Timeless

Starcrossed #5

by Josephine Angelini

The highly anticipated continuation of the Starcrossed saga, the #1 international bestselling series.

A fate avoided

After successfully using a clever bit of trickery to avoid all-out war with the gods and defeat Zeus, Helen sets out to enjoy her final year of high school with Lucas and her friends.

A debt owed

But happily ever after eludes her. Zeus has found a way to strike back at Helen from inside the prison she devised for him. Growing weaker with every one of Zeus’ attacks, Helen scrambles to complete the three tasks she owes to the Titans, hurling through time on Cronus’ bidding.

A promise broken

But Helen’s odyssey proves to be more challenging than she could have imagined, because Lucas has mysteriously started pulling away from her, burdened by a secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult, Romance, Greek Mythology, Fiction, Romantasy

410 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

Hi! Thanks so much for stopping by my Goodreads page. I only check in on it occasionally, so if you’d like to send me a message please use the contact form on my website: http://josephineangelini.com.

I can also be found on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and I love connecting with readers. Check out the Linktree url above for more info.

I am a #1 international bestselling author, a Massachusetts native, and the youngest of eight siblings. I graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater with a focus on the classics and now live in Los Angeles with my husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Tia]

HELLO??? FOUR MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES SO MANY YEARS LATER?!?!?! I am losing my MIND

Where is my Orion and Cassandra story 😔

[Roa'a]

Bringing back high school feels!

[Bookish Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This book was so good, I want to give it 5 stars. But that's not enough, so I give it 10." (Actually, I give it 5+ stars, that's on my scale haha.)

A more thorough review will come later on, but here's a short one first:

This book was everything. It made me laugh and cry and happy and desparate and it is the book I've been wishing for for, I don't even know, seven years? And it exists now and it didn't disappoint.
Josephine Angelini always manages to write books with extremely lovable characters, but also a lot of action and many twists and turns - same goes for "Timeless".
I was shocked multiple times and constantly hooked - and I can safely say you will be too.
If you have read the Starcrossed series and have loved it, "Timeless" is a must read!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC (my opinion is not influenced by this in any means!!), thank you Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing!

----------------------------------------------

Below is the longer version of the review:

(Oh gosh, do I love this book.)

You know I read a lot, and every book I read shapes me as a person and becomes a part of me. But there are always certain books that have a greater impact on me than others - and the Starcrossed series belongs to this category. I have principles that have their roots in this series, and my principles are holy to me.

So imagine how high my expectations were when, after having loved the first three books as much as I do for around seven years, the author is coming back to those characters and continuing their story. (Not only adding to the original story, but continuing it.)

Excited and also a little bit scared that it might disappoint, I started reading the book. And - it did feel like it. It did feel like coming back to the characters. Their banter and their deep talks and their solving-issues-together, the people I had pictured in my head came back and it was everything. I could have read a whole book just about them, living their everyday life.

But that's by far not all there's to it: A Josephine Angelini book always has plot. Goddess ends with a couple of unresolved things and these are addressed in Timeless. As the title suggests, some time travelling takes place in this book and I love how it's managed. As for the rest of the plot, holy, did it make my heart beat fast and all my teenage angst came out. It leaves you at suspense until. And when the "until" comes... No spoilers but I was shocked and went on texting people and sending very long audios. Have I processed the ending yet? - No, I don't think so.

I'm pretty sure Timeless will be a book I'll see differently at different stages of my life. It's a book that can grow with me - it doesn't feel rigid if you know what I mean? - and that is so so special.

To conclude, Timeless has been a highlight in every way I can think of, it's a book I will come back to again and again. You could say (sorry), my love for it is timeless ;)

In case you didn't know the Starcrossed series so far, I highly recommend checking it out! It has the best interpretation of Greek mythology that I've seen so far and it's very addictive!

Thank you Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for the ARC to review. My opinion has not been influenced by this.

[laura (taylor‘s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

you’ve gotta be kidding me. the end???? jail. immediately. what the fuck

[Lindsi (Do You Dog-ear?) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

I have waited a decade for this book's release! I was so excited when I heard about Scions because it takes place in this wonderful world that Josie has created, but I needed Timeless like I need a summer vacation. I never thought there would be a continuation of Lucas and Helen's story, and Josie really went above and beyond with this one (my favorite so far). I could have lived without the cliffhanger (WHY), but everything else was perfection.



I absolutely love the complex relationship between Helen and her mother, Daphne. Scions showed us a much younger version of the Daphne we know from Starcrossed, and it's really been amazing to see how new experiences and information have shaped Helen's perception of her mother.
Don't even get me started on Hector and Orion. PHEW. Helen can have Lucas, but I call dibs on these two. The tension between their little trio, the unwanted attraction that I was totally here for (still here for), and the sex appeal of these guys...



I have never envied Helen more than I did while reading Timeless. There's also a lot of humor and good-natured teasing where these three are concerned; it was seriously a JOY to read. I caught myself smiling and grinning like crazy throughout this entire book.

If you enjoy Greek mythology, tragic and not-so-tragic love stories, wonderfully written characters, and an author that genuinely loves her characters, then this is definitely a series you want to check out.

I received an ARC from Sungrazer Publishing (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

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[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 5/5

OH MY GOD! Ever since I finished the original Starcrossed trilogy I've been hoping that there would be a continuation to the story and here we are. Josie does not miss! This book was even better than the others and she did an amazing job of continuing the story of these characters after so many years! It was like no time had passed at all, which I feel is very hard to accomplish. Getting to be sucked back in to my favorite universe after such a long time was the best thing ever. I can already tell that this is going to be my favorite book of 2023 as it is already one of my favorite books overall! This book singlehandedly RUINED me and SAVED me all in one. I have not felt such a strong emotional range in so long and I didn't realize how much I needed one?! Anyways, do yourself a favor and preorder this book ASAP! It comes out April 4th and you absolutely need it in your possession.

Thank you so much to Sungrazer publishing for the opportunity to read this book as an eARC!

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I enjoy this? Yes. Was it good? No.

I would still recommend the original trilogy to other readers and lovers of greek mythology but this continuation isn't looking like a good move for Josephine Angelini. With a better editor, though, this could've been good still but I also think that a lot of the plot points didn't make sense and undermined the ending of the third book (which was originally planned and written to be a trilogy).

Helen Hamilton is still my ride or die though.

2.3 stars rounded up to 3 because I'm loyal.

[Nitika Balaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Trigger warnings: death, violence, bullying & (minor: sexual assault, suicide attempt)

The long-awaited continuation of Helen and Lucas’ story in the Starcrossed series is finally here and Timeless did not disappoint! This YA fantasy/ romance novel is a fast-paced, emotional adventure with your old favourites and some new characters who you can’t help but root for. The impeccable storytelling will make you re-read sentences in awe of the exquisite imagery woven throughout the book. Josephine Angelini is a master at building worlds with badass characters and beautiful words.

I re-read Starcrossed, Dreamless and Goddess just prior to sinking my teeth into Timeless, which was a nostalgic journey that reinforced my love for this series, over 10 years later. Timeless continues where we left these characters in Goddess, seamlessly pulling readers in for another adventure in this thrilling modern Greek mythology series.

You may need a seat belt to strap in for the plot twists on this rollercoaster ride of emotions, right up to the very last page. Timeless will make you laugh, cry and stare at the pages in a daze – the perfect recipe for a great book that will stay with you.

I am eternally grateful to Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for the eARC of Timeless, but this did not influence my review. Thank you so much for the privilege to read this stunning book early and know that it has left me eagerly waiting for Outcasts and Endless!

Do yourself a favour and pre-order your copy before the release of Timeless on 4th April 2023!

[Gabriella Mifsud · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE. LUST. HEROES. GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES. RETELLING OF MYTHS.

If these words spark something in you, you need to read the Starcrossed series.

Josephine Angelini has done it again - Timeless is exceptional. Set right after the last book - Goddess, Timeless deals with Helen struggling to move on while Zeus and the other Gods continue to hound her, her past deals come back to haunt her, her family and friends deal with the fall-out of the last war with the gods and most critically - her boyfriend and one true love Lucas keeps pulling away from her instead of rushing to make up for lost time.

Timeless somehow manages to weave in the complexity of relationships - in the many forms they take (platonic, familial, romantic) - together with greek mythology to form a cohesive, incredible, heart-wrenching and riveting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters remain as lovable (or hated!) as ever, whilst also being real. Most of all, this book is far from predictable and pays a respectful but original homage to the Iliad and the Odyssey in an incredible way.

This book had me giggling, tearing up, balling my fists with anger and marveling at how good writing can give you literally ALL the feels. A must read for 2023.

Super happy I got to read an ARC of this before it comes out. Thank you Josephine Angelini for sending this to me.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mild spoilers for both Timeless and Scions

Timeless has been long awaited and anticipated by fans, both old and new. Originally, the Starcrossed trilogy concluded with Goddess, but so much story remained to be told - from that, four new novels were born. Two in a prequel duology: Scions and Outcasts, and two in the sequel: Timeless and Endless (the latter which is the conclusion for all books in the series). Having read both Scions, and now Timeless, I am incredibly glad that Josephine Angelini decided to return to this world and tell these stories.

Timeless begins not too long after the end of Goddess. The events of that novel are still fresh, the characters are still wearing emotional wounds from battle and betrayal. Soon they all learn that the battle isn’t over yet, and that Helen, themselves, and the world is once again at risk from being ended by Zeus. That’s not to mention the Olympians and Fate — all threats that are lurking around the corner. I liked that we picked up not too long after Goddess, diving right back in to the action and the thick of it all.

For Angelini, this is a series she's returning to after many years. She's grown, and her writing has grown with her. So, the challenge is then, how do you return to a book series you began to write over a decade before hand? Can you find that narrative voice again? How do you pick up where you left off, like no time has passed? I don't know. Truly, I don't. But Angelini clearly does. She managed to recapture the tone and the voice of the series (and of her main character Helen) while also proving how far she has come as a writer. Magnificent. It was great to read, from a technical standpoint.

What I enjoyed about Timeless is how easily it recapped and reminded readers of past events of the books. I, for one, often have a terrible memory so I really appreciated the reminders. The recap of old events/important information felt blended in seamlessly. If you read the series years ago and don't have the time to reread, I think you'll get on fine with this.

What really stood out to me in this novel is how the characters begin to deal with their trauma, their grief, their pain. For most of them, it’s to not cope with it at all. To push it down, to keep moving, there’s always another battle to fight. Angelini began to show the breakdown of this mentality, widening the cracks in characters shields and facades they put up. I really hope we continue to see this in Endless, there’s so much for the characters to process and I want to see them do it. I think it is really easy to skip from one event to another, to keep the action and pace up, and to not stop and take time to smell the roses, if you will. For me, it's always worth stopping to take time and just . . . process. To let your characters see and feel, to rage and weep, to laugh. This is where a lot of the character development and growth is, this is how we see it.

"No wonder no one in this family ever gets over anything," Ariadne said. "We spend so much energy trying to put things behind us that we never actually deal with anything."

It is impossible to talk about trauma and grief and to not talk about the relationship between Daphne and Helen. Let me start with: oh. my. god. I teared up quite a few times reading this, and each time it was due to a remark Helen made about her mother. I just loved, loved, loved, loved how this book began to explore and poke at their relationship more. Their relationship, to put simply, is a complicated one. It's one filled with abandonment, betrayal, loss, anger, grief. They've never had it easy (understatement).

Helen (understandably) has a lot of feelings towards her mother, all tangled in to each other. The easiest thing for her to do (of course, it is the Scion way!) is to not deal with them at all. To brush it off, keep moving forward. But oh, oh no. Timeless forces Helen to confront her mother (quite literally).

When Helen time travels back to 1993, she meets her mother (we also saw this in Scion's, but from Daphne's perspective). Helen is surprised by the Daphne that she see's. The Daphne that feels joy, the Daphne that outwardly shows her love for Ajax, the Daphne that has a friend. She begins to learn more about her, remarking:

Also, she'd had no idea her mother had a best friend in high school - or any friend at all. It made Daphne more human, and Helen was fascinated. Her mother had been a person once

.

Daphne's character is being pulled in to question before our eyes, challenging Helen and readers to consider Daphne with more empathy. Does this mean forgiveness and acceptance for Daphne, and all the ways in which she hurt Helen? No. But it adds dimension and complexity to her - especially once you've read Scions, and you begin to understand how these mother and daughter relationships (for those with The Face) continue to pass down trauma after trauma after trauma. I, for one, think it's a good thing we begin to explore how Daphne became who Daphne was.

Later on in the book, as Helen observes Daphne, Helen thinks:

Helen realized that meant she loved Daphne. She loved her mother, and she was dead. She was used to feeling ambivalent about that. Sometimes she even felt angry, like her mom had died as selfishly as she'd lived by taking on Tantalus as she had, but now all Helen felt was sadness

. Me too Helen, me too! Oh, you can just feel the grief coming off of Helen in waves. This - this hurt. But I loved it.

And we are about to hit what is such a strong theme in this book - tragedy (I could talk about this forever!). And, well, it is based on Greek mythology so I'd be a fool to be surprised by this, but still. Just because you know it, doesn't mean you shouldn't be allowed to feel it. Before leaving 1993, Helen feels 'relieved', as all she wants to do, after spending time with her mother, is 'to help her, or a least to warn her about what was to come' but of course, she can't. She can't mess with time like that, because who knows what the consequences would be? Helen's erasure from existence, maybe. Or Fate would've found its way and the inevitable would have happened.

But that is the tragedy. So many moments in this book - especially with the time travel - you really feel how tragic this all is. How deeply all of these characters suffer. How so many were killed and scarified, and for what? For the killing cycle to keep continuing. If you didn't hate The Fates before this, I imagine a hatred has stirred now.

And on the topics of The Fates and Daphne, I loved how Helen begins to understand how her mothers actions/schemes were more than a 'selfish desire to revive Ajax' and that maybe 'she was fighting fate for all of them'. Again, the tragedy! The hurt. That Daphne tried, and (so far at least) Daphne failed. The ache from that, and that Helen is left reaping the consequences. I loved the line that followed, and am mentioning it purely for that reason.

Helen suddenly missed her. Or rather she missed the Daphne she had met in 1993. She felt like that Daphne, the one who was willing to do anything to break fate, was someone she could have been friends with. Maybe. But she didn't have the time to be sad about her mother and got herself back on topic

.

My final thoughts on motherhood: I love how motherhood is explored in all different ways in this, and is forgiving. We have mothers in Daphne, Noel, Kate. Each of them are different. Each of them also provide different things to different characters. For Helen, Daphne was an absent mother. But to someone like Orion and Hector, she stepped in. Again, I think it's all brilliant and complex, and that's real. That is authentic. And I'm so glad Angelini has decided to explore it further.

Okay . . . moving on from the tragedy and the crying tears of emotional pain. Let's talk about all the times I cried from laughter, because boy, this book was also funny! There were times I SNORTED out loud! Seriously! Or I did a big HAHA, had to put the book down, and then text my friends like 'this bit has me DYING'. Most of my laughs were caused by Hector/Helen/Orion (either by them individually, all together, or by some pairing). The banter between them? Chef's kiss. Perfect. No notes (okay, that's a lie, I want more please). Love, love, love, love. My favourite part of the book.

That whole relationship between the three of them - romance aside (but not dismissed, because I loved that) - was the best and my most favourite part of the novel. I loved how they laughed together, protected each other, humbled each other . . .

In particular, I loved Orion and Helen. My favourite line (and this is saying something, as there are many lines in this that I loved) was in a seen between them. It's quite simple:

"We're family," she [Helen] told him.

SCREAMING. CRYING.

Okay, I'm calm now (lie). Ugh, I LOVE them. Also, Orion? Stop trying to sacrifice yourself. You are valuable too, and I am so glad Helen told him that.

Hector/Helen/Orion in this book could be a whole essay in itself so I am going to stop while I am ahead but they're bloody delightful and I love them.

Final thoughts:

Cronus - weird dude and I loved him. Originally I was really concerned that there was a bunch of typos (or my brain just stopped working) but that's just how he talks.

Atlas - love him. Decent dude.

Athena - she was great.

Leda/Adonis - tragedy, again. My heart hurts knowing what's coming.

The parents - learning more about them was brilliant. Looking forward to seeing more of them in Outcasts. But also not, because pain.

The Faces - Helen mentioned past lives quite frequently, and all I'm saying is, Josie, if you want to write a book about all the previous women that came before Helen, you've got a reader.

And that ending . . . oh lord. Josephine Angelini, that was cruel. I won't give away the plot twist, but let's just say: grief. My heart breaks for Helen.

So . . . if you haven't guessed: I really, really enjoyed Timeless. Like a whole lot. It was fun, mysterious, painful and angsty. I will say my only slightly 'negative' comment is that the final fight felt a bit quick . . . but I am assuming that's because there is a lot unfinished . . . calm before the storm as they say . . .

An easy 5 stars.

Thank you to Josephine Angelini and Sungrazer Publishing for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Spoilers***

This book had so much potential, yet it fell short in so many ways. Given, when I started reading this book I did not re-read the original Starcrossed Trilogy so perhaps it took me a while to get used to Josephine's writing style again.

The thing that bothered me the most while reading Timeless had to be the lack of detail and descriptions we were given on everything, but especially concerning character interactions. For example, when Helen talks to her mom in 1993, it is glossed over, there is no actual dialog between them. And this happens so many times with other characters throughout the book (especially with Orion during their time at Lucas's palace in Hades)!

While I understand not describing every interaction because you want to move your plot along, the lack of description on these character interactions was a huge disservice. There were so many opportunities for readers to get to know these other characters (Daphne, Orion, Cassandra, etc.) better as well as understand Helen's relationship with them and see Helen's own growth. Yet we were deprived of what could have been insightful conversations between Helen and these other characters.

This is perhaps caused by the fact that this book seemed to have very odd pacing. It felt as if we didn't understand what the overarching conflict was for a while. Then, the final battle with the Olympians is all of 12 pages. The main conflict teased throughout the entire book is fewer than 15 pages?! And this is not just the case with the final battle, but any fight or action sequence is completely glossed over.  For example, the fight with Hera and her lackeys was only 4 pages, and the actual fighting part of this scene was barely a page and a half! To me, these instances further indicate a serious lack of description and detail where it would have made the book a longer read, but a better read if it had been there.

There were some other weird things in this book, the weirdest to me was the rant about how Helen would never recover after being called a slut. Yes, it is terrible that Helen was being bullied and yes, being called a slut is terrible. HOWEVER, Helen's reaction to this was pathetic and not empowering for women. It was written so that Helen reacted like she thought she would never be known or remembered as anything other than what other people thought of her. What a great way to indicate that your self worth is only based on other people's perception of you. Also, Helen's reaction seemed very unbelievable to me, I mean she it literally a GODDESS, how could she not rise above that, like the GODDESS she is?

I must say I hoped for some spice. Maybe it is because I am an adult reading Timeless versus when I was a teenager reading the original Star-crossed trilogy, but there is so little spice in this book that the relationships felt one dimensional. Primarily between Helen and Lucas, but also between Helen and Orion. For example when Helen and Orion kissed, I wasn't sure what had happened because it didn't say who kissed who, only that "Orion's kiss was different from Lucas's". I initially thought I was reading a flashback and not something happening in the present moment because I was so confused. All of a sudden Helen turned over and they're kissing? Like what?

Also some of the phrasing in this novel seemed very immature. For example, "Helen and Claire both had to borrow something nice from Ariadne, as neither of them kept semi-formal wear in their boyfriends' dressers." This just sounds so juvenile to me. I realize I'm reading from Helen's perspective and she's in high school, but still, there had to be a better way to phrase that. There are many other sentences like this throughout Timeless that distracted me from the story. Additionally, there were several typos in this novel as well.

Overall, I enjoyed the story but I did not enjoy how it was written. I want to continue to read Helen's story, but it may be difficult. I can only hope Josephine can improve as she continues to grow as a writer.

[♡ Gibby ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘏𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺, 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥.”

Let me start this review by telling you that I picked this book up because I waited for the continuing of Lucas and Helen’s story for what felt like ages and Josephine Angelini picked up her story and it felt like finally coming home! Timeless picks up not too long ago from where Goddess ended, but Josephine Angelini knows how to pull her readers back into the world she created so many years ago. What I enjoyed most was how the reader kept getting reminders of the past books and while the readers grew up … So did the characters! I knew Timeless wouldn’t disappoint me and I still have a huge crush on Lucas Delos, even if I think he could have handled some things better.

“𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥, 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴.”

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
• LUCAS is BAE! We must PROTECT HIM AT ALL COST!
• I can't explain in words how much I needed this book in my life after waiting for the continuation of the storyline for so many years!
•Helen mentioned her past lives in this book and this made me curious, how amazing would it be to get a little peak into those lives?
• Josephine is a truly skilled writer, after so many years she still knows how to take my breath away and make me cry, laugh and blush!

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
• Sadly, THE ENDING made me scream in despair! Josephine grabbed my heart from my chest, laughed at it, stabbed it with her pen (multiple times) and decided it wasn't even worth to put it back inside my chest.... Thanks, Josie!

[Jasmin Bakari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soooo. I finished it in one sitting and it was certainly a book. I dunno. I feel like the whole plot between Helen und Lucas having issues was like totally unnecessary. Like Why??? Just talk to each other. Looking at Lucas here. And them not being able to be together? Like why? She’s got her portal back, easy peasy. And than the whole love triangle thingy with Orion and Hector. Questionable. Half the book felt kinda unnecessary. Likes the part against Zeus and with Hecate und Kronos. But with Lucas? Like tell her, get through together by staying by each others side. They went through so much to be together… I don’t really see the point in the miscommunication here. And what they did to my girl Andy.
But I loved teenage Noel and Castor. They were great and I would read a book about those two.

[Sarah Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Josephine Angelini for an advanced readers copy of this book.

First off, this is book four to the Starcrossed series and it’s absolutely amazing. It is definitely my new favorite in the series. This book is coming out quite a while after the original three but it feels like it transitions seamlessly and you as a reader don’t feel the gap itself, Josie has definitely done her own research to make this happen after such a large gap in between book three and four.

Timeless picks up right where Goddess left off. That includes the aftermath of the third book, the repercussions of the characters choices in Goddess and everything that came with a war.

Character development in this book specifically was absolutely astounding. Not only do we get to revisit our favorite characters, but we get to see them grow, suffer(of course, Greek history is rarely a happy tale), and develop not only themselves but with the other characters in the book. Sure, there are particular elements of the book where the characters are literally forced to come to terms with things and others around them by an outside force, but they handled this with (mostly) grace.

There are certain aspects of the book that really has Helen’s support system stepping up to the plate, fighting not only ‘with’ her but ‘for’ her. It was so endearing to see how much Hector and Orion specifically would go to ensure her happiness.

There is a huge mystery aspect to this book. If there’s one thing I love it’s a fantasy with either political intrigue or a good mystery you have to figure out. Timeless delivered. There’s obviously characters keeping secrets… for how much they all like to be in the know, each and every one is quite tight lipped themselves. Interesting how that works.

I felt almost every emotion possible with this book. The only way I can describe it is I was always either feeling stuck on a roller coaster that never ended, or straight up punched in the face by the Hulk. There were so many twists, turns and revelations that will have your jaw dropping into your lap.

I won’t even mention the time travel, because I love a good time travel arc in books! What I will say is you should read Scions, the prequel to Helens’ story before Timeless, if only to better appreciate what happens during a particular scene. Though this is not necessary, only a friendly suggestion.

Timeless hits on some themes that I don’t think the past books did. Real themes that real people in today’s world deal with. Paying for college, women’s rights and many more. I think this made the characters and what they were going through feel more real, which I appreciated.

I will sit, not so patiently for the next book to come out, because that cliff hanger has me… hurt.

[lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for a continuation of Lucas and Helen's story since I was 12 and now I've finally been given it. Nostalgia hit me like a brick as I met familiar characters all over again and fell for them just as hard as I did the first time.

I've got to admit I'm a massive Orion and Hector lover so I was thoroughly surprised to see how much of them I got to see in this book. The plot was a little slow to develop at first but then it sped up and threw me left, right and centre (In a good way obviously). I can't even begin to describe the amount of plot twists, but I am happy to say that I actually figured one or two out before they happened.

If you want to read about a romance that is destined yet doomed, or the birth of a new generation of gods, or characters who are insanely overpowered then I highly encourage you to pick this up. The series is a whirlwind of romance, tragedy and humour and I cannot wait for the release of Outcasts!!

[CerysAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a line in this book that stood out for me:

You feel like you need to understand my motives to know the endgame.

And it stood out to me because it almost perfectly explained my feelings for Timeless. Except, the other way around: I feel like I need to know the endgame of this series, to better understand the motives of this book, because, whilst Timeless was a mind-blowing and jaw-dropping continuation to the Starcrossed Saga that was (at times) a blast to read... all in all, it was not what I thought it'd be.

Timeless picks up sooner after the events of Goddess than you'd think. The island of Nantucket is still reeling from the Gods' attack at the end of the previous novel, but the scions are already moving forward in wanting to free both scions and humans alike from another divinity of Greek Mythology: The Fates. However, this isn't an easy task to achieve for many different reasons; it certainly doesn't help with Zeus attacking Helen from inside her mind, weakening her so much that it could kill her. Because of this, Hecate - the Witch Goddess - comes forward to have Helen complete the three tasks promised to her before Zeus weakens Helen enough that he does succeed in taking her life.

This fourth instalment to Helen Hamilton's story is one full of time travel and quests to conquer; riddles to solve, and love and friendships to fight for. It's also a story where no one is safe; secrets are revealed, lives are changed, and relationships are put to the ultimate test.

This book has been a highly anticipated read for me from the moment that it was announced, and from the very first page, I was excited to devour this story. We're immediately thrown back into this world and with these characters like we never left them, except clearly in the short time between Goddess and Timeless, a lot of things had changed. Certain characters didn't feel the same, some relationships were already on the rocks, and plot points I thought we'd left behind in Goddess were back. I didn't let myself think too much about them though, as I was just excited to be back in this world. But the more I read on and the more things that happened in this book that wasn't hitting it for me, the more I just could not ignore how disappointed I was with how this story was playing out.

I just expected more from this book. For me, Timeless lacked most of what I loved about the OG trilogy, and that was the ride-or-die dynamic between the group. In Starcrossed, Dreamless, and Goddess, everyone - Helen, Lucas, Orion, Hector, Cassandra, Claire, Jason, Ariadne - they all worked together to fight for one another and help each other out, no matter what. Everyone was involved in some way or another, and everyone had a role to play. But here in Timeless? I felt like we didn't have that. In fact, I felt like we barely got to see most of my favourite side characters, and it was especially disappointing not to see much of them because, from what I gathered, some were going through their own problems. Yet the spotlight would never shine on them enough to let us see the full extent of what they were going through; only a glimpse to get a peak, and never a resolution.

And to be honest, there were more things in this book that I was not a fan of, but I don't want to go into every single detail about this story that I didn't like, because you'll probably be asking why I rated it three stars if all I'm doing is pointing out its flaws. Truth be told, my three-star rating is a place holder until I read Endless. Because I really want to know whether what happened in this book was necessary for the overall plot, because for me... yes, it brought some juicy drama to the story, but it was drama that felt repetitive of all that happened in the OG trilogy, and I just didn't feel it was necessary. And I won't know if it was necessary until I read Endless.

So overall, Timeless did not live up to my expectations. However, there were a lot of aspects to this story that - despite all the flaws - I did thoroughly enjoy.

I loved that we got to travel through time in this book, and that we got to go on adventures outside of Nantucket and explore more areas to the Underworld that I never in my wildest dreams thought we would get to explore. And when we did get to see the friendship dynamics between the gang, I was so giddy that I felt like I was fifteen years old again and rereading this series for the umpteenth time. I wanted to hold most characters here who I felt like needed to be held and protected, and punch others who, at times, seriously deserved it. And I LOVED seeing my babies, Lucas, Cassandra, and Claire again. They definitely deserved more than what they got in this book, but their own arcs here surprised me so much, that I cannot wait to see what will happen next for them in Endless.

And that ending? Blew me away. Took me by surprise. Left me speechless. And now has me counting down the days until Endless is in my hands. Granted, there's still Outcasts to be delivered next, but my mind is on Endless after that cliffhanger. I want to know what'll happen next for Helen and Lucas. No, I NEED to know what will happen next. I have many, many questions; I just pray Josephine doesn't emotionally destroy me in the process, as she gives me all the answers that I'm looking for.

TW: cheating, sexual assault, sexual manipulation

ARC provided by author for honest review

[Rebecca Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited when I saw that this book had come out, I reread the series almost every summer and was actually about to start rereading when I realized the fourth book was here!!!! It was so disappointing then, to realize things were not going to be the way I think (we all) hoped. Of course as someone who’s not the writer it matters little where I wanted the story to go, but there are a few outstanding tropes that felt like we’re beating a dead horse. For one: the love triangle … again?? I put this first because it was honestly the most disappointing for me. I thought we were over this. In fact Helen and Orion getting over this showed so much character development and growth and if anything showed us that you can have two characters that have deep love for one another WITHOUT BEING ROMANTIC. This was completely slashed and quite frankly made me mad. I understand that now we are in 2023 and perhaps Josie was trying to show that the age gap between Cassandra and Orion isn’t so cool (at the moment) but why oh whyyy did she have to put feelings between he and Helen again. That just sucked. I would have loved to seen more between Cassy and Orion too even just in terms of friendship and care for one another. There was so much hope for these two at the end of Goddess #sigh. Moving on, it was equally disappointing to see Helen and Lucas’s relationship unfold in such an unhealthy way. I think we’re passed the point of romanticizing toxic relationships right?? Of course it’s understandable they have problems but I think it is sooo important in this day and age to demonstrate that couples can have problems but through communication can work through them together in a healthy way. It was honestly so dumb that he was keeping secrets again, really feel like we did Lucas dirty this book. Anyways, there were some highlights that I enjoyed in terms of the zues and Cronus plot but everything else…. Sadness. I still think Josie is a great writer and am hoping all of this was due to stressful pandemic times, really really hope these issues are cleared up in endless. That all to say, I am just a reader and these were just my feelings, I know how much work this takes and still love the series!!

[Kessi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed.
Loved the first three books! Loved the love story and the plot and everything else but this book…felt more like a first draft from the author….😒
There was so much potential!!! And the fact that Zeus was defeated again so fast and quickly…come on!
And Helen having these wired sexual feelings now towards Hector as well as Orion…please, no!
Two stars because the end, like literally the last sentence, made me want to continue reading. Well, hope it gets better 🤞🏼

[Lianne Dubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an eARC. This in no way affected my view of the novel.

Spoilers if you haven't read the Starcrossed series!

This book is a long-awaited, thrilling sequel to what was once the Starcrossed trilogy (now a series)! We start off with Helen Hamilton and her friends on Nantucket. They have to deal with Zeus attacking Helen, and Helen also has to fulfill her three duties to Hecate. Throughout all of this, Lucas has been pulling away from Helen.

Fans of the Starcrossed series will want to devour this book as soon as they read it! Even though I took breaks during my read, I was unable to go to sleep until I finished the eARC, and I finished this within 24 hours (or maybe 12, but let's go with 24). Timeless is just as fast-paced as all of the Starcrossed books! Lots of interesting facts and lore are introduced in this novel, both about Greek mythology about the Scions. Throughout it all, Helen and her Scions have to fight against the gods, in more ways than one.

Warning: This book ends on a huge cliffhanger! You might feel the need to punish the book (or app, audiobook, ereader, etc.) once you’re done reading it. I’ve heard suggestions that punishing a book by putting it in the freezer is useful, as you wouldn’t want to burn the book, or the device on which you are reading Timeless. You might also want the sequel, Endless, to come out soon (like, as soon as you’re done reading it). Unfortunately, you will have to wait. At least in the meantime, we will have Outcasts coming out in October.

Take a chance on this book if you loved the first Starcrossed books! Also, read the Starcrossed series if you like:
Enemies – to – lovers (instahate!)
Greek mythology (but of course!)
Starcrossed (pun – intended) lovers
Close family and friend relationships
Badass female main characters!
TWs: Sexual assault, suicide attempt, bullying, and harassment

[Jule · Rating 2 out of 5]

We are now where we left off in starcrossed 3: Helen is a badass and defeated Zeus.
But it seems that their war isn’t over yet.
While Helen’s health declines, Lucas also sometimes vanishes. We follow along as the Delos clan, Helen and Clair try to get used to being gods.
But they underestimate all the things they did to defend their world from the Olympians. Helen has to complete 3 tasks for Hectae, which seem easier than they actually are.

All in all this book is alright - I didn’t like the character developments and how their dynamic changed. It seemed very uncharacteristically.

[Snug_BookTalks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m thankful I received an arc. This is my own opinion. It deserves all the stars. It has left me with a need to ponder what I read and an impatience for the last two books. I will be adding my actual review once I’ve processed this book. It was an amazing read.

Updated Review:

I’m crying. In the best way possible what the fudge did I read?! I was not expecting any of that and that never happens. I need the last two books like yesterday. The writing will hook you from the start and the story literally flies off the pages. It may have been years since Goddess was released but this books feels like it was published at the same time, the continuity was amazing. Bravo!

The characters keep growing and the relations are so complex. We get to see generational trauma further explored and how messy relationships and life can get.

[phepnix44 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg omg omg, I literally finished this in a day and now I’m suffering from major post book emptiness. 😭like I’m still trynna grapple with coming back down to reality because this book was SO GOOD. 😭the plot, the twists, THE ENDING? Like josie did not come around to play. It’s succeeded all my expectation and now I’m a broken mess trynna wait for the next book because that ending is gonna be keeping me up all night 😭😭😭. Gonna be making up fake scenarios about this book to cope till the next comes out.

Alsoooo I low-key am up for an unhinged Helen in the next book like I need to see her in full rage mode.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the continuation of my dreams.
It was incredible to return to Nantucket with Helen, Lucas and Orion and all the amazing side characters.

The myths and creatures the author incorporated in this book are partly known from the previous books and others are completely new. Either way, their characteristics and role in the plot are remarkable and genius.

The ending left me dizzy and desperate for the next book.


Thank you to Sungrazer Publishing for providing me with an eARC. This has not been influential on my review.

[Sara Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As per usual, Angelini wrote a beautiful book that had me bawling my eyes out at the end and then gaping because (as she does) it ended with a cliff hanger. This is what made me fall in love with her books in the first place. They always leave you wanting more!

Also.. never have I been so in love with Orion and never have I wanted to strangle Lucas. Both of those things changed in this book. Orion is almost my new hope for a love interest for Helen, but also, I'm obsessed with Lucas. Conflicting thoughts! I am so ready for their next adventure!

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the trilogy so much that I was skeptical how this book could continue the story of Helen & Lucas.

But quite frankly I loved this book, I loved seeing the new relationship dynamics between Helen, Hector & Orion. I totally forgot about Lucas’s oath but it was very quickly obvious how it would pan out with his new abilities.

Can I just say…..i’m team Orion….give me more of Orion and Helen please🥹

Although the ending was obviously left for further exploration I think, i didn’t find it as satisfying as I could’ve.

[larasbookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this world that JA has created an am beyond thrilled that she decided to write more books! Scions left me with a lot of questions so I couldn't wait to pick up Timeless and finally find out what Helen and Lucas had been up to. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions that kept me reading very late into the night, and the ending was devastating. Needless to say, I can't wait for the next one!

[Stacie Prime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first author I absolutely loved EVERYTHING she writes. I was late to the game with reading and reading YA. But this series got me hooked.

Angelini holds a special place.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

TIMELESS - RECENSIONE (No Spoiler) 🇮🇹

Chi come me ha amato tantissimo la serie Starcrossed di Josephine Angelini avrà atteso l'uscita di Timeless, il 5 volume della serie, con ansia!
Finalmente ci siamo, il 4 Aprile uscirà (in inglese al momento)! Solo 3 giorni e sarà possibile entrare tra le pagine del libro e rincontrare Helen, Lucas e tutti i personaggi che abbiamo imparato a conoscere. Ringrazio Josie per avermi dato la possibilità di leggerlo in anteprima. Ma da dove ricomincerà questo libro? 📖

Dopo Scions, che ci ha raccontato gli avvenimenti successi a New York negli anni 90 e ci ha fatto rivivere l'incontro tra Daphne e Ajax, torniamo esattamente al punto in cui eravamo rimasti al termine di Goddess.
Ricorderete che c'è stata una grande battaglia e che Zeus è stato rinchiuso nel regno creato da Helen. Ma c'è stata anche una PROMESSA, molto importante e impegnativa. E chi di noi non si è chiesto "E ora? Che ne sarà di Lucas e Helen? E Ariadne? E Cassandra?..."

Se anche tu ti sei fatta tante domande Timeless è il libro con le risposte.
Non voglio ovviamente fare spoiler soprattutto per i lettori che devono ancora leggere anche Scions. Cercherò quindi di dare la mia opinione senza dire troppo.
In questo libro ripartiamo dalla fine della battaglia. Scopriamo che Helen è pronta ad affrontare l'ultimo anno di liceo ma il lieto fine è ancora lontano... 😞
Zeus trova il modo di attaccare Helen e Lucas per qualche motivo comincia ad allontanarsi da lei. In più Helen deve mantenere una promessa e portare a termine i 3 compiti che deve ai Titani. Inizierà quindi un viaggio nel tempo in cui ritroverà al suo fianco Orion. E anche Hector avrà un ruolo molto importante. Ma ovviamente avrà anche antagonisti "divini" che le daranno filo da torcere.

Conosceremo tanti nuovi personaggi mitologici, ci saranno battaglie incredibili, un amore contrastato nuovamente e... un cliffhanger che lascerà a bocca aperta. Le ultime 20 pagine saranno un susseguirsi di eventi che lasceranno il lettore stupito e indeciso tra adorare follemente questo libro o odiarlo perchè... non è possibile aspettare per avere il seguito!

Nel complesso questo libro è esattamente ciò di cui c'era bisogno: Ogni domanda rimasta in sospeso viene esplorata, chi ama la mitologia greca sarà accontentato, il libro scorre veloce senza parti lente e prende il lettore.

Per me sono 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : C'è amore, battaglia, colpi di scena, mitologia, viaggi nel tempo... insomma perchè aspettare!
Consiglio assolutamente di leggerlo! 🥰

---------------------

TIMELESS - REVIEW (No Spoiler) 🇬🇧
Those who loved Josephine Angelini 's Starcrossed series so much like me will have been anxiously awaiting the release of Timeless, the 5th volume of the series!
Finally here we are, on April 4th it will be released (in English)!
Only 3 days and it will be possible to enter the pages of the book and meet Helen, Lucas and all the characters we have come to know. Thanks to Josie for giving me the chance to preview it. But where will this book begin again? 📖
After Scions, who told us about the events that took place in New York in the 90s and made us relive the meeting between Daphne and Ajax, we return exactly to where we left off at the end of Goddess.
You will remember that there was a great battle and that Zeus was locked up in the kingdom created by Helen. But there was also a very important and binding PROMISE. And who among us hasn't wondered "And now? What about Lucas and Helen? And Ariadne? And Cassandra?..."
If you too have asked yourself many questions Timeless is the book with the answers.
Obviously I don't want to give spoilers especially for readers who have yet to read Scions as well. I will therefore try to give my opinion without saying too much.
In this book we start again from the end of the battle. We find out that Helen is ready to face the last year of high school but the happy ending is still far away... 😞
Zeus finds a way to attack Helen and Lucas for some reason starts to pull away from her. Plus Helen has to keep a promise and complete the 3 tasks she owes the Titans. She will then begin a journey through time in which she will find Orion at her side. And Hector will also have a very important role. But obviously he will also have "divine" antagonists who will give her a hard time.
We will meet many new mythological characters, there will be incredible battles, a love thwarted again and... a cliffhanger that will blow your mind. The last 20 pages will be a succession of events that will leave the reader amazed and undecided between madly adoring this book or hating it because... it is not possible to wait for the sequel!
Overall this book is exactly what was needed: Every outstanding question is explored, lovers of Greek mythology will be satisfied, the book flows fast with no slow parts and grips the reader.
For me it's 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : There's love, battle, twists, mythology, time travel... so why wait!
I absolutely recommend reading it! 🥰

[Megan Cheang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, Helen is really starting to let the power get into her head. We already saw that in Goddess when she was determined to bring Zach to Elysium, ignoring Hades’ decision. Here we see it again when she demands Lucas break the law and let her father live again. If he had to give up his life for Hector to live, did Helen think she could just get a freebie in her case? I guess I can excuse her for being blind with grief. But her demand that Zeus give her Everyland before Atlas pinned him was kind of stupid in a bully way. I know she realized that he would never do that later but that was a noticeably late realization. Also, turning Cassandra into a woman before returning to the earth where the fates were still in charge? Not very bright. Less than a day later, Jerry dies.
Poor Jerry (and Kate). I can’t believe Jerry still told Helen to get together with Orion. Didn’t anyone tell him that breaking up with Lucas for Orion is a big no no? Even if there wasn’t a war going on, the Delos family wouldn’t take that well.
I have to agree with Helen about the gender inequality when it comes to cheating. Why do women bear the blame while men get off scot free? And technically can it be counted as cheating when Eros’ influence is like the equivalent of being drugged?
As for Lucas, i feel sympathy for his situation but can’t help being attracted to his new personality. He’s more mature and still obviously thoughtful. Isn’t it ironic? Daphne bet that whoever was Helen’s lover would revive her father for her. She bet wrong. I have to respect Lucas for not letting love make him break the laws of life and death.
I don’t how Hector thought he was going to save Lucas. He had already been revived and had played his part in a war. His death would not free Lucas at all.
How can a pin used as a weapon get by the cestus when a fork can’t? I suspect that was how the poison entered her system if Helen insisted that there was a pin in her dress.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always loved Starcrossed and I have had so many questions rattling round my brain for ten years. I was so excited to get some answers but it literally took until the end of the book to get any.

The first 70% of this book was a real struggle for me - I hate love triangles on a good day and it really felt that we we’re just rehashing the original Helen/Lucas/Orion triangle and that was….bad. I just couldn’t understand why we had wrapped up the triangle at the end of goddess and then suddenly Orion suddenly viewed Cassandra completely differently and was pining for Helen again? (I get that Cassandra looked like a young girl but it made me so angry!) Don’t even get me started on Andy and Hector! I know that it turned out it was Eros/Hera’s doing, but it really didn’t feel like there was a mystical reason for Helen’s new feelings for Hector and Orion until it was like ‘oh that must be Eros’ arrows?’ To me, it didn’t feel like this was enough of an excuse for playing into the old love triangle trope from the original series.

Another thing that really irritated me is that some of the rules of the world that were established in the earlier novels were just completely irrelevant? Maybe it’s just because I’ve been overthinking what happens next for the last 10 years but I always remember the rule that if a couple break bread and share a bed for three nights (and/or the woman is no longer a virgin by the morning) they are essentially married? So why is Claire so anti marriage? When by that logic she would already be ‘married’ to Jason? And why wasn’t this even mentioned when they were talking about sharing beds and having sex? I always thought this would be such an interesting conflict - having to stay away from each other or get essentially married at 17. I also think the ambiguity of the text made it really difficult for me to even understand how far they had gone? I didn’t need explicit scenes but it took until Claire asked Helen if she had slept with Lucas for me to realise they hadn’t yet.

I also really felt that the time travel aspect of this are just a follow on from Scions - I haven’t read this yet but some of the missing dialogue and scenes that were glossed over makes me think it’s a scene that comes up in Scions, which is fine but I don’t want to read about the older gen when I want to read more about Helen and Lucas and Cassandra. (Also why was everyone shocked that Castor and Pallas can shapeshift when in Goddess Jason said he can turn into a dolphin and Orion into a horse?! I don’t understand!)

Ultimately, by the end of this book I enjoyed it (thank GOD for Cassandra) and I have to hope most of my other burning questions will be answered in the future but I really can’t get my head around some of the inconsistencies. I feel like the author didn’t even reread her own words before starting this one which led to a really frustrating read