Title: Invictus
Author: Ryan Graudin
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Standalone
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.
I found Invictus through one of the many book sites that I follow; the plot (time travel! Always time travel for the win!) and the gorgeous, modern cover was what caught my eye. I've heard of Ryan Graudin, with her books about fairies and then a weird, wonderful take on World War II, but this is the first novel I've ever read by her. And what a book it was! Time travel, high-speed chases, hilarious banter, sexual tension so high it'll make you scream in frustration, and characters who I loved instantly, I loved Invictus! Despite some issues that had me confused, it has become one of my favorite books of 2017!
Farway Gauis McCarthy is a boy born outside of time, literally. His mother, Empra, fell in love with a Roman gladiator. And Farway wants nothing more than to be a Recorder just like his mother. But when his final sim exam at the Academy goes wrong, all of his dreams seem to go up in smoke. That is until he is approached by a mysterious benefactor, offering the opportunity of a lifetime: He can be the captain of his own ship, but only if he jumps through time and steals valuable historical objects. But when a mysterious girl botches his crew's first mission, Far begins to realize that bigger forces than he could've ever realized are coming, and if they catch up to him, it could be the end of time itself...
This book was a fun, wild thrill ride through time and space, and I really enjoyed it! Time travel is iffy for me, personally, because first of all, it's an overdone trope in sci-fi, and it can be hard to follow. But Invictus, regardless of the confusing parts, really won me over. The plot was like a futuristic Ocean's Eleven, and it was really exciting. But more than that, I loved the characters; by the end of the book, I felt like I had lost a great group of friends. (All the ugly crying!) The pacing was breakneck, the format unusual, and by the end, I was frantically turning pages, desperate to know what was going to happen. I laughed, swooned, and cried, sucked into Far's adventure across time. I also really adored the way that family (in all of its forms) was emphasized. And that ending, goodness! I cried so hard! I couldn't give this a full five stars, though, because some of the technological information was hard to follow. Nonetheless, it was great! The bottom line: Invictus was a wonderful, heartfelt romp through time and space, complete with action, romance, and more than a few twists and turns! One of my favorite books of 2017! Next on deck: Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popovic!
literatureobsessed.blogspot.com