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3 stars! This review will be spoiler free!
Synopsis:
In this new world, the Great Disruption scattered different regions of the earth into different eras of time. Explorers and map makers make it their mission to see the different eras and chart their locations and times.
Main character, Sophia, comes from a line of cartologers. Her parents having left her with her uncle to pursue a dangerous lead, she has come to depend on her Uncle Shadrack, foremost cartologer in Boston, for the last eight years. BUT then he gets kidnapped just at the beginning of her map making lessons.
Sophia has to follow his left behind coded message to find safety and who better to help her than a refugee from the region she plans to go to, Theo. And from there, shenanigans, and pirates, and raiders, and sandmen, and life and death situations ensue.
Initial Thoughts:
I truly enjoyed reading this book. Twas a nice middle grade break from all the high fantasy, steamy angsty romance, young adult books I've been reading. It's all adventure and high speed action and family. The characters are complex as well. I honestly underestimated the cleverness of Sophia in the beginning, but she sure showed me. Sophia is one helluva badass for a kid. Theo is a conundrum initially, but once you get to know him, he gets better. And the pirates. Oh lord. I love these pirates. Where I started to knock off some stars was the world building and pacing. The whole time periods being different yet indiscernibly so, and the fault lines, and the ending... I'm just a little lost on some aspects of those things, but I can't be spoilery. And not to mention the beginning was quite slow. Once we hit about 25% though, things happen, stuff went down, and new people came into the picture. Things got intense! That's when I couldn't put the book down.
*I read this book using Audible! So worth! Definitely would recommend!*
Plot:
Likes
I love love love the family aspect of this entire book. Loyalty to your family and the palpable feeling of love from family in this book made me enjoy it all the more. Sophia and Shadrack had the time of uncle/niece or father/daughter relationship that I would like to experience more in books.
The adventure that came out of necessity for Sophia to save Shadrack was SO much fun too! Every time we had a moment to rest, something came to find Sophia and Theo. Be it a good or bad situation. Everything just got better once the pirates took them under their wing. Pirates make plots so much better.
This book also had a mysterious and creepy element to it. The Lachrima. When you find out what that it. You'll understand. Such eery vibes from that kinda creature, oh my.
Dislikes
Now I talk about all this adventure and such, but that did actually take place until after the synopsis was finished being covered, which was about 25% through. That will continue to not be okay with me. You cannot take 25% of the book to tell me what I already know.
Then the world building was a little lacking. The world at first made sense, like, okay all these sections of the world are in different times periods. BUT I can't tell the difference between them (the live ones anyway). We don't really get to see more than just two places in this book and I found it hard to discern between their times. They seemed the same, just like different cultures? instead of different times? I don't quite know how to explain, but essentially only a botanist who can carbon date soil can really tell the difference between the eras.
Then that ending... It was heart racing and interesting and a turn of events, BUT like... It still doesn't make sense to me. Almost too convenient? Maybe not for middle grade because they tend to be that way, but still. I need more explanation for some things.
Characters:
SOPHIA is waaaaay more clever than I thought she would be. She can hold her own, so don't underestimate her like I did. She is the mastermind to what makes this plot better in the second half of the book. She's probably what kept me from rating this book 2 stars.
THEO can be confusing, but take your time to get to know him.
SHADRACK cares so much about Sophia and that just warms my heart. He's brilliant in the map world and I can only hope he finally shares how to PUT FREAKIN' MEMORIES IN MAPS because they only mention it and never say anything about it again. What is that!
Overall:
Will continue on, but not sure when...? At this point in time, I'm not dying to read the sequel as I don't have it in my possession. Maybe one day though.