Review ~ Blog Tour ~ The Lights of Time by Paul Ian Cross

The Lights of Time

Engella Rhys is alone, adrift and on the run. Pursued by a secret agency, known only as the Hunters, she must stay ahead to stay alive. As she travels through space-time using dangerously experimental technology, she only has one wish: to be reunited with her lost parents. After a close shave with a Hunter on the streets of New Shanghai, Engella escapes to find herself on a deserted beach. When she meets a kind stranger, who offers her food and shelter, Engella feels safe and protected for the first time in years. But who is this woman? And why did their paths cross at the most convenient of times? Engella soon discovers their lives are intertwined in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Review

I would like to thank the author, publisher and blog tour organiser for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I’ve had a yearning for a while to read more YA fiction, especially those that contain a fantasy/science fiction element to them and was delighted as a result to be offered the opportunity to review The Lights of Time. 

Firstly I have to say that this a a great read. It has an exciting story that grabbed me as a reader from page one and kept me enthralled right to the last page. I loved the futuristic theme of a young girl that can transport herself not only through time but also places, while she desperately tries to avoid capture by the Hunters. The story is full of wonderful themes that capture the imagination and provide an exciting read.

It treats the readers it’s aimed at, young adults and even those older readers with young imaginations with respect. The writer has not dumbed down the story, but given them great characters and a compelling plot. Engella might be a futuristic traveller on the run, but she also wants the things so many young readers want, connection to family, respect, adventure. She  needs to be brave to survive adversity and resourceful enough to beat her enemies. Though she needs the help of adults along the way, it is her own talents  and yearning to find safety that makes her a first rate character.

We see the world of The Lights of Time through her eyes and not the adult characters and that is paramount in a great YA novel.  Young readers are surrounded in everyday life by adult concerns and they need books that identify with their need for escape and this book delivers on this one hundred percent.

I loved the science fiction elements of the story. Interwoven with a story about family, it gives the reader a tale to get lost in, but at the same time is not so futuristic that I lost interest. So many adults books with this element become to bogged down in the science and I lose interest, but the writer gives us time travel and battles with the hunters, while maintaining the excitement and tension throughout. I really didn’t want to put it down.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages, looking for adventure and rollicking good read.

You can purchase The Lights of Time from Amazon

You can also enter a Giveaway – Win a Kindle HD Fire 7” and a signed copy of The Lights of Time (UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Enter by following this LINK.

About the author

Paul Ian Cross is a multi-award-winning children’s author and scientist from London, UK.

Paul works in clinical research (developing new medicines) and he’s also involved in science communication; presenting science to non-scientists. He enjoys his science career but he also has a real passion for writing stories! He likes introducing children to the wonders of science, especially reluctant readers. By introducing science creatively, he aims to spark their interest; allowing them to gain confidence with their reading. As a previous reluctant reader himself, he understands how hard it can be. But it’s all about making reading fun and interesting!

Paul’s nephew Hayden influenced his decision to become a writer. He loved seeing Hayden’s reaction when his sister Michelle first read one of Paul’s stories to him!

In his spare time, Paul likes to visit new and exciting places. One of his favourite places is Scotland, especially the Isle of Skye.

Paul’s debut picture book, Praxx and the Ringing Robot, won second prize in the ‘Picture Books 5 and Younger’ category at the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2017. The book trailer also won first place in the ‘book trailer’ category at the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards later that year.

Paul’s second book, Planet Scrabbage and the Vegerons, won an honourable mention in both the ‘Picture Books 6 and Over’ and ‘Health’ categories at the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2018.

And that brings us to now… Paul is currently working on several new books. Paul’s debut upper middle grade novel will be published in 2018. The Lights of Time is the first novel in a brand-new series: The Chronicles of Engella Rhys.

Paul hopes you enjoy reading his stories as much as he enjoyed writing them!

You can follow the author on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and his Website.