Bên Rìa Thời Gian

The Chronos Files #2

by Rysa Walker, Vương Minh Thu (Translator)

Cuộc sống bình thường của Kate đã hoàn toàn đảo lộn: bà ngoại cô là một sử gia CHRONOS bị kẹt lại từ tương lai, còn ông ngoại Saul là một kẻ điên đang muốn thay đổi lịch sử, lập ra giáo phái Cyrist và rao giảng về tận thế.
Sau khi giải cứu bà ngoại vào năm 1893, Kate bắt tay vào cuộc chiến chống lại Cyrist, giờ đây đã lớn mạnh hơn rất nhiều. Với sự giúp sức của Kiernan, cô phải gấp rút thu thập những chìa khóa CHRONOS còn lại của những sử gia khác, những người cũng bị mắc kẹt ở quá khứ, trước khi Saul và đồng bọn có thể chiếm đoạt.
Nhưng rồi, ở một ngôi làng hẻo lánh năm 1911, cuộc thử nghiệm đầu tiên cho sự kiện tận thế trong lời tiên tri của Cyrist bắt đầu…
Với sự mô tả sống động cùng trí tưởng tượng tuyệt vời, Rysa Walker tiếp tục đưa người đọc bước vào một hành trình trở về quá khứ, nơi bất kỳ quyết định và hành động nào cũng có thể dẫn đến những biến chuyển kinh hoàng trong tương lai.

Genres: Time Travel, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

479 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2014

About the author

RYSA WALKER is the author of the bestselling CHRONOS Files series. Timebound, the first book in the series, was the Young Adult and Grand Prize winner in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. The CHRONOS Files has sold nearly half a million copies since 2013 and has been translated into fourteen languages.

In addition to speculative fiction, she occasionally writes mysteries as C. Rysa Walker.

Rysa currently resides in North Carolina with her husband, two youngest sons, and a hyperactive golden retriever. When not working on the next installment in her CHRONOS Files universe, she watches shows where travelers boldly go to galaxies far away, or reads about magical creatures and superheroes from alternate timelines. She has neither the time nor the patience for reality TV.

If you see her on social media, please tell her to get back into the writing cave.

For updates, check her website: www.rysa.com.

Reviews

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I was pleasantly surprised by Timebound a young adult scifi novel that included time travel, religious zealots, the 1893 Chicago Expo and a serial killer H. H. Holmes. I was equally impressed by the novella Time’s Echo that followed one of the characters from Timebound up until a timeline shift from the beginning of Timebound.


I found Time’s Edge to be even better than Timebound. There were more interesting time jumps, less learning how to time travel (which affected the pacing of the first book for me), crazier experiences including a mass death of a small town and a lynching. The plot became deeper, the characters more three dimensional and I really grew to like Kate’s character a lot more in this as she grew into a young woman.

Kate is on a mission, she is one of only a handful of people who know that the present she is currently living in has been altered. Once upon a time her grandparents worked for Chronos, whose main job was to observe important historical events for the true history. That was until her grandfather Saul decided he wanted to control history and create a future where he held enormous wealth and power. With the help of Kate’s aunt Pru, Saul has influenced key moments in time creating a religious following called Cyrists. When Saul blew up Chronos in the future he left about a dozen time travelers scattered throughout the past. Now Kate needs to find them and convince them to give her their time travel keys so she can stop her Grandfathers evil plan.


I really liked all of the time travel explanations and showing how it affects different people. Sometimes it took a few minutes to sometimes wrap my head around certain situations but I caught onto the rules that Rysa Walker used for her story and I think she lived within those rules pretty well. Sometimes I get a little nitpicky on sci-fi stuff like this but it was done in a way there wasn’t anything glaringly wrong.

"You know, this would be a lot easier to get used to if you had to go back to you TARDIS if whatever before you disappeared."

Another aspect I really like about the story is the actually in the history of it. I enjoy when Kate is trapesing through different historical times and the little tidbits that are thrown in. The time in Georgia in 1911 and 1938 I found especially interesting. The culture of the era was different and I thought that the research was done really well with FDR’s campaigning, the attitude of the town towards people of color and even how different terms were created.

“Arrests? For What?”
“Necking in the canoes. Canoedling, some of them all it.”
I give him a skeptical look. “Why make out in a canoe? There are people all around them. It’s not very private.”
“People in the other boats are doing the same thing, so they aren’t gonna pay you any mind. In a few years, when there are autos everywhere, the backseat will put these canoe vendors out of business, but right now, those boats are the most privacy you can buy for a dime.”

I HATE LOVE TRIANGES….Raise your hand if you also hate love triangles.

BUT…..I didn’t at all mind the love triangle in this book. It will probably still break my heart into a million pieces later on as most freaking love triangles do. That said I totally accepted in this story because: Kiernan met Kate in a different time line, one only he remembers. In that they were together for a few years and completely in love. He still has all of those feelings even if she can’t remember ‘his’ Kate. Kate fell in love with Trey in the time line she remembers, but they are trying to get to know one another again since he doesn’t remember her when the last time line shifted. (I know that seems a bit confusing but really it is done far better than I explained it here)

”I’m not saying you don’t care about Trey. I know you do. You might even love be in love with him, although I don’t like thinking about that possibility. All I’m saying is you have feelings for me, too. And don’t give me any crap about my inflated ego. I’ve seen you in love with me before, and I still see something of that in your eyes. I’ve tried to tell myself it’s just wishful thinking but it’s not...."

So even if you aren’t a fan of love triangles don’t let that deter you. There is plenty of time jumping around to different time points, trying to figure out what Saul’s ultimate plan is and how to thwart him, who can we trust for sure and who is really the enemy.

The ending is a slight cliff hanger but in a super exciting WOW I want to read the next book right now kind of way. So if you like time travel, historical fiction or just a good solid story go ahead and jump in the space time continuum is fine.

Thank you to Skyscape via Netgalley for the ARC

[Karen’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! I seriously have goosebumps all over from that ending!! Way to leave us NEEDING that last book right NOW!

In this second book of The Chronos Files, we start off with a bang as Kate time travels back to a major historical event. I love Kate in this book as she's matured with experience in both her relationships and her time traveling wisdom, even if she's still coping with the linear aspect of time travel. But then, who isn't?

Author Rysa Walker has written one of the most brilliant concepts of time travel I've ever seen. There are points in the book that "almost" gave me a headache trying to understand the intricacies of her time traveling aspects. The fact that I "got it" was amazing to me!! Rysa is a genius!!

The historical parts of this story were also amazing and Rysa's descriptions had me immersed in 1911 and 1938 Georgia.

And these characters..!! Kate and Trey. Kate and Kiernan! Katherine, Conner, and even Daphne the dog, are all beloved. Pru, Simon, and ugh - Saul, are despicable and I hope book 3 deals with them in a satisfying manner! I understand there will be a novella about Pru and I can't wait to read it to understand Pru's crazy!

It's going to be so hard to wait for book 3 in this creative, unique world of time travel done perfectly! Well done, Rysa!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen Minde · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read Timebound, the first book of The CHRONOS Files trilogy, I was blown away, my socks were knocked off...I loved it. As I read book 2, I didn't feel the same excitement or enchantment. When I finished I had to think: why didn't I feel the same way? Time's Edge is a good book, I like the characters and it has a great idea behind the story.

Why did this book affect me differently?

The thrill behind Timebound is the excitement of discovery: Kate learning who she is and how powerful her skills as a time librarian are. Meeting a boy named Trey who accepts her bizarre-ness without question. Traveling to other eras. Recognizing how one little change made in the past can completely rearrange the future.

Time's Edge, though, has made Kate a pro as a CHRONOS agent. She can jump in and out of time as easily as you or I can walk into a room. And her relationship with Trey is a weird do-over. And the book focuses more on her relationship with Keirnan--as chaste as it is, the sexual tension/love triangle nonsense is there. Yes, he is an "agent" like she is, but he has a history with her (that only he can remember) that messes with everything.

The magic from the first book is just not there. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the book. The history lessons are fun and the ending chapters are riveting and the cliff hanger is a doozy. But, I felt Kate forgot the golden rule of time travel: leave no foot prints behind. She left huge ruts in the road with this book.

Perhaps this book is just a stepping stone towards the amazing, mind-blowing final part of the trilogy? I will buy the next book and find out. Stay tuned.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. So much going on and back and forth twists and turns.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this via NetGally for an honest review. Unlucky enough to love this series so much that now I've gotta wait even longer than everyone else for the final installment. First world book addict problems?



My overall impression of Time's Edge: I really liked it, but wow there was a LOT going on. I actually have to hand it to the author for not going completely cross-eyed while writing this one. So many timelines, so much jumping, so much action.

If you haven't read Time Bound, the 1st in this series, then you will be completely and 100% lost within the first two pages of Time's Edge. This book picks up very close to where the last one left off and jumps right in to a high-pressure historical event as Kate continues her quest to track down as many CHRONOS keys as possible from the historians stranded in the past.

As I mentioned in my review of Time Bound, there's a bit of a love triangle going on here but I'm really digging it. Kate isn't torn between two boys in high school, one popular-model-type and one geeky-smart-sweet-type. She's dealing with a man who's in love with another version of her from a different timeline and a guy she's in love with who can't remember her. It's... confusing, but Kate has really solid chemistry with both Trey and Keiran. And unlike so many other love triangles, I don't have a favorite, there is no underdog, and there's not so much as a hint as to who will win in the end.

The plot for Time's Edge was difficult to decipher due to the enormous amount of action taking place. Besides trying to save the world and reverse her grandfather's evil, religious-based changes in time, Kate has to:
- Start her senior year of high school.
- Go to a BBQ with Trey.
- Keep up with Keiran's magic show that's an attempt to lure in Houdini (what ever happened with that, anyway?)
- Placate her time-traveling grandmother who is dying of cancer.
- Help her mom move to Italy.
- Spend quality time with her Dad and Conner.
- Worry about her Dad's adoptive father who has a stroke.
- Read a diary from her alternate-timeline older-self who was romantically involved with Keiran and had gotten further into the whole 'nab up CHRONOS keys' game than she has, so far.
- Dodge Eve, the high school Queen Bee and Cyrist princess.
- Re-engage her best friend from a previous timeline who is now a Cyrist and can't be trusted.
- Get a healthy dose of reality via Keiran on exactly how evil and awful her grandfather is/was/will be.

At one point Kate was hopping from two different locations in 2014 to 1905 to 1911, back to 1905 and then finally to one spot in 2014. And each of those times had descriptive scenes and pertinent information for the reader.

It's easy to keep the main plot driver in mind - find the CHRONOS keys and stop Saul - but there was a LOT going on and even more to keep straight.

The grand finale is in 1938, to segregated, depression-era Georgia. Kate needs to retrieve three keys, and this was the last mission her alternate-self went on before effing something in the timeline up so badly that she disappeared completely. Once again she hops from 2014 to 1905, and finally to 1938. I thought this last action scene would be short. I assumed we would end the story with some kitchen-table-narrative between all of the main characters. I was wrong.

The 1938 scene went on for about 20% of the book. Big things happen, big changes to the timeline are made. And when Kate returns to 2014 the book closes on one hell of a revelation.

Honestly, I did NOT see that ending coming and it got me reenergized and excited about the third installment. (Because gripping and interesting though Time's Edge was, it was also exhausting!)

I think this trilogy (assuming it stops at #3) will go down as one of my favorite, along with The Hourglass Door and Unspoken trilogies. It's time travel unlike any I've ever read and is completely captivating once you sink in.

[Stephanie Swint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently finished the first book of this series, 'Time Bound.' I gobbled it up. This book was no different. I shoveled it in without swallowing. I couldn't put it down. We get more time travel, new time lines, people who are different because the time line has changed. It was intriguing and fun. The first book took us to the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair stocked with the serial killer H. H. Holmes. This one we takes us to the assassination of JFK, and the campaign trail of Roosevelt. Walker picks some fascinating times and places for her characters to travel. This is the great second installment of the Chronos Files and I encourage you to acquire it.

Kate is back in her original timeline. There are a few minor things that have changed but the important things, like her parents existing and having her, are back to the way they were. She is working hard to restore the timeline with Catherine, her grandmother, Connor, and Kiernan's help. They are tracking down the keys of the other historians who were stranded when Saul destroyed Chronos. It's not always easy to convince them of what has happened, or that they need to give up the keys. Add to those issues that some of the missions are downright dangerous putting Kate in the path of crocodiles, flying bullets, and lynchings.

This is enough to deal with but Kate is being run ragged by her grandmother whose cancer is progressing making her moody, forgetful, and impatient. Kate loves her but when she is dealing with Kiernan, who wants her to be his Kate (a Kate that no longer exists due to the disruption of the timeline who loved Kiernan, it's a bit stressful. Kiernan tells her how the missions went during the alternate timeline and how frustrated she was with Catherine. It helps but also fires some frustrations with her grandmother. Add to the fact she followed through and introduce herself to the new timeline Tre, her old boyfriend, and they are trying to figure out exactly what they are to one another. I previously said that there wasn't really a love triangle but in book two it legitimately develops into one. If these irritate you I encourage you to read the books anyway because the rest of the book make up for including the young adult trap.

The Cyrists didn't go away and they are as dangerous as ever. In 'Time's Edge,' you learn more about the religion, how and why Saul created them, and about Prudence's involvement. Shifting timelines change the level of popularity of the Cyrists but not their fundamental beliefs or structure. Those remain the same.

Sometimes the second book in a series fails miserably, but Walker did well by keeping our interest with a legitimate storyline that ends in a true cliffhanger. I'm just as impatient for the third book as I was the second. She gave us more character history, more information to flesh out motives, and historical information that does not stray to far from the truth.

It is young adult science fiction, but it is good enough to keep adults interested and entertained. Parents have nothing to worry about in having their teenagers read this. Swearing is minimal if not non-existant. Sexual relationships are discussed but I would say it is age appropriate. You can always read it first, but I would say it's probably an excuse to get your hands on the book before the teenager in the house to avoid having to wait. Enjoy.

I received this from NetGalley and Amazon Children's Publishing in return for an honest review.

[Moon Stream · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5

Bu seriya məni hər yöndən qane edir. Zamanda səyahət, paralel dünyalar, sevdiklərini qorumaq və fədakarlıqlar etməyə hazır olan, dünyanı öz arzularına uyğun dəyişməyə çalışanlara qarşı duran mübarizə ruhlu insanlar və s.

Kitab başlarda çox sakit irəliləsə də bir yerdən sonra həyəcan yavaş-yavaş artmağa başlayır və sonlara doğru artıq səhifələri sürətlə çevirməli olursan. Açığı bu sakit irəliləyiş mənə əsərin olduqca bəsit davam edəcəyini düşündürtdü, lakin bu fikrimdə yanıldığımı biləndə sevindim.

Burada ilk kitabdan sonra burada daha da yetkinləşmiş bir Kate obrazı ilə qarşılaşırıq. Artıq onu gözləyən təhlükələrin daha çox fərqindədir və öz məsuliyyətini daha yaxşı qavrayır. Lakin bu dəfə də bir tərəfdən indiki zamanda davam etməkdə olan həyatına adaptasiya olmağa, digər tərəfdən də Saul, Pru və onların tərəfdaşlarını dayandırmaq üçün bəzi araşdırmalar aparmağa və zamanda səyahət etməyə davam etməli olur.

Bütün bunlar olarkən Trey və Kiernen'la yaşadığı ayrı-ayrı həyatlar da bir-biri ilə toqquşmağa başlayır. Sonda nə olacağından tam əmin deyiləm, amma zamanla Kiernan'ın Kate üçün daha uyğun tərəfdaş olduğunu düşünməyə başlayıram. Çünki Kate'i qorumaq üçün hər şey etməyə hazırdır və onun başqasını sevdiyini bildiyi halda yenə də onu sevməyə, ona yardım etməyə davam edir. Lakin digər tərəfdən də Trey də olduqca yaxşı tərəfdaşdır və Kate'ə istədiyi normal, güvənli və sakit həyatı verə biləcək insandır. Kiernan'dan fərqli olaraq daha açıq insandır davranışları mövzusunda. Amma hələ üçüncü kitabda nələr olacağını bilə bilmərik. Ümid edirəm, sonda iksindən birinin qəlbi çox pis şəkildə qırılmaz😕.

Saul'a olan nifrətim bu kitabla on qat daha artdı. Öz şəxsi niyyətləri üçün ailə, övlad demədən hər kəsi gözdən çıxara biləcək, məsum insanların ölümünə bais ola biləcək qədər vicdansız biridir. Sonda başına nə gələcək bilmirəm, amma ağır şəkildə cəzasına çatsa sevinərəm.

Prudence məncə ağlı qarışıq olan və biraz da təsirə məruz qalan bir obrazdır. Hətta çox güman ki, belə bir atası olmasaydı, bu cür yola baş qoymazdı. Lakin təəssüf ki, Saul kimi vicdansız bir insanın qızı olmaq bəxtsizliyini yaşayır. Düzdür, iki kitab boyunca da biz bu obrazla onu yaxından tanıyacaq, ya da düşüncələrini anlaya biləcək qədər yaxından tanış olmuruq, amma yenə də onun belə biri olduğunu təxmin etməyə səbəb olan bəzi kiçik nüanslar da olmuşdu.

Bu kitabda biz birinci kitabdan daha çox Saul və Cryst'lərin arzu və düşüncələrini anlamış oluruq, məncə ümumiyyətlə bu kitab, mövzuya dərin bir baxış və baş verəcək əsas hadisələrə giriş kitabı kimi bir şey idi. Məncə bu baxımdan yazar alqışa layiqdir. Çünki hər şeyi ilmək-ilmək işləyib və çatdırmaq istədiyi fikri səthi ifadə etməkdən qaçaraq, onu hərtərəfli açmağa çalışıb.

Növbəti kitab üçün səbirsizlənirəm. Çoxdandır məbi helə həyəcanlandıran seriya oxumurdum. Nə yaxşı ki, artıq seriyanın 3-cü və son kitabı da əlimdədir və növbəti ay olmasa da, 2022-ci ilin yanvar ya da fevral ayında son kitaba da başlamaq istəyirəm. O vaxtacan isə, oxuduqlarımı həzm etməyə ehtiyacım var. Həqiqətən favori seriyalarımdan biri olduğunu indidən deyə bilərəm, ümid edirəm son kitab olduqca yaddaqalan şəkildə bitəcək və seriyaya olan sevgim qalmaqda davam edəcək💫❤🤗📚


Tilson, "Yine de çoğu insan aptal" diye devam ediyor. "Görmek istedikleri şeyleri görüyorlar, fazlasını değil. Niemöller'in dediği gibi; başkalarının haklarının ellerinden alındığını görmezden gelirsen, kısa zaman sonra haklarını almaya geldiklerinde, seni destekleyecek kimse kalmaz."

"Hangi noktada, küçük kötülükler bir araya gelir ve artık küçük olmaktan çıkarlar?"

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not read book one, Timebound, Stop now, this will have spoilers for book one, and you have to read book one to be able to understand this one. This is part of an ongoing storyline in a series.

I have been extremely impressed with this series , since I first started book one, then read Times Echo, a novella. This one is just as exciting if not more than the first. Kate is torn between 2 men, one who loves her (Kiernan) , but she doesn't remember (other timeline that got changed) and Trey, who she loves, but now due to Kate "fixing" a timeline, he doesn't remember her. She has to try to do what is "right" before the Cyrists unleash their wrath on the world.( her grandfather changed history to bring this cult into power and plans to "cull" anyone who won't follow).

This love triangle is not the usual sort at all. The alternate timeline that she was deeply in love with Kiernan is one she doesn't remember. (you can read about that part and the alternate timeline from Kiernan's point of view in a novella Time's Echo) Trey I did like in book one, they fell in love, but now Kate gets to know how it must feel for Kiernan, since she doesn't remember their love , now Trey doesn't remember her at all.

This was all very interesting, but was really only a fraction of the story. Kate jumping around time with Kiernan trying to collect up Chronos Keys was really interesting and kept you on the edge of your seat.

I wont say much more so you can discover this complex plot yourself. One word of advice, pay attention to the time stamp at the start of the chapters, it will really help you keep the time travel all straight for you.

I highly recommend this series, and look forward to book 3.

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

This book is due out Oct 21, 2014

[Krystal Bond · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started out extremely promising and for the first 100 pages I actually believed I was going to enjoy it more than the first one. However, the book became stale and dull after that first 100 pages and I found myself not very excited to read it. It took me a lot more days to finish this than I would have liked. I will read the third book when it comes out, just out of curiosity on how it wraps up the series, but I won't really be recommending this series to anyone in the near future. The Time Travelers Wife is still the best and most well written time traveling book I've read. Read that one if your looking for a great time travel book.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I finished reading this I reread Timebound, then Time's Echo and now I'm rereading this one. And I am looking forward to #3. I am very much enjoying this series.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just wasn't for me. The first book of the series was fantastic, but I felt horribly bored with this one. I was able to get more than halfway through, but I couldn't finish it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to give the book a higher rating. I am loving this series, overall, but.....

There are two major problems with the overall story (series) in general that really bug me.

1. The story is just too complex for the average reader. I can follow what's going on, but Walker's version of time travel allows multiple timelines such that person A and person B are involved in one event. Person A goes back in time to fix that event. That event gets fixed and set a new time line. Person C decides that wasn't right either, so person C goes back and stops person A from going back in the first place...

Other such versions of this type of scenario. It makes me feel like I need to keep out paper and pencil to map out the events going on. It takes away from the reading experience and the story itself, IMO.

2. The main character is a 16 year old in modern day (books written between 2012-2015) but every (and I mean EVERY) culture reference she has are from the 1980s (e.g. the author's teen years time frame). It's feels very anachronistic.

Despite those annoyances, the overall story itself is a very fun story. I would like to rate it higher, but I just can't make myself do it.

[Anna Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-Read, 11/25/24

I forgot how much happens in this book! I still love this series, anything to do with time travel is my jam.

Re-Read, 9/28/15

So, I re-read this in preparation of reading books #2.5 & 3 for the first time. I loved it just as much as I did the first time I read it! There is still so much story going on, and I loved seeing the little things I missed the first time around (such as when Kate mentions the wedding band on Other-Kate's hand to Kiernan and makes him swear an oath on it!) I don't know if it just caught me at the right time or what, but the event that hit me the most this time was the 1911 massacre of an entire village (by Saul of course). Kate and Kiernan's visit to the village literally almost had me in tears!



I love how their actions when the village is exterminated come back around in 1938, allowing them to change the outcome of an event that previously branched off into a different ending. That ending though! And I liked that Rysa was planting seeds of pity for Pru throughout the book. It definitely leads us into the end of the series with a slightly different perception. Prudence is as much of a victim of Saul as everyone else, maybe even worse in some ways. How much responsibility does everyone share for what happened, whether it's the good guys OR bad guys?



Original Review, 11/05/14

I saw this book on NetGalley and instantly geeked out - my trigger finger could not be deterred from the request button. That said, highly geared for the downslide of disappointment and mediocrity that seems to be standard for second books in trilogies nowadays. I definitely DID NOT get my expectations met - thank you God for small favors!!! This continues to be the perfect example of how a time travel series should be carried out, especially one largely geared towards teens. The mythology, explanations of the time travel, and of the overall impact of everything on the space-time continuum largely make sense and are fairly rock-solid. They are fairly easy to comprehend. Not to say this is a simple book, by any means. The narrative is complicated in the best of ways! There are so many things we get to witness in this book. The assassination of JFK, for one, Houdini and his effect on the world, a mass murder of an entire village, Franklin Roosevelt on the campaign trail, and a lynching (kind-of). Not to say that we aren't reminded of the events of the first book, with serial killer H.H. Holmes, as Kate seems to be suffering from a form of PTSD due to what happened.

In this book, we follow Kate as she travels to different time periods to get hold of the CHRONOS keys of the stranded agents from her grandmother Katherine's time period, before Saul can get ahold of them. We also get to see her try and rebuild her relationship with Trey, who doesn't remember her, and her growing conflict over the feelings she has for Kiernan, who had a relationship with a version of her from an alternate timeline. Probably the most compelling thing about this one for me was the normality of Kate, in comparison to her decidedly abnormal life (school BBQs versus cults, Princess Bride versus Houdini, etc.). Also, I liked learning more about Prudence and her role in the building of the cult. It was especially interesting to learn the reasons behind just why she had likely become quite so insane! It's kind of a sad thing to see in retrospect, as she's basically Saul's alternatingly willing and unwilling tool. The shit really hits the fan in 1911 and when the book reaches its denouement after even more fast-paced, batshittery in 1938 Georgia (segregation and race relations play a HUGE part in this book), the cliffhanger left me with my mouth hanging open. I don't want to say much more so as not to spoil it. But anyone looking for an amazing science-fiction/fantasy, time-travel read should look no further. Read this series, you won't regret it!!! Already dying for the next one.

VERDICT: 5/5 Stars

*I received this book from Amazon Skyscape, on NetGalley. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. This book was published on October 21st, 2014.*

[Sajda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review from my blog: http://acrossthewords.com/2014/10/04/...

4.5/5 stars

A few weeks ago, I posted a Waiting on Wednesday post and I basically gushed about the upcoming release of Time’s Edge by Rysa Walker. Luckily I was able to get my hands on an ARC of this through Netgalley and I am so glad that I did! I loved the first book in the Chronos Files series, Timebound, and after reading it I needed to know what happened next to all of the characters.

The Chronos Files follows the story of sixteen year old Kate Pierce. In the first book, Kate learns through her grandmother that she carries the genes for time travel and that her grandfather, Saul, is altering the past in an effort to change the future. However, the future Saul wants is a highly undesirable; he goes back into the past to start a powerful cult/religion (the Cyrists) that worships him and he plans to kill everyone who does not become a Cyrist in the future. Kate’s job is to save the future…no big deal, right? As Kate uses her time-travel ability to stop Saul’s manipulation of the past, she causes ripple effects that alter the future she used to have. Basically, when she alters her timeline, she loses people that she cared about; they’re either wiped from existence or do not remember her. Kate has to confront these drastic changes while also trying to save the world from Saul.

In Time’s Edge, Kate continues to use her ability to travel back to the past and she learns just how far Saul is willing to go to get what he wants. Kate emerges an even stronger and independent character in this book than in the last; she has to confront enemies who seem to always be one step ahead while dealing with more normal things, such as a love triangle she finds herself in (note: this love triangle is not at all angsty and Kate is not one of those super dramatic teens). In this book, we also learn more about some characters that were introduced in the first book — I personally loved getting more background information on Kiernan and his past with “other Kate.” The book did a fantastic job of building very complex characters and situations. There were some characters that I was 100% rooting for in the other book but in this book, it was less clear what their intentions were. All of the doubts and lies that Kate has to confront definitely helped build up the level of tension in the story.

I will admit though that this book took me a little while to get into; I suspect part of that is because I’d forgotten more of the first book than I thought and so I struggled through the first few chapters trying to remember the characters/events of the last book while also trying to process a ton of new information (if you’ve read Timebound a while ago, I recommended skimming through it a bit just to jog your memory). Also, at certain parts of the story the time-traveling can get a bit confusing, especially if you’re like me and don’t pay much attention to the time-stamps at the start of chapters. Besides these two things, Time’s Edge was definitely a phenomenal read — the ending is a massive a cliffhanger and adds such a twist to the plot! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in time-travel and science-fiction stories (if you’re a fan of All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill or Pivot Point by Kasie West you will absolutely LOVE this book). This is definitely a book you’ll want to read!


Thank you Netgalley for providing this book for review.

[The Audiobookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy moly. Is Rysa Walker the queen of cliffhangers, or what? Discovering the series has derailed so much in my life this week already and now it seems I’ll be forced to finish the next installment before I can even think of getting anything else accomplished. I usually experience a bit of a slump with second installments, but nope. Not with this one. It’s true that the plot of this installment required a bit more concentration on my part, just because the story is constantly progressing and interweaving. But I kept up with it surprisingly well, especially considering that the pace never slowed. This installment also seemed a bit less “dumpy” with information overloads, probably because most of that was taken care of in the first installment. At this point, the reader is almost as up-to-date and the main character. Kate actually annoyed me a little more in this installment. In the last book, her constant dismissal of her own intuition and of obviously suspicious activity was somewhat more tolerable and even understandable, given how new she was to a paranormal lifestyle. However, now that she is in the thick of it, her gullibleness (is that a word?) borders on blatant ignorance. Needless to say, that is not something that endears her to me. I prefer both of her beaus to her at this point. All throughout the first installment and even after almost 75 percent of this one, I had no idea which of them I wanted her to be with. But after witnessing the effects of book one’s major cliffhanger, I think it’s safe to say that one of those relationships is not what it used to be (which is a shame because I guess I was sort of leaning towards him). Love triangles are always more interesting to me when the author makes it difficult for me to pick a side. I’m giving this installment the same rating as the first because it did not let me down one single bit. Rysa Walker could have easily watered this installment down and used it as a “bridge” between the first and last, but thankfully she did not. It had so many of the things that I loved about the first, but with a varying historical backdrop. In my experience, it is rare for a second installment to be just as strong as the first.

[Milena · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley, 4.5 stars

Since reading Timebound in the beginning of the year, I was anxiously awaiting the second book and I was lucky to receive an ARC from NetGalley. The second book didn't disappoint. It's a well written story that has all the right ingredients for a great read: clever plot, strong female lead character, major conflict with some really evil guys, and a love triangle. Kate, the main protagonist, is strong and independent teenager who doesn't wait to be rescued but takes charge of solving problems and confronting bad guys. In Time's Edge the conflict deepens, the reality becomes more muddled, and many character's intensions are less clear. More and more Kate is facing the dilemma of whom she can trust, which adds more tension to the story. All in all Time's Edge is a great addition to the series, I enjoyed it even more than the first book. I cannot wait for the third book.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I am in the minority here but I was not as into this one as I was the original. I think perhaps it was because in the first one Kate was just learning everything herself so we learned along with her and now in this second book she is a time travel expert of sorts and I still feel like a novice. I don't know what happened but I just didn't connect with this as much as I did the first time around. I still really like the whole concept and I also think the characters are well drawn out. I am not sure where my disconnect occurred. It was still a solid read - don't get me wrong. I just didn't get the super excited feeling after finishing it like before.

[Luca Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendido sviluppo sulle meccaniche del viaggio nel tempo. Tono simpatico, personaggi accattivanti. Letto con grande piacere.

[Karsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS book isn't even out yet, and I WANT the next one!!! I hate waiting!!

Finished ~ Time's Edge (Timebound 02) by Rysa Walker
Completed 9/19
4.5 of 5 stars
452 pages
Expected Publication ~ Oct 21

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

Time's Edge is the 2nd book in Rysa's Timebound series. The hard part about this review will be balancing telling you how awesome this book is, without giving anything away.

To read this, you must first read Timebound, without doing so, you'd be hopelessly lost. In Timebound, we meet Kate who is a teenage time traveler. There is something in Kate's genes that allow her to see, and be able to use, the Chronos key, which allows time travel to and from any place and time with a stable point, a point which doesn't change through the years, such as a famous building or monument. In Timebound, Kate finds out about this side of her, which she didn't know, and she's tasked by her grandmother to try to find out who is messing around with the time line, changing the past and the future.

Time's Edge begins where Timebound left off. She knows, for the most part, who is behind the changes and why to a certain degree, and she's still off doing what they think is best to help prevent more changes to the timeline. At the same time, she's a typical girl who has school and two boys competing for her attention. One, she doesn't remember from the prior timeline and one that doesn't remember her from the prior timeline, so this is a really neat aspect of it all, as she's trying to figure out who she really cares for, all while trying to stop a madman from wiping out half of the world's population.

Time's Edge is FANTASTIC. It's such an enjoyable and engaging book. It is absolutely NOT a stand alone, the first book must be read. The middle novella COULD be skipped, but it definitely enhances the story as you get more of a background on "other" Kate.

I recommend this series for any fans of mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, sci-fi and time traveling books. I do, however, recommend you are able to wrap your head around time travel at least a little bit. This time travel, at it's core, causes a "Branching Universe" paradox. Think of Back to the Future. Anything that Kate, or anyone else does, in the past could, and has, changes everything about the future. If that's something that could confuse you, you probably don't want to read this book. If you can put your head around those kind of paradoxes, go for it, because this series is AMAZINGLY good!!

Let me give you an example of what I mean, based on a scene from the book. I'm here at my house, and I want some ice cream. I know there's some ice cream in the freezer because I just bought some the day before, so I go out to get it. I look in the freezer and it's not there. I look in the trash and an empty container is there, someone has already eaten it. So, I go back in time, until right after I bought it, since I know it's there. I come back to present time and have the ice cream with me and start eating it. My husband, who was the one who ate it a few hours ago, walks into the room. He sees me eating the ice cream. He now has TWO conflicting memories, one in which he ate the ice cream, and one in which he couldn't have eaten the ice cream because it was already gone.

If that confuses you, don't try the books. If you followed that, and you want more, read the Timebound series, now!!! I can't WAIT for the 3rd one and the 2nd one isn't even out yet!!

Setting = A+
Plot = A+
Conflict = A
Characters = A+
Theme = A

[Alyxandria Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard that the second book in the CHRONOS files series was in the making, I couldn't fight the urge of getting an ARC copy. I humbly thank Rysa Walker and Netgalley for providing me with one. If you don't have a clue what this series is about, please check my review on the first book in the series --> Click me! You simply cannot go into the second book without reading the first because you would be immensely confused!

I mainly respect Rysa Walker as an author because of her amazing writing style! If we recall, from my last review, I mentioned how she made learning about history fun and exciting! We're gonna talk about the historical events mentioned in this book later but for now, let's focus on Rysa's writing style and ability. Rysa Walker has the power to entice any reader, I believe. She focuses on more of the quality of her writing than the quantity. You could really pull apart Rysa's personality through all the dialogue of her characters, who are also uniquely described. .

Not only was her writing ability shown through this book, but her her ability to recall and kind of mash up historical events was phenomenal! Like I stated in my review for the first book, this series is actually one of the better time travel books I've ever read. Even though I'm kind of lost at the whole timeline change and space time continuum parts of the story. The elements of time change and the shifting of timelines really shifted in nicely with the story line. There was nothing too confusing about the time travel in this book, which I've always looked for in a good historical fiction book.

The historical events in the book were eloquently picked out! There was the time period with Houdini and if you recall from the first book, there was the murder and action scene with Holmes at the Chicago World Fair, 1983. Rysa also puts a fun twist on the time period of the Quakers, which I thought was fantastic! She doesn't bore you with the facts of these historical events, but rather puts you in the shoes of the people that lived in that time period.

Although it was amazing, a book never comes without flaws. In all honestly I thought it was bit confusing when Kate traveled through time. I often got confused to which timeline was the modern here and now, if that makes any sense. I just think those parts could have been quite a bit more clear. Rysa makes time traveling seem like a blast! Just think about it. Let's say you're ordering a pizza (an example from the book). You would place your order, set a stable point at the front of the door, jump forward thirty minutes, and then get there when the pizza man shows up!

A masterly written historical fiction book with action, plot twists, and a steamy love triangle! If historical fiction's not your preferred genre, no worries! This book is not your ordinary, dull historical fiction book. If you're a Rystorian (a group name I made up to call Rysa's fans) don't hesitate in checking out the Goodreads group of Rysa's books! Have a great day everyone, and I really hope you check out this series!

[Colleen Houck]

Just as exciting as the first. Still love Kiernan. Waiting...waiting...waiting...for him to get his chance. You know I love a guy with an accent and his is pretty dreamy. Adore him. Love jumping into the past and seeing historical events in a new light.

[John and Debbie Sattgast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next book!!


I feel in love with the first book time bound. the history with in it is fascinating. the story line keeps you riveted to the book.

[Şeyda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okurken beyin yakiyor falan ama cok guzel ya. Coook guzel ben bayildim, sirada 3.kitap var 💃🏻

[Stina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #5 for 2018
GenreLand: January - Time Travel
Full House Bingo Square: Dual Timeline
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge: A sci-fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author
The Ultimate PopSugar Reading Challenge:
- A book about time travel
- The next book in a series you started
- Your favorite prompt from the 2017 PopSugar reading challenge (an audiobook)
Mt TBR Challenge #3
Better World Books:
- A book that rewrites history
- A book recommended by a friend
The Legendary Book Club of Habitica's Ultimate Reading Challenge: A book with or about time travel
Books Inter Alia: A book recommended by a friend or family member

I had a really hard time keeping up in this book, but I don't think that's anybody's fault but my own. It had been far too long since I'd read the first book of the trilogy, and I forgot that there is also a novella between the first two books. As I did finally start to remember things from the first book and figure things out a bit, I really liked it, and this book had less instalove and romantic angst than the first one, which made it easier to read. Though I have decided that I am not really a huge critic of instalove. I remember being a teenager. Instalove is an actual thing, and probably not just for teens. We stodgy adults just don't like to admit it.

Kate was also a little more wary in this book, which made me less anxious as a reader. She also explained why she's generally so trusting, even now: she sees operating in a mode of distrust as a step towards the dark side. Which is admirable, sure, but I think I'm happier being my dark, cynical self.

I'm very much looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy, in no small part because, as is the usual fate of middle books of trilogies, this one left our beloved good guys in a bad place. But I have learned my lesson, and I will be certain to hunt down the novellas Time's Echo and Time's Mirror and read them before continuing.

[Wortmagie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich hätte die Möglichkeit gehabt, den zweiten Band der Trilogie „The CHRONOS Files“, „Time’s Edge“, wie bereits den Vorgänger Timebound bei Netgalley anzufragen. Ich habe mich dagegen entschieden. Ich finde es nicht richtig, für eine Geschichte nicht zu zahlen, wenn ich schon weiß, dass sie mir gefällt. Mal davon abgesehen, dass die Bände der Trilogie als Kindle-Edition wirklich nicht teuer sind, kann ich der Autorin so meine Wertschätzung ihrer Arbeit ausdrücken und sie unterstützen. Ich denke, dass gerade eine junge Schriftstellerin wie Rysa Walker diese Unterstützung braucht, daher macht es mir nichts aus, Geld für ihre Bücher auszugeben, um sie anschließend zu rezensieren. „Time’s Edge“ habe ich mir direkt nach der Lektüre des ersten Bandes besorgt, denn ich wollte unbedingt wissen, wie es weitergeht.

Die 1893er Weltausstellung in Chicago war nur der Anfang. Die Gegenwart schwebt noch immer in Gefahr. Saul plant, die Geschichte zu verändern und nach seinen Vorstellungen umzugestalten. Unzählige Leben könnten ausgelöscht werden. Kate muss die verbliebenen CHRONOS-Schlüssel in der Vergangenheit ausfindig machen, bevor Saul sie für seine Zwecke einsetzen kann. Als wäre ihre Mission nicht bereits aufreibend genug, ist auch Kates Liebesleben ein einziges Chaos. Während sie auf der einen Seite versucht, ihre Beziehung mit Trey zu retten, muss sie auf der anderen Seite mit Kiernan zusammenarbeiten, der ihre Gefühle heftig durcheinanderbringt. Doch kann sie Kiernan überhaupt vertrauen?
Hin und her gerissen zwischen den Zeiten hat Kate nur einen einzigen Versuch, die Welt und ihr eigenes Leben zu retten.

Ich fand „Time’s Edge“ mitreißender und intimer als den Vorgänger Timebound. Ich war emotional tiefer in der Geschichte und näher an den Figuren, weil Rysa Walker noch mehr Herzblut in diesen zweiten Band steckte. Es wirkte, als fühlte sie sich sicherer und selbstbewusster beim Schreiben, besonders in Bezug auf das Zeitreise-Thema. Statt sich wie in Timebound auf ein einziges Ziel in der Vergangenheit zu konzentrieren, bietet sie dieses Mal verschiedene Orte zu verschiedenen Zeiten an und erarbeitet dadurch ein komplexeres Geflecht von Zeitlinien, die sich teilweise überschneiden. Es gefiel mir sehr gut, dass sie sich erfolgreich um mehr Atmosphäre bemühte und die unterschiedlichen Schauplätze wesentlich greifbarer beschrieb. Zusätzlich integrierte sie genau das, was mir nachträglich gesehen im ersten Band fehlte: ein Stück persönliche Geschichte. Bisher gestattete Walker Kate und ihrer Großmutter Katherine nur wenig Interaktion mit den Menschen der Zeiten, die sie besuchten und erklärte diese Zurückhaltung mit den Vorschriften von CHRONOS. Auf sich selbst gestellt bewegt sich Kate nun freier. Eine Wendung der Handlung erlaubt ihr den direkten Kontakt mit echten, persönlichen Schicksalen, der nicht nur für sie sehr berührend ist, sondern es auch für mich war. Ich konnte völlig nachvollziehen, wie schwer es ihr in dieser Situation fiel, sich nicht einzumischen und die Ereignisse nicht zu verändern, obwohl sie ihr so nahegingen. Dieser Moment der Identifikation machte sie für mich zu einer besonderen Protagonistin, was ich von Rysa Walker allerdings auch erwartet hatte. Darüber hinaus gebe ich zu, dass mich Kates persönliches Liebesdreieck für sich eingenommen hat. Ja, ich weiß, normalerweise nerven diese Dreiecksgeschichten, aber ich versichere euch, dieses ist wirklich originell, interessant und pikant. Beide Beziehungen sind schwierig und kompliziert – nicht nur, weil sie de facto in unterschiedlichen Zeiten stattfinden. Meiner Ansicht nach ist es für Kate schier unmöglich, sich zu entscheiden und das, obwohl ich eigentlich von Anfang an ein Fan von Trey war. Kiernan ist einfach so höllisch charmant (und gutaussehend *hüstel*), dass meine Überzeugung im Verlauf von „Time’s Edge“ ins Wanken geriet. Letztendlich bleibe ich aber doch im Team Trey, denn es geht mir nicht anders als Kate selbst: ich misstraue Kiernan. Ich werde das Gefühl nicht los, dass er etwas Entscheidendes verheimlicht. Möglicherweise sogar aus purem Egoismus, weil er sich ein Leben mit Kate wünscht. Ich kann noch gar nicht absehen, welche Entwicklung Rysa Walker für ihn anstrebt.
Die Handlung an sich ist in ihrem groben Rahmen natürlich ein wenig vorhersehbar; ich gehe davon aus, dass Kate im Finale über Saul triumphiert. Ich hatte nicht den Eindruck, dass der zweite Band den übergeordneten Plot wirklich weit nach vorn trieb, doch er gestaltete ihn definitiv verschachtelter und dichter. Diese Details sind es, die mich davon überzeugen, das Finale Time's Divide zu lesen. Ich weiß, dass Kate letztendlich siegen wird – aber ich habe keine Vorstellung davon, wie. Ich glaube, dass Rysa Walker noch die eine oder andere Überraschung aus dem Ärmel schütteln wird und freue mich darauf, herauszufinden, welche das sind.

Ich beglückwünsche mich selbst dazu, „The CHRONOS Files“ via Netgalley entdeckt zu haben. Ich sagte es bereits und ich muss es noch einmal betonen: Rysa Walker ist eine talentierte Autorin mit unheimlich viel Potential. Einen Teil davon hat sie in „Time’s Edge“ gezeigt. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass Walker Mut und Selbstvertrauen aus dem Erfolg ihres ersten Bandes schöpfte, mehr Risiken einging und sich an ein kompliziertes Netz verschiedener Zeitstränge wagte. Diese spezielle Komplexität zeichnet die Trilogie allerdings als Lektüre aus, die meiner Meinung nach ausschließlich für Zeitreise-Fans geeignet ist. Die Zeitlinien und ihre Verbindungen intellektuell und logisch auseinander zu halten, ist sowohl für die Figuren als auch für die Leser_innen eine Herausforderung, an der man prinzipiell Spaß haben muss. Ich würde davon abraten, mit „The CHRONOS Files“ in die Thematik einzusteigen, doch wenn ihr bereits wisst, dass euch Sprünge durch die Geschichte begeistern, könnt ihr Kate ohne Weiteres auf ihren Reisen begleiten.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time's Edge was so confusing to me at so many freaking times. It could be due to the fact of working so much, wanting to sleep, or when I was drinking while reading. Either way I was confused.

Kate, the MC, is trying to track down all of the CHRONOS keys from stranded time travelers. Mostly because Saul and his minions are tracking them down as well. Of course none of this will be easy for her because a lot of the keys of in pretty dangers time zones. Then there's the whole different kates or other characters within different times zones that was definitely messing with my mind while reading this book. Yes, I said reading. I did have the audio book but I had so many other ones that were TIMED that I had to drop this one and read the kindle version. Which is probably how I ended up so confused early on.. and then for most of the book.

Luckily for Kate, she does have help to find the keys. She has Keirnan and Trey by her side and I was so happy for that because those two were adorable. I honestly really enjoyed this book even though I was confused for some of it. Okay, most of it. But through that confusion some how came enjoyment.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to see how the next one goes. I need more from these characters.. but definitely less confusion.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is in a race to track down all the Chronos keys from the stranded time-travelers before Saul and his minions can obtain them, but it is a dangerous task. Not only does it go against the shaky truce she has with Prudence, but also, most of the keys are in dangerous time periods. Plus, she has to do all these missions and juggle school and the threats from the Cyrists in her own time. Poor Kate! Luckily, she does have help. Keirnan is willing to do some of the time jumps with her as backup, and the sweet Trey is back in her time to provide emotional support and friendship.

I'm still enjoying this series and will move on to the next book. Some of the historical tidbits during Kate's jumps back in time are interesting to read about. I don't always think of Kate as a 17 year old in my mind. She seems a bit older to me, but it really isn't that relevant. Perhaps it is just the whole "weight of the world" being in a teenager's hands that matures her.

[Trinia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing, Skyscape for an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and adventurous time travel story... continued from book 2. This was a good (and clean) YA read for those fans of time travel, sci-fi and romance. We continue to follow Kate as she attempts to retrieve the CHRONOS keys by jumping back in time. All the while she is attempting to lead a normal teenage life. Fun adventures and great fun for a sci-fi book.
Off to read #3!

[Sabrina Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book in this series. Can't wait to find out the twists and turns. Not a fan on Trey in this one and Kieren can stop with the secrets.