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Paris Adrift
The Time Machine meet Midnight In Paris
Determined to escape her old life, misfit and student geologist Hallie packs up her life in England and heads to Paris. As a bartender at the notorious Millie’s, located next to the Moulin Rouge, she meets Gabriela, who guides her through this strange nocturnal world, and begins to find a new family.
But Millie’s is not all that it seems: a bird warns Hallie to get her feathers in order, a mysterious woman shows up claiming to be a chronometrist, and Gabriela is inexplicably unable to leave Paris. Then Hallie discovers a time portal located in the keg room. Over the next nine months, irate customers will be the least of her concerns as she navigates time-faring through the city’s turbulent past and future, falling in love, and coming to terms with her own precarious sense of self.
Determined to escape her old life, misfit and student geologist Hallie packs up her life in England and heads to Paris. As a bartender at the notorious Millie’s, located next to the Moulin Rouge, she meets Gabriela, who guides her through this strange nocturnal world, and begins to find a new family.
But Millie’s is not all that it seems: a bird warns Hallie to get her feathers in order, a mysterious woman shows up claiming to be a chronometrist, and Gabriela is inexplicably unable to leave Paris. Then Hallie discovers a time portal located in the keg room. Over the next nine months, irate customers will be the least of her concerns as she navigates time-faring through the city’s turbulent past and future, falling in love, and coming to terms with her own precarious sense of self.
436 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2018
50 people are currently reading
1647 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Swift
26 books96 followersE. J. Swift is the author of The Osiris Project trilogy, a speculative fiction series set in a world radically altered by climate change, comprising Osiris, Cataveiro and Tamaruq. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies from Salt Publishing, NewCon Press and Jurassic London, including The Best British Fantasy (Salt Publishing, 2013 and 2014).
Swift was shortlisted for a 2013 BSFA Award in the Short Fiction category for her story “Saga’s Children” (The Lowest Heaven, Jurassic) and was longlisted for the 2015 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award for “The Spiders of Stockholm” (Irregularity, Jurassic).
Swift was shortlisted for a 2013 BSFA Award in the Short Fiction category for her story “Saga’s Children” (The Lowest Heaven, Jurassic) and was longlisted for the 2015 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award for “The Spiders of Stockholm” (Irregularity, Jurassic).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
December 22, 2017
What an utterly delightful time-travel/atmospheric tale of freedom, choice, and Paris.
I was struck by just how descriptive and easy the text flowed, but then I was sucked in to all the different time periods as I drifted through the theater of 1875, from catacombs to bohemians, from Moulin Rouge to Moulin Vert... all the way to 2017 with crowded bars and modern woes... to a dystopian and war-torn future of 2042 that includes time travelers and the ever dreaded and alluring Anomaly in the timestream.
There's a definite and dark cost to time travel, but sometimes the cost is worth it. Sometimes, we don't even know what we're paying for. Such is the problem of free will and choice.
Above all, this novel is a real delight to read. It's easy, it's immersive, and it's very easy to fall for and into the lives of these free-spirited people. Even more than that, it's very easy to fall in love with Paris. It evokes and succeeds in drawing out the beauty, the oppression, and the crazy desperation of the people who live and breathe the world... no matter the time.
For all this, I am quite pleased that it is also an easy read. Freedom shouldn't be oppressive. :)
I'm totally recommending this for all you free-spirits.
And thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
I was struck by just how descriptive and easy the text flowed, but then I was sucked in to all the different time periods as I drifted through the theater of 1875, from catacombs to bohemians, from Moulin Rouge to Moulin Vert... all the way to 2017 with crowded bars and modern woes... to a dystopian and war-torn future of 2042 that includes time travelers and the ever dreaded and alluring Anomaly in the timestream.
There's a definite and dark cost to time travel, but sometimes the cost is worth it. Sometimes, we don't even know what we're paying for. Such is the problem of free will and choice.
Above all, this novel is a real delight to read. It's easy, it's immersive, and it's very easy to fall for and into the lives of these free-spirited people. Even more than that, it's very easy to fall in love with Paris. It evokes and succeeds in drawing out the beauty, the oppression, and the crazy desperation of the people who live and breathe the world... no matter the time.
For all this, I am quite pleased that it is also an easy read. Freedom shouldn't be oppressive. :)
I'm totally recommending this for all you free-spirits.
And thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
zzzzz-did-not-finish
January 22, 2018Sooooooooooo.... okay. I was sort of enjoying this book when it was in Paris, 2017. The aesthetic of the place, the bars, the odd sense of creepiness or eerie occurrence - it was all great. But as soon as we got into the actual time travel moments…. Meh?
Unfortunately, I’m someone who reads mostly for either 1) decent character development or 2) good dramatic tension. And I just really didn’t think this book had either. A fast paced plot is one thing, but without good drmatatic tension or compelling characters, there’s no need for the audience to keep reading. And even the actual plot is… not exactly fast-moving? I’m 42% in and nothing has happened.
I will say I liked the maybe-evil-maybe-losing-her-mind time traveler; she has a ton of potential as a character. But that’s really not enough to keep me reading.
Unfortunately, I’m someone who reads mostly for either 1) decent character development or 2) good dramatic tension. And I just really didn’t think this book had either. A fast paced plot is one thing, but without good drmatatic tension or compelling characters, there’s no need for the audience to keep reading. And even the actual plot is… not exactly fast-moving? I’m 42% in and nothing has happened.
I will say I liked the maybe-evil-maybe-losing-her-mind time traveler; she has a ton of potential as a character. But that’s really not enough to keep me reading.
January 31, 2018
Paris Adrift by E.J. Swift is a science fiction fantasy read that features time travel through various times in Paris. This one was a book that I had high hopes for when I saw the beautiful cover and learned that it would be about time traveling but unfortunately it fell a bit short for me.
The story started off seeming to be promising with a look at the future that had me salivating for some good old saving the world reading. But then we get introduced to Hallie as she’s working in a bar and that is where things just sort of stalled out for me. I think really at that point my mind was the one going a bit adrift to be honest.
By the time the time traveling began in the story I was losing hope for falling in love with the book but I had hopes it would still catch my attention a bit more than it did. I think though that what I missed was some really good character building to get a better connection and a bit more happening than what I was finding. I suppose the best way to put it was I’m sure for some this will be a great read but it just wasn’t what I expected it to be and not really my cup of tea in the end unfortunately.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
The story started off seeming to be promising with a look at the future that had me salivating for some good old saving the world reading. But then we get introduced to Hallie as she’s working in a bar and that is where things just sort of stalled out for me. I think really at that point my mind was the one going a bit adrift to be honest.
By the time the time traveling began in the story I was losing hope for falling in love with the book but I had hopes it would still catch my attention a bit more than it did. I think though that what I missed was some really good character building to get a better connection and a bit more happening than what I was finding. I suppose the best way to put it was I’m sure for some this will be a great read but it just wasn’t what I expected it to be and not really my cup of tea in the end unfortunately.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
April 29, 2018
This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.
I was sold on this book the moment I saw the cover. It's magical, ethereal, straight up gorgeous.
And then I found out it was about time travel and I was extra sold. I don't even know how many times I've shouted into the void about my love for time travel, but I do know that I will never get tired of stumbling upon new time travel stories.
This isn't the sort of time travel book where there's a lot of sci-fi elements alongside the time hopping. There's no fancy time machine, no spaceships, no futuristic aliens. At times, it reads like a contemporary novel following Hallie's journey in Paris working at Millie's bar. But then, just like Hallie, you get ripped from the present and thrust into a new time, forced to navigate the era.
Each time period had a different vibe matching the atmosphere. Each one better than the one before it. And that first chapter. What a great opening!
However, I do wish we got to see more of the future from the first chapter where the world is literally ending. It felt so desperate and hopeless.
Hallie was a great choice for a main character. She lost her way in life and Paris (time travel and all) really set her on the right track to finding herself.
Being set in Paris, there was of course French scattered throughout the book. It definitely made me work hard recalling my six years of mandatory Canadian French classes to work!
Overall: fantastic plot, fantastic characters, and fantastic time travel. Paris Adrift is a unique and worthy addition to the time travel genre!
Thanks so much to Rebellion Publishing for providing me with a review copy; and be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour!
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
I was sold on this book the moment I saw the cover. It's magical, ethereal, straight up gorgeous.
And then I found out it was about time travel and I was extra sold. I don't even know how many times I've shouted into the void about my love for time travel, but I do know that I will never get tired of stumbling upon new time travel stories.
This isn't the sort of time travel book where there's a lot of sci-fi elements alongside the time hopping. There's no fancy time machine, no spaceships, no futuristic aliens. At times, it reads like a contemporary novel following Hallie's journey in Paris working at Millie's bar. But then, just like Hallie, you get ripped from the present and thrust into a new time, forced to navigate the era.
Each time period had a different vibe matching the atmosphere. Each one better than the one before it. And that first chapter. What a great opening!
However, I do wish we got to see more of the future from the first chapter where the world is literally ending. It felt so desperate and hopeless.
Hallie was a great choice for a main character. She lost her way in life and Paris (time travel and all) really set her on the right track to finding herself.
Being set in Paris, there was of course French scattered throughout the book. It definitely made me work hard recalling my six years of mandatory Canadian French classes to work!
Overall: fantastic plot, fantastic characters, and fantastic time travel. Paris Adrift is a unique and worthy addition to the time travel genre!
Thanks so much to Rebellion Publishing for providing me with a review copy; and be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour!
Book Links: Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
December 26, 2017
Paris Adrift is a fantasy book about the way small events can shape people, places, and the destiny of humanity itself.
One of the main strengths of this book is the atmosphere. The descriptions of Paris through time - the crowded bars of 2017, the theaters of 1875, the alternate dystopian city of 2042 - are vivid and fascinating.
The main character is Hallie, a young woman who is on a gap year from her geology studies. She is running from her family, from her past, and in some way from herself, but at Millie's there's something awaiting for her: the staff will quickly become her new family, and in the keg room there's the anomaly - time travel.
Millie's, as it turns out, is a very special place.
All the characters and their friendships were memorable and well-developed. Even the romance, which I didn't like for half of the novel, slowly grew on me. By the end of the book, I loved Hallie and Léon.
Paris Adrift is also really diverse (a diverse ensemble cast!). The main character struggles with panic attacks, which I had never seen before in an adult fantasy novel; there are side characters who are Colombian and Algerian; there's a side f/f couple.
The only thing I didn't love was how some words like psychopath, schizophrenic and borderline were sometimes used in a disparaging way/to describe a character who was acting weird (and that's not what those words mean).
My favorite character was the mysterious chronometrist; she was unsettling in the best way.
This book does have its creepy moments - the anomaly isn't exactly a benevolent entity, and time-travel in the catacombs isn't a pleasant experience either.
Paris Adrift is a story that weaves together time travel and modern politics, exploring many relevant themes. Maybe it will feel dated sooner, but it also feels more real, more grounded.
I flew through this book. I always wanted to know what was going to happen; the short chapters helped. It's divided into nine parts, and this could have felt disjointed, but the transition was never awkward. I never knew which direction the story would take next.
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One of the main strengths of this book is the atmosphere. The descriptions of Paris through time - the crowded bars of 2017, the theaters of 1875, the alternate dystopian city of 2042 - are vivid and fascinating.
The main character is Hallie, a young woman who is on a gap year from her geology studies. She is running from her family, from her past, and in some way from herself, but at Millie's there's something awaiting for her: the staff will quickly become her new family, and in the keg room there's the anomaly - time travel.
Millie's, as it turns out, is a very special place.
All the characters and their friendships were memorable and well-developed. Even the romance, which I didn't like for half of the novel, slowly grew on me. By the end of the book, I loved Hallie and Léon.
Paris Adrift is also really diverse (a diverse ensemble cast!). The main character struggles with panic attacks, which I had never seen before in an adult fantasy novel; there are side characters who are Colombian and Algerian; there's a side f/f couple.
The only thing I didn't love was how some words like psychopath, schizophrenic and borderline were sometimes used in a disparaging way/to describe a character who was acting weird (and that's not what those words mean).
My favorite character was the mysterious chronometrist; she was unsettling in the best way.
This book does have its creepy moments - the anomaly isn't exactly a benevolent entity, and time-travel in the catacombs isn't a pleasant experience either.
Paris Adrift is a story that weaves together time travel and modern politics, exploring many relevant themes. Maybe it will feel dated sooner, but it also feels more real, more grounded.
I flew through this book. I always wanted to know what was going to happen; the short chapters helped. It's divided into nine parts, and this could have felt disjointed, but the transition was never awkward. I never knew which direction the story would take next.
I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2018
Arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars, I have to admit I was disappointed, I expected more from this book. The plot is amazing but I dislike the writing style. Most of the characters are bland and one dimensional, none could even muster any emotion in me. The book is diverse, it wasn't overly done, it was just perfect.
The plot is amazing, the time travelling was badly depicted and the whole anonmly descriptions was confusing. I love the staff of Millie's, just a group of people that need a break from life and found the perfect country and job to give them time. The romance was fast forwarded at first and it felt cheesy till like 80% of the book that the matter was fixed.
All in all this was an okay read for me, there is absolutely nothing special about the book, save the Paris setting.
2.5 stars, I have to admit I was disappointed, I expected more from this book. The plot is amazing but I dislike the writing style. Most of the characters are bland and one dimensional, none could even muster any emotion in me. The book is diverse, it wasn't overly done, it was just perfect.
The plot is amazing, the time travelling was badly depicted and the whole anonmly descriptions was confusing. I love the staff of Millie's, just a group of people that need a break from life and found the perfect country and job to give them time. The romance was fast forwarded at first and it felt cheesy till like 80% of the book that the matter was fixed.
All in all this was an okay read for me, there is absolutely nothing special about the book, save the Paris setting.
February 6, 2020
The concept of time-travel is seducing. I love exploring it in fiction. Contrary to books describing the time-travel mechanism, Paris Adrift focuses on characters, not on science. The time portal, found in the keg room of a bar, allows the book’s protagonist, Hallie, to move through time. Hallie moved to Paris to escape her dull life, and find the meaning of it all (life, her emotions, family stuff). When a woman known as The Chronometrist approaches her, she discovers there’s more than one layer to reality.
The strength of the novel lies mainly in exploring Hallie’s bar life and her relationships with her newfound family. They lack an agenda or a deeper understanding of life. They drink, dance, flirt, and try to make it through the shift, sober. Emotions and relationships keep them busy and allow not to think of what to do with the rest of their life.
Even though I found Hallie’s behavior irritating, I related to her on some level. She wants more from her life than getting a degree, work, and family. She’s looking for a deeper meaning of it all, a quest I haven’t finished myself :) Like Hallie, her friends advance into adulthood. In their free time, they discuss Brexit, climate change, inequality, refugee crises, and more. They try to change reality, but not too hard and in rather shallow ways.
A new political party, the Moulin Vert, led by charismatic Aide Lefort, gets their vote. Paris Adrift takes a stance on political issues, but it lacks any deeper insight into them or an idea of how to act on a bigger scale. Hallie’s friend, Gabriela, plans to become vegetarian because the meat industry hurts the planet. Don’t misunderstand me. I’ve been vegetarian for twenty years, more than half of my life. I just expect something more than that from a politically and environmentally engaged novel. A meaningful action plan instead of repeating catchphrases, maybe?
The time travel mechanism remains unexplained. A handful of people, known as incumbents, can travel through time thanks to “anomalies” tied to individual travelers. Each travel takes a toll and with time leads to addiction. Hallie is such an incumbent. At first, she can’t believe she actually travels through time. After a few trips, though, she can’t resist it and her health suffers. During her travels, she affects the building of the Sacré Coeur or helps A Jewish musician to escape occupied city.
In theory, her travels serve a higher goal - stopping the world from becoming a nuclear wasteland. Only Hallie doesn’t know this. Her travels and their goals are, supposedly, planned and designed by members of the mysterious Order of Janus who remain somewhere in the background for most of the novel. As a result, the plot meanders and lacks direction.
Paris Adrift contains many subplots (including a romance) and resolves most of them well. Even though I enjoyed reading it, I feel it lacks substance. It has memorable (if directionless) characters and an important (but shallowly presented) political message. Well worth a read, but something’s lacking.
The strength of the novel lies mainly in exploring Hallie’s bar life and her relationships with her newfound family. They lack an agenda or a deeper understanding of life. They drink, dance, flirt, and try to make it through the shift, sober. Emotions and relationships keep them busy and allow not to think of what to do with the rest of their life.
Even though I found Hallie’s behavior irritating, I related to her on some level. She wants more from her life than getting a degree, work, and family. She’s looking for a deeper meaning of it all, a quest I haven’t finished myself :) Like Hallie, her friends advance into adulthood. In their free time, they discuss Brexit, climate change, inequality, refugee crises, and more. They try to change reality, but not too hard and in rather shallow ways.
A new political party, the Moulin Vert, led by charismatic Aide Lefort, gets their vote. Paris Adrift takes a stance on political issues, but it lacks any deeper insight into them or an idea of how to act on a bigger scale. Hallie’s friend, Gabriela, plans to become vegetarian because the meat industry hurts the planet. Don’t misunderstand me. I’ve been vegetarian for twenty years, more than half of my life. I just expect something more than that from a politically and environmentally engaged novel. A meaningful action plan instead of repeating catchphrases, maybe?
The time travel mechanism remains unexplained. A handful of people, known as incumbents, can travel through time thanks to “anomalies” tied to individual travelers. Each travel takes a toll and with time leads to addiction. Hallie is such an incumbent. At first, she can’t believe she actually travels through time. After a few trips, though, she can’t resist it and her health suffers. During her travels, she affects the building of the Sacré Coeur or helps A Jewish musician to escape occupied city.
In theory, her travels serve a higher goal - stopping the world from becoming a nuclear wasteland. Only Hallie doesn’t know this. Her travels and their goals are, supposedly, planned and designed by members of the mysterious Order of Janus who remain somewhere in the background for most of the novel. As a result, the plot meanders and lacks direction.
Paris Adrift contains many subplots (including a romance) and resolves most of them well. Even though I enjoyed reading it, I feel it lacks substance. It has memorable (if directionless) characters and an important (but shallowly presented) political message. Well worth a read, but something’s lacking.
February 1, 2018
The thing I liked best about Paris Adrift, is that it was a whole different kind of sci-fi than Illuminae and Gemina. Where I was lost in space before, now I was lost in time and the difference was so much fun! Starting in the twenty-first century, I hopped to eighteen century-France as well.
Our main character, Hallie, is a girl who really is looking for herself. She has demons in her past she tries to run from and cope with at the same time. Then ends up losing herself in time. I honestly have respect for her since she seemed to handle everything pretty well considering.
During Hallie's travels, she meets a couple of people and I loved those. I loved the relationships that bloomed between them and Hallie. I loved how we got to know their backgrounds, more about their lives and see what circumstances they were living in.
One thing that was a pity was my confusion. I started out confused, not really understanding what was going on. Hallie herself didn't even know what she had to do half the time and... I guess that left its mark on me as well? It got better over time but at other moments I still found myself confused again. It did take away from my reading experience and that was such a pity...
Something I knew up front, but had trouble with anyway is all the history! Now you can tell me "Kathy, come on. It's about time-travelling. How can you avoid the history?!" I know, I know! It isn't that I wanted to avoid it, but I did want it to be less... in my face? All the French history facts were flying way over my head. I can imagine this being a fun thing for people who actually know a thing or two about French history but to me...? Nope... Nope, nope, nope.
Even though I did like some of the characters, I still felt like they weren't fleshed out properly. Bland and one-dimensional is probably the right way to describe them and it's such a pity. I would've enjoyed this story way more had this at least been executed better...
2,5 / 5, boo...
Kathy
Our main character, Hallie, is a girl who really is looking for herself. She has demons in her past she tries to run from and cope with at the same time. Then ends up losing herself in time. I honestly have respect for her since she seemed to handle everything pretty well considering.
During Hallie's travels, she meets a couple of people and I loved those. I loved the relationships that bloomed between them and Hallie. I loved how we got to know their backgrounds, more about their lives and see what circumstances they were living in.
One thing that was a pity was my confusion. I started out confused, not really understanding what was going on. Hallie herself didn't even know what she had to do half the time and... I guess that left its mark on me as well? It got better over time but at other moments I still found myself confused again. It did take away from my reading experience and that was such a pity...
Something I knew up front, but had trouble with anyway is all the history! Now you can tell me "Kathy, come on. It's about time-travelling. How can you avoid the history?!" I know, I know! It isn't that I wanted to avoid it, but I did want it to be less... in my face? All the French history facts were flying way over my head. I can imagine this being a fun thing for people who actually know a thing or two about French history but to me...? Nope... Nope, nope, nope.
Even though I did like some of the characters, I still felt like they weren't fleshed out properly. Bland and one-dimensional is probably the right way to describe them and it's such a pity. I would've enjoyed this story way more had this at least been executed better...
2,5 / 5, boo...
Kathy
dnf
January 31, 2018"Eloise, ma chérie, mon coeur, this lovely Anglaise here needs a tissue and a shot."
You know what makes me pettily put a book on hold, possibly permanently? Authors thinking they can have characters speak like in the quote above. If you're not going to do your research on how to write bilingual characters then why should I invest hours of my free time into reading your book?
December 27, 2018
Hum. I don't know what I was waiting for.
I should have known it wasn't the mind-blowing crazy fest the blurb was promising but hey, you never know?
Another book set in Paris. Another book where the french language is butchered.
I mean, okay but the least you can do when writing a book using another language is check said language to minimize the mistakes? It's not that hard. People can help. Or you know, the internet ? Some parts were supposed to be "bad french" I guess. But some weren't.
Those books are, for me, a very neat little circle of disappointment.
Anyway, I'm being a pain in the ass here, that's not even the real issue.
The real issue is that the characters are quite boring. Stuff happens but not really.
The only credit I can give is that the author knows what it's like to work in a bar. I did work in a bar and all this was quite accurate.
I quit reading around 20% because this book managed to achieve the feat of being messy and hard to follow while having near-to-zero action.
Adrift, indeed.
I should have known it wasn't the mind-blowing crazy fest the blurb was promising but hey, you never know?
Another book set in Paris. Another book where the french language is butchered.
I mean, okay but the least you can do when writing a book using another language is check said language to minimize the mistakes? It's not that hard. People can help. Or you know, the internet ? Some parts were supposed to be "bad french" I guess. But some weren't.
Those books are, for me, a very neat little circle of disappointment.
Anyway, I'm being a pain in the ass here, that's not even the real issue.
The real issue is that the characters are quite boring. Stuff happens but not really.
The only credit I can give is that the author knows what it's like to work in a bar. I did work in a bar and all this was quite accurate.
I quit reading around 20% because this book managed to achieve the feat of being messy and hard to follow while having near-to-zero action.
Adrift, indeed.
April 9, 2018
Novela de viajes en el tiempo bastante ligerita con buen rollo entre protagonista y secundarios. La trama tarda en explotar y lo hace un poco tarde por lo que hay que tener un poco de paciencia.
April 22, 2018
3.5 stars.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Paris Adrift follows a young woman called Hallie making a new life for herself in Paris, France, and ends up figuring out that in particular places in the city, she’s able to time travel. But the future of the world may depend on things Hallie can change in the past - she just has no idea.
This book is pretty strange, and at times complex and it’s one that when I initially started it, I was afraid I may have had to DNF it but it actually completely gripped me and even though not everything made sense to me, I really enjoyed the ride it took me on.
I don’t think will be a book for everyone but if you’re a reader willing to take a chance on a twisting, strange tale with a science fiction element (aka time travel!) then I would say to give it a go. But also don’t be too surprised if for the first quarter you have no idea what’s going on.
I actually genuinely would have been able to read this book without the opening chapter showing a very horrible future, and people discussing incumbents, anomalies and time travel. It left me feeling really confused but once I was in Hallie’s POV, I was able to follow the story and what was happening to her. I think Leon’s connection with Hallie would have even been better if it was a surprise for us, the readers.
I liked the ending and how things wrapped up though I wasn’t mad about Hallie and Leon’s relationship because I felt no chemistry between the two of them. It kind of felt like the author put them together just because she should, and they didn’t have enough real moments for me to really love them together. They always seemed more like close friends than two people in love to me.
I really enjoyed Hallie’s time travel and would have liked more sections like when she traveled to 1875 and we could really see what she was doing. It felt like we got a good look at 1875, a simpler look at WW2 Paris and then pretty much nothing of her other time travel adventures. I would have liked more of them and less of Hallie’s time in Millies.
I did really enjoy this book though and it’s one I’d tentatively recommend to others with a warning to just give it a fair chance.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Paris Adrift follows a young woman called Hallie making a new life for herself in Paris, France, and ends up figuring out that in particular places in the city, she’s able to time travel. But the future of the world may depend on things Hallie can change in the past - she just has no idea.
This book is pretty strange, and at times complex and it’s one that when I initially started it, I was afraid I may have had to DNF it but it actually completely gripped me and even though not everything made sense to me, I really enjoyed the ride it took me on.
I don’t think will be a book for everyone but if you’re a reader willing to take a chance on a twisting, strange tale with a science fiction element (aka time travel!) then I would say to give it a go. But also don’t be too surprised if for the first quarter you have no idea what’s going on.
I actually genuinely would have been able to read this book without the opening chapter showing a very horrible future, and people discussing incumbents, anomalies and time travel. It left me feeling really confused but once I was in Hallie’s POV, I was able to follow the story and what was happening to her. I think Leon’s connection with Hallie would have even been better if it was a surprise for us, the readers.
I liked the ending and how things wrapped up though I wasn’t mad about Hallie and Leon’s relationship because I felt no chemistry between the two of them. It kind of felt like the author put them together just because she should, and they didn’t have enough real moments for me to really love them together. They always seemed more like close friends than two people in love to me.
I really enjoyed Hallie’s time travel and would have liked more sections like when she traveled to 1875 and we could really see what she was doing. It felt like we got a good look at 1875, a simpler look at WW2 Paris and then pretty much nothing of her other time travel adventures. I would have liked more of them and less of Hallie’s time in Millies.
I did really enjoy this book though and it’s one I’d tentatively recommend to others with a warning to just give it a fair chance.
January 30, 2018
Paris Adrift by E.J. Swift
3/5 🌟🌟🌟
I was Paris Adrift, in return for my honest review. On behalf of NetGalley and the publisher (s).
Rebellion/Solaris publishing
Time traveling!!!! This book was at first slow, and confusing. When reading it pay attention closely to the writing. With the detail and flip flop of time it can get confusing.
It was a slow start but there is a lot of detail. From the past to the future your following the character through her journey through time.
Paris Adrift may seem overwhelming at times, and even maybe slow but trudge on and I'm sure you will love this amazing time-travel adventure.
It is set in Paris, at various timelines. Paris was supposed to save Hallie, make things better for her. As she works at the bar, with her friends, Hallie encounters a lot of things. One event inparticular sticks in her mind. She somehow sees herself, walking through the bar! Of course, Hallies' realistic mind can not make sense of the anomaly.
(The anomalies can become confusing so pay attention.)
Hallow encounters a rather odd woman, who has chosen her to serve her. She introduced herself as, the Chronometrist. A cold, figure with a bird, no a falcon under her coat.
Can Hallie believe enough to help herself. She saw herself and knew it wasn't right, a dream just dream she tells herself.
We all know that time travel can change the course of events happening in the other time period. What will Hallies travels cost her, or yet what will it cost Paris?
Political, and adventurous this time travel tale may just have you second guessing your own course!!
This book is coming, February 06, 2018!! Watch to get your copy or pre-order now!!
3/5 🌟🌟🌟
I was Paris Adrift, in return for my honest review. On behalf of NetGalley and the publisher (s).
Rebellion/Solaris publishing
Time traveling!!!! This book was at first slow, and confusing. When reading it pay attention closely to the writing. With the detail and flip flop of time it can get confusing.
It was a slow start but there is a lot of detail. From the past to the future your following the character through her journey through time.
Paris Adrift may seem overwhelming at times, and even maybe slow but trudge on and I'm sure you will love this amazing time-travel adventure.
It is set in Paris, at various timelines. Paris was supposed to save Hallie, make things better for her. As she works at the bar, with her friends, Hallie encounters a lot of things. One event inparticular sticks in her mind. She somehow sees herself, walking through the bar! Of course, Hallies' realistic mind can not make sense of the anomaly.
(The anomalies can become confusing so pay attention.)
Hallow encounters a rather odd woman, who has chosen her to serve her. She introduced herself as, the Chronometrist. A cold, figure with a bird, no a falcon under her coat.
Can Hallie believe enough to help herself. She saw herself and knew it wasn't right, a dream just dream she tells herself.
We all know that time travel can change the course of events happening in the other time period. What will Hallies travels cost her, or yet what will it cost Paris?
Political, and adventurous this time travel tale may just have you second guessing your own course!!
This book is coming, February 06, 2018!! Watch to get your copy or pre-order now!!
April 10, 2018
Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
I DNFed this book at 26%.
This book feels like it’s going nowhere. It doesn’t feel like it has a plot, and it’s pretty boring. The descriptions are pretty good, and it does give a nice feel to the novel but that doesn’t help with the boring characters. Even the main character isn’t particularly great.
I DNFed this book at 26%.
This book feels like it’s going nowhere. It doesn’t feel like it has a plot, and it’s pretty boring. The descriptions are pretty good, and it does give a nice feel to the novel but that doesn’t help with the boring characters. Even the main character isn’t particularly great.
February 22, 2018
https://lynns-books.com/2018/02/22/pa...
Paris Adrift is a book that I’m conflicted over. I liked the idea of it, I love Paris so the setting is perfect and the cover is just captivating. As it is I liked it but it didn’t wow me.
The story starts off with a post apocalyptic setting at some point in the not too distant future where the world is literally coming to an end. A group of time travellers make the difficult decision that somebody must travel back to change things before this possible future becomes a reality.
Jump to current day Paris where Hallie is desperate for a job and is having a trial run at a busy bar known as Millie’s. From here is a journey of exploration really where Hallie will find her feet, find friends, find a portal to travel through time and possibly find love. It all sounds perfect really.
I’m going to change my format for this review and tell you what I liked and what I didn’t like all in one go – like a good vs bad scenario. Overall it evens out to be honest and I can’t deny that this was an easy read and well written – I suppose I just wanted a little bit more.
Paris. I don’t really think I need to elaborate – but obviously I will anyway. I love Paris, it’s just an amazing city and I would happily read many more books where Paris is the location. So many iconic sites, beautiful language, just the full shebang. But, whilst I love this city, the story felt a little like a tourist one stop guide. I don’t know why but I think I was hoping for more of a few off the beaten track places and it feels a little like a missed opportunity. That being said, visiting the catacombs and other sites through the pages of a book was still great for reminiscing.
The city of love – and love in Paris Adrift. For once, I kind of applaud the plot involving a love story – it’s kind of expected really, this is the city of love after all. But, on the flip side it felt rushed. It was like reading a synopsis of a relationship. It’s obvious that the two characters are going to become a ‘thing’ but no sooner have they discovered each other than they grow apart. If you’re looking for a love story from the City of Love this is lacking a little.
The time travel. The time travel here is not really explained – and I can totally live with that, in fact sometimes I think it’s the best way forward. Don’t over complicate things unless you’ve got a completely stellar idea that you can write about with absolute confidence. Basically, there are portals, not everyone can use them, and ultimately there is a price to pay. I liked this idea and it also brings us to a very curious, and in my opinion one of the best, characters of the story – the chronomoterist. I won’t elaborate further on that but I thought it was a really good aspect to the story and it has some interesting links to immortality in a strange and creepy way and makes me wonder if future books could be planned.
The plot. It becomes very fuzzy if I’m going to be honest. Partly because I was enjoying some of the time travel and the places it took me to. I almost forgot the main purpose of the story. And that leads me onto the way in which Hallie eventually changes the future. I didn’t buy it. I’m sorry but it just gave me a total jaw dropping moment of wtf. That being said, some of the places visited during the time travel were brilliant and I loved reading about them – I really wanted to spend more time in post revolution France – that storyline was so good to read not to mention the whole set up for how Millie’s potentially came about. It was just excellent and I loved that aspect to the story.
The tropes. Well, we had the rather tired trope of the uncaring family – of course it gave Hallie a reason to run away (or upsticks and leave if you prefer) in the first place – but, when we eventually discover the full extent it felt very flimsy by way of excuse. Then there’s the everything falling into place too easily cliche. Let’s be honest here, Hallie has run away to a massive city – where she doesn’t even speak the language. Of course the story makes this all seem very easy and before you know it she has a job, friends and a place to stay. In reality Hallie is very lucky that the City didn’t simpy swallow her up. That being said I loved reading about Millie’s and the people. Hallie managed to really find herself a place at Millie’s and the bar itself just played a really good role in the story.
So, overall. This is an easy read. The writing is good. The pace is consistent and there are some very good ideas particularly those that look at current politics and how they could play out in the future. Unfortunately, I didn’t find myself falling in love with the characters and the plot became almost a non entity. On the positive side, this isn’t the sort of time travelling story that gives you a headache but if you’re going to pick it up then you need to be happy with the fact that the detail is a little lacking.
I had no trouble reading this. It was a fast paced story but personally I was hoping for more. That being said I certainly wouldn’t discourage others from reading this as it’s definitely fun and fast paced. So, conflicted. Good and bad. I actually feel like I’m having an argument with myself in this review.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my thanks.
Paris Adrift is a book that I’m conflicted over. I liked the idea of it, I love Paris so the setting is perfect and the cover is just captivating. As it is I liked it but it didn’t wow me.
The story starts off with a post apocalyptic setting at some point in the not too distant future where the world is literally coming to an end. A group of time travellers make the difficult decision that somebody must travel back to change things before this possible future becomes a reality.
Jump to current day Paris where Hallie is desperate for a job and is having a trial run at a busy bar known as Millie’s. From here is a journey of exploration really where Hallie will find her feet, find friends, find a portal to travel through time and possibly find love. It all sounds perfect really.
I’m going to change my format for this review and tell you what I liked and what I didn’t like all in one go – like a good vs bad scenario. Overall it evens out to be honest and I can’t deny that this was an easy read and well written – I suppose I just wanted a little bit more.
Paris. I don’t really think I need to elaborate – but obviously I will anyway. I love Paris, it’s just an amazing city and I would happily read many more books where Paris is the location. So many iconic sites, beautiful language, just the full shebang. But, whilst I love this city, the story felt a little like a tourist one stop guide. I don’t know why but I think I was hoping for more of a few off the beaten track places and it feels a little like a missed opportunity. That being said, visiting the catacombs and other sites through the pages of a book was still great for reminiscing.
The city of love – and love in Paris Adrift. For once, I kind of applaud the plot involving a love story – it’s kind of expected really, this is the city of love after all. But, on the flip side it felt rushed. It was like reading a synopsis of a relationship. It’s obvious that the two characters are going to become a ‘thing’ but no sooner have they discovered each other than they grow apart. If you’re looking for a love story from the City of Love this is lacking a little.
The time travel. The time travel here is not really explained – and I can totally live with that, in fact sometimes I think it’s the best way forward. Don’t over complicate things unless you’ve got a completely stellar idea that you can write about with absolute confidence. Basically, there are portals, not everyone can use them, and ultimately there is a price to pay. I liked this idea and it also brings us to a very curious, and in my opinion one of the best, characters of the story – the chronomoterist. I won’t elaborate further on that but I thought it was a really good aspect to the story and it has some interesting links to immortality in a strange and creepy way and makes me wonder if future books could be planned.
The plot. It becomes very fuzzy if I’m going to be honest. Partly because I was enjoying some of the time travel and the places it took me to. I almost forgot the main purpose of the story. And that leads me onto the way in which Hallie eventually changes the future. I didn’t buy it. I’m sorry but it just gave me a total jaw dropping moment of wtf. That being said, some of the places visited during the time travel were brilliant and I loved reading about them – I really wanted to spend more time in post revolution France – that storyline was so good to read not to mention the whole set up for how Millie’s potentially came about. It was just excellent and I loved that aspect to the story.
The tropes. Well, we had the rather tired trope of the uncaring family – of course it gave Hallie a reason to run away (or upsticks and leave if you prefer) in the first place – but, when we eventually discover the full extent it felt very flimsy by way of excuse. Then there’s the everything falling into place too easily cliche. Let’s be honest here, Hallie has run away to a massive city – where she doesn’t even speak the language. Of course the story makes this all seem very easy and before you know it she has a job, friends and a place to stay. In reality Hallie is very lucky that the City didn’t simpy swallow her up. That being said I loved reading about Millie’s and the people. Hallie managed to really find herself a place at Millie’s and the bar itself just played a really good role in the story.
So, overall. This is an easy read. The writing is good. The pace is consistent and there are some very good ideas particularly those that look at current politics and how they could play out in the future. Unfortunately, I didn’t find myself falling in love with the characters and the plot became almost a non entity. On the positive side, this isn’t the sort of time travelling story that gives you a headache but if you’re going to pick it up then you need to be happy with the fact that the detail is a little lacking.
I had no trouble reading this. It was a fast paced story but personally I was hoping for more. That being said I certainly wouldn’t discourage others from reading this as it’s definitely fun and fast paced. So, conflicted. Good and bad. I actually feel like I’m having an argument with myself in this review.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my thanks.
March 13, 2024
this book was definitely different than most of the books i normally read. it wasn’t bad for being a genre / concept i don’t normally read on a daily basis. i liked the idea of time travel. some parts did fall short for me but it definitely started to pick up once i got further into the book. overall, it wasn’t a bad read at all, and i enjoyed it.
March 14, 2024
Set across several time frames we start in an apocalyptic future and in that future they send one of their own, Leon, back to the past to avert a catastrophe. Hallie has moved to Paris to find a better life, she finds a job in the local bar and in there she finds a portal to another time frame. This book started slow and I was confused, but once I started Hallies POV it all starts to make sense. This book is such a fun read and takes you back and forth through time and space with plenty to keep you gripped to the end. A great read.
Thank you so much to Solaris & Net Galley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much to Solaris & Net Galley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2018
[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
I love myself a time travel story, and both the premise as well as the cover here caught my eye. Unfortunately, even though ultimately it was a quick an easy read (as opposed to a book I trudged through), I wasn’t sold on the story or the characters.
I think this is due to the prologue letting me expect a more ‘targetted’ time travel story: a group of time travellers (called ‘incumbents’) holed up in a bunker in Prague, the world dying around them due to a nuclear apocalypse. This war having been triggered by a speech made at the Sacre-Coeur in Paris, the group decides to send one of them back in time in order to prevent that man’s lineage from ever starting. But there’s a catch here: these incumbents can only travel using ‘anomalies’ to which they’re attuned, and since they can’t use someone else’s Anomaly, in this case they need to send someone with an Anomaly in Paris. Which turns out to be Léon, an incumbent with too many travels under his belt, who may or may not be able to perform -all- the time jumps needed to alter the past. Léon does jump, but his aim tis to find a budding traveller in 2017 Paris, and guide them to discover their Anomaly, then to perform the required jumps while they’re still ‘fresh’, so to speak. Along with Léon comes the chronometrist, a former traveller who lost her body (and probably her sanity, too), and whose task is to guide the new incumbent.
…And that’s where it started to turn wrong, because for most of the book, the plot felt only remotely touched, with our new incumbent, Hallie, being guided in such a circumvented way that from beginning to end, I’m not sure she really got what she was doing. And I’m not sure why that was, considering one of Léon’s directives (stated in the prologue, no spoiler here) was to guide her once her ‘mission’ was accomplished, but that… didn’t happen? It was weird. It mostly consisted of Hallie stumbling through her Anomaly, ending up in a different period, bumbling around trying not to get in trouble, with the chronometrist taunting her now and then. It tied up in the end, yet I never got rid of the feeling that plot-wise, the book was plodding rather than making progress.
Character-wise, too, I believe that time spent on stumbling around was meant for character development, but in the end, I didn’t get that much of a feel for Hallie and the people around her, and they end up rather boring to me.
Now, to be fair, I really liked the way the novel approached solutions to ‘prevent a person from being born’. In a lot of time travel stories, the usual approach is to kill them (the Sarah Connor effect), which obviously raises its lot of ethical questions. Here, Hallie found (well, was pushed to) other ways, and that was refreshing to see.
I love myself a time travel story, and both the premise as well as the cover here caught my eye. Unfortunately, even though ultimately it was a quick an easy read (as opposed to a book I trudged through), I wasn’t sold on the story or the characters.
I think this is due to the prologue letting me expect a more ‘targetted’ time travel story: a group of time travellers (called ‘incumbents’) holed up in a bunker in Prague, the world dying around them due to a nuclear apocalypse. This war having been triggered by a speech made at the Sacre-Coeur in Paris, the group decides to send one of them back in time in order to prevent that man’s lineage from ever starting. But there’s a catch here: these incumbents can only travel using ‘anomalies’ to which they’re attuned, and since they can’t use someone else’s Anomaly, in this case they need to send someone with an Anomaly in Paris. Which turns out to be Léon, an incumbent with too many travels under his belt, who may or may not be able to perform -all- the time jumps needed to alter the past. Léon does jump, but his aim tis to find a budding traveller in 2017 Paris, and guide them to discover their Anomaly, then to perform the required jumps while they’re still ‘fresh’, so to speak. Along with Léon comes the chronometrist, a former traveller who lost her body (and probably her sanity, too), and whose task is to guide the new incumbent.
…And that’s where it started to turn wrong, because for most of the book, the plot felt only remotely touched, with our new incumbent, Hallie, being guided in such a circumvented way that from beginning to end, I’m not sure she really got what she was doing. And I’m not sure why that was, considering one of Léon’s directives (stated in the prologue, no spoiler here) was to guide her once her ‘mission’ was accomplished, but that… didn’t happen? It was weird. It mostly consisted of Hallie stumbling through her Anomaly, ending up in a different period, bumbling around trying not to get in trouble, with the chronometrist taunting her now and then. It tied up in the end, yet I never got rid of the feeling that plot-wise, the book was plodding rather than making progress.
Character-wise, too, I believe that time spent on stumbling around was meant for character development, but in the end, I didn’t get that much of a feel for Hallie and the people around her, and they end up rather boring to me.
Now, to be fair, I really liked the way the novel approached solutions to ‘prevent a person from being born’. In a lot of time travel stories, the usual approach is to kill them (the Sarah Connor effect), which obviously raises its lot of ethical questions. Here, Hallie found (well, was pushed to) other ways, and that was refreshing to see.
March 3, 2020
I love time travelling so I wish I had liked this book more than I did. Loved the descriptions of different times but unfortunately for a lot of the book nothing really happened.
Nice little really but it could have had more content and characters could have been a bit more developed.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Nice little really but it could have had more content and characters could have been a bit more developed.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!
January 31, 2020
Sometimes Time travel stories focus more on the logic rather than the characters but this story really makes that its heart. One of the best time travel stories I’ve read in ages. Full review
Full Review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full Review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 18, 2018
I first noticed this book because of the cover, and when I read the description I thought it sounded like the sort of thing I would enjoy. I pictured a fairly typical urban fantasy novel, where a main character discovers there's actually magic of some kind in the world, and with the cool setting of Paris as a bonus. In fact, it's not that sort of story at all. In the opening pages, you learn that this book is about time travel. In the not-too-distant future, the world is ending, and a group of time travellers think they've identified some key points in history where events could be steered a different way, with the help of a young woman who doesn't yet know that she's also a time traveller: Hallie.
Jump back to present day Paris, and Hallie is recently arrived in the city. In many ways, this is a contemporary novel about figuring out who you want to be, and dealing with things from your past. Hallie has basically run away from home instead of starting university. Her job at a popular bar brings her into a friend group of other people who have left something, are looking for something, or just want to have fun and not think about anything for a while. They are racially and culturally diverse, but again and again you see that they have so much in common despite their varied backgrounds.
The other aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed was that it brings in real-world politics. The bar staff in Summer 2018 are discussing the US president, the refugee crisis, racism. As Halliee starts to visit different periods of time, she sees the effects of different political strategies played out: people starving in the wake of the siege of Paris; occupied Paris during the Second World War; 2040 when tensions between a peaceful party and a fascist one are coming to a head. It seeps quietly in to the story, not overpowering it, but becoming a central part of the book.
Paris Adrift is a fun, clever and moving book, and I definitely recommend it. It's particularly good if you don't usually like fantasy. I love that Hallie evolves over the course of the story, as do many of the staff she works with. My one little niggle about the book is that there are some tiny set up details about how the time travel works which seemed like they were going to be bigger in the story - like they're setting up a series, rather than a single book. It makes me wonder if this is the start of a series, although the book very much wrapped up tidily. Overall, I'm giving Paris Adrift by E. J. Swift 8 out of 10.
[Review first posted on my book blog, link is in my profile. A copy of the book was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Jump back to present day Paris, and Hallie is recently arrived in the city. In many ways, this is a contemporary novel about figuring out who you want to be, and dealing with things from your past. Hallie has basically run away from home instead of starting university. Her job at a popular bar brings her into a friend group of other people who have left something, are looking for something, or just want to have fun and not think about anything for a while. They are racially and culturally diverse, but again and again you see that they have so much in common despite their varied backgrounds.
The other aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed was that it brings in real-world politics. The bar staff in Summer 2018 are discussing the US president, the refugee crisis, racism. As Halliee starts to visit different periods of time, she sees the effects of different political strategies played out: people starving in the wake of the siege of Paris; occupied Paris during the Second World War; 2040 when tensions between a peaceful party and a fascist one are coming to a head. It seeps quietly in to the story, not overpowering it, but becoming a central part of the book.
Paris Adrift is a fun, clever and moving book, and I definitely recommend it. It's particularly good if you don't usually like fantasy. I love that Hallie evolves over the course of the story, as do many of the staff she works with. My one little niggle about the book is that there are some tiny set up details about how the time travel works which seemed like they were going to be bigger in the story - like they're setting up a series, rather than a single book. It makes me wonder if this is the start of a series, although the book very much wrapped up tidily. Overall, I'm giving Paris Adrift by E. J. Swift 8 out of 10.
[Review first posted on my book blog, link is in my profile. A copy of the book was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
February 1, 2018
admit, I’m a bit of a Francophile. I love all things French: the language, the culture, the food. And Paris. Paris is a great city, diverse, exciting and with a rich and exciting history.
When I heard about Paris Adrift, E.J Swift’s new book, then, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. A book that combines time travel with the French capital, with a bit of romance and adventure mixed in? Sign me up. Also, the cover was amazing.
So, I really did like Paris Adrift. It’s set across several time frames, starting in an apocalyptic future where a group of time travellers send one of their number back to avert catastrophe and change the past. Where we end up is with Hallie, an eighteen-year-old who’s run away to Paris to escape her overbearing family, and who discovers a singularity, or portal through time, in the basement of the bar she works at.
The concept was great. Hallie is a good central character: she’s likeable, with a mysterious traumatic past which of course comes as standard, and serves as our de facto guide to Paris- and of course time travel. The world of the present-day, and Millie’s bar, is a warm, lively place to base the story, with a cast of secondary characters who you feel like would be great fun to get drunk with: flamboyant Angel, haunted Gabriela and mysterious Leon (spoiler: he’s from the future).
The problems start to come when the plot kicks off. Don’t get me wrong: I loved the time travel element of the story. They’re like a little series of mini-adventures, as Hallie dives into life in post-Revolution France, World War Two-occupied Paris, and more, with each of her actions having an effect on the present. They’re fun, detailed and well written, sweeping you along on the adventures too- but it takes its toll on the plot, which I felt was a little rambling, and not very structured. What was the plot? Half the time, I couldn’t remember; it didn’t feel relevant.
Likewise, the romance subplot felt a little rushed, simply because we didn’t spend enough time with Leon, and the author didn’t flesh out his character enough for a romance to feel plausible. I feel like this could have done with more effort- simply because the impending apocalypse never really felt like a proper threat.
Despite that, though, this book was a fun romp through time and space, in a distinctly Francophile setting. Interesting and exciting, it definitely kept me reading to the end- and I’d recommend it to anybody wanting anything different.
When I heard about Paris Adrift, E.J Swift’s new book, then, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. A book that combines time travel with the French capital, with a bit of romance and adventure mixed in? Sign me up. Also, the cover was amazing.
So, I really did like Paris Adrift. It’s set across several time frames, starting in an apocalyptic future where a group of time travellers send one of their number back to avert catastrophe and change the past. Where we end up is with Hallie, an eighteen-year-old who’s run away to Paris to escape her overbearing family, and who discovers a singularity, or portal through time, in the basement of the bar she works at.
The concept was great. Hallie is a good central character: she’s likeable, with a mysterious traumatic past which of course comes as standard, and serves as our de facto guide to Paris- and of course time travel. The world of the present-day, and Millie’s bar, is a warm, lively place to base the story, with a cast of secondary characters who you feel like would be great fun to get drunk with: flamboyant Angel, haunted Gabriela and mysterious Leon (spoiler: he’s from the future).
The problems start to come when the plot kicks off. Don’t get me wrong: I loved the time travel element of the story. They’re like a little series of mini-adventures, as Hallie dives into life in post-Revolution France, World War Two-occupied Paris, and more, with each of her actions having an effect on the present. They’re fun, detailed and well written, sweeping you along on the adventures too- but it takes its toll on the plot, which I felt was a little rambling, and not very structured. What was the plot? Half the time, I couldn’t remember; it didn’t feel relevant.
Likewise, the romance subplot felt a little rushed, simply because we didn’t spend enough time with Leon, and the author didn’t flesh out his character enough for a romance to feel plausible. I feel like this could have done with more effort- simply because the impending apocalypse never really felt like a proper threat.
Despite that, though, this book was a fun romp through time and space, in a distinctly Francophile setting. Interesting and exciting, it definitely kept me reading to the end- and I’d recommend it to anybody wanting anything different.
March 17, 2020
More exciting in theory than practice. 3/5 stars.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
Paris Adrift opens with a scenario familar to all sci-fi fans: a disastrous war in the future can only be prevented by travelling back in time to disrupt the events which will lead to humanity's destruction. However, after an attention-grabbing opening chapter set a few hundred years hence, most of the story then takes place in the Clichy area of Paris in the early 21st century, with brief trips to other past time periods.
Ostensibly, the main character of the story is Hallie, surrounded by a diverse and international coterie of friends who find each other through working in the same bar. But ultimately all the human characters is the book felt a little flat to me, particularly when compared to the true standout: Paris. The city steals the show and the atmosphere and details of the metropolis are wonderfully evocative in every time period we visit. This book may let its human characters down by not bringing them fully to life, but it is entirely successful as a love letter to the city, its history and historic importance as a western capital.
There is also plenty of social commentary to be found here, sometimes delivered subtly, but othertimes a little too on the nose. That said, it does make a good (and relevant) point about how quickly extreme political forces can seize control of an apparently moderate society and twist it beyond recognition.
As the narrative includes time travel to different historical periods, I suppose it could be expected that the story can feel a little episodic and disjointed. In fact, this might be on purpose, to reflect Hallie's disorientation as she gets used to travelling using the anomaly. However, the end result was that I did find some parts of the narrative more interesting than others, and my attention did sadly begin to drift during the last third of the book when I should have been gripped as events came to a conclusion.
Overall: an interesting premise, with important ideas and a fabulous choice of location brought vividly to life, let down for me by uneven pacing and characters who never get a chance to outshine the city setting.
This review was originally posted on my book blog.
Paris Adrift opens with a scenario familar to all sci-fi fans: a disastrous war in the future can only be prevented by travelling back in time to disrupt the events which will lead to humanity's destruction. However, after an attention-grabbing opening chapter set a few hundred years hence, most of the story then takes place in the Clichy area of Paris in the early 21st century, with brief trips to other past time periods.
Ostensibly, the main character of the story is Hallie, surrounded by a diverse and international coterie of friends who find each other through working in the same bar. But ultimately all the human characters is the book felt a little flat to me, particularly when compared to the true standout: Paris. The city steals the show and the atmosphere and details of the metropolis are wonderfully evocative in every time period we visit. This book may let its human characters down by not bringing them fully to life, but it is entirely successful as a love letter to the city, its history and historic importance as a western capital.
There is also plenty of social commentary to be found here, sometimes delivered subtly, but othertimes a little too on the nose. That said, it does make a good (and relevant) point about how quickly extreme political forces can seize control of an apparently moderate society and twist it beyond recognition.
As the narrative includes time travel to different historical periods, I suppose it could be expected that the story can feel a little episodic and disjointed. In fact, this might be on purpose, to reflect Hallie's disorientation as she gets used to travelling using the anomaly. However, the end result was that I did find some parts of the narrative more interesting than others, and my attention did sadly begin to drift during the last third of the book when I should have been gripped as events came to a conclusion.
Overall: an interesting premise, with important ideas and a fabulous choice of location brought vividly to life, let down for me by uneven pacing and characters who never get a chance to outshine the city setting.
January 20, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley, EJ Swift and Rebellion Publishing for my ARC of Paris Adrift.
Title: Paris Adrift
Author: EJ Swift
Publication Date: 6th February 2018
Page Count: 320 Pages
Quote: '...houses harbour too, the premonitions of things desired and things that are yet to come; the families we may create, the friends we may meet, the lovers whose bodies we may one day embrace.'
Rating: 4*
Summary
In the very distant future, the world has come to an end. Someone finally nuked someone else and there are barely any survivors, radiation pollutes the air and in the House of Janus, the incumbents must do something, only they, The time travellers hold the key to changing the past and ensuring that the human race survives.
Hallie is an English geology student who has run away to Paris, here she meets an eclectic band of misfits all her for their own reasons. She starts working at a bar called Millie's, but under the dance floor, deep in the keg room, something calls to her. Something you might call an anomaly.
Review
Paris Adrift is a very interesting novel. I really liked the themes of time travel, historical fiction and science fiction all rolled into one. EJ Swift's writing is unusual, it's not very descriptive and she doesn't give a lot of background information on her characters, but I didn't dislike this, it was refreshing, and for me, it was what set the novel apart from others in the genre. The storyline was incredibly interesting which made up for the lack of characterisation and world building.
I liked the character of Hallie, I think because I got her, she's the sort of girl who drifts in and out of things, a bit neglected, nobody really knowing anything about her and I feel like the novel's writing style totally worked around Hallie's character.
I really enjoyed the science fiction and time travel elements, the idea of the end of the world and going back to change it, was again really refreshing, most time travel novels/tv shows/films focus on the idea of not changing the past either because it can't be changed or there will be dire consequences, so it was great to finally read something where changing the past was the whole idea!
Title: Paris Adrift
Author: EJ Swift
Publication Date: 6th February 2018
Page Count: 320 Pages
Quote: '...houses harbour too, the premonitions of things desired and things that are yet to come; the families we may create, the friends we may meet, the lovers whose bodies we may one day embrace.'
Rating: 4*
Summary
In the very distant future, the world has come to an end. Someone finally nuked someone else and there are barely any survivors, radiation pollutes the air and in the House of Janus, the incumbents must do something, only they, The time travellers hold the key to changing the past and ensuring that the human race survives.
Hallie is an English geology student who has run away to Paris, here she meets an eclectic band of misfits all her for their own reasons. She starts working at a bar called Millie's, but under the dance floor, deep in the keg room, something calls to her. Something you might call an anomaly.
Review
Paris Adrift is a very interesting novel. I really liked the themes of time travel, historical fiction and science fiction all rolled into one. EJ Swift's writing is unusual, it's not very descriptive and she doesn't give a lot of background information on her characters, but I didn't dislike this, it was refreshing, and for me, it was what set the novel apart from others in the genre. The storyline was incredibly interesting which made up for the lack of characterisation and world building.
I liked the character of Hallie, I think because I got her, she's the sort of girl who drifts in and out of things, a bit neglected, nobody really knowing anything about her and I feel like the novel's writing style totally worked around Hallie's character.
I really enjoyed the science fiction and time travel elements, the idea of the end of the world and going back to change it, was again really refreshing, most time travel novels/tv shows/films focus on the idea of not changing the past either because it can't be changed or there will be dire consequences, so it was great to finally read something where changing the past was the whole idea!
February 14, 2018
Disclaimer: reviewing uncorrected digital proof via NetGalley
"Adrift" is apt: the author took on a challenging format and offers some true excellence in character writing and worldbuilding, but the experience of reading this book is, for better or worse, as if you're just as adrift, confused, and purposeless as main character Hallie.
Hallie's doing the dissipated youth finding herself routine in Paris. But before we find that out, we have to wade through some future revolutionary setup with time-travellers who want to go back and change the past to resolve the blighted dystopian future they're living in. This is the frame story and the plot, but Hallie doesn't figure out where she fits into it until extremely late in the game. Instead, she's working and drinking her life away in a bar, hanging out with people who do the same, and - unwillingly at first - hopping through time in the cellar.
There's a lot to like at a technical level. Swift conveys that dreamy/nightmarish feeling and atmosphere of being 20-something and finding your group on the road, living in the moment, but with an uneasy awareness that the moment must pass and you're more than where you're stuck now. Paris and the group of international workers at Hallie's bar are conveyed with detailed world-building excellence, including what (as far as my limited French can tell) is accurate and characteristic uses of French.
If you think of this as a literary novel, it deserves a high rating. Dreamy, evocative, endlessly confusing, but in a way that hints at careful construction, it's an effective deep-dive into character. But the frame story plot lags as Hallie finds herself, and there are too many mysteries held for too long for it to be effective as a genre work. If you need fast, thriller pacing, spicy romance, or intricate and engage SFF goings-on to enjoy a book, this is not the story for you. If you're happy to invest some time, drift through the story, and maybe reminisce about (or look forward to) your own dissipated youthful travels, this offers much to appreciate. Just sit back and let it flow.
"Adrift" is apt: the author took on a challenging format and offers some true excellence in character writing and worldbuilding, but the experience of reading this book is, for better or worse, as if you're just as adrift, confused, and purposeless as main character Hallie.
Hallie's doing the dissipated youth finding herself routine in Paris. But before we find that out, we have to wade through some future revolutionary setup with time-travellers who want to go back and change the past to resolve the blighted dystopian future they're living in. This is the frame story and the plot, but Hallie doesn't figure out where she fits into it until extremely late in the game. Instead, she's working and drinking her life away in a bar, hanging out with people who do the same, and - unwillingly at first - hopping through time in the cellar.
There's a lot to like at a technical level. Swift conveys that dreamy/nightmarish feeling and atmosphere of being 20-something and finding your group on the road, living in the moment, but with an uneasy awareness that the moment must pass and you're more than where you're stuck now. Paris and the group of international workers at Hallie's bar are conveyed with detailed world-building excellence, including what (as far as my limited French can tell) is accurate and characteristic uses of French.
If you think of this as a literary novel, it deserves a high rating. Dreamy, evocative, endlessly confusing, but in a way that hints at careful construction, it's an effective deep-dive into character. But the frame story plot lags as Hallie finds herself, and there are too many mysteries held for too long for it to be effective as a genre work. If you need fast, thriller pacing, spicy romance, or intricate and engage SFF goings-on to enjoy a book, this is not the story for you. If you're happy to invest some time, drift through the story, and maybe reminisce about (or look forward to) your own dissipated youthful travels, this offers much to appreciate. Just sit back and let it flow.
February 29, 2020
Hallie is young, depressed, and adrift. She leaves late-2010s Britain and a family that makes her feel unloved to take a gap year in Paris. Hallie hopes for happiness and reinvention. Her first new friend suggests she apply at Millie's, a bar that has been loved by demimondaines and tourists for ages. She makes friends at Millie's and becomes part of their family. However, she soon gets caught up with forces that are far larger than herself.
But Paris Adrift actually doesn't begin with Hallie. It begins in an irradiated, devastated war zone that used to be Europe, centuries from now. A small group of time travelers believes that if a few events in Paris are stopped, the war that caused this will not occur. They believe the person who can make these changes is in the 2010s. Guess who that might be?
Paris Adrift is one of those novels that demands immense concentration. I usually zip through a couple novels a week; I could not with this one. That said, Paris Adrift is anti-fascist, time-traveling fun with a heart. It's easy to sympathize with Hallie, and to be alternately heartened and horrified by what she sees and does. Hallie is not a superwoman, but a bright, decent, ordinary person doing her best in extraordinary circumstances. EJ Swift has a subtle but definite political agenda, and readers of right-wing persuasions will likely not enjoy it. There is some unavoidable violence and horror, but never anything too gratuitous. Swift's glimpses at Parisian history are tantalizing and realistic. She also maintains a firm grasp of the present.
I recommend Paris Adrift for anyone who likes time travel, speculative fiction, and strong but realistic women protagonists. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
But Paris Adrift actually doesn't begin with Hallie. It begins in an irradiated, devastated war zone that used to be Europe, centuries from now. A small group of time travelers believes that if a few events in Paris are stopped, the war that caused this will not occur. They believe the person who can make these changes is in the 2010s. Guess who that might be?
Paris Adrift is one of those novels that demands immense concentration. I usually zip through a couple novels a week; I could not with this one. That said, Paris Adrift is anti-fascist, time-traveling fun with a heart. It's easy to sympathize with Hallie, and to be alternately heartened and horrified by what she sees and does. Hallie is not a superwoman, but a bright, decent, ordinary person doing her best in extraordinary circumstances. EJ Swift has a subtle but definite political agenda, and readers of right-wing persuasions will likely not enjoy it. There is some unavoidable violence and horror, but never anything too gratuitous. Swift's glimpses at Parisian history are tantalizing and realistic. She also maintains a firm grasp of the present.
I recommend Paris Adrift for anyone who likes time travel, speculative fiction, and strong but realistic women protagonists. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 24, 2018
Time travel novels are relatively rare. It's too easy to get caught up in a knot of grandfather paradoxes and endless self-referential loops. Plus Doctor Who has pretty much sewn up the market. Time travel stories work best when the stories told are small, and personal. That's what E J Swift gives us with Paris, Adrift (review copy from Rebellion).
Hallie is a teenager escaping from a difficult family home by putting off university, travelling to Paris and working in a bar. Nudged towards a bar called Millie's by a mysterious stranger, she finds a new family in the transient community of Paris bar staff. She also finds an anomaly in the keg room beneath the bar that enables her to travel through time. Unbeknownst to Hallie, she's been selected as the person most likely to be able to avert a dystopian, apocalyptic future by making small changes to the course of events.
Hallie's story is a coming of age tale. She grows in confidence and maturity as she comes to terms with her challenging family upbringing. It's a love song to that time in our life when we first move away from home and discover self-reliance. Hallie has the chance to reinvent herself in Paris, connecting with a diverse group of likeable people, both in her contemporary Paris, and the city throughout time.
The world-building has a pleasing sense of mystery, with the anomaly left unexplained, and the plot moves along swiftly. Paris, Adrift is an enjoyable story told with pace and skill.
Hallie is a teenager escaping from a difficult family home by putting off university, travelling to Paris and working in a bar. Nudged towards a bar called Millie's by a mysterious stranger, she finds a new family in the transient community of Paris bar staff. She also finds an anomaly in the keg room beneath the bar that enables her to travel through time. Unbeknownst to Hallie, she's been selected as the person most likely to be able to avert a dystopian, apocalyptic future by making small changes to the course of events.
Hallie's story is a coming of age tale. She grows in confidence and maturity as she comes to terms with her challenging family upbringing. It's a love song to that time in our life when we first move away from home and discover self-reliance. Hallie has the chance to reinvent herself in Paris, connecting with a diverse group of likeable people, both in her contemporary Paris, and the city throughout time.
The world-building has a pleasing sense of mystery, with the anomaly left unexplained, and the plot moves along swiftly. Paris, Adrift is an enjoyable story told with pace and skill.
February 11, 2018
Also reviewed at Miriam Joy Reads: https://miriamjoyreads.wordpress.com/...
This book was a pleasant surprise. The opening chapters were somewhat confusing -- a lot of jargon and an overall impression that it would be the kind of time travel narrative that ties your brain up in knots. But from there it improved, especially once it settled into Hallie's viewpoint after a few chapters. It might have been easier to get into if it had started there, but it didn't take too long.
So, this is a time travel narrative, and in some ways it's the kind I don't like: the plot revolves largely around the time travel itself and the effects that it has (paradoxes and changes to the future and suchlike), rather than just being a journey that leads to a story in another time. However, there were a few adventures in the past, which is always fun, and more to the point, the travel itself managed not to get too tangly. I'm not very good at following narratives involving paradoxes and so on, but this one doesn't require that -- it just requires you to vaguely thread together alternate pasts and futures, in a way that isn't overly challenging.
Hallie is a strange protagonist. She's got a fair bit of emotional baggage -- neglectful artist parents who don't even notice when she takes a year out of uni to live in Paris, for example. But it's hard to say a lot more about her. She talks about how she lacks a singular focus or passion, and maybe that's what made her so hard to pin down: she didn't exactly stand out as a personality. But she was surprisingly engaging despite that; I didn't actually notice it until I tried to single out the traits I liked about her.
She works in a club or bar that sounds like my personal hell on earth, though: every description of her nights at work just made me infinitely glad I'll never have to experience that kind of setting.
Other things I liked about this book include the writing style, which was slightly odd and took a while to adjust to. It's a strangely formal narration, especially coming from a 21st century narrator, but it worked, somehow. And while there weren't many of the kind of lines that blow me away and prompt much highlighting on the Kindle, there were a lot of oddly beautiful descriptions that weren't exactly striking but which had a certain style to them. At first I wasn't a fan, but it definitely grew on me.
The book is also overtly political, responding directly (in many ways) to the rise of the right wing in much of Europe and featuring resistance to fascist regimes, both past and future. Although this came as a slight surprise because I hadn't known about that from the blurb, I sort of like it when books don't shy away from addressing the very real issues in society, even if they do it through time travel and other fantastical approaches.
The ending was also powerful. There were a few chapters where I all but held my breath, and felt like I was ready to cry if things took a turn for the worse. I didn't cry, but I was there. Ready. Just in case.
I'm still confused about some of the time travel stuff; about Janus, which seems to be some kind of organisation, and about Leon. I didn't entirely fall for the romance plotline, even though it kind of made sense, because hey, I'm me. There were definitely some parts where I could have used some elucidation.
But, overall, I enjoyed it. Especially because it's a while since I read a book that was just... well-written. I've read a couple of disappointingly clumsy books recently, so this made a nice change, even if it took a while for me to adjust to the style.
This book was a pleasant surprise. The opening chapters were somewhat confusing -- a lot of jargon and an overall impression that it would be the kind of time travel narrative that ties your brain up in knots. But from there it improved, especially once it settled into Hallie's viewpoint after a few chapters. It might have been easier to get into if it had started there, but it didn't take too long.
So, this is a time travel narrative, and in some ways it's the kind I don't like: the plot revolves largely around the time travel itself and the effects that it has (paradoxes and changes to the future and suchlike), rather than just being a journey that leads to a story in another time. However, there were a few adventures in the past, which is always fun, and more to the point, the travel itself managed not to get too tangly. I'm not very good at following narratives involving paradoxes and so on, but this one doesn't require that -- it just requires you to vaguely thread together alternate pasts and futures, in a way that isn't overly challenging.
Hallie is a strange protagonist. She's got a fair bit of emotional baggage -- neglectful artist parents who don't even notice when she takes a year out of uni to live in Paris, for example. But it's hard to say a lot more about her. She talks about how she lacks a singular focus or passion, and maybe that's what made her so hard to pin down: she didn't exactly stand out as a personality. But she was surprisingly engaging despite that; I didn't actually notice it until I tried to single out the traits I liked about her.
She works in a club or bar that sounds like my personal hell on earth, though: every description of her nights at work just made me infinitely glad I'll never have to experience that kind of setting.
Other things I liked about this book include the writing style, which was slightly odd and took a while to adjust to. It's a strangely formal narration, especially coming from a 21st century narrator, but it worked, somehow. And while there weren't many of the kind of lines that blow me away and prompt much highlighting on the Kindle, there were a lot of oddly beautiful descriptions that weren't exactly striking but which had a certain style to them. At first I wasn't a fan, but it definitely grew on me.
The book is also overtly political, responding directly (in many ways) to the rise of the right wing in much of Europe and featuring resistance to fascist regimes, both past and future. Although this came as a slight surprise because I hadn't known about that from the blurb, I sort of like it when books don't shy away from addressing the very real issues in society, even if they do it through time travel and other fantastical approaches.
The ending was also powerful. There were a few chapters where I all but held my breath, and felt like I was ready to cry if things took a turn for the worse. I didn't cry, but I was there. Ready. Just in case.
I'm still confused about some of the time travel stuff; about Janus, which seems to be some kind of organisation, and about Leon. I didn't entirely fall for the romance plotline, even though it kind of made sense, because hey, I'm me. There were definitely some parts where I could have used some elucidation.
But, overall, I enjoyed it. Especially because it's a while since I read a book that was just... well-written. I've read a couple of disappointingly clumsy books recently, so this made a nice change, even if it took a while for me to adjust to the style.
October 30, 2020
Paris Adrift follows Hallie as she takes a gap year from University and finds herself in Paris. She also finds out that she can time travel. Hallie is forced to help a mysterious stranger change the world, she also meets Leon, who has a secret too.
As Hallie takes a job at Millie's a bar in Paris to forget about her homelife in England she finds herself an strange family through the bar where she is working and makes some good friends. She soon finds that the Keg room in the bar holds a secret, a window to other parts of time. As Hallie travels she performs tasks which have the possibility to change the world as she knows it.
I thought this book was a great stand alone Sci-fi time travel novel. Really enjoyed it and although it shouldn't really matter the cover art is so amazing!
As Hallie takes a job at Millie's a bar in Paris to forget about her homelife in England she finds herself an strange family through the bar where she is working and makes some good friends. She soon finds that the Keg room in the bar holds a secret, a window to other parts of time. As Hallie travels she performs tasks which have the possibility to change the world as she knows it.
I thought this book was a great stand alone Sci-fi time travel novel. Really enjoyed it and although it shouldn't really matter the cover art is so amazing!
January 30, 2018
I got a copy of this from netgalley for an honest review.
This started a bit slow but picked up after that. It was a bit up and down at times and felt a little bit disjointed but it suits the subject matter though so not a big deal. It's a bit hard to say if I would recommend this though. For some people I would, for others not so much. It's not the time travel scifi book I expected but I did find it an interesting story told in a novel way. I'll definitely take a look at her other books though as I'd like to see what else she has to offer. I'm glad I read it but I wanted more, but that's not the worst thing to take away from a book.
This started a bit slow but picked up after that. It was a bit up and down at times and felt a little bit disjointed but it suits the subject matter though so not a big deal. It's a bit hard to say if I would recommend this though. For some people I would, for others not so much. It's not the time travel scifi book I expected but I did find it an interesting story told in a novel way. I'll definitely take a look at her other books though as I'd like to see what else she has to offer. I'm glad I read it but I wanted more, but that's not the worst thing to take away from a book.
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