"We often see vulnerability as a weakness, but the truth is that strength is about being honest, authentic, and brave enough to show people who we are." -from chapter 34

And this is also why the book succeeds. It takes the time to show us not only what the characters are doing, but what emotionally drives them to do it. Even better, this is typically done through delicious subtext.

My full video review with detailed thoughts is at https://youtu.be/u59KqqJaLEw?t=798

In this book, Joseph Bridgeman is still picking up the pieces from his previous time travel adventures when he is recruited to a new mission. This one involves a 1873 opera house fire (yes, the opera does have a phantom, yes that phantom may or may not be a time traveller).

One of the frameworks of this book is putting together pieces without full context. And that is a compliment! This creates many little mysteries in this book (in how time travel really works, in character motivations, etc). Every time I figured out one of these little mysteries, I got such a thrill (and even when it turned out that I had reached the wrong conclusion, that did not lessen my delight). The main character is living a life in a parallel dimension than the one he is used to (kind of, it’s time travel after all), and having to adjust again and again to the curveballs that life throws at him. He is constantly dealing with situations without the right context, and having to work through it anyway. This gives the book such a rich layer of emotional complexity. It’s further impressive that these layers are a direct fallout of character actions in a previous book (and real consequences in a story are one of my favorite things).

(Coincidentally, my experience of reading this book was also one lacking proper context. This is the third in the series, and I haven’t read books 1 or 2. Being confused with the details of time travel ALONGSIDE the narrator was such a pleasure, and helped me feel like I was still along for the adventure. It’s okay to be a little confused in this book, because that’s part of the ride.)

AUDIOBOOK:
The audiobook was well done. The narrator, Ray Porter, provides an appropriate amount of emotion to the book (I especially appreciated the gravitas in the dramatic moments), and gives each character a distinct voice. However, I feel that this narrator was miscasted. Our main character is very British (in hometown and vocabulary used), and the audiobook narrator is American. No matter how talented the narrator is (and he is), that doesn’t stop the dissonance in my ears from hearing the story through the wrong accent.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.