Chess Desalls

I received this book as part of the early reviewer's program. Admittedly, I did not know that it was the third in the series when I requested it and i have not read the first two. However, this didn't impact the reading experience much as there were great recaps, character bios, and appendices to explain anything I may have missed. It was also relatively easy to parse out what had happened in earlier books. The plot is really rich and there is abundant potential for spin offs and side stories. My issues with this work were not with the plot or planning - it was unfortunately with the writing. Everything was told rather than shown and allowed no room for readers to form connections with the characters. Conversations felt stilted and awkward because the author was trying to pack information into them in ways that normal conversation doesn't flow. Again - the premise of the whole series is incredible! I could easily see this being made into a multi-season TV series that garners an incredible following. But in its current format it reads more like a blocking script for that tv series than it does a novel. There is just not enough description and emotion poured into these chapters to allow readers to be fully immersed in the incredible worlds that are waiting between the lines.… (more)

This was a short read; however, I just couldn't get into the story. The point of the story I was able to get to Silvie helped Juline teleport to Maroz. Juline's mother Rizza was putting out calls for Juline to come. Rizza had created a device that she could not get to work. She was calling Juline because she knew she could get it working. Once Juline is in Maroz, Rizza shows her the device and asks Juline to attempt to get it to work. Juline is not able to make it work. Juline and Silvie is given a room to sleep. Once they are alone, Juline asks Silvie to take them away as the device was made up of stolen travel objects and was put together to create a dark device. This is as far as I was able to get. Even though I couldn't get into the story, I do believe there are individuals who would really enjoy Shadow Clocks.
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World building, good vs. evil, complex characters...these are all elements that could and should make a story great. Determined Silvie, a healer, is chosen to retrieve the stolen articles that are used to make the time device. Her other-worldly friend, Juline is there to help (or is she?). When they find the objects, it is up to the good ones to retrieve them and stop them from being used in a sinister plot.

Shadow Clocks (The Song of Everywhen #3) is obviously the continuation of a series. Not having read the first two, I was lost. There was not enough backstory to mesh all the pieces together. The enormous mass of characters added to the confusion. Additionally, the back-and-forth between worlds, characters, and events was disorientating since the backstory was not reinforced.

Thank you to LIbraryThing Early Reviewers, Czidor Lore, and Chess Desalls for this ARC.… (more)