Review: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Book Blurb:

Time flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 AD, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from the past.

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems.

Learn more about the book on Goodreads

My Review:

5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, BeatTheBackList, Heart-Wrenching, Historical, Mystery, Romance, Teen, Time-Travel--

"It was the strangest thing: meeting someone for the first time once more."

Farway is a boy who was born out of time, never really fitting in due to the strange circumstances of his birth. His future holds many great things for him, just as soon as he passes his final exam for time travel. Easy peasy- observe and record a sim of historical Marie Antoinnette, graduate the top of his class. But things don't go according to plan- as indicated by Marie winking at him and him failing. Now with a big blank spot where his future plans once were, Far is given a different kind of opportunity- to be the captain of his own time-travel ship to be a time pirate!

"Far would've bet his tight, tight breeches that the ship's maiden voyage had yet to be taken."

I really, really feel as if my heart has been ripped out, but magically put back together during the course of this read. I have no idea how Ryan was able to create such a fantastical voyage with all the things that I love in such a convenient, 454 page book shaped package. I feel like this was Doctor Who meets Firefly, but in a totally new, unexpected new way (yes, I did see you comment referencing it is "bigger on the inside"!)I went into this book with almost no idea what it was about and I had read no previous reviews so I was a blank slate- but I do love a good cover and this one most certainly caught my eye. To be perfectly honest, I am fan-girling so hard right now- Not only is this my favorite book so far this year, but probably my favorite book in at least the last six months.

The Ab Aeterno vanished from a vanishing sky, just as that vanishing vanished.

There was too much going on with all the twists and turn and HUGE freaking surprises, so I will keep the review pretty short with only my love brimming over. The story was narrated by the five main character, all with distinctive voices, personalities, drives and quirks. We have Farway the Recorder, a talented, cocky, confident man-boy who made the best out of a bad situation and took along with three favorite people to go on adventures with. Imogen the historian, Far's bright- haired, loving, playful cousin who accepts everyone and makes life fun. Gram, the genius mechanic with little inter-personal skills. Priya, the mother-hen Med who is motivated by all types of music and has a soft spot for cocky captains. Add lastly, Eliot, the pushy girl who forced her way on the ship but paid her due in the biggest of ways. Gah, the dynamic was amazing, reading the banter between them made me feel like I was part of the group and they were all my friends. I'm pretty sure a well made glass of chai can cure most things. Oh, and lets not forget the most important character- Saffron a mischievious red panda who inadvertenyly saves the day and makes messes and has conversations with the crew (without him even saying anything!-"Who?What?Yum?").

"Stop staring! Return to the void from whence you came!"

"Her fluffy ward gave a series of chirps. The noises often had a conversational quality- Insert food here! or Why so sad? or You humans are interrupting my daily twelve hours of slumber.

The story was such a mish-match of so many fun things, be it an adventure into history to document it or steal something of value, to a lazy alcohol influenced vacation to Las Vegas of the past, future tech and rules, banter between friends and teammates, to a gut wrenching romance, and an underlying mystery that the characters need to overcome. This was such an EPIC read, so much more than I could have ever imagined when I picked the book up to read. I was blown away by the journey and I really, really loved this book. As a side note, this is a standalone book, which is also in a world of series. I need to own a copy of this book so I can hug it to my chest and force everyone I know to read it also.

...And I need a red panda.​..and a pocket universe.