Wayfarer (Passenger #2)

                Hello happy readers!  It was a very long weekend for me at work and before I retire for to my bed for the day (night shift vampire) I wanted to share my thoughts on a new release and series ender I finished, Wayfarer (Passenger #2) by Alexandra Bracken.  This is the second and final book in the Passenger duology and picks up where we left off in Passenger (review).  Spoilers ahead for book one, if you don't know the easiest way to describe it is a scavenger hunt across the globe and time. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                So in Passenger we left off in a bit of a mess.  Etta had been gravely injured and thrown through time and away from the man she loves, Nicholas.  Etta finds herself with Julian Ironwood, the last person she expected to ever find alive.  She is unsure whom to trust in this world where warring families have been having it out through time for power and she is still so new to everything it's hard to know who she can trust besides Nicholas.  Nicholas had tracked down the treacherous Sophia and finding her in bad shape demanded she live to fight on and help him find the missing astrolabe and with it Etta.  He doesn't believe he will ever trust her but the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all.  They both must make their way through time in search of each other and so much more.

                In Passenger we spend so much time building this amazing world with the rules of the traveling game and getting to know the different characters on the ride of a lifetime.  We get to watch Etta and Nicholas grow close and fall in love and just adore them!  Then they are ripped apart and all you want is for them to magically get back to one another ASAP and then worry about the rest of the major issues in the world.  So when they don't get back together after the first few chapters I knew I would more than likely be suffering for some time as they journeyed towards one another.  It was both beautiful and painful.  It was so beautiful to see how they were separately, to see how they thought of the other no matter the distance, how the other stuck with them through it all in some small part.  Remembering things taught to you by the other and using that knowledge to hold onto…well it just made me so so happy but also so sad because OMG did I want them to get back together all the time!

                 Aside from trying to find one another we are trying to reclaim the astrolabe.  Keeping it out of Ironwoods hands seems to be the only thing most everyone agrees on.  What to do with it after is up for debate.  We see much more of the Thorns and what they stand for and aim to do.  The different timelines and the whole chaos of trying to fix timelines and such is so incredible and complex yet it still manages to make sense.  I was floored.  To be able to write this world and keep everything straight is an impressive feat so huge kudos to Bracken for managing this.   

                We have some new characters, and some old ones we just got to know more about.  Favorite new addition was Li Min.  She is pretty awesome, I love her crafty side.  I liked getting to see a deeper and more real side of Sophia as well.  She was just this teachers pet for most of the previous book trying to impress grandfather and a thorn in my side.  Now she has depth and purpose.  Julian, previously thought dead, was nice as well.  He was what I expected of him.  He wasn't evil or even horrible more that he was caught up in himself to much to see things in front of him.  Though seeing him learn and grow was rewarding.  I also loved the moments with Etta and her father.  Those, while I didn't trust them at first, were so precious.  The duet moment.  Sigh.

                 I liked the combo of Nicholas and Sophia as it went on and she grew on me.  She is fierce and determined and balances things out.  She's the more vicious and blood thirsty of the two which was funny.  Then when Li Min was added the trio became amazing to read.  I loved the interactions and banter between them.  On the flip side I liked how Etta interacted with everyone, experiencing so many new wonders in traveling.  The time with her dad was great reading but seeing her mom again.  That first scene felt so legit.  All the raging emotions fighting for dominance for her and for the reader as we try to figure out how we feel.  I loved it. 

                This book had a lot of ground to cover.  It managed to close out the series so beautifully.  I was biting my nails until the very end.  I had so many emotions I was texting my friend who had finished it a few days before my thoughts as I read.  Wayfarer was a huge success in my book.  I had so many of my questions answered and so so much more.  This book took the beautiful world we came to love in Passenger and made it more vivid and flushed out before ending the main storyline in a way that really left me happy.  It left me feeling hopeful.  I loved it and highly recommend this series! 

                Until next time…

Wayfarer (Passenger #2) Sneak Peek

                Hello Happy Readers!  So excited for 2017!  We are almost there but first I have one more snip-it for you.  I’ll also be sharing my 2016 wrap-up and 2017 goals/challenges in the next couple of days so stay tuned.  But first Wayfarer (Passengers #2).

                So you may remember but last year I was stoked to get an ARC of Passenger (review)by Alexandra Bracken from NetGalley.  I loved the book and my biggest complaint was that I had to wait even longer for more.  That said when I saw the cover for Wayfarer, one of my most anticipated books of 2017, on NetGalley I clicked request faster than lightening.  I got it right away but then I noticed that it was only a sneak peek, the first seven chapters of the book.  Now I was skeptical about this as I have mixed feelings on chapter samplers normally but I figured I needed at least one answer to hold me over and the book comes out in the first month of 2017 so I went ahead and devoured it.

                This sampler was not nearly enough to completely satisfy but if did the job of getting me amped up and ready for book two.  It took me back to the world of Passenger and reminded me of everything that had happened.  It made sure that when my pre-order of Wayfarer arrives it is read right away and now I can also get a jump start! 

                Nicholas is working with Sophia are working together.  Etta is alone but finds unexpected company in someone I'd been so excited to learn more about, Julian and even got the first glimpse of a new character Li Min who had me unsure from the start.  So much was encompassed in those seven chapters I can't wait to get my hands on the whole thing.  Basically next week can't come soon enough!  Until then here is the summary to help tide us over.

                All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history.  After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed.  When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master's heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta's past could put them both at risk.

                Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail.  They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia.  But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

                As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable…and might just run out on both of them.

Waiting on Wednesday: Wayfarer

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Wayfarer (Passenger #2) by Alexandra Bracken

Out: 1/3

From Goodreads:

                All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history.  After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed.  When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master's heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta's past could put them both at risk.

                Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail.  They cross paths with mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia.  But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.

                As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable…and might just run out  on both of them.

Why I’m Waiting:

                Well with how Passenger (review) ended can you blame me?  I have been so ready for this book before the first one officially came out because I read an ARC lol.  So torture waiting for what’s next in this world. 

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out!

Time travel treasure hunt! Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

And can we just appreciate this cover!

                I can hardly believe Christmas is in four days!  I hope everyone is enjoying their time and staying safe.  I will be posting my normally scheduled Top Ten Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday post this week but for the holiday I will not be posting Thursday or Friday as I’m sure you understand.  I just wanted to make it official and also wish you all a wonderful, safe, and Merry Christmas!  In the mean time I had to get my thoughts out on Passenger by Alexandra Bracken after finishing it Saturday night.  This book was provided to me as an ARC by NetGalley  and Disney-Hyperion/Disney Book Group for an honest review.  Thank you so much!  I was jumping up and down to get my hands on this beauty.  Passenger comes out January 5th.

Rating: 5 Stars

                Can I just say how thankful and happy I am to have received an ARC of this book?  Well I am!  My only pitfall of the ARC of a series anyways is that you then have an even longer time to wait for more!  That is where I am craving the next book and more of this whole world as possible.  I had one expectation of where the story was going to go, and what I thought would happen but then….nope it went a different route.  I was hooked in from the start.  From the description of time travel and a treasure hunt I was on board.  Etta is thrust into a world she never knew existed and Nicholas is pulled back into the Ironwoods orbit, one where they demand servitude.  They must work together and travel through time to find the prize, crossing times and continents, to figure out the clues and riddles left behind. 

                Etta is thrown into this world without any knowledge and is forced to learn quickly the way of the traveler.  Still she is only given half-truths on some things while being insulted and ordered around.  I love how strong willed she is despite her limited information and understanding.  She stands up for what she believes is right and reacts like an enlightened person of her era.  She has that fire and passion in her that I enjoy.  Full of schemes and running options for her next move and not waiting for others to guide her along blindly.  Still she is a sweet soul.  Nicholas has been through a lot in his life, the life he lives never an easy one.  He has had his trials but he is content in his current life on the ship, his own little paradise where he is judged by what matters: his ability and character not the color of his skin.  He has distanced himself from his past but is pulled back in by the lure of a payday and clearing his slate of a past wrong.  Hard to pass up.

                We see the story from both perspectives which I really enjoyed.  They both have their own secrets, fears, and reactions to different stimuli.  Traveling, while new for Etta is full of wonder and horror.  I love how she put it, to read about things in history books and know they were wrong is one thing but to see them in action is something all-together different.  Her adapting to and trying to blend into the past she clearly doesn’t fit into with her modern sensibilities; and him, while partially trained, seeing more modern technologies and feats that seem so far past his natural time it’s unsettling.  Their connection is slow and builds.  They become friends with a cause, partners on the journey.  They interact in a way that flows naturally.  They are alike and equally opposite which made for a good read. 

                The world itself was fully developed.  I was never confused with the worlds, well not after it was explained naturally.  The rules are in place.  The passages open to a specific year not day, the day is that of which you left still moving forward which makes keeping track of time moving through time much easier to process.  At least it was for me.  Time zones still suck but they do with any travel.  Most important with time travel everything flowed naturally without confusing me with technical babble.  Each time and place we are taken to have unique elements to set it apart.  I’m not a huge fan of history and normally stray from historical fiction but this had the authenticity but it also focused on the story as a whole and the hunt for the prize. 

                Passenger also deals with real issues that would arise in historical periods.  Being a woman or being a black man were not always pleasant things.  The reactions and views of people, the laws and overall feel dealt with that head on and didn’t shy away from it.  There is never one easy solution to the story; one little thing and it’d all be perfect and work itself out.  This story is beyond complex and weaved beautifully.  Now aside from the whole family lineage stuff, everything was easy to follow.  Which let’s be honest I don’t even follow my own family past the immediate, then it’s ‘we’re related somehow’ and I go with it I don’t have time for 2^nd or 3^rd this on this side by blah blah blah.  I was enticed through the whole book wanting to know more. 

                Overall I want more.  I need the sequel now.  I’m currently trying to figure out how many books are intended for the series and how long I’ll have to wait to find out what happens next.  It left a mark on me and I will eagerly count the days.  I look forward to learning even more about characters we only get a brief glimpse into with Passenger, paths crossed shortly and all.  I hope some return in the sequel because I would love to know more about Sophie, Hall, Chase, Julian, Alice, and Rose.  After everything that happened I just want more.  I’d also like to learn more about the Thorns as well.  So much going through my head after finishing this book.  Let’s discuss it below.  I would love to hear your thoughts about this book, characters, the concept, time travel in general in the comments. 

                Until next time…Merry Christmas!

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Passenger by Alexander Bracken

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Out:  1/5

From Goodreads: 

passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

ii. A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spence loses everything she knows and loves.  Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home.  And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of.  Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands.  But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily.  Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find.  In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not. 

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp.  But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home…forever.

Why I’m Waiting:

Do we need to re-read the description?  Seriously time travel and a mystery/scavenger hunt through time and space.  Plus it involves a ship, so many yummy Captains come to mind, and hints at romance.  I’m interested.  Plus while I have not yet finished The Darkest Minds series (I know I’m so behind) it is in no way because I don’t enjoy them, just life and constant interruptions.  Also technically I’m not waiting on it as I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this which I plan to start soon but still I’ll need the beautiful hardcover edition to go on my shelf with the other books since that is my favorite format!