Book Review: The Time Key

The Time Key

By: Melanie Bateman

Published By: Cedar Fort

Publication Date: June 14, 2016

Page Count: 344

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Kindly Provided by Publisher 

Audience: Adult - Fantasy

The Time Key was a wonderfully engaging novel by debut author Melanie Bateman. This book had me fully engaged in the first couple chapters and I was anxious to know Stanley's complete story. 

 Stanley Becker was at the end of his rope and contemplating suicide after the disastrous death of his wife and daughter. He had become an alcoholic and was unable to cope with the despair. However, an interesting turn of events led him to saving another man's life instead of taking his own. This act would direct Stanley down a road of extraordinary adventures he never could have imagined. 

Stanley ends up with The Time Key, a device that allows him to travel anywhere in time. The laws of time travel in this novel are different from other books that I've read, so it was interesting to see how his actions affected both the future and the past. 

 One thing I really enjoyed about this book was all the different twists and turns it had. I really expected it to be all about one certain thing, but there is so much more to this book than I anticipated. It certainly kept me on my toes! That was also the reason I didn't give it 5 stars. There was SO much going on that I did find myself getting confused at times. Several times I found myself having to go back and re-read parts to make sure I understood what was going on and to make sure I had the characters straight. However, I loved all the different facets of the book and the many different worlds that the author brought into this story. 

 My favorite character was Lena. I thought she was a delicate balance to Stanley's strong emotional personality and it was nice to see his softer side when he knew he had to care for her. I also loved to see Mr. & Mrs. Miller's love for Stanley and how much they cared for him. 

 The Time Key is beautifully written and a great combination of historical fiction, fantasy, and time travel! A fantastic debut novel for Melanie Bateman and I highly recommend it!

Summary:

As Stanley got closer, he saw two figures beating on a lone man, while four others stood back to watch. “Hey!” Stanley’s voice sounded hoarse in his ears. “Leave him be!” 

SHADOWS THAT MOVE ON THEIR own, a mysterious device that looks like a pocket watch, a man on the run from monsters that exist in dreams—all are connected to Stanley because he interrupted a mugging. Now Stanley holds the Time Key, an object that allows him to travel through time. With the extraordinary gift of being able to see both the past and the future, he may be the only one who can save his family.