Sunder of Time

Sunder #1

by Kristin McTiernan

Isabella Jaramillo is accustomed to getting what she wants.

A privileged socialite, Isabella has spent her 27 years with wealth and status, thanks to her father’s ownership of the country’s sole time travel corporation. Everything in her life—her friends, her lovers, even her marriage—has been solely on her terms. Living such a charmed life, it is easy for her to be thoughtless—so blissfully unaware of the secrets in her own home, the secrets that may get her killed.

In a bitter act of revenge, Isabella’s planned time travel to 1921 Brussels is sabotaged, propelling her into the distant past. Alone in a cold and desolate world, Isabella is confronted by men on horseback—Dark Ages Europeans speaking a language she does not understand. Captured, brutalized, and facing worse than death, reality crashes down on her, and Isabella Jaramillo—the social queen of Miami—finds herself a slave.

Taken as property, Isabella makes some surprising allies and discovers the truth behind her father’s rise to power and the terrible price the entire world paid for it. She must somehow break free and find a way home, not only to save herself, but to restore history to its rightful direction.

Genres: Science Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Time Travel

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

At 17, I had to choose between joining a convent or the Marines. The mother superior at my convent was a veteran and recommended I serve my country. Thank God for that advice because if you've read even one thing I've written, you know that #nunlife is not for me. I write about women in weird situations and my goal is to write at least one book in every spec-fic subgenre before I kick the bucket.

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ecopy from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.


Isabella Jaramillo is accustomed to getting what she wants. Living a comfortable life as the daughter of the world’s sole time travel magnate, Isabella has never suffered the irritation of being told no. Only now she has gone too far and her soon-to-be ex-husband tells her no in the most vengeful way possible—by sabotaging her trip to the past, sending her to a distant land where the locals do not speak her language and are far from impressed by her haughty demeanor. Now a slave, Isabella makes some surprising allies and discovers the truth behind her father’s rise to power and the terrible price the entire world paid for it. Somehow, she must break free and find a way home, not only to save herself, but to restore history to its rightful direction.

Sunder of Time (The Mason Timeline Trilogy #1) by Kristin McTiernan is a new favorite science fiction series opener. I'm so glad I decided to give this novel a chance via Reedsy Discovery. I didn't really have expectations for it one way or the other, but it ended up being quite a pleasant surprise in the end. I know I've said it before, but I'm always on the lookout for a cool new time travel novel to lose myself in. Time travel is one of my favorite subgenres of sci-fi and for the most part this one checked all the right boxes for me.

I can easily say that much of that is due to Isabella, our leading lady. She's basically a socialite whose father owns a time travel company. She usually gets whatever she wants on her own terms, but then she has quite a reality check when a planned time travel trip to the 1920s gets sabotaged and sends her into the distant past instead. To get home and restore the timeline, she has to dig very, very deep and do whatever it takes. She goes on quite a journey over the course of the novel and her arc is a good one. I really surprised myself by just how invested I became in her character given how she behaves when we first meet her to where she ends up. I also particularly enjoyed the author's world-building. It's very complex, dynamic, and detailed. It really feels as if the author has done her homework. I don't often have the opportunity to read time travel novels that goes back in time as far as to the Middle Ages, but the author does a god job bringing what and who Isabella encounters to life. The only really complaint to this novel is that the final 25% of the novel doesn't quite hold up as well to the rest of the novel. It starts off really strong and while the payoff is good, it isn't as great as it could be. The potential for it to have earned a full five star rating is very close, but it just didn't quite make the cut.

Overall, though, this novel is well-worth your time if you're a fan science fiction, time travel, and Doomsday Book (Oxford Time Travel #1) by Connie Willis. I'm looking forward to continuing this series in the future. There's so much potential for this to become a new favorite series. It's already well on the way to it that's for sure!

Sunder of Time (The Mason Timeline Trilogy #1) by Kristin McTiernan will be launched by Reedsy Discovery on January 5, 2021 and my review is also on my blog.

[Karin Gastreich · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. SUNDER's greatest strength is its protagonist, Isabella. From the very first page, Isabella's I-don't-take-s**t-from-anyone spirit sets her apart as a promising heroine, perhaps even anti-heroine. I would have liked to have seen Isabella hold on to this fiery attitude, but McTiernan for understandable reasons chooses to soften up the main character as she settles into an unanticipated life as a medieval slave. Two thirds of the way through the novel, the prose loses its polish, undermining what could have been the most powerful moments of the story. And Isabella's arch-nemesis, Annis, never quite rises above being a cardboard cutout villain. Still, this was an interesting and engaging read, sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys time-travel fiction. McTiernan keeps the action going in the present day even as we follow Isabella's trials and tribulations in the distant past. By the end of the book, we are left with an intriguing set of questions about the limits - if any - of time line alteration, and with the desire to see more of the intriguing characters that shape Isabella's world.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunder of Time started off a little different than many novels. Isabella was a self-absorbed woman who was hard to like. The rules of time travel also took me a little bit to fully grasp.

As the book progressed I became invested in the characters and the plot. I found out that Isabella wasn't as bad as I thought. It would be hard to come from a society when you are at the top of the totem pole and find yourself suddenly at the bottom. She became a character that I liked and admired.

The book used fantasy to point out a few problems that we struggle with within society today. The first would be the abuse of power. I don't want to say too much about that because I think that some of it would be up to the interpretation of the reader. There are many different things that can be looked at and compare to our society today. It isn't always a pretty picture.

I am intrigued and look forward to reading more about time travel by Kristin McTiernan.

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Holly Ites · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most imaginative and complex plots I've ever read, all the while serving as a cautionary tale of technology in the hands of tyrants, even if the technology is still fantasy. Yet, Kristin McTiernan manages to keep the reader engrossed with her characterizations and the drama that can only be imagined with time travel. A wonderful read and, hopefully, just one of many more to come from this gifted writer!

[Leat Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful storyline and great writing. Can't wait for the next book!

[Thomas Riddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have dreamed of and thought about time travel for as long as I can remember. To try and understand Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity has been a bit difficult for me to absorb so I relied on movies like Star Trek and Back To The Future to help break down the science and bring me the adventures of time travel through fiction. It’s a genre of literary fiction that appeals to a lot of readers and so when I found McTiernan’s efforts on writing a time travel saga, I was immediately drawn to Sunder Of Time. I was not disappointed.

The main character, Isabella Jaramillo, was interesting and likable from the beginning of this story. In addition, the author’s use of plot conflict was numerous but very well placed to give the tale substance and thought-provoking scenarios. If time travel is actually possible, McTiernan did a good job of explaining the complexities and dangers that a people and a society would have to consider before sending anyone through time. The author should also be given credit for her knowledge of history, especially for endeavoring to send Isabella back to the dark ages.

This is a rich and interesting tale told about time travel but it’s also a story about love, family and decisions that will have to be made to save, or not to save, history as we know it. This book is a top shelf winner. I look forward to the next book in this series.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

My review of Sunder of Time is on my blog
https://quirkybookreads.wordpress.com...

[Gayle Slagle]

Sunder by Kristin McTiernan is an exceptional book which I enjoyed very much. The plot of the story involves the subject of time travel and is both complex and intricate. The concept of time travel has been the focus of several recent novels, but I found that the structure of Sunder put it in a category all its own. Since the focus of the book is time travel, it addresses the issue of what would happen if someone traveled to the past and did something that would change history. Would this change the entire outcome of the time period from which the person traveled or only alter it slightly? In Sender, radical changes occur which may or may not be for the better. I do not want to reveal much of the plot because the joy of reading the book lies in discovering what has happened in the past, the present, and the future. As I said, the plot is complex, but McTiernan ties up all loose ends and it is evident that she has thought out the plot of her story completely. The book also addresses the issue of whether it is better to be rich and powerful, but have no peace of mind or real happiness or whether it is better to have few material possessions but have peace of mind and self contentment. Isabella, the main character, is well-developed and dynamic. I was very impressed with this novel and recommend it to anyone who likes to read a book with a theme that is somewhat off kilter but is still believable and thought provoking.

[Apex Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A famous heiress is stranded in the Dark Ages by her jilted husband, and her father, the inventor of the time traveling mechanism responsible for her disappearance, traverses time and space to find her.

If that logline were pitched to an agent or publisher, you’d think the author would be laughed out of the room; however, throughout the pages of Sunder, author Kristin McTiernan brings the idea to vivid life, in a riveting sci-fi thriller readers will find difficult to put down.

Isabella Jaramillo, the aforementioned abductee, is a solidly crafted character through which McTiernan’s tale seamlessly flows. Add to that a superbly structured plot, and you get a dynamic, expertly written offering that stretches the imagination and captivates your interest until the final page – which, by the way, lays the perfect bait for a much-anticipated sequel.

A highly recommended, and highly imaginative, treat from a standout literary talent.


Tamera Griffin
Apex Reviews

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an alternate future where the Spanish settled the United States there is a time travel company. the owner's daughter accompanies the travelers to their location. she aspires to divorce her co-worker husband. He reprograms her next trip, dropping her off just outside Camelot where she is going to have a difficult time surviving.

Meanwhile her dad aspires to beat her location out of the son-in-law. Engaging, swearing and violence.