Across the Ages - Gabrielle Meyer - ★★★★.½
AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer
SERIES: Timeless, #4
GENRE: Historical Timeslip
PUBLICATION DATE: November 5, 2024
RATING: 4.5 stars.
In a Nutshell: The latest and best (so far!) instalment of the Timeless series. Historical fiction incorporating timeslip, romance and Christian elements. Fabulous plotting, great characters, steady pacing, wonderful use of the two timelines. Much recommended! Works as a standalone but better if read in series order.
Plot Preview:
Twenty-year-old Caroline lives two lives simultaneously in two different time periods. (If you have read any of the earlier Timeless books, you know how this happens.)
In 1727, Caroline has escaped her dogmatic grandfather and an undesirable future and embarked upon a quest to search for her mother who had abandoned her as a baby. To make her journey easier, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and boards a vessel sailing for Nassau. However, when pirates cross her way, her task becomes even more challenging.
In 1927, Caroline is the youngest daughter of a conservative preacher and is struggling to live up to the high standards expected of her position. Unfortunately, she holds many secrets about her two older brothers, which could potentially damage her father’s pristine reputation.
In both 1727 and 1927, all Caroline wants is the freedom to choose her own destiny. But is this possible when she doesn’t even know why she lives two lives?
The story comes to us in Caroline’s first-person perspective from both timelines.
I have been a huge fan of the Timeless series ever since I read the first book in May 2022. Every May since then has brought forth a new Timeless book. So imagine my surprise and delight when I heard that 2024 was to have two Timeless stories! I was not even a bit apprehensive that a new book so soon might mean a compromise on the story development or the research. That’s how much faith I have in author Gabrielle Meyer, plotter extraordinaire! She even manages to make this the best book so far: a fabulous accomplishment for a series where I have given 4.5 stars to two of the three earlier books.
Plot Preview:
Twenty-year-old Caroline lives two lives simultaneously in two different time periods. (If you have read any of the earlier Timeless books, you know how this happens.)
In 1727, Caroline has escaped her dogmatic grandfather and an undesirable future and embarked upon a quest to search for her mother who had abandoned her as a baby. To make her journey easier, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and boards a vessel sailing for Nassau. However, when pirates cross her way, her task becomes even more challenging.
In 1927, Caroline is the youngest daughter of a conservative preacher and is struggling to live up to the high standards expected of her position. Unfortunately, she holds many secrets about her two older brothers, which could potentially damage her father’s pristine reputation.
In both 1727 and 1927, all Caroline wants is the freedom to choose her own destiny. But is this possible when she doesn’t even know why she lives two lives?
The story comes to us in Caroline’s first-person perspective from both timelines.
I have been a huge fan of the Timeless series ever since I read the first book in May 2022. Every May since then has brought forth a new Timeless book. So imagine my surprise and delight when I heard that 2024 was to have two Timeless stories! I was not even a bit apprehensive that a new book so soon might mean a compromise on the story development or the research. That’s how much faith I have in author Gabrielle Meyer, plotter extraordinaire! She even manages to make this the best book so far: a fabulous accomplishment for a series where I have given 4.5 stars to two of the three earlier books.
Bookish Yays:
🕰️ As always, a Yay for the conceptual creativity and the historical research of every book in this series. It’s such a pleasure to read such well-crafted historical fiction.
🕰️ You would think that a book series with the same basic premise - a girl(s) living two lives and torn between two loves - would get repetitive, but the author manages to add new components to each book. This time for instance, Caroline doesn't know anything about timecrossing and that she will need to choose one of her two lives soon. Also, for the first time we don't immediately know who Caroline is. The first three books followed the three generations of Libby's family, but Caroline is unconnected to Libby. Who is she then and how is she able to timecross? (As if I will tell you – Hah!)
🕰️ With the plot containing elements of historical fiction, timeslip, romance, fantasy, and Christian fiction, the book holds appeal in a variety of ways and does justice to all the genres.
🕰️ Caroline is a fabulous protagonist. Her emotions are as strong as her loyalty and her courage. I love how her personality incorporates feelings and learnings from both her lives. Though her life is not of her own choosing in both timelines, her background as well as her struggles are distinct in each arc.
🕰️ The writing is also impeccable. I love how well Caroline’s first-person point of view is used in each timeline to bring us up to speed on the other timeline without making it feel like an infodump. There is no extended internal rambling and the narrative is perfectly streamlined.
🕰️ In the series books so far, I had at least some inkling of what would be covered within the timeline, be it the revolutionary war or the Pearl Harbor attacks or the witch hunts. This time, I had absolutely no clue about what to expect from both the 1727 and the 1927 timelines. This added a level of intrigue to an already fascinating book. (Even if you know what historical events the author might have incorporated in the two timelines, I am sure your enjoyment won’t reduce.)
🕰️ Each of the timelines has plenty going on, and there’s no repetition across them. While both of them have strong storylines, I loved the 1727 track more for its novelty. Seeing a pirate’s life from aboard a ship in a historical fantasy-romance is not a common occurrence.
🕰️ The tempo is fast and consistent throughout.
🕰️ The Christian elements in this novel are much stronger than the earlier books in the series. But I appreciate how these are tackled not just by spouting biblical verses at random points but by genuine introspection over the role of faith in our lives. I especially enjoyed how Caroline wondered why she couldn’t be a Christian at a personal level instead of having to impart her beliefs to the entire world. I was a bit worried when I saw that one of the characters was an Evangelical pastor. Though a practising Christian, I have no fondness for evangelicals. However, his character is also written well.
🕰️ The book is a historical romance, but the romance doesn’t dominate the plot in either timeline for most of the way. Moreover, Caroline’s mind is very clear about whom she prefers, so there is no time wasted over a “Which one do I chose?” quandary. Both the potential love interests are well-written.
🕰️ The ending. *Chef’s kiss!*
🕰️ The author’s note, which clearly indicates her writing choices with respect to the actual historical people and events. As brilliant as always!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
⏱️ While there are several interesting secondary characters in this novel, most of them are sketched only vaguely. Of course, in a story with two detailed plots, the chief narrative focus is only on Caroline and her love interests, so most of the other characters get only a limited chance to shine.
Bookish Nays:
⏰ Teensy complaint: Mayhap there were too many mentions of the word ‘mayhap’ in this book. After a point, it became distracting.
All in all, this was a highly satisfying read, with its excellent plot and research offering a thrilling experience to this historical fiction lover. This had been one of my most anticipated books of 2024, and I am ecstatic that it went so well. Looking forward with bated breath to May 2025 and the arrival of Timeless #5!
Bookish Mixed Bags:
⏱️ While there are several interesting secondary characters in this novel, most of them are sketched only vaguely. Of course, in a story with two detailed plots, the chief narrative focus is only on Caroline and her love interests, so most of the other characters get only a limited chance to shine.
Bookish Nays:
⏰ Teensy complaint: Mayhap there were too many mentions of the word ‘mayhap’ in this book. After a point, it became distracting.
All in all, this was a highly satisfying read, with its excellent plot and research offering a thrilling experience to this historical fiction lover. This had been one of my most anticipated books of 2024, and I am ecstatic that it went so well. Looking forward with bated breath to May 2025 and the arrival of Timeless #5!
Much recommended to all historical fiction lovers who are open to Christian content in their fictional reading choices. While this book works well as a standalone, I’d strongly recommend you read the entire series in the right order. All four books are awesome, so the gain is absolutely yours!
My thanks to author Gabrielle Meyer and Bethany House for providing the DRC of “Across the Ages” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Here are the other books of the timeless ‘Timeless’ series in the right order:
For those who have read the earlier series books and are a bit confused about the characters, the author has created this handy family tree on her website. But do note that it contains minor spoilers about the character connections in the latest and even upcoming books.
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