazel's arrival. Hazel has little memory of what is happening, but knows there is a reason for being here. Hazel is brought before an AI, who puts the unreliable in unreliable narrator, who tells Hazel her memory has been disrupted by time travel. Hazel is in the future, the last human on a dead, polluted Earth, but this is part of the plan. Echo, who also jumped, if that is her name, awakens somewhere, making contact with a local speaking an ancient language, but an understanding of who she is, and why she is there. And that Echo must hide who she is. Echo is in the past, also part of a plan, to create a new philosophical school, one based on keeping the environment safe, from what is coming. Only by dreaming can Echo and Hazel meet and share what is going on, as they try to solve the mystery of what is going on, and how they can save the future.
A really good book that starts right from the first page and never really lets up. Even the quiet moments, the periods where the characters are getting over time travel, or the revelations they are facing, are filled with information, and reasons to keep flipping pages. Kirkbride is very good at doling out information, revealing things carefully, never infodumping. Kirkbride's use of temporal travel and the side and after effects is interesting, and handled well, much more than just a simple plot point. The characters including Anna who is younger character existing in the time of COVID are all unique and well-developed. There is a lot going on, from ancient history, philosophy, weird science, language, brain conditions. And of course about environmental failure. All of which Kirkbride does a very good job of explaining, and even better makes entertaining.
This is the first of Jasmin Kirkbride's works I have read and I really enjoyed it. The story, the tech the ideas, were fun, thoughtful and have stayed with me. A book for those who love deep science fiction with great ideas, and a message. I look forward to more by Kirkbride.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Three timelines racing together to save the world: a traveler in a future dystopia enters a dreamspace to communicate with a traveler to 514 BCE, meanwhile a teen in 2020 London worries about the shape of the future. In ancient Athens, Echo is on a mission to establish a school of philosophical thought to change the world for the better. Hazel, her identical twin, grasps at dreams and works with a computer assistant to determine whether or not the work Echo is doing is working, feeding her the mission from the future. Anna, a teen in a London under lockdown, struggles with normal teenage drama, until she starts to feel her own grasp of time start to crumple.
In an SFF time travel book, I need three major components to work together: 1) the time travel has to be sound 2) the reason the time travel happens and/or missions that occur in time travel have to tie to the function of the time travel and 3) I always need it to have strong character development. (And for the second time this week, I'm wishing for more Connie Willis...) The Forest on the Edge of Time hit two out of three of those marks, and I think this makes for a very strong debut novel.
I really like the functionality of the time travel, with the communication between Hazel and Echo in the dreamscape. Any time you have a time travel plot that may change the outcome of the future, you risk running into technicalities, and I think Jasmin Kirkbride does a good job of avoiding those. While the goal may be to set a better climate future for generations, throughout the book they speak of it as "the mission" and "saving the world" and I didn't quite connect with the reasoning behind the mission and the perceived solution. It's pitched as climate fiction, and while it is in part, that feels like a small sliver of the scope of the book. The character development worked well in each of the three timelines, with strong friendships and important growth.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown, Frankie Porter, and Shakira Shute. Despite having three timelines, the narration was straightforward to listen to because each section has a different feel to it. If you are a big audiobook reader, you will likely enjoy the narration, but if you are not, I think reading this one in text is a good approach.
Thank you to Tor for an eARC and MacMillan Audio for an ALC. The Forest on the Edge of Time is out 2/3/2026.
In an SFF time travel book, I need three major components to work together: 1) the time travel has to be sound 2) the reason the time travel happens and/or missions that occur in time travel have to tie to the function of the time travel and 3) I always need it to have strong character development. (And for the second time this week, I'm wishing for more Connie Willis...) The Forest on the Edge of Time hit two out of three of those marks, and I think this makes for a very strong debut novel.
I really like the functionality of the time travel, with the communication between Hazel and Echo in the dreamscape. Any time you have a time travel plot that may change the outcome of the future, you risk running into technicalities, and I think Jasmin Kirkbride does a good job of avoiding those. While the goal may be to set a better climate future for generations, throughout the book they speak of it as "the mission" and "saving the world" and I didn't quite connect with the reasoning behind the mission and the perceived solution. It's pitched as climate fiction, and while it is in part, that feels like a small sliver of the scope of the book. The character development worked well in each of the three timelines, with strong friendships and important growth.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown, Frankie Porter, and Shakira Shute. Despite having three timelines, the narration was straightforward to listen to because each section has a different feel to it. If you are a big audiobook reader, you will likely enjoy the narration, but if you are not, I think reading this one in text is a good approach.
Thank you to Tor for an eARC and MacMillan Audio for an ALC. The Forest on the Edge of Time is out 2/3/2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"The Forest on the Edge of Time" by Jasmin Kirkbride is a thoughtful, character-driven time travel science fiction novel that blends emotional connection with ecological urgency.
What landed first for me was the way the story approaches time travel. Rather than focusing on spectacle or paradox-heavy mechanics, the book centers its science fiction firmly in character and consequence. Two women displaced across time begin to uncover who they are and why they matter, and that slow unraveling gives the story its shape. The premise is intriguing and carries real emotional promise.
The story explores memory, identity, family, and responsibility, gradually widening its scope to include the future of the world itself. The contrast between timelines works well, especially in showing how different eras shape the characters’ understanding of survival and choice. There is a strong undercurrent of climate consciousness running through the narrative, and the book clearly wants to ask what we owe one another across generations.
What worked for me was the emotional intent and the conceptual framework. The ideas are solid, and the characters are sympathetic enough to keep me invested. There are moments that feel genuinely poignant, where the personal and the speculative align in meaningful ways.
What held the book back for me was pacing and narrative cohesion. The middle sections, in particular, slowed the momentum, and the dual timelines occasionally diffused tension rather than sharpening it. I often felt like the story was circling its most compelling ideas instead of fully committing to them. While the payoff is thoughtful, it did not quite land with the impact I was hoping for.
I give "The Forest on the Edge of Time" 3.25 stars. I recommend it to readers who enjoy reflective science fiction, time travel stories rooted in character, and narratives that engage with environmental themes. I would not recommend it to readers looking for fast pacing, high-concept twists, or tightly wound plotting. This is a book driven by intention and heart, even if the execution does not fully come together for me.
What landed first for me was the way the story approaches time travel. Rather than focusing on spectacle or paradox-heavy mechanics, the book centers its science fiction firmly in character and consequence. Two women displaced across time begin to uncover who they are and why they matter, and that slow unraveling gives the story its shape. The premise is intriguing and carries real emotional promise.
The story explores memory, identity, family, and responsibility, gradually widening its scope to include the future of the world itself. The contrast between timelines works well, especially in showing how different eras shape the characters’ understanding of survival and choice. There is a strong undercurrent of climate consciousness running through the narrative, and the book clearly wants to ask what we owe one another across generations.
What worked for me was the emotional intent and the conceptual framework. The ideas are solid, and the characters are sympathetic enough to keep me invested. There are moments that feel genuinely poignant, where the personal and the speculative align in meaningful ways.
What held the book back for me was pacing and narrative cohesion. The middle sections, in particular, slowed the momentum, and the dual timelines occasionally diffused tension rather than sharpening it. I often felt like the story was circling its most compelling ideas instead of fully committing to them. While the payoff is thoughtful, it did not quite land with the impact I was hoping for.
I give "The Forest on the Edge of Time" 3.25 stars. I recommend it to readers who enjoy reflective science fiction, time travel stories rooted in character, and narratives that engage with environmental themes. I would not recommend it to readers looking for fast pacing, high-concept twists, or tightly wound plotting. This is a book driven by intention and heart, even if the execution does not fully come together for me.
February 10, 2026
4.5*
I love a good time travel story, and this one felt so fresh! We meet two time travelers: Echo, who is in 514BC Athens, and Hazel, who is in an unspecified future year in basically an unspecified place, but she's all that remains of humanity. They're supposed to work together to try to prevent the future that Hazel is in from happening- basically, they're trying to prevent humans from, well, destroying humans. It tracks, obviously. I found this to be such an interesting take on time travel, and it appealed to my logical side- obviously, it would make sense to have someone in the future to let the folks in the past know if their tweaks are working!
The two can communicate in a dream-state, which did confuse me a little, but it's fine. The robots helped Hazel figure it out, frankly they helped her figure a lot out, while Echo had some friends in Greece who were aware that she was a time traveler and were there to help her with the mission. First, I loved learning about the Greek time period! There were so many fascinating events and people I'd not heard of before and I had so much fun learning about it. Second, I loved the characters themselves- some who were real, some who were fictional, all who were well developed. I also enjoyed Hazel trying to interact with theclankers robots and AI, and them her.
There's a third point of view, located in London in 2020, that of Anna. I was very unsure of her role in things, but it did eventually make sense. I think maybe her chapters could have been a little less frequent, but again, not a dealbreaker. And I promise all things will be answered in time! (Get it? In time?)
Bottom Line: I really enjoyed this high stakes take on time travel, the characters we met along the way, and how it all connected!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
I love a good time travel story, and this one felt so fresh! We meet two time travelers: Echo, who is in 514BC Athens, and Hazel, who is in an unspecified future year in basically an unspecified place, but she's all that remains of humanity. They're supposed to work together to try to prevent the future that Hazel is in from happening- basically, they're trying to prevent humans from, well, destroying humans. It tracks, obviously. I found this to be such an interesting take on time travel, and it appealed to my logical side- obviously, it would make sense to have someone in the future to let the folks in the past know if their tweaks are working!
The two can communicate in a dream-state, which did confuse me a little, but it's fine. The robots helped Hazel figure it out, frankly they helped her figure a lot out, while Echo had some friends in Greece who were aware that she was a time traveler and were there to help her with the mission. First, I loved learning about the Greek time period! There were so many fascinating events and people I'd not heard of before and I had so much fun learning about it. Second, I loved the characters themselves- some who were real, some who were fictional, all who were well developed. I also enjoyed Hazel trying to interact with the
There's a third point of view, located in London in 2020, that of Anna. I was very unsure of her role in things, but it did eventually make sense. I think maybe her chapters could have been a little less frequent, but again, not a dealbreaker. And I promise all things will be answered in time! (Get it? In time?)
Bottom Line: I really enjoyed this high stakes take on time travel, the characters we met along the way, and how it all connected!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
⭐3.75
🌶️0
The way this book opened up, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy it, although it did start to waver once we were introduced to the third POV. I was very confused as to why we had that one in there at all for most of it. By the end of it, it all made sense, and I was tearing up a little bit. This book has a way of keeping you on your toes, wondering if things will get corrected or whether or not they have made the timeline worse. This book had some darker themes in it, but it also had some of the most adorable moments that just warm your heart. This one definitely needs some form of content warnings, though, given some of the topics mentioned in here. The narrators did such a fantastic job of keeping me hooked and making this book feel a lot less dense in terms of everything it covered.
This book follows three different timelines/POVs. The two main characters have amnesia. First, you have Hazel, who finds herself in essentially the hub of time. Where most life doesn't exist anymore outside of artificial life. Well, there were humans, except her arrival through time has unintentionally unalived what had remained. She finds herself needing to learn how to communicate with someone known as Echo in her dreams, as well as dealing with the issues taking place where she is.
Echo finds herself in Ancient Athens being forced to remove her hair and disguise herself as a boy. She doesn't know why she is agreeing to this, but the man assures her that he is meant to be her keeper while she is in this time. That she has a job to do, to right the future.
Then we have Anna, who seemingly does not have amnesia. She is a teenage girl finding herself feeling more isolated, given that COVID is wreaking havoc, and she can't do things like she used to. Her chapters are few, but you do get little tidbits of what her timeline is looking like.
Things You Can Expect:
📖The Tinys!
📖CHARL1E
📖Multiple POV/Multiple Timelines
📖Ancient Greece
📖Time Travel
📖Political Intrigue
📖Religious Tiny Robots?
📖Found Family
Thank you Macmillin Audio, for the ALC!
🌶️0
The way this book opened up, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy it, although it did start to waver once we were introduced to the third POV. I was very confused as to why we had that one in there at all for most of it. By the end of it, it all made sense, and I was tearing up a little bit. This book has a way of keeping you on your toes, wondering if things will get corrected or whether or not they have made the timeline worse. This book had some darker themes in it, but it also had some of the most adorable moments that just warm your heart. This one definitely needs some form of content warnings, though, given some of the topics mentioned in here. The narrators did such a fantastic job of keeping me hooked and making this book feel a lot less dense in terms of everything it covered.
This book follows three different timelines/POVs. The two main characters have amnesia. First, you have Hazel, who finds herself in essentially the hub of time. Where most life doesn't exist anymore outside of artificial life. Well, there were humans, except her arrival through time has unintentionally unalived what had remained. She finds herself needing to learn how to communicate with someone known as Echo in her dreams, as well as dealing with the issues taking place where she is.
Echo finds herself in Ancient Athens being forced to remove her hair and disguise herself as a boy. She doesn't know why she is agreeing to this, but the man assures her that he is meant to be her keeper while she is in this time. That she has a job to do, to right the future.
Then we have Anna, who seemingly does not have amnesia. She is a teenage girl finding herself feeling more isolated, given that COVID is wreaking havoc, and she can't do things like she used to. Her chapters are few, but you do get little tidbits of what her timeline is looking like.
Things You Can Expect:
📖The Tinys!
📖CHARL1E
📖Multiple POV/Multiple Timelines
📖Ancient Greece
📖Time Travel
📖Political Intrigue
📖Religious Tiny Robots?
📖Found Family
Thank you Macmillin Audio, for the ALC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"The Forest on the Edge of Time" has a very unique and interesting twist on the time-travel genre with two travelers, on on opposite ends of time, working together to save the future of humanity. Not only that, but they communicate through their dreams?!? Like I said, really great premise with a lot of potential. Though there were some great parts of the book and some "holy cow" moments, there were some overarching challenges that brought my rating to 3 stars:
1. It was very hard to identify with Hazel and Echo. I found them a bit exhausting, as much of their stories revolves around complaining, mistrust (for no apparent reason??), and fear of doing what they were supposed to do rather than action. There was an attempt at character growth, but it felt forced.
2. I listened to the audio version of this book. The voices the narrators chose for the main characters was not ideal, and sometimes hard to understand when the "other" was whispering information to them. The chosen voices also added to the challenge of connecting with the main characters as it amplified Hazel and Echo's more irritating tendencies.
3. The execution of the amazing premise of the book didn't land. There was little action (see bullet #1 above) in the story and I had a hard time understanding how the Hazel made any difference in Athens that would not have potentially occurred naturally? Without revealing any spoilers, the choice of what Echo was to do in Athens felt flat and I had a hard time understanding how that will make a difference for the future, even with the big reveal at the end? Some of the events also seemed to come out of nowhere without a real reason why it happened. I would liked to have seen more time spent on connecting dots to really drive the story home.
Word of warning for readers/listeners - there is a section of the book that highlights the cruelty and violence of ancient Athens that can be hard to get through. I honestly wasn't expecting it when I was listening, so it caught me off guard.
1. It was very hard to identify with Hazel and Echo. I found them a bit exhausting, as much of their stories revolves around complaining, mistrust (for no apparent reason??), and fear of doing what they were supposed to do rather than action. There was an attempt at character growth, but it felt forced.
2. I listened to the audio version of this book. The voices the narrators chose for the main characters was not ideal, and sometimes hard to understand when the "other" was whispering information to them. The chosen voices also added to the challenge of connecting with the main characters as it amplified Hazel and Echo's more irritating tendencies.
3. The execution of the amazing premise of the book didn't land. There was little action (see bullet #1 above) in the story and I had a hard time understanding how the Hazel made any difference in Athens that would not have potentially occurred naturally? Without revealing any spoilers, the choice of what Echo was to do in Athens felt flat and I had a hard time understanding how that will make a difference for the future, even with the big reveal at the end? Some of the events also seemed to come out of nowhere without a real reason why it happened. I would liked to have seen more time spent on connecting dots to really drive the story home.
Word of warning for readers/listeners - there is a section of the book that highlights the cruelty and violence of ancient Athens that can be hard to get through. I honestly wasn't expecting it when I was listening, so it caught me off guard.
February 12, 2026
Jasmin Kirkbride’s debut novel comes out throwing with a fixing-the-timeline story following two young ladies whose stories are tied together. There is a lot going on that ties together as the story progresses. It features strong themes of how small choices affect the world, how overcorrection often leads to disaster, and how human emotions can
Note: My review is based on the audiobook ARC/ALC, so please excuse any character names that may be spelled incorrectly.
Project Kairos is a shadowy time-manipulation organization that exists across multiple eras. Their goal is to prevent an ecological collapse that threatens all life (or at least human life) in the future. The project takes recruits and sends them into either the past or the future, to those times that need a nudge in “the right” direction. The project name hints at this, as Kairos is an ancient Greek word that the tools I tried define as a right, opportune, or critical moment.
There are two protagonists. Each loses many memories in a deliberate act of amnesia. They start recovering some of their memories, which opens the way for them to communicate with each other. Lots of this communication takes place in a setting called the forest, which seems to be a real place between times. It is reached in dreams. It appears to be a shared memory space.
Protagonist 1: Echo is sent to Ancient Athens, where a contact knows her as a traveller. She is given cover as a healer’s assistant and witnesses the classism, politics, scheming, and massive sexism that were prevalent in those times (it makes Western society of today look civilized). Echo has to masquerade as a boy to be relatively safe and to have her opinions heard.
Protagonist 2: Hazel lives in the far future, seemingly raised by an AI named Charlie. She is amnesiac as well, though it seems the AI is aggressively restricting her access to memories. Through her dreams, she starts to learn more.
Side characters: In Athens, we have a few side characters who often drive the story.
We also have another storyline about a mother and her daughter, providing details and backstory for the project and what it means to be a traveller.
This was an enjoyable read. At times confusing and slow, and the ending didn’t hit a solid conclusion, it seems the goal was to show that the best-laid plans don’t always stand up to scrutiny. The plot and intrigue had scale and layers.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for enabling an ARC/ALC copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
3 3/4 stars for me. A good time.
Note: My review is based on the audiobook ARC/ALC, so please excuse any character names that may be spelled incorrectly.
Project Kairos is a shadowy time-manipulation organization that exists across multiple eras. Their goal is to prevent an ecological collapse that threatens all life (or at least human life) in the future. The project takes recruits and sends them into either the past or the future, to those times that need a nudge in “the right” direction. The project name hints at this, as Kairos is an ancient Greek word that the tools I tried define as a right, opportune, or critical moment.
There are two protagonists. Each loses many memories in a deliberate act of amnesia. They start recovering some of their memories, which opens the way for them to communicate with each other. Lots of this communication takes place in a setting called the forest, which seems to be a real place between times. It is reached in dreams. It appears to be a shared memory space.
Protagonist 1: Echo is sent to Ancient Athens, where a contact knows her as a traveller. She is given cover as a healer’s assistant and witnesses the classism, politics, scheming, and massive sexism that were prevalent in those times (it makes Western society of today look civilized). Echo has to masquerade as a boy to be relatively safe and to have her opinions heard.
Protagonist 2: Hazel lives in the far future, seemingly raised by an AI named Charlie. She is amnesiac as well, though it seems the AI is aggressively restricting her access to memories. Through her dreams, she starts to learn more.
Side characters: In Athens, we have a few side characters who often drive the story.
We also have another storyline about a mother and her daughter, providing details and backstory for the project and what it means to be a traveller.
This was an enjoyable read. At times confusing and slow, and the ending didn’t hit a solid conclusion, it seems the goal was to show that the best-laid plans don’t always stand up to scrutiny. The plot and intrigue had scale and layers.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for enabling an ARC/ALC copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
3 3/4 stars for me. A good time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.75 stars
Thanks to Net Galley for the early preview of this audiobook.
I usually fully enjoy all science fiction books on time travel. I guess this one was not totally for me. This book was told in three points of view, and I enjoyed two of those points (the one from the future and the one from 2020 in London; not the one from ancient Greece). Enjoying two thirds of the narrative does not help me to fully enjoy the novel.
The coming-of-age part told by a teenager in 2020 London was nicely done. The unknown future from the unknown location of “Station C” where the main character had to piece together what happened, deal with a surly AI, and be waited on by ‘tiny’ robots was also nicely done. The story in ancient Greece made no sense to me. I did not know what was going on and I had a hard time understanding the narrator since she was talking in a whisper the entire time. I kind of checked out when those sections came on, unfortunately.
As expected, the three story lines merged towards the end, which was fun, but I am still a little uncertain on the whole ancient Greece thing. But hopefully that is just my misunderstanding, and others will figure that part out better.
Audiobook narrators Billie Fulford-Brown, Frankie Porter, and Shakira Shute rating: 3.5 stars
I really don’t know who voiced whom since it was not indicated. The one who voiced the teenager was good. The one who voiced the person in ancient Greece whispered the whole time and made it very difficult to understand (plus they spoke at a faster cadence). And the one who was in the future had the best voice.
Thanks to Net Galley for the early preview of this audiobook.
I usually fully enjoy all science fiction books on time travel. I guess this one was not totally for me. This book was told in three points of view, and I enjoyed two of those points (the one from the future and the one from 2020 in London; not the one from ancient Greece). Enjoying two thirds of the narrative does not help me to fully enjoy the novel.
The coming-of-age part told by a teenager in 2020 London was nicely done. The unknown future from the unknown location of “Station C” where the main character had to piece together what happened, deal with a surly AI, and be waited on by ‘tiny’ robots was also nicely done. The story in ancient Greece made no sense to me. I did not know what was going on and I had a hard time understanding the narrator since she was talking in a whisper the entire time. I kind of checked out when those sections came on, unfortunately.
As expected, the three story lines merged towards the end, which was fun, but I am still a little uncertain on the whole ancient Greece thing. But hopefully that is just my misunderstanding, and others will figure that part out better.
Audiobook narrators Billie Fulford-Brown, Frankie Porter, and Shakira Shute rating: 3.5 stars
I really don’t know who voiced whom since it was not indicated. The one who voiced the teenager was good. The one who voiced the person in ancient Greece whispered the whole time and made it very difficult to understand (plus they spoke at a faster cadence). And the one who was in the future had the best voice.
February 3, 2026
I don't usually read science fiction, but I loved this book. It was unputdownable and I'm still thinking about it a few days on. I was engrossed from the get-go and the three voices worked superbly bringing together the captivating storyline with a masterful crescendo of an ending. What a rollicking read.
The book as a whole really got me in the feels; I was so invested in Hazel's, Echo's and Anna's worlds, and don't get me started on The Tinys – they're just adorable, plus I had a crush on the relationship between Kosmo and Nabu, whilst CHARL1E fascinated me because I felt connected to an AI!! The characters and their voices are wonderfully conceived, as is the world building.
Ancient Greece drips off the page like honey, fully immersed in the heat, societal structures and politics of the time. Station C, is a future I don't want to see yet it's utterly compelling too. As for the present day, I snuggled into the familiarity of things I recognise and experience, obviously I'm not a teenager, but I know kids like Anna and I found her very connectable. The chapters are each dedicated to either Ancient Greece, Present day or Station C, switching effortlessly between the three, effortlessly moving the storyline forward, keeping me totally engrossed.
The way the story is woven together over time and space is masterful, and the dream sequences are so fluid and immersive. If you love climate-fiction, science fiction, time travel, history, familial love and devotion – all interlinked with a quest to save the world then this is your book - it will leave you not only hopeful but inspired, having laughed, cried and loved your way through the novel.
Jasmin Kirkbride has created an extraordinary dialogue between three worlds, and I can't recommend this novel enough and I can't wait for her next book.
The book as a whole really got me in the feels; I was so invested in Hazel's, Echo's and Anna's worlds, and don't get me started on The Tinys – they're just adorable, plus I had a crush on the relationship between Kosmo and Nabu, whilst CHARL1E fascinated me because I felt connected to an AI!! The characters and their voices are wonderfully conceived, as is the world building.
Ancient Greece drips off the page like honey, fully immersed in the heat, societal structures and politics of the time. Station C, is a future I don't want to see yet it's utterly compelling too. As for the present day, I snuggled into the familiarity of things I recognise and experience, obviously I'm not a teenager, but I know kids like Anna and I found her very connectable. The chapters are each dedicated to either Ancient Greece, Present day or Station C, switching effortlessly between the three, effortlessly moving the storyline forward, keeping me totally engrossed.
The way the story is woven together over time and space is masterful, and the dream sequences are so fluid and immersive. If you love climate-fiction, science fiction, time travel, history, familial love and devotion – all interlinked with a quest to save the world then this is your book - it will leave you not only hopeful but inspired, having laughed, cried and loved your way through the novel.
Jasmin Kirkbride has created an extraordinary dialogue between three worlds, and I can't recommend this novel enough and I can't wait for her next book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Anamnesis.
An interesting conceit for a time travel novel, but carefully interwoven with a ton of great Greek history and persons of that special philosophical era. The mirroring in this book is actually rather cool.
It's even cooler for those of us who DO love the ancient Greeks or the possibility that their philosophy might lend itself into a carefully constructed time-travel novel.
That being said, it's a great idea and it's mostly pulled off. In the ways I take exception to, it may not even be important to regular readers, but for me... the needs of characterization rather overruled some of the worldbuilding logic here. The fact that C NEEDED to have the balance of the T's, the fact that H NEEDED the balance of E, or even the littlest details of breath being tied to thought, the way the Greeks believed, are all subtle details in the storytelling that MAY have been better spelled out to the reader... but definitely rewards the scholar.
It's clever. But if you aren't picking up all these little details, the plot sometimes, or even often, seems strange.
Not the Deed bit. That's pretty clear. And I even rather heartily approve of the basic idea changing the tide of all history for the better.
I don't know. It simultaneously feels like it lacks something and is complete as it is. And who knows? Maybe that's the point. The balance between gods and man, the balance between societal pressures and the very nature of your world, the balance of life and death.
It IS all here in the novel. It's damn clever.
Perhaps the rest needs to be simply experienced. Not as a pure mind, but as a mind with a bitter belly. :)
I recommend this. If for nothing but the Greeks. But for the Greeks, it truly shines. Oh, and enjoy the time travel. :)
An interesting conceit for a time travel novel, but carefully interwoven with a ton of great Greek history and persons of that special philosophical era. The mirroring in this book is actually rather cool.
It's even cooler for those of us who DO love the ancient Greeks or the possibility that their philosophy might lend itself into a carefully constructed time-travel novel.
That being said, it's a great idea and it's mostly pulled off. In the ways I take exception to, it may not even be important to regular readers, but for me... the needs of characterization rather overruled some of the worldbuilding logic here. The fact that C NEEDED to have the balance of the T's, the fact that H NEEDED the balance of E, or even the littlest details of breath being tied to thought, the way the Greeks believed, are all subtle details in the storytelling that MAY have been better spelled out to the reader... but definitely rewards the scholar.
It's clever. But if you aren't picking up all these little details, the plot sometimes, or even often, seems strange.
Not the Deed bit. That's pretty clear. And I even rather heartily approve of the basic idea changing the tide of all history for the better.
I don't know. It simultaneously feels like it lacks something and is complete as it is. And who knows? Maybe that's the point. The balance between gods and man, the balance between societal pressures and the very nature of your world, the balance of life and death.
It IS all here in the novel. It's damn clever.
Perhaps the rest needs to be simply experienced. Not as a pure mind, but as a mind with a bitter belly. :)
I recommend this. If for nothing but the Greeks. But for the Greeks, it truly shines. Oh, and enjoy the time travel. :)
February 8, 2026
First I have to talk about the cover — this book has that perfect vintage 70s/80s sci‑fi vibe that captured me when I was younger. It feels like Arthur C. Clarke meets Isaac Asimov with a touch of Ray Bradbury. The use of blank space, paired with symbolic imagery, brought me right back to those feelings of discovery, uncertainty, and adventure, all with a philosophical edge that had my fingers itching to turn the pages.
And when I opened the book, I immediately connected with Jasmin Kirkbride’s writing and with Echo and Hazel as they work to save the world from its dystopian future by reconnecting with the ancient past. This is a very unique blend of time‑travel and cli‑fi — a story grounded as much in history as it is in the philosophical. That’s part of what makes it so special, and also so hard to review without giving away spoilers or disrupting the journey Echo and Hazel each take, both individually and together. Their connection, which unfolds partly in a dreamscape despite the distance in time and space between them, is one of the most compelling elements of the book.
For me, this becomes as much an intellectual journey into what came before as it is a cautionary tale about what might come next — a search for where things went wrong and whether a seemingly fated disaster can be averted. It’s a book that asks a lot of the reader, but offers just as much in return, which is something I consider a hallmark of good speculative sci‑fi.
This is such a finely written novel, with connections between the human and non‑human characters that not only complement one another but create a world that feels alive and lively.
If you’re a fan of sci‑fi that challenges you — stories that connect our past and present with the future, blend climate fiction with a race against time and fate, and wrap it all in a philosophical layer that lingers at the edge of your mind — then you have a great next read here.
And when I opened the book, I immediately connected with Jasmin Kirkbride’s writing and with Echo and Hazel as they work to save the world from its dystopian future by reconnecting with the ancient past. This is a very unique blend of time‑travel and cli‑fi — a story grounded as much in history as it is in the philosophical. That’s part of what makes it so special, and also so hard to review without giving away spoilers or disrupting the journey Echo and Hazel each take, both individually and together. Their connection, which unfolds partly in a dreamscape despite the distance in time and space between them, is one of the most compelling elements of the book.
For me, this becomes as much an intellectual journey into what came before as it is a cautionary tale about what might come next — a search for where things went wrong and whether a seemingly fated disaster can be averted. It’s a book that asks a lot of the reader, but offers just as much in return, which is something I consider a hallmark of good speculative sci‑fi.
This is such a finely written novel, with connections between the human and non‑human characters that not only complement one another but create a world that feels alive and lively.
If you’re a fan of sci‑fi that challenges you — stories that connect our past and present with the future, blend climate fiction with a race against time and fate, and wrap it all in a philosophical layer that lingers at the edge of your mind — then you have a great next read here.
February 9, 2026
Two time travelers, one into the past and one into the future, attempt to fix human culture before we destroy the planet, making it uninhabitable to life.
For me, there were some really cool concepts from the way the time travel works (which I can't explain here because it's a spoiler) to the bots in the future. The setting and problem solving in the future scenes added intrigue and wonder to the story. I adored the Tinys and the way Hazel learned to communicate with them. But the past scenes in Greece felt completely disconnected from the rest of the plot. Those chapters in the past bored me and slowed the pace of the novel, even when some truly horrific plot points occurred.
There were multiple surprises that kept me reading, and the concepts were super fascinating. But there were way too many political issues targeted in this novel. Everything from global warming to pollution to misogyny to homophobia to tyranny. It was too much. When everything is going to kill you, it removes all the urgency from the equation. I would have enjoyed the book much better if one key topic had been chosen and then solved by the end. Especially since the story focused on Echo, the past time traveler, establishing a school that had to do with religion, not environmentalism, even though the uninhabitable planet seemed to be the biggest concern in the future.
For anyone who likes experimental fiction that takes time to consider philosophy and how that affects human culture, then this is the book for you.
For me, there were some really cool concepts from the way the time travel works (which I can't explain here because it's a spoiler) to the bots in the future. The setting and problem solving in the future scenes added intrigue and wonder to the story. I adored the Tinys and the way Hazel learned to communicate with them. But the past scenes in Greece felt completely disconnected from the rest of the plot. Those chapters in the past bored me and slowed the pace of the novel, even when some truly horrific plot points occurred.
There were multiple surprises that kept me reading, and the concepts were super fascinating. But there were way too many political issues targeted in this novel. Everything from global warming to pollution to misogyny to homophobia to tyranny. It was too much. When everything is going to kill you, it removes all the urgency from the equation. I would have enjoyed the book much better if one key topic had been chosen and then solved by the end. Especially since the story focused on Echo, the past time traveler, establishing a school that had to do with religion, not environmentalism, even though the uninhabitable planet seemed to be the biggest concern in the future.
For anyone who likes experimental fiction that takes time to consider philosophy and how that affects human culture, then this is the book for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Two women step through a portal into the unknown, and judging by the seasons rapidly changing as they travel, the portal will take them through time.
There are 3 storylines throughout the book. Hazel is in the distant future where she wakes to robots caring for her, and seemingly no humans around. Echo awakens in ancient Greece, where she has to pretend to be a boy and try to remember the Hellenic language as no one speaks English. And Anna is a teenager living with her mother in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. Hazel and Echo remember nothing of why they are where they are, except in the dreamscape. While Hazel and Echo try to remember their duty, Anna struggles with the restrictions of lockdown and her desire to protest what humans are doing to the environment (partially because she cares, partially because a boy she likes is protesting). The story travels back and forth through time following these three women through their disparate challenges.
Overall, the story was good. I felt a little lost in Echo's parts (possibly due to my lack of knowledge about ancient Greece and its laws/customs). I found Hazel's sections enjoyable, and Anna's sections relatable.
The narrator had a lot of odd pronunciations, but I think most were due to the difference between British and American English pronunciations, rather than mispronunciations.
I received an ARC of this audiobook from #NetGalley.
There are 3 storylines throughout the book. Hazel is in the distant future where she wakes to robots caring for her, and seemingly no humans around. Echo awakens in ancient Greece, where she has to pretend to be a boy and try to remember the Hellenic language as no one speaks English. And Anna is a teenager living with her mother in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown. Hazel and Echo remember nothing of why they are where they are, except in the dreamscape. While Hazel and Echo try to remember their duty, Anna struggles with the restrictions of lockdown and her desire to protest what humans are doing to the environment (partially because she cares, partially because a boy she likes is protesting). The story travels back and forth through time following these three women through their disparate challenges.
Overall, the story was good. I felt a little lost in Echo's parts (possibly due to my lack of knowledge about ancient Greece and its laws/customs). I found Hazel's sections enjoyable, and Anna's sections relatable.
The narrator had a lot of odd pronunciations, but I think most were due to the difference between British and American English pronunciations, rather than mispronunciations.
I received an ARC of this audiobook from #NetGalley.
February 11, 2026
Hazel and Echo work for an organization fighting climate change, Project Kairos and their expedition travel to different timelines to make small butterfly effect changes, but something goes wrong. Both women experience amnesia, Hazel is the last human in a desolate future, Echo is transported to Athens 514 BCE, Anna is a teenager in 2020 stuck inside due to the pandemic. Working simultaneously to make changes and get back to their own timeline before disaster strikes.
I really enjoyed this story. Climate change fiction with time travel was a good combo! I really liked each of the characters and their timelines. The story came together in the end and it made me a little teary, not for the humans, but for the Tinys - little robots that helped Hazel in the future. I liked the abstract creative way of approaching fixing climate change, or face disastrous consequences making Earth inhabitable for its residents. Solving the puzzle and little clues to the characters’ connections were my favorite. Although one timeline revolves around the pandemic, I thought it fit the story.
The book jumps between 3 POVs and I absolutely adored the narration by Billie Fulford-Brown, Frankie Porter, and Shakira Shute. Their accents and delivery were very engaging and brought the characters to life. I especially liked the emotion range for Echo!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook copy.
I really enjoyed this story. Climate change fiction with time travel was a good combo! I really liked each of the characters and their timelines. The story came together in the end and it made me a little teary, not for the humans, but for the Tinys - little robots that helped Hazel in the future. I liked the abstract creative way of approaching fixing climate change, or face disastrous consequences making Earth inhabitable for its residents. Solving the puzzle and little clues to the characters’ connections were my favorite. Although one timeline revolves around the pandemic, I thought it fit the story.
The book jumps between 3 POVs and I absolutely adored the narration by Billie Fulford-Brown, Frankie Porter, and Shakira Shute. Their accents and delivery were very engaging and brought the characters to life. I especially liked the emotion range for Echo!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook copy.
February 18, 2026
Definitely an interesting novel, with a strong, unique concept. I love the dual timeline, the contrast between the two environments (the desolation of Station C VS the descriptions of food in Ancient Greece). Its take on time travel was also an unusual one.
Though there were definitely some strong scenes and twists, the narrative suffered from passive issues. At first, Echo appeared to be very bland, a spectator of other's actions. Once I reached the second half, she began to assert herself. But at the same time, Hazel's chapters became repetitive, her discussions with CHARL1E began to feel the same.
To me, Echo's story was a big missed opportunity.
Though there were definitely some strong scenes and twists, the narrative suffered from passive issues. At first, Echo appeared to be very bland, a spectator of other's actions. Once I reached the second half, she began to assert herself. But at the same time, Hazel's chapters became repetitive, her discussions with CHARL1E began to feel the same.
To me, Echo's story was a big missed opportunity.
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