4.5 stars.

This was a fantastic read! I loved the premise right off and it really did not disappoint. Time travel and alternate history are always a very hard thing to logically pull off well, but this book does it. The atmosphere is fantastic and the dual timeline (though occasionally confusing) is really intricately done. There is a lot of cerebral work in this writing and I totally ate it up.

The characters are great and complex with some good nuance. They aren't just going along with the flow, they think things through and have some great conflict in terms of ethics and loyalty. Some bits are totally heart-wrenching, but so well done.

There are moments where the pacing does lag a little bit and I got caught up in some of the complexity, but overall this was a fantastic and mind-bending read. I could totally envision a reread in the future and I'm sure, now that I have the lay of the land, I would likely enjoy things even more.

Wonderful fantastical world with hints of dystopia and some interesting things to consider...how easily do simple changes and/or choices change the future? Brilliant.


* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *