Loved this so much! First Sci-Fi I've read in a very long time and it was SO GOOD.
Being a relative Sci-Fi newbie, it took me a while to get my head around the time travel, multi-universe, time collapse, paradox, utter brain melt but overall I loved the story, adored the characters and enjoyed every second of it.
I loved the sense of friendship in this book and how Ryan Graudin's writing ensured I could really feel the connections between the crew members of the Invictus.
Imogen was my favourite with her rainbow coloured hair, red panda critter friend and general sunny outlook on everything (including impending doom).
I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Far and Priya. Maybe because their relationship was already established during the bulk of the book so you didn't get to see the early stages. I just didn't connect with it at all.
The only thing I can really fault this book on is that I wanted more of it. I wanted it to be a little less light hearted and I wanted a little more complexity. Other than that it was an excellent read and I would highly recommend for people who, like me, haven't read much Sci-Fi.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Invictus was a lot of fun. You can tell Ryan loved writing it between her darker books because the spirit of it just lifts from the page. I've yet to read one of her books that I haven't really enjoyed. Her work varies in maturity and genre but every time it's a joy to read.

If you're a history nerd, you'll enjoy this book. Not necessarily for its accuracy (though it could've been much worse - there weren't any specific examples where I was screaming 'that's not what it was like'), but for the various little references scattered through. I'm sure there were some I didn't get as modern history is so much my thing, but the ancient history and renaissance eras were enjoyable just for the little jokes thrown in. (I'd also like to mention how nice it is to have a time travelling story set in the future that doesn't have to go to our present for a cheap 'oh look it's us' gimmick.)

Thank you universe for giving me a stand-alone YA book that wraps up its story. It's such a breath of fresh air to have a book that doesn't have to extend into a series to finish its plot. It's ridiculous how hard it is to find them these days that its a selling point on its own for me. And Invictus proves the point that you don't have to make your story into a franchise for it to be compelling and enjoyable. Yes, the story started to crumble a little bit in believability towards the end, but it's a time travelling book, how can it not? This novel has a well-paced, self-contained story that you can get properly invested in because you know what you're signing up for. I really hope YA publishers start noticing that stand-alone books are just as valuable as series and start to bring them back.

Like a lot of my favourite authors, what Ryan specialises in is people. Well, people and her worlds; she often has futuristic twists on various eras in our world, but in a way that they end up feeling new and unique. With Invictus, that side of the coin is already solved with the time travelling aspect, but the characters are their own element. What pushes this story at times when it might otherwise drag is the dynamics between the crew members and their ability to be believable but still young and, at times, irresponsible and wild. They're not exactly rebels (you're not fooling anyone, Far) but they're young people free to jump around history. Their likeability pushes what is a story that becomes a bit silly at times, but you can buy into it because it suits the characters and fits into its own canon. The worst thing a book can do is misunderstand what it is and take itself too seriously or not seriously enough. Invictus strikes a good balance between the two.

I'm generally not the biggest fan of sci-fi or time travel in books, but Invictus was still great fun for me. The whole crew-relationships and crime-heist thievery with a futuristic twist is always a winner. People are comparing it to Firefly, and while I politely say that it can't touch Firefly's genius, add a little dash of Star Trek, Roman Mysteries and Back to the Future and you get pretty close.

I started reading Invictus without really knowing much about it. I knew it had something to do with space and that people were super excited for its release. I hadn’t previously read anything by Ryan Graudin either but her other duology is on my tbr. Let me tell you, this book was a real treat!!

Invictus is an exhilarating ride throughout time and history. I loved the time travel aspects and the way in which real historical events were visited. There was something about the crew visiting the Titanic just before it sank that made this book feel so real. I’ve not read a book like this before that flitted so easily between Sci-Fi and Historical Fiction. The timey wimey parts were easy enough to get along with and the idea of different universes and time spaces was really intriguing.

Whilst reading this book I could tell just how much research must have gone into writing it. As well as the historical elements, this book is a complex web of timelines for the different characters involved and it must have taken quite some planning to make sure it all entwined so seamlessly. Graudin took the time to consider the effects of visiting different societies and time periods and I was pleased when there was a part of the book where Gram, who is black, was worried about visiting certain time periods because of how black people were treated at the time. I was really glad to see that this was considered and acknowledged.

The crew aboard the Invictus really made this book for me. Although Farway is our leading character, each of the other crew members was just as layered and I felt drawn to them all in their own way. It was nice that the book was written with bits from each of their POV because that really helped me to make those connections.

My favourite character from the crew is probably Imogen because she just felt like a breath of fresh air. Her daily hair colour change represented her bright, wild side to me and her optimism and love for everyone on board was really refreshing. Not to mention that she has a furry red panda friend called Saffron – I’d love a red panda to cuddle! Imogen is incredibly intelligent, being the onboard Historian and her eye for detail has made for many successful missions. I also really liked Priya and although I didn’t trust her at all to begin with, Eliot really came into her own for me too. (Look at that, once again I love all the female characters…)

There were a few things about this book that really stood out for me. The first of those is how strong the family bonds were threaded through the book. Farway and Imogen are cousins and Farway is determined to locate his Mum who has been lost in time. There are some really heartbreaking family moments in this book as well as some shocking reveals, twists and turns. The friendships were also fantastic: there is such a bond between the Invictus crew and you can see clear as day why they get on so well. They all balance each other out: Farway is ambitious, determined but can also be hot-headed whilst Priya is intelligent, caring and a calming presence. Imogen is bright, vivid and funny whilst Gram is a bit quieter, thoughtful and studious. They all balanced each other out so well.

I loved the romances in this book and thought they were really well written and incorporated into the story without becoming the story. This book is in no way about the romances, but they are mentioned and I really liked the way it was done. The romances are tender, sweet and feel so genuine. One of them is already fully fledged as we read whilst the other is building over time and my little shipper heart was willing it on SO much.

Invictus had me on the edge of my seat with its twists, turns and reveals. As we raced through time to reach our end, I laughed, loved and cried. A fantastic book for anyone who is a fan of sci-fi and time travel.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book even though I’d seen it frequently on Twitter. However, I absolutely loved it. Set in 2371 AD, time travel is now possible and official missions are regularly launched with the aim of recording the past without interfering. Farway McCarthy is an anomaly, born outside of time to a father from the past. After failing his final test to join the Corps, Farway is offered the chance to captain his own time-machine, stealing priceless artifacts from the past. I would have loved to read more about their heists as they sound like thrilling fun. I realise this is a standalone but, if Ryan Graudin ever decides to revisit the Invictus crew as they thieve throughout time, I would definitely buy that book.

The crew Farway assembles is one of my favourite things about this book as they have such a great relationship and chemistry. Every member is well-developed and interesting, each bringing something different to the story. Historian Imogen was definitely my favourite member of the crew as she proved herself intelligent, optimistic, and fun. She even has a pet red panda called Saffron, who is adorable. The other members of the crew are Priya, the medic, Gram, the engineer, and eventually, Eliot, a thief with a mysterious background who is the catalyst for the main action of the book. The introduction of Eliot causes tensions between the crew and initially creates temporary fractures in some relationships but she’s a welcome addition to the story.

The consequences of time travel form the premise of this book as time itself is shown as incredibly fragile. The book started a little slow as it took a while to adjust to the future capabilities and the ability to travel through time but, as the action increased, I was swept away by this future world and the great characters. This was a fast-paced and fun adventure story with likeable characters who shared a wonderful dynamic. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure story or Doctor Who. Fingers crossed Ryan Graudin decides to revisit the Invictus crew in the future.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This review is spoiler-free.

I hadn’t read anything by Ryan Graudin before I started reading Invictus, but I had heard great things about her books.  Invictus was easily one of the most highly anticipated proofs at YALC – everyone was so eager to get their hands on it.  I didn’t get a proof, but I was able to get a digital ARC.

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.*

Plot and Writing

There were aspects of this book that I really loved and other aspects that just didn’t really work for me.  But one of the best parts of this book was the fact that the time travel actually almost made sense.  Time travel and I don’t really mix – if I think about it too hard, my brain starts to fry.  However, the way that she lay out the rules of time travel just made sense.  There’s always going to be questions when time travel is involved, but I thought that her system was clever and well thought out.

The plot of these characters stealing historical artefacts and selling them on the black market was great – who wouldn’t want to plunder history?  I thought all was well until it deviated from the established plot.  I won’t spoil anything, but you should know what I’m talking about if you’ve read it.  I really enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second.

Characters

Okay, here’s where we really dive into what worked and what didn’t for me.  Invictus is absolutely a character-driven book.  For the most part, they were all amazing.  Imogen, the ship’s historian, was my favourite.  We really see her personality shine through the most because she’s so vivacious and colourful (not just her hair).  She’s the optimist – she really holds the crew together.

I also loved Priya, the medic.  She’s wonderful and so grounded.  Through her, you really see the difficulties of the crew’s constant and secret time travel.  They’ve been traveling for over a year, but only about a week or two has passed in their own time.  She cannot share her adventures with her family, bring Far home, or really have a life at all in her own time.  Imogen and Priya’s friendship is lovely and they way they accept Eliot when Far refuses speaks a lot for their respective characters.

You can’t talk about the crew without mentioning Saffron, Imogen’s domesticated red panda.  Yes, there’s a domesticated red panda onboard.  He’s the best.

Now on to the boys.  Gram is the ship’s engineer, and I’m really sad that he didn’t get much back story, character development, or, well, personality.  We know he’s a genius and that’s proven several times over.  But the most interesting thing about him is his will-they-wont-they relationship with Imogen.  Invictus is a standalone, so we wont get any further development for Gram, which is such a shame.

Now, onto Far.  Faraway McCarthy is Our Hero and happens to be an absolute brat.  A lot of my issue with this book stems from him.  He’s such a jackass.  His ego can’t fit on the ship!  I desperately wanted him to be taken down a notch, but I feel like that never really happens.  All he does is fume and shout and shriek when things don't go his way.  I was expecting some character development here, maybe some kind of redemption arc where his egotistical actions get everyone in a whole lot of trouble and he is humbled and changed by the end, but that just doesn’t really happen.  I felt like there was no chemistry between him and Pryia, who are in a relationship by the time the main plot is established.  It might have been that we don't see the development of their relationship, but I'm not sure.  Regardless, she's too good for him!

When the pet red panda is a better character than the hero of the novel, that’s a problem.

That’s the established crew when the book begins.  Eliot is thrown into the mix later on, when she cons her way onboard the ship.  I wasn’t sure about Eliot at first – I didn’t buy the ‘too cool thief’ act, but she becomes an incredibly well-rounded and hardened character.  She’s really fantastic.

Again, there were parts of Invictus that I loved and parts that I just didn’t like.  It took me way too long to read this mostly because I just couldn’t stand Far.  Overall, it’s a fun time travel book that manages to be whimsical and serious at the same time.  For me, it was just alright, but I can easily see why some people are absolutely loving it.

*Copy courtesy of Goodreads

For some unknown reason, I haven’t read that many books involving time travel before now, and believe me, that’s going to have to change. Invictus hits a lot of the things that I love in a book, things that often make a book a favourite for me. Mostly, it has a misfit, found family crew on board a ship. These always give me the warm and fuzzy feelings, I love to read about the dynamics and interactions, and this is something that made me quickly connect with Invictus.

The very first thing that I noticed about this book was the writing. Ryan Graudin has a really nice writing style that is both vivid and easy to get into. I was instantly drawn into the story, with its effective writing style and dramatic opening scene. It’s easy to see why Ryan Graudin is such a well-liked author, and I will certainly be checking out her other books in the future.

The world building is unique and well thought out, with a believable futuristic setting. Time travel has shaped popular culture, with streams of the past, recorded by time travellers becoming popular entertainment, and historical eras becoming trends. I really like how the effects of time travel are presented in the book, as a regulated industry with rigorous training and strict rules. And of course, as with any industry, there is the criminal underworld counterpart operating from the shadows.

Invictus has a fast paced and dramatic plot, full of twists and turns which will definitely keep you gripped from start to finish, but it’s the characters that make this book extra special. With multiple perspectives, you really get to know and care about the characters, and get a great insight into their roles in the missions.

The Invictus has a small close-knit crew of loveable misfits, and I love the dynamic. There is:

Far (short for Farway) a trained recorder with a huge ego, the time machines captain with a thirst for adventure.
Imogen (Far's cousin) the ships historian, she feeds the crew facts and makes sure they are dressed correctly for the era. She is the heart of the crew with a personality as bright as her ever-changing hair, it’s impossible not to love her and her pet red panda Saffron.
Gram, a genius trained to both guide the ship through time, and roam history, he is logical with a love of tetris.
Priya, the ships medic and engineer in one, she patches up the crew and keeps the ship running, a warm calming influence.
Eliot, a mysterious newcomer who shakes everything up. You never know what to expect with her, or what her true motives are.
It’s a family, as well as a crew, and I could read about their adventures through time endlessly. Yes this is my way of saying I would love more books set in this world with these characters even if this book does work brilliantly as a standalone.

Something I feel like I need to mention is what this book addresses in terms of diversity. Most significantly, Gram is black, and through his POV we get to see the apprehension he has about travelling to certain eras due to racism. This extends to the 21st century, where police brutality is a very real concern. It feels like an important acknowledgement of the progress we still need to make.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, I don’t want to spoil it for anybody, but if you’re looking for suspense, action, sci-fi and history, with loveable characters, look no further. Invictus is the book for you. It more than lived up to the hype as far as I’m concerned. I especially recommend this if, like me, you are a big fan of ensemble casts, with great friendships and group dynamics.

I want to eat gelato with Imogen and dye my hair neon yellow. I want to have an aromatic tea with Priya. I want to solve Rubik's cube with Gram. And time travel with Eliot and Far! Oh my! That was amazing! Loved every minute of it. Fast paced and full of action. :)

Invictus tells the story of Farway McCarthy, a cadet kicked out of the time travelling corps after he fails his final exam, who takes up black market missions so he can travel back in time to find out what happened to his mother. He captains the crew of the TM Invictus - Priya, Gram, Imogen, and Saffron the red panda. On a mission to retrieve a priceless book from the Titanic as it sinks, he encounters another time traveller, but one who's story does not ring true.

From the start, the world building in this book is epic and so unique. It's like nothing I've read before, which is always a good start. But despite the promising opening, the plot builds slowly. Incredibly slowly, that is. It was a good 70% into the book before I got to the point where I couldn't put it down.

Part of that came from the fact that it was overwhelmingly heterosexual. There are two relationships: Far and Priya, and Imogen and Gram. Of the two, I much preferred Imogen and Gram, because you got to see some development of that relationship. When it came to Far and Priya, what you got was them as acquaintances in one part, then a skip-ahead to a few months later and they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Which, honestly, was just tedious. There were even parts of the book I marked as insert heterosexual interlude because it was that boring a relationship. I love Priya and, to a lesser extent, Far, but together they just didn't do anything for me. Both romances felt entirely unnecessary.

Not to mention that Far is an absolute arsehole (I say this even though I love him), and I just couldn't really sympathise with him. He genuinely reminds me of the Brooding YA Hero twitter account. In fact, scrolling through that, I found a number of tweets that actually reminded me of Far. He's arrogant and quite selfish and always trying to do ""heroic"" things and it just grinds on you. He was okay to start with but it quickly got a little boring to read from his point of view.

Another aspect of the plot dragging was that it seemed to have a kind of pattern where it went slow for a bit, then fast for a couple of chapters, then back to slow, and then fast, and so on. And the slow parts were so much longer than the fast parts, which meant that, while several moments had me going HOLY CRAP, they were overwhelmed by the slight boringness of the slower sections.

That all being said, I did really like this book overall. And I think that's because, for me, the dragging in the plot was made up for by the characters and the ending. I loved each and every person in this - especially Eliot, even though at times she bordered on being the ~mysterious girl~ trope personified. And the last 130 pages or so? If only the rest of the book had been so good.

In the end, I just wish it had fully lived up to Blood for Blood.

I received a copy from Hatchette Children's Group/BKMRK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!

So much love for this one! I do enjoy me some sci-fi but throw in some fab YA action and you're onto a winner!

Ryan Graudin has created a wonderfully clever story in Invictus. I loved all the jumps back into the past and wished I could join the team. The Latin student in me absolutely flipping loved the Roman and Latin references.

The book is full of action, drama and romance. Tonally it reminded me of an 80s or 90s adventure movie. Invictus has the solidarity of The Goonies, the action of Star Wars, a dash of the TARDIS action with the time travel and I throwback to Firefly, all written in a very Stranger Things meets Percy Jackson kinda way - I really enjoyed it!

The world building is pretty epic because it's not really just a world. We get multiverses people! I'd love to be able to hop on board the Invictus and journey back in history. The book is basically historical fiction mixed with sci-fi.

Farway Gaius McCarthy aka Far really won me over. I loved him. He's a cute and oh-so-brave action hero. I liked him a Priya together and would have enjoyed seeing more of them. Elliott was unexpected but I appreciated the direction Graudin takes the story. I loved Imogen and Gram - so cute!

A wonderful story I'm very glad to have read.

4.5 Stars in my Sky!

I love a good time travel story so when I heard Ryan Graudin was releasing one, well that was me sold. I loved Wolf by Wolf, it was one of my favourite books of last year so I wanted to see how she did with moving from historical fiction into sci-fi.

The story focuses on Farway, who was born out of time while his mother's ship was coming back from 95AD, this makes him somewhat of an anolomy as he does not have a birthdate.

I found this book to be so gripping (I read it in 2 days, I just couldn't put it down), I found the characters to be really likeable, and I especially loved Saffron, the Red Panda (so cute).

With something like time travel you assume that the book is going to get confusing, but the writing just flowed so well, even when it got somewhat scientific I could still follow what was going on.

I absolutely loved this book, and when I got to the end, I ended up screaming as I wanted more. It was a great ending, but I just loved the books and characters so much I just wanted more adventures with them.

Overall a fantastic book, go pick up a copy, you will not regret it

I want to squeal and jump up and down and just tell you all to read this book. But I'll work hard to be more professional. This book was beautiful. Ryan Graudin weaved a thrilling story that went throughout history to so many great locations.

I loved the crew of the Invictus. They fitted so great together and I would love to read a whole series of books about their various adventures through time. I think that a strong team of quirky characters is important in a book like this to set it apart like the rest of time travel book, and Graudin had both that and a story that was unique and exciting.

I fully respect any author who can write time travel well and having a great plot and a group of characters who I really want to read more from truly makes this a book that I will love for a long time.

KEY WORDS: Time Travel, Futuristic AND Ancient Rome, SPACE HEISTS.

A time travel super adventure, starting with a prologue set in Ancient Rome and taking you through time and space to Futuristic Rome with various famous times and places along the way. Written in my old favourite, third person past, Graudin draws you straight into the action with her intriguing prologue informing the reader of how exactly it is possible for Farway McCarthy to be born outside of time.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that if you put classical civilisations into a novel I am right there with you. Ancient Rome got a huge tick, as did the Library of Alexandria. But Graudin went above and beyond to get a huge happy Imi smile.

There was a main character.

Called.

Imogen.

IMOGEN. This never happens. Okay, if your name is like Jess, or Alice, or Amy, or Katie, or Charlotte, there have probably been a few characters, minor and major, who have shared your name over the years. I’ve read quite a lot of books in my time and this is only the second Imogen (the first being one of the witches of the Thirteen in the Throne of Glass series but she’s only mentioned like twice). Apart from my namesake, Imogen of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, I have never encountered a character called Imogen who features in the main part of a novel. It made me infinitesimally happy.

Beyond her name, the character of Imogen was an absolute gem. She’s the kooky sidekick/best friend character and I love every minute of her. From her brightly coloured, ever-changing hair to her mischievous red panda, Saffron, she made every moment onboard the Invictus enjoyable.

I adored this novel. The plot was intelligent and well thought out from start to finish - you could tell with all the different time loops that Graudin must have spent months planning everything out to the minute details. Every twist and turn kept me on the edge of my seat and I wasn’t putting that book down for anything! The characters were well-rounded, interesting and likeable, making you wish you could spend your life travelling with them all through space and time.

Even though Graudin has confirmed this is a standalone and there will not be a sequel, I’m dying to find out more about their adventures onboard the Invictus and craving more. This is the first book I’ve read by Ryan Graudin and I will definitely be picking up her others sometime soon.

Time-travelling thieves. Who doesn’t want to read about that?

Invictus follows Farway Gaius McCarthy, a wannabe time-traveller who was actually born outside of time. Farway is desperate to travel back in time in the hopes of finding his mother who never made it back from a mission and while some say she and her crew are 'dead' Far thinks otherwise. After failing his final exam Far isn’t allowed to travel through time, distraught he's soon confronted with an offer he can't refuse. Tasked with captaining his own ship called the ‘Invictus’ and hiring a crew, he must steal history’s most precious items that were originally thought to be lost forever.

I loved loved loved the crew, made up of Far’s family and friends. Think the Six of Crows crew meets the Lunar Chronicles squad. The friendship between the characters was hilarious and highly enjoyable and is totally to blame for me wanting a red panda called Saffron.

The book is all about the adventure, the high of the chase, the long con. I loved Ryan’s flawless execution of time travel with a historical edge, it was a treat to read and everything flowed naturally, seamlessly from one adventure to the next. Readers will fall in love with the characters, be delighted from the non-stop adventure and be surprised by the plot twists.

I would have loved to see more development with the romance. Far and his girlfriend Priya are already together so I didn’t get to see those essential chapters of falling in love. I love the chase, the will they-won’t they and of course the angst that comes with relationships between my favourite characters. I know some people may like this take on relationships as it’s rarely seen in YA, which is great but for me I needed to see the progression in their relationship in order to become invested.

Overall Invictus was a highflying knock out for Ryan. Readers will be taken on a time travelling adventure and they definitely will not want it to end. I can’t wait to see what Ryan comes up with next. Oh and also I’d like my very own pet red panda thank you very much!

Jodi Taylor meets Firefly in a time-travel adventure.

It starts with the story of Faraway McCarthy’s birth, a child born out of time. It is a fascinating concept and one that really drew me into the story (I’d intended just to read the first chapter before bed and found myself a quarter of the way through before my eyes gave up).

We know that his being born outside of time will be important, but we don’t realise the impact of this until the story unfolds. Faraway (Far) believes that someone is trying to sabotage his future career. He finds himself the captain of his own time machine (Invictus). Then one day a stranger shows up and everything starts to change. I don’t want to say anything more about the plot, because I really feel that this is one of those stories that is better the less you know about it.

It is a story of mystery, adventure, saving the world and the sense that “the universe always has a way of righting itself”. It questions the ethics of time travel and whether it is ever okay to interfere with something that has already happened (an idea that fascinates me and which I love most about time travel stories). Ryan also explores whether you are still you if you don’t have your memories and just how much can love survive?





The characters are all brilliant in their own way. I absolutely adored Imogen with her ever-changing bright hair and slightly off balance humour: “the world’s ending…might as well have dessert”.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves time travel stories, and definitely for fans of Jodi Taylor or Firefly.

Set in the 24th century when the human race has finally worked out how to time travel, Far is all-geared up for his final practical exam which if he passes will see him join the Corps of Central Time Travellers. Unfortunately it doesn’t go as planned and so he finds himself agreeing to work for a shady character by acquiring unique historical items thought to have been lost in disasters. It’s one such a mission aboard the Titanic that he meets a girl who appears more knowledgeable than possible and will lead him and his crew on an adventure that will push time to its limits. I had great fun reading this. It’s got a great cast of characters – I adored Saffron the red panda and could see myself in Imogen with her love of anything sweet (“The world’s ending… Might as well have dessert”). It’s got twists and turns that had me gaping in amazement, as well as emotional scenes that made my heart hurt. I’d seen plenty of comparisons to Doctor Who before reading and it definitely has that feel about it (season five in particular).

Ok, first let me just say this book BLOWS my mind! I have not read a book like this before! You all know I love historical fiction, but when it is mixed with sci-fi and time travel??? Omg yes!!! I am a happy happy reader here!!!

I am going to try to write this review without any spoilers as you have to go in blind!

First of all, let’s just talk about this world building. What an amazing and utterly unique world Ryan Graudin has created. It basically is a futuristic world set hundreds years from now where people who work for the “government” can be assigned to travel back in time to help absorb the history that is not on record nor documented properly. Of course, you will have “other people” who are also in possession of the time travel machine to do “other” things like smuggle treasures from the past… the world is soooo rich and sooo vivid I feel like I am watching a movie and seeing the scenes being play right in front of my eyes! How Ryan came up with it I have no idea but please keep it coming. I am amazed!

Second of all and also what I LOVE the most about this book is the characters of the story. I just LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! The crew of Invictus (and you will have to read the book to see how they become part of the time travelling group) are sooooooooooo adorable and lovable. Each one of them have their unique quirks, their unique personalities and own storyline. I just love love love how Ryan writes about each one of them. I even adore that pet on the ship! Farway makes me swoon and I want a Farway of my own; Gram makes me wanna listen to everything he has to say; Imogen makes me want to be her best friend (and that girl knows her color very well!); Priya makes me want to be the best version of myself; Eliot makes me want to give her the biggest hug in the world. And I also love all other characters in the story, they may have smaller part but each has their own story and history. I just feel such strong connection with every one of them. It has friendship, it has family, it has romance, it has humour, it has loneness; I have laughed out loud in some and I was so heart broken in some. Love every minute of it!

Let’s also not forget about the time travel, back to the past, the bc the ad the titanic the …. (not going to spoil for you). With history mixes with time travel, I am mesmerised. There is always something so charming about it and I think Ryan has done an exceptional job.

To the honest I am not ready for this book to end yet! I want more of their adventure and their journey! The book will be released in the UK on 21 September. Please make sure you put it on your TBR and pre-order!

Invictus is a book that I've been looking forward to for a little while now. Time travelling thieves? Sign me up! Unfortunately, the blurb didn't really summarise the story all that well for me. I'll admit, the book got better the closer to the end it got but it still wasn't what I'd hoped for.

What I Liked

Honestly, there was very little that I liked. I enjoyed that the book tried to stay close to history and I liked the idea of what the book was trying to do.

But once you get through the majority of the plot and get through to the final plan, the book does get more interesting. The twists and turns finally made me want to keep reading the book and the final what happens after part was fun too. Unfortunately the good stuff all came too little, too late and I still found myself just wanting to be done with the book.

What I Didn't Like

I'm sorry but I just found this book boring. It felt so slow and like it was just drudging along even when there was action. The characters couldn't even save it as most of the time I just didn't care about them or their relationships.

I think part of the problem there was the time skip. You go from Far agreeing to steal things to everyone on the ship with a load of missions behind them and all these feelings. You were introduced to Imogen and Priya beforehand but only heard Gram's name before so you don't get a hint into how this all happened. You're just dropped right into the middle of a story and not in a good way.

Funnily enough the ending of the book actually does everything the beginning should have so that's something to think about.

The Verdict

I'm actually really disappointed by this book. I was expecting something so awesome and instead I was bored and underwhelmed.

Yes, I enjoyed the ending somewhat so it wasn't all bad but it just took a long time to actually get to that point. There was solid plot there and it could have worked so well. It's just a shame that it didn't get the chance to shine.

I've loved everything Ryan Graudin has written so far, and with each new book she has surprised and excited me! Invictus sounded like an interesting departure from the alternative history world of Hitler-led 1950s empire Wolf By Wolf, and I'd seen a lot of talk about it on Twitter. Also, anything that mentions a comparison to Joss Whedon's Firefly is a must in my world.

Onto the book itself, rather than my expectations: what a read! It's an interesting meld of different genres and full of fascinating characters. Farway Gaius McCarthy is born outside of time, his mother a time travelling History Recorder and his father a Roman gladiator. When, due to interference from an outside source, Far fails his final exam, it looks like his promising future following in his mother's footsteps won't come to pass. Up pops a dodgy time machine owning historical object fence, Lux, who offers Far a position he can't refuse. So Far gathers his own crew of quirky young characters, and off they go...in their TM named Invictus.

When Lux sets the Invictus on a mission to steal the Rubaiyat of Oman Khayyam from a sinking Titanic, the crew encounter the mysterious Eliot and the whole course of their journey changes.

This is a fun read, but also an intense and involved book, with the characters thrown into a whole range of volatile situations, both inside and outside the Invictus. I loved the ship's logs and some of the crackingly sharp dialogue, and I was very sad when it ended.

INVICTUS was such a great surprise! I loved the mix of sci fi and history, with the time travelling through space into historic times such as the Ancient Roman Empire and the sinking of the Titanic. I was disappointed when it ended as I wanted more time with the crew and wanted to explore further and deeper in this extraordinary world! It was a lot of fun and I felt totally caught up in the drama of the INVICTUS and it's rag tag, mish mash crew. Plus the red panda was so darn cute! I want more in this world pleeeease?!!

I had been so excited to read this book for a while, after getting a real taste for some Sci-Fi again following some 5* Sci-Fi reads! And entwined with my love for the ancient Roman era and just Rome in general, this had the potential to be a true book love.
And having finished it, I do miss the story - though I'm not one for goodbyes anyway - Graudin does a brilliant job of setting the scenes, both historic and present (future for us ofc). Particularly running around ancient Rome, the sights, sounds, scents, and as far as I am aware, the historical facts are pretty accurate!
I did think that Graudin was brave to attempt a book with so much time travel, and face the challenge to not make it too cheesy or cliché, and in that respect, it was very much a success.
I didn't particularly enjoy the characters, for me, they and a large chunk of the storyline fell a little flat. I don't feel like I really got to know the characters in as much depth as I would have liked, but it may have come as a trade off to the rich descriptions of locations and historical places. And as aforementioned, the story wasn't completely to my liking, but then I do read a lot of fast-paced-adventure novels.
I won't deny that the author does a brilliant job of setting the scene but for me it is a little too long before the adventure truly begins. On the other hand the last 20% of Invictus was fantastic for me! It sped up, had lots of adventure/action, and delved into complex plot lines exploring time travel, parallel universes, and a whole host of characters! Ryan also succeeds in providing a tale of time travel and parallel universes without being cheesy and copy-cat/childish! It was an approach to this genre which I really admire.
The writing style is also really easy to ready, and the tracker that Imogen has for the Invictus' log is really imaginative and unique.
Imogen and Gram are two characters who we really see come out of their shells, and develop well through the pages. Two polar opposites aboard the TM who complement and bring out the best in each other; like a binary star system, two stars burning brightly in their respective fields, but moving seemlessly together. I also think Eliot is portrayed excellently, and I feel we begin to get to know her as her walls and barriers are gradually broken down by Imogen. I only regret that she becomes more distant and withdrawn again some time later, giving us little to go on to develop our mental images.
I would recommend this to more mature readers, not because of any mature content, but due to the patience one must have for the first half(-ish) of the book. And also recommend to anyone who likes history, Sci-Fi, and a little bit of emotion in a novel.
Despite the fact the story itself wasnt 100% to my liking, I will probably buy a copy nonetheless, and I have a few friends in mind who I know will really enjoy this book!
My overall rating is a 3.5/5 stars. I would've really loved to get to know the characters a little better, but in all the end redeemed this book a lot! And I cannot fault Graudin's writing style and choice of genre/location, as they are executed perfectly together (as distant as the two may seem).
Thank you, Ryan, for transporting me to not just my favourite city, but my favourite period in history!