Clare Reviews: Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Title: Timepiece

Author: Myra McEntire

Series: Hourglass #2

Format: Hardback

Pages: 325

Rating: 4/5

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

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples - cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan landers, the man who tried to murder is father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers' return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered - with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most. 

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

“Memories and emotions are all tied up. The more strongly you feel about a situation influences how you remember it.” 

This book is the complete opposite of middle book syndrome. The plot line picked up where the first book left off but this time is told from the point of view of Kaleb rather than Emerson which means we get a whole lot of information we'd never get from her perspective. He is an empath so he can feel the emotions of others. 

I will admit that originally I felt the loss of Emerson, she is still there as a character but I definitely missed being inside her head and Kaleb in the first few chapters was not exactly endearing. However I felt his character developed a lot over the course of the novel and by the end I was sorry to see him go. I am sure when I've read the next book, from a whole new point of view, I'll be saying how much I miss his point of view instead! Lily on the other hand was a great character from the start. I liked her from the first book and, although we don't get to hear her perspective, I really enjoyed getting to know her more.

I thought their relationship was a good one, it was very balanced and I loved the development of it, from her despising him to love and I liked that it was done in a realistic way. It didn't just feel like a sudden switch there was a definite progression and I understood her reasons for all of it. Kaleb never actually hated Lily, he just managed to drive her away before he even knew her and I liked seeing how he went from attracted with no emotions to letting himself care.

Plot wise Timepiece was a lot more exciting, in my opinion, than Hourglass. There are plenty of twists and surprises and I was completely engaged the whole way through. There is also a new villain introduced, although in kind of a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" way towards the end. I find the new villain to be more menacing than Landers was, if only because it is a corporation, Chronos, and far more emotionless and less easy to comprehend. Despite Landers' twisted nature, he is still human, he still has feelings which makes him a more accessible villain in a way. Whilst Chronos are far more methodical which worries me more!

The time travel aspect did start to confuse me a little bit more in this book than in the first. I had thought I had a fair grasp of how it all worked but with everything time related destabilising in this book I started to lose the thread of it all a bit. I still understood enough to keep reading. I also get fairly easily confused by time travel, so if you usually enjoy time travel novels you probably shouldn't have any problems. I did at least understand both Kaleb's and Lily's powers which were the main focus of Timepiece.

There is a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end (I am very glad I have book 3 to hand!) and it definitely makes me very excited to continue the series. Book 3 - Infinityglass follows Dune and a new girl Hallie although I am not yet sure whose point of view it will be told from. 

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