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The Extractor Trilogy #1
Escape in Time
An Extractor is elite in every way, and Landry Donovan is no exception. Pulsus, an organization working to build a better future by saving people from the past, sends Landry’s team back to Nazi Germany to save a Jewish doctor working on a cure for cancer. For the first time on a mission, she’s distracted by thoughts of a woman—the enticing basketball player, Jade Carter.
Jacqulyn Delaney, a Pulsus Operative, waits in a concentration camp for Landry’s arrival. Her job is slowly messing with her mind, as is her desire to be more to Landry than just a friend with benefits. When an unexpected relationship blooms in Germany, it puts a new perspective on the future.
Can they save the doctor? Or will their personal demons leave them stuck in the past?
Jacqulyn Delaney, a Pulsus Operative, waits in a concentration camp for Landry’s arrival. Her job is slowly messing with her mind, as is her desire to be more to Landry than just a friend with benefits. When an unexpected relationship blooms in Germany, it puts a new perspective on the future.
Can they save the doctor? Or will their personal demons leave them stuck in the past?
264 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2017
8 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Nyx
21 books119 followersRobyn Nyx is an avid shutterbug and lover of all things fast and physical. Her writing often reflects both of those passions. She lives with her soul mate and fellow scribe. They have no kids or kittens, which allows them to travel to exotic places at the drop of a hat for “research.” She works hard to find writing time, when she’s not being distracted by blue skies and motorbike rides.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 3, 2017
To a certain extent, I am glad that I am not among the first to have read this book. I know there’d be people who would like this book (current, 20170503 overall rating: 4.29), and I wouldn’t want to keep people away from a book. Since, I just didn’t like the book. Largely because the book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.
I’ve eye-balled this book since I first became aware of it months ago. Things I like reading about: 1) time travel; 2) history; 3) WWII; 4) lesbians. Things that I do not really like reading about: 1) angry fucking; 2) lots and lots of angst; 3) graphic depictions of a violent/torturous/abusive nature; 4) cliffhanger endings; 5) ‘bonus’ graphic (of a torture kind) scenes by characters never before meet. This book had all nine.
I thought this book would be an interesting time travel book that bounced around time (or, since this is in fact a series (based on ‘The Extractor Series’ written on the book cover), bouncing around in one ‘non-present to the main characters’ time line. It was that. But it also was so much more – of the worse kind of more.
With the possible exception of Jade Carter (who one of the main characters lust after), and possibly Ilse (somewhat less her than Jade since we get even less time spent with her; Ilse is the one the other main character lusts after), every character in this book falls into the ‘hard to like’ category. There are the two main characters, both with point of views, Landry Donovan (who gets called Landry so often in the book that the few times that she’s called Donovan, I had to look around to see who they were talking about) who is an ‘extractor’ (the one who has the ‘recall unit’ (not the name used in the book) that allows people to travel ‘back to the present’ and normally doesn’t spend as much time in the past as the operatives), and Jacqulyn Delaney (first name as spelled in book description), one of the time travel operatives – the kind who spend years ‘in position’ so that the mission can be accomplished. Both have certain things ‘messed up’ about them. Landry has literally two different sets of memories in her that play games with her mind (somewhat) – the set of memories wherein her mom died, and the set where she didn’t (more on that later*). Delaney (and why one gets called by their last name all the time and the other by her first name is unknown to me; the fact that Delaney’s first name is Jacqulyn is another of those little moments where that actually got used and I had to take a moment to remember who that was) is suffering from several issues – the desire to numb herself with lots and lots of alcohol – and the reason for her desire to numb herself – being burnt out; being in love with someone who only sees them as a convenient fuck buddy; and constant emotional pain from the stuff they had to do to stay in character during missions.
Then there are those characters without points of view – the sadistic (and occasional non-sadistic) Nazis; the self-serving, know-it-all Pulsus top brass (Pulsus being the organization handling the time traveling stuff; self-serving – a lot of the missions that they conduct seem suspiciously self-serving (1) first mission saved the girlfriend of the head Pulsus person (and, the same person, the mother of Landry* (by saving her own mother from an early death, Landry now has the memories she had before she saved her mother, and, superimposed on those, she has the memories of her still living mother); 2) another mission is set up to save one of the 30+ victims of a serial killer (just like the millions left to die during the holocaust for the ‘benefit’ of saving just one during the prime mission in this book; here only one person is selected to be saved – a friend of the head of Pulsus). And no, the reason for saving one person here, one person there, etc. is not some kind of ‘preserve the present’ mandate but . . . not exactly sure what follows the ‘but’ other than ‘selfishness’. How can you tell? Because the stuff that they do, the changes that they do make, keep having large changes on the ‘present’. Mind you, one of the main characters notices this and wishes to ‘do something’ about it, so . . that’s going on as well.
Hmm. I got distracted there with my little ‘insight’ into the top Pulsus people. Right, so, other characters: the brutal/sadistic Pulsus Operative Simson (sp?) who is another of Delaney’s fuck buddies and who seems to be the kind who would enjoy going back in time to be a concentration camp guard during WWII; and the family who live ‘on the mainland’ in the apartment below Landry's (Pulsus, and most of the Pulsus personal, live on an island off the coast of California) – all three of whom had personality traits that annoyed me (one is pushy and gives out way too much information; another is . . . well, I do not specifically recall why the other two annoyed me). Then there’s the mother – the little seen of her in the book is not endearing.
Right, my brain is now hurting from lunch, so I’ll hurry away. Did I like this book? Not really, no. Will I read the sequel(s)? Probably not. Did I like the characters? For the most part, no. Did I like the part where the book ended on an almost literal cliff-hanger (but for the fact that a few extra moments were spent after the cliff scene), and then was followed up by an epilogue starring two characters who had, as far as the reader knows, nothing to do with the book or series (presumably do with second book in series), just so that extra graphic scenes of a torturous nature could be added to the book? No.
Graphic Depictions of Sex? Yes
Graphic Depictions of torture and violence? Yes
Rating: 2.25
May 3 2017
I’ve eye-balled this book since I first became aware of it months ago. Things I like reading about: 1) time travel; 2) history; 3) WWII; 4) lesbians. Things that I do not really like reading about: 1) angry fucking; 2) lots and lots of angst; 3) graphic depictions of a violent/torturous/abusive nature; 4) cliffhanger endings; 5) ‘bonus’ graphic (of a torture kind) scenes by characters never before meet. This book had all nine.
I thought this book would be an interesting time travel book that bounced around time (or, since this is in fact a series (based on ‘The Extractor Series’ written on the book cover), bouncing around in one ‘non-present to the main characters’ time line. It was that. But it also was so much more – of the worse kind of more.
With the possible exception of Jade Carter (who one of the main characters lust after), and possibly Ilse (somewhat less her than Jade since we get even less time spent with her; Ilse is the one the other main character lusts after), every character in this book falls into the ‘hard to like’ category. There are the two main characters, both with point of views, Landry Donovan (who gets called Landry so often in the book that the few times that she’s called Donovan, I had to look around to see who they were talking about) who is an ‘extractor’ (the one who has the ‘recall unit’ (not the name used in the book) that allows people to travel ‘back to the present’ and normally doesn’t spend as much time in the past as the operatives), and Jacqulyn Delaney (first name as spelled in book description), one of the time travel operatives – the kind who spend years ‘in position’ so that the mission can be accomplished. Both have certain things ‘messed up’ about them. Landry has literally two different sets of memories in her that play games with her mind (somewhat) – the set of memories wherein her mom died, and the set where she didn’t (more on that later*). Delaney (and why one gets called by their last name all the time and the other by her first name is unknown to me; the fact that Delaney’s first name is Jacqulyn is another of those little moments where that actually got used and I had to take a moment to remember who that was) is suffering from several issues – the desire to numb herself with lots and lots of alcohol – and the reason for her desire to numb herself – being burnt out; being in love with someone who only sees them as a convenient fuck buddy; and constant emotional pain from the stuff they had to do to stay in character during missions.
Then there are those characters without points of view – the sadistic (and occasional non-sadistic) Nazis; the self-serving, know-it-all Pulsus top brass (Pulsus being the organization handling the time traveling stuff; self-serving – a lot of the missions that they conduct seem suspiciously self-serving (1) first mission saved the girlfriend of the head Pulsus person (and, the same person, the mother of Landry* (by saving her own mother from an early death, Landry now has the memories she had before she saved her mother, and, superimposed on those, she has the memories of her still living mother); 2) another mission is set up to save one of the 30+ victims of a serial killer (just like the millions left to die during the holocaust for the ‘benefit’ of saving just one during the prime mission in this book; here only one person is selected to be saved – a friend of the head of Pulsus). And no, the reason for saving one person here, one person there, etc. is not some kind of ‘preserve the present’ mandate but . . . not exactly sure what follows the ‘but’ other than ‘selfishness’. How can you tell? Because the stuff that they do, the changes that they do make, keep having large changes on the ‘present’. Mind you, one of the main characters notices this and wishes to ‘do something’ about it, so . . that’s going on as well.
Hmm. I got distracted there with my little ‘insight’ into the top Pulsus people. Right, so, other characters: the brutal/sadistic Pulsus Operative Simson (sp?) who is another of Delaney’s fuck buddies and who seems to be the kind who would enjoy going back in time to be a concentration camp guard during WWII; and the family who live ‘on the mainland’ in the apartment below Landry's (Pulsus, and most of the Pulsus personal, live on an island off the coast of California) – all three of whom had personality traits that annoyed me (one is pushy and gives out way too much information; another is . . . well, I do not specifically recall why the other two annoyed me). Then there’s the mother – the little seen of her in the book is not endearing.
Right, my brain is now hurting from lunch, so I’ll hurry away. Did I like this book? Not really, no. Will I read the sequel(s)? Probably not. Did I like the characters? For the most part, no. Did I like the part where the book ended on an almost literal cliff-hanger (but for the fact that a few extra moments were spent after the cliff scene), and then was followed up by an epilogue starring two characters who had, as far as the reader knows, nothing to do with the book or series (presumably do with second book in series), just so that extra graphic scenes of a torturous nature could be added to the book? No.
Graphic Depictions of Sex? Yes
Graphic Depictions of torture and violence? Yes
Rating: 2.25
May 3 2017
August 1, 2017
This is a tricky book to rate. I liked it and I disliked it, in equal measure. I couldn’t put it down and I had to take breaks from reading.
Why did I like it?
It’s got time travel. I love time travelling stories because they offer a wealth of opportunities and make for great plot twists.
The pacing of the story is perfect; it’s quick but not so quick as to make you motion-sick or to rush by without noticing the details. If this were a historical (romance) novel, I would have expected a bit more landscape and attention to detail because those were slower times, so to speak, but this is a quick world with advanced technology to make things even quicker and so I was perfectly happy with the tempo.
The world-building and science-building (can you say that?) is very well done, just enough detail to make everything come to life but not so many details to make your eyes glaze over. See above—this is not a Regency novel. I don’t need detailed explanation just how Pulsus’ time travel technology works. I was perfectly happy with the tidbits I got here. No need to go into detail.
That goes for character depth, too: there’s just enough info to make the characters come to life in your mind. (Although, now that I think about it, I don’t think there’s much of a back-story for Delaney. Maybe there is and I’ve fogotten? I remember Landry’s family story, what with going back in time and save her mother and how her father was not all he appeared to be…but Delaney? Hmmm.)
I like books that have strong female (lead) characters but do without man-bashing. No man-bashing here, luckily. Griffin is a side character but comes across likeable, determined and—as it turns out—pretty heroic, too.
I like books that take me back in time to make history come to life, even more so if the author has done her homework. I cringe when I read books set in Germany and the occasional German phrase thrown in is all off and makes me laugh rather than add authenticity. No such thing here. Ms Nyx has done her research!
(Notice there’s a lot “coming to life here”? Takes a good author to turn letters on paper into life.)
Why did I dislike it?
It’s got time travel. I hate time travelling stories because the more I think about what happens and what will happen if this happens and what did happen because of what’s happened, the more my head starts hurting. And to travel back in time to change the course of history, no matter how small? Prime directive, anyone?
I wasn’t too fond of either of the main characters who are friends with benefits and friends with angst. Now, while I don’t need a likeable character to be a trilling Disney princess, she should have a few things about her that I find likeable. Sadly, neither Landry nor Delaney have anything to offer me on that scale—I just couldn’t connect to either of them. Landry’s commitment-phobic and runs away from anything that so much smells of anything more permanent than a fling; and Delaney, whose feelings for Landry are way stronger than Landry’s feelings for her, drowns her sorrows in booze and jumps into another fuck buddy relationship with Simson, another time travel agent with a strong inclination towards the sadistic. Sigh. Over the course of the book, both Landry and Delaney fall for ‘regular’ women, i.e. neither soldier nor time travellers, but somehow these love interests stay sort of one-dimensional and I wasn’t really convinced as to why Landry comes to care for Jade so much, and why Delaney falls for Ilse. Their stories got lost somewhere along the way.
Then, there is a little too much of graphic violence. Maybe I’m getting squeamish as I’m getting older but I would have preferred the torture chambers’ doors to close mercifully.
And of course there’s the setting as such. Nazi Germany. Now, I am German and reading a book where a large part of the story is set in a concentration camp makes me want to cry because I know damn well this isn’t fiction. It’s not thought out. It’s not some distant fantasy villains taking it out on some distant fantasy peasants. These things happened for real, and no matter how detailed Robyn Nyx writes her torture and abuse scenes, she won’t even come close to what really happened to real people in my country and carried out by my people, “just following orders”.
I’d take 1.5 stars off for the graphic depictions of violence that I found too much and too often but as that’s not possible, I’m giving 4 out of 5 stars because I like the tempo, the world-building, the overall writing and the potential of the series. I know there’s a sequel coming out and I hope we’ll learn more of Pulsus, the team and the missions. Hopefully there’ll be more time travelling, hopefully there’ll be healthier relationships…and hopefully less gore and cruelty.
Why did I like it?
It’s got time travel. I love time travelling stories because they offer a wealth of opportunities and make for great plot twists.
The pacing of the story is perfect; it’s quick but not so quick as to make you motion-sick or to rush by without noticing the details. If this were a historical (romance) novel, I would have expected a bit more landscape and attention to detail because those were slower times, so to speak, but this is a quick world with advanced technology to make things even quicker and so I was perfectly happy with the tempo.
The world-building and science-building (can you say that?) is very well done, just enough detail to make everything come to life but not so many details to make your eyes glaze over. See above—this is not a Regency novel. I don’t need detailed explanation just how Pulsus’ time travel technology works. I was perfectly happy with the tidbits I got here. No need to go into detail.
That goes for character depth, too: there’s just enough info to make the characters come to life in your mind. (Although, now that I think about it, I don’t think there’s much of a back-story for Delaney. Maybe there is and I’ve fogotten? I remember Landry’s family story, what with going back in time and save her mother and how her father was not all he appeared to be…but Delaney? Hmmm.)
I like books that have strong female (lead) characters but do without man-bashing. No man-bashing here, luckily. Griffin is a side character but comes across likeable, determined and—as it turns out—pretty heroic, too.
I like books that take me back in time to make history come to life, even more so if the author has done her homework. I cringe when I read books set in Germany and the occasional German phrase thrown in is all off and makes me laugh rather than add authenticity. No such thing here. Ms Nyx has done her research!
(Notice there’s a lot “coming to life here”? Takes a good author to turn letters on paper into life.)
Why did I dislike it?
It’s got time travel. I hate time travelling stories because the more I think about what happens and what will happen if this happens and what did happen because of what’s happened, the more my head starts hurting. And to travel back in time to change the course of history, no matter how small? Prime directive, anyone?
I wasn’t too fond of either of the main characters who are friends with benefits and friends with angst. Now, while I don’t need a likeable character to be a trilling Disney princess, she should have a few things about her that I find likeable. Sadly, neither Landry nor Delaney have anything to offer me on that scale—I just couldn’t connect to either of them. Landry’s commitment-phobic and runs away from anything that so much smells of anything more permanent than a fling; and Delaney, whose feelings for Landry are way stronger than Landry’s feelings for her, drowns her sorrows in booze and jumps into another fuck buddy relationship with Simson, another time travel agent with a strong inclination towards the sadistic. Sigh. Over the course of the book, both Landry and Delaney fall for ‘regular’ women, i.e. neither soldier nor time travellers, but somehow these love interests stay sort of one-dimensional and I wasn’t really convinced as to why Landry comes to care for Jade so much, and why Delaney falls for Ilse. Their stories got lost somewhere along the way.
Then, there is a little too much of graphic violence. Maybe I’m getting squeamish as I’m getting older but I would have preferred the torture chambers’ doors to close mercifully.
And of course there’s the setting as such. Nazi Germany. Now, I am German and reading a book where a large part of the story is set in a concentration camp makes me want to cry because I know damn well this isn’t fiction. It’s not thought out. It’s not some distant fantasy villains taking it out on some distant fantasy peasants. These things happened for real, and no matter how detailed Robyn Nyx writes her torture and abuse scenes, she won’t even come close to what really happened to real people in my country and carried out by my people, “just following orders”.
I’d take 1.5 stars off for the graphic depictions of violence that I found too much and too often but as that’s not possible, I’m giving 4 out of 5 stars because I like the tempo, the world-building, the overall writing and the potential of the series. I know there’s a sequel coming out and I hope we’ll learn more of Pulsus, the team and the missions. Hopefully there’ll be more time travelling, hopefully there’ll be healthier relationships…and hopefully less gore and cruelty.
October 11, 2017
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I like time travel a lot, as in when I have to chose a superpower I will chose time travel. As a substitute until that time, I like to read about others travelling through time and space.
Escape in Time follows Delaney and Landry who work for an organisation that rescues objects and persons from times past. In this, they completely forget the first rule of time travel: don't mess with the past (it will come back at you). So, do not expect a book which focuses on the rules of time travel or a book that's SCIENCE fiction. Either way, they are sent to Nazi Germany to save a Jewish doctor on the brink of finding the cure for cancer (on a purely scientific note: the chances of there being one single cure for all cancers is probably slimmer than me having to chose a superpower).
This rescue mission encompasses multiple years of an undercover operation, in which they have to withstand a lot (I won't go into the details because of possible spoiling, but still). It's OK but predictable that the big bosses at the organization are complete jerks and don't give a shit about their employers, but it seems rather harsh either way. The rest of the book is made up with several (lesbian) romances. I normally don't like to read romances, and there was quite some angst, it didn't bother me as it sometimes bothers me.
It left me with some questions and a huge cliff hanger, so I would be curious to read the sequel.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I like time travel a lot, as in when I have to chose a superpower I will chose time travel. As a substitute until that time, I like to read about others travelling through time and space.
Escape in Time follows Delaney and Landry who work for an organisation that rescues objects and persons from times past. In this, they completely forget the first rule of time travel: don't mess with the past (it will come back at you). So, do not expect a book which focuses on the rules of time travel or a book that's SCIENCE fiction. Either way, they are sent to Nazi Germany to save a Jewish doctor on the brink of finding the cure for cancer (on a purely scientific note: the chances of there being one single cure for all cancers is probably slimmer than me having to chose a superpower).
This rescue mission encompasses multiple years of an undercover operation, in which they have to withstand a lot (I won't go into the details because of possible spoiling, but still). It's OK but predictable that the big bosses at the organization are complete jerks and don't give a shit about their employers, but it seems rather harsh either way. The rest of the book is made up with several (lesbian) romances. I normally don't like to read romances, and there was quite some angst, it didn't bother me as it sometimes bothers me.
It left me with some questions and a huge cliff hanger, so I would be curious to read the sequel.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
August 3, 2018
I loved this book!
As an opening to The Extractor Trilogy, Escape In Time is the perfect introduction as it introduces main characters Landry and Delaney who have a complicated friendship, lifestyles and job! The perfect mix of sci-fi and history, the story is fascinating and will make you think!
Intricately woven into the wonders of time, Landry and Delaney find themselves on a mission that changes both of their outlooks on life, and sets their stories up nicely for the sequels that follow this brilliant first instalment. I loved both characters and found them easy to connect with.
Fast paced and thrilling to keep you intrigued from start to finish, to the point I actually really struggled to put this book down. When you find yourself rushing through the day to get back to a book you know it’s a good one. I really did enjoy, not only what I learned historically, but also from seeing the future through someone else’s eyes. The wonders of technology and possibility in this book for how the world may be in future were truly fascinating.
I would highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
As an opening to The Extractor Trilogy, Escape In Time is the perfect introduction as it introduces main characters Landry and Delaney who have a complicated friendship, lifestyles and job! The perfect mix of sci-fi and history, the story is fascinating and will make you think!
Intricately woven into the wonders of time, Landry and Delaney find themselves on a mission that changes both of their outlooks on life, and sets their stories up nicely for the sequels that follow this brilliant first instalment. I loved both characters and found them easy to connect with.
Fast paced and thrilling to keep you intrigued from start to finish, to the point I actually really struggled to put this book down. When you find yourself rushing through the day to get back to a book you know it’s a good one. I really did enjoy, not only what I learned historically, but also from seeing the future through someone else’s eyes. The wonders of technology and possibility in this book for how the world may be in future were truly fascinating.
I would highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
October 16, 2018
Wow.
Okay, give me a few moments to collect my thoughts here.
Let's begin with the concept: imagine Pulsus, an organization in the near-future (the 2070's), gains access to time-travel, but it's expensive, and they're hesitant to make massive changes because of how random the fallout may be to the present day. So they decide, instead, to save individuals here and there that they're sure—after much number crunching—will leave the world in a better position than it currently stands.
One of the people working for Pulsus, Landry, is the best-of-the-best at protecting the target, making sure they survive the events of the past, and then getting her team home. And her first mission was to save her own mother, who was working on a kind of "reverse and reset the biological clock" proceedure that will go hand-in-hand with Pulsus' plans: after all, if you spend years in the past trying to change it, you'll soon be out-of-synch with your actual age upon your return, so de-aging yourself back to where you should be is a huge boon.
Right off, this gives the reader a really solid idea of how tangled a tale Nyx is setting up: for Landry, who grew up without her mother, is still coming to terms with a blurred double-life, for as soon as she saved her mother, she ended up with a new timeline where she can also remember her life where she didn't lose her mother. The psychological strain of knowing each mission can change everything—and could possibly, as a side-effect, erase people you care about—is a huge weight, even if it doesn't matter much against making the world a much better place.
Like, say, by finding a Jewish doctor who was close to understanding and curing cancer during WWII, but who was killed before she could complete her research—research no one else has understood since.
Landry doesn't work alone, and this is key for the unfolding of the many interwoven plots Nyx lays out with precision: there are other agents who go back further in time and lay the groundwork to make it possible for Landry to save the target. But this means sending three people to Ravensbrück, undercover and in positions of power during a time when those positions of power meant evil.
And one of those three people is having a crisis of both conscience and the heart, which might just ruin everything for everyone and get them all killed—or set them up for a much bigger betrayal later on.
The present informs the past, the past creates problems for the potential future, and the characterization is evocative and engaging throughout. The "ticking clock" element of the plot had me twitching, and the horrors of Ravensbrück were neither shied away from nor dealt with anything other than the evil they were.
This is a dark book about hope and change full of dented people struggling to hold on to who they are in the face of world-changing power, and motives are uncertain on all fronts. The psychology feels raw and real, even while the characters are catapulting themselves through time.
I cannot wait to start the next one, and I'm so happy I nabbed them all at once.
Okay, give me a few moments to collect my thoughts here.
Let's begin with the concept: imagine Pulsus, an organization in the near-future (the 2070's), gains access to time-travel, but it's expensive, and they're hesitant to make massive changes because of how random the fallout may be to the present day. So they decide, instead, to save individuals here and there that they're sure—after much number crunching—will leave the world in a better position than it currently stands.
One of the people working for Pulsus, Landry, is the best-of-the-best at protecting the target, making sure they survive the events of the past, and then getting her team home. And her first mission was to save her own mother, who was working on a kind of "reverse and reset the biological clock" proceedure that will go hand-in-hand with Pulsus' plans: after all, if you spend years in the past trying to change it, you'll soon be out-of-synch with your actual age upon your return, so de-aging yourself back to where you should be is a huge boon.
Right off, this gives the reader a really solid idea of how tangled a tale Nyx is setting up: for Landry, who grew up without her mother, is still coming to terms with a blurred double-life, for as soon as she saved her mother, she ended up with a new timeline where she can also remember her life where she didn't lose her mother. The psychological strain of knowing each mission can change everything—and could possibly, as a side-effect, erase people you care about—is a huge weight, even if it doesn't matter much against making the world a much better place.
Like, say, by finding a Jewish doctor who was close to understanding and curing cancer during WWII, but who was killed before she could complete her research—research no one else has understood since.
Landry doesn't work alone, and this is key for the unfolding of the many interwoven plots Nyx lays out with precision: there are other agents who go back further in time and lay the groundwork to make it possible for Landry to save the target. But this means sending three people to Ravensbrück, undercover and in positions of power during a time when those positions of power meant evil.
And one of those three people is having a crisis of both conscience and the heart, which might just ruin everything for everyone and get them all killed—or set them up for a much bigger betrayal later on.
The present informs the past, the past creates problems for the potential future, and the characterization is evocative and engaging throughout. The "ticking clock" element of the plot had me twitching, and the horrors of Ravensbrück were neither shied away from nor dealt with anything other than the evil they were.
This is a dark book about hope and change full of dented people struggling to hold on to who they are in the face of world-changing power, and motives are uncertain on all fronts. The psychology feels raw and real, even while the characters are catapulting themselves through time.
I cannot wait to start the next one, and I'm so happy I nabbed them all at once.
June 25, 2017
Wow, this is a really good book. It has everything. Romance, adventure and plenty of action. It is my first book by this author and I am looking forward to more especially the sequel to this one. I'm guessing there is going to be a follow up because there are a lot of unanswered questions and the epilogue was too enticing to leave it there.
The book is set in the future where a company called Pulsus has mastered time travel. They send operatives back in time to retrieve people who could have done good for the world but had died. This book is about retrieving the person most likely to create a cure for cancer. So they are sent back to Nazi Germany to retrieve her.
The book has two main characters Delaney and Landry. Delaney is an operative who often spends many months sometimes years in the past getting ready to extract the person of interest. She is becoming discontent and is totally in love with Landry. Landry is what they call an extractor who travels back in time only a short while often days or weeks before the extraction. She has no idea about Delaney. she thinks they are best friends.
During their off hours Landry go's to the mainland where she has a building which she rents out but nobody knows, its her way of reconnecting with the present. Never looking for or having fallen in love before she meets and falls for Jade a basketball player. Delaney also has fallen in love but with someone in the past on her last assignment.
My only complaint is the epilogue. Where you thought you were going to see Landry and Jade walk off into the sunset, you got two brand new characters participating in what I can only assume as torture as a machine starts to drink the captive. So, therefor I'm assuming this will be expanded upon in book 2.
Yes I enjoyed it. And yes I would recommend it. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
The book is set in the future where a company called Pulsus has mastered time travel. They send operatives back in time to retrieve people who could have done good for the world but had died. This book is about retrieving the person most likely to create a cure for cancer. So they are sent back to Nazi Germany to retrieve her.
The book has two main characters Delaney and Landry. Delaney is an operative who often spends many months sometimes years in the past getting ready to extract the person of interest. She is becoming discontent and is totally in love with Landry. Landry is what they call an extractor who travels back in time only a short while often days or weeks before the extraction. She has no idea about Delaney. she thinks they are best friends.
During their off hours Landry go's to the mainland where she has a building which she rents out but nobody knows, its her way of reconnecting with the present. Never looking for or having fallen in love before she meets and falls for Jade a basketball player. Delaney also has fallen in love but with someone in the past on her last assignment.
My only complaint is the epilogue. Where you thought you were going to see Landry and Jade walk off into the sunset, you got two brand new characters participating in what I can only assume as torture as a machine starts to drink the captive. So, therefor I'm assuming this will be expanded upon in book 2.
Yes I enjoyed it. And yes I would recommend it. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
April 25, 2017
Landry is part of an organisation that goes back in time and extracts people from situations for the good of the future . Sometimes she and her colleagues have to endure appalling things and do things they later regret. Going to a concentration camp to extract a Dr on the brink of a cure for cancer is an especially difficult mission for them. I thought this part of the story was so well told. Robyn Nyx managed to make is so real and didn't hold back on the horrors involved. The time travel aspect was fascinating and I hope the author writes a follow-up. I liked Landry and enjoyed seeing how she changed. Those around her helped show different aspects of her character. How she acted around each of them was very telling. A really good read that incorporated sci-fi, romance, adventure and a whole lot more.
I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.
I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.
February 5, 2019
I found everything about this book amazing, from the skilled character development to the fascinating back stories to the detailed world building of the futuristic setting combined with the remarkable depiction of a WWII concentration camp to the deeply felt interpersonal relationships of all kinds.
I'm a little late in coming to the review of this fabulous book, so I'll let the overviews of the other reviewers stand in for one here and just say that this book blew me away. Nyx is a master storyteller, a writer that doesn't miss a single detail--and there are many to be followed in this book with the overlapping story lines taking place in different time periods--and has a writing style that grips the reader and doesn't let go. I'm so glad there are two more books in this series.
I highly recommend this book to readers who love sinking into an intricately-woven plot and exquisitely complex characters and relationships.
I'm a little late in coming to the review of this fabulous book, so I'll let the overviews of the other reviewers stand in for one here and just say that this book blew me away. Nyx is a master storyteller, a writer that doesn't miss a single detail--and there are many to be followed in this book with the overlapping story lines taking place in different time periods--and has a writing style that grips the reader and doesn't let go. I'm so glad there are two more books in this series.
I highly recommend this book to readers who love sinking into an intricately-woven plot and exquisitely complex characters and relationships.
July 14, 2017
I'm interested in the Holocaust but this missed the mark in so many ways. I've read two books by this author now, it won't be 3rd time lucky. Cos I'll not read another.
April 12, 2017
Landry and Donovan work for Pulsus, a company that can go back in time and save a person. They don't just save anyone, the higher ups carefully calculate the ramifications of changing the past, and the positive outcomes must far outweigh the negative. This time they are sent back to WWII to save a doctor who is on the brink of curing cancer. But Delany is plagued by demons and struggles to come to terms with her purpose. Why save one when you can save millions? Landry and Delany must overcome personal distractions, relationships past and present, and their own tortured minds to complete the mission.
I found the past more interesting than the present which dragged a little for me in the beginning. That would be my only complaint - but this being the first book I think it just took a little time to get the reader situated in the world the author has created.
I absolutely love the way the author writes - its some of the most beautiful writing I've ever encountered. I was absolutely captivated by the way she described Landry's tattoo at the beginning of the novel and every single page after that just reinforced my first impression. Wow. For this alone I cannot give this book anything less than five stars.
The sex is rough and the descriptions crass but it definitely works for this book. Romance has no place in this book filled with personal demons.
This was a fascinating book that explores family, love, desire and tests the limits of the humanity. The characters were wonderfully complex - their drive and their demons unique and thought provoking.
I am so glad that there is a second book because I love the way the author writes and I'm intrigued to see where the story goes.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found the past more interesting than the present which dragged a little for me in the beginning. That would be my only complaint - but this being the first book I think it just took a little time to get the reader situated in the world the author has created.
I absolutely love the way the author writes - its some of the most beautiful writing I've ever encountered. I was absolutely captivated by the way she described Landry's tattoo at the beginning of the novel and every single page after that just reinforced my first impression. Wow. For this alone I cannot give this book anything less than five stars.
The sex is rough and the descriptions crass but it definitely works for this book. Romance has no place in this book filled with personal demons.
This was a fascinating book that explores family, love, desire and tests the limits of the humanity. The characters were wonderfully complex - their drive and their demons unique and thought provoking.
I am so glad that there is a second book because I love the way the author writes and I'm intrigued to see where the story goes.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2017
Fantastic
What a great story, fantastic characters and superbly written another cracker by Robyn Nyx once I started i couldn't put it down, desperately waiting for the next one
What a great story, fantastic characters and superbly written another cracker by Robyn Nyx once I started i couldn't put it down, desperately waiting for the next one
March 5, 2017
Robyn has done it again! I was fascinated by the horrifying scenes described in the past, turned on by the passionate connection between Landry and Jade and torn between empathy for Delaney’s lack of human connection and outrage at her suggested total disregard for Landry just to achieve her goals!
Escape in Time is more than just a novel, it’s three stories in one crossing over several fiction genres.
The emotionally risky and budding romance between Landry Donovan, an off the charts intelligent Extractor for Pulsus, travelling in time to save the lives of important historical figures and return operatives back to their correct time line on a regular basis, and Jade Carter, a world famous, strong willed and sexy beyond belief basketball player.
Jacqulyn Delaney, an Operative for Pulsus, travelling back in time for years at a time to set the scene up for the Extractor to finish the deal, and her difficulty adjusting to normal life after returning from harrowing experiences in the past as well as her love for Landry who only sees her as a friend with benefits as well as Ilsa, a guard from 1938 at the grisly Ravensbrück women’s prison.
Pulsus, the company they both work for and its controversial task of changing the past to improve the present and the disturbing period of history they return to involving many characters and events true to the historical documents.
Escape in Time is more than just a novel, it’s three stories in one crossing over several fiction genres.
The emotionally risky and budding romance between Landry Donovan, an off the charts intelligent Extractor for Pulsus, travelling in time to save the lives of important historical figures and return operatives back to their correct time line on a regular basis, and Jade Carter, a world famous, strong willed and sexy beyond belief basketball player.
Jacqulyn Delaney, an Operative for Pulsus, travelling back in time for years at a time to set the scene up for the Extractor to finish the deal, and her difficulty adjusting to normal life after returning from harrowing experiences in the past as well as her love for Landry who only sees her as a friend with benefits as well as Ilsa, a guard from 1938 at the grisly Ravensbrück women’s prison.
Pulsus, the company they both work for and its controversial task of changing the past to improve the present and the disturbing period of history they return to involving many characters and events true to the historical documents.
July 30, 2018
I loved the premise of this book. A future company (year 2075) has developed time travel and sends operatives back in time to rescue people who were on the brink of doing great things for humanity, plus the main characters are lesbians, check and check. The story was interesting and kept my interest throughout, for sure, but, man oh man there was a lot of sex, more graphically described than I prefer and much of it was rather violent. I also had a hard time following many of the conversations, couldn't tell who was saying what to whom and had to go back to reread passages to get clarity. I couldn't buy that the main character was so drop dead charismatic that every single woman she encounters seems to want her, and furthermore, that the woman she finally begins to have a relationship with will not press her for more details about what causes her to be away for several months at a time. The story ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, which I am marginally curious about, but with so many other books in my TBR pile, I am willing to let this curiosity go unresolved for the time being.
June 26, 2017
The guts of this book was definitely intriguing. Escape in Time is ambitious in what it sets out to achieve and I think it really gets there.
Top marks for creating a world that really sticks in the science fiction genre and had me questioning so many things. The characters were both loveable and horrible. I wanted to connect a bit more with the characters but I didn't always know what they were up to. Landry was a mixture of steel and compassion and her best friend and sometimes playmate Delaney was a challenged soul.
Honestly I was probably shipping this book a little differently because the side characters weren't as strongly developed as the main ones but overall I really enjoyed this book.
Maybe lost a tiny slither of a star because of the rougher elements to the book which I didn't enjoy but each to their own.
Top marks for creating a world that really sticks in the science fiction genre and had me questioning so many things. The characters were both loveable and horrible. I wanted to connect a bit more with the characters but I didn't always know what they were up to. Landry was a mixture of steel and compassion and her best friend and sometimes playmate Delaney was a challenged soul.
Honestly I was probably shipping this book a little differently because the side characters weren't as strongly developed as the main ones but overall I really enjoyed this book.
Maybe lost a tiny slither of a star because of the rougher elements to the book which I didn't enjoy but each to their own.
March 31, 2020
I definitely don't like reading unrequited love of the MC for the other MC ...I thought Delaney and Landry were going to get together but no.. not at all even their so called sex scenes happened before the book. So because of this I didn't like Jade at all or Ilsa.. so yeah as a ff book it sucked for me. Enjoyed the time travel aspect though as that's rare but just too much anger and depression for me.
September 1, 2017
A deeply intriguing look at complex friendships in a constantly changing world. An exceptional novel, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
December 17, 2020
This SciFi novel is futuristic dystopia meets historical fiction and I’m here for it
What was the book about?
Escape in Time is the first in a trilogy about time travel. The book is set in the not TOO distant future, the year 2075. Time travel has been invented (along with a number of other advances – such as regenerative technology to heal injuries and reverse aging), though it seems that the world at large is unaware of all of this technology. Instead, an organization called PULSUS holds all of the technology, and is using it to make small changes in the past to create a better, but not drastically changed, future. To do this, they send military trained operatives basically under deep cover in the past. They build their life/cover for years in order to successfully carry out their missions. In addition to the operatives, an “extractor” is sent back in time as well, though much closer to the mission date. The extractor’s job is to extract the operatives and bring the technology necessary to get everyone back to the “present.”
The main character is Landry Donovan, and she is an extractor. There are a few sub-main characters, including Landry’s operative friend Delaney and a potential love interest on the “mainland,” professional basketballer Jade. About half of the book involves world-building, while the other half follows a central mission that involves the team going back to Nazi Germany to save a doctor who had the potential to cure cancer. The characters face obvious external struggles (staying alive in concentration camps, succeeding in their mission, etc), as well as more internal struggles such as adjusting to civilian life between missions, alcoholism, and discontent with how PULSUS is being run.
Featured Tropes:
SciFi, historical, futuristic
Book Strengths:
The world building is really fantastic. Nyx gives just enough detail without getting to the point where the reader is skimming just to get to the good stuff. I found the story to be generally well-paced, and was suitably intrigued by the plot (both by the excitement of the dystopian future and by the clearly well researched historical plot). A couple of days after finishing, I’m still thinking about Pulsus and what they’re UP to and what the characters will do next. I’m also a sucker for a good historical fiction novel (especially if it’s also wlw), and the portion of this novel that takes place during WWII was beautifully described and felt well-researched without crossing the line into boring. It must have been difficult to write characters who were “native” to the 1940s as well as those from the future who had time travelled to the 40s within the same scene. It was seamless! I loved occupying both worlds (2075 and Hitler’s Germany) briefly and was amazed at how fluid the transition between the two felt.
Book Weaknesses:
I thought Escape in Time was a strong book overall, though I do think that there are a few components that aren’t for everyone. So these aren’t necessarily weaknesses, but more just points to consider. While I didn’t dislike the main characters outright, I didn’t fall in love with them either. I also found it difficult to read many of the graphic descriptions of violence, though I appreciate how they serve the plot. There are also more than a couple of graphically described rough sex scenes that, to me, didn’t feel like they served the plot and seemed gratuitous. Finally, the epilogue fell strongly in the “not for me” category, as it incongruously introduced 2 brand new characters and a totally new setting. I’m sure that it is meant as a teaser for the next book in the series, but it didn’t work for me personally. It definitely had me thinking about the next book, but I was expecting to get a tad more information after a cliff hanger ending, which was not the case.
Character Chemistry:
Landry and Jade’s chemistry is good but not off the charts. The romance in this story is secondary to the larger plot points, and it seems to show in the chemistry.
Heat Rating:
4 flames (with a warning for graphic descriptions of rough/angry sex)
Wrap up:
Escape in Time did its job in roping me in for the rest of the trilogy. The world Nyx builds of a not-too-distant future that holds the power for time travel and the associated responsibility in controlling that power is fascinating and well built. I was definitely rooting for Landry and Jade by the end of the novel. If you like SciFi, dystopian futuristic, and historical fiction novels, you can’t miss this one.
See full review at https://lesreveur.com/2020/01/21/esca...
I was provided with an ARC and have voluntarily left an honest review.
What was the book about?
Escape in Time is the first in a trilogy about time travel. The book is set in the not TOO distant future, the year 2075. Time travel has been invented (along with a number of other advances – such as regenerative technology to heal injuries and reverse aging), though it seems that the world at large is unaware of all of this technology. Instead, an organization called PULSUS holds all of the technology, and is using it to make small changes in the past to create a better, but not drastically changed, future. To do this, they send military trained operatives basically under deep cover in the past. They build their life/cover for years in order to successfully carry out their missions. In addition to the operatives, an “extractor” is sent back in time as well, though much closer to the mission date. The extractor’s job is to extract the operatives and bring the technology necessary to get everyone back to the “present.”
The main character is Landry Donovan, and she is an extractor. There are a few sub-main characters, including Landry’s operative friend Delaney and a potential love interest on the “mainland,” professional basketballer Jade. About half of the book involves world-building, while the other half follows a central mission that involves the team going back to Nazi Germany to save a doctor who had the potential to cure cancer. The characters face obvious external struggles (staying alive in concentration camps, succeeding in their mission, etc), as well as more internal struggles such as adjusting to civilian life between missions, alcoholism, and discontent with how PULSUS is being run.
Featured Tropes:
SciFi, historical, futuristic
Book Strengths:
The world building is really fantastic. Nyx gives just enough detail without getting to the point where the reader is skimming just to get to the good stuff. I found the story to be generally well-paced, and was suitably intrigued by the plot (both by the excitement of the dystopian future and by the clearly well researched historical plot). A couple of days after finishing, I’m still thinking about Pulsus and what they’re UP to and what the characters will do next. I’m also a sucker for a good historical fiction novel (especially if it’s also wlw), and the portion of this novel that takes place during WWII was beautifully described and felt well-researched without crossing the line into boring. It must have been difficult to write characters who were “native” to the 1940s as well as those from the future who had time travelled to the 40s within the same scene. It was seamless! I loved occupying both worlds (2075 and Hitler’s Germany) briefly and was amazed at how fluid the transition between the two felt.
Book Weaknesses:
I thought Escape in Time was a strong book overall, though I do think that there are a few components that aren’t for everyone. So these aren’t necessarily weaknesses, but more just points to consider. While I didn’t dislike the main characters outright, I didn’t fall in love with them either. I also found it difficult to read many of the graphic descriptions of violence, though I appreciate how they serve the plot. There are also more than a couple of graphically described rough sex scenes that, to me, didn’t feel like they served the plot and seemed gratuitous. Finally, the epilogue fell strongly in the “not for me” category, as it incongruously introduced 2 brand new characters and a totally new setting. I’m sure that it is meant as a teaser for the next book in the series, but it didn’t work for me personally. It definitely had me thinking about the next book, but I was expecting to get a tad more information after a cliff hanger ending, which was not the case.
Character Chemistry:
Landry and Jade’s chemistry is good but not off the charts. The romance in this story is secondary to the larger plot points, and it seems to show in the chemistry.
Heat Rating:
4 flames (with a warning for graphic descriptions of rough/angry sex)
Wrap up:
Escape in Time did its job in roping me in for the rest of the trilogy. The world Nyx builds of a not-too-distant future that holds the power for time travel and the associated responsibility in controlling that power is fascinating and well built. I was definitely rooting for Landry and Jade by the end of the novel. If you like SciFi, dystopian futuristic, and historical fiction novels, you can’t miss this one.
See full review at https://lesreveur.com/2020/01/21/esca...
I was provided with an ARC and have voluntarily left an honest review.
January 31, 2019
*The following commentary applies to ALL 3 Books, "Escape in Time," (Book 1) "Change in Time," (Book 2) and "Death in Time" (Book 3) in The Extractor Trilogy.*
I finally decided to dive into Robyn Nyx's much-talked-about The Extractor Trilogy after contemplating for much too long because.... Time travel. Yes, I have a complicated relationship with this subject matter in fiction, be it in books or on-screen, for the longest time. I read a lot of non-fiction science books, in particular, those related to quantum physics/mechanics and its subsets, the many theories and hypotheses, mathematical proofs. Obviously, the most popular question when dealing with this highly debated subject matter has always been time travel. But I'd been let down previously because they all ended up using the same old, tired "Back to the Future" method which I can't accept in me head! I've been searching for a good time travel book in fiction that at least tries to venture into a more updated, more probable theory, specifically in quantum physics that relates to current hot topics amongst the science/astrophysics community, i.e. multiverse/parallel universes, string theory, quantum entanglement, etc. Nyx's Trilogy sounded, based on its blurbs, very intriguing and me curiosity was definitely piqued when I first found out about it. I resisted. But I kept going back to read the reviews on GR. Highly rated and reviewed but none of them touched on the "science" part of time travel in the books. So I was still wary of disappointment yet again. Then one day, for no reason at all, I just felt compelled to read The Extractor Trilogy. So I followed me instincts. Thank Christ I did because...let's just say, I ended up binge-reading all three of them at lightning speed! It was absolutely a bloody THRILL to ride the journey! The methodology of Nyx's time travel, whilst still clinging to the way that cannot beat the grandfather's paradox, but did expand into something like the multiverse theory (albeit only indicated, at least in me own interpretation, not mentioned directly) and a couple of possibilities that I could accept on face value so in the end, I could forego some others, which "troubled" me, (I know, I'm one crazy nerd!) through a bit of suspension of disbelief on me part. This made me reading experience infinitely more exciting and fun (because I didn't have to reject the notion every 5 minutes like I used to when I read the others that let me down!).
The Extractor Trilogy, comprised of "Escape in Time" (Book 1), "Change in Time" (Book 2) and "Death in Time" (Book 3), is about a group of time travellers trained by a highly secretive, non-governmental private organisation, Pulsus, to go back in time to change specific events in order to influence the future (the present time depicted in the books) by neutralising or moving the person(s) responsible. Each "jump" is usually led by 2 teams: first team comprising of Operatives (responsible for scouting the targets locales and establishing positions before the 2nd team arrives, which takes a bit of time with every mission, days/weeks/months or even years) and the 2nd team led by an Extractor, charged with the mission of neutralising/moving the human target(s).
The Extractor Trilogy is one EPIC story spanning all 3 books. I see it as a 3-act story structure, so to speak - Act I = "Escape"; Act II = "Change," and finally Act III = "Death."
Escape -- Change -- Death
Beautiful and poetic, innit?
(well, you'll see what I mean when you read the entire series)
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
I finally decided to dive into Robyn Nyx's much-talked-about The Extractor Trilogy after contemplating for much too long because.... Time travel. Yes, I have a complicated relationship with this subject matter in fiction, be it in books or on-screen, for the longest time. I read a lot of non-fiction science books, in particular, those related to quantum physics/mechanics and its subsets, the many theories and hypotheses, mathematical proofs. Obviously, the most popular question when dealing with this highly debated subject matter has always been time travel. But I'd been let down previously because they all ended up using the same old, tired "Back to the Future" method which I can't accept in me head! I've been searching for a good time travel book in fiction that at least tries to venture into a more updated, more probable theory, specifically in quantum physics that relates to current hot topics amongst the science/astrophysics community, i.e. multiverse/parallel universes, string theory, quantum entanglement, etc. Nyx's Trilogy sounded, based on its blurbs, very intriguing and me curiosity was definitely piqued when I first found out about it. I resisted. But I kept going back to read the reviews on GR. Highly rated and reviewed but none of them touched on the "science" part of time travel in the books. So I was still wary of disappointment yet again. Then one day, for no reason at all, I just felt compelled to read The Extractor Trilogy. So I followed me instincts. Thank Christ I did because...let's just say, I ended up binge-reading all three of them at lightning speed! It was absolutely a bloody THRILL to ride the journey! The methodology of Nyx's time travel, whilst still clinging to the way that cannot beat the grandfather's paradox, but did expand into something like the multiverse theory (albeit only indicated, at least in me own interpretation, not mentioned directly) and a couple of possibilities that I could accept on face value so in the end, I could forego some others, which "troubled" me, (I know, I'm one crazy nerd!) through a bit of suspension of disbelief on me part. This made me reading experience infinitely more exciting and fun (because I didn't have to reject the notion every 5 minutes like I used to when I read the others that let me down!).
The Extractor Trilogy, comprised of "Escape in Time" (Book 1), "Change in Time" (Book 2) and "Death in Time" (Book 3), is about a group of time travellers trained by a highly secretive, non-governmental private organisation, Pulsus, to go back in time to change specific events in order to influence the future (the present time depicted in the books) by neutralising or moving the person(s) responsible. Each "jump" is usually led by 2 teams: first team comprising of Operatives (responsible for scouting the targets locales and establishing positions before the 2nd team arrives, which takes a bit of time with every mission, days/weeks/months or even years) and the 2nd team led by an Extractor, charged with the mission of neutralising/moving the human target(s).
The Extractor Trilogy is one EPIC story spanning all 3 books. I see it as a 3-act story structure, so to speak - Act I = "Escape"; Act II = "Change," and finally Act III = "Death."
Escape -- Change -- Death
Beautiful and poetic, innit?
(well, you'll see what I mean when you read the entire series)
Full commentary here... In Bugs' Own Words
October 15, 2024
Man I could hardly wait to come here and hopefully reverse anyone plan to not giving this book a shot after reading some less than flattering reviews.
Yes the book is raw, graphic and violent at many points but no lies were told here. Our world history has some seriously dark elements and we live now with modern versions of the disgusting patterns with governments that do not regard human life. With a lot of the book being set just prior to WWII and depicting life in Germany under Nazi rule it can bring about a lot of emotion and it’s still not a comparison to what millions endured not even a century ago. So if you really just want light hearted then I’d agree the book isn’t the one.
However….
ultimately a fantastic read! The mystery held my attentions throughout. wondering about the all the ways a trip to the past could go wrong at the next turn is so riveting and fun it feels like mini cliff hangers.
They don’t time travel a lot through the course of book but it’s more than pertinent to the story. It’s adds to the suspense that they can’t just click a button and return home when they run into trouble. They’re highly intelligent, trained soldiers and their lives depend on ability to problem solve or of course, potentially open a huge can of worms for the past, present or future.
The MCs all have dry and deadpanned ‘soldier’ humour- I’m assuming a very real way of coping but I love this about them. Alot if the arguments you might read in another book and take up pages get ironed out with a punch in the arm or a fight in the ring because their ‘word’ is small, and top secret and they have to rely on each other on missions.
Final note- Delaney is turning into a real lil psycho and heading intopretty dark headspace and I’m sure she’ll snap off in the next book so I’m beyond nervous for how this element will play out. And the bigger cliff hanger is eeeexcitinggg
And final final note- if anyone can tell me why Landry is the only one who doesn’t go by her surname as much from the narrator I’d be grateful for a viewpoint. I know it’s like military and hierarchical structure practice to go by surname 95% of the time so why?
Yes the book is raw, graphic and violent at many points but no lies were told here. Our world history has some seriously dark elements and we live now with modern versions of the disgusting patterns with governments that do not regard human life. With a lot of the book being set just prior to WWII and depicting life in Germany under Nazi rule it can bring about a lot of emotion and it’s still not a comparison to what millions endured not even a century ago. So if you really just want light hearted then I’d agree the book isn’t the one.
However….
ultimately a fantastic read! The mystery held my attentions throughout. wondering about the all the ways a trip to the past could go wrong at the next turn is so riveting and fun it feels like mini cliff hangers.
They don’t time travel a lot through the course of book but it’s more than pertinent to the story. It’s adds to the suspense that they can’t just click a button and return home when they run into trouble. They’re highly intelligent, trained soldiers and their lives depend on ability to problem solve or of course, potentially open a huge can of worms for the past, present or future.
The MCs all have dry and deadpanned ‘soldier’ humour- I’m assuming a very real way of coping but I love this about them. Alot if the arguments you might read in another book and take up pages get ironed out with a punch in the arm or a fight in the ring because their ‘word’ is small, and top secret and they have to rely on each other on missions.
Final note- Delaney is turning into a real lil psycho and heading intopretty dark headspace and I’m sure she’ll snap off in the next book so I’m beyond nervous for how this element will play out. And the bigger cliff hanger is eeeexcitinggg
And final final note- if anyone can tell me why Landry is the only one who doesn’t go by her surname as much from the narrator I’d be grateful for a viewpoint. I know it’s like military and hierarchical structure practice to go by surname 95% of the time so why?
January 20, 2019
First point?? I'm glad i started reading this trilogy after all the books were released. Why? Because waiting for book 2 to be written and published would have killed me - great cliff hanger Robyn!!
There's a fair amount of graphic violence in this book but all within context. It adds to the story building and quite probably doesn't even ripple the surface of the true horrors in the German death camps. It's a brutal but much needed reminder that some elements of this book did indeed happen in our own reality.
Aside from the time travel aspect, the book explores the friendship between Landry and Delaney and the unrequited love that clearly sits between them. This is challenged further by the introducation of Jade and Landry's infatuation with her.
This book is clearly the beginning of a fast, thrilling, somewhat violent and in places hot under the collar, time travelling whilst saving the world story.
It's certainly not one to be missed off your to read list!
There's a fair amount of graphic violence in this book but all within context. It adds to the story building and quite probably doesn't even ripple the surface of the true horrors in the German death camps. It's a brutal but much needed reminder that some elements of this book did indeed happen in our own reality.
Aside from the time travel aspect, the book explores the friendship between Landry and Delaney and the unrequited love that clearly sits between them. This is challenged further by the introducation of Jade and Landry's infatuation with her.
This book is clearly the beginning of a fast, thrilling, somewhat violent and in places hot under the collar, time travelling whilst saving the world story.
It's certainly not one to be missed off your to read list!
February 18, 2025
Wow, Robyn Nyx has written a fast-paced book that is anything but boring! Add to it, time travel, strong characters and action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat and this is what this book is.
Landry and Foster are the main characters in this book, and they are nothing less than “kick a** women. They both have their quirks, tempers, euphoria & depression, but they are always present when on a “mission.”
There is anger, jealousy, and irrational behavior sometimes, but Landry knows how to decompress from these missions.
I kept turning the pages to see what happened next and when there were no more pages to turn, I couldn’t believe I had finished the book and felt like I needed more time with “friends.”
You will not be disappointed in this book, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat! There was even an easter egg mention from another book!
I received an ARC from the author.
Landry and Foster are the main characters in this book, and they are nothing less than “kick a** women. They both have their quirks, tempers, euphoria & depression, but they are always present when on a “mission.”
There is anger, jealousy, and irrational behavior sometimes, but Landry knows how to decompress from these missions.
I kept turning the pages to see what happened next and when there were no more pages to turn, I couldn’t believe I had finished the book and felt like I needed more time with “friends.”
You will not be disappointed in this book, and it will keep you on the edge of your seat! There was even an easter egg mention from another book!
I received an ARC from the author.
February 20, 2025
Robyn Nyx's "Time In Escape," an intriguing page-turner and the first book in The Extractor Series, will keep you guessing until the very end and then some. The world-building evoked powerful emotions, especially regarding the camp and, although I found the language harsh at times, the overall mission drew me in and had me invested in a positive outcome. There are some fantastic characters in this book that enhance the story and I’m hoping stay in the second book.
Pulsus has time travel capabilities and undertakes missions across different eras. Landry Donovan is an extractor. Throwing herself into work, she knows that at any stage, she may not come back from a mission. Post-mission, she seeks normalcy on the mainland. Her best friend with benefits, and Pulsus operative, is Jacqulyn Foster. Their current mission, along with two other operatives, is to infiltrate a concentration camp in Germany during WW2 and extract a doctor.
Wow, I did not expect this book to end as it did and now, I need, really need, to have the next book in the series.
Thank you to Butterworth Books for an arc, this is my honest review.
Pulsus has time travel capabilities and undertakes missions across different eras. Landry Donovan is an extractor. Throwing herself into work, she knows that at any stage, she may not come back from a mission. Post-mission, she seeks normalcy on the mainland. Her best friend with benefits, and Pulsus operative, is Jacqulyn Foster. Their current mission, along with two other operatives, is to infiltrate a concentration camp in Germany during WW2 and extract a doctor.
Wow, I did not expect this book to end as it did and now, I need, really need, to have the next book in the series.
Thank you to Butterworth Books for an arc, this is my honest review.
March 6, 2025
Escape in Time, book one of The Extractor Series, surprised me more than once. As you can guess from the book’s title there is an aspect of time travel throughout the book, but there’s so much more. There’s romance, subterfuge, conflict, and conspiracies threaded into this story and those threads are compelling. And then there’s the historical background of the time travel mission; it’s unsettling and upsetting and will probably prevent some readers from giving this one a try. I’m sure the author will provide trigger warnings and I’m not going to give this very important detail away. I will say this emphatically–this is a very good book with interesting and complex characters. This is a gritty book with multiple characters and interlocking relationships. I can’t wait for the sequel because I need to see what happens.
October 30, 2017
This is the second book I have read by Robyn Nyx and it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the mix of time travel, history, romance and action. A well constructed and researched book, with excellent detail of the events of WWII and very creative, and believable, detail about travelling through time. The concept of an organisation like Pulsus seems not so far fetched and the characters add an additional layer of interest and intrigue, some are complex and deep and are complimented by those that are pure and untarnished by life. I’m left wanting more.... Change in Time here I come!
May 4, 2017
Liked the book!
I enjoyed the book very much. I hard a very hard time getting through the segment of the book that dealt with the concentration camp in Germany and the atrocities done to the poor women that were in-prisoned there. The story was very well done and suspenseful . In know there is a sequel and I'm concerned/curious as how the characters will evolve in the next book.
I enjoyed the book very much. I hard a very hard time getting through the segment of the book that dealt with the concentration camp in Germany and the atrocities done to the poor women that were in-prisoned there. The story was very well done and suspenseful . In know there is a sequel and I'm concerned/curious as how the characters will evolve in the next book.
October 21, 2019
What a brilliant story! The main plotline kept me hooked throughout. Some of the romance storylines I didn't quite get the feels and the passion for and by the romance I mean the falling in love side of things. But the lust and passion and sizzle was well written and steamy. The time in which the story is set in the past was so real and heartbreaking you had to keep reading and page turning to make sure everything went well. Now I have a cliffhanger and a need to find out what happens next.
June 30, 2017
Highly recommended.
What a great book, with such interesting and believable characters.
I was a little reluctant to enter Ravensbruck, having had a great aunt who suffered at the hands of the Nazis in Auschwitz. It was very well handled.
We should never forget people's capacity for inhumanity.
The ending was a real cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
What a great book, with such interesting and believable characters.
I was a little reluctant to enter Ravensbruck, having had a great aunt who suffered at the hands of the Nazis in Auschwitz. It was very well handled.
We should never forget people's capacity for inhumanity.
The ending was a real cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
May 26, 2018
First Robyn Nyx book I've read and it captured me from the start. I ended up reading during any spare moment I had in order to finish the book. The characters are well rounded and it's nice to see that they don't live the perfect existence. Robyn doesn't shy away from including graphic details which is a welcome change from other books I've read. Definitely worth reading.
March 1, 2024
Intense, suspense time traveling adventure! Not for the faint of heart. They go back to some horrendous times in history to save people that can make a difference for the greater good. The book isn't to scientific to hurt your brain and it centers more around the operatives and how they are affected after the mission. It's a really good trilogy.
June 3, 2017
An good read and pleasurable because it does not follow the more cliched plots that follow the uber formula. I liked that. Original. Some good plot twists and the set up for the next book in the trilogy has left me wanting more.
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