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As We Fall Through Time
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26From the multi-award-winning Claire North comes an extraordinary and epic tale of time travel, betrayal and a love that echoes through the centuries.
In the beginning, the world will end. This is the story of what happens next.
When Cal meets a soldier of the French Revolution, he knows his lover is destined to die. But what is the point of being a time traveller if you can't make a few small tweaks to the course of history? A little paradox here, an alteration there - nothing Cal can't fix, to save the man he loves.
When Fadimatu walks into a museum in 2018, she stumbles upon her own mummified corpse, setting her on the path to a betrayal that has already killed her, and a murder that has not yet come to pass.
And when a sudden rupture in the fabric of history rips through the lives these travellers have built, breaking both past and future, they must reckon with death foretold, love forsaken, and a secret that will shatter time itself.
Fall through history on a thrilling journey of shattered time, broken futures and a love that can never be erased.
In the beginning, the world will end. This is the story of what happens next.
When Cal meets a soldier of the French Revolution, he knows his lover is destined to die. But what is the point of being a time traveller if you can't make a few small tweaks to the course of history? A little paradox here, an alteration there - nothing Cal can't fix, to save the man he loves.
When Fadimatu walks into a museum in 2018, she stumbles upon her own mummified corpse, setting her on the path to a betrayal that has already killed her, and a murder that has not yet come to pass.
And when a sudden rupture in the fabric of history rips through the lives these travellers have built, breaking both past and future, they must reckon with death foretold, love forsaken, and a secret that will shatter time itself.
Fall through history on a thrilling journey of shattered time, broken futures and a love that can never be erased.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Claire North
30 books4,406 followersClaire North is actually Catherine Webb, a Carnegie Medal-nominated young-adult novel author whose first book, Mirror Dreams, was written when they were just 14 years old. They went on to write seven more successful YA novels.
Claire North is a pseudonym for adult fantasy books written by Catherine Webb, who also writes under the pseudonym Kate Griffin.
Claire North is a pseudonym for adult fantasy books written by Catherine Webb, who also writes under the pseudonym Kate Griffin.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 22, 2026ABSOLUTELY CANNOT TAKE ANYMORE.
DNF @ 30% angry review to come
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I got this one!!! Yessssssssss
**************
Ahhh new Claire North!! Pleeease ARC Gods grant me this one!!!
DNF @ 30% angry review to come
-------------------------
I got this one!!! Yessssssssss
**************
Ahhh new Claire North!! Pleeease ARC Gods grant me this one!!!
June 6, 2026
7/10
All I need now is Baran Bo Odar to adapt this into television. Oh but what a fantastic story.
I was enthralled by the writing style from the get go - and if one thought they knew where this was heading simply from the first few chapters - you would most certainly be wrong.
I was a bit disappointed earlier on thinking oh it’s just going to be a romance story - but this is much more. I’d even argue that there was more chemistry between the main character and Bede than with Olivier.
As We Fall Through Time is a story about a time traveller who falls in love with a non-time traveller and follows his quest in doing “everything” he can to be with said person despite time and age - and that “everything” includes the doom of humankind, a timeless friendship and a charming mentor turned enemy.
I was so confused at times, because there is quite a lot of perspective changes. At first I thought the author was breaking the 4th wall - which I kind of did not like, but trust it’s not that, keep reading!!!!! I did get accustomed to the pov changes and eventually also needed up liking it.
Pacing was good, plot was plotting, and characters were annoying and likable and consistent. I think I want a whole ass story for Fadimatu - such a brilliant character.
I also loved the lore of timetraveling - that there’s more to it than just being able to travel time - each traveler had their own individual abilities to it.
My biggest criticism is how are there so few travelers???? The general lack of any sort of authority like the TVA is just unbelievable.
Beyond that this was a solid book - I liked the philosophical intrigue, it was thought provoking, it was sombre and it was atmospheric.
All I need now is Baran Bo Odar to adapt this into television. Oh but what a fantastic story.
I was enthralled by the writing style from the get go - and if one thought they knew where this was heading simply from the first few chapters - you would most certainly be wrong.
I was a bit disappointed earlier on thinking oh it’s just going to be a romance story - but this is much more. I’d even argue that there was more chemistry between the main character and Bede than with Olivier.
As We Fall Through Time is a story about a time traveller who falls in love with a non-time traveller and follows his quest in doing “everything” he can to be with said person despite time and age - and that “everything” includes the doom of humankind, a timeless friendship and a charming mentor turned enemy.
I was so confused at times, because there is quite a lot of perspective changes. At first I thought the author was breaking the 4th wall - which I kind of did not like, but trust it’s not that, keep reading!!!!! I did get accustomed to the pov changes and eventually also needed up liking it.
Pacing was good, plot was plotting, and characters were annoying and likable and consistent. I think I want a whole ass story for Fadimatu - such a brilliant character.
I also loved the lore of timetraveling - that there’s more to it than just being able to travel time - each traveler had their own individual abilities to it.
My biggest criticism is how are there so few travelers???? The general lack of any sort of authority like the TVA is just unbelievable.
Beyond that this was a solid book - I liked the philosophical intrigue, it was thought provoking, it was sombre and it was atmospheric.
June 14, 2026
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’ve searched and searched, but nothing since has scratched the same itch. Until now. I’d say As We Fall Through Time is one step more complex and harder to visualize, but it’s absolutely worth it for lovers of speculative fiction. I love that it aggressively jumps through time, I love the world-building and cli-fi angle, I love how our main character grows over time, and I love that we got an unconventional narrator.
It’s a rare book that I finish and immediately want to reread. This is my favorite book of 2026 so far.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books!
It’s a rare book that I finish and immediately want to reread. This is my favorite book of 2026 so far.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First things first. As We Fall Through Time by Claire North is simply the best novel I’ve read so far this year, and in the top 10 over my lifetime. In turns my heart was warmed and then broken as the story unfolds from one couple’s love story into an existential crisis for the planet. Too often these days, regardless of the medium — books, movies, TV — audiences are told ‘the stakes have been raised (dum dum DUM!)’ to manufacture drama and interest. Here, the author subtly entices the reader on a journey of increasing complexity and scope encompassing hope, fear, love, regret, and acceptance, with each reveal along the way serving to pull us deeper into the story.
This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for that purpose. The book will be available on October 13, 2026.
The tale opens in Paris after the Revolution, with Cal, who is a time traveler, attending a soiree and meeting Olivier, an army officer. Cal has a reason for being in 1789 Paris which we’ll learn about later, but for now there is the spark of mutual attraction with Olivier that must be delicately navigated.
There is of course Cal’s knowledge of future events and his decision to opt for comfort over accuracy in his choice of underwear and a mango-scented deodorant, and while Cal can change genders — the how and why of which is brilliantly explained later — he meets Olivier as a man at a time when discretion is called for. Further complicating their budding romance, Olivier is an army officer, and France will be at war with various coalitions of European nations for many years to come, forcing Cal to contemplate using time travel to save the life of his love — and then face the consequences of doing so.
From this intimate beginning, the story steadily expands outward, growing in scope and complexity, as more is revealed about Cal’s life and ability, and the world they inhabit. We meet other time travelers, and learn most use their unique gift for personal pleasure — to seduce or party with famous figures from the past or to observe key events — and Cal’s relationship with Olivier certainly seems to fall into this category. It can be argued using such a powerful ability this way is selfish and narrow-minded, especially given the hints about the planet’s grim future, but Cal’s choices and decisions are informed by experience, as we’ll see — in time.
So much of my pleasure in reading this novel is how small details are simply presented, especially in the early chapters — such as Cal’s gender swapping ability — and explained or clarified later, seamlessly within the course of narration. These reveals, including the identity of the narrator, were very satisfying and served to draw me deeper and deeper into Cal’s story. Woven throughout are questions about some big issues — the nature of and appropriate use of power, justice, inequity, and societal obligation, for example — but at no point does the narrative become preachy or judgemental. Ultimately Cal is who he has become, and acts accordingly.
I became interested in this author after reading their previous novel, Slow Gods, an outstanding space opera I found original and imaginative, and — similar to As We Fall Through Time — with a lot to say, quietly, about some pretty big questions. Both of these works were thought-provoking and wholly satisfying reads, and I absolutely plan on further exploring the writer’s backlist as well as any future novels.
This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for that purpose. The book will be available on October 13, 2026.
The tale opens in Paris after the Revolution, with Cal, who is a time traveler, attending a soiree and meeting Olivier, an army officer. Cal has a reason for being in 1789 Paris which we’ll learn about later, but for now there is the spark of mutual attraction with Olivier that must be delicately navigated.
There is of course Cal’s knowledge of future events and his decision to opt for comfort over accuracy in his choice of underwear and a mango-scented deodorant, and while Cal can change genders — the how and why of which is brilliantly explained later — he meets Olivier as a man at a time when discretion is called for. Further complicating their budding romance, Olivier is an army officer, and France will be at war with various coalitions of European nations for many years to come, forcing Cal to contemplate using time travel to save the life of his love — and then face the consequences of doing so.
From this intimate beginning, the story steadily expands outward, growing in scope and complexity, as more is revealed about Cal’s life and ability, and the world they inhabit. We meet other time travelers, and learn most use their unique gift for personal pleasure — to seduce or party with famous figures from the past or to observe key events — and Cal’s relationship with Olivier certainly seems to fall into this category. It can be argued using such a powerful ability this way is selfish and narrow-minded, especially given the hints about the planet’s grim future, but Cal’s choices and decisions are informed by experience, as we’ll see — in time.
So much of my pleasure in reading this novel is how small details are simply presented, especially in the early chapters — such as Cal’s gender swapping ability — and explained or clarified later, seamlessly within the course of narration. These reveals, including the identity of the narrator, were very satisfying and served to draw me deeper and deeper into Cal’s story. Woven throughout are questions about some big issues — the nature of and appropriate use of power, justice, inequity, and societal obligation, for example — but at no point does the narrative become preachy or judgemental. Ultimately Cal is who he has become, and acts accordingly.
I became interested in this author after reading their previous novel, Slow Gods, an outstanding space opera I found original and imaginative, and — similar to As We Fall Through Time — with a lot to say, quietly, about some pretty big questions. Both of these works were thought-provoking and wholly satisfying reads, and I absolutely plan on further exploring the writer’s backlist as well as any future novels.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating 4.25
The premise is immediately compelling. A time traveler determined to save the man he loves from a death that history seems determined to preserve. What unfolds is far more than a conventional science-fiction adventure. Instead, Claire North delivers a heartbreaking examination of how love can gradually transform into obsession. Each attempt to rewrite the past unleashes unforeseen consequences, making this a novel not only about time travel, paradoxes, and the delicate fabric of history, but also about grief, longing, and the lengths people will go to avoid loss.
The time-travel mechanics are both inventive and intellectually satisfying. North excels at illustrating how even the smallest alterations can send shockwaves through history, producing outcomes no one could have anticipated. What impressed me most, however, was her understanding of the emotional logic behind obsession. Cal's choices are frequently irrational, selfish, and destructive, yet they remain deeply understandable because they stem from a profoundly human refusal to let go. North never excuses his actions, but neither does she diminish the sincerity of his love.
That said, the novel occasionally becomes tangled in its own complexity. There are moments when the shifting timelines can be difficult to follow, and several secondary characters never evolve beyond their narrative functions. The cyclical nature of Cal's repeated attempts to change history reinforces the book's themes, but it can also slow the pacing. The ending is emotionally rewarding, though it leaves certain questions unresolved. Readers who want every paradox neatly explained may find this frustrating, while those comfortable with ambiguity will likely find the conclusion both powerful and moving.
Overall As We Fall Through Time, is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that demonstrates how the finest time-travel stories are ultimately stories about the human heart. It is neither a puzzle-box science-fiction novel nor simply a romance dressed in speculative-fiction clothing. Its success lies in the way it balances both elements, offering a thoughtful meditation on causality and consequence while telling a deeply affecting story about the impossibility of accepting certain losses.
The premise is immediately compelling. A time traveler determined to save the man he loves from a death that history seems determined to preserve. What unfolds is far more than a conventional science-fiction adventure. Instead, Claire North delivers a heartbreaking examination of how love can gradually transform into obsession. Each attempt to rewrite the past unleashes unforeseen consequences, making this a novel not only about time travel, paradoxes, and the delicate fabric of history, but also about grief, longing, and the lengths people will go to avoid loss.
The time-travel mechanics are both inventive and intellectually satisfying. North excels at illustrating how even the smallest alterations can send shockwaves through history, producing outcomes no one could have anticipated. What impressed me most, however, was her understanding of the emotional logic behind obsession. Cal's choices are frequently irrational, selfish, and destructive, yet they remain deeply understandable because they stem from a profoundly human refusal to let go. North never excuses his actions, but neither does she diminish the sincerity of his love.
That said, the novel occasionally becomes tangled in its own complexity. There are moments when the shifting timelines can be difficult to follow, and several secondary characters never evolve beyond their narrative functions. The cyclical nature of Cal's repeated attempts to change history reinforces the book's themes, but it can also slow the pacing. The ending is emotionally rewarding, though it leaves certain questions unresolved. Readers who want every paradox neatly explained may find this frustrating, while those comfortable with ambiguity will likely find the conclusion both powerful and moving.
Overall As We Fall Through Time, is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that demonstrates how the finest time-travel stories are ultimately stories about the human heart. It is neither a puzzle-box science-fiction novel nor simply a romance dressed in speculative-fiction clothing. Its success lies in the way it balances both elements, offering a thoughtful meditation on causality and consequence while telling a deeply affecting story about the impossibility of accepting certain losses.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I liked this one, I didn't love it, and I think that's mostly down to how messy it felt. Not messy in the sense of being hard to follow exactly, but messy in the sense that every single step the characters take through time comes loaded with more information than I feel is necessary. I'm sure she had a blast writing this. But I did have to make myself finish this one.
Dialogue is limited throughout, so a lot of the reading experience is just..our MC on his own, or her own, depending on which version you get - this person in that time, having to go back in order to go forward, jumping sideways into other times, back and forth, back and forth. It messed with my reading rhythm, making it hard to settle in. It didn't really feel like there was an anchor in this story.
The last two books by Claire North, this one included, just haven't scratched the itch since I first read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I want to be swept away. But the style and rhythm of this one never quite pulled me under.
Fadimatu was the highlight for me, by a wide margin. I could have read a whole book about her. But that's the luxury of being a side character, isn't it? You get to be fascinating in small doses without having to carry the structural weight of the entire plot. The Ones, the main characters, the ones things actually happen to, rarely get to be as effortlessly compelling because they're too busy being load-bearing.
So, liked it, didn't love it. What this book did, though, was send me back to The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which has been one of my all-time favorites and which I am now strongly considering rereading. I've only read it once, so now I'm wondering if it still lives up to my hype.
Dialogue is limited throughout, so a lot of the reading experience is just..our MC on his own, or her own, depending on which version you get - this person in that time, having to go back in order to go forward, jumping sideways into other times, back and forth, back and forth. It messed with my reading rhythm, making it hard to settle in. It didn't really feel like there was an anchor in this story.
The last two books by Claire North, this one included, just haven't scratched the itch since I first read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I want to be swept away. But the style and rhythm of this one never quite pulled me under.
Fadimatu was the highlight for me, by a wide margin. I could have read a whole book about her. But that's the luxury of being a side character, isn't it? You get to be fascinating in small doses without having to carry the structural weight of the entire plot. The Ones, the main characters, the ones things actually happen to, rarely get to be as effortlessly compelling because they're too busy being load-bearing.
So, liked it, didn't love it. What this book did, though, was send me back to The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which has been one of my all-time favorites and which I am now strongly considering rereading. I've only read it once, so now I'm wondering if it still lives up to my hype.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve never done this before for a book review: I am pasting in the exact book review I wrote for one of the author’s previous books. I like Claire North’s work and AS WE FALL THROUGH TIME is another in her bold attempts to play with time and space. Yet. In reading a previous review, I don’t think I can say anything different this time round.
Some sections of this book are fantastic and others are almost sleep-inducing. The concept is creative and complex; the execution is complicated for this reader to fully enjoy or dislike. I was never completely sure what was happening. I kept wanting to stop reading the book but did not. The characters I was certain I did not care about in the slightest have stuck with me throughout the rest of the day, after I finished the book, and they just won't get out of my mind. The description of the book was enough to make me want to read it and once begun, I disliked it almost immediately. And just couldn't seem to put it down. If that kind of love/hate sensation with a book entices you, then this book is just right.
I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
Some sections of this book are fantastic and others are almost sleep-inducing. The concept is creative and complex; the execution is complicated for this reader to fully enjoy or dislike. I was never completely sure what was happening. I kept wanting to stop reading the book but did not. The characters I was certain I did not care about in the slightest have stuck with me throughout the rest of the day, after I finished the book, and they just won't get out of my mind. The description of the book was enough to make me want to read it and once begun, I disliked it almost immediately. And just couldn't seem to put it down. If that kind of love/hate sensation with a book entices you, then this book is just right.
I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I can see the potential and don't think the book is an absolute disaster. Some people will love this.
I find it incredibly hard to review this book because, to put it simply, I don't think it was for me.
Here's what I think affected my appreciation of the book:
- This is an ARC, I'm not sure if the format is final but I found it hard to follow. Some sentences would just skip to the next line or the next paragraph. It could be the final format as it makes the story distorded so maybe that was the author's goal. If that's an ARC's format mistake ignore this point.
- I know time travel has no rules, but the lack of explanation and the way the reader has to follow along almost made me DNF multiple times
-POV changes were not announced in any ways. Just a line change. I understand it's part of the mystery but a clear sign (multiple lines skipped, for example) would have helped.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I can see the potential and don't think the book is an absolute disaster. Some people will love this.
I find it incredibly hard to review this book because, to put it simply, I don't think it was for me.
Here's what I think affected my appreciation of the book:
- This is an ARC, I'm not sure if the format is final but I found it hard to follow. Some sentences would just skip to the next line or the next paragraph. It could be the final format as it makes the story distorded so maybe that was the author's goal. If that's an ARC's format mistake ignore this point.
- I know time travel has no rules, but the lack of explanation and the way the reader has to follow along almost made me DNF multiple times
-POV changes were not announced in any ways. Just a line change. I understand it's part of the mystery but a clear sign (multiple lines skipped, for example) would have helped.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Most of the rating is for the writing, because I truly liked that but the plot was not... Ideal.
I think I went into As We Fall Through Time expecting This is How You Lose The Time War or The Invisible Life if Addie LaRue two books that I deeply love, and this fell short. Not the characters nor the plot was strong enough to make me want to read the entire book, but I did it because I wanted to be able to give a valid review. The key word is lacking. What is lacking? I couldn't tell you. It just didn't click, I wasn't interested.
But I will say the writing is good.
Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC.
I think I went into As We Fall Through Time expecting This is How You Lose The Time War or The Invisible Life if Addie LaRue two books that I deeply love, and this fell short. Not the characters nor the plot was strong enough to make me want to read the entire book, but I did it because I wanted to be able to give a valid review. The key word is lacking. What is lacking? I couldn't tell you. It just didn't click, I wasn't interested.
But I will say the writing is good.
Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As We Fall Through Time is a disjointed, interesting, and suspenseful time travel novel that has a lot of big ideas. It's a bit of a mess, but life is messy. Time travel is messy. Cal is a bit of a mess as he tries to untangle a paradox that threatens to end the world.
Cal and his friend, fellow time-traveler Fadimatu, attempt to stop a giant paradox and set things right. The writing style is a little lofty but it doesn't take away from the plot. I did really like the way those who could time travel did so, by moving through the history of buildings, Neat idea.
While not my favorite time travel novel, I enjoyed this book. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
Cal and his friend, fellow time-traveler Fadimatu, attempt to stop a giant paradox and set things right. The writing style is a little lofty but it doesn't take away from the plot. I did really like the way those who could time travel did so, by moving through the history of buildings, Neat idea.
While not my favorite time travel novel, I enjoyed this book. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It’s a slow-burn sci-fi novel. Although I love science fiction, I'm growing tired of books that make me work so hard to get to the end. The writing is excellent, and if I weren't so "Murakami-ed out", I probably would have enjoyed it more. Still, if you appreciate thoughtful, slow-building stories, this book is worth your time.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I'm going to need a little time to process this one. I just loved it far too much. There's intricate world building and many great twists, but it's also a very tender dreamy book about love, friendship, and grief. I'd say it's one of the best time travel novels I've read and, to me, dipping into always felt like sinking into a dream. Or, I guess, falling through time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars, rounding up. Some people will absolutely love this, and it is really well done. I found the threads a little bit too difficult to follow, and I suspect if I really looked hard the coherence would somewhat fall apart, but this is a really ambitious science fiction time travel book and its amazing that it hangs together as well as it does.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Claire North always breaks my brain in the best way. Ferociously smart novel about time travelers, a deadly paradox, and love that crosses oceans of time in a way that Dracula would approve of most heartily.
Want to Read
April 7, 202613/10/26
Want to Read
May 30, 2026rec by Kate Everything
it is time travel, after all
it is time travel, after all
June 16, 2026
Honestly, this is a hell of a flex of a time travel novel, both in terms of the plotting and craft. We get the story of a time traveller trying to save the man he falls in love with, one of her friends in the future who finds her own mummified corpse in a museum, the flow of time shattering around them both, and how they try to unravel what's going on before it all falls apart. The way that time travel is portrayed by North is incredibly well done, and yes, the fluidity of it all also applies to Cal's gender/pronouns, deal with it. Comes out in October, and highly recommended when it does.
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