Book Review: Timepiece

Timepiece (Hourglass #2)

By: Myra McEntire

Published By: EgmontUSA

Publication Date: June 12, 2012

Page Count: 366

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult - Fantasy

I found the start of Timepiece a little tricky to get into. A lot happened in Hourglass, and I read it so quickly that I probably should have reread that before digging in to Timepiece. I was also thrown by the change of narrator; in Hourglass, Emerson is the narrator, and we got to swoon over Michael with her... in Timepiece, Kaleb is our narrator and he is extremely interested in Emerson's best friend Lily... who apparently has a wonderful rear!! (Kaleb did make me chuckle in his admiration for it!)

It didn't take long for me to settle in with Kaleb's voice though, and I did enjoy his take on things. He is a funny and sentimental character, who stole the hearts of many in Hourglass and listening to his voice didn't diminish his appeal. 

Much of Timepiece is set trying to find Jack Landers, the time-travelling master villain, and dealing with all the rips he is creating in the space-time continuum. The Hourglass initiative also have to try and discover more about Chronos, a rather shady group who give them a disturbing ultimatum. As far as the time travel goes, I was occasionally baffled by the instances where realities merged but it did make sense in the end - so don't be put off by the time travel aspect as this is a fantastically inventive series. 

I am pleased to say that Timepiece avoided many of the typical traps for a second book in a series because of the narrator switch - no unnecessary love triangles and separations of couples, and the plot really did push on with purpose. I am really looking forward to what I expect will be the final book in the series, as the Hourglass gang has regrouped, added some new skills to their arsenal, and now have a distinct mission; to find the mysterious Infinityglass before time splits apart and past, present and future collide together. 

Summary:

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.