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Timebound

(The Chronos Files #1)

Rysa Walker (Goodreads Author)

3.88 · Rating details · 28,759 ratings · 2,615 reviews

When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence.

Kate learns ...more

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Kindle Edition, 366 pages

Published January 1st 2014 by Skyscape (first published September 15th 2012)

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· 28,759 ratings · 2,615 reviews

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Dec 01, 2013 Traci rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2013, young-adult, 3-stars, kindle-library

I have to give kudos to the author for attempting a young adult book about time travel. It's not an easy topic to keep straight.

Three star reviews are the hardest to write for me, because I'm just not sure what there is to say. I liked it. I'm not passionate about it. I didn't hate it. I don't want to kill it with fire. So there's that.

Kate Pierce-Keller meets her grandmother, Katherine, who informs her that she has a time-traveling gene and of the following: Katherine was born far into the future and at that time, society had streamlined the educational process and everyone was born with the ability to excel at one subject (predetermined). Katherine was born a historian, and frequently traveled back and forth in time to study it. Katherine's partner, Saul, was also a historian, only he evidently wanted to change history instead of just study it, and Katherine got stranded in the past, pregnant with twins. One twin eventually 'blinked' out of existence and the other twin, Kate's mother, was deeply angry about it. Katherine then arranged a meeting between Kate's parents because each possessed the time-traveling gene but were unable to time-travel, and she hoped that their child would be able to jump between points, go back in time, and undo the changes that Saul had made.

Now, there are several timeline shifts to deal with but somehow Kate ends up between two boys--Kiernan, who may or may not be a 'bad guy' in the company of someone who stole something from her on the train, and Trey, whom she would have never met in her regular (or what's stated to be her regular) timeline but that she finds herself attracted to anyway. This is the love triangle. It gets complicated. Unfortunately I don't feel any real chemistry between Kate and either of the boys, but maybe that will change a bit in the next book, since there was a lot going on here.

Now, since I gave this just three stars, there has to be something I don't really like about it, right? Yes, but it's really a small collection of little things that just tickle the back of my brain and that kind of built up.

For starters, while Kate wasn't a helpless heroine, girlfriend was way too trusting. With the sheer number of people she shared her time-traveling gene secret with, I couldn't imagine how she wasn't dead halfway through the book. She trusted her grandmother way too easily and she trusted Connor way too easily, too. I was told through the narration that the timeline Kate's grandmother was trying to restore was the 'correct' one, but there was very little evidence to support this other than her word. There wasn't any evidence, other than Katherine's word of course, that things would go back to what Kate saw as reality if she managed to complete one simple task.

Second, there was a lot of repetition. Not because of repeated events, but for instance being told how the CHRONOS key worked and then going through the entire process all over again when Kate tested the theory. Which brings up the whole issue of showing, not telling. Which has been covered. Again and again.

Third, the love triangle. It really seemed forced. Kiernan was like an indication that Kate would be awesome in subsequent books and imagining any romantic interaction between them was kind of really awkward. Kiernan seems like he'll be a cool guy later on, but he didn't have enough face-time here for me to form an opinion of him one way or the other, so once again I'm being told that Kate has a thing for him instead of having the opportunity to learn this for myself. Trey was cool, but really didn't have anything at all to do with the overall I have to change the past to save the future timeline. The conflict seemed mostly to be that if she succeded, he'd never remember her.

Fourth, at times, this novel seemed like it was slamming me on the head with facts and info and historical research. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be advancing the plot or whether the plot was created to teach people about a period in history. I don't mind learning in books (I read a lot of non-fiction and a lot of historical fiction) but I'd prefer that it be done in such a way that I don't feel like I'm being lectured to.

But with all that, I'm not sure I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It wasn't bad. It was cluttered at parts, but I still enjoyed it overall. I still wanted to read it and I still had a hard time putting it down. It was different, and unique, and I liked those elements. It just wasn't a five-star novel. I might read the sequels, and I might not. I haven't decided yet. ...more

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Aug 17, 2018 J.L. Sutton rated it liked it

Rysa Walker’s Timebound (The Chronos Files #1) was a fun read. I liked the role of the future historian which is associated with time travel (even though I couldn’t get the image of STNG’s Berlinghoff Rasmussen, a purported historian from the 26th century out of my head). I also liked the technology tied to diaries used by time travelers (which included the main character’s (Kate’s) grandmother who was stranded in 1969). Kate needs to use the diaries not only to figure out who killed her grandmo ...more

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Dec 09, 2013 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, sci-fi, 4-5-stars, beware-the-bermuda-love-triangle

Time travel, the Chicago Expo, a Serial Killer, True Love, Hermione’s Time Medallion and uncomfortable shoes. Timebound has all of that and more.

“It would be a lot easier to fix the universe if I could dress like Wonder Woman –or Batgirl.”

I enjoyed this novel it was pretty decently paced there was only one chunk in the middle that seemed to drag on a bit too long but the rest of it sailed by especially once Kate actually went into the past. The characters are fun Kate seemed to have a pret ...more

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May 07, 2015 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing

I have loved reading this book through out the month! What an incredible story.. can not wait to carry on with this series!

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Dec 08, 2013 A Y rated it liked it

Shelves: time-travel, kindle-first

I'm just going to jump right into the critique, which I know is going to appear harsher than I intend.

I had difficulty connecting at times with Kate especially in the present day for a multitude of reasons mainly having to do with character development. I was offput by her reckless sharing of sensitive information with her best friend and then with Trey, a stranger she had no reason to trust, who was a bit too pushy in the initial scenes.

Kate and Trey's relationship moved too quickly to the poin ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Alicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: absolute-favorites

I absolutely loved this book and I'm so glad the few criticisms I caught wind of did not deter me from purchasing it. In fact, I honesty haven't read a YA book that I've loved this much since The Hourglass Door series and, before that, The Hunger Games.

(Note: Timebound has nothing in common with those other two series, except that they just hooked me, sucked me in, and fascinated me.)

So, why the love?

First of all, time travel is incredibly difficult to write about. So much confusion, multiple ...more

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Jun 15, 2014 Alexandra rated it really liked it

Shelves: youngadult, favorites, given-to-tricia-kati, own-on-audible, given-to-susan, own-on-kindle, time-travel, recommend-to-joann, youngadult-scifi, read-in-2014

2/1/17 This trilogy is on sale for $1.99 each book for the Kindle version.

I'll admit, I didn't really have high expectations for this one. I hoped for a reasonably enjoyable read and not really much more. I was in for a very pleasant surprise. This story hooked me almost right from the start.

I think time-travel stories typically have elements that if thought about too hard, or considered too closely, logic problems can be found. In my opinion the trick for the author is to tell the story in such 2/1/17 This trilogy is on sale for $1.99 each book for the Kindle version.

I'll admit, I didn't really have high expectations for this one. I hoped for a reasonably enjoyable read and not really much more. I was in for a very pleasant surprise. This story hooked me almost right from the start.

I think time-travel stories typically have elements that if thought about too hard, or considered too closely, logic problems can be found. In my opinion the trick for the author is to tell the story in such a way so that there are not only as few of these as possible, but so that those that remain don't stick out like sore thumbs. In this regard I think this story delivers admirably. If there were any logic issues I didn't want to look for them, I enjoyed being caught up in a very good story that was very well told. I quickly became a very willing and pleased participant in the suspension of disbelief.

The writing is masterful. Enough detail and description so that I felt immersed in the story, but not so much that it slowed the plot. Provided naturally and seamlessly within the telling of the story.

I found Kate to be a believable and likable teenager. Some of her choices are questionable as far as being sensible, but I thought were still genuine for her age.

I enjoyed how the story developed and how the time-travel elements were handled. I found the story unique and imaginative.

There is a bit of a not-really-but-sort-of love triangle, but it fit nicely within the plot.

There's action, danger, and enough playing with time to keep me guessing and twist my brain a bit, but not so much as to become hopelessly lost and confused. It's not easy to write a time-travel story this well, and I am highly impressed.

I listened to the audio version, and the narrator was excellent.

I'll definitely read the next in the series when it comes out.

Other reviewers have commented in more detail regarding the story, and I hate to give much away. So I will end here.

My advice to a reader: if this looks at all like your kind of story don't delay, read it! ...more

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Jan 02, 2014 Dana Kenedy (Dana and the Books) rated it liked it

Shelves: time-travel, netgalley, read-in-2015, young-adult, arc

Rating: 3.25/5
This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.

I love me some time travel! So, naturally, after reading the blurb for Timebound it seemed to be the perfect story for me filled with many timey-wimey goodies.

The story starts off with Kate receiving a medallion from her grandmother. Then the time travel references come in. And then Kate needs to fix the timeline and stop Evil Time Travel Man otherwise Kate will blink out of existence.

Yes, it sounds a bit cliched, but I l Rating: 3.25/5
This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.

I love me some time travel! So, naturally, after reading the blurb for Timebound it seemed to be the perfect story for me filled with many timey-wimey goodies.

The story starts off with Kate receiving a medallion from her grandmother. Then the time travel references come in. And then Kate needs to fix the timeline and stop Evil Time Travel Man otherwise Kate will blink out of existence.

Yes, it sounds a bit cliched, but I love these types of stories!

Unfortunately, I do think it could have been refined for a much smoother reading experience. The story itself was awesome; Rysa Walker meticulously planned the plot out, winding everything together in the end.

However, the introduction was so rushed. Kate having panic attacks where everything 'felt wrong' was a huge talking point among the characters, but it would have been great if the story opened with her actually having one of those panic attacks so I could feel the fear and horror instead of just being told about it after the fact.

Then, the first 150 pages were basically the characters sitting around a table and info dumping about time travel. It got a bit overwhelming since it was a lot to take in, and I'm sure there were a few important bits that escaped from my mind due to the amount of information I had to process in such a short period of time.

Because of the big info dumps, it felt so cluttered. I had to go back and reread paragraphs far more often than I should have.

Also there were several instances where something would happen and then Kate recounted it to someone else, which made a few scenes rather repetitive and boring.

However, despite the technical problems I had with the execution of Timebound, I do think I may check out the second book in the series (especially now that the specifics and technicalities of this world are laid down). I feel as though the subsequent books won't be as saturated.

I received a copy of Timebound from NetGalley for an honest review. ...more

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May 01, 2015 pstreads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cool-plot-twist, funny-to-me, fucked-up, memorable, books-i-have, magic-immortals-urbanfan, absolute-faves, bad-assery, sci-fi

AHHH... Too much information overload. I am in LOVE with the concept and the whole reality. The world building is so strong, I love stumbling into books that turn out better than I thought they were going to be!!!

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Jan 19, 2013 Sam rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

I received this book as a gift. I have to say overall it's good- the plot was engrossing (if a little overly complex) and the writing smooth. However, there were a few annoyances with the characters that stopped this book living to its full potential.

STORY: We step into the shoes of Kate, who suddenly learns of her gift as someone who can use CHRONOS technology and that her grandmother is fashioning a scheme to stop a time-drive take over from Kate's grandfather. Generally I felt the story was w I received this book as a gift. I have to say overall it's good- the plot was engrossing (if a little overly complex) and the writing smooth. However, there were a few annoyances with the characters that stopped this book living to its full potential.

STORY: We step into the shoes of Kate, who suddenly learns of her gift as someone who can use CHRONOS technology and that her grandmother is fashioning a scheme to stop a time-drive take over from Kate's grandfather. Generally I felt the story was well done, and the plot certainly held my interest.

However, there were some shortcomings. The pitch is completely at odds to how the story is presented, which I found very jarring. There wasn't much time to get to know the heroine Kate, as the author seemed much too keen to force the plot out. The plot itself has so many details and nitpicks to work through, which the author tries to address within the story, but I often found my attention drifting in these parts, especially as in the early chapters it's mostly information dumping from Kate's grandmother. A lot of these things could have been broken into smaller chunks and drip fed through the story rather than outlined in bulk so early on.

CHARACTERS: I found this a mixed bag. Kate is a generally likable character, though I didn't feel she had any particularly unique qualities. That wouldn't have been too bad, but there were several points in the narrative where Kate, having clearly stated or reasoned the dangers of an approach to a situation, goes ahead and does it anyway. Rather than come off as impulsive and reckless I felt this made her look like an idiot and it spoiled my enjoyment. Also, whenever Kate is around any 'potential love interest' male character, she seems to undergo a personality change and become a helpless heroine when clearly the author has given her character attributes (like martial arts) which shouldn't make this the case. This annoyed me.

Trey is a bit dull, and there seems pretty much no actual reason for his interest in Kate. A fairly forgettable character.

Kiernan, however, is much more interesting, and it's a shame there wasn't more of him in the story. He actually has his own motives and goals and provides a good unknown element to the story.

Kate's grandmother is also a more interesting character because she has vested interests that aren't in the heroine's interest all the time.

SETTING/ VOICE: The detailed descriptions of the costumes and historical settings were well done and it was easy to picture the scenes. The author clearly did a lot of research here and it shows. Kate's voice comes across strongly in the narrative and it was easy to get into her head.

PRESENTATION: the formatting was okay, but some chapters were in bold type for no apparent reason, and of a different font size. I didn't notice any typos, either. The cover is okay but not particularly striking and if not for reading the pitch it wouldn't have caught my interest.

OVERALL: I enjoyed this book; the setting and plot were intriguing and the writing is solid. However, the characters' motives weren't quite as strong in places and the amount of information dumping did bog the pacing down a bit. If you're looking for a staple fantasy romance, this is a good offering, but look elsewhere if you want more memorable or compelling characters, ...more

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Jun 05, 2016 Andrea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, favorite-ya-na-series, ya-debut-author, 2nd-time-around, books-read-in-2016, sci-fi, scribd-listened-to, 3rd-time-around, books-read-in-2020

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. There was never a dull moment. It's narrated by Kate Rudd who was fabulous. I can't say much without spoiling it. I can say this book involves: genes, a medallion, time traveling, The Chicago World's Fair, "religion", a family, suspense, a little romance, a cute Irish boy and/or teenager and a serial killer...whew... that's a lot.

I can also say I tried not to think to seriously about the time travel and all the different timelines...I just chilled and enjoyed ...more

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Sep 27, 2017 Melindam rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-middle-grade, fantasy

What a great ride/read through time and again! I had a few issues while reading, but mostly enjoyed it and couldn't wait to get to the end. Full review to come. ...more

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Apr 10, 2018 Alaina rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, kindle-unlimited, fiction, young-adult, romance, sci-fi, mystery, dystopia, 2018

I'M FINALLY WRITING THIS REVIEW! WOOOHOO!

Timebound was a ride to listen to at work and to even make sure I heard things right on the kindle version. I absolutely enjoyed the time travel aspect of it and the mysterious behind it kept me highly engaged.

Kate was an interesting character. Sometimes I was kind of annoyed by her and when she whined a little.. but overall, she was likable. I loved her grandmother because she was completely awesome in my eyes. Then the whole family thing, journals, meda ...more

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Dec 22, 2013 Kim rated it did not like it

Shelves: sci-fi-or-futuristic, young-adult, romance-yes, time-travel, alternate-realities, female-pov, instalove, love-triangle, bored-me, read-2014

Blah. Finally finished. This was just...not good.

Here's what I can be arsed to say about it:

* It takes me 1-2 days to finish a book I enjoy. This took me 2 1/2 weeks.

* Didja read that synopsis? Yeah. Kate doesn't get to 1893 until 75% into the book. So what happens before that?

* A lot of uninteresting, confusing info-dumps. The author goes to great lengths to tell you about how time travel works, but it's super confusing and dry and just plain not fun to read about.

* Some rill rill ridiculous ...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Marked By Books rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When I finished this book, I was trying really hard not to cry. It may have been because of the obnoxious fluorescent lights that had been shining on me for the past few hours as I read this book in one sitting, but I think it's something else. I am SO GLAD that Rysa didn't leave me with a cliffhanger here. I'm pretty sure I'd still be holding back tears, but it would not be joy streaming down my face. It would be bitter, agonizing pain because I wasn't ready to let go of the characters yet.

I'm ...more

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Dec 02, 2013 Nathan Coops rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: time-travel

Timebound is the type of book I’ve been searching out for years on bookstore shelves and not finding. It’s a time travel adventure that’s more than just a there and back trip. It’s time travel as an ongoing adventure for its characters, and that’s what has always excited and inspired me the most in the genre.
Walker’s world of time travel is a universe of changeable timelines, where your memories or even your existence may be in danger at any moment from the reckless tampering of other travelers Timebound is the type of book I’ve been searching out for years on bookstore shelves and not finding. It’s a time travel adventure that’s more than just a there and back trip. It’s time travel as an ongoing adventure for its characters, and that’s what has always excited and inspired me the most in the genre.
Walker’s world of time travel is a universe of changeable timelines, where your memories or even your existence may be in danger at any moment from the reckless tampering of other travelers. As if these hazards weren’t enough, the protagonist gets thrown into a time already fraught with hazards like 19th century serial killers.
The heroine of the story, Kate, is likeable and engaging. That characteristic of the story alone, made Timebound rise right to the top of my “to-read” list. Not all YA heroines are equal. Some can be hard to relate to, others are just plain annoying. Walker manages to make Kate a believable teenager without overdoing the angst or the girlish sighing that frequently comes from the other contenders in the genre. That probably did the most to keep me engaged once I had been hooked by the premise.
The teen love interests in the story were unique enough from each other to keep the reader (and Kate) guessing as to how things would turn out, and were likeable enough characters in their own right.
The alterations to the timelines do get a bit confusing at times, and there are sections of explanatory dialogue that get a bit lengthy. Time travel as a plot device always involves a fair amount of potential paradoxes and Walker does a good job of addressing the theoretical problems at moments when they are likely to arise in the reader’s mind. The trade off to this is explanations of why those possibilities did not occur. There are times when the characters' choices seem less logical, and more just as a means to advance the plot, but the pacing of the story and the addition of different (or differently aged) characters helps to keep the reader engaged and curious.
There is a saying some of the mechanics in my aviation maintenance shop would employ when asked to explain a particularly complex system. They’d say it ran on FM. (Short for f*ing magic.) Walker’s time travel devices could also fall under the FM category. We get a sense of the future technology involved on a user level but not much functional understanding of the principles or limitations behind it. The in-story parameters we learn sometimes seem to fluctuate as needed for the plot, but if you let yourself get caught up in the story and just enjoy the ride, the irreverence for these rules shouldn’t slow you down too much. If you think about it too hard, I imagine you might get a bit of a brain cramp much like the characters in the book when caught in a time shift without their CHRONOS key.
Overall I had a great time with this read. It was exciting, adventurous time travel with good characters, and while the plot and resolution get a little convoluted and need some unraveling at the end to make sense, I recommend you just dial your “suspension of disbelief meter” up another notch and enjoy the fun.
...more

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Mar 01, 2013 D.H. Nevins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, debut-novel, time-travel

First of all, I have to say it. I loved Time’s Twisted Arrow. This YA book is clever, complex and lots of fun. First of all, Rysa Walker is a fabulous writer, her sentences flowing so beautifully they immediately suck you in. The time travel plot is ambitiously intricate, yet so clearly relayed I had no difficulty following it. It’s hard to believe that this was a debut novel! I am so impressed.

Kate’s growth as a character was incredibly well done. At one moment, she’s your typical skeptical tee First of all, I have to say it. I loved Time’s Twisted Arrow. This YA book is clever, complex and lots of fun. First of all, Rysa Walker is a fabulous writer, her sentences flowing so beautifully they immediately suck you in. The time travel plot is ambitiously intricate, yet so clearly relayed I had no difficulty following it. It’s hard to believe that this was a debut novel! I am so impressed.

Kate’s growth as a character was incredibly well done. At one moment, she’s your typical skeptical teen, failing to heed other people’s warnings about her safety and even doing what she can to destroy (or more accurately, test the material) of an ancient-looking book her grandmother gave her – trying to rip it, crinkle it, and (I believe) even set fire to it. Yup, I liked this girl. When her world falls apart, she is forced to grow up quickly, and man, does Rysa Walker ever show that character growth well. No, Kate doesn’t become perfect. At first, she breaks down, runs off and, against all warnings, tries to reconnect with someone she knows is lost forever. Yup, she makes major mistakes there. But she learns quickly, and despite the necessity of rapid maturity, she continues to slip back into teenager mode now and again. Very believable. And here’s another bonus, Kate isn’t the least whiney or petty. She’s smart, resourceful, kind and she possesses some pretty unique abilities. I think there was only one moment I wanted to shake her, and for me, that’s pretty good for YA!

This book has the typical YA love triangle, but even that is well done. Hey, the mix-up / double love thing is due to the time continuum and is definitely not her fault. Honest! For once, I felt for the character and the situation she was in and didn’t want to reach through the pages to smack her (okay, I’ll admit I have a problem here, but I love YA even though it torments me so!) And now that I think about it, I really don’t know which boy I’m hoping she ends up with. One is compelling and the other is sweet. Ah, decisions!

If you like YA, are intrigued by time travel, and enjoy ‘teen love’, then I highly recommend Time’s Twisted Arrow. You won’t be sorry! ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Cherie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series, published-since-2000

There is just something about a debut novel that can be so...Just Right!

I seem to be on a bender with Time Travel novels this year. This is my fourth or fifth and I have several more to go. I am going to recommend this one to my friends, family, and reading buddies.
It was that good!

Do you ever think about wanting to change history, or what would happen if someone could? Read this book and see what could happen!

Do you want a "clean" YA story? I can definitely say it is so!

This is the story of Ka ...more

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Feb 06, 2016 Jess the Audiobookworm rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

I picked up this audiobook during one of Audible's $4.95 sales. I didn't necessarily choose it because I've seen a lot of great reviews or heard a ton of hype about it, because I haven't. And I was aware that my friend Dana (from Dana and the Books) only gave this 3.25 stars when she read it. But because of Audible's awesome return policy, I decided to give it a shot anyway since I'm such a sucker for time travel. Timebound is the perfect example of why readers/listeners should ultimately make t I picked up this audiobook during one of Audible's $4.95 sales. I didn't necessarily choose it because I've seen a lot of great reviews or heard a ton of hype about it, because I haven't. And I was aware that my friend Dana (from Dana and the Books) only gave this 3.25 stars when she read it. But because of Audible's awesome return policy, I decided to give it a shot anyway since I'm such a sucker for time travel. Timebound is the perfect example of why readers/listeners should ultimately make their own decisions about what to read and not solely rely on other people's reviews. Dana and I usually have aligning opinions on most things, but we saw Timebound very differently. It is also great example of a shot in the dark that completely paid off. To me, there are few things more rewarding than taking a risk on an audiobook and having it pay off.

I'm a self-proclaimed "mood reader", meaning that my moods and whims can greatly determine my choice of audiobook and my audiobook experience. I've finally learned to quit fighting these whims and listen to whatever my gut tells me at the moment. That usually means a spontaneous and constantly fluctuating TBR. After finishing Me Before You, I wasn't emotionally ready to begin the sequel, so I decided to go in a completely different direction with Timebound. I liked it immediately, probably because it hit the ground running. There was no dawdling in the beginning and the pace hardly slowed throughout the entirety. This is the first time travel story I can remember that didn't once compare Time to some sort of body of water. Timebound has some very unique characteristics and I found the plot easy enough to understand and follow. More than that, I also found it incredibly intriguing and quickly became invested in it. I formed strong attachments to the characters and came to care about their well-being. This book consisted of a lot of action, with periodic unloadings of information that Dana saw as "dumpy" (dumping a ton of info onto the reader at once), but I didn't mind that so much. I saw it more like "debriefing" than "dumping", since these episodes usually happened after something very eventful. It's true that most authors prefer to let important pieces of plot information be revealed more slowly (and subtly) throughout the plot, but I actually appreciated not being made to wait to get the whole story. This allowed me to focus on what was unfolding at the time. I think that this story's fast pace calls for it in order to not overwhelm the reader during action scenes. However, there were a couple points that bugged me a bit, like how quickly and easily both Charlene & Trey (I don't know how to spell their names. #AudiobookProblems) were to accept Kate's bizarre story of time travel. Those scenes required a little more suspension of disbelief and I felt they should have been more drawn out to be believable. Subtlety may not be one of this author's strongest points, but she did a lot of other things exceedingly well. I really enjoyed how she used well-known historical events, like The Chicago World's Fair in 1893, as a backdrop for the action in the story. I also liked the inclusion of a corrupt cult-like religion run by power-hungry time travelers. That was a nice (and unexpected) addition to the plot. I've already learned that this author has a penchant for throwing wild curve balls. I found this story thrilling in an "edge of my seat" kind of way and I bought the second and third installments before even finishing the first.

Narration review: I was delighted to see that Kate Rudd is the narrator for this series and that is actually what tipped me in favor of purchasing this audiobook. I have heard Rudd's performances before in The Fault in Our Stars and Snow Like Ashes. She is always pleasant to hear and I think she was a great choice to voice the protagonist of this series, also named Kate. If this main character had been voiced by someone else, there is a chance I wouldn't have cared for her quite as much. There were a few times that I was on the fence about liking Kate (the character) due to her questionable decision-making and accute heroine complex. I think a less enjoyable narrator (one with a whiny or annoying voice) could have sent me over the edge into actively disliking the character. Choice of narrator is that important! Rudd has a considerable narration repertoire, so I encourage you to check it out! ♣︎ ...more

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Apr 30, 2014 Anna Kay rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Hannah Lesniak, Ree Spicer, Elizabeth Norton

Shelves: fantasy, family, time-space-travel, hannah, ree, elizabeth

Re-Read, 09/23/15

I sill loved it just as much this time around. The fear, suspense and mystery still got to me as a reader. To me, that's the mark of a truly good book -- if it can make you feel stuff even when you know how it's going to end! I'm even more excited to read the novellas I've been rationing now, and get Kiernan's side of the story. Also, after Time's Edge I get to find out Pru's story and I'm just so excited! I've never been one to squee or fangirl over a book, even though I'm ...more

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Jan 05, 2014 Jenna rated it liked it

Shelves: books-for-2014

This is the story of a young girl named Kate, who has a gift of being able to go back in time and is recruited by her grandmother, who is from the future but stayed in this timeline and had two daughters. One of the daughters, Kate's aunt, disappeared in the past when she got her hands on one of the medallions that allows them to go back in time. The father of the two daughter's also has this gift and uses it to go back in time for evil and dominance. Kate's grandmother is prepping her to go bac This is the story of a young girl named Kate, who has a gift of being able to go back in time and is recruited by her grandmother, who is from the future but stayed in this timeline and had two daughters. One of the daughters, Kate's aunt, disappeared in the past when she got her hands on one of the medallions that allows them to go back in time. The father of the two daughter's also has this gift and uses it to go back in time for evil and dominance. Kate's grandmother is prepping her to go back in time and change things in order to right a lot of the wrong that is going on and to hopefully find her lost aunt in the process. She has been prepped to go back during the Columbian Expedition World Fair and happened to run into the famous H.H. Holmes, known for his many slayings of young women.

I thought that this book started out grabbing my attention as I have read Devil in the White City and had some knowledge of the World's Columbian Exposition and H.H.Holmes. But then it would lose my interest and tug it back again, and became an endless tug-of-war battle with my attention span.

I thought that it was an easy and campy read and I don't regret reading it. It just felt like another Twilight or Divergent type of series with different locations and different teenagers, but if you strip all of that the pretense seems the same...I want this guy but I can't be with him and I also want that guy but can't be with him, they both want me but I can't decide, and I want to live in this life and save that one or what not...I'm exaggerating a little, I know, but that's what it felt like for me.

Although I thought it was a fair book and I enjoyed it more than the previous books mentioned, I had a very hard time with how easily people believed Kate's story. If a stranger came up to me and told me that they could travel back in time, I would be calling the crazy bin on them. And it struck me as odd that she would just tell anyone as freely as if she stumped her toe. It was this that really lost my interest in the beginning because the fact that time travel seemed more real to me than the fact that others readily believed her (Kate).

The second issue I had was that I could pretty much predict the next books based on the not so very subtle hints that were thrown in, such as the fact that Connor could very well be her own great grandson. I mean if she's been intimate with his great grandfather and he is still so in love with her then the chances seem great that this is the case. The fact that she never questioned it or none of the parties involved never mentioned anything was odd and revealing at the same time...so it was like a sore thumb just sticking out of the book and took way too much of my attention away from the story at times (when they were together or if she was talking to Connor). Also, I found it revealing that she and her friend (Charlayne) both took martial arts together, who are now on different timelines and no longer know each other and the other is part of the Cyrists, really pushed me to believe that it's pretty clear that they are going to end up going head-to-head in the future. I may be wrong about both of them, but it seems too plausible for me.

Finally, I really have a hard time with writers who feel the need to over-explain something that they just brought to our attention with actions. It makes me feel like they don't find the reader to be smart enough to realize what we just read. For instance, and this happened quite often throughout the book, Kate will get upset about something her grandmother or mother says, after a whole chapter of telling us why they are mad in action, but the author has to reiterate something along the lines of..."I feel bad that I am mad at them considering that they just..." and then summarizes the whole chapter that we just read.

Overall, even though my review may sound somewhat negative, I really did enjoy a good deal of it. It just wasn't mind-blowing or over exciting for me for the reason's above, but I didn't hate it. I just probably won't read any of the next ones. I do recommend this for some young adults that don't mind a campy and fun book that at times can be confusing to the point all you can think about is..."Dang, this author really racked her brain to try to cover every angle to the point no one can really understand what is going on" to "Why is she over-explaining every single thing over and over because it is so annoying that I wasn't paying much attention and am now confused or is it that it's just all so confusing?". ...more

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Feb 03, 2014 Stephanie Swint rated it really liked it

Time Travel, strong female lead, 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, multiple time lines – what’s not to like. ‘Timebound’ is the first in Rysa Walker’s Chronos Series. At this point we know there will be at least three books in the series. The second book is scheduled to drop on October 21, 2014. I’m ready for it now. This is light and fun young adult fiction adults can enjoy. Walker would have delved much deeper into the science of time travel etc. had it been for an adult audience but ‘Timeboound’ is Time Travel, strong female lead, 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, multiple time lines – what’s not to like. ‘Timebound’ is the first in Rysa Walker’s Chronos Series. At this point we know there will be at least three books in the series. The second book is scheduled to drop on October 21, 2014. I’m ready for it now. This is light and fun young adult fiction adults can enjoy. Walker would have delved much deeper into the science of time travel etc. had it been for an adult audience but ‘Timeboound’ is still solid. In some respects it has a flavor of Connie Willis’s take on time travel, but that detracted nothing for me. Walker also travels to The White City of the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. This is an intriguing time frame for the amount of inventions, scientific discovery, rampant crime, the onslaught of a huge population influx in Chicago for a short period of time, and the notorious serial killer H. H. Holmes. Walker takes us into this world without overwhelming amounts of historical information or exploiting the dark gritty level of crime to the level of ‘Devil in the White City.’ I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

Prudence Kate Pierce-Keller is a sixteen year old girl who goes to the private school her father works at. She splits her time between her mom and dad’s house. The book opens with her grandmother, Katherine, coming into town and unexpectedly wanting to meet with Kate and her mother, Barbara. Barbara is reluctant, she has a terrible relationship with her mother. She only agrees to meet with her because of Katherine’s diagnosis of cancer. During the awkward lunch Katherine states she is leaving the house and everything to Kate. Completely unconditionally she wants Kate and her mother, or Kate and her father, to stay with her so she can get to know her grandchild. Since Kate is curious and it will be a cold day in hell before Barbara lives with Katherine, Kate and her father move in.

This is where things get interesting. Her grandmother is a trapped time traveler from the future. Who knew? She has a medallion that glows for those with the ability of time travel. Kate sees blue light and that capability is about to change her life. Kate is a genetic anomaly, but the integrity of the time line depends on her. In the future, where Katherine met her husband Saul Rand, children are scientifically altered to increase their abilities and make them suited to specific professions. Katherine and Saul are historians who, who work for Chronos, and travel through time. It is very strict about rules. They protect and ensure the time line is unaltered. Saul has different ideas, however. He builds the Cyrist Religion while he is on assignment to purposefully change history. Aided by his knowledge of the future he amasses power and uses it and the church to control history. On the day Katherine got stranded in 1969 along with the other historians Saul set off a bomb that made it impossible for them to return to their time.

Saul, however, has not been lazy. He figured out that while he can not time travel descendants of time travelers can. He used the Cyrist religion to adapt and alter the timeline. Kate is the only weapon Katherine has to counteract the damage he is creating. The story brings us to the center of the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. Kate is on a mission to save her family and history.

This was a delightfully fun book. It’s just complicated enough, and just accurate enough that I could suspend disbelief and enjoy Walker’s first installment of the Chronos Series. I said that I believe both young adults and adults can enjoy this. Does it fall into YA traps? The romance could be considered a love triangle, but, maybe not. Can you really have a love triangle when the two male pieces of this puzzle only exist in different time lines? It’s a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no. You don’t have two petulant boys pushing a girl to choose to love them and only them. So, I would say no, and Walker succeeded with the minor romantic element.

What I read is dependent on my moods. Sometimes I want something that will really challenge me. That is when I turn to the epics and Umberto Eco. Sometimes I want something dark and gritty. That is when I go for mysteries and crime thrillers. Sometimes I want something lighter that is pure entertainment. This is when I usually reach for YA, maybe a Nora Roberts book, or light Urban fantasy. This book falls in this category but I have to give Walker credit and say this is on the higher level of YA. It’s not just filler or candy. Now, we get to wait for book two…sigh… ...more

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Oct 04, 2013 Lauren Stoolfire rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, adventure, romance, sci-fi

Kate thinks her grandmother must be senile when she gives her a glowing medallion and starts talking about time travel. If only it were that easy because what her grandmother was telling her hits home when a murder in the past drastically changes Kate's present. The medallion is the only thing that's keeping Kate tethered to reality. Kate learns that this murder at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair is the beginning of a sinister plot to rewrite world history and that she is one of the few who can pr Kate thinks her grandmother must be senile when she gives her a glowing medallion and starts talking about time travel. If only it were that easy because what her grandmother was telling her hits home when a murder in the past drastically changes Kate's present. The medallion is the only thing that's keeping Kate tethered to reality. Kate learns that this murder at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair is the beginning of a sinister plot to rewrite world history and that she is one of the few who can prevent this wrong timeline from taking its course with her genetic ability to time travel. Correcting the timeline will come at a personal cost because the one person she's grown close to since the timeline has been altered will have no memory her.

Timebound by Rysa Walker ranks as one of my favorite new time travel books! To begin, our cast is well-developed including minor supporting characters. Kate is a character I felt I could relate to considering everything she goes through. Trey is fun character and I enjoyed seeing where his character was going to go next. Although Connor is a supporting character, he really stole the show for me and I was looking forward to his page time. There is also a bit of a love triangle here and fortunately it's done well. Instead of making me groan and roll my eyes I was dying to know more.

The concept of time travel in this novel is also pretty fantastic. I don't want to spoil too much of how it works, but as you probably guessed it involves the medallion I mentioned above.
Some time travel novels can get super bogged down by all the technical and historical details, but luckily this novel balances everything well and doesn't overwhelm the reader by keeping things moving. I loved all of the historical detail that we get to see, from the women's rights movement, the Chicago World's Fair, to Woodstock.

I can't do this novel justice in my review, but it was a lot of fun and it had everything I could have wanted. I'm can't wait to read the sequel, Time's Edge!

Final verdict:

...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: february-2013

Time's Twisted Arrow is a fantastic time travel book. I have to say that I love time travel books. It is something about the main characters traveling between time that makes for a great read. This story is no different but i loved chow the author threw in different things and made you really want to keep reading to see what was going to happen to Kate. The Chronos gene had me so intrigued because Kate knew she was not going crazy but that there was something off about her.

The story flowed nicel ...more

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Jun 11, 2021 Cindee rated it it was amazing

This book was really good it has been awhile since I have read a great time travel book and this one is so well written. I loved all of the characters especially Kate and Trey they both were so well written they fit together so well the romance was so good I hope to read more about them soon. I loved Kate for her ability to adapt and do what she has to and I love her for her tenacity and want to do the right thing. I loved the story it started with normal life of a girl named Kate quickly moved ...more

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Jun 05, 2015 Krystal Bond rated it liked it

3.7 I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, but there was so much confusion for me in the way the time traveling was written. I feel like a lot and yet nothing happened at the same time. I definitely want to read the second book, because I enjoyed the story overall and I'm curious where it goes from here. I really enjoyed Kate as the main character. I look forward to learning more about this world and hopefully the time travel portion gets less complicated to understand. I believe it will b ...more

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Apr 24, 2014 Karen’s Library rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, historical-fiction, favorites, time-travel, read-more-than-once

I reread this book and holy schnikes, it's even better the second time around!! All the minor things really popped out this time through and it was even more amazing! Rysa is an absolute genius the way she portrays time travel. I love Kate as a heroine! ...more

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Oct 22, 2015 Susan May rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015

Review to come. All I can say is I LOVED THIS! Get the Audible. The voice actress is amazing.

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Oct 27, 2013 Candace rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, young-adult, first-in-series, time-travel

Although this book is billed as a YA book, I am one of those that believe a well-written book can appeal to anyone. Because I enjoy time travel books, I was eager to give this one a try. Wow! All ages will enjoy this complex time -traveling plot that carries the main character Kate from the present to the Chicago's World Fair in 1893. It is all because of genetics and a magical medallion that Kate is able to time travel. To tell you more is to get in to the complexity that is part of what book o ...more

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Mar 11, 2015 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: parallel-universe, time-travel

I love the whole time travel concept and wow am I a fan of Kiernan. Not sure how to spell his name as I listened to the audiobook. Every time he was involved in a scene I held my breath. That is one dreamy guy.

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About Rysa Walker

Rysa Walker

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RYSA WALKER is the author of the bestselling CHRONOS Files series. Timebound, the first book in the series, was the Young Adult and Grand Prize winner in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. The CHRONOS Files has sold nearly half a million copies since 2013 and has been translated into fourteen languages.

In addition to speculative fiction, she occasionally writes mysteries as C. Rysa Walker. ...more

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The Chronos Files (3 books)

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Now, Then, and Everywhen (Chronos Origins #1)

The Delphi Effect (The Delphi Trilogy #1)

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“History is sacred—like a nature hike. ‘Leave only footprints, take only memories.” — 18 likes

“Some things, however, should happen in the correct order. Shoes go on after socks. Peanut butter is applied after the bread comes out of the toaster, not before. And grandchildren are born after their grandparents.” — 10 likes

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