I am a big Outlander fan but did not like this book. It was very two-dimensional and didn’t have a lot going for it. I will not continue the series

I loved this book.

It’s recommended to people who like Outlander and the like and yeah that tracks. Except it’s a little bit better. Outlander, and I’m saying this as a fan of both the books and the TV series, is way too long. The series, I feel like, has been dragged out.

Whereas this book Breaking Time is pretty self contained. I’m not too mad at the ending but obviously I still don’t love cliff hangers.

The chemistry between Klara and Callum was phenomenal. And the setting and the tie in with the supernatural Gaelic myths and legends was *chef’s kiss*. I love all that stuff and this book was pure serotonin for me. Quite honestly, go read it because I would love to know your thoughts. I can’t wait for the nest one.

I think this story is well thought out and well written. I am not knowledgeable of Scottish history or culture, but it does seem perhaps that the author did her research. There was really good imagery throughout this tale and I read the story very quickly. However, there is still something that is sort of lacking from the story which is why I gave it a four.

It ends with a cliffhanger and I believe I saw that this is supposed to be a duology and so I know that there will be another book to help tie things up. I will be eagerly awaiting to see how the story truly ends.

I feel the same as most of the other reviewers on this book. The writing seemed more for a romance novel and it was so similar to other books written on a similar topic. The roles were just reversed as for the time travel. I had a very hard time finishing this, it was enjoyable at some parts, but more parts fell flat for me. It was okay but I probably won’t want to read any more books in the series.

This is a wanna be YA version of a gender flipped Outlander retelling. I honestly had a very hard time forcing myself to read this, as it just wasn’t enjoyable. The similarities are so uncanny I’m surprised it made it to publication.

I echo the sentiments of a lot of the other reviewers. This book was hard for me to get through and was very very similar to another well known book series.

I started out with high hopes for this story because I adore Scotland, time travel, and magical elements. About the 39% point I could no longer continue as the author felt it necessary to follow the current trend of a character having male and female love interests, and using the term 'partner'. I really don't like bringing these things up in book reviews, but it's become such a point of contention and in your face social change that I can't ignore it. Because of that I could not finish this book.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing my honest opinion.

A fun, clearly Outlander inspired journey. I think it's a bit flat and repetitive for what else we see in the genre but I'm sure fans will enjoy this.

3 stars.

I was really excited when I read the description of this book, but had a really difficult time actually getting into it. It was well written and entertaining, I think it just wasn't quite my type of book. I found both of the main characters difficult to connect with, felt a little bit confused about lack of background information, and found myself not compelled to keep reading.

Breaking Time is a book that is hard to categorize. While there is time travel, there is also magic and Celtic Mythology, romance (of the non-spicy variety), and themes of coping with grief, and coming of age. The time travel aspect fell short for me, because there didn’t seem to be a great deal of research that had gone into the time period from which the male main character, Callum, came from. Despite this, the budding romance between Callum and Klara was sweet and gentle, and Klara’s grief over her mother’s death and trying to find her intended path in life was relatable, making the book enjoyable despite the time travel pitfall. The book ends with a cliff hanger that deftly sets the stage for a second, possibly darker, installment in the series.

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Arianrhod, Goddess of the Silver Wheel
The use of magic throughout the story line was an interesting mix of Celtic and ancient mythology, naturalism, and family folklore. Klara’s stance as a science-loving skeptic, added just the right touch of friction to her initial friendship with Callum to keep things from seeming too trite. And if that sounds a little bit like Claire Randall-Fraser from Outlander, it’s supposed to: Sasha Alsberg gives credit to Sam Heughan (the actor who plays Jamie Fraser in the television series) as her Scottish warrior muse. The role-reversal from Outlander, of having the male character be the one out of time and struggling to adjust, was another aspect of the book that I enjoyed. But that is where any similarities end, as the rest of the plot is fueled by goddess magic and an ancient demigod, trying to break time and the natural order, to become immortal and all-powerful. But, as Klara finds out, perhaps he was not her only enemy, or even the enemy she should have feared most…which will lead into the sequel, that I plan on reading. Also thrown into the mix are cameo appearances by Cernunnos, a banshee, and some hell hounds, all of whom guide Callum and Klara on their collision course with destiny.

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The action fittingly comes to a head on Samhain, during the bonfire festival, near a mystical site where ley lines converge. As the veil between worlds grew most thin, Klara came fully into her powers and was faced with the choice of remaining safe forever in the Otherworld or saving the human world full of her loved ones– and time itself. No matter which she chooses she will lose something she has long desired and break her own heart in the process. In the end, her choice is startlingly simple, but opens up a whole new set of dangers and challenges, that it seems not even the goddess was able to foresee, and which Klara feels ill-equipped to handle. I am looking forward to the sequel, to find out if all is indeed lost, or if Klara will find a way to bend time to her will and save humanity, and her own heart.

I couldn't finish it. It wasn't my thing, and the characters annoyed me for whatever reason. I did buy a copy for my library.

Thank you NETGALLEY for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.


Ugh just so disappointing. I’ve been following the author since the OG days of booktube and I really wanted to see her succeed but this was sooooo juvenile. From the cringeworthy dialogue, one dimensional characters, insta love and easily accepted magical systems, it seemed like it would be better marketed for 9-12 year olds rather than teens. I’m a sucker for anything Scottish inspired but this was a direct rip off of outlander (I guess plus the weird fae magic?). It was just way too young and unoriginal in my opinion

This book was… just too much like what it was inspired by. I didn’t like Sasha’s original book, Zenith, but I wanted to give this a try because I really liked Outlander. But it didn’t seem to as much be inspired by, as the same story with different characters.

Growing up I watched this author on YouTube all the time and I was so excited to read this book! This is basically a young adult version of Outlander and that’s not a bad thing! The characters were great and the setting was amazing! But if you are already an outlander fan or plan on reading it shortly after this it may feel too similar for you.

It took me a while to get around to this book. I was already on the fence about it because of drama involving Sasha Alsberg in the online book community in like 2019 or 2020. And having read the Androma Saga with Alsberg and Lindsay Cumings, I only felt lukewarm about the overall writing and characters and story. But, getting access to a free digital copy thanks to Inkyard Press via NetGalley, meant that I was willing to give Breaking Time a shot.

And yeah…it was okay.

The writing felt shallow and so did the characters, at least to me. The story also felt like a more fantastical version/rip-off of the Outlander series, which Alsberg is known to be obsessed with. The characters were very basic. Klara was definitely an Alsberg self-insert, and Callum was the overly-stereotypical broody male character and romantic interest.

It honestly was kind of a slog at times to get through, because it wasn’t all that interesting. Because the writing was kind of simple, I guess it did read quickly in that way. Like, it was a very juvenile writing style, and the romance was very insta-lovey.

But there was the problem of the book being set in Scotland but the mythology used in the book was a mash-up of Irish, Welsh, and Scottish tales. It was like she didn’t properly research, or if she did research then she just didn’t care because she thought it sounded good and would fit in to her story.

Okay, yes, the cover was kind of pretty and appealing. And if it weren’t for the extremely obvious ties to Outlander, the story idea might have been able to stand on its own. And I know this was supposedly a passion project for Alsberg, that she spent 6 years writing it…but perhaps she should have spent a little longer on it. It felt like it needed more edits, more smoothing out, more maturity and panache than Alsberg could give the story.

I don’t think I’ll be reading the conclusion to the duology.

I've been a follower of Sasha for years and was super excited to read her book. I know it was inspired by Outlander, but it was almost too much like Outlander. Otherwise, I liked the world building, the characters and the potential of this story.

I’ve followed Sasha for a long time so I really wanted to like this one. I’d recommend for fans of Outlander.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I have been a fan of Sasha Alsberg since discovering her YouTube channel a few years ago. With that in mind, I can tell that she has put a lot of her heart into this novel. The characters are very dynamic and the setting is described very vividly.

Unfortunately, I really didn't like this book. The writing style didn't flow well for my tastes, and the story line felt very predictable. The characters did not resonate with me and did not leave a lasting impression.

I really wanted to love this book because it was a time travel novel. However, the characters seemed very distant, and I could not connect with them. Also, the writing was very simplistic. Still, it is rich in detail and is meticulously researched. I recommend this for fans of Into the Dim!