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The Islevale Cycle #2
Time's Demon
Fifteen-year-old Tobias Doljan Walked back in time to prevent a war, but he instead found himself trapped in an adult body, with his king murdered and with an infant princess, Sofya, to protect. Now he’s been joined by fellow Walker and Spanner Mara, and, together, they must find a way to undo the timeline that orphaned the princess and destroyed their future. Arrayed against them are assassins who share their time-traveling powers but have dark ambitions of their own, and the Tirribin demon Droë, whose desperate quest for human love and Tobias leads her into alliances that threaten all of Islevale.
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First published May 7, 2019
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About the author
D.B. Jackson
26 books299 followers
D.B. Jackson has been writing fantasy and science fiction under a different pen name for over fifteen years. He has published novels, short stories, and media tie-ins in more than a dozen languages. He also has a Ph.D. in American History, and now, for the first time in his career, he is combining his love of fantasy with his passion for history. His first historical fantasy series, The Thieftaker Chronicles, includes Thieftaker, Thieves' Quarry, A Plunder of Souls (to be released in July 2014), and Dead Man's Reach (due out in 2015). The Thieftaker novels, which combine elements of fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction, are published by Tor Books. He is also at work on a new contemporary urban fantasy series, The Weremyste Cycle (written under the name David B. Coe), which will be published by Baen books. The first book, Spell Blind, will be out in January 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 24, 2019
Not only is this a solid continuation of the Islevale Cycle started with Time's Demon, but it progresses much further into the magical wildlife that inhabits this world.
Do you remember those awesomely wicked demon children who eat their victim's years from the previous book? The ones with a penchant for giving up their prey as long as they can chew on some good riddles?
Yeah, the type and the things they become are a BIG part of this book. :) I love it! Very odd vampires. Like SF but more like Fantasy as SF, and have a much wider cast of interesting characters introduced here.
This is kinda like a sequel but better. A lot more happens and it branches out in very cool directions. My sense of the world is so much broader even if my TIME sense is completely wonked out. :) I can't quite say if this is better or worse than the first one, but I have grown much more invested in finding out what will happen next.
What cool reveals!
No spoilers. Don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I think I like the character developments even more here than the first. :)
Do you remember those awesomely wicked demon children who eat their victim's years from the previous book? The ones with a penchant for giving up their prey as long as they can chew on some good riddles?
Yeah, the type and the things they become are a BIG part of this book. :) I love it! Very odd vampires. Like SF but more like Fantasy as SF, and have a much wider cast of interesting characters introduced here.
This is kinda like a sequel but better. A lot more happens and it branches out in very cool directions. My sense of the world is so much broader even if my TIME sense is completely wonked out. :) I can't quite say if this is better or worse than the first one, but I have grown much more invested in finding out what will happen next.
What cool reveals!
No spoilers. Don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I think I like the character developments even more here than the first. :)
July 8, 2019
A spectacular follow up to Time’s Children.
The second book of the Isevale Cycle is so riveting it actually surpasses book one. Time travel presents a challenge to the author and reader alike. D.B. Jackson has mastery of the pitfalls and gives us a story that only continues to ramp up in tension .
There is quite an expansion on the magickal beings that the humans call demons. We were introduced to the Tirribin, Shonla, Arrokad, and Belvora in book one, and in book two we learn their history, and their habits. Even their emotional needs are explored in detail. Our antagonist is revealed in a fashion which will catch you unaware as your sympathies toward him develop. Suddenly your understanding of the motivations behind the acts becomes very personal. It’s very emotional to witness the baring of hearts desires.
The ongoing story is continued with Tobias, a time walker, and his efforts to keep himself and the young infant princess of Darjean alive. Their travails are harrowing and heartrending. With his time travel, Tobias has created a misfuture. Only those extremely sensitive to time would be able to sense that the place and circumstances of their day to day lives were wrong somehow. Mara, a fellow student of Tobias at the Windhome Castle finds herself sensing the wrongness of her days. The Tirribin, Droe, who in another time had befriended Tobias, shows Mara a different past and Mara, a spanner, begins trying to find a way to where Tobias is now.
The assassins of the autarch of Oaqamar, who have wiped out all but one of the royal family of Dajearn, are desperate to find Tobias and the princess. With the advantage of more advanced tri-sextants, they still risk all, including the revelations of the devices to an earlier time, to hunt and kill Tobias, Mara, and the princess. Even enlisting the hated Belvora to aid them. It seems as if there is no place in time they can hide.
This impressive second book has merely impressed on me the absolute skill of the author. I found it nearly impossible to put down. A fabulous portal flintlock fantasy that I will recommend heartily for years to come.
The second book of the Isevale Cycle is so riveting it actually surpasses book one. Time travel presents a challenge to the author and reader alike. D.B. Jackson has mastery of the pitfalls and gives us a story that only continues to ramp up in tension .
There is quite an expansion on the magickal beings that the humans call demons. We were introduced to the Tirribin, Shonla, Arrokad, and Belvora in book one, and in book two we learn their history, and their habits. Even their emotional needs are explored in detail. Our antagonist is revealed in a fashion which will catch you unaware as your sympathies toward him develop. Suddenly your understanding of the motivations behind the acts becomes very personal. It’s very emotional to witness the baring of hearts desires.
The ongoing story is continued with Tobias, a time walker, and his efforts to keep himself and the young infant princess of Darjean alive. Their travails are harrowing and heartrending. With his time travel, Tobias has created a misfuture. Only those extremely sensitive to time would be able to sense that the place and circumstances of their day to day lives were wrong somehow. Mara, a fellow student of Tobias at the Windhome Castle finds herself sensing the wrongness of her days. The Tirribin, Droe, who in another time had befriended Tobias, shows Mara a different past and Mara, a spanner, begins trying to find a way to where Tobias is now.
The assassins of the autarch of Oaqamar, who have wiped out all but one of the royal family of Dajearn, are desperate to find Tobias and the princess. With the advantage of more advanced tri-sextants, they still risk all, including the revelations of the devices to an earlier time, to hunt and kill Tobias, Mara, and the princess. Even enlisting the hated Belvora to aid them. It seems as if there is no place in time they can hide.
This impressive second book has merely impressed on me the absolute skill of the author. I found it nearly impossible to put down. A fabulous portal flintlock fantasy that I will recommend heartily for years to come.
April 14, 2019
As much as I love the idea of this series and maintain hope for it moving forward, I'm still stung by disappointment so far. Rather than finding clearer direction in this second instalment in The Iselvale Cycle, I felt that Jackson led the reader off on even more tangents which in many ways feels like an unavoidable symptom of time travel.
Tobias and Mara have avoided Orzili and his assassins, finding passage aboard the ship of Captain Larr. They find loyal allies in the Sea Dove's crew and for a moment, it seems the princess may well be safe. But beyond the deck of the ship, there is far more going on than either of them can imagine. Orzili and Lenna are working hard to track the walkers in their progress and drawing ever closer to locating them among the seas between the isles. Threats don't just come in human form though. The events following Tobias and Lenna's meddling with the timeline have drawn the attention of many different Ancients and deals are drawn, all freely entered and fairly sworn, to uncover the mystery of their tampering and none more so than Droe have reason to be pulled back into events.
Time's Demon offers many aspects which should earn Jackson some well deserved praise. Like its predecessor, this book is written in such a style that it flows wonderfully from page to page. It's a joy to read and his characters are growing in new and unexpected ways. However, I think its with the overall plot that he is currently missing the mark slightly and this has left me feeling once again cheated of an ending.
In this sequel more so than in the first book, Jackson has adopted multiple perspectives and here, the balance seems to be off somehow. I think it loses the thread that Time's Children was laying down for it and emphasis falls in new directions. I found that the time spent on each view point in one go was perhaps too long and this lead me to lose the feelings that had gripped me in previous sections. As a result, when the perspective jumped back to another of the parallel story lines, I was finding it quite hard to pick up where I had left off. Then add some time travel into the mix and this whole process become all the more confusing.
Where Time's Demon provides most satisfactorily was in Droe's story and her development. Being a time demon, she is the one who is most invested in the fate of the current course of history. She is also acquainted in one way or another with every other major player in the story so is the link holding the whole narrative together. For me, the only issue is that I now care a lot more about her than I do for Tobias. This is where I feel Jackson has lost the thread of his original novel. If this is by design, then it has worked to perfection but if Tobias is to remain the protagonist of the series, then I think not enough time was spent on his personal development in this book. I love all of the characters in the book but Droe in both her physical and emotional changes is now definitely the most engaging and time spent away from her story became a waiting game for me as I was eager to find out what was next for her as she entered uncharted territory. I don't know where Jackson intends to take the series and I hope he explores Droe's character in her new form in even more detail but I think that for the overall plot to hold up at all, Tobias and Mara need to become more interesting in there adventures.
This is probably one of the most difficult reviews I have ever written because I feel so conflicted inside. I dearly want to love this series yet for me, there is something which isn't quite slotting into the puzzle yet. The side stories have all been fascinating but I worry that this is at the expense of the main plot. I suppose only time will tell how it will all play out.
Tobias and Mara have avoided Orzili and his assassins, finding passage aboard the ship of Captain Larr. They find loyal allies in the Sea Dove's crew and for a moment, it seems the princess may well be safe. But beyond the deck of the ship, there is far more going on than either of them can imagine. Orzili and Lenna are working hard to track the walkers in their progress and drawing ever closer to locating them among the seas between the isles. Threats don't just come in human form though. The events following Tobias and Lenna's meddling with the timeline have drawn the attention of many different Ancients and deals are drawn, all freely entered and fairly sworn, to uncover the mystery of their tampering and none more so than Droe have reason to be pulled back into events.
Time's Demon offers many aspects which should earn Jackson some well deserved praise. Like its predecessor, this book is written in such a style that it flows wonderfully from page to page. It's a joy to read and his characters are growing in new and unexpected ways. However, I think its with the overall plot that he is currently missing the mark slightly and this has left me feeling once again cheated of an ending.
In this sequel more so than in the first book, Jackson has adopted multiple perspectives and here, the balance seems to be off somehow. I think it loses the thread that Time's Children was laying down for it and emphasis falls in new directions. I found that the time spent on each view point in one go was perhaps too long and this lead me to lose the feelings that had gripped me in previous sections. As a result, when the perspective jumped back to another of the parallel story lines, I was finding it quite hard to pick up where I had left off. Then add some time travel into the mix and this whole process become all the more confusing.
Where Time's Demon provides most satisfactorily was in Droe's story and her development. Being a time demon, she is the one who is most invested in the fate of the current course of history. She is also acquainted in one way or another with every other major player in the story so is the link holding the whole narrative together. For me, the only issue is that I now care a lot more about her than I do for Tobias. This is where I feel Jackson has lost the thread of his original novel. If this is by design, then it has worked to perfection but if Tobias is to remain the protagonist of the series, then I think not enough time was spent on his personal development in this book. I love all of the characters in the book but Droe in both her physical and emotional changes is now definitely the most engaging and time spent away from her story became a waiting game for me as I was eager to find out what was next for her as she entered uncharted territory. I don't know where Jackson intends to take the series and I hope he explores Droe's character in her new form in even more detail but I think that for the overall plot to hold up at all, Tobias and Mara need to become more interesting in there adventures.
This is probably one of the most difficult reviews I have ever written because I feel so conflicted inside. I dearly want to love this series yet for me, there is something which isn't quite slotting into the puzzle yet. The side stories have all been fascinating but I worry that this is at the expense of the main plot. I suppose only time will tell how it will all play out.
May 28, 2019
So, I’m not sure if my prayers for books actually funnel towards D.B. Jackson, but he has melded everything I love into one series and I absolutely cannot wait for the next one. Time travel + epic fantasy = perfection. And he has achieved it.
I’m mostly going to keep this review short and sweet. This book is a wonderful follow up from Time’s Children, and I think does a great job of setting up the next book. I love the world-building in this series so much—it’s comprehensive and clearly complicated, and the best thing is that it doesn’t overpower the narrative. This book definitely did a great job of adding more about the world, and rounding out some of the information about the demons. Additionally, and I’ll be brief on this so no spoilers, but I love the character arcs in this book, especially for Dröe.
Overall, this is great book for anyone who loves high or epic fantasy, and wants to read something with a new twist (seriously, I love the time travel aspect of this series).
Want more reviews like this? There are more on my blog!
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s...
I’m mostly going to keep this review short and sweet. This book is a wonderful follow up from Time’s Children, and I think does a great job of setting up the next book. I love the world-building in this series so much—it’s comprehensive and clearly complicated, and the best thing is that it doesn’t overpower the narrative. This book definitely did a great job of adding more about the world, and rounding out some of the information about the demons. Additionally, and I’ll be brief on this so no spoilers, but I love the character arcs in this book, especially for Dröe.
Overall, this is great book for anyone who loves high or epic fantasy, and wants to read something with a new twist (seriously, I love the time travel aspect of this series).
Want more reviews like this? There are more on my blog!
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s...
Read
February 15, 2019Proofread - a really sterling follow up to the outstanding Time's Children.
April 19, 2021
"and again and again"
May 31, 2021
The Islevale Cycle by D.B. Jackson delivers a gripping, well-paced fantasy adventure with compelling characters and a unique magic system.
Time's Children (book one) hooked me with its drastic magic costs, the inclusion of small children, and demons that are truly "other." D. B. Jackson takes time travel to the next level by exacting daunting costs for those who Walk through time, giving his magic system a unique feel, and keeping his human characters grounded, relatable in their struggle to outwit high odds with limited resources.
And did I mention that there's a baby? Children are naturally left out of most adventure fantasy because they're fragile and can't stick it to the antagonist. With Islevale's themes of maturity, love, and family, including a child works excellently. In book two, Time's Demon, time demon Droë brings her own layer of complexity to these themes with her child-like appearance and her almost-love fascination with human Walker Tobias, who is actually 15 but now appears older and finds himself taking care of a baby.
In following these themes, the Islevale Cycle includes NSFW scenes of nakedness, and scenes portraying sex, without delving into explicit erotica. Genre-wise, characters become couples or wish to become so, but the series starts with a heavy dose of adventure that drives the plot apart from romance. Sex and violence are all handled well and definitely not just for shock value. It's an adult-audience series with complex, adult views on humanity and love.
Speaking of Droë, I don't want to spoil too much, so let's just say that the demons in the Islevale Cycle give off a spine-shivering sense of "other," as one tends to do when one's sustenance is literally the years stolen from human lives. And while time demons appear humanoid, one demon type is literally a mist cloud and figures wonderfully into sailor's lore. And, of course, where there are pirates, there are also beautiful, enigmatic sea demons. Readers who enjoy fae in fiction but crave something new will love D.B. Jackson's unique demon classes.
Also, there are pirates! D. B. Jackson shows a wide range of lifestyles as his characters cross vast distances in a complex world, with a mind for how age and gender effects experiences. We start in a school for young mages but soon visit castles, pirate ships, port towns, and seaside slums, and all the nooks and crannies of human existence that those imply. There's also a bit of political intrigue, as politics underpin why Tobias Walks back in time in the first place, and how he ends up with a baby. I prefer character-driven stories, so I was pleased with how all the politics and cool magic feeds directly into character motivations.
This might sound a little strange, but I love how nice and considerate the characters are to each other. (Uh, to their friends. You know. The ones they're not murdering or getting murdered by?) The dialogue feels real and I quite enjoy the considerate attitude of POV characters for their loved ones. There are high stakes a-plenty, but characters also talk to each other like you would hope a friend would talk to you if your lives were in danger. This not only contrasts well with the demons, who are a step removed from human emotion and the workings of human relationships, but also provides depth for conflict between the antagonists and the protagonists. Without sacrificing a sense of right and wrong, D. B. Jackson shows how characters like Droë set on their paths, how they, too, fight from a sense of something good to pursue or protect.
Pick up the D. B. Jackson's Islevale Cycle and let Tobias and Droë take you on an epic fantasy adventure full of time travel, demons, and the harried pursuit of life, liberty, and love:
Time's Children (book one) hooked me with its drastic magic costs, the inclusion of small children, and demons that are truly "other." D. B. Jackson takes time travel to the next level by exacting daunting costs for those who Walk through time, giving his magic system a unique feel, and keeping his human characters grounded, relatable in their struggle to outwit high odds with limited resources.
And did I mention that there's a baby? Children are naturally left out of most adventure fantasy because they're fragile and can't stick it to the antagonist. With Islevale's themes of maturity, love, and family, including a child works excellently. In book two, Time's Demon, time demon Droë brings her own layer of complexity to these themes with her child-like appearance and her almost-love fascination with human Walker Tobias, who is actually 15 but now appears older and finds himself taking care of a baby.
In following these themes, the Islevale Cycle includes NSFW scenes of nakedness, and scenes portraying sex, without delving into explicit erotica. Genre-wise, characters become couples or wish to become so, but the series starts with a heavy dose of adventure that drives the plot apart from romance. Sex and violence are all handled well and definitely not just for shock value. It's an adult-audience series with complex, adult views on humanity and love.
Speaking of Droë, I don't want to spoil too much, so let's just say that the demons in the Islevale Cycle give off a spine-shivering sense of "other," as one tends to do when one's sustenance is literally the years stolen from human lives. And while time demons appear humanoid, one demon type is literally a mist cloud and figures wonderfully into sailor's lore. And, of course, where there are pirates, there are also beautiful, enigmatic sea demons. Readers who enjoy fae in fiction but crave something new will love D.B. Jackson's unique demon classes.
Also, there are pirates! D. B. Jackson shows a wide range of lifestyles as his characters cross vast distances in a complex world, with a mind for how age and gender effects experiences. We start in a school for young mages but soon visit castles, pirate ships, port towns, and seaside slums, and all the nooks and crannies of human existence that those imply. There's also a bit of political intrigue, as politics underpin why Tobias Walks back in time in the first place, and how he ends up with a baby. I prefer character-driven stories, so I was pleased with how all the politics and cool magic feeds directly into character motivations.
This might sound a little strange, but I love how nice and considerate the characters are to each other. (Uh, to their friends. You know. The ones they're not murdering or getting murdered by?) The dialogue feels real and I quite enjoy the considerate attitude of POV characters for their loved ones. There are high stakes a-plenty, but characters also talk to each other like you would hope a friend would talk to you if your lives were in danger. This not only contrasts well with the demons, who are a step removed from human emotion and the workings of human relationships, but also provides depth for conflict between the antagonists and the protagonists. Without sacrificing a sense of right and wrong, D. B. Jackson shows how characters like Droë set on their paths, how they, too, fight from a sense of something good to pursue or protect.
Pick up the D. B. Jackson's Islevale Cycle and let Tobias and Droë take you on an epic fantasy adventure full of time travel, demons, and the harried pursuit of life, liberty, and love:
May 12, 2019
4 / 5 stars
Originally reviewed on: https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/
Time’s Demon is the second in the Islevale Cycle, proceeding the events of Time’s Children. It began with a very unexpected character, at a very unexpected time. It ended with an unexpected result, following a series of rather unexpected events. At first I thought it marked a departure from the initial book, as neither Tobias nor Mara appeared for the first third or so. But then they did, and the story proceeded. In an unexpected, if not… unpredictable manner. Let me say plainly: I couldn’t predict the turns this story took. If I had (which, I tried; I always do), they would’ve been wrong. All in all, Time’s Demon was quite an entertaining read, though if one started into it hoping to immediately continue the adventure that had just left off, they would be disappointed.
This marks the tenth book I’ve read by David B. Coe, including 6 under the pseudonym of D. B. Jackson. So, there’s that. Cool, huh? Instead setting the scene this time, here’s the official blurb.
Fifteen year-old Tobias Doljan Walked back in time to prevent a war, but instead found himself trapped in an adult body, his king murdered and with an infant princess, Sofya, to protect. Now he has been joined by fellow Walker and Spanner, Mara, and together they must find a way to undo the timeline which orphaned the princess and destroyed their future. Arrayed against them are assassins who share their time-traveling powers, but have dark ambitions of their own, and the Tirribin demon, Droë, whose desperate quest for human love and Tobias leads her into alliances which threaten all of Islevale.
Time’s Demon presents another slow build, in some ways even more than that seen in the first. The hook is set and baited early on, as it was in the prior tale, but this is populated with different characters than before. Characters with their own wants and needs (and backstories), that were under utilized in the previous book. Again, it’s important to note that Tobias, Sofya and Mara will return—and that the heart of the story still very much revolves around then.
And yet, their story, while entertaining, furthers the overarching storyline very little. And so we exit Time’s Demon little further than when Time’s Children left off. That’s not to say the book accomplishes nothing. Instead, the storylines are pushed off to other characters—in particular Droë, a Tirribin notable in the first entry. Actually, her story was good enough in this that it distracted me from the lack of progression in Tobias and Mara’s tale. Until writing this review, even.
In my opinion, it was the characters of Time’s Children that made it such an entertaining read. Not only does Demon continue this trend, but builds upon it. In addition to Mara and Tobias’s backstory—as well as a new character I won’t spoil—Droë adds an unexpected element to the story. Until this book, demons (Tirribin, Belvora, Shonla, Arrokad) are viewed mostly as savage and conniving beasts, excepting maybe the rogue elements like Droë or Teelo, who still fed on humans, but occasionally interacted with them as well. Droë’s adventure wrecks this all. I mean, yeah, half the demons still eat people, but it turns out they are much more complex than I’d thought before. Additionally, the dynamic between Sofya and Tobias (and Mara) has changed—as the princess is now an infant—but not so much. It were her interactions with Tobias that sold the first book for me. While in this one her role is reduced somewhat (due to the influx of other characters’ POVs), she still represents an important member of the cast.
Time’s Demon capitalizes on the successes of Time’s Children with strong characters, immersive world-building and superior dialogue. While the expanded cast of characters did push some of my favorites from Book #1 aside for a third of the text, their arcs were more than entertaining enough to keep me ingrained. The second Islevale book does little to further the plot from the first, however (with the murdered royal family, walking back in time and such). And yet Droë’s adventure stole the show, giving anyone more than enough reason to read Time’s Demon. If you liked the first one, you’ll enjoy the second.
Time's Demon comes out May 28, 2019
Originally reviewed on: https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/
Time’s Demon is the second in the Islevale Cycle, proceeding the events of Time’s Children. It began with a very unexpected character, at a very unexpected time. It ended with an unexpected result, following a series of rather unexpected events. At first I thought it marked a departure from the initial book, as neither Tobias nor Mara appeared for the first third or so. But then they did, and the story proceeded. In an unexpected, if not… unpredictable manner. Let me say plainly: I couldn’t predict the turns this story took. If I had (which, I tried; I always do), they would’ve been wrong. All in all, Time’s Demon was quite an entertaining read, though if one started into it hoping to immediately continue the adventure that had just left off, they would be disappointed.
This marks the tenth book I’ve read by David B. Coe, including 6 under the pseudonym of D. B. Jackson. So, there’s that. Cool, huh? Instead setting the scene this time, here’s the official blurb.
Fifteen year-old Tobias Doljan Walked back in time to prevent a war, but instead found himself trapped in an adult body, his king murdered and with an infant princess, Sofya, to protect. Now he has been joined by fellow Walker and Spanner, Mara, and together they must find a way to undo the timeline which orphaned the princess and destroyed their future. Arrayed against them are assassins who share their time-traveling powers, but have dark ambitions of their own, and the Tirribin demon, Droë, whose desperate quest for human love and Tobias leads her into alliances which threaten all of Islevale.
Time’s Demon presents another slow build, in some ways even more than that seen in the first. The hook is set and baited early on, as it was in the prior tale, but this is populated with different characters than before. Characters with their own wants and needs (and backstories), that were under utilized in the previous book. Again, it’s important to note that Tobias, Sofya and Mara will return—and that the heart of the story still very much revolves around then.
And yet, their story, while entertaining, furthers the overarching storyline very little. And so we exit Time’s Demon little further than when Time’s Children left off. That’s not to say the book accomplishes nothing. Instead, the storylines are pushed off to other characters—in particular Droë, a Tirribin notable in the first entry. Actually, her story was good enough in this that it distracted me from the lack of progression in Tobias and Mara’s tale. Until writing this review, even.
In my opinion, it was the characters of Time’s Children that made it such an entertaining read. Not only does Demon continue this trend, but builds upon it. In addition to Mara and Tobias’s backstory—as well as a new character I won’t spoil—Droë adds an unexpected element to the story. Until this book, demons (Tirribin, Belvora, Shonla, Arrokad) are viewed mostly as savage and conniving beasts, excepting maybe the rogue elements like Droë or Teelo, who still fed on humans, but occasionally interacted with them as well. Droë’s adventure wrecks this all. I mean, yeah, half the demons still eat people, but it turns out they are much more complex than I’d thought before. Additionally, the dynamic between Sofya and Tobias (and Mara) has changed—as the princess is now an infant—but not so much. It were her interactions with Tobias that sold the first book for me. While in this one her role is reduced somewhat (due to the influx of other characters’ POVs), she still represents an important member of the cast.
Time’s Demon capitalizes on the successes of Time’s Children with strong characters, immersive world-building and superior dialogue. While the expanded cast of characters did push some of my favorites from Book #1 aside for a third of the text, their arcs were more than entertaining enough to keep me ingrained. The second Islevale book does little to further the plot from the first, however (with the murdered royal family, walking back in time and such). And yet Droë’s adventure stole the show, giving anyone more than enough reason to read Time’s Demon. If you liked the first one, you’ll enjoy the second.
Time's Demon comes out May 28, 2019
September 21, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good book. Rated 4.0 of 5
Tobias Doljan is only fifteen, but he's already lived multiple lives. Tobias is a 'Walker' - he can move backward or forward through time. The only catch is that his body ages with however much time he 'walks.' Recently (in the previous book), Mearlan IV, the ruler of a territory, hired Tobias and asked him to Walk fourteen years in the past to convince himself (Mearlan) to not start a war with a neighboring territory.
Now Tobias, only 15 but looking 30, finds himself the target of assassination attempts. Mearlan himself has been killed and his entire family has been wiped out, except for the infant daughter, Sofya. Tobias is now on the run with Sofya and another Walker (and Spanner [those who can move great distances in a single moment]), Mara, trying to find a way to right the future that he comes from.
Their current flight has them on an ocean journey where they hope to ultimately get to a land where it is rumored that a chronofor (the device a Walker needs to travel through time) might be purchased.
This journey will not only have the assassins after them, but a number of different demons as well ... including Droë, who is fascinated with humans in general and Tobias in particular. Will Tobias and Mara be able to call on Droë for help when they need it most, knowing that she sees Mara as competition for Tobias' affections?
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I thought that this volume was actually tighter with the story. However, this book is also a classic 'middle' book. We've lost sight of the initial cause of Tobias' being stranded in time, and unless you've read the first book, you don't realize that the Tobias had a bit of a crush on Sofya, now the infant in tow.
Author D.B. Jackson does provide a "What Has Come Before: A Summary of TIME’S CHILDREN" prologue, which is great (more books that are part of a series should do this).
I definitely enjoyed this portion of the journey, but with all that happens to them, more than once I wondered if this was still part of the story that was begin in Time's Children, or where we now on some completely different journey? It is a bit of both, of course.
The additional characters, or growth of additional characters, was particularly enjoyable. Droë's role in the story provides the most interest (and it's quite clear that she'll play an additional role in the next book).
This was a lot of fun, even if I didn't feel it was the same journey I started back with the first book.
Looking for a good book? Time's Demon by D. B. Jackson is a strong fantasy with tremendous characters, which appears to be far from the story it started out to be.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Tobias Doljan is only fifteen, but he's already lived multiple lives. Tobias is a 'Walker' - he can move backward or forward through time. The only catch is that his body ages with however much time he 'walks.' Recently (in the previous book), Mearlan IV, the ruler of a territory, hired Tobias and asked him to Walk fourteen years in the past to convince himself (Mearlan) to not start a war with a neighboring territory.
Now Tobias, only 15 but looking 30, finds himself the target of assassination attempts. Mearlan himself has been killed and his entire family has been wiped out, except for the infant daughter, Sofya. Tobias is now on the run with Sofya and another Walker (and Spanner [those who can move great distances in a single moment]), Mara, trying to find a way to right the future that he comes from.
Their current flight has them on an ocean journey where they hope to ultimately get to a land where it is rumored that a chronofor (the device a Walker needs to travel through time) might be purchased.
This journey will not only have the assassins after them, but a number of different demons as well ... including Droë, who is fascinated with humans in general and Tobias in particular. Will Tobias and Mara be able to call on Droë for help when they need it most, knowing that she sees Mara as competition for Tobias' affections?
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I thought that this volume was actually tighter with the story. However, this book is also a classic 'middle' book. We've lost sight of the initial cause of Tobias' being stranded in time, and unless you've read the first book, you don't realize that the Tobias had a bit of a crush on Sofya, now the infant in tow.
Author D.B. Jackson does provide a "What Has Come Before: A Summary of TIME’S CHILDREN" prologue, which is great (more books that are part of a series should do this).
I definitely enjoyed this portion of the journey, but with all that happens to them, more than once I wondered if this was still part of the story that was begin in Time's Children, or where we now on some completely different journey? It is a bit of both, of course.
The additional characters, or growth of additional characters, was particularly enjoyable. Droë's role in the story provides the most interest (and it's quite clear that she'll play an additional role in the next book).
This was a lot of fun, even if I didn't feel it was the same journey I started back with the first book.
Looking for a good book? Time's Demon by D. B. Jackson is a strong fantasy with tremendous characters, which appears to be far from the story it started out to be.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2019
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot Books.
Time's Demon is the second book in D.B. Jackson's The Islevale Cycle and follows Tobias Doljan and Mara who are stuck about fourteen years in the past and have now aged and must take care of the princess Sofya after an assassination which took the lives of her entire family. Being the last of her royal line, Tobias must protect the princess if she is ever to reclaim her legacy- while being essentially a teen in the body of a grown man.
This book contains a recap of what happened in the previous book which I find to be a really welcome and helpful thing to add in fantasy books. I really wish that more books have this feature besides the also very helpful glossary because fantasy books tend to be very dense when it comes to detail and it can get hard to remember certain events that happened. That said, I very much liked that this was present and it helped me a lot.
Time's Demon is considerably slower than the first book although there were still a lot of things happening here. I attribute the slowness to the fact that there's a lot of backstory concerning the villain here and I liked how this book actually fleshes out his character. In fact, through the course of this book, he becomes almost like a secondary protagonist as we learn of his motivations, his past life, his current life, etc. I like it when antagonists are given more depth and I think it was handled quite well here.
Meanwhile, Tobias and Mara now have to deal with having to become accustomed to their new life and adjust to growing up too quickly. They have a lot of years lost between the two of them, years that are crucial to growth and maturity so they really did have to grow up fast. In this book, they had to conceal their and Sofya's identities and play the part of a loving family. I think this part was pretty adorable and they do grow a lot here as characters.
I still do kind of side-eye Tobias and Mara's relationship because in my mind, they're kind of like children who has to play house or there will be deadly consequences. I still get whiplash because of how fast they have to grow up. I do understand that because of the consequences of time travel in this series, they cannot go back to being kids and are stuck as adults. Still, I can't shake off my discomfort although it does kind of make sense for them to fall in love.
Droe the time demon or Tirribin also gets a lot of screentime in this book. Due to her obsession with Tobias and the concept of love and desire, she strikes a deal which leads to her essentially transcending what she was before. She also exhibits a lot of character growth in this book, especially towards the end where she comes to terms with what she is and also where she stands with her emotions and stuff. I don't want to spoil anymore but I really enjoyed her character arc.
The negative thing that I can really say about this book is that it does feel like it suffers from second book syndrome where it serves to get the characters from one point to another. It's a lot of backstories getting told- flipping back and forth between past and present-day narration, Tobias and Mara avoiding been found and getting assassinated...and Droe. Still, it wasn't a bad to read about and I did enjoy it. I think it sets up the next book and I'm looking forward to reading about what's going to happen next.
Overall, I can recommend Time's Demon if you liked the first book. It expounds on a lot of character history, builds up the character arcs better, and expands the scope of the story more. I give this a 3.75 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
This review is also on The Bookworm Daydreamer
Time's Demon is the second book in D.B. Jackson's The Islevale Cycle and follows Tobias Doljan and Mara who are stuck about fourteen years in the past and have now aged and must take care of the princess Sofya after an assassination which took the lives of her entire family. Being the last of her royal line, Tobias must protect the princess if she is ever to reclaim her legacy- while being essentially a teen in the body of a grown man.
This book contains a recap of what happened in the previous book which I find to be a really welcome and helpful thing to add in fantasy books. I really wish that more books have this feature besides the also very helpful glossary because fantasy books tend to be very dense when it comes to detail and it can get hard to remember certain events that happened. That said, I very much liked that this was present and it helped me a lot.
Time's Demon is considerably slower than the first book although there were still a lot of things happening here. I attribute the slowness to the fact that there's a lot of backstory concerning the villain here and I liked how this book actually fleshes out his character. In fact, through the course of this book, he becomes almost like a secondary protagonist as we learn of his motivations, his past life, his current life, etc. I like it when antagonists are given more depth and I think it was handled quite well here.
Meanwhile, Tobias and Mara now have to deal with having to become accustomed to their new life and adjust to growing up too quickly. They have a lot of years lost between the two of them, years that are crucial to growth and maturity so they really did have to grow up fast. In this book, they had to conceal their and Sofya's identities and play the part of a loving family. I think this part was pretty adorable and they do grow a lot here as characters.
I still do kind of side-eye Tobias and Mara's relationship because in my mind, they're kind of like children who has to play house or there will be deadly consequences. I still get whiplash because of how fast they have to grow up. I do understand that because of the consequences of time travel in this series, they cannot go back to being kids and are stuck as adults. Still, I can't shake off my discomfort although it does kind of make sense for them to fall in love.
Droe the time demon or Tirribin also gets a lot of screentime in this book. Due to her obsession with Tobias and the concept of love and desire, she strikes a deal which leads to her essentially transcending what she was before. She also exhibits a lot of character growth in this book, especially towards the end where she comes to terms with what she is and also where she stands with her emotions and stuff. I don't want to spoil anymore but I really enjoyed her character arc.
The negative thing that I can really say about this book is that it does feel like it suffers from second book syndrome where it serves to get the characters from one point to another. It's a lot of backstories getting told- flipping back and forth between past and present-day narration, Tobias and Mara avoiding been found and getting assassinated...and Droe. Still, it wasn't a bad to read about and I did enjoy it. I think it sets up the next book and I'm looking forward to reading about what's going to happen next.
Overall, I can recommend Time's Demon if you liked the first book. It expounds on a lot of character history, builds up the character arcs better, and expands the scope of the story more. I give this a 3.75 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
This review is also on The Bookworm Daydreamer
May 30, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
I’ve been fighting with myself over this review. I enjoyed the first book in this series. But this second installment has failed to capture me and I’m feeling disappointed. I don’t want to give it 3 stars but that’s where I am.
First I’d like to talk about what I liked. This book opens with a recap for the first book!! I LOVE this feature. I really wish that other series would adopt this method. I have a really bad memory, especially when there has been a gap between books, I frequently have to go back and re-read a first book in order to familiarize myself with the plot before I continue. Not so bad when it’s a small series, but imagine when Winds of Winter comes out and I have to re-read all of Game of Thrones to get caught up! Oh it’s happening. But not this time. I was so happy to feel caught up when I started Time’s Demon.
A lot of the interesting elements of the story are still here in this second novel. The time travel, the multiple interesting creatures that inhabit the world, the excellent world building, and the diversity of the main cast of characters. These were all things I loved about the first book.
However, I feel like the story itself has derailed. The focus in this book has switched from Tobias, the main character in the first book, to a couple of new characters in this book and with that change some of my interest has died. I feel that with this expansion of point of view, the story has started to become unfocused, and focus in a time travel book is crucial. I’m starting to lose the thread. I’m not sure where they are going. I realized 3/4 of the way through this book that I don’t know what the point is. Are they trying to get back to their time? Biding their time until they catch up with their original time stream? Just staying alive? What are we doing here?
The time-travel aspects of the story are also starting to unravel a little bit. We are starting to get into the scenario where if we go forward in time to stop something that happens in the past but we meet ourselves then what! Will we all stop existing and the time space continuum will dissolve … or was that Star Trek? I’m getting confused. I honestly don’t know how an author can possibly write a time travel book and not run into these dilemma. It’s a head-scratcher for sure.
As I said, I’m conflicted about this book. I really liked the first one. I like the author. I’m just feeling a little lost.
I’ve been fighting with myself over this review. I enjoyed the first book in this series. But this second installment has failed to capture me and I’m feeling disappointed. I don’t want to give it 3 stars but that’s where I am.
First I’d like to talk about what I liked. This book opens with a recap for the first book!! I LOVE this feature. I really wish that other series would adopt this method. I have a really bad memory, especially when there has been a gap between books, I frequently have to go back and re-read a first book in order to familiarize myself with the plot before I continue. Not so bad when it’s a small series, but imagine when Winds of Winter comes out and I have to re-read all of Game of Thrones to get caught up! Oh it’s happening. But not this time. I was so happy to feel caught up when I started Time’s Demon.
A lot of the interesting elements of the story are still here in this second novel. The time travel, the multiple interesting creatures that inhabit the world, the excellent world building, and the diversity of the main cast of characters. These were all things I loved about the first book.
However, I feel like the story itself has derailed. The focus in this book has switched from Tobias, the main character in the first book, to a couple of new characters in this book and with that change some of my interest has died. I feel that with this expansion of point of view, the story has started to become unfocused, and focus in a time travel book is crucial. I’m starting to lose the thread. I’m not sure where they are going. I realized 3/4 of the way through this book that I don’t know what the point is. Are they trying to get back to their time? Biding their time until they catch up with their original time stream? Just staying alive? What are we doing here?
The time-travel aspects of the story are also starting to unravel a little bit. We are starting to get into the scenario where if we go forward in time to stop something that happens in the past but we meet ourselves then what! Will we all stop existing and the time space continuum will dissolve … or was that Star Trek? I’m getting confused. I honestly don’t know how an author can possibly write a time travel book and not run into these dilemma. It’s a head-scratcher for sure.
As I said, I’m conflicted about this book. I really liked the first one. I like the author. I’m just feeling a little lost.
July 15, 2021
Once again Jackson manages a well-paced epic fantasy that juggles dueling timelines with ease. This book is mostly made up of an extended chase sequence as assassin Orzili pursues the time travelers Tobias and Mara, and baby Princess Sofya that the pair have sworn to protect. We also get an extended look at Orzili's backstory and how he came to be a rogue assassin cast out by the school that teaches children with magic abilities, and finally we follow immortal Tirribin (time demon) Droe in her quest to leave her eternal childhood behind.
There is a lot going on, but as in the first book I never felt lost. Looking forward to the conclusion!
There is a lot going on, but as in the first book I never felt lost. Looking forward to the conclusion!
July 18, 2019
This one got off to a bit of a shaky start with a character I'd never heard of instead of Tobias or Mara. It took me a few chapters to invest in Cresten's plot. In fact, overall there was very little Tobias and Mara in the first half of this book, with much more time spent with Droe, Lenna and Cresten. However, I really enjoyed the deepening of the world-building as we learned more about the various demons and hazards of time-walking.
April 21, 2020
D. B. Jackson knows how to tell a story and capture the reader! From the world, to the characters, to the story, and everything in between, it was great and wonderful. There were parts that weren't my favorite, but ultimately it was worth the read. Highly recommend.
June 14, 2020
I ended up liking this one a bit better than it's preceding volume, Time's Children. Delves a little more into the magic of this world. Droë, a favorite character from the first book, gets the largest part of the focus, and that attention pays off....
July 5, 2023
4 stars for the story. I enjoyed it. The cover misleads as the scene doesn't occur. Since demon is a derogatory human word and the Ancient creatures have names for each other species, I would prefer a different title.
July 24, 2019
D. B. Jackson does it again! Great sequel! Can’t wait for book 3.
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August 18, 2019A nice sequel to Time's Children. I enjoy time travel stories and this is a good one. There is a nice synopsis to Time's Children which I wish all books in a series would include.
December 7, 2019
No tan bueno como el anterior, y con algunas decisiones raras sobre el orden de los capítulos, pero se deja leer muy bien. B+
February 6, 2020
4.5 stars
February 19, 2020
A decent, not too annoying ending for a middle book. Loose ends to lure you to read the next one. I was afraid it would end of a horrible cliffhanger.
May 13, 2020
Just as good as the first. Loved learning more about the other characters’ backstories. Hoping for a third book!
March 1, 2021
Amazing orginal take on time travel. Unlike anything out there!
August 12, 2021
I loved the first book, but loved this one so much more. I was bit dissatisfied with the ending, exciting and enjoyable nonetheless!
September 14, 2023
For someone who didn’t read the first book i actually liked the second one.
June 12, 2024
Such a good book. Wonderful on how much Tibias has grown. Also the transformation of Droanalka is exquisite!
November 16, 2019
This is the second book in the series, and it's even better than the first.
It's a tough thing to write changing timelines in time travel stories, without getting overly complex and complicated, but this book pulls it off. I love it. It's a seamless blend of fantasy and time travel, and I can't wait for more installments in this series.
It's a tough thing to write changing timelines in time travel stories, without getting overly complex and complicated, but this book pulls it off. I love it. It's a seamless blend of fantasy and time travel, and I can't wait for more installments in this series.
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