4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy action, adventure, and time travel elements. If you're not into fantasy, it's really the only element that's abnormal. No magic, etc. This is the first book in a series, but a series of just two books. #winning

This book follows Etta, a violinist on her way to her debut. When she begins her performance for The Met in NYC, she begins to hear feedback and runs off stage. She's soon ushered into a stairwell, and pushed... into another century. She awakens on a ship in the 18th century, in the Caribbean. She must quickly figure out what is going on, as she's been summoned to the leader of the travelers... who everyone seems to be afraid of. While on the ship she meets Sophia (the one who pushed her through the portal), and Nicholas (a freed slave, and the new captain of she ship she's on, as he's taken it by force). When the leader of the travelers gives her a seemingly impossible task, she must travel through time to retrieve an artifact. Adventure ensues.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a cool concept, and I liked that while the time travel element is fantasy, it doesn't have any other magic or creatures in it. :) It's kind of like Outlander in that way. I also loved how much focus there was on inequality, and societal issues. Nicholas is half black and a freed slave, and Sophia struggles with being treated as a child for being female. I thought it was cool how they brought Etta from the present to put those issues into perspective. I also kind of love pirate-y plots, so the whole first part being on a ship was fun, I was actually kind of sad when they left the ship. LOL. I really enjoyed that the time traveling took them to many interesting times and places. It wasn't just one or two. I shipped (har) Etta & Nicholas, but I will say that for some reason the way it read made him seem quite a lot older than her... which he is not. The sections kind of switch back and forth between their perspectives, but then not so much. It's not really confusing, but it is a bit unusual. I wouldn't say this ends on a cliff-hanger, but it does bring up some new information in the last few pages. I'm excited to see where the final installment in the duology takes the story, I've already seen a few of the times/places they go from the goodreads synopsis, and I cannot wait!