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As We Fall Through Time
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Fall through history on a thrilling journey of shattered time, broken futures, and a love that can never be erased, perfect for fans of This is How You Lose the Time War and The Ministry of Time.
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's the point of being a time traveler 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 travelers have built, breaking both past and future, they must reckon with death foretold, love forsaken, and a secret that will shatter time itself.
An extraordinary tale of time travel, betrayal, and a love that echoes through the centuries, from Claire North, the multi-award-winning author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.
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's the point of being a time traveler 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 travelers have built, breaking both past and future, they must reckon with death foretold, love forsaken, and a secret that will shatter time itself.
An extraordinary tale of time travel, betrayal, and a love that echoes through the centuries, from Claire North, the multi-award-winning author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.
414 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
About the author
Claire North
30 books4,524 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 - 30 of 92 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my fourth book by Claire North and it’s heavily influenced my review, but c’est la vie.
DNF @ 40%
My first book by this author was Slow Gods which I think set me up for a belief about Claire North that may or may not be true. A sweeping, epic space opera that was ambitious and imaginative, I couldn’t wait to see what else they had written, especially with such an extensive bibliography.
The next book I read was The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August which is wildly, insanely different from Slow Gods but still really well done, and I enjoyed it a lot. From there I moved on to Touch and was disappointed to notice almost immediately that it was basically Harry August with the skin of a different scifi concept layered on top.
Now I’ve come to As We Fall Through Time and I’m stunned to find the same thing has happened. In all 3 novels, North has taken an MC with some kind of ability that enables them to exist as an outsider to humanity and the constraints of time/location/whatever else. It shows clearly in all 3 books that North has some sort of higher education in history and geography, and can’t seem to hold back from absolutely lathering books with this knowledge. In every single book they get into this writing loop of just bouncing their MC around endlessly instead of actually telling a story. By whatever chosen method of scifi the book is employing, somewhere in the story the plot is completely abandoned to start a series of bouncing. The MC will be using trains, boats, planes and their method of ability (in this case time travel) to just bounce absolutely everywhere. Start in Berlin, take a train to such and such, stop to time travel a decade forward, take a boat to someplace, time travel a century in the past, take a camel to other place, time travel forward ten years to when they’ve invented XYZ, blah blah blah blah. Meanwhile during all this North is peppering the reader with historical facts about every single location, or method of travel, or dropping tidbits about how the MC has a previously established bank account in such place and it’s now overflowing with money, et cetera.
This was charming the first time I read it. It’s not as charming reading it for the third time. In fact, the third BOOK, and it had already happened multiple times in this book alone by the 40% mark when I became completely and totally bored with it.
I really love how Claire North writes. I easily could have finished this book IF it was the first book of theirs I’d ever read. But sadly it was not, and looking at it, and looking at Slow Gods, I’m left wondering how this severe departure happened to create such an intense space opera, only to return to the status quo for the very next novel. I’m not sure I’ve totally given up on them as an author but I would need to be absolutely sure I wasn’t being lured in to another bounce about novel before I tried again.
DNF @ 40%
My first book by this author was Slow Gods which I think set me up for a belief about Claire North that may or may not be true. A sweeping, epic space opera that was ambitious and imaginative, I couldn’t wait to see what else they had written, especially with such an extensive bibliography.
The next book I read was The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August which is wildly, insanely different from Slow Gods but still really well done, and I enjoyed it a lot. From there I moved on to Touch and was disappointed to notice almost immediately that it was basically Harry August with the skin of a different scifi concept layered on top.
Now I’ve come to As We Fall Through Time and I’m stunned to find the same thing has happened. In all 3 novels, North has taken an MC with some kind of ability that enables them to exist as an outsider to humanity and the constraints of time/location/whatever else. It shows clearly in all 3 books that North has some sort of higher education in history and geography, and can’t seem to hold back from absolutely lathering books with this knowledge. In every single book they get into this writing loop of just bouncing their MC around endlessly instead of actually telling a story. By whatever chosen method of scifi the book is employing, somewhere in the story the plot is completely abandoned to start a series of bouncing. The MC will be using trains, boats, planes and their method of ability (in this case time travel) to just bounce absolutely everywhere. Start in Berlin, take a train to such and such, stop to time travel a decade forward, take a boat to someplace, time travel a century in the past, take a camel to other place, time travel forward ten years to when they’ve invented XYZ, blah blah blah blah. Meanwhile during all this North is peppering the reader with historical facts about every single location, or method of travel, or dropping tidbits about how the MC has a previously established bank account in such place and it’s now overflowing with money, et cetera.
This was charming the first time I read it. It’s not as charming reading it for the third time. In fact, the third BOOK, and it had already happened multiple times in this book alone by the 40% mark when I became completely and totally bored with it.
I really love how Claire North writes. I easily could have finished this book IF it was the first book of theirs I’d ever read. But sadly it was not, and looking at it, and looking at Slow Gods, I’m left wondering how this severe departure happened to create such an intense space opera, only to return to the status quo for the very next novel. I’m not sure I’ve totally given up on them as an author but I would need to be absolutely sure I wasn’t being lured in to another bounce about novel before I tried again.
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.
August 30, 2026
I was excited to see this on NetGalley as an ARC, having read and enjoyed some of Claire North’s novels before. She is inventive and original and has a distinctive and beautiful style of writing. I’m particularly interested in the time-travel genre, and so this was a happy match for me.
The book did not disappoint, though I think it is slightly too long and at times it’s repetitive.
We have here a time-travel story which is contained within a dystopian climate-change scenario. The depiction of the effects of climate-change are graphic and genuinely scary. The time-travel part also has its own emergency in the form of the Paradox to end all paradoxes(!) and which would also extinguish the human race, the planet and all of space-time in the process.
I believe the parallel between these two emergencies is intentional. High alert!
I’m always keen to see two things in time-travel books: one is ‘the mechanism’ (how they travel in time) and the other is the treatment of paradoxes. In this book the ‘mechanism’ is a wonderfully original method involving natural ability on the part of the traveller, and… old walls. I shall say no more, this is delightful and I won’t spoil it for you. The paradoxes are there too, and so many of them! The problem is not ducked - time-travel involves paradoxes, so deal with it! In this book the main characters spend a lot of energy on dealing with the paradoxes that they create for themselves, as well as finding a way out of the major Paradox that’s going to eat everything.
The main characters, Cal, Fadimatu, Olivier, Bede and the ‘witch’ are interesting, but not always completely well-drawn. This is perhaps a consequence of the way the narrative jumps about in time - we have different versions of the characters at different points in the timeline and one of them even becomes a ‘ghost’ of his own uncreated self and has different motivations from his original. It seems we don’t really get to know them very well.
Interestingly, Cal, the main protagonist, is male sometimes, and then female at others. S/he marries twice during the story, both times as a man, once to a man, and once to a woman. I feel there is an opportunity lost here to examine the nature of this gender-fluidity. We don’t get something like Woolf’s Orlando here, it’s different territory…
Cal’s marriage to Harriet, around the time of the English Civil War, is interesting, but undeveloped. This is something like a Time-Travellers Wife story in miniature. I was left wanting to know more.
What we do get a lot of is the descriptions of the Paradox as it opens first as a crack in the ceiling and then larger and larger as it eats Berlin and renders millions of future and past lives null and void. I think this is where the novel is strong (in so far as the writing here is beautifully done) but also where it is a little weak, as we get more of the same at several points in the narrative.
There are some interesting fight sequences where we have characters, particularly Bede, looping back on their own time-line to join the fight as several different versions of themselves. Nicely done, good use of paradox and mechanism but again, you can have too much of a good thing.
Very enjoyable, but not without flaws.
This is my honest review after a full read of an ARC. Thanks to Net Galley and the author.
The book did not disappoint, though I think it is slightly too long and at times it’s repetitive.
We have here a time-travel story which is contained within a dystopian climate-change scenario. The depiction of the effects of climate-change are graphic and genuinely scary. The time-travel part also has its own emergency in the form of the Paradox to end all paradoxes(!) and which would also extinguish the human race, the planet and all of space-time in the process.
I believe the parallel between these two emergencies is intentional. High alert!
I’m always keen to see two things in time-travel books: one is ‘the mechanism’ (how they travel in time) and the other is the treatment of paradoxes. In this book the ‘mechanism’ is a wonderfully original method involving natural ability on the part of the traveller, and… old walls. I shall say no more, this is delightful and I won’t spoil it for you. The paradoxes are there too, and so many of them! The problem is not ducked - time-travel involves paradoxes, so deal with it! In this book the main characters spend a lot of energy on dealing with the paradoxes that they create for themselves, as well as finding a way out of the major Paradox that’s going to eat everything.
The main characters, Cal, Fadimatu, Olivier, Bede and the ‘witch’ are interesting, but not always completely well-drawn. This is perhaps a consequence of the way the narrative jumps about in time - we have different versions of the characters at different points in the timeline and one of them even becomes a ‘ghost’ of his own uncreated self and has different motivations from his original. It seems we don’t really get to know them very well.
Interestingly, Cal, the main protagonist, is male sometimes, and then female at others. S/he marries twice during the story, both times as a man, once to a man, and once to a woman. I feel there is an opportunity lost here to examine the nature of this gender-fluidity. We don’t get something like Woolf’s Orlando here, it’s different territory…
Cal’s marriage to Harriet, around the time of the English Civil War, is interesting, but undeveloped. This is something like a Time-Travellers Wife story in miniature. I was left wanting to know more.
What we do get a lot of is the descriptions of the Paradox as it opens first as a crack in the ceiling and then larger and larger as it eats Berlin and renders millions of future and past lives null and void. I think this is where the novel is strong (in so far as the writing here is beautifully done) but also where it is a little weak, as we get more of the same at several points in the narrative.
There are some interesting fight sequences where we have characters, particularly Bede, looping back on their own time-line to join the fight as several different versions of themselves. Nicely done, good use of paradox and mechanism but again, you can have too much of a good thing.
Very enjoyable, but not without flaws.
This is my honest review after a full read of an ARC. Thanks to Net Galley and the author.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Going into this book, I knew it sounded like something I’d enjoy, but I wasn't prepared for just how deeply it would captivate me. It was absolutely wonderful!
We follow Cal, a time-traveller who falls in love with a non-time-traveller, and what a journey Claire North takes us on. Her writing gripped me from the very first page, expertly weaving timelines together with the charm of Cal’s character and his desperate mission to save the man he loves.
The plot and pacing are flawless. You're dropped straight into the action without relying on heavy info-dumps or massive blocks of world-building. Instead, the universe unfolds naturally over time; the more you read, the more the grand design clicks into place.
While I won't spoil it, the time-travel mechanics were easily my favourite aspect, it's such a fresh, fascinating take on how temporal mechanics could work. The jumping between timelines was thrilling! As a lover of historical fiction, exploring such a vast range of centuries and cultures, whiplashing from 2033 to the 1600s, was an absolute delight.
Claire introduces high-stakes "emergencies" in the form of paradoxes, time loops, and the potential end of the world, creating a palpable sense of doom that made this impossible to put down. The paradox scenes in particular are so vividly described that they feel genuinely terrifying and tense.
I also loved the fluidity of Cal’s character, who manifests as male or female depending on the timeline and situation. The supporting characters, including Bede, Fadimatu, and the witch all play integral roles in the narrative, even if their importance isn't immediately obvious at the start.
I’ve kept this review intentionally vague because this is a story best experienced by simply letting yourself get swept away. It was a gloriously woven tale of love and duty, and I’m so glad I read it.
Thank you to @orbitbooks_uk for the proof copy!
We follow Cal, a time-traveller who falls in love with a non-time-traveller, and what a journey Claire North takes us on. Her writing gripped me from the very first page, expertly weaving timelines together with the charm of Cal’s character and his desperate mission to save the man he loves.
The plot and pacing are flawless. You're dropped straight into the action without relying on heavy info-dumps or massive blocks of world-building. Instead, the universe unfolds naturally over time; the more you read, the more the grand design clicks into place.
While I won't spoil it, the time-travel mechanics were easily my favourite aspect, it's such a fresh, fascinating take on how temporal mechanics could work. The jumping between timelines was thrilling! As a lover of historical fiction, exploring such a vast range of centuries and cultures, whiplashing from 2033 to the 1600s, was an absolute delight.
Claire introduces high-stakes "emergencies" in the form of paradoxes, time loops, and the potential end of the world, creating a palpable sense of doom that made this impossible to put down. The paradox scenes in particular are so vividly described that they feel genuinely terrifying and tense.
I also loved the fluidity of Cal’s character, who manifests as male or female depending on the timeline and situation. The supporting characters, including Bede, Fadimatu, and the witch all play integral roles in the narrative, even if their importance isn't immediately obvious at the start.
I’ve kept this review intentionally vague because this is a story best experienced by simply letting yourself get swept away. It was a gloriously woven tale of love and duty, and I’m so glad I read it.
Thank you to @orbitbooks_uk for the proof copy!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.75
I started this book unsure how I’d feel, but with each page I fell more in love with the idea of this world, and our main character, Cal, a time traveler.
The crux of this story is Cal’s love story, with non-time traveller, Olivier. A mystery unfolds as Olivier disappears suddenly from time, and Cal is left to pick up the pieces… which leads him to fellow time-travelers, and paradoxes galore.
The pacing is fantastic, dropping you straight into the action without overwhelming info-dumps or pages of world-building. Instead, the universe unfolds naturally, and the more you read, the more the bigger picture clicks into place, especially our secret narrator.
I loved being thrown between centuries and cultures….from 2033 to the 1600s and everywhere in between. As a lover of historical fiction, this was so fun. I also LOVED how North uses archives in this book, the focus of its importance for humanity, and what comes after was so heartwarming.
One aspect of this book that I really loved, was Cal’s fluidity, manifesting as male or female depending on the timeline and circumstances, and at no point does it change how those who care about them do so.
Such an inventive take on time travel, with love and humanity imbued in it from 1200s France to 2200s Oslo. Across time, across gender, and across every page of this book I fell more in love with this book.
I started this book unsure how I’d feel, but with each page I fell more in love with the idea of this world, and our main character, Cal, a time traveler.
The crux of this story is Cal’s love story, with non-time traveller, Olivier. A mystery unfolds as Olivier disappears suddenly from time, and Cal is left to pick up the pieces… which leads him to fellow time-travelers, and paradoxes galore.
The pacing is fantastic, dropping you straight into the action without overwhelming info-dumps or pages of world-building. Instead, the universe unfolds naturally, and the more you read, the more the bigger picture clicks into place, especially our secret narrator.
I loved being thrown between centuries and cultures….from 2033 to the 1600s and everywhere in between. As a lover of historical fiction, this was so fun. I also LOVED how North uses archives in this book, the focus of its importance for humanity, and what comes after was so heartwarming.
One aspect of this book that I really loved, was Cal’s fluidity, manifesting as male or female depending on the timeline and circumstances, and at no point does it change how those who care about them do so.
Such an inventive take on time travel, with love and humanity imbued in it from 1200s France to 2200s Oslo. Across time, across gender, and across every page of this book I fell more in love with this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I started Claire North’s As We Fall Through Time with my coffee and quickly realized this was NOT going to be one of those books I could casually read while half paying attention. Thank you to Orbit Books for the gifted copy. Do you ever read a book where you’re pretty sure you understand what’s happening…and then three pages later you’re questioning everything again?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cal is a time traveller who falls in love with Olivier, a French soldier during the Revolution. Cal knows Olivier is destined to die, but when you can move through centuries, following the rules and accepting fate suddenly seem a little less reasonable. Surely one tiny change to history couldn’t hurt.
You already know where this is going.
Except I absolutely did not.
What begins as a love story becomes something MUCH bigger, involving paradoxes, fractured timelines, climate disaster, murder, friendship, grief, and the potential end of everything. Then there’s Fadimatu, who walks into a museum in 2018 and discovers her own mummified corpse. That certainly gets your attention.
I loved how creative the time travel felt. Cal moves through the history of objects and places, and every little alteration carries the possibility of creating something far more dangerous. There were moments when I had to reread a paragraph and tell my brain, “Okay, we’re here now. I think.”
And honestly? This one required patience from me. It’s dense, it wanders, and some of the descriptions of the paradoxes went on longer than I needed. But when everything started coming together, I understood why the story had taken such a complicated road.
What stayed with me most wasn’t actually the mechanics of time travel. It was Cal’s refusal to simply accept losing someone he loves. How far would you go if time itself gave you another chance? And at what point does saving one person become too expensive for everyone else?
This was my first Claire North, and she definitely made my brain work overtime.
If you could change one moment in history but had no idea what the consequences would be, what would you choose?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cal is a time traveller who falls in love with Olivier, a French soldier during the Revolution. Cal knows Olivier is destined to die, but when you can move through centuries, following the rules and accepting fate suddenly seem a little less reasonable. Surely one tiny change to history couldn’t hurt.
You already know where this is going.
Except I absolutely did not.
What begins as a love story becomes something MUCH bigger, involving paradoxes, fractured timelines, climate disaster, murder, friendship, grief, and the potential end of everything. Then there’s Fadimatu, who walks into a museum in 2018 and discovers her own mummified corpse. That certainly gets your attention.
I loved how creative the time travel felt. Cal moves through the history of objects and places, and every little alteration carries the possibility of creating something far more dangerous. There were moments when I had to reread a paragraph and tell my brain, “Okay, we’re here now. I think.”
And honestly? This one required patience from me. It’s dense, it wanders, and some of the descriptions of the paradoxes went on longer than I needed. But when everything started coming together, I understood why the story had taken such a complicated road.
What stayed with me most wasn’t actually the mechanics of time travel. It was Cal’s refusal to simply accept losing someone he loves. How far would you go if time itself gave you another chance? And at what point does saving one person become too expensive for everyone else?
This was my first Claire North, and she definitely made my brain work overtime.
If you could change one moment in history but had no idea what the consequences would be, what would you choose?
Read
July 5, 2026⏳💫As We Fall Through Time 💫⏳
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Time Travel Romance
• Queer Romance
• Multiple Timelines
• Time Paradoxes
• Star Crossed Lovers
• Epic Sci Fi
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: October 13, 2026
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Time Travel Romance
• Queer Romance
• Multiple Timelines
• Time Paradoxes
• Star Crossed Lovers
• Epic Sci Fi
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: October 13, 2026
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
September 13, 2026
What an emotional journey! We follow Cal as they fall through time, fall in love, discover truths about humanity and its future, fight to survive, and suffer loss. It’s a gripping emotional, sci-fi thriller. North’s writing is filled with emotion, and I could feel myself in Cal’s experience. The perspective is a little bit of a mystery until about 60% of the way in. The one downside to this story is the multiple conflict points. There is a love\loss story, humanity’s extinction, the plight of the time travelers, and Cal’s personal development. There are consistent threads that tie them together, but sometimes these points promise story paths that aren’t followed, and I felt the emotion of the main conflicts were muted because of this. Overall, the editing is beautiful and emotional, and the story is thrilling.
Thanks NetGalley for the review copy!
Thanks NetGalley for the review copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m not sure that I knew this was a time travel book before I asked for it, or perhaps I thought this was another author (Charity Norman perhaps?). Anyway, I read it.
I did not like the way it jumped between using speech marks for conversations and not. Not using speech marks is one of my bugbears.
I did enjoy the time travelling itself, how it was done, how it was used to help in the future via bank deposits set up in, say, 1920 or documents provided in the past. However, as to the apocalypse foretold and travelled to, I did not like.
Perhaps this underwhelmed review is my fault for choosing this book. Apologies if so.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC
I did not like the way it jumped between using speech marks for conversations and not. Not using speech marks is one of my bugbears.
I did enjoy the time travelling itself, how it was done, how it was used to help in the future via bank deposits set up in, say, 1920 or documents provided in the past. However, as to the apocalypse foretold and travelled to, I did not like.
Perhaps this underwhelmed review is my fault for choosing this book. Apologies if so.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the first book I have read by Claire North and I loved it ! Ostensibly SciFi, but also plenty of real historical events and some horror alongside richly portrayed characters, compelling plots, moral dilemmas and occasional laugh-out-loud humour ! What’s not to like ? Well a couple of things, but I’ll come to those later.
The book begins in Paris, July, 1789. A lot is going on. Revolution to start with. We meet our main protagonist, Cal, a time-traveller from the future and his encounter with a young French Officer. Cal is able to control his travel via contact with inanimate objects. Objects substantial enough to remain physically in-place indefinitely, thus providing an anchor as he moves through time able to control more-or-less when in time he will arrive. As for his relationships with people, well, that is less under his control. It’s complicated…
I love books that have real historical events playing a key role in plots and characters lives. A reader will lean much about numerous historical events from this book. In addition to the Revolution we encounter various aspects of French adventurism in not only Europe but also Egypt and Russia. Another location is Istanbul, always fascinating, Berlin, a fine location to explore, as well as London, Seoul, and LA to name a few more places where Cal and other time-travellers visit. The author paints a compelling picture of these locations and particularly the events that form a crucial background to the plot. Without giving away too much, the plot concerns the complexity of life, writ large and small. From the fragility of complicated distance-relationships to the future of mankind on Earth !
The plot builds slowly, mainly from the perspective of Cal, our intrepid Time-Traveller. But also occasionally a little bit of third-person narrative comes into the text; observing, commenting, someone not a participant in the story. Not yet anyway…
Cal is not alone in his ability to time-travel. As he moves forwards and backwards in time, we are introduced to several other colleagues, who have taken on the task of, if not saving the world exactly, at least capturing human knowledge for whoever, whatever comes next. As you might expect, the future is dystopian. Some of those extreme climate scenarios bandied about today came to be, and indeed were an existential threat to mankind.
“By the mid 2200s, global heating has run out of control. Half the world is flooded, the other half a desert. Geo-engineering is all that’s really left, so they do it…”
The plot moves along swimmingly, characters are developed, the future earth encountered and some of the problems with zipping about in time are explored. Small changes caused by Travellers visiting the past are somewhat tolerable, with only minor disruptions due to the time-paradox phenomenon. Local, not spreading too much. But significant interactions in the past can have larger consequences resulting in cataclysmic, violent events. Hence the reader will come to understand that changing the past to improve the future is not the slam-dunk it might appear to be.
Time-travellers have to tread carefully in the past. Not all are benevolent. Thankfully some are, and do their best to improve the future world. And what if they fail ? Does mankind cease to exist ? While much of the story takes place in the past or relatively near future, the reader does get a peak at an Earth many millennia from now; the ‘what comes next’. Or does it ? There are some delicious moral questions posed by the author. Both on a small scale, of love found/love lost but also on a much larger scale. Clumsy or malevolent time-travellers have the potential to do some serious damage !
Amongst the warmth and tenderness of relationships, the ever-present unrest in the world, time-paradox phenomenons and the zipping around, the author manages to also inject some wonderful humour. I loved this aspect of the book; horror, sci-fi, warm relationships, accompanied by a chuckle every now and then. A charming description of the French revolutionary soldier, Oliver:
“…would have been sculpted by an apprentice on their first day on the job. His ears were a bit too large, sockets a bit too deep, nose too wide, cheeks a little too sallow…resulting in an oversized gauntness that the charitable called ‘characterful’…”
There are some tender moments. Would Cal, our intrepid traveller pop out to the future and return with medication to make his friend’s life more comfortable ? Of course he would. He might have some explaining to do but somehow the author convinces us of the feasibility of such an event. This is, after all, a time-travelling book, so reality has to be suspended or at least sidelined from time to time. I enjoy how the author can change tone and topic so readily without compromising the overall direction of the book. Elements of history, sci-fi and horror seamlessly co-existing, despite some unsettling graphic and chilling descriptions:
“…this shuffling noise, and really the only word that will serve, the only description that really does it justice, is clawed. Clawed feet, climbing the stairs.…The smell of vinegar …The stink of sulphur…”
Spine-tingling stuff. Brrrr…
I love some of the juxtaposition of modern language or knowledge with past events. Oliver faces almost certain death in Egypt while taking part in one of Napoleon’s foreign adventures. A reader may decide to take their time with this book, visiting wikipedia to learn more about some of the events portrayed. Fortunately Cal is aware of the situation in Egypt and pops up to save the day, well, to save his friend at least.
“Funny pickle you got yourself in. Have you heard of the Rosetta Stone? It’s going to be huge – trust me.”
Oliver exits this particular conflict zone. Safe for the moment. This event was only:
“…a crack in time, a little paradox of dancing, messy energies…”
Larger disruptions come later in the book and are frankly quite messy.
The author choice of dialogue works well. Historical language is more formal, F-bombs are saved for the future, but somehow Oliver and Cal communicate, although our soldier is no fool. He knows there something different, otherworldly about his new friend. He doesn’t ever seem to age for a start.
Apart from nurturing their relationship, Cal has a job to do. More of an obligation really. Saving the world no less ! He has an ally in the future. Fadimatu, an Archivist. Someone doing their best to catalogue and save human knowledge, just in case. Lofty goals, but also some fundamental trivial human needs. Cal and Fadimatu time-travel to Paris in 2024:
“…in search of info on Cals lover, and fine pastries, not just from any bakery, a certain boulangerie ! Zipping back a few decades to locate the exact bakery that no longer existed ! zipping forward for dinner, back again to shop for Napoleonic clothing…”
I like a good croissant as much as the next person, bur what can one surmise from this ? Perhaps Foodies survive whatever dystopian future might eventuate.
But on a more serious note, Fadimatu observes:
“I will cause whatever paradox, rewrite any book in history to save our planet. That is what is at stake here, Cal. That is the only thing that matters. We have the privilege of prophecy, but for us, prophecy is not predestination.”
Without giving too much away, this book has some lovely aspects. From friendships to earth-shattering events. While the former are warm, tender, and charming, the latter are violent, visceral and vivid. The author adjusts the tone and language depending on the circumstances. It works. I love the appearance of the unseen narrator relatively late in the book, and the wrinkle it brings to the plot. This adds a depth and moral-dilemma to a story that is truly breath-taking. I’ve said too much. No more on that.
As I said at the start, I loved this book. but, as with most books, I have the occasional small quibble. There is a complexity to the plots. Jumping about through time adds further confusion. The reader should not be discouraged. The overall sense of direction remain clear throughout the book. But I have a feeling that one plot aspect is not explored in enough depth. It is there, writ large, wonderfully introduced, but could have gone deeper. Perhaps as an alternate ending ? Or another book ?
Another aspect although not dominating is slightly distracting. It is reflecting on the usual grievances from the Culture Wars. While Climate-Change is crucial to the plot, some of the other issues alluded to are not. It is mildly interesting to read observations on the merits of Capitalism, Politics, America, Veganism, Gender and so forth, but sometimes the tone seems a little preachy, tangential to the themes explored and perhaps not really necessary. A small quibble and certainly not intended to dissuade anyone from reading this book. I assume if you have got this far in my review, you are going to rush out and buy this book ! That would certainly be my enthusiastic recommendation.
The descriptions of the larger time-paradox disruptions are long, vivid, violent and ultimately unfathomable. The first couple were great descriptions. Think of the ending of Kubrick’s ‘2001’, but on steroids, double-speed and at max volume. Subsequent time-paradox disruptions were similar but had less impact. This long book would not have lost anything with a little judicious editing. The reader keen to move on can easily skip or skim some paragraphs.
The conclusion is satisfying, taking place over the final quarter of the book. Riveting, magical, funny, wondrous, moving, compelling. I could go on. The multiple plot threads are mostly wrapped up. But still leave the reader with lots to think about. If you knew the future, would you, could you, should you…kill ? The innocent ? A whole family ? Children ? This and other moral or ethical questions raised by the author are important. The context in which the author places them makes these questions more realistic, relevant to today and how we react to the modern world, to life decisions, to politicians and policies with which we disagree.
Anyone who enjoys a rich, deep, though-provoking book will enjoy ‘As We Fall Through Time’. This book is an excellent introduction to an author I did not know. I look forward to reading more from Claire North; back catalogue and future work. I wish the very best for publication.
The book begins in Paris, July, 1789. A lot is going on. Revolution to start with. We meet our main protagonist, Cal, a time-traveller from the future and his encounter with a young French Officer. Cal is able to control his travel via contact with inanimate objects. Objects substantial enough to remain physically in-place indefinitely, thus providing an anchor as he moves through time able to control more-or-less when in time he will arrive. As for his relationships with people, well, that is less under his control. It’s complicated…
I love books that have real historical events playing a key role in plots and characters lives. A reader will lean much about numerous historical events from this book. In addition to the Revolution we encounter various aspects of French adventurism in not only Europe but also Egypt and Russia. Another location is Istanbul, always fascinating, Berlin, a fine location to explore, as well as London, Seoul, and LA to name a few more places where Cal and other time-travellers visit. The author paints a compelling picture of these locations and particularly the events that form a crucial background to the plot. Without giving away too much, the plot concerns the complexity of life, writ large and small. From the fragility of complicated distance-relationships to the future of mankind on Earth !
The plot builds slowly, mainly from the perspective of Cal, our intrepid Time-Traveller. But also occasionally a little bit of third-person narrative comes into the text; observing, commenting, someone not a participant in the story. Not yet anyway…
Cal is not alone in his ability to time-travel. As he moves forwards and backwards in time, we are introduced to several other colleagues, who have taken on the task of, if not saving the world exactly, at least capturing human knowledge for whoever, whatever comes next. As you might expect, the future is dystopian. Some of those extreme climate scenarios bandied about today came to be, and indeed were an existential threat to mankind.
“By the mid 2200s, global heating has run out of control. Half the world is flooded, the other half a desert. Geo-engineering is all that’s really left, so they do it…”
The plot moves along swimmingly, characters are developed, the future earth encountered and some of the problems with zipping about in time are explored. Small changes caused by Travellers visiting the past are somewhat tolerable, with only minor disruptions due to the time-paradox phenomenon. Local, not spreading too much. But significant interactions in the past can have larger consequences resulting in cataclysmic, violent events. Hence the reader will come to understand that changing the past to improve the future is not the slam-dunk it might appear to be.
Time-travellers have to tread carefully in the past. Not all are benevolent. Thankfully some are, and do their best to improve the future world. And what if they fail ? Does mankind cease to exist ? While much of the story takes place in the past or relatively near future, the reader does get a peak at an Earth many millennia from now; the ‘what comes next’. Or does it ? There are some delicious moral questions posed by the author. Both on a small scale, of love found/love lost but also on a much larger scale. Clumsy or malevolent time-travellers have the potential to do some serious damage !
Amongst the warmth and tenderness of relationships, the ever-present unrest in the world, time-paradox phenomenons and the zipping around, the author manages to also inject some wonderful humour. I loved this aspect of the book; horror, sci-fi, warm relationships, accompanied by a chuckle every now and then. A charming description of the French revolutionary soldier, Oliver:
“…would have been sculpted by an apprentice on their first day on the job. His ears were a bit too large, sockets a bit too deep, nose too wide, cheeks a little too sallow…resulting in an oversized gauntness that the charitable called ‘characterful’…”
There are some tender moments. Would Cal, our intrepid traveller pop out to the future and return with medication to make his friend’s life more comfortable ? Of course he would. He might have some explaining to do but somehow the author convinces us of the feasibility of such an event. This is, after all, a time-travelling book, so reality has to be suspended or at least sidelined from time to time. I enjoy how the author can change tone and topic so readily without compromising the overall direction of the book. Elements of history, sci-fi and horror seamlessly co-existing, despite some unsettling graphic and chilling descriptions:
“…this shuffling noise, and really the only word that will serve, the only description that really does it justice, is clawed. Clawed feet, climbing the stairs.…The smell of vinegar …The stink of sulphur…”
Spine-tingling stuff. Brrrr…
I love some of the juxtaposition of modern language or knowledge with past events. Oliver faces almost certain death in Egypt while taking part in one of Napoleon’s foreign adventures. A reader may decide to take their time with this book, visiting wikipedia to learn more about some of the events portrayed. Fortunately Cal is aware of the situation in Egypt and pops up to save the day, well, to save his friend at least.
“Funny pickle you got yourself in. Have you heard of the Rosetta Stone? It’s going to be huge – trust me.”
Oliver exits this particular conflict zone. Safe for the moment. This event was only:
“…a crack in time, a little paradox of dancing, messy energies…”
Larger disruptions come later in the book and are frankly quite messy.
The author choice of dialogue works well. Historical language is more formal, F-bombs are saved for the future, but somehow Oliver and Cal communicate, although our soldier is no fool. He knows there something different, otherworldly about his new friend. He doesn’t ever seem to age for a start.
Apart from nurturing their relationship, Cal has a job to do. More of an obligation really. Saving the world no less ! He has an ally in the future. Fadimatu, an Archivist. Someone doing their best to catalogue and save human knowledge, just in case. Lofty goals, but also some fundamental trivial human needs. Cal and Fadimatu time-travel to Paris in 2024:
“…in search of info on Cals lover, and fine pastries, not just from any bakery, a certain boulangerie ! Zipping back a few decades to locate the exact bakery that no longer existed ! zipping forward for dinner, back again to shop for Napoleonic clothing…”
I like a good croissant as much as the next person, bur what can one surmise from this ? Perhaps Foodies survive whatever dystopian future might eventuate.
But on a more serious note, Fadimatu observes:
“I will cause whatever paradox, rewrite any book in history to save our planet. That is what is at stake here, Cal. That is the only thing that matters. We have the privilege of prophecy, but for us, prophecy is not predestination.”
Without giving too much away, this book has some lovely aspects. From friendships to earth-shattering events. While the former are warm, tender, and charming, the latter are violent, visceral and vivid. The author adjusts the tone and language depending on the circumstances. It works. I love the appearance of the unseen narrator relatively late in the book, and the wrinkle it brings to the plot. This adds a depth and moral-dilemma to a story that is truly breath-taking. I’ve said too much. No more on that.
As I said at the start, I loved this book. but, as with most books, I have the occasional small quibble. There is a complexity to the plots. Jumping about through time adds further confusion. The reader should not be discouraged. The overall sense of direction remain clear throughout the book. But I have a feeling that one plot aspect is not explored in enough depth. It is there, writ large, wonderfully introduced, but could have gone deeper. Perhaps as an alternate ending ? Or another book ?
Another aspect although not dominating is slightly distracting. It is reflecting on the usual grievances from the Culture Wars. While Climate-Change is crucial to the plot, some of the other issues alluded to are not. It is mildly interesting to read observations on the merits of Capitalism, Politics, America, Veganism, Gender and so forth, but sometimes the tone seems a little preachy, tangential to the themes explored and perhaps not really necessary. A small quibble and certainly not intended to dissuade anyone from reading this book. I assume if you have got this far in my review, you are going to rush out and buy this book ! That would certainly be my enthusiastic recommendation.
The descriptions of the larger time-paradox disruptions are long, vivid, violent and ultimately unfathomable. The first couple were great descriptions. Think of the ending of Kubrick’s ‘2001’, but on steroids, double-speed and at max volume. Subsequent time-paradox disruptions were similar but had less impact. This long book would not have lost anything with a little judicious editing. The reader keen to move on can easily skip or skim some paragraphs.
The conclusion is satisfying, taking place over the final quarter of the book. Riveting, magical, funny, wondrous, moving, compelling. I could go on. The multiple plot threads are mostly wrapped up. But still leave the reader with lots to think about. If you knew the future, would you, could you, should you…kill ? The innocent ? A whole family ? Children ? This and other moral or ethical questions raised by the author are important. The context in which the author places them makes these questions more realistic, relevant to today and how we react to the modern world, to life decisions, to politicians and policies with which we disagree.
Anyone who enjoys a rich, deep, though-provoking book will enjoy ‘As We Fall Through Time’. This book is an excellent introduction to an author I did not know. I look forward to reading more from Claire North; back catalogue and future work. I wish the very best for publication.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I really wanted to like this book because I love time travel books but honestly by 50% into the book, I kind of understood the plot but felt like it should have been further advanced at the halfway point. So it is a DNF for me at 50%. Every time I picked it up I was hoping there’d be a plot point to pull me in and keep me reading like other books do, but there never was.
I’ve enjoyed North’s other books but something about this felt aimless and chaotic and all over the place. Perhaps that’s the intention because the main character feels that way, but it didn’t work for me. I felt like there was nothing to focus on really, except following Cal through time.
I liked the writing style and language, but I feel like the focus was more on lyrical and poetic writing than the actual plot. North definitely has a way with words, no doubt. But plot advancement is important too which I feel like took a backseat to the writing style.
Maybe I’ll give this book another shot in the future but I’ve been trying to read it for a couple months but find my mind wandering rather than staying focused.
Thank you NetGalley for providing the opportunity to read the ARC. I hope to return to it one day when I have an itch for time travel.
I really wanted to like this book because I love time travel books but honestly by 50% into the book, I kind of understood the plot but felt like it should have been further advanced at the halfway point. So it is a DNF for me at 50%. Every time I picked it up I was hoping there’d be a plot point to pull me in and keep me reading like other books do, but there never was.
I’ve enjoyed North’s other books but something about this felt aimless and chaotic and all over the place. Perhaps that’s the intention because the main character feels that way, but it didn’t work for me. I felt like there was nothing to focus on really, except following Cal through time.
I liked the writing style and language, but I feel like the focus was more on lyrical and poetic writing than the actual plot. North definitely has a way with words, no doubt. But plot advancement is important too which I feel like took a backseat to the writing style.
Maybe I’ll give this book another shot in the future but I’ve been trying to read it for a couple months but find my mind wandering rather than staying focused.
Thank you NetGalley for providing the opportunity to read the ARC. I hope to return to it one day when I have an itch for time travel.
June 11, 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 jumps through time so aggressively you find yourself a little dizzy and disoriented. I love that the narrator is hard to get to know and slowly uncovered. And I love how the cli-fi dread quietly creeps in underneath the relationships between characters.
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!
I love that it jumps through time so aggressively you find yourself a little dizzy and disoriented. I love that the narrator is hard to get to know and slowly uncovered. And I love how the cli-fi dread quietly creeps in underneath the relationships between characters.
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!
July 3, 2026
I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley.
My mind is kind of swimming as I try to put into words how I feel about this book. I liked it, in fact I liked it enough by about 50% of the way through that I added more Claire North to my TBR, since this is my first book by her. But there are some sticking points that I do feel like I need to bring up:
1. This is an extremely slow-paced novel, which is kind of funny given it's about time travel. North explicitly talks about time travelers liking to skip past the "boring" bits like waiting for a plane. I wouldn't say this ever got boring, per se, but it takes a very long time to get to where we're going. Some of this slowness is the fault of North's writing style, though: she writes extremely densely, with long descriptions for even the tiniest things. That didn't always bother me, I could see things happening very clearly in my mind because of that, but as we neared the climax of the book it started to get more and more annoying.
2. There's a twist (reveal?) about 2/3rds of the way through this book that almost made me stop reading. I'll be honest: I don't think the book needed it. It does add to the stakes of what is happening, and pushes the morality scale firmly in one direction, but it came so out of left field that I imagine quite a lot of readers are going to just stop there.
That said, I like so many other things about this book. Cal, our main character, is complicated and messy and often makes terrible choices because they are human and in love. (I thought it was interesting that North refers to Cal by she/her when they're in a female-presenting body, and he/him when in a male one. It was confusing at first, but once I got used to it I liked it. Will be referring to them as they/them just for simplicity here, though they themselves do not identify as nonbinary.) I appreciated that as the reader you're not sure if Cal is the one causing all of the problems, so you're not sure whether to root for them or not. Their friendship with Fadimatu was also really wonderful and lived-in. Fadimatu is, frankly, the MVP of this entire book. She is the real hero here.
I liked the descriptions of how North's time travel works a lot. She does break some of those rules later in the novel (though she explains it), and that always bothers me a little though. Still, having to use objects that have been around long enough to get to another time period is really neat. Paradoxes are the bane of many a time travel novel, but I think they were handled perfectly here.
There are also a lot of themes in this book that resonate so much with the world as it is in this moment. Whether the future is "inevitable" most especially, since tech bros love to throw that word around so much. Whether or not the people with power have the responsibility to make the world better. (Including, in this book, the people with the power to time travel.)
But I think the part that worked best for me is the love story at the heart of it all. When we meet Cal, they've been pretty firm to not make long attachments. They've seen enough people they love die. Their tryst with Olivier is supposed to be just that: a tryst. But then we watch as Cal starts to break their own codes and go against their own beliefs to keep this man alive, and what happens when they try. It didn't bring me to tears or anything, but it made me understand Cal no matter what reckless thing they were up to.
I do think the "villain" could have been introduced/explained a LITTLE earlier in the book, just a smidge, but that's as much as I'll say without spoiling anything. It still worked for me.
I really like this. I don't know that everyone will. It's slow, it's dense, it's messy. But I hope the people who will like it find it, as I did.
My mind is kind of swimming as I try to put into words how I feel about this book. I liked it, in fact I liked it enough by about 50% of the way through that I added more Claire North to my TBR, since this is my first book by her. But there are some sticking points that I do feel like I need to bring up:
1. This is an extremely slow-paced novel, which is kind of funny given it's about time travel. North explicitly talks about time travelers liking to skip past the "boring" bits like waiting for a plane. I wouldn't say this ever got boring, per se, but it takes a very long time to get to where we're going. Some of this slowness is the fault of North's writing style, though: she writes extremely densely, with long descriptions for even the tiniest things. That didn't always bother me, I could see things happening very clearly in my mind because of that, but as we neared the climax of the book it started to get more and more annoying.
2. There's a twist (reveal?) about 2/3rds of the way through this book that almost made me stop reading. I'll be honest: I don't think the book needed it. It does add to the stakes of what is happening, and pushes the morality scale firmly in one direction, but it came so out of left field that I imagine quite a lot of readers are going to just stop there.
That said, I like so many other things about this book. Cal, our main character, is complicated and messy and often makes terrible choices because they are human and in love. (I thought it was interesting that North refers to Cal by she/her when they're in a female-presenting body, and he/him when in a male one. It was confusing at first, but once I got used to it I liked it. Will be referring to them as they/them just for simplicity here, though they themselves do not identify as nonbinary.) I appreciated that as the reader you're not sure if Cal is the one causing all of the problems, so you're not sure whether to root for them or not. Their friendship with Fadimatu was also really wonderful and lived-in. Fadimatu is, frankly, the MVP of this entire book. She is the real hero here.
I liked the descriptions of how North's time travel works a lot. She does break some of those rules later in the novel (though she explains it), and that always bothers me a little though. Still, having to use objects that have been around long enough to get to another time period is really neat. Paradoxes are the bane of many a time travel novel, but I think they were handled perfectly here.
There are also a lot of themes in this book that resonate so much with the world as it is in this moment. Whether the future is "inevitable" most especially, since tech bros love to throw that word around so much. Whether or not the people with power have the responsibility to make the world better. (Including, in this book, the people with the power to time travel.)
But I think the part that worked best for me is the love story at the heart of it all. When we meet Cal, they've been pretty firm to not make long attachments. They've seen enough people they love die. Their tryst with Olivier is supposed to be just that: a tryst. But then we watch as Cal starts to break their own codes and go against their own beliefs to keep this man alive, and what happens when they try. It didn't bring me to tears or anything, but it made me understand Cal no matter what reckless thing they were up to.
I do think the "villain" could have been introduced/explained a LITTLE earlier in the book, just a smidge, but that's as much as I'll say without spoiling anything. It still worked for me.
I really like this. I don't know that everyone will. It's slow, it's dense, it's messy. But I hope the people who will like it find it, as I did.
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
There are books that entertain you, and then there are books that make you stop, think, question things, and look at the world a little differently. As We Fall Through Time was very much the latter for me.
This is my first Claire North book, and I’m so glad I picked it up. The story follows Cal, a time traveller who becomes determined to change history to save the man he loves, and Fadimatu, who discovers a connection to her own future that sets her on a very different path. As the fabric of history begins to fracture, the two stories become connected in unexpected ways, exploring love, loss, identity and the consequences of trying to alter what has already happened.
I absolutely loved North’s writing. The prose has something of the feel of a classic novel to me. It isn’t overly lyrical, but it is beautiful and deliberate, with the feeling that every word has been carefully chosen. There is so much attention to detail, and the writing gives the reader plenty of space to stop and think.
This is philosophical and thought-provoking without feeling like it is simply trying to be philosophical for the sake of it. It asks questions about justice, identity, power, humanity and the choices we make, while also looking at much bigger questions about time, history and whether we can ever truly change the things that shape us.
Speculative fiction is one of my favourite genres, and this absolutely scratched that itch. I particularly loved the way the story uses time travel not just as a plot device, but as a way of exploring much bigger ideas. I can already see this being one of those books where I notice something different on a second or third read. In fact, I’m certain I’ll read it again.
It isn't a perfect book, though. The pacing is very slow, and I think readers who prefer fast-moving stories with constant action might struggle with it. There are also some elements of the time-travel logic and paradoxes that don't quite hold up if you examine them too critically. At times, certain things seem to work because the plot needs them to rather than because they make complete logical sense. For me, though, that didn't take away from the experience because I was much more interested in the philosophical and emotional questions the book was exploring.
And this is also one of those books that made me immediately want to read more from the author. Since finishing it, I've looked through Claire North's back catalogue and added quite a few of her books to my TBR. I love finding a new-to-me author whose writing feels like exactly the kind of thing I want to read.
I read this as an electronic ARC, but I already know I’ll be buying a physical copy when it comes out. There is something about this book that makes me want it sitting on my shelf, ready for another journey through its pages.
Recommended for: Readers who enjoy speculative fiction, time travel, philosophical questions, literary prose, slower-paced stories and books that reward reflection and rereading.
Content warnings: Death, violence, grief, loss and betrayal.
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this electronic ARC. All opinions are my own.
This is my first Claire North book, and I’m so glad I picked it up. The story follows Cal, a time traveller who becomes determined to change history to save the man he loves, and Fadimatu, who discovers a connection to her own future that sets her on a very different path. As the fabric of history begins to fracture, the two stories become connected in unexpected ways, exploring love, loss, identity and the consequences of trying to alter what has already happened.
I absolutely loved North’s writing. The prose has something of the feel of a classic novel to me. It isn’t overly lyrical, but it is beautiful and deliberate, with the feeling that every word has been carefully chosen. There is so much attention to detail, and the writing gives the reader plenty of space to stop and think.
This is philosophical and thought-provoking without feeling like it is simply trying to be philosophical for the sake of it. It asks questions about justice, identity, power, humanity and the choices we make, while also looking at much bigger questions about time, history and whether we can ever truly change the things that shape us.
Speculative fiction is one of my favourite genres, and this absolutely scratched that itch. I particularly loved the way the story uses time travel not just as a plot device, but as a way of exploring much bigger ideas. I can already see this being one of those books where I notice something different on a second or third read. In fact, I’m certain I’ll read it again.
It isn't a perfect book, though. The pacing is very slow, and I think readers who prefer fast-moving stories with constant action might struggle with it. There are also some elements of the time-travel logic and paradoxes that don't quite hold up if you examine them too critically. At times, certain things seem to work because the plot needs them to rather than because they make complete logical sense. For me, though, that didn't take away from the experience because I was much more interested in the philosophical and emotional questions the book was exploring.
And this is also one of those books that made me immediately want to read more from the author. Since finishing it, I've looked through Claire North's back catalogue and added quite a few of her books to my TBR. I love finding a new-to-me author whose writing feels like exactly the kind of thing I want to read.
I read this as an electronic ARC, but I already know I’ll be buying a physical copy when it comes out. There is something about this book that makes me want it sitting on my shelf, ready for another journey through its pages.
Recommended for: Readers who enjoy speculative fiction, time travel, philosophical questions, literary prose, slower-paced stories and books that reward reflection and rereading.
Content warnings: Death, violence, grief, loss and betrayal.
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this electronic ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
British author Catherine Webb wrote her first book as Claire North in 2014. That book was The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, a book that was a huge hit. In that book, the main character, relives his life over and over again and can remember previous versions of himself. Along the way he meets others who are like him and discovers a world-threatening plot that he has to address. She followed that up with Touch, about a body-hopping spirits, again the main character found that there were others like him. Then there was The Sudden Appearance of Hope, again centred around a character with a unique condition. Claire North has released plenty of other books since then, including some Greek history retellings and last year’s fabulous Slow Gods. But with her latest book - As We Fall Through Time - she very much returns to the mould of those earlier works.
As We Fall Through Time opens in revolutionary France. Time traveller Cal, searching for a particular object, falls for dashing young Frenchman Olivier. They start a relationship. When Cal learns that Olivier will die in battle, he uses his power to change the past and keep Olivier alive. This power does not come without consequences as it creates a paradox but luckily time travellers have objects that can repair tears in the fabric of time. When Olivier disappears from the time stream altogether, Cal has to go on an Odyssey across time to try and fix the problem and finds that there are much larger stakes than he originally imagined.
How is this book like those others mentioned above? There is never an explanation of the power or why some people have it. It just is, and some people just have it. It turns out very early on that Cal is part of a small coterie of people who can travel “fall” through time and that the time travellers know each other and catch up at major events from time to time. There is lots and lots of travel. Cal ranges around the world and across time so North gets to show off her broad knowledge of a large range of times and places. And there is of course the world threatening Macguffin, which, given time travel is a thing, surprisingly seems to grow linearly (best not to think about that too much). So while the central conceit has changed, the basic outline and structure remain very similar.
And Claire North has things to say – about climate change and about the weight of human experience. She introduces a character who is desperately trying to change mankind’s trajectory and uses this to question the great man of history theory. But there are also some major revelations which are designed to make readers really think about the idea of changing the past to affect the future.
Cal is a likeable protagonist and his relationship with Olivier is dealt with in an interesting way and the side characters, in particular the main antagonist are well drawn. And there are plenty of well plotted time travel shenanigans where future events and meetings are foreshadowed. So while As We Fall Through Time itself falls back on some of North’s go-to tropes it is an enjoyable novel based on a mind-bending concept.
As We Fall Through Time opens in revolutionary France. Time traveller Cal, searching for a particular object, falls for dashing young Frenchman Olivier. They start a relationship. When Cal learns that Olivier will die in battle, he uses his power to change the past and keep Olivier alive. This power does not come without consequences as it creates a paradox but luckily time travellers have objects that can repair tears in the fabric of time. When Olivier disappears from the time stream altogether, Cal has to go on an Odyssey across time to try and fix the problem and finds that there are much larger stakes than he originally imagined.
How is this book like those others mentioned above? There is never an explanation of the power or why some people have it. It just is, and some people just have it. It turns out very early on that Cal is part of a small coterie of people who can travel “fall” through time and that the time travellers know each other and catch up at major events from time to time. There is lots and lots of travel. Cal ranges around the world and across time so North gets to show off her broad knowledge of a large range of times and places. And there is of course the world threatening Macguffin, which, given time travel is a thing, surprisingly seems to grow linearly (best not to think about that too much). So while the central conceit has changed, the basic outline and structure remain very similar.
And Claire North has things to say – about climate change and about the weight of human experience. She introduces a character who is desperately trying to change mankind’s trajectory and uses this to question the great man of history theory. But there are also some major revelations which are designed to make readers really think about the idea of changing the past to affect the future.
Cal is a likeable protagonist and his relationship with Olivier is dealt with in an interesting way and the side characters, in particular the main antagonist are well drawn. And there are plenty of well plotted time travel shenanigans where future events and meetings are foreshadowed. So while As We Fall Through Time itself falls back on some of North’s go-to tropes it is an enjoyable novel based on a mind-bending concept.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
I am familiar with and a big fan of Claire North's work, primarily through The Songs of Penelope series. So, I was excited when I saw As We Fall Through Time on NetGalley, even if the premise was wildly different.
The book follows a time traveler, Cal, and a hole in reality that threatens to destroy the world. It's a book about many things: how love drives us to action, the overstated impact of the individual, a fatalistic approach to the inevitable, commentary on the world we live in and the destruction that comes from greed and prioritizing the select few above all else, and a warning that we as a society must change our tune. All while accepting that humanity itself is temporary.
While the themes are heavy, it's delivered in a fun, time-traveling blast like this.
For the good:
- Claire North knows how to wield language expertly. It's a command of prose I'm quite jealous of, to be frank.
- I am obsessed with Oliver. Would marry him myself if I wasn't already married, he wasn't a work of fiction, and if he was inclined that way.
- The themes resonate well and give the book a lot to chew on beyond the central time-travel plot.
- The time travel was easy to understand. Considering the genre, it's easy for this part to miss the mark or become unnecessarily confusing, but that wasn't the case here.
- All of Chapter 42.
- It's fun, provocative, and a thoughtful take on both time travel and the question so often asked around dinner tables: Where would you go if you could time travel?
The reasons this wasn't a five-star read for me:
- The book loses its pacing at several points. It starts incredibly strong but occasionally loses its way as it goes on.
- The language can sometimes become overwrought, and the grand effects lose some of their power through repetition, especially when the pacing has already slowed. I enjoyed the historical nuance of seeing what was happening in a particular place across different years, but this device became overused and lost its earlier impact in the book.
- The summary might not be the most accurate portrayal of what the book actually is. I expected to see more of the love story and more from Fadimatu's POV.
- The climax didn't have the payoff that the stakes demanded. It also felt like the book lost its way at times because of its length.
- I'm not a fan of the POV change.
Overall, As We Fall Through Time is an ambitious, thought-provoking, and fun exploration of time, love, humanity, and what one person can really do in the face of inevitability. While I don't think every part of it landed for me, there was still so much here that I enjoyed.
I am familiar with and a big fan of Claire North's work, primarily through The Songs of Penelope series. So, I was excited when I saw As We Fall Through Time on NetGalley, even if the premise was wildly different.
The book follows a time traveler, Cal, and a hole in reality that threatens to destroy the world. It's a book about many things: how love drives us to action, the overstated impact of the individual, a fatalistic approach to the inevitable, commentary on the world we live in and the destruction that comes from greed and prioritizing the select few above all else, and a warning that we as a society must change our tune. All while accepting that humanity itself is temporary.
While the themes are heavy, it's delivered in a fun, time-traveling blast like this.
For the good:
- Claire North knows how to wield language expertly. It's a command of prose I'm quite jealous of, to be frank.
- I am obsessed with Oliver. Would marry him myself if I wasn't already married, he wasn't a work of fiction, and if he was inclined that way.
- The themes resonate well and give the book a lot to chew on beyond the central time-travel plot.
- The time travel was easy to understand. Considering the genre, it's easy for this part to miss the mark or become unnecessarily confusing, but that wasn't the case here.
- All of Chapter 42.
- It's fun, provocative, and a thoughtful take on both time travel and the question so often asked around dinner tables: Where would you go if you could time travel?
The reasons this wasn't a five-star read for me:
- The book loses its pacing at several points. It starts incredibly strong but occasionally loses its way as it goes on.
- The language can sometimes become overwrought, and the grand effects lose some of their power through repetition, especially when the pacing has already slowed. I enjoyed the historical nuance of seeing what was happening in a particular place across different years, but this device became overused and lost its earlier impact in the book.
- The summary might not be the most accurate portrayal of what the book actually is. I expected to see more of the love story and more from Fadimatu's POV.
- The climax didn't have the payoff that the stakes demanded. It also felt like the book lost its way at times because of its length.
- I'm not a fan of the POV change.
Overall, As We Fall Through Time is an ambitious, thought-provoking, and fun exploration of time, love, humanity, and what one person can really do in the face of inevitability. While I don't think every part of it landed for me, there was still so much here that I enjoyed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book. As We Fall Through Time is imaginative, heartfelt, and surprisingly relatable for speculative fiction. I came for the plot and am finishing the book as a newly minted fan of Claire North. This book is about about love, connection, and how duty can become a guiding light in times of grief.
Time is flexible in this story, and North executes it well. She anchors temporal references not only to the protagonist, Cal, but to each character, subtly reinforcing the idea that while time can be observed, it's far less rigid a parameter than we know it to be. Fans of Jodi Taylor’s The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series will likely enjoy this book’s smart dialogue and more mature approach to the time-hopping premise.
What I loved most was the undercurrent of wit and the raw feel of the prose. The dialogue is dynamic, fluid, and almost stream-of-consciousness, making it feel like it could come from the mouths of actual people. North keeps her characters recognizable through gentle asides and one-off observations, like the hope that perhaps attending church for Easter and Christmas is sufficiently Christian, or the aside that time travelers adopt stray cats just like the rest of us.
These moments of character business perform an important narrative purpose. In a story where time is unstable, ordinary human behavior becomes a kind of continuity mechanism. The characters feel real enough to talk to and do things we recognize from our own lives, a choice that grounds the story in the familiar. This counterbalances the cognitively demanding structure and makes the characters feel unusually intimate. North’s flexible portrayal of gender and time positions the novel’s deeper themes of love, connection, and duty as its true constants.
My biggest critique is the trade-off North makes between that character-level intimacy and narrative propulsion. The book picks up around 70% of the way through, but by then we have already spent much of the middle moving through scenes that deepen the characters without creating much forward pressure. The novel is rarely static; people are constantly moving through time, but this movement is not the same as narrative momentum.
It's also possible that this loss of orientation is intentional. The low propulsion may be inseparable from what the novel is trying to accomplish: allowing scenes to breathe beyond their immediate usefulness to the plot and making the reader experience time as something unstable, subjective, and resistant to conventional narrative order. I can absolutely appreciate that choice while still acknowledging that it made the book easier for me to put down than I wanted it to be.
I really liked this book. As We Fall Through Time is imaginative, heartfelt, and surprisingly relatable for speculative fiction. I came for the plot and am finishing the book as a newly minted fan of Claire North. This book is about about love, connection, and how duty can become a guiding light in times of grief.
Time is flexible in this story, and North executes it well. She anchors temporal references not only to the protagonist, Cal, but to each character, subtly reinforcing the idea that while time can be observed, it's far less rigid a parameter than we know it to be. Fans of Jodi Taylor’s The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series will likely enjoy this book’s smart dialogue and more mature approach to the time-hopping premise.
What I loved most was the undercurrent of wit and the raw feel of the prose. The dialogue is dynamic, fluid, and almost stream-of-consciousness, making it feel like it could come from the mouths of actual people. North keeps her characters recognizable through gentle asides and one-off observations, like the hope that perhaps attending church for Easter and Christmas is sufficiently Christian, or the aside that time travelers adopt stray cats just like the rest of us.
These moments of character business perform an important narrative purpose. In a story where time is unstable, ordinary human behavior becomes a kind of continuity mechanism. The characters feel real enough to talk to and do things we recognize from our own lives, a choice that grounds the story in the familiar. This counterbalances the cognitively demanding structure and makes the characters feel unusually intimate. North’s flexible portrayal of gender and time positions the novel’s deeper themes of love, connection, and duty as its true constants.
My biggest critique is the trade-off North makes between that character-level intimacy and narrative propulsion. The book picks up around 70% of the way through, but by then we have already spent much of the middle moving through scenes that deepen the characters without creating much forward pressure. The novel is rarely static; people are constantly moving through time, but this movement is not the same as narrative momentum.
It's also possible that this loss of orientation is intentional. The low propulsion may be inseparable from what the novel is trying to accomplish: allowing scenes to breathe beyond their immediate usefulness to the plot and making the reader experience time as something unstable, subjective, and resistant to conventional narrative order. I can absolutely appreciate that choice while still acknowledging that it made the book easier for me to put down than I wanted it to be.
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
One thing I took from this book was that the author is warning us about climate disaster and the greed of the few. “When did the promise of this species become that you could be in the top one per cent and damned be the ninety nine? When did people forget what it was to be part of something bigger than ourselves?”
So the story is about the destruction of the planet and human kind but also…hang on, it’s about time travellers. Can they not go back in time and change the outcome? It’s also a love story. Cal in the 17th century falls in love with a French revolutionary soldier. He started as female but seems to be able to change gender at will. This love resonates throughout the centuries. But it’s complicated. Did Cal’s lover Olivier, really exist? There is a tiny hint a while into the story of a change of perspective. Of the breaking of the 4th wall. Perhaps an all knowing narrator? It is definitely not what you think or expect so keep reading!
Cal, Bede and Fadimatu. Three time travellers zipping around time trying to mend a breach in time and space which threatens the whole of reality. Or is one of them causing it and keeping it open. If so - why? Cal comes to realise a devastating truth which profoundly changes his/her perspective.
There are so many strands to the novel that I did get slightly tangled in the various threads. Much of it is very cinematic as the author describes the shifting changing time into future into past into future into present etc..She does this very graphically and vividly but I did find myself getting slightly impatient with the whole novel as she was really repeating herself but i can imagine this as a film which would depict these ideas on screen very effectively.
North’s novel is beautifully written, mostly fascinating and worth the effort of concentration I found it to be. I definitely recommend this novel to people who enjoy brilliant and original time travelling sci-fi with a twist!
Thanks to NetGalley for my kindle ARC in exchange for my honest review.
So the story is about the destruction of the planet and human kind but also…hang on, it’s about time travellers. Can they not go back in time and change the outcome? It’s also a love story. Cal in the 17th century falls in love with a French revolutionary soldier. He started as female but seems to be able to change gender at will. This love resonates throughout the centuries. But it’s complicated. Did Cal’s lover Olivier, really exist? There is a tiny hint a while into the story of a change of perspective. Of the breaking of the 4th wall. Perhaps an all knowing narrator? It is definitely not what you think or expect so keep reading!
Cal, Bede and Fadimatu. Three time travellers zipping around time trying to mend a breach in time and space which threatens the whole of reality. Or is one of them causing it and keeping it open. If so - why? Cal comes to realise a devastating truth which profoundly changes his/her perspective.
There are so many strands to the novel that I did get slightly tangled in the various threads. Much of it is very cinematic as the author describes the shifting changing time into future into past into future into present etc..She does this very graphically and vividly but I did find myself getting slightly impatient with the whole novel as she was really repeating herself but i can imagine this as a film which would depict these ideas on screen very effectively.
North’s novel is beautifully written, mostly fascinating and worth the effort of concentration I found it to be. I definitely recommend this novel to people who enjoy brilliant and original time travelling sci-fi with a twist!
Thanks to NetGalley for my kindle ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is my first Claire North and I completely understand what all the hype is about. I can see why so many people love North's writing. As We Fall Through Time is a dense, thoughtful novel that doesn't let you whizz through its 400 pages. It asks you to slow down, pay attention and really think about what it means to live through the end of the world, and what responsibility we have to the people who come after us.
At its heart, this is a story about a time traveller who falls in love with someone who can't travel through time, and his quest to do absolutely everything he can to be with him despite time, age and the rather inconvenient rules of the universe. Unfortunately, that "everything" also encompasses the potential doom of humankind, a friendship that spans centuries, and a charming mentor who becomes something altogether more complicated. So, you know, your standard love story. This is definitely a novel that expects you to trust it before it gives you all the answers.
Possibly my own fault, but I was also reading this, another very similar book, at exactly the same time, meaning I somehow managed to read two enormous climate-change, end-of-the-world novels during a drought in London. This was, unsurprisingly, not particularly good for my mental wellbeing. But I also think that says something about just how immersive North's writing is. The heat and dryness outside started to feel tangled up with the world of the novel, and there were moments where I genuinely needed to come up for air.
Sombre, atmospheric and incredibly thought-provoking, this was one of those books where the experience of reading it sometimes felt almost as big as the story itself. Perhaps reading it alongside another huge climate novel made it even more intense than it otherwise would have been, but I came away completely understanding why Claire North has such devoted readers. I have a feeling this one is going to keep unfolding in my head for quite a while, and I will absolutely be reading more.
At its heart, this is a story about a time traveller who falls in love with someone who can't travel through time, and his quest to do absolutely everything he can to be with him despite time, age and the rather inconvenient rules of the universe. Unfortunately, that "everything" also encompasses the potential doom of humankind, a friendship that spans centuries, and a charming mentor who becomes something altogether more complicated. So, you know, your standard love story. This is definitely a novel that expects you to trust it before it gives you all the answers.
Possibly my own fault, but I was also reading this, another very similar book, at exactly the same time, meaning I somehow managed to read two enormous climate-change, end-of-the-world novels during a drought in London. This was, unsurprisingly, not particularly good for my mental wellbeing. But I also think that says something about just how immersive North's writing is. The heat and dryness outside started to feel tangled up with the world of the novel, and there were moments where I genuinely needed to come up for air.
Sombre, atmospheric and incredibly thought-provoking, this was one of those books where the experience of reading it sometimes felt almost as big as the story itself. Perhaps reading it alongside another huge climate novel made it even more intense than it otherwise would have been, but I came away completely understanding why Claire North has such devoted readers. I have a feeling this one is going to keep unfolding in my head for quite a while, and I will absolutely be reading more.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC!
DNF at 43%.
I read North's book Slow Gods last year, and absolutely loved it. I was so deeply invested in the character and the setting that North created. I was very excited when this book was announced!
I do like time travel stories, but I need the characters to be well written. It's too easy to have your character show up in a different time period, meet new people for five minutes and then disappear. I need to feel connected to a character with these kind of stories. I first really liked Cal in the beginning, but as the book went I didn't really care about Cal. The narrative was very disjointed by design, but it made it hard for me to follow, and at that point I no longer cared enough about the characters.
It got to the point where I dreaded returning to this book to keep reading it, and at that point I knew I had to DNF. From other reviews, I can see that there's a twist ahead that helps things make sense, but I couldn't stay invested long enough to get to that. I did like the writing, and I think North is a talented writer who knows a lot about history and geography, but at one point in this book I wondered if maybe the characters were jumping around to all these different time periods to allow the author to show off their knowledge. Which is fair enough, I guess, but I wanted more from the characters.
I'm giving it three stars because I did like the writing style, and I did like some aspects of the worldbuilding here, like how the characters jump back to hide items that could help them when they go back for a second time etc. I thought that was clever. But the disjointed narrative and the disconnect I feel from the characters ultimately made me DNF this. I do think this book will find its audience, and I will continue to check out North's work because they are a talented writer. This one just missed the mark for me.
DNF at 43%.
I read North's book Slow Gods last year, and absolutely loved it. I was so deeply invested in the character and the setting that North created. I was very excited when this book was announced!
I do like time travel stories, but I need the characters to be well written. It's too easy to have your character show up in a different time period, meet new people for five minutes and then disappear. I need to feel connected to a character with these kind of stories. I first really liked Cal in the beginning, but as the book went I didn't really care about Cal. The narrative was very disjointed by design, but it made it hard for me to follow, and at that point I no longer cared enough about the characters.
It got to the point where I dreaded returning to this book to keep reading it, and at that point I knew I had to DNF. From other reviews, I can see that there's a twist ahead that helps things make sense, but I couldn't stay invested long enough to get to that. I did like the writing, and I think North is a talented writer who knows a lot about history and geography, but at one point in this book I wondered if maybe the characters were jumping around to all these different time periods to allow the author to show off their knowledge. Which is fair enough, I guess, but I wanted more from the characters.
I'm giving it three stars because I did like the writing style, and I did like some aspects of the worldbuilding here, like how the characters jump back to hide items that could help them when they go back for a second time etc. I thought that was clever. But the disjointed narrative and the disconnect I feel from the characters ultimately made me DNF this. I do think this book will find its audience, and I will continue to check out North's work because they are a talented writer. This one just missed the mark for me.
July 31, 2026
I’m a big Big fan of a time travel novel so when I saw this one on NetGalley UK I requested and it quickly went to the top of my to read pile
I have not read any of the authors previous novels
The writing style is almost poetic at times. I love some of the sentences “past rushes back to where it belongs future tumbles into the journey cascade of the deep unknown.”
Of course time is impossible and the impossibility of it is described perfectly in the novel
I like the way the characters change sex spontaneously from time to time. I didn’t really understand it though and is it wrong that I spent a lot of time wondering about the specifics of the time travel system
This is probably the most complex time travel novel I’ve ever read. It makes my head ache thinking about all the consequences, perhaps because of this I find I’m struggling a little bit with this book really like it.
There is a climate change story in the background
Most of the story has narrated from the point of view of Cal a time traveller who switches between male and female throughout the novel.
The mystery/Jeopardy at the heart of the novel is a time paradox that is threatening to destroy the universe and with it humanity and the life that comes after humans
The last quarter of the novel is told from a different point of view without giving away Story lines I can’t say very much about this in this review, but it adds a freshness and a momentum to the Story
I love the end it was nearly perfect
I written copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an honest review. The book is published in the UK. on the 13th of October 2026 by Little Brown book
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, Anne And my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon and Waterstones online.
I have not read any of the authors previous novels
The writing style is almost poetic at times. I love some of the sentences “past rushes back to where it belongs future tumbles into the journey cascade of the deep unknown.”
Of course time is impossible and the impossibility of it is described perfectly in the novel
I like the way the characters change sex spontaneously from time to time. I didn’t really understand it though and is it wrong that I spent a lot of time wondering about the specifics of the time travel system
This is probably the most complex time travel novel I’ve ever read. It makes my head ache thinking about all the consequences, perhaps because of this I find I’m struggling a little bit with this book really like it.
There is a climate change story in the background
Most of the story has narrated from the point of view of Cal a time traveller who switches between male and female throughout the novel.
The mystery/Jeopardy at the heart of the novel is a time paradox that is threatening to destroy the universe and with it humanity and the life that comes after humans
The last quarter of the novel is told from a different point of view without giving away Story lines I can’t say very much about this in this review, but it adds a freshness and a momentum to the Story
I love the end it was nearly perfect
I written copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an honest review. The book is published in the UK. on the 13th of October 2026 by Little Brown book
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, Anne And my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon and Waterstones online.
September 22, 2026
Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for giving me access to an ARC of Claire North's As We Fall Through Time.
As We Fall Through Time follows Cal, a person who has a natural ability to travel through time. Cal begins as a man and meets and falls in love with Olivier, a French Revolution soldier. Cal's time-traveling ability lets him travel forward to see what is supposed to happen to Olivier, then go back and change things to keep him safe. Cal's time-traveling causes paradoxes, which can be fixed... mostly. There are other time-travelers in the story who have their own agendas.
Cal's unique time-traveling nature allows him to switch genders, so sometimes Cal is a woman, and sometimes he is a man. I appreciated how Cal may prefer to be a woman, but recognizes that it is easier through much of history to be perceived as a man.
I loved the queer romance between Cal and Olivier and how Cal works to protect Olivier, and then later, Olivier fights to keep Cal safe. It was a beautiful relationship. I was expecting from the blurb for the romance to be the focal point, but this book is much more than just a time travel romance book.
Claire North does not pull her punches with her historical knowledge. Some time travel books I've read focus on major parts of European history that even the casual historian will know. Not so with As We Fall Through Time. Although much of the book takes place in Europe and references European history, it tended to be history that, for me at least, was unknown. The book also spans other places and times in history, which was refreshing.
I loved the system of time travel in this book. Cal and his compatriots travel through time by touching walls or materials of historical buildings, so they are limited by how long a building stands. Once a building or statue is destroyed in the timeline, they have to hop out and find another focal point for travel. At one point, Cal travels through a boulder in the desert and can travel very far until someone moves it. It's a fascinating time travel device.
Although I greatly enjoyed this book, I did find it a bit slow at times. I think some of the slower parts before Cal discovers the giant paradox could be shortened. Although my interest waned a bit in the middle, I think the ending was exciting, and it was definitely worth reading.
As We Fall Through Time follows Cal, a person who has a natural ability to travel through time. Cal begins as a man and meets and falls in love with Olivier, a French Revolution soldier. Cal's time-traveling ability lets him travel forward to see what is supposed to happen to Olivier, then go back and change things to keep him safe. Cal's time-traveling causes paradoxes, which can be fixed... mostly. There are other time-travelers in the story who have their own agendas.
Cal's unique time-traveling nature allows him to switch genders, so sometimes Cal is a woman, and sometimes he is a man. I appreciated how Cal may prefer to be a woman, but recognizes that it is easier through much of history to be perceived as a man.
I loved the queer romance between Cal and Olivier and how Cal works to protect Olivier, and then later, Olivier fights to keep Cal safe. It was a beautiful relationship. I was expecting from the blurb for the romance to be the focal point, but this book is much more than just a time travel romance book.
Claire North does not pull her punches with her historical knowledge. Some time travel books I've read focus on major parts of European history that even the casual historian will know. Not so with As We Fall Through Time. Although much of the book takes place in Europe and references European history, it tended to be history that, for me at least, was unknown. The book also spans other places and times in history, which was refreshing.
I loved the system of time travel in this book. Cal and his compatriots travel through time by touching walls or materials of historical buildings, so they are limited by how long a building stands. Once a building or statue is destroyed in the timeline, they have to hop out and find another focal point for travel. At one point, Cal travels through a boulder in the desert and can travel very far until someone moves it. It's a fascinating time travel device.
Although I greatly enjoyed this book, I did find it a bit slow at times. I think some of the slower parts before Cal discovers the giant paradox could be shortened. Although my interest waned a bit in the middle, I think the ending was exciting, and it was definitely worth reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of the book for an honest review.
This is going to be a hard book for me to review, as it wasn't until around the 70% mark that I started to understand what was happening. Until that point, I had no idea what was going on and each time I thought I started to understand, the next chapter would immediately send me into confused territory again. I'm not sure if that's because the writing of the book didn't agree with me, or if I'm a bit stupid. Possibly a mix of both.
It didn't help that the story involved time travel and some chapters would be in the past, but there wasn't much to identify them as being in the past until you had read a little bit of it.
I did enjoy the story, once I finally worked out what was going on, and I liked the twists involved and how it ended. I also liked the lessons to be learned, such as what bravery is, what love is and humans constantly not learning from our mistakes and seemingly being doomed to repeat them. I realise that might sound a bit depressing, but I think it was beautifully done in the book, with several sentences and paragraphs I really thought were memorable.
I did start to connect to the characters and was invested in their story and their outcome, but I didn't really connect with the relationship between the characters. You don't really see it develop as instead time skips are used, so the characters have spent all that time together, but you haven't spent the time with the characters.
Overall I had an OK time, enough for me to finish the book but not quite enough for me to believe I'll reread it. Though there is a good chance this is a "it's not you, it's me" situation.
This is going to be a hard book for me to review, as it wasn't until around the 70% mark that I started to understand what was happening. Until that point, I had no idea what was going on and each time I thought I started to understand, the next chapter would immediately send me into confused territory again. I'm not sure if that's because the writing of the book didn't agree with me, or if I'm a bit stupid. Possibly a mix of both.
It didn't help that the story involved time travel and some chapters would be in the past, but there wasn't much to identify them as being in the past until you had read a little bit of it.
I did enjoy the story, once I finally worked out what was going on, and I liked the twists involved and how it ended. I also liked the lessons to be learned, such as what bravery is, what love is and humans constantly not learning from our mistakes and seemingly being doomed to repeat them. I realise that might sound a bit depressing, but I think it was beautifully done in the book, with several sentences and paragraphs I really thought were memorable.
I did start to connect to the characters and was invested in their story and their outcome, but I didn't really connect with the relationship between the characters. You don't really see it develop as instead time skips are used, so the characters have spent all that time together, but you haven't spent the time with the characters.
Overall I had an OK time, enough for me to finish the book but not quite enough for me to believe I'll reread it. Though there is a good chance this is a "it's not you, it's me" situation.
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
Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Books/Orbit UK for the eARC
I discovered Claire North's writing with 'Slow gods' and subsequently fell in love with her writing. Now, as all readers know, enjoying one book by an author doesn't mean you'll enjoy other books by them. Still, as I read the blurb for 'As we fall through time', I was pretty confident I would like it. It gave off some similar vibes to 'Slow gods', as a kind of somewhat quiet book with a lot to say.
I was right! I loved it, thoroughly and very hard. I know and see what might bug other readers (some conversations are set into narration and not between dialogue tags for examples, lots and lots of historical facts, lots of jumping around through times, in multiple eras to reach one destination etc.). But to me, all these details are what make the book so good. It's playful, thoughtful, thought provoking. It's hard and twisted your heart.
Ultimately, 'As we fall through time' is a love story, between two people, for humanity in all its ugliness, for friendship and duty.
I loved following Cal, whether as a man or a woman, his/her relationship with Olivier. I loved discovering more about Olivier and his subsequent fate. Loved Fadimatu and her research, her hard love. Enjoyed Bede in all his Big Man trouble.
Honestly, this book left me a bit hollow once I finished it. Not in a bad way, but wrung out by grief and hope, hope and hopelessness. As I said, I know some reader will find it slow (I don't want to say it is slow paced, because I don't it is, but there is definitely a meandering quality to the book, a focus on searching and journeying that might not agree with readers looking for a very plot forward book.)
So, so happy to have gotten a chance to read it before it's release!
I discovered Claire North's writing with 'Slow gods' and subsequently fell in love with her writing. Now, as all readers know, enjoying one book by an author doesn't mean you'll enjoy other books by them. Still, as I read the blurb for 'As we fall through time', I was pretty confident I would like it. It gave off some similar vibes to 'Slow gods', as a kind of somewhat quiet book with a lot to say.
I was right! I loved it, thoroughly and very hard. I know and see what might bug other readers (some conversations are set into narration and not between dialogue tags for examples, lots and lots of historical facts, lots of jumping around through times, in multiple eras to reach one destination etc.). But to me, all these details are what make the book so good. It's playful, thoughtful, thought provoking. It's hard and twisted your heart.
Ultimately, 'As we fall through time' is a love story, between two people, for humanity in all its ugliness, for friendship and duty.
I loved following Cal, whether as a man or a woman, his/her relationship with Olivier. I loved discovering more about Olivier and his subsequent fate. Loved Fadimatu and her research, her hard love. Enjoyed Bede in all his Big Man trouble.
Honestly, this book left me a bit hollow once I finished it. Not in a bad way, but wrung out by grief and hope, hope and hopelessness. As I said, I know some reader will find it slow (I don't want to say it is slow paced, because I don't it is, but there is definitely a meandering quality to the book, a focus on searching and journeying that might not agree with readers looking for a very plot forward book.)
So, so happy to have gotten a chance to read it before it's release!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Every time traveller who has ever trodden on a butterfly has created a ripple through time. These ripples make more ripples which make more travellers, the snake swallows its tail... [loc. 694]
Cal is a time-traveller, and something of a paradox: sometimes male, sometimes female. He encounters Olivier, a French soldier, in 1789, and falls in love. Which seems to be somehow connected to the temporal paradox sparked by fellow time-traveller Fadimatu encountering her own corpse in The Museum of the Unmasked Conspiracy...
This is a love story, a story of climate activism, and a murder mystery. It's narrated in first person by a mysterious observer. Time is infested with ghosts and witches, 'fathomless creatures of unlived realities': paradoxes can be healed, or at least ameliorated, by paradoxical objects ('amaranthines') such as a ceramic flower that did and did not crack in the kiln.
I am already looking forward to rereading this next month for the full review...
Read because: Claire North has become one of my favourite authors -- from the 'Songs of Penelope' trilogy to the awesome Slow Gods. Obviously I read this as soon as it landed on my Kindle... Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for the full honest review I'll write nearer UK Publication Date -- 10th October 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As We Fall Through Time has a premise that immediately hooked me but I have to say I struggled somewhat with this book.
The world building is complex but I did enjoy the early chapters as Cal and Olivier's relationship develops and here the time travelling elements work and are easy to understand. Cal's journey to keep Olivier alive is interesting and emotional and made good reading.
However towards the middle of the book the story becomes more fractured and I found it increasingly hard to follow. Several other time travellers are mentioned but we have no introduction to them and they are nothing more than names on the page. I found one chapter easy to read and follow but the next often appeared to twist round and debunk what I had just learned and towards the end the multiple Bede's were completely exhausting.
Having said that there were flashes on interest in the story, in the way history is perceived and the ideas of future proofing our society. I loved the whole idea of the time travel and not having to bump into yourself for fear of creating a paradox and the complications that this lead to for Cal were all understandable. But overall I found the book rather chaotic and difficult to follow, although the writing is good and descriptions and places are well laid out.
I'm sure there are many who will love this complex tale but it was a mixed read for me.
With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Little Brown UK for an early read in return for an honest review.
The world building is complex but I did enjoy the early chapters as Cal and Olivier's relationship develops and here the time travelling elements work and are easy to understand. Cal's journey to keep Olivier alive is interesting and emotional and made good reading.
However towards the middle of the book the story becomes more fractured and I found it increasingly hard to follow. Several other time travellers are mentioned but we have no introduction to them and they are nothing more than names on the page. I found one chapter easy to read and follow but the next often appeared to twist round and debunk what I had just learned and towards the end the multiple Bede's were completely exhausting.
Having said that there were flashes on interest in the story, in the way history is perceived and the ideas of future proofing our society. I loved the whole idea of the time travel and not having to bump into yourself for fear of creating a paradox and the complications that this lead to for Cal were all understandable. But overall I found the book rather chaotic and difficult to follow, although the writing is good and descriptions and places are well laid out.
I'm sure there are many who will love this complex tale but it was a mixed read for me.
With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Little Brown UK for an early read in return for an honest review.
August 30, 2026
Enjoyable time-travel story, wherein time-traveller Cal falls for French Revolutionary soldier Olivier, tweaks time a little to save his life, and then things get very complicated.
I loved the way different timelines were woven in -- there's a frankly incredible amount of time-hopping in this book's main arc, but we also learn Cal's personal history, which I particularly enjoyed. There's also no glossing over the significant problems inherent in time-travel (paradoxes! plus languages, culture, social norms, documentation etc.) and I liked the way these were resolved within the story. I didn't feel confused at any point, though was in several places reading with the assumption that things would sort themselves out in my head. (They did, though it took some thinking in places.) I also loved how Cal's relationship with Olivier developed -- this isn't quite a romance, but certainly a love story powering the bigger plot.
And I appreciated the version of the future the author is exploring, and how different characters react to it.
Recommended to people who like literary speculative fiction, complex timetravel plots, or Claire North's writing in general (though maybe base that on her spec fic stories; not so much Slow Gods which is marvellous in itself, but very different to this.)
Rating: 16/20
This review is based upon a complimentary advance review copy provided by the publisher.
I loved the way different timelines were woven in -- there's a frankly incredible amount of time-hopping in this book's main arc, but we also learn Cal's personal history, which I particularly enjoyed. There's also no glossing over the significant problems inherent in time-travel (paradoxes! plus languages, culture, social norms, documentation etc.) and I liked the way these were resolved within the story. I didn't feel confused at any point, though was in several places reading with the assumption that things would sort themselves out in my head. (They did, though it took some thinking in places.) I also loved how Cal's relationship with Olivier developed -- this isn't quite a romance, but certainly a love story powering the bigger plot.
And I appreciated the version of the future the author is exploring, and how different characters react to it.
Recommended to people who like literary speculative fiction, complex timetravel plots, or Claire North's writing in general (though maybe base that on her spec fic stories; not so much Slow Gods which is marvellous in itself, but very different to this.)
Rating: 16/20
This review is based upon a complimentary advance review copy provided by the publisher.
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