Timebound by Rysa Walker
Review by Sceona
7 1/2 muddy crowns out of 10.
When I picked Timebound by Rysa Walker to be our very first
book to review for our brand new blog, I was immediately drawn to the cover and
the subject of time travel. While I'm not a huge fan of reading about history,
I was delighted that this book had a futuristic element. I loved how there
could be different timelines and the plots and twists although sometimes
confusing, made it where you weren't quite sure who was the enemy and the ally.
And while I'm not up to date on all the religions, I found it quite fascinating
that someone could create a religion with the changes in a timeline.
The reason why I didn't give it a full 10 muddy crowns was
because I felt that some parts felt rushed (the romance with Trey) and some
parts just had too much information. But overall, I loved this book and can't
wait for the next one. Plus, I can
totally see this book becoming a movie.
*************************************************************************************
And with great excitement, Frankie and I were able to submit
some of our questions to Rysa which she generously answered......
Thanks so much for inviting me to
join you at Mudville Dames! I love book blogs and am always delighted to
find a new one.
1. If you could travel to any place
and at any time, where and when would you go?
I've probably already tipped my hand
on that a bit in my writing. I'm very drawn to the Progressive Era,
especially the years between 1890 and 1920. There's so much going on and
it's an especially active period for women, as more of them begin to seek out
higher education and become politically active. Back in graduate school,
my primary area of study was women's political history, so that era is like
catnip for me. And if I had to pick a place, it would be Chicago during
the Columbian Exposition, for pretty much the same reason that my CHRONOS
historians visit so frequently. Most of the people I'd want to meet showed up
at the Fair during its six month run, so rather than having to travel all over
and find them, they'd be coming to me. But I'd definitely stay at the Palmer
House, rather than Holmes's World's Fair Hotel!
2. The dark religious undertone was my favorite thing about Timebound. This religion becomes extremely powerful; a force to be reckoned with. Was there a message there that you were trying to convey to your readers?
The Cyrists are a blend of negative
aspects from a wide array of religions--a faith constructed by a cynic who is
interested only in the ability of religion to manipulate people. Fortunately
for him (and unfortunately for many, many others) he has the ability to
manipulate others by bits of "prophecy" and "miracles,"
that are nothing more than 24th century technology, skillfully used to his
advantage.
Religion can be an incredible force,
both for good and for evil. The seeds of both are there, and what really
matters are the extremes to which people are willing to go on behalf of their
faith. I'm one of those people who has always had an issue with blind faith--I
won't go into my specific religious beliefs, but I think there is a purpose
behind humanity's capacity for reason. I think that mixing politics and
religion is a very risky enterprise, because it puts too much power into the
hands of a few.
3. It’s obvious that you’ve done your research for the time periods visited in the novel. Did you already have knowledge of H.H. Holmes and his monstrous activities or was that something you stumbled upon in your studies for this novel? Are you drawn to the macabre? It added to the realism of the time period. I personally found it enticing.
I was aware of Holmes's presence at
the World's Fair going in, thanks to an excellent book by Erik Larson, The
Devil in the White City that I read a year or so before I started writing Timebound.
It's non-fiction, with lots of lovely footnotes for geeks like me who
like to track everything down, but it's written almost like non-fiction for
those who like to skip the details and roll with the story.
As for the macabre, I'm
definitely drawn to it. I think every story I've ever written has had
some creepy element, so you won't find me writing slice-of-life or fluffy
romance under a pseudonym. I was reading Stephen King in middle school
and always enjoy a scary book. I steer clear of the movies,
however--spewing arteries put me off my popcorn and make me sleep with a
night-light.
4. Will there be a sequel to
Timebound and if so, when are you anticipating it to come out?
The CHRONOS Files is mapped out as a three book series, with
two (or possibly three) novellas in between. The first draft of book two,
tentatively entitled Time's Edge, is currently with the editor, and is
slated for an October release. I'm just finishing up the draft for a
novella from Kiernan's perspective, and am hoping to release it (eBook only) in
late May. The final book and novella(s) will follow a similar pattern in
2015. I'll be posting updates on the releases at http://www.rysa.com and on the Timebound Facebook
site when I have more specific info to share.
5. Any upcoming plans for a book
tour?
At present time, no. As you
can tell from the publication schedule above, I'm going to be chained to my
computer for the next year and a half! I may attend a few comic-cons,
however, and I'm planning to attend UtopYA--a YA conference in Nashville--this
summer. I haven't heard back from them on whether I'll actually have a
signing table, since I came on board a bit late. (I'm learning you have to book
these things about a decade in advance.) But if all else fails, I'll set
up at a nearby Starbucks. I kind of like that idea anyway, since there
will be a nearby supply of fuel. ;)
And for some Extra Extra news.... Rysa is currently working
with Mark Morgan's Outlier group (executive producers for the Twilight films)
and they are in the process of "shopping" the idea around to various
studios, directors, and actors for her book to become a movie. How cool is
that?
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