Invictus

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While I enjoy sci-fi books I have only read a couple of time traveling books with this one being one of my favorites. I thought this story was truly original and delightful. The concept of time travel can be very complex due to all of the rifts it can cause by just altering one decision. Graudin did a very good job in making this story believable and exciting at the same time. We follow a team of thieves who go back in time to collect items that were “lost” in time. While the first half of the book didn’t really offer much in adventure, the pacing was never off. At the end of the book the pace really picks up with anticipation of how their adventure ends. There was never a dull moment in the book which can sometimes be common in sci-fi due to the abundance of information provided. There was just enough detail about the science of time travel to give the reader an idea of how it works without losing the audience. While there were parts where the readers may have been lost, it was designed to be that way. I find that entertaining because you truly feel as one of the characters who also don’t understand all of the details.

I absolutely adored the characters in this book. They each had such a unique personality that it really tied the team together. Each character gave life to the ship which is very believable for a crew that is very close. Even though we didn’t get much development of characters they were portrayed in a way where you felt like you already knew them. Since character development was not a major objection in the book, the multiple point of views really helped the connection. We were able to read from the view of each character which gave them their own voice. Using these multiple points of view really help the connection to the characters since much background information wasn’t given. The lack of background information was very successful in keeping the pacing of the book and minimizing the information.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Invictus by Ryan Graudin was a fast paced, exciting read. I absolutely loved the story and thought it was executed really well. There was just enough detail to keep the reader interested while not overwhelming them with a lot of science information. The character development was very limited but through multiple points of views you were able to connect with them on a deeper level. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy sci-fi, action, and heist stories.

Time-travelling thieves. Who doesn’t want to read about that?

Invictus follows Farway Gaius McCarthy, a wannabe time-traveller who was actually born outside of time. Farway is desperate to travel back in time in the hopes of finding his mother who never made it back from a mission and while some say she and her crew are 'dead' Far thinks otherwise. After failing his final exam Far isn’t allowed to travel through time, distraught he's soon confronted with an offer he can't refuse. Tasked with captaining his own ship called the ‘Invictus’ and hiring a crew, he must steal history’s most precious items that were originally thought to be lost forever.

I loved loved loved the crew, made up of Far’s family and friends. Think the Six of Crows crew meets the Lunar Chronicles squad. The friendship between the characters was hilarious and highly enjoyable and is totally to blame for me wanting a red panda called Saffron.

The book is all about the adventure, the high of the chase, the long con. I loved Ryan’s flawless execution of time travel with a historical edge, it was a treat to read and everything flowed naturally, seamlessly from one adventure to the next. Readers will fall in love with the characters, be delighted from the non-stop adventure and be surprised by the plot twists.

I would have loved to see more development with the romance. Far and his girlfriend Priya are already together so I didn’t get to see those essential chapters of falling in love. I love the chase, the will they-won’t they and of course the angst that comes with relationships between my favourite characters. I know some people may like this take on relationships as it’s rarely seen in YA, which is great but for me I needed to see the progression in their relationship in order to become invested.

Overall Invictus was a highflying knock out for Ryan. Readers will be taken on a time travelling adventure and they definitely will not want it to end. I can’t wait to see what Ryan comes up with next. Oh and also I’d like my very own pet red panda thank you very much!