The Time Roads

by Beth Bernobich

From Beth Bernobich, the critically acclaimed author of the River of Souls trilogy, comes The Time Roads,  a fantastical 19th century alternate historical steampunk romp.
 
Éire is one of the most powerful empires in the world. The Anglian Dependencies are a dusty backwater filled with resentful colonial subjects, Europe is a disjointed mess, and many look to Éire for stability and peace. In a series of braided stories, Beth Bernobich has created a tale about the brilliant Éireann scientists who have already bent the laws of nature for Man's benefit. And who now are striving to conquer the nature of time.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Alternate History, Time Travel, Fiction, Historical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2014

About the author

Beth Bernobich is a writer, reader, mother, and geek. She loves to tell stories.

Reviews

[Althea Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Throughout reading this book , I had the impression that it was a debut novel, and came away with the impression that, for all its clunkiness, it showed promise. I initially slid up from my 'more-like-2.5-stars' impression to 3. However, I've just noticed that it is not a debut; the author has half-a-dozen other books to her name... so I'm sliding back down to 2.

The novel is in three distinct sections. (Technically, four, but the middle two 'felt' like one, to me.) The first is quite short, and is from the perspective of the young, soon-to-be-Queen of the Empire of Éire, Áine Devereaux. The set-up feels like that of a typical romance, introducing a love triangle. Áine meets and is instantly attracted to a dashing blond inventor, Breandan Ó Cuilinn, who seeks royal patronage for his research into time fractures; but she also soon has sparks flying with her dark and handsome personal bodyguard Aidrean Ó Deághaidh. [I have to admit, I found myself reading the names as Ann, Brendan, and Adrian O'Day.]
My initial reaction was, "Oh, I didn't realize this was a romance."

Well, it's not. Soon enough, a science-experiment-related accident has taken Brendan out of the picture, and the narrative focus switches mostly over to O'Day. He's been re-assigned by Queen Ann (ok, it's actually pronounced 'Anya') to investigate the serial murders of several brilliant college students - many of whose field of expertise seems to relate in some way to the 'time roads' and 'time fractures' that Brendan was working on, before his disappearance. There may also be a connection to terrorist plots having to do with 'The Matter of Anglia' (yes, here England is the disgruntled colony, not Ireland). Things start exploding...both literally and figuratively.

In this section, I think many fans of alternate history would get very frustrated. A politically complex Europe is introduced here, but we don't get any of the background into why and how this timeline got to where they are. Why does the Queen of Eire have a French (or 'Frankonian') name, for example? How did Ireland come to ascendance at all? Why do the various countries bear grudges against the empire? It's hard to enjoy unraveling a mystery and a plot when elements are just introduced randomly: "Oh, well, it could be the Anatolian terrorists!" (What Anatolian terrorists? Never heard of them before!)

In addition, the time experiments seem to have introduced 'fractures' into this timeline, which is an interesting idea, but in practice makes for a further element of confusion. Characters start "remembering" events that didn't happen... or did they? Or are they insane? Did certain murders happen at all? Even at the end of the book, it hasn't all been fully clarified...

The third section brings us back to the Queen, and the main plot points do all get wrapped up. Thankfully, the Queen has definitely matured over time. The reader doesn't actually see it happening, but she's become a believable leader, rather than a moony-eyed teenager.

Overall, there's definitely some fun adventure here, some colorful, appealing characters.. but the worldbuilding and pacing needed some work, in my opinion.

Copy provided by NetGalley - many thanks for the opportunity to read. As always (and obviously) my opinion is my own, and unaffected by the source.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy Review Barn

If I could bang the hype drum alone I would. I don’t know what I need to do to convince a few people to get excited about a new release but for the love of god people, get excited about this release. I will shout if I have to, but I don’t think I should. I expect that for once in my life someone will listen to me, take my advice to heart, and read this damn book.

I know a book is doing everything right when it is making me love it despite using elements I usually hate. I hate time travel in my books people. Hate hate HATE it. All I want to do is poke holes in the plot lines; who hasn’t wondered why Hermione could save a hippogryph but not any of the humans killed in battle? And alternative history? Psh, give me a break. Usually it gets tied up trying to include real life figures and falls over its own tangled web. But Bernobich has given me the book I needed to prove every rule is made to be broken. Time travel in an alternative earthly timeline and it feels so good.

Believe it or not this book is first and foremost a political book. This is a land where Éire has risen to the top. Culturally and politically they are looked to for guidance by Europe. But it is a time of strife despite the appearance of peace. The Anglian colonies are beset by separatist, Prussia is looking to expand their power base, and everyone is interested in the technological achievements Éire is making. One of those techs? The study of time.

Enter Áine, young queen of the land. Watching a demonstration of a young scientist’s machine perks her interest despite less than impressive results. And while her country comes first from the beginning;her obsession with the subject fuels her passions for both science and scientist. One test is all it takes to change everything though; trying to travel time has real consequences.

That is it, that is all I can tell you. Even a hint at what you can expect will be a major spoiler; or perhaps only a red herring. Because this be a journey that has to be taken on its own. This is a tale that shifts as it needs to; pushing towards a specific goal while the rules and gameboard changes around it. Entire plot lines may be thrown out as time changes, but it can never be forgotten. Nothing can be forgotten, event that which is forgotten, it all ties together and it all is part of the final tapestry that Bernobich weaves.

Disjointed? Perhaps at times, despite the purposeful nature behind it. From the initial thrill of discovery to the possible consequences there is a solid and surprisingly complete novella in the first third alone. A political thriller makes up the middle portion as Áine sends out her old body guard Ó Deághaidh (there is a hell of a story there that I won’t even go into) to the continent in an attempt to keep her land, and rule, secure. Despite some cerebral mind fucks throughout the narrative I never found the book tough to read nor especially complex. The politics and espionage and scientific discovery were engaging on their own; even more so when thrown through the mixer.

I want to rant and rave about nothing but the awesomeness of this book. I really do. This hit me the same way Felix Gilman did the same time; no way should a book this smart should be this engaging. It gives me illusions of having intelligence. But I can’t go all out on the book, I have to be honest. This book was only perfect for like, the first 95%. Granted that is a whole lot of awesome. But those endings are so important to overall enjoyment and this one fell short. Not in a horrible, ruined the book, how could things go so wrong so fast kind of way. But in a, ‘eh? That’s it?’ kind of way. Way too easy, way too transparent, just a bit of a letdown after a great ride.

Conclusion? READ THIS BOOK. Please? Because even an average ending it is pretty awesome.

4 Stars

Copy for review received through NetGalley

[Kaora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out so good too.

The Time Roads is a steampunk/mystery book broken into four sections of related stories. It revolves around the empire of Éire and their scientists as they strive to be able to manipulate time.

The Golden Octopus started strong. Áine is crowned Queen after her father dies and begins to finance explorations into time manipulation. At the start I liked Áine as a character, and I found the storyline fascinating. She seemed like she was going to be a strong and capable leader and I wanted to learn more about her.

When suddenly I was catapulted into A Flight of Numbers Fantastique Strange where the main character is a student of mathematics, Síomón whose fellow students are becoming victims of a horrific killer. This part was also interesting, although it felt rather abrupt to be switching from the Queen, to the point of view of a Mathematician. But I figured at some point the parts would be tied together so I trudged on.

Ars Memoriae is where the book completely started falling apart on me. After another abrupt change to Aidrean, a spy sent from the kingdom of Éire in order to discover a traitor I started to become frustrated with the lack of development for these characters I only meet for 50 pages or so.

I also found the sudden switches in books confusing, missing out not only on character development, but also in creating a camaraderie between characters. We have the Queen hiring Aidrean, then suddenly it is years later and they are apparently good friends. I would have liked to see more about how that relationship came about.

And then there was The Time Roads, where we are back with Áine as she struggles to save her kingdom. At this point I had lost all interest in the characters, and cared very little for the long winded dialogues that plague this book between characters that were ultimately unknown to me.

It is so disappointing when I book sets up a world as great as this, with beautifully vivid descriptions, and then just bogs it all down with dialogue and flat characters.

Damn.

Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.

[Sanaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

[1.5 Stars] I was unfortunately quite disappointed by this book. I requested it for review and was so excited to jump into this story. Steampunk? Time travel? A woman becoming queen? Romance? It sounded like something particularly catered to my tastes. This is perhaps one of the reasons I was disappointed the most. I read through the first half of the book, and the second half of the book I was only able to skim read because of how much I wasn't enjoying it.

The steampunk and time travel elements of the book were both elements I found intriguing, and well done to a certain degree. However, the lack of likable, relatable, and overall underdeveloped flat characters made this book a chore to trudge through. The transitions in the book between the sections were also rather jarring. The book moves from one plot point to another without any warning, one character to the next, and in all honesty I couldn't buy any of the romance either. In all honesty, the romance actively left an awful taste in my mouth.

This book gets around a 1.5 star rating from me for some of the steampunk and time travel elements. The rest of the book, however, was just too disappointing to me. I unfortunately would not recommend it.

I was able to read this book courtesy of NetGalley and Tor Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This steampunk story, The Time Roads, is nothing like anything I've ever read before.

The story is not a causal read, it is a highly complex tale that covers multiple stories of time road travel and an alternate world based in historic Ireland.

Scientist found that using prime numbers they can access “time roads”, bring the ability to travel between alternate realities.

With all the traveling between realities, I found myself somewhat confused and a bit overwhelmed. The concept was strong and extremely intriguing but it left a lot of questions.

I enjoyed this story. I wanted to understand more and found the different realities is what held my attention. I give this story 3.5 stars. If you are looking for a totally new concept with a steampunk flare, check out The Time Roads.

I received this ARC copy of The Time Roads from Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication October 14, 2014.

[Nightwing Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever find yourself treating a book like it is a container of your favorite ice cream? Savoring it, and only allowing yourself a small amount each time so you can spread the joy out over days if not weeks? That sums up my adventure reading Beth Bernobich's most recent work, The Time Roads. I dove right in, stayed up way past my bedtime getting to midway through the four stories that make up this set of linked tales, and then began to ration myself to only so many pages per day.

This newest offering from a consummate artist is set in a 19th century that is familiar, but not really that much like our own. The most powerful empire on Earth is Éire, Anglia is on the decline, its colonies are filled with resentful settlers who cannot settle on a plan of action, and the rest of Europe is a mess. The world looks to Éire, with its new queen, Áine Lasairíona Devereaux, as a hope for peaceful stability. And Áine wants peace, too, as well as scientific advancement for her country, a difficult dream at best. This becomes even more difficult when Áine, and those around her, learn that time is a series of roads that can be traveled. One cannot always tell where a particular road will lead, but as long as the route is remembered, it is possible to return to just where you left from. With the help of brother and sister mathematician-scientists, Áine and some of her cohorts use this knowledge to alter the future of their world. But, it comes with a price, as it brings death and madness to those around them. And they do not actually change anything, they simply select to travel a different road; the old one is still there, but it is no longer the dominant route. Who is really where, and when, and which memory is the "true" one are all questions that must be answered by the characters in these 4 linked stories.

I confess that by the time I reached the last handful of pages, I gave into the magic of the story and sped to the end. Now, I would like, more than almost anything, to be able to voyage on the Time Roads and go back to before I read the whole book so I could read it fresh once more. Or, even better, emerge into a future just as Ms. Bernobich's next book has become available.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an impressive work of steampunk-lite that left me wanting a bit more. The basics of the world-building here are fascinating: this is a world where Ireland, not England, ascended as one of the great world powers at the dawn on the 20th century. The political structure and colonization of the globe is radically different, though never fully clear. Against this backdrop, the young Queen Aine of Ireland tries to secure her realm against the constant threat of Anglian radicals. Scientists have discovered means of using prime numbers to access "time roads," essentially strings to alternate realities, which brings a whole new source of danger.

It's hard to write about time travel. It can be hard to read about it, too. It gets all twisty and confusing. That happens here as well because the book hops across several realities and character viewpoints--which is frustrating because the mood of the book changes so much, too, becoming more of a spy thriller for a long stretch. I really wanted to know Aine more--to see her lose more of herself as she became the queen, and I felt it lost that with viewpoint shifts. I also wanted to understand more of the world. It was never clear if regular people understood anything about the diverging realities, though it was common knowledge among court. This is the kind of cool concept that has endless room for stories and expansion.

For readers of steampunk, balloons are commonly used for travel and there are the machines that access the time roads. Really, it's a sort of steampunk that harkens back to the roots of Jules Verne--it uses the science in an almost magical way and doesn't try to explain things in detail, which is fine. The alternate history aspect is what hooked me more than the steampunk.

Even though it left me frustrated in several ways, The Time Roads was a highly enjoyable read. I zoomed through in a matter of days. The take on history is just so cool and fresh.

[Aparajitabasu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original Link to the review at my blog Le' Grande Codex - here

-
-
-
-

Steampunk, time travel, alternate history, The Time Roads boosts off many a qualities. A braided story into four parts, each telling a one big story relevant in four different situations. Revolving around the Éire Empire, which is clearly Ireland (in that world), i.e., Éire seems to be on top of the world, with the scientist looking towards achieving the mastery over time/ While there are some great elements to this story and with its braided style it is structured well but the heart of the matter I lost interest in it.

The first thing that felt rather disconcerting was the time definition. The story ages in a single paragraph and sometimes on the same page too. Then, the presentation of the story. To change scenes spaces between paragraphs are used and it becomes tedious to sift after sometime since one story spans quite a big number of pages. It would have been so much better had they segregated each of the four stories into smaller chapters. Would have been loads better that way. Neater too.

The abrupt endings of each stories also fazes us. The character development too felt dismal. It starts strong with Áine. She felt like a strong character at first, then out of nowhere , her father, the King dies. She is crowned Queen. There is the possible romance, which happens just like that. You have to pause and recollect everything that happened. One minute it looks like Áine will get together with her head bodyguard, the next second she is making out with the scientist when he is showing her his time travel experiment. With no development in chemistry before at all.

Of course, the cover also doesn't seem plausible as well but if they were going for the 'father time' concept ,then well and good. It is a stunning one though. Then there is the part of time travel and the manipulation of time. Now this is the part, that was actually the well written part of the story. Each of the strands depict different scientific figures, who experiment and manipulate time. Be it to save a life, save a kingdom or worse yet to raze one such. Out of all the negatives, the elements pertaining to time were the only ones well written. The steampunk was too. Thus the author it seemed only focused on these two elements and somehow forgot to develop the other elements as well.

"A well braided steampunk, time travel story with some major chinks in its armour"

[Rachelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to say that The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich is a DNF book for me. It's my nomination for the Worst Book of the Year award. I forced myself through 50 pages before I moved on to my next review book.
The first thing that annoyed me was the use of names that have so many letters and accent marks they were nearly impossible to pronounce. They seem Celtic in origin, but I'm not sure. Regardless, it jars the reader every time a name is stumbled over.

I was further annoyed at the repetition of a character's whole name every time he was mentioned, even when the main character was thinking about him. I understand why she used his whole name in their interactions since she is the Queen, and he's her bodyguard. However, we're supposed to believe that she's enamored by him (more about that next), so why the whole name in her thoughts? If you do decide to read this book, make it more interesting by taking a drink every time you read "Aidrean Ó Deághaidh". You might get drunk enough to enjoy the book.

Next, the "love interests". Yes, there is more than one. First, she falls in love with her bodyguard. It's not explained other than as time passed he was loyally at her side, and she's suddenly in love with him. However, she couldn't possibly take him as a lover because he's a servant. This happens over approximately 2 pages. Even if I could get past the "forbidden love" trope, I could never get over the vagueness and absence of a reason for falling in love. The second love interest happens even more suddenly with even less explanation. One moment she's talking to her scientist about his experiments, and the next they're ferociously making out in his laboratory in front of his assistants. I was so stunned that I went back a couple pages to reread because I thought surely I had missed something. No, I didn't miss anything, not even a look of longing or a flirtatious comment from either one of them.

Somehow I continued to read, in the hopes that it would just as suddenly get better, but no joy. I can't recommend this book to anyone. I've read trashy paperback romances better than this book.

[Viking Jam · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/08/18...


Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: October 2014
ISBN: 9780765331250
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 1/5.0

Publisher Description: Éire is one of the most powerful empires in the world. The Anglian Dependencies are a dusty backwater filled with resentful colonial subjects, Europe is a disjointed mess, and many look to Éire for stability and peace. In a series of braided stories, Beth Bernobich has created a tale about the brilliant Éireann scientists who have already bent the laws of nature for Man’s benefit. And who now are striving to conquer the nature of time.

Review: How does the cover relate to Dr. Breandan O Cuilinn? Breandan was a young dude.

Reviewers (all three of them) had this one at 5 stars or 1-2 stars. Seems that the low ratings were due to plot shifts and story-line progressions that didn’t make sense. The bit characters were thinly developed and the main characters, Queenie and Aidrean Ó Deághaidh were built fairly one dimensionally… ” I want. I feel. I am mad. I don’t feel like it. I am horny.” etc. You never really get to know reactive characters as the movement is separated from revealing their inner emotions when placed under stress. For instance, Queenie gets shot and throws up on herself, then ends up sequestered. There is no plight or fight with another, whether foe or friend in this instance. If she is alone in her pain, build on that instance to mold and develop a different person. Perhaps she becomes Super Bitch Queenie and starts lopping off heads and takes the fight to those who would see her unseated.
Sadly this receives a DNF, mainly due to the lengthy dialogue that IMO was not needed.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

See full review on The Book Adventures on Monday, October 13th.

[Deborah Replogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. The setting is the SteamPunk alternate universe, and 1900's Eire (Ireland) is the superpower of the world. And time travel has been discovered. But the best part is that time travel relies on mathematics, especially prime numbers. Mathematics is seen as almost a type of magic in the vein of "a primitive culture will see any technology as magic" The author also explores time fractures that come about when mathematics are being manipulated in their special way, and that a character can then remember several conflicting lifetimes at once. My mind just stretched....Some characters go mad, or maybe not. Some characters are murdered, or maybe not, depending on the time frame and what has gone on. And then radicals begin planting bombs in the future, which means the government forces may be able to find where the bomb goes off, but not when it will go off. The conclusion of the story is a satisfying one, and believable although the narrator, the Queen, at this point recognizes that there can not be any true resolution of the problem. I enjoyed the way the author used the Irish, Roman or whoever and whatever place and character names, although (and this is a minor quibble) I would've like to know how to pronounce some of them.

This was a review copy given by the publisher for review.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternate History

The Time Roads is a difficult book to categorize. I settled on Alternate History as the setting is around the 1900’s and some things are familiar. Other things are not at all familiar. Eire is the ruling island in this time line and science has gone in a different direction adding a touch of steampunk.

I am glad I read The Time Roads but I found it to be weak in several areas. The story follows several characters on a journey that takes many, many years. I found the world building a little lacking and the switch from following one characters to another confusing. That confusion was also there as the time line progressed. I don’t want to add a spoiler so just let me say if you get too confused just keep reading it will all come together by the end of the book.

As the blurb says this is a group of braided stories that interact but still leave a lot unsaid. The discovery of the time roads is part of each. If you like books with an unusual concept and a different take on history and time travel this is the book for you. I found I liked it much better after I finished and had time for everything to settle into place.

I received an ARC of The Time Roads from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Tor Books published The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich in 2014.

[Tracy Reasner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot was a bit hard to follow - felt like I was missing something (perhaps reading book 1)? I fear perhaps my naivete of the steampunk genre has colored my perception.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.bookwormblues.net/2014/11/...

[ken]

I WAS LITERALLY SCREAMING WHILE I WAS READING THIS.

And not in a good way either.

Sad to say, I didn't make it to my requisite 50-pages-before-dropping rule. The world-building held promise. The writing wasn't my problem either. It was the sheer heterosexuality of it all. It reeked off the page like some noxious gas that I don't want to have anything to do with. Usually I'm okay with books that are unabashedly straight--I just deem that I'm not the target audience for the book and wash my hands off of it. But this is different. This is too much. The way the main character/narrator describes her bodyguard, always with the lines around his eyes, the detailed observation of his face in a split second--and then there's the issue of, "all the qualities I loved in him," and "You have ruined me forever."

LITERALLY, WHAT.

Did pages from my copy fell out or something? Did I miss something crucial that suddenly she's in love with this guy? And then, not 10 pages after this, she kisses SOME OTHER DUDE? WHAT.

Phew. Anyway. Wow. I'm over it.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather disappointing. The first story was good, the second really bad.

[E.M. Epps · Rating 5 out of 5]

What? Doth my brain deceive me? Steampunk that is actually *well-written*? Oh my. I can see that having access to publisher's advance reading copies is going to be a dangerous business. I started reading at work around 5:00pm, expecting to try a few pages and then on to the next thing. But the first line of the acknowledgments immediately made me perk up - "Twelve years ago, I sat down to write a story about mathematics and murder and time"; and then I could not put the damn thing down until I finished at 12:45am, with only a short break to be sociable to my roommate over dinner. I was expecting the usual kitchen-sink sort of thing, probably with a cringe-inducing love triangle thrown in because no one can seem to resist that these days. What I got was, in fact, mathematics, and murder, and fractured time, and a beautifully understated bittersweet love story, and politics and spy intrigue in a fascinating alternate history. _The Time Roads_ takes place over the period of 1900-1914 (with a time reboot in there too: oh be still my heart!) in a world where Ireland (Éire) is one of the most powerful nations in the world. The story consists of four parts: the first and fourth narrated by the Queen of Éire; the second following a mathematician whose life is...more complex than it first appears; and the third part following the Queen's right-hand-man as he does some spying on the Continent. The writing is elegant, the pacing just right, and when I reached the last page I found myself very sad that it was *not* a series, because I loved the characters so much. If you want everything handed to you on a platter, you will probably find the plot confusing. I know I didn't follow all of the political intrigue, and the time fractures certainly didn't simplify things. I didn't care. In fact, it made me want to know more about European history in that time period in *our* universe, so I can re-read _The Time Roads and get all of the allusions_. Terrible cover, terrible title, brilliant book. Highly recommended.

SAMPLE PARAGRAPH

If he doubted my father's ability to understand the answer, he made no sign of it. But one question led to a barrage of others from the Court scientists. Those batteries, what were they, and what charge did they produce? Was it purely electricity his device used? If so, what role did those glass tubes perform? A modified Leclanché cell, Ó Cuilinn replied. Ammonium chloride mixed with plaster of Paris, sealed in a zinc shell, each of which produced 1.5 volts. He was corresponding with a collective of scientists from Sweden and the Dietsch Empire, concerning a rechargeable battery with nickel and cadmium electrodes in a potassium-hydroxide solution. Yes, the results would certainly prove more reliable. Also, more expensive. (Here the councilors muttered something about how these research men always demanded more money.) As for the role of the batteries, they were purely to start the necessary reactions. He would rather not discuss the further details until His Majesty and the gentlemen had observed the machine's performance.

***

This review originally appeared on my blog, This Space Intentionally Left Blank .

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The quoted section HAS NOT been checked against the final print edition because as of this writing the final print edition is not yet available.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time Roads is an intriguing collection of related steampunk era stories that tie together into a larger, more complex picture. Ireland, referred to by it's ancient name of Éire, is the stronghold of Europe here, instead of England. Mathematical scientists of the time have discovered ways to access alternate realities by traveling what they call the Time Roads. These time roads later prove quite invaluable for Queen Áine and the livelihood of the Éire kingdom, which is under threat from Anglia (England) and the Prussian Empire, to name but a few.

The first and fourth stories, the longest of the four, are both told in the first person point of view from Queen Áine of Éire. The second and third stories shift to third person point-of-view and focus on different characters which are still related to the overall picture. I actually liked the first and fourth stories best, feeling more of a connection with Queen Áine. But at the end of the first story, I did find the shift to an entirely new set of characters whom we hadn't yet been introduced to, a bit unsettling at first, and I honestly didn't like that story as much as the others. Once I realized how it tied into the overall story however, I was a bit more tolerant. :)

I also longed for a pronunciation guide throughout. The spelling and pronunciation of the many Celtic names were difficult to master, and without it, I had a harder time remembering and recalling names since I couldn't sound them out in my head as I came across them. My Kindle came in quite useful in this regard as I could highlight and search for previous mentions of that particular name, but if I had to read this one in traditional book format, it would've bugged me quite a bit more.

Overall, the stories were quite thought-provoking, with some better than others as already mentioned. The character development was decent and the world building was great as I truly felt immersed in the time in which these stories took place. I look forward to reading further works from Beth Bernobich.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Leigh Kimmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being present at the birth of this novel. Back in the old days of Sff.net, I hung out in the author's newsgroup, and she was tossing around this idea of a madwoman reciting enormously large prime numbers, trying to grasp the story that lay beneath it.

Unfortunately, by the time she began publishing the novellas that would become this novel, I'd had to drop all my magazine subscriptions for financial reasons. And when the completed collage novel came out, I was dealing with so many things that it simply fell under my radar. But recently I saw a copy at our local library, and decided I really wanted to read it, somehow, some way.

It's a dense, intricate story, at least partly because of all the unfamiliar Irish names, spelled in the Gaelic manner rather than Anglicized for our convenience. But the time travel elements, particularly with time being made and undone, makes it difficult to follow at times. A character who had one one role in one segment shows up again with a completely different role, thanks to time travel altering the past in mindbending ways.

There are some nods to political correctness that seem rather forced to my reading. However, the final segment is not a simplistic "be done by as you did" reversal Aesop, as it could easily have become in less deft hands. And it ends with the hope of the creation of a better world.

Reading it a second time, I'm picking up a lot of stuff that I'd missed the first time around. I think this is one book that really rewards re-reading, and I wish I had the time to read it again a few times, like I did with my favorite books back when I was in jr. high and high school -- back when our public library had a sum total of 800 volumes, and the school libraries were of comparable size, so a voracious reader soon ran out of books to read the first time and had to go back and re-read or go without.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become more parsimonious with my five star reviews. It has to be a book that keeps me turning page after page, engrossed in the story, even when I know I should stop reading because life and the real world interferes with our reading time.

The Time Roads is that kind of a book. The Eirean Empire at the beginning of the 20th C. is a world power, continuing its dominance over Anglia, Cymru, Albion and its other subject peoples. Students from around the world flock to Eire's universities and government is stable under the rule of Queen Aine. But a scientist within her court is conducting exciting, but ultimately dangerous experiments, putting into play forces that will change her world and the people she loves and cares for.

There are four interwoven stories in The Time Roads, and as it progresses more and more layers become revealed over time, time that flows and folds back on itself. There are also a couple of love stories at the heart of The Time Roads, but it's not a romance. It's a story that carries on a SF tradition going back to Lest Darkness Fall.

Beth Bernobich has cemented her status as a new star among SF & Fantasy authors. She's crafted a complicated, rich, and exciting tale combining alternate history, steampunk and time travel into something special. It's a different direction from her previous fantasy novels, but The Time Roads is bound to add a legion of new fans to her writing.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The first half really kept my interest trying to keep up with the time travel, mathematics, and political intrigue. Soon, the story changed to a completely different setting, and a large portion of dialog was in a Germanic or Slavik language. This tale was already presented in fits and starts and seemed to be haphazardly composed. The introduction of a new setting and the constant shifting of time phases and character being dead and then not dead really took a toll on my ability to stay focused.
Perhaps there is a great story there to be brought out, but I couldn't find it.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four connected stories, all centered on an alternate history in which Ireland has the great, sprawling empire, not England. Kind of steam-punky, but also about time travel and math in interesting ways. Quite enjoyed it, even if there were some slow spots and maybe not quite enough political insight and continuity between the stories. Bought it because of the cover quote from Gene Wolfe, one of the greats and one of my absolute favorites. Glad I did.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

How lovely to have an alt-hist novel set in Eire which is not awash in mists of Celtic twilight and where the plot turns upon mathematics rather than The Elder Races. (Also lots of points for not having the rest of world entirely as is in our timeline.)

[Miss Ginny Tea]

Not for me.

[Jim Razinha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear....how to describe? Very little time plot lines, and quite a bit of obfuscatory meandering. Can't recommend this.

[Tamara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting steampunk time traveling world - but it just wasn't enough.

[Christina Downing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un impressed. no clear plot in my opinion. nothing even felt resolved at the end. I picked this for my book club and I really wish I hadn't.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to like this one more than I did, so that was a bit of a disappointment.

[Victoria Gaile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea.
It's all about the ambience, and I didn't care that much for the ambience.

It's a bit of a genre-blend, but more fantasy than SF.