Friday, September 14, 2012

The Map of Time (Trilogía Victoriana #1) by Félix J Palma

Set in Victorian London with characters real and imagined, The Map of Time boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H.G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence. 
What happens if we change history? The author explores this question in the novel, weaving an historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting—a story full of love and adventure that transports readers to a haunting setting in Victorian London for their own taste of time travel.

This book is an imagining where H.G. Wells and a handful of characters believe, disbelieve, investigate and live through real and imagined scenarios about time travel. And although you may think that this book is more about the question if time travel is possible, it is actually more a question of fatalism. Are we the ones who control the future through our actions or is everything predetermined? I think this is the real question that most of the book explores until the very end. The ending just intwines the stories and gives us a sort of HEA fictional ending.

I also think this brings me to a couple of criticisms. One was that the book takes on a meandering quality. You would start in a story in one place with certain characters and then take a turn and have another story in the middle. While this was not confusing nor was it without entertainment, it still felt like I was meandering. Like a storyteller who wants to explore everything instead of the main story. And while it was doing this, it was quite wordy. What could be said economically was said in the longest way possible. However, despite my criticisms of these two things, both also created a world in which was entertaining and interesting. In some ways this was an odd contradiction.

How to rate this one? Oh that is a hard question. This is a book you need to take time with and digest. Not that it is heavy handed but because it has a lot of smaller stories that fit into a larger vision. I think in the end I give it 3 stars. I think that some will be entranced by the smaller stories within and some will be frustrated. It may be a question of time itself. Having the time to spend with the story. In the end, I recommend it to those that like a storyteller type of narration in a book.
I received this ARC from the publisher and no compensation for my review was given.

19 comments:

  1. The Map of Time really sounds interesting, and I'm LOVING that cover!! <3

    Ps - your new banner is so cute!! :D

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  2. I have this one but... it's BIG lol. I need to read it, yeah one day but really when I see it I just think how big the book is. thanks for the review.

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    1. Yes, it is a pretty big book. It's also something you want a lot of time with to really get the story.

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  3. I bought this one on Audio, started it, couldn't get into it, and put it aside for another day. I am already not sure about Steampunk so it is on my list to try at a later date again.

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    1. I'm not sure how this one would do on audio. Oh if you finish it I hope you review it.

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  4. Oh my goodness, I'd pick up a copy of this for the cover alone.

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  5. Hm. I'm not much of a meander-er, I like to get on a path and stick with, hoping it's going to be the most direct route to the final outcome. Still, the premise definitely sounds interesting, so I'm going to put this in my "maybe" pile:)

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    1. It's an interesting meander too... fits and yet it doesn't.. but does in the end. :)

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  6. I have cover lusted over this series but haven't read any good solid reviews, I take it this is one that was just okay but it could have been better. Meandering isn't always bad, but it doesn't sound like it worked in this case! Thanks for the insight! Happy weekend, girl!

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  7. I have heard about this one. Dunno if I will read it though, you can't tempt me every time ;)

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  8. I love the cover, but it sounds like something I would put aside for a very long time. I'm not sure about this book! ;)

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  9. I've been trying to decide if I should read this book. I don't have a lot of patience these days for books that require a lot of concentration so I might have to put this one on hold for now.

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  10. I had an ARC of this at work but decided not to grab it! I loved the cover but didn't really fall to into he summery of it. I am glad that you sort of liked it! Nice review.

    Haley@www.passingthepages.blogpsot.com

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  11. I wasn't sure wether I would like this one or not. I mean it does call me, but to having digest lots of info...for me sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

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  12. I have to admit...anything about Victorian London pretty much fascinates me, so I might have to give this one a shot! This is the first time I've heard about it, but then again, I've pretty much disappeared from the blogosphere over the last few weeks because of school and teaching. But I enjoyed reading your review, Melissa! :)

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  13. You just have to mention time travel and I'm interested! Even if the story meanders slightly, I am interested in how events play out...

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  14. Oh I have heard good things about this one. I do want to get it and take my time with it. ;D Thank you!

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