The Timeseer’s Gambit by Kate McIntyre

timeseersgambit

Genre: Supernatural, Steampunk, Science-Fiction, Mystery

Pages: 401

Publishing date: August 4th 2016 by Curiosity Quills Press

It’s been three months since mild-mannered Christopher Buckley began working with Olivia Faraday, the eccentric Deathsniffer. They’ve hunted killers, solved murders, and learned to work together. But their greatest challenges are yet to come…

As a brutal heat wave wracks an increasingly unstable Darrington City, someone is killing young priests. Worse, they are using bound elementals to do it. As Chris and Olivia contend with rogue spiritbinders and a church under siege, the clock ticks down toward the trial of Doctor Francis Livingstone, accused of orchestrating the fall of the Floating Castle and the death of thousands. Chris believes the doctor is innocent, but the tide of the conspiracy aligned against him is strong enough to wash away anyone who would stand for him.

How far is Chris willing to go to save the doctor? Can Darrington city survive the rival forces tearing it apart? And can Olivia find her first serial killer before another body drops?

crownfullrating

This was a difficult book for me to not only rate but also to read and part of me says it’s because I didn’t read the first book. I read in another review that this series is not one you can pick up the sequel without reading the first and know what is going on. I was lost for a vast majority until I just decided to nod my head and pretend I knew what was going on.

That being said, there is so much world building in this book and it happens in dribs and drabs but it is constantly there. With the slang, the way things are [wealthy vs poor] and then add the supernatural flare to it with those who are categorized into ‘types’ and if they fail are given to the church. I have a feeling that there was a fair amount of brick laid in the prior book but I can’t be certain. This book does portray the world well, but either because it happens so often or that I didn’t read the first one I felt rather confused.

I also didn’t care overly much for Olivia Faraday which is unfortunate for me since she is important to the story. She was Sherlock-ish without having the endearing personality that Sherlock has [or lack thereof? Maybe it’s because I’m a Sherlock fan…] I just wasn’t keen on her and found it difficult to take to her. I did like William and I really enjoyed Chris. I wish their dynamic was enough to keep me really drawn into the book, but it wasn’t because abrasive Olivia was constantly thrown in with her head tossed back, cackling, [seriously.]

My overall issue with the story was that I felt like the banter was too much of the story rather than the story happened to be the story. There was info drop here, and there, and then there was actual plot related things here, but over to the side was this plot that was ushered in. I felt like I was being overwhelmed with relationships, information regarding the plot and the world. It was all a little too much and maybe that was just me, maybe this book isn’t for me at this moment. Who can say?

The author can write, though, that is for certain. I just felt overwhelmed and then in other places underwhelmed. Mysteries are usually a hit or miss for me and this one isn’t quite a miss… I just didn’t quite understand what was going on.

It is closer to a 2.8 than 2 crown rating.