Invictus is a fantastic time travel adventure with a compelling cast of characters. As with Graudin’s previous historical-set novels the real events are mixed into the plot seamlessly to produce an interesting twist.

I fell in love with Ryan Graudin when I read her Wolf by Wolf series so when I heard she was writing a time travel based book I was super excited! What I love about time travel is that you are able to explore so many different time periods and places that you wouldn’t typically visit in one book. Plus it makes the entire storyline so unpredictable as you never know where you’re going to end up. I love it when we are given a band of characters as we get all these lovely interactions and banter between them as well as occasionally different POV’s. I didn’t love this book as much as I did her first series but it was a fun adventure and works as a really nice and relaxing read.

Unfortunately, after several attempts to read this one I finally had to mark this as DNF.

From what I read the characters were different and I think others would have wanted to read their story and find out what happens but none of them clicked for me. They didn't draw me in and make me want to read their story. I did love the concept of this book, though. I always love the idea of people travelling through time and this one was certainly a different concept so it was sad to finally have to put the book to one side and say it wasn't for me.

An interesting premise in a book that didn't work for me.

I loved the time travel theme of the book and think there's not nearly enough of this in YA. I loved how the author created this fantastic world, sciency bits and the awesome character development I just loved it!

An impressive standalone of epic proportions. Time Travel isn't something that is common in YA and that really needs to change.

“It's all about perspective, isn't it? That's why Aunt Empra loved time travel so much. She always said the past helped her make sense of the present...sometimes even the future, too. I didn't understand what she meant until I started traveling. When you witness the breadth of history, you understand how small you are. And yet at the same time you realize how much your life matters...how much you shape the people around you.”

So this is the first book I have ever read by Ryan Graudin. I know, horrifying! This book actually really surprised me and I'm going to list why:

- IT'S A STANDALONE! I cannot express how happy I am that this book is the perfect little package of adventure time travel awesomeness without me having to wait for another book. That fact makes me insanely happy!
- The time travel was really well thought out. Too often when it comes to time travelly stuff (both books and TV) it doesn't feel realistic. The rules around time travel in this book weren't too complicated but also added a dimension to the plot and the novel that meant not everything was possible in the way the characters wanted it to be.
- Far was a really cool protagonist. Literally almost every YA book I've read since falling into YA has been a girl. It was so refreshing to have a guy protagonist and one that was so cool and kick-butt while also being totally human. Which leads me to my next point of...
- Realistic characters. Not everything worked out, and I like it. It would have been so easy to have a time travel book about a boy born out of time who excelled at school and travelled to cool places but that's not what happens. Far fails in the first few chapters and he continues to come across some issues that he can't conquer in the moment, as do the rest of the characters. I loved how realistic it was, even if it was set far in the future.

If I'm going to be honest I only actually have one problem with this book and that is... romance. I'm all for romance. I like it if a book has it, I like it if a book doesn't. I could have totally shipped Far and Priya... if we had actually seen it. The time jump a few chapters in meant that we never get to see Far and Priya falling in love which made it really hard for me to connect with the relationship. Despite this I still really enjoyed the book. It wasn't so much of a problem that it took away from the story for me.

I really enjoyed Graudin’s Wolf by Wolf series so when I saw this book was available for request on NetGalley, I took the opportunity and was delighted when I was accepted. And then I didn’t read it for ages. Woops. Invictus is about a gang of time-travelling thieves, led by a boy who was born outside of time and space. Then a mysterious traveller blackmails her way onto the ship and things get weird.

This premise is very intriguing because I love anything to do with time-travel. This book had less actually trying to integrate with the past than I would have liked but I did like the little details about the team members you had to have on a mission, like the Historian, the Recorder, the Medic and so on. I would have liked far more world-building because I was very interested in the premise itself but I liked what we got.

The plot, when it got going, was really interesting. I loved finding out about Eliot and what she was actually doing there on the ship and why it had to be the Invictus. At the end of the book when we find out why she acted the way she did, that was a great little bit of foreshadowing. I also liked how little details came back to be important later because that made a really enjoyable reading experience.

The characters were interesting and they had a really interesting dynamic between all of them at the end of the book. I loved the romance between Priya and Far and how Graudin didn’t go down the tired old love triangle route with Eliot. She really explored the relationship between Priya and Far, as well as how Far interacted with each of the crew members. The four of them couldn’t tell anyone else about what they were doing, considering it was illegal, so you really got the bond between the four of them. I loved Imogen’s logs because they really showed her personality. Also Deus-Ex-Panda was just perfect!

One major thing that got in my way was how slow this book was. I loved the last quarter of the book and how the characters connected with each other, as well as how everything was resolved. However, it took that long for me to actually connect with the plot and the characters. Plot didn’t really show up until about 45% in and when the revelation came that something bad was going to happen to one of the main characters, I just shrugged. I didn’t care particularly at that point. The only character I really liked was Priya and mostly because she felt like a person with a backstory and hopes and fears, rather than a character as such. If this wasn’t an ARC, I probably would have DNFed it halfway through.

3.5 stars because I liked the ending and I liked how it was a standalone but the first half of the book dragged.

What I liked:

- The beginning. Of course, you can tell immediately where this is going, and that there’s going to be another proposal to offset the bad news, and you can guess what that proposal will be, but it’s OK because it’s why you’re reading the book. Well, why I was reading it, at any rate.

- Some aspects of the world building, with the idea of trained people going back in time to record events, and having to follow specific rules to avoid creating paradoxes. It makes a lot of sense, since the ‘grandfather paradox’ is definitely not the only risk in such a setting: it’s obvious that you wouldn’t want to kill your own grandfather if you hope to be born someday… but it’s much less obvious that even ‘small’ actions like gambling in a casino can have consequences, for instance by preventing the ‘normal’ winner from winning, in turn preventing them from doing things that should normally have happened, and so on. The most noticeable actions aren’t the only ones that can change the world.

- The crew’s dynamics. I have a soft spot for heist stories carried by a crew (ship, spaceship, band of misfits, whatever), and when the latter works well together, it’s even better. In itself¸ this part wasn’t the most exceptional ever, but I could feel the ties uniting them, and that was good.

- Diversity. Priya is obviously of Indian origin, Gram is dark-skinned, and Far also has inherited a darker complexion from his father. It’s not mentioned more than once or twice, but it’s good to see.

- The book was entertaining, I wanted to know how the story would go (good thing I’ve been on sick leave and with time on my hands to rush through it, huh), and in general the action and tension scenes were gripping.

What I didn’t like so much:

- The romance. I’m not particularly keen on romance in general, for starters— in my experience 90% of such subplots, when they happen in stories whose main genre is not romance, are there because it’s what people (or the market, or publishing houses, I’m never really sure) expect. As a result, the romance feels forced, and that’s the feeling I got here. I didn’t particularly care about Imogen having a crush, all the more since it led to some screen time being used up for conversations about boys and should-I-oh-no-I-don’t-dare. As for the romance between Far and Priya, it was announced very suddenly, its beginnings happened off-scene, and I never felt any real chemistry between these two. In a story revolving around an all-for-one type of crew, friendship all the way would’ve worked better for me.

- The lull mid-book, the part where they go to Las Vegas. Partly because of the romance-related conversations, partly because I wanted to shout ‘Seriously, characters, is partying and getting drunk the best you can do right now?’

- Some other aspects of the world building. Yes, I know I partially liked it. However, some elements were there for… no reason? Example: How can Priya be 17-18 and already a full-fledged medic, with mechanic skills to boot? When did she got time to learn all that? Or why do they eat synthetic food, why is ice cream so expensive? I felt the latter points were here to give a ‘science-fictiony’ sheen, but without explanations about why the world came to be like that, I can never fully buy it. (I’m not asking for a treaty about 24th century economics, but at least a couple of lines about the whys would be nice.)

- Part of the plot when it comes to Eliot’s involvement. First, it’d have been good to see a couple of successful heists before she appeared, so that the disruption she created would be even stronger. Second, the true reason for her presence is somewhat complicated, and may have worked better with a little more development. An example of what I felt rushed with that is how easily an antagonist character convinces other antagonist characters to work with him, towards the end, in order to stop her; it happened very quickly, wasn’t very convincing, and anyway, why didn’t he enlist his own after that, to add a strike force he could fully control?
(Side note: I found the names they used very confusing. I could deal with the endings, like FLT6, but the whole strings of numbers in the middle… I kept trying to imagine the conversation with Eliot speaking these numbers, and I’m surprised she didn’t make a mistake every two sentences when using those.)

- The characters, outside of their role as a group. As a crew, I thought they functioned together well; but as individuals, they felt flatter. They have their quirks, sure (Imogen dying her hair, Gram and his games), but quirks don’t make a full-fledged character. I didn’t really like Far, he had too much of the ‘strong ego/insufferable’ vibe without enough of the ‘dashing captain/charisma’ vibe, so to speak. Also, I would’ve liked to see more of Gram, for some reason I liked him best.

Conclusion: Cool concepts, with good action scenes. The book was an entertaining read, although it failed in other parts.

I loved this book. I loved it a lot more than I thought I would... so apparently, I am now into hard sci-fi.
The story centres around Farway, born outside of time and the son of a gladiator and time-traveller. After his mother goes missing on a mission and he unfairly fails his exams to become a ligitiamate time-travel Recorder he takes up an opportunity to work for the black market stealing valuable items through out history.
All is well with his ship and crew until he finds himself face to face with a strange young lady who threatens to flip his world on its axis.
One thing I would say about this book is that I would class it as hard sci-fi. Not generally being a space/time travel genre reader a lot of it did go over my head, however, none of that did detract from my enjoyment of the story. I loved the comradery of the misfit crew and the banter between friends, as well as all the historical elements.
There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing and the fast-paced storyline made it 'un-put-down-able'.
The writing was so easy to read and brilliantly creative. It definitely won't be the last Ryan Graudin book I pick up.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year as I really enjoyed the Wolf by Wolf series from Graudin. And it didn't disappoint.

Invictus follows a boy who was born out of time whilst his mother was travelling between centuries so he has no birth date which causes him a whole load of problems. When he doesn't qualify to become a time traveller he takes matters into his own hands and finds a crew and a benefactor and goes time travelling himself. But then he comes upon a strange girl and his world starts unravelling... literally.

So if you are into paradoxes, time travelling and alternate universes then this is for you. At times this book was super confusing but not in a bad way, but in a way you felt a kinship with the characters. They didn't know what was happening and I didn't know what was happening.

I don't really have any feelings for Far, the main character, I didn't dislike him but I didn't really particularly like him. What stood out for me were the side characters. They were so wonderful and well balanced. Priya was this wonderful, intelligent young woman who really was a huge driving force in my read of this novel. One thing that really stood out to me was that Priya was still very much involved in her cultural roots, this can be put to the side in futuristic novels as a lot of authors like to imagine a world where we all live irrespective of backgrounds which I personally think is a ridiculous notion. Also Graudin wrote "chai" instead of "chai tea" which just made me happy because chai tea is incorrect and just means tea tea.

Along with Priya my other favourite character was Gram, a geeky black boy who was pretty anxious and liked to keep to his technology but was an absolute sweetheart. There was an awareness I felt was obvious in this novel that Graudin knew she was writing POC time travelling and could get into some awkward and possibly racist situations, similar to Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. It can be easy for white authors to just ignore that kind of thing when writing POC characters because it isn't something they've had to deal with.

My main issue with this book was the pacing. The first half was pretty slow and a bit heavy going whereas the second half was really fast paced. I don't mind slow or fast but I'd rather have a consistent pace throughout.

I think this is a standalone novel and whilst I do love standalone novels for the lack of commitment involved compared to series, I would love to delve into this world more.

As somewhat of a History-buff, I got incredibly excited when I read about the time travel elements and I've adored the other works by Ryan Graudin that I'd read so I leapt at the chance to read this.

Invictus was an enjoyable sci-fi with an action filled plot line. The characters were loveable with their unique personalities and the world was incredibly crafted, though we didn't see much of their present thanks to all the time spent in the past.

My main fault with this book was the slow opening. It took a good six or seven chapters for me to get into the story itself, even though the opening was incredibly gripping. However the rest of the book paid off thanks to Ryan Graudin's wonderful writing.

I was really excited for Invictus because I'm a sucker for time travel in books and shows, plus the book starts off at a gladiator match in Ancient Rome. What more could I ask for? I was, however, left a little disappointed by the world building, which is a shame.

Of course, I looooved the time travel elements to this story. Jumping around in time from Ancient Rome to the sinking of the Titanic and to the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria was entertaining, and those parts were pretty great. I liked seeing these different time periods. Or, rather, I liked the idea of seeing them. The issue I had was that the world and time periods weren't expanded upon or described well enough for me.
The world building in Invictus was a little disappointing. I wanted to learn more about the present day with the Corps, and also about the time periods that the crew was jumping to. The author didn't describe the settings particularly well, which really drew me out of the story. I don't think descriptions of settings are Graudin's strong point.

The main plot was really good, and I enjoyed reading about the crew jumping around in time and trying to outrun something mysterious.
I didn't care for any of the characters, really. The main character, Farway, was your typical arrogant YA boy, and none of the other characters stood out at all despite having the story told from their viewpoints in several chapters. None of them were distinct, and the only one I particularly enjoyed reading about was Eliot. The romance between Gram and Imogen was dull and I really couldn't be bothered with that either. Farway and Priya were kind of adorable though.
Despite being disappointed by Invictus, I'll definitely be trying out Graudin's Wolf by Wolf duology, which sounds a lot stronger and more developed.

Farway Gaius McCarthy has no birthday - he was born outside of time on a ship. His mother is a time traveller and his father was a Roman gladiator.
When Far fails his final exam to become a time traveller his thinks that he'll never fulfil his dream of being a time traveller. But Far is offered the chance to be the captain of his own ship and travel through time, stealing valuable items from the past to be sold on the black market.
Then while on a heist on the Titanic, a mysterious girl beats Far to his prize.
Who is she? Why does she want to join the crew of the Invictus?

I was really excited to read Invictus - it sounded like a time travelling version of Firefly (one of my favourite TV shows). However, I'm left feeling a bit underwhelmed. I'm not really sure why. Maybe because the story didn't go they way I thought it would. Or because there weren't as many heists as I expected.
I liked all of the main characters, but Imogen could be a little annoying at times. I would love to have a pet red panda.
The plot was mostly good and went in a direction that surprised me, but I did get a little bored and lost interest at one point.
The writing style was easy to follow but it didn't keep me gripped.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Children’s Group for giving me this book to review.

Invictus is a very enjoyable YA sci-fi novel which is similar to firefly if it had time travel. It is full of action, adventure, mystery and romances which did not take over the plot. This book is jam-packed with twists and turns and I did not expect the revelation about Eliot at all. I love all of the crew as, while Far is the main character, they all contribute massively to the tone and plot of the story.

Far is confident, sassy and daring but is very protecting and caring of his crew. The three other members of the crew are Gram, who is logical, quiet and intelligent, Imogen, who is fun and sweet, and Priya, who is passionate and resourceful. Eliot is such a mystery as we are not sure if she is trustworthy or not but it is clear that she is hurting.

I really liked this book and am planning on reading more books by Graudin, especially if they are as good as this one. I would recommend Invictus to fans of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and St Mary’s Chronicles by Jodi Taylor.

How could you not want to read a book whose synopsis begins: "Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time traveler from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in ancient Rome". I was immediately sold! The story-line develops from here to include red pandas, rainbow-hair, parties in Vegas, trips to the Titanic, and pirating some of history's lost artefacts from aboard a time-travelling spaceship.

The actual narrative was instantaneously compelling. There are little foundations to the plot laid, for the reader to gain their bearings in this futuristic world, before we are whisked to times past and back again. I found this intense plot pacing worked well within the confines of this story, and added an intense edge to all of the proceedings.

What really compelled me to read this almost 500 page book in just two sittings, however, were the family dynamics that were focused on. I always find myself drawn in by intense friendships that form in books, rather than by budding romantic relationships. The intrepid crew that man the Invictus space ship were motley and varied, but their opposite natures worked well together, both inside the metal confines of the ship and to form a enthralling cast of characters I cared equally for. This is an extremely action-centred narrative, but the individuals were also given their own space to grow, in both character and the reader's heart.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time traveller and a gladiator. All Farway has ever wanted to do was explore history himself, like his Mum, who went missing on a Recording mission. However, after failing his final exam, those dreams seem further away than ever before. That is until he gets an offer to be apart of a black market operation to steal from the past. Things are going smoothly until they travel to the sinking Titanic to steal something valuable for a client. But when they run into a mysterious girl who seems to know an awful lot about them and always seems to be a step ahead of them, Farway’s entire existence comes into question. Apparently being born out of time puts the entire history of the universe into jeopardy.

I went into Invictus without really knowing what it was about, but I had heard a lot of hype so I had a lot of expectations but Invictus definitely surpassed them all. It was fast-paced, thrilling, full of history and comradeship. I feel like the relationships were the best part. Graudin managed to create a brilliant set of characters, each with a strong and fun personality, and I loved the friendship between the crew and how they were like their own found-family. The romance was cute and developed. I also loved how Eliot joined the team, creating conflict, but then finding friendship and loyalty.

The plot itself was strong and I loved how it discussed how intricate and delicate time is, and the impact that a potential mistake can have when time-travelling. I also loved the deeper science fiction element of multiple universes. While I guessed what the ‘plot twist’ was, I believe that Graudin’s writing and storytelling really kept up the tense and compelling atmosphere. But it was also a fun, heartwarming and quirky read.

A lot of people compared it to Firefly and/or Guardians of the Galaxy, but I think it has more of Legends of Tomorrow vibe to it than anything else.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you love time-travel, if you love science fiction, and if you love gripping and thrilling mysteries, and if you love energetic and fun ensemble casts.

'Invictus’ is a standalone SF book all about time travel by the author of the ‘Wolf By Wolf ‘duology by Ryan Graudin.
This book follows the time travelling adventures of Farway McCarthy, a boy born out of time to a time travelling mother and a Roman centurion father, and his crew, including a red panda, as they go from historical heists to genuine world-saving. Farway and his friends Priya, Gram and Imogen, oh and, not forgetting, Saffron the red panda travel through time stealing items that would otherwise have been destroyed to sell to collectors. That is until they try to steal something from the Titanic and they meet someone who literally turns their world upside down, and possibly back to front as it gets a little confusing.

This was my first Ryan Graudin book and I have to say that I really loved it from the very first page to the slightly tear-stained last pages. I was sold into buying and reading this book by Graudin herself saying it was a combination of ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Firefly’. Now I’m normally highly sceptical of anyone saying something is like something else but, in this case, it was 100% accurate! The whole time travel ship with the close knit gang carrying out heists felt so like ‘Firefly’. The ‘Doctor Who’ element came in with the world-saving section, it certainly had a lot of the running around madly and the hugely sad aspects of a ‘Doctor Who’ episode.

The characters were all so well crafted, even the red panda, and they all had such fully formed characters I feel like I could describe them down to their favourite hobbies. This is what made this book so full of the feels for me, it wouldn’t have caught me so unawares if I hadn’t bonded so much with the characters. I was put through the emotional wringer with this book, those last chapters are so sad and so uplifting at the same time. I just didn’t want it to end and I wouldn’t be mad if there were some spin-off books about these characters. Oh and I’m waiting to see if MAC comes out with any cosmetics with the names from this book (you’ll see what I mean when you read it).

I felt that it was interesting basing the book in Rome and having that as the centre of this new world after most of the rest of the world seems to have been decimated. Everyone is living by eating some kind of unnatural food cubes, unless you’re rich enough to import food from the past. I’ve personally never read a SF/fantasy book based in Rome before so that made a nice change and I liked how Graudin linked the old world and the new.

My only issue with this book is that it’s hard to believe that the characters are all only about 18 years old. They all behave in a much more mature way in so many circumstances in this book.

Overall, I completely loved this book and I’m now going on a Ryan Graudin book binge so the goodness doesn’t have to end. This is the first book in a very long time to have me reading way past my bedtime, also in completely floods of tears. I highly recommend this book.

"He wanted to meet history face-to-face. He wanted to be the blood in its veins, as it was in his"

* * * * *
5 / 5

After I read the synopsis of Invictus I was very strongly reminded of a Doctor Who plot - you know the one with Eleventh Doctor and the ginger girl's boyfriend (Rory?) who becomes a Roman soldier and waits through time. Invictus is kind of like that. The similarities being time travel, Romans, a boy, a spaceship, and that I absolutely adored both of them! Invictus is an absolute gem of a novel from the rag-tag heist-committing crew to the cover.

"He worshipped the past with a strange fervour. It was, he liked to tell her, the weight all mankind was born to bear. The roots we did not choose, but chose us"

Farway Gauis McCarthy (what a name and a half), or simply Far, was born outside of time; his mother is Empra McCarthy, a time-voyager whose job was to record the past, who gave birth to him on the time-ship Ab Aeterno in the space between time. But in the present Far is alone with his cousin Imogen since their mother went on a voyage to the past and never returned and he is unaware that his father is a gladiator from Ancient Rome. Far is poised to become a Recorder himself, about to graduate from the Academy - which gives a very Starfleet vibe but exploration of time rather than space - when he fails his final simulation exam when Marie Antoinette blows his cover by winking at him.

"Who do you love the most?" It seemed like a dangerous query, the way it was asked: razored syllables, hungry breath beating, beating against the black. "Myself"

Proud, confident Far whose only dream is to explore the past is cut adrift, for the only way into history is through the Academy but he is barred from that track forever. We cut forward a few months to find Far the captain of an illegal time-ship the Invictus plundering treasures from history that no one would miss. His crew consists of:

Imogen, his cousin, the Historian of the crew - her job is to research the time periods that they travel to to help them fit in: costumes, accents, language, behaviour
Gram, the Engineer, who manages the technical aspects of the ship and time-travel
Priya, the Medic, and Far's girlfriend

The crew is diverse and intimately close and charming. I loved Far and Priya's relationship; I have a massive soft spot for established, well-written relationships. Priya is a well-written and excellent character in her own right and she and Far are great together; often books write new relationships as being fierce and passionate and electric, but established relationships are fierce in their own and different way: soft and familiar and totally at ease and Graudin really caught that feeling on paper. But back to the exciting time plundering! Whilst on the Titanic Far runs into someone very familiar yet also mysterious...

"Time flies when you're plundering history"

Eliot is a girl without a history. She's fantastically multi-faceted being sharp, deadly, but also deathly afraid of something. You never quite trust her and her game is slowly revealed throughout the book in tantalising hints. Best of all, there's not a love triangle to be seen! From her introduction, Invictus evolves from a heist novel to one involving twists, paradoxes, a weird amount of mathematics, and the entire span of time and space. Possibly my only complaint is that the characters often felt a little older than they were; in the book they are older teenagers, seventeen and eighteen, but their behaviour and maturity (upon occasion) would be a great fit for university students which would make more sense with their training as medics and Recorders.

Overall, Invictus is an incredible book with simply delicious writing, an excellent main character and supporting cast, a tantalising mystery and some great plot twists. I absolutely recommend!

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of Invictus

When I first heard about this book, I thought it sounded like an intriguing premise. There were lots of fascinating elements to the book: time-travel, adventures in history, sci-fi and romance. Who could resist such a pitch? Another lure was the hype around the book. I didn't hear much on social media, but I did see the ridiculously-long lines for free ARCs of Invictus at a literature convention I attended. Although, I suppose the prospect of a free book would draw big crowds. Anyhow, I was pleased when the book appeared on Netgalley, and very excited when my request to read it was approved. Although, I didn't actually expect to love it quite as much as I did. There was just so much that fascinated me, and I found myself having to tear my kindle from my hands whenever I needed to venture out somewhere without it. The world-building is beautiful, stunning vistas of space and time and moments lost to history. As a history student, I loved seeing moments I knew about threaded through the plot, and I read each mission with bated breath. The characters were incredibly life-like, and each revelation and joke between them seemed so natural and precious. I felt as though I was on the Invictus with them. And then there was the plot itself. Wow. From the very first page, Invictus hurtled me through at a breakneck pace, throwing me into the action. And I loved it. Everything was such high-stakes that I struggled at times to continue reading for fear of reaching the end. I was terrified that it would end in a cliffhanger, and that I'd have to wait to find out what happened next. In a way, I'm pleased that it didn't. The ending is beautiful and poignant and hopeful, but it's a very clear ending to the book. All in all, it is definitely a book I'll be recommending to friends, and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read and review it.

Have you ever started reading a book and known from the very first page you were going to love it? That was exactly what happened to me with Invictus.

I’m a big fan of time travel stories so this was always going to be right up my street but there was something instantly likeable about Graudin’s writing style and I loved the cast of characters she created. When it comes to TV I’m a big fan of sci-fi shows like Star Trek, Doctor Who and Firefly and this definitely has that kind of vibe about it. It really reminded me of Firefly in particular with the crew of the Invictus travelling through time stealing artefacts and trying to avoid the authorities.

I loved each and every member of the crew but most of all I loved the camaraderie between them. There’s a good mix of personalities represented from Farway, the self assured, risk taking captain who can adapt to pretty much any situation to Gram, his quiet and genius best friend and engineer, to Eliot who always seems to be a step ahead and full of secrets. My favorite character however had to be Imogen, Far’s cousin and the historian on the crew. She’s just so bright, positive and devoted to her fur baby, Saffron the red panda. They definitely bring the joy and fun to the story. Medic Priya was probably the hardest to warm up to but I think that was simply the nature of her character, calm and a little detached.

The story is told from the POV of each of the crew members as well as brief chapters from a couple of other characters so you definitely get to know them all well. Personally I loved Imogen and Gram’s chapters the most but I would happily hang out with all of them and just really want to join the crew.

The story itself is fast paced and takes a few unexpected turns. I was drawn in from the very beginning and found it almost impossible to put down. I do love stories with time travel but I get the feeling most writers avoid them because of the sheer volume of work involved. There are multiple time periods historical and future as well as the scientific theories and rules to get right. Honestly I’m exhausted just thinking about it but the author handles it brilliantly.

Everything hangs together beautifully. Every time period visited is created with care and feels real. The sci-fi elements are handled especially well. A lot of thought and research has clearly gone into the science and theories behind time travel (As well as the other tech). It all makes sense and even complex theories are made understandable to non science readers like myself.

I thought the author picked the perfect time periods to visit too. I loved that a big chunk of the book is set in Rome, ancient and future. It’s just such a dramatic and epic time period and the fact that you get to experience the gladiators fighting in the arena is incredible. There’s just so much emotion about the whole thing and it literally had me on the edge of my seat.

Despite being very fast paced and action packed the author has done an incredible job of packing in plenty of emotion. I found myself very attached to the crew of the Invictus and was rooting for them all the way. There’s a little bit of romance but it doesn’t take over the story and is very sweet and believable (I totally shipped it). There is also a lot of humor and some truly heart breaking moments (I cried, on the train).

Basically I loved it from the very start to the very last page. Definitely one I’d recommend particularly if like me you’re a big fan of time travel and aren’t scared of a little bit of scientific theory.