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Book of Time #3
Il cerchio d'oro
Sam è riuscito a riportare suo padre nel presente, ma le condizioni di Allan restano molto gravi. A Sam non resta altra scelta che ripartire e tentare un'ultima, estrema soluzione. Per prima cosa è costretto ad accettare la sfida del suo acerrimo nemico, il Tatuato, e ad affrontare altri viaggi e nuovi pericoli: dalla Cina leggendaria dell'imperatore Qin a Roma assediata dalle truppe di Carlo V. Poi, deve riuscire a trovare il modo di cambiare il corso del tempo. Ma è davvero possibile recuperare il passato e sperare di rivedere un giorno sua madre? E se sì, a che prezzo? Con un'ultima, sorprendente svolta nell'odissea di Sam Faulkner, giunge a conclusione la trilogia di Prévost "Il libro del tempo".
358 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2008
24 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Guillaume Prévost
33 books62 followersGuillaume Prévost is a history teacher and an acclaimed writer of historical thrillers. The Book of Time is his first book for children. He lives near Versailles, France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 19, 2011
This is a great conclusion to the series, and I found that I just tore through it. Again, I thought that the time traveling was great, well thought out and authentic feeling. Prevost manages that nice balance between giving information and description and keeping the plot moving.
Sam has grown in this book and has become an experienced time traveler. I really felt for him, watching his father in a coma and trying to figure out how to save both him and his mother. Alicia is more of a character in this one and creates a romantic interest for Sam. Sam's cousin, Lily, is hardly in this one, however, which was disappointing because I really like her.
There are some fun twists and turns in this book, which really kept me interested. The bad guy is finally revealed in a great plot twist. All of the loose ends are tied up and I like how some of the different elements come together. The ending is pretty neat and tidy and should be satisfying to a lot of kids.
I think this series will appeal to kids who like adventure stories and history. The time traveling really breaks up the narrative so that there are almost stories within the overall story, which may be easier for some kids to read.
Sam has grown in this book and has become an experienced time traveler. I really felt for him, watching his father in a coma and trying to figure out how to save both him and his mother. Alicia is more of a character in this one and creates a romantic interest for Sam. Sam's cousin, Lily, is hardly in this one, however, which was disappointing because I really like her.
There are some fun twists and turns in this book, which really kept me interested. The bad guy is finally revealed in a great plot twist. All of the loose ends are tied up and I like how some of the different elements come together. The ending is pretty neat and tidy and should be satisfying to a lot of kids.
I think this series will appeal to kids who like adventure stories and history. The time traveling really breaks up the narrative so that there are almost stories within the overall story, which may be easier for some kids to read.
June 7, 2017
well...I didn't like it as much as the others in this series, Sam went back in time to save his mother from a car crash, but at the end of the book I lost what Guillaume was trying to write. The story felt incompleted. It left me feeling disappointed and personally the 1st book was the best. the rest seem to go downhill after that.
I am rating this book 2 stars because I thought it was only ok. 😐
I am rating this book 2 stars because I thought it was only ok. 😐
April 23, 2019
Ich persönlich fand diesen Teil am spannendsten. Allerdings hat mir das Ende nicht ganz so gut gefallen wie der Rest des Buches.
November 29, 2015
A brilliant, clever, and innovative conclusion to The Book Of Time Trilogy series! As I've read dozens of book series, over the years, I've noted that most authors are so exhausted by their writing efforts that by the time they read the concluding book of their series, they seem in a rush to just get the task over with, regardless of the multiple loose ends that aren't ties up, the endless connections that are not pulled together or revealed in meaningful ways, and other signs of fatigue, burnout, and indifference. That cannot be said of this writer, nor of this concluding book in the series.
If anything, it is the most spectacular of all three books, with so many unexpected twists and turns, the reader cannot help but stay engaged, despite the uber-fast shifts between time periods, settings, historical events, times of day, cultures, and so much more. In fact, there's so much jumping around all over the place, throughout the last third of the book, I could hardly keep straight what was going on where and why, at times. Once Sam comes face-to-face with the core antagonist/villain, the storyline shifts into a frenetic pace and explosion of explanations, diversions, and action/adventure moves that no mere mortal could ever hope to keep pace with or survive. Thankfully, Sam has enough help and motivations to keep himself going amongst the chaotic scenarios he is thrown into and must help others to master, as well.
The final events that occur at Setni's tomb were the only parts that felt poorly explained, bordering on unbelievable. The ritual Sam engaged in with Thoth crowning him, didn't fit into any of the world-building that had previously taken place, thus felt out of sync and abysmally explained, in terms of how Sam was able to magically "know" what to do in which order and without any verbal/written communications, along with what the implications of holding, wearing, and/or using the stone ring involve. Was Sam thus designated as the "Keeper of Time" and, if so, what did that mean for his future, going forward? Did he have responsibilities to "stand guard" over the stones, indefinitely, as Setni had done, or were the stones inactivated upon completion of the final ritual? Was Sam now an immortal being or was his life merely saved that one time?
These were the few unanswered questions left dangling at the end, at least from my perspective. Perhaps, the author believed he had explained the rules and systems involved with the time travel connections well enough that the reader could logically sort out these details, but that wasn't how it seemed, to me. I'm, also, curious as to why the ring left distinctly-shaped impressions in the ivory box, yet was observed to be a plain, smooth, stone ring, once it was located. How can a decorative ring shift into a plain, smooth band?
The ending scene was remarkable, revealing little by little so many of the unclear, uncertain answers Sam had been struggling with for weeks. How the book managed to "heal" itself and why it did so was unclear, to me. How many of Sam's collection of different sets of memories were going to be able to be recalled and which were going to be lost, in the process of integration, was left unclear. Additionally, I was uncertain what memories and knowledge were going to be accurately recalled by anyone else who had previously known about the time traveling possibilities and stone system (e.g., Lily, Allen, Alicia, Mrs. Pye, the grandparents, Aunt Evelyn, etc.).
To me, if I were in Sam's shoes, I would find it very disconcerting to live the kind of "integrated" life he was being forced to live, as he would never really know how much information and what kinds of information, all of those other involved individuals had about all of the events that had taken place within the three books. Integrating their "new" selves into his integrated self would take years, I would imagine, and might become very confusing/distressing, over time. He would always have to work at keeping straight which timeline he was "remembering", at any given point, along with what memories/thoughts those around him were having, according to varying timelines. Probably, he would opt to avoid thinking much about any form of the past and stay focused on the present and future, for sanity's sake.
Without question, this final book earns 5 stars for a spectacular fireworks display of imaginative genius, intricate planning, and remarkable historical details. I can see this entire series as a series of movie extravaganzas very similar to those of the Harry Potter books. It is THAT good!
If anything, it is the most spectacular of all three books, with so many unexpected twists and turns, the reader cannot help but stay engaged, despite the uber-fast shifts between time periods, settings, historical events, times of day, cultures, and so much more. In fact, there's so much jumping around all over the place, throughout the last third of the book, I could hardly keep straight what was going on where and why, at times. Once Sam comes face-to-face with the core antagonist/villain, the storyline shifts into a frenetic pace and explosion of explanations, diversions, and action/adventure moves that no mere mortal could ever hope to keep pace with or survive. Thankfully, Sam has enough help and motivations to keep himself going amongst the chaotic scenarios he is thrown into and must help others to master, as well.
The final events that occur at Setni's tomb were the only parts that felt poorly explained, bordering on unbelievable. The ritual Sam engaged in with Thoth crowning him, didn't fit into any of the world-building that had previously taken place, thus felt out of sync and abysmally explained, in terms of how Sam was able to magically "know" what to do in which order and without any verbal/written communications, along with what the implications of holding, wearing, and/or using the stone ring involve. Was Sam thus designated as the "Keeper of Time" and, if so, what did that mean for his future, going forward? Did he have responsibilities to "stand guard" over the stones, indefinitely, as Setni had done, or were the stones inactivated upon completion of the final ritual? Was Sam now an immortal being or was his life merely saved that one time?
These were the few unanswered questions left dangling at the end, at least from my perspective. Perhaps, the author believed he had explained the rules and systems involved with the time travel connections well enough that the reader could logically sort out these details, but that wasn't how it seemed, to me. I'm, also, curious as to why the ring left distinctly-shaped impressions in the ivory box, yet was observed to be a plain, smooth, stone ring, once it was located. How can a decorative ring shift into a plain, smooth band?
The ending scene was remarkable, revealing little by little so many of the unclear, uncertain answers Sam had been struggling with for weeks. How the book managed to "heal" itself and why it did so was unclear, to me. How many of Sam's collection of different sets of memories were going to be able to be recalled and which were going to be lost, in the process of integration, was left unclear. Additionally, I was uncertain what memories and knowledge were going to be accurately recalled by anyone else who had previously known about the time traveling possibilities and stone system (e.g., Lily, Allen, Alicia, Mrs. Pye, the grandparents, Aunt Evelyn, etc.).
To me, if I were in Sam's shoes, I would find it very disconcerting to live the kind of "integrated" life he was being forced to live, as he would never really know how much information and what kinds of information, all of those other involved individuals had about all of the events that had taken place within the three books. Integrating their "new" selves into his integrated self would take years, I would imagine, and might become very confusing/distressing, over time. He would always have to work at keeping straight which timeline he was "remembering", at any given point, along with what memories/thoughts those around him were having, according to varying timelines. Probably, he would opt to avoid thinking much about any form of the past and stay focused on the present and future, for sanity's sake.
Without question, this final book earns 5 stars for a spectacular fireworks display of imaginative genius, intricate planning, and remarkable historical details. I can see this entire series as a series of movie extravaganzas very similar to those of the Harry Potter books. It is THAT good!
March 22, 2010
Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com
After rescuing his father from Dracula's castle, Sam Faulkner's days as a time traveler should be over. Unfortunately, the unknown enemy who tried to prevent their return isn't finished complicating things. Sam must journey through time again in an attempt to put a stop to the evil force threatening to destroy his family.
Sam travels to Rome during the Renaissance, seeks an ancient Chinese emperor's tomb, and takes a frightening trip into the future as he tries to save his loved ones.
The final book in THE BOOK OF TIME trilogy doesn't disappoint. Twists and turns and revelations thrilled me with each turn of the page. Though I'd never been a fan of time travel, I couldn't help but enjoy the ride as I skipped through time with Sam and the other characters in Pr�vost's series.
I loved the way Pr�vost tied all three books together and brought the story full circle in the end. I enjoyed time traveling with Sam and, when I'm ready to travel again, I can pick up the THE BOOK OF TIME and start all over.
After rescuing his father from Dracula's castle, Sam Faulkner's days as a time traveler should be over. Unfortunately, the unknown enemy who tried to prevent their return isn't finished complicating things. Sam must journey through time again in an attempt to put a stop to the evil force threatening to destroy his family.
Sam travels to Rome during the Renaissance, seeks an ancient Chinese emperor's tomb, and takes a frightening trip into the future as he tries to save his loved ones.
The final book in THE BOOK OF TIME trilogy doesn't disappoint. Twists and turns and revelations thrilled me with each turn of the page. Though I'd never been a fan of time travel, I couldn't help but enjoy the ride as I skipped through time with Sam and the other characters in Pr�vost's series.
I loved the way Pr�vost tied all three books together and brought the story full circle in the end. I enjoyed time traveling with Sam and, when I'm ready to travel again, I can pick up the THE BOOK OF TIME and start all over.
April 4, 2012
It was an okay series, but there were too many loose ends in this conclusion and the characters and writing weren't very sophisticated.
Likes:
* Sam seemed like a good guy
Dislikes:
Likes:
* Sam seemed like a good guy
Dislikes:
January 18, 2011
Overall, I liked this series. The author was pretty good at keeping the story moving and keeping me interested. I did figure out who the bad guy was between books one and two but its always nice to know youe right. I loved the time travel and the details werent too wrapped up in minutia to make the story over the top. I really liked the characters and enjoyed the teenage love fest that was thrown in the mix...not a big fan of kids in the street kissing, but hey thats me. The ending felt a bit like walking into a wall...just bam! nice bow done! I would have liked some more details but who doesn't like a finale that ends with love?
December 8, 2010
Overall, I liked this series.
Since I've already reviewed the other two, I will just say that this one is more fast-paced and mature than the others, but still accessible to its target audience. I will also have to say that I liked the ending. I wasn't sure how it was going to be resolved, and I was afraid it was all going to get glossed over, but while it sort of just happened, and we don't get much explanation, I still think it was a unique, interesting idea.
Since I've already reviewed the other two, I will just say that this one is more fast-paced and mature than the others, but still accessible to its target audience. I will also have to say that I liked the ending. I wasn't sure how it was going to be resolved, and I was afraid it was all going to get glossed over, but while it sort of just happened, and we don't get much explanation, I still think it was a unique, interesting idea.
March 25, 2014
read this whole series with my 9 year old son. Vocabulary was awesome for him and plot was complex and kept us both interested. It's a book for kids but interesting enough to hold an adult's attention.
December 31, 2009
This book is the last in the series and it did not end the way I expected it to and the end was really confusing
August 13, 2014
better than the last part...yeah better....say anything bt the story of this triology is fantastic
May 28, 2017
Una trilogia un po' noiosetta
Il lato avventuroso dei viaggi nel tempo è ripetitivo in tutti e tre i libri,cambiano solo i posti e le epoche in cui finisce Sam; il mistero della pietra scolpita che fa viaggiare viene spiegato in modo un po' caotico in quest'ultimo volume, dove il finale è, indubbiamente, abbastanza sforzato.
Il lato avventuroso dei viaggi nel tempo è ripetitivo in tutti e tre i libri,cambiano solo i posti e le epoche in cui finisce Sam; il mistero della pietra scolpita che fa viaggiare viene spiegato in modo un po' caotico in quest'ultimo volume, dove il finale è, indubbiamente, abbastanza sforzato.
March 26, 2020
Obwohl diese Reihe eher für etwas jüngere Leser gedacht ist, mochte ich die gesamte Reihe unfassbar gern. Sie konnte mir alles bieten, was ein gutes Buch so benötigt. Eine spannende und konsistente Geschichte, tolle Charaktere, die einem ans Herz wachsen und sogar noch etwas Romantik... deshalb gibt es auch von mir 4,0 Sterne.
September 30, 2018
can i please read this book
July 31, 2020
I read the first two, of course I had to read this. Epic conclusion!
May 8, 2021
need to reread in order to rate and write a review
March 10, 2023
Suite demandée à maman car j'avais beaucoup aimé les tomes 1 et 2. L'histoire est très belle
March 12, 2023
viaggi nel tempo di un 14enne per salvare i genitori
Read
April 7, 2023read
December 14, 2024
Loved the book!
May 15, 2024
'Ook zij heeft haar schaduwzijde. Het is een gemene dievegge, die gefascineerd is door alles wat blinkt!'
Het laatste deel van de reeks is opeens een pak dikker dan de andere twee - 375 bladzijdes tegenover 230 en 270! Was dat de reden dat het zo lang duurde voor de vertaling er doorkwam...? Of was er iets anders aan de hand - hier was namelijk een andere vertaler aan het werk, blijkbaar...
Wat de vertaling betreft, die zit wel weer ongeveer op het niveau van Boek 1. Een gewone vertaling, zeg maar. Ik kreeg maar van één ding bijna een stuip: Alicia die de godganse tijd met 'het jonge meisje' aangeduid werd. Ehm - ze is ook al veertien ondertussen? En het gaat precies over een achtjarige of zo? Dat was raar. Hoe zou dat er in het Frans gestaan hebben?
Nu we het toch over Alicia hebben: zij wordt in dit boek een pak belangrijker. Er zijn een paar nieuwe rode draden aanwezig, en zij vormt er één van. Heel erg tof om zoveel over haar te lezen. Wat dan weer jammer is, is dat Lili het nu moet ontgelden. In tegenstelling tot de vorige twee delen komt die hier nauwelijks in beeld. Ach ja...
Sam is ondertussen al wat slimmer geworden, én beter in het ontwijken van moeilijke vragen in plaats van er een cringy antwoord op te geven. Een hele opluchting! En een bijzondere vorm van personageontwikkeling, hahah.
Boek 1 en 2 kabbelden bij tijd en wijle gewoon wat voort. Echte vaart zit er daar over het algemeen niet in, een idee van een Uur U dat steeds naderbij komt, krijg je niet. Dat is hier anders, en dat zorgt toch wel voor een extra positief punt. Er zijn hier meteen zelfs een paar Uur U's nu.
Opmerkelijk genoeg gaat deze reeks over tijdreizen (mocht je dat nog niet doorhebben), maar het blijft allemaal wel redelijk overzichtelijk. Veel moeilijker dan die typische grootvaderparadox, die toch iedereen kent, wordt het in feite niet. Alleen in het hoofdstuk gebeurt er iets... Dat is niet helemaal duidelijk. Volgens mij zijn er een paar mogelijkheden, en misschien was het ook niet de bedoeling van Prévost om een sluitend antwoord te bieden op hóé het gebeurt, maar ik zit toch wel met die vraag. Daar had hij van mij wel iets duidelijker mogen zijn. Dat gezegd zijnde, het einde is nog altijd goed, natuurlijk. Verrassend is het niet te noemen, maar wel deugddoend.
7,9/10
Gemiddelde rating voor de reeks: 7,8/10
Het laatste deel van de reeks is opeens een pak dikker dan de andere twee - 375 bladzijdes tegenover 230 en 270! Was dat de reden dat het zo lang duurde voor de vertaling er doorkwam...? Of was er iets anders aan de hand - hier was namelijk een andere vertaler aan het werk, blijkbaar...
Wat de vertaling betreft, die zit wel weer ongeveer op het niveau van Boek 1. Een gewone vertaling, zeg maar. Ik kreeg maar van één ding bijna een stuip: Alicia die de godganse tijd met 'het jonge meisje' aangeduid werd. Ehm - ze is ook al veertien ondertussen? En het gaat precies over een achtjarige of zo? Dat was raar. Hoe zou dat er in het Frans gestaan hebben?
Nu we het toch over Alicia hebben: zij wordt in dit boek een pak belangrijker. Er zijn een paar nieuwe rode draden aanwezig, en zij vormt er één van. Heel erg tof om zoveel over haar te lezen. Wat dan weer jammer is, is dat Lili het nu moet ontgelden. In tegenstelling tot de vorige twee delen komt die hier nauwelijks in beeld. Ach ja...
Sam is ondertussen al wat slimmer geworden, én beter in het ontwijken van moeilijke vragen in plaats van er een cringy antwoord op te geven. Een hele opluchting! En een bijzondere vorm van personageontwikkeling, hahah.
Boek 1 en 2 kabbelden bij tijd en wijle gewoon wat voort. Echte vaart zit er daar over het algemeen niet in, een idee van een Uur U dat steeds naderbij komt, krijg je niet. Dat is hier anders, en dat zorgt toch wel voor een extra positief punt. Er zijn hier meteen zelfs een paar Uur U's nu.
Opmerkelijk genoeg gaat deze reeks over tijdreizen (mocht je dat nog niet doorhebben), maar het blijft allemaal wel redelijk overzichtelijk. Veel moeilijker dan die typische grootvaderparadox, die toch iedereen kent, wordt het in feite niet. Alleen in het hoofdstuk gebeurt er iets... Dat is niet helemaal duidelijk. Volgens mij zijn er een paar mogelijkheden, en misschien was het ook niet de bedoeling van Prévost om een sluitend antwoord te bieden op hóé het gebeurt, maar ik zit toch wel met die vraag. Daar had hij van mij wel iets duidelijker mogen zijn. Dat gezegd zijnde, het einde is nog altijd goed, natuurlijk. Verrassend is het niet te noemen, maar wel deugddoend.
7,9/10
Gemiddelde rating voor de reeks: 7,8/10
February 4, 2017
I am not sure how to feel about the end of this trilogy, in a way it had to end like this but at the same time it leaves a bitter taste to it. *Spoiler ahead* Changing the past obviously changed his future, I thought he would bring his mother to the present where he came from but in the end he was the one that, so to speak, went to another reality, because his reality ceased to exist.
I do think that the whole story, from beginning to end is clever and entertaining, no doubt about that, definitely a novel I have enjoyed, the end however, kept me quite nervous; this Rudolf guy really is nasty, I could not stand him! (that is his whole role, to be mean and horrible for us to read about him).
I do wonder if for Sam it was such a happy ending, none of these people have any idea of what happened in the alternative present/future from where he comes from, which rather makes me sad. Yet, all the adventures that happened in this last novel were -as always- a lot of fun to follow. Maybe Samuel is right, no matter if they are split in two, they still are one.
I do think that the whole story, from beginning to end is clever and entertaining, no doubt about that, definitely a novel I have enjoyed, the end however, kept me quite nervous; this Rudolf guy really is nasty, I could not stand him! (that is his whole role, to be mean and horrible for us to read about him).
I do wonder if for Sam it was such a happy ending, none of these people have any idea of what happened in the alternative present/future from where he comes from, which rather makes me sad. Yet, all the adventures that happened in this last novel were -as always- a lot of fun to follow. Maybe Samuel is right, no matter if they are split in two, they still are one.
October 19, 2009
Finally, Allan is home for good, and so is mom......due to Sam helping to create a change of time in the past.......got rid of that evil Rudolph!!!! Really enjoyed this book and series....definitely recommend for the book club. Great writing!!!!
November 5, 2011
Time travel. Really liked this. Would have loved the whole series. This one even caught you up to date with the last two books. I could follow the whole book with no problem. Might that be annoying to the people who had already read the books? Maybe, but I enjoyed reading it.
December 17, 2012
I started reading this series has a break from the tension and extreme ups and downs of the Game of Thrones and got hooked by the mystery. I usually do not like time-traveling stories, but I was happily surprised that I enjoyed this one. Not perfect, but a nice read for this ancient teenager :-)
November 5, 2009
A very nice ending to a fun series. Story was well put together. Details were given great attention and the characters held true to previous books.
May 24, 2010
I give this series more like a 3.5 rating. Nice and quick read.
August 22, 2010
Final book in the trilogy. It wrapped up the series nicely. I enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews