Paradox Lost - Libby Drew

[PaperMoon]

My previous exposure to time travel fiction have as reasons for such travelling relating to research (accidental or intentional), misadventure or where malevolent baddies are involved. Paradox Lost provides my first encounter with time travelling as a recreational jaunt – and it proved more entertaining than I expected. This premise/setting places the book into the sci-fi category for me, even though there is enough m-on-m action to have others backing this for the romance genre.

Dr Reegan McNamara, world-weary jaded academic gets by as a time-travel tour-guide with one of many such recreational operators (Blast In The Past Tours) in mid-twenty second century. His job in on the line given a previous tour ‘mishap’. He really does not need to have a tour participant disappear on him despite all the regular precautions taken. Facing fatal reprisals for this ‘unfortunate’ turn of events, Reegan reluctantly goes back to 2020 to locate the missing woman.

Local PI Saul Kildare is engaged to assist / facilitate Reegan’s search efforts. Two such different men (academic vs ex-cop with addiction issues) mean explosive interactions; regretfully, their attraction is fairly ‘insta’ as per many m-m romances but their conflicts and misunderstandings make for good character development arc-lines. Reegan hides his ‘alien’ status from Saul for good reasons but will Saul uncover what Reegan’s secrets and past with the missing woman are before he ends up getting killed for taking on such a ‘foolhardy’ missing person case? By the end of the read – I was very invested in seeing whether or not these MCs end up having a ‘Jane Seymour/Chris Reeve affair’.

The ‘science’ or time travelling and the effects of a time-space continuum on a ‘traveller’ is fairly well laid out by the author (at least I was not totally confused). In accordance with the explained theories within the novel, the consequential dangers of staying longer than a few hours in the ‘past’ (as well as the future) made for interesting ‘oh no!’ reading moments for me. As the book progresses and with the introduction of several baddies hell-bent on thwarting Reegan and Saul’s efforts, the plot action maintains a fairly constant pace, progressing the ‘adventure’ aspects of the book as well as the ‘romance’ ones. I particularly appreciated the parts where Saul has to fight to overcome his character’s ‘woundedness’. Some social commentary on the insidious evils that come with a highly regulated utopian future society is also canvassed by Drew but these did not detract from my reading pleasure.

I’m not sure if there will be a sequel to this book, but the premise for ‘jaunting’ to different time eras makes for some further interesting opportunities involving Reegan and Saul (and Maxie and Silvia too). This was an enjoyable 3.5 star read for me.

[Aussie54]

This sounds good. I know Libby Drew from Live Journal, but wasn't sure about this book. You convinced me to give it a go.

[Aussie54]

I did like it. Time travel does my head in a bit, but it was good that people didn’t take it lightly in this story. I liked that there were consequences if they stayed too long in the past.

The story was interesting, and I cared for the characters. Wouldn't mind seeing more of these guys.

[PaperMoon]

Aussie54 wrote: "The story was interesting, and I cared for the characters. Wouldn't mind seeing more of these guys."

So pleased that you liked it Aussie54. I too wouldn't mind seeing a sequel for Reegan and Saul (altho' in my mind they look nothing like the fellas featured on the book cover).

[Aussie54]

PaperMoon wrote:

"So pleased that you liked it Aussie54. I too wouldn't mind seeing a sequel for Reegan and Saul (altho' in my mind they look nothing like the fellas featured on the book cover).
"

Yes, sometimes I think it's better to have a neutral, generic cover so that we can use our imaginations as to what the characters look like. Particularly so for historical novels, when the covers often show "modern day" men dressed up in historical costumes.

[Ulysses]

Libby Drew has added a wonderfully written, grippingly fast-paced addition to the time-travel genre (one I particularly value when well done, as this is). If the characters were a straight couple, this would be a national best seller.

If I don't enjoy the writing for its beauty, I don't want to be aware of the writing at all: I want to get caught up in the plot, in the characters, in the emotional connection of the central relationship. And Libby Drew delivers. The writing is crisp and journalistic. It moves you forward and sets the scene. This is a fascinating take on the idea of time travel as tourism, and on the notion of falling in love across time barriers (Jack FInney did this beautifully in his classic "Time and Again").

Both of the main characters get a rich, in-depth treatment; the sad and lonely Saul Kildaire, and the complex but haunted Reegan McNamara. The secondary characters are less fully drawn, but vivid enough to capture your attention and your interest. The development of the emotional connection between the two men is choreographed elegantly, building in layers as the plot unfolds (or, rather, collapses) around them.

Drew's development of the sci-fi aspect, crucial to the interest of the book, is well done: just enough detail to make it fascinating, not so technical as to make it tedious or implausible. The core premise of time-travel here is essential to the plot, and makes this an edge-of-the-seat experience. I can't say more without ruining it.

My only very minor quibble is that no one ever says "I love you." Men really do say that to each other. I hope women writers don't think that they'll be thought inauthentic if they do that. Not everyone needs to read the three little words: I do.

I have to be grateful for gay men and straight women who write and read and love these m/m books in all their various sub-genres. This would make a fabulous movie, but since the majority of straight folk won't read about gay men in love, it's up to us to keep the faith. With books like this, it's an easy job.