Happy Thursday y’all! Today I’m so excited to be participating in the blog tour for Invictus by Ryan Graudin. Follow the tour below and be sure to enter the tour-wide giveaway at the bottom of the post.
Tour Schedule
Week One:
9/25/2017- Mary Had a Little Book Blog– Review
9/26/2017- The Petite Book Blogger– Review
9/27/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland– Review
9/28/2017- Mom with a Reading Problem– Review
9/29/2017- That Book Gal– Review
Week Two:
10/2/2017- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review
10/3/2017- The Book Nut– Review
10/4/2017- Omg Books and More Books– Review
10/5/2017- Wonderland Novels– Review
10/6/2017- Ohana Reads– Review
I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Invictus by Ryan Graudin on 2017-09-26
Length: 464 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2017, 2017 New Release Challenge
![](https://momwithareadingproblem.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/JDDiBooks-CBS-W-e1531416902596.png")
Time flies when you're plundering history.
Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.
But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.
Invictus by Ryan Graudin is an amazing read about time traveling thieves. Seriously I don’t even know where to begin! Think of a cross between Doctor Who and Firefly and you have a taste of what Invictus is about. A whole cast of well-fleshed out characters, a red panda (because who doesn’t want one of those cuties?!), a heist on the Titanic while it sinks, and more make this book an unputdownable read!
Farway Gaius McCarthy (that’s a mouthful!), or simply Far to his crew, is to the Invictus what Mal is to Serenity. He’s the Captain, he’s the one that puts himself in danger to get the job done and provide for his crew. He’s also who the plot revolves around. Far is an interesting character. His mother is from the future/present, his father is a gladiator from 98BC, and Far? He has no birthdate because he was born in the Grid – an in-between place where time does not exist. Hence Far technically doesn’t exist, at least to all the computers and droids of his mom’s time. What really defines Far though is his mother’s disappearance. When Far was 7, she went on a time-travel assignment and never returned. Far has made it his mission to find out what happened to her and her crew.
While the book may revolve around Far, his crew plays just as big a role, even sharing some POV chapters. My favorite of the crew is Imogen, Far’s slightly older cousin. She’s a Historian. It’s her job to know everything about the time they are returning to, all the major events and the exact times those took place so they can plan around those things. She’s also in charge of the wardrobe, making most of it by hand which I just think is so cool. I personally love history so her job would be the one I want. Imogen isn’t just her job though. She’s spunky, high-spirited, a little flighty, and completely in love with the Engineer. Also she changes her hair color every day to match her moods. I love that!
Then there is the mysterious girl alluded to in the blurb, Eliot. It took me almost the entire book to figure this girl out, you know whether I liked her or not. I’ll just say she’s not easy to like and the more your in her POV, the more questions you’ll have. Beyond that I can’t say another word because I don’t like spoilers 😉
“History is not as steady as it seems.” This is a gross understatement of what the crew faces in Invictus. BUT it makes for an epic read. I loved the multiple POV, bouncing among the entire crew. The book is told mostly from Far’s perspective, but then there are plenty of chapters from the other members as well, including the mystery girl. Well written, the book hooked me from the first lines and I could not sit it down, finishing this massive book in one day. Yes you read that right. I just couldn’t sit it down! The only negative for me was the romance aspect. I just couldn’t see the connection between Far and Priya. Their relationship fell flat for me, and I felt entirely disconnected from them as a couple. Separately I loved them, but together I just didn’t get it.
Overall, Invictus is a must-read for any sci-fi fan. Blending elements from some of my favorite sci-fi as I’ve already mentioned, the book is action-packed, full of suspense and hold your breath moments. Seriously y’all I read 460-ish pages in one day! It is that good. I didn’t want it to end. And while I know it’s a standalone, I really hope the author returns to this world and this crew. I’d read it 😀
About Ryan Graudin
Ryan Graudin grew up in Charleston and graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Creative Writing in 2009. She is the author of All That Glows and The Walled City. She resides near Charleston with her husband and wolf-dog. You can find her online at www.ryangraudin.com.
Giveaway
3 winners will receive a finished copy of INVICTUS, US Only.
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