Review: Stolen Time (The Dark Stars Series #1) by Danielle Rollins
Book Summary
This sweeping time-travel romance, perfect for fans of Kiera Cass and Alexandra Bracken, takes a girl groomed for deceit and a desperate young pilot on an epic journey to prevent a devastated city from collapsing into chaos.
Seattle, 1913
Dorothy spent her life learning the art of the con. So when her mother forces her into an engagement to a wealthy man just so they can live comfortably for the rest of their days, Dorothy is bent on escape—even if it means leaving her old life behind. But after stowing away on a strange aircraft, she wakes up in a chilling version of the world she left behind—and for the first time in her life, realizes she’s in way over her head.
New Seattle, 2077
If there was ever a girl who was trouble, it was one who snuck on board Ash’s time machine wearing a wedding gown—and the last thing he needs is trouble if he wants to prevent his terrifying visions of the future from coming true. But destiny isn’t an easy thing to pin down, especially when a girl from the past may hold the key to his destruction.
Book Details
Stolen Time by Danielle Rollins
Published on February 5, 2019, by HarperTeen
Young Adult Fiction / Time Travel
Hardcover, 416 pages
Book source from Edelweiss
My rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Book Review
STOLEN TIME by Danielle Rollins is a twisty, YA time-travel romance set in both a past and futuristic Seattle where a con girl and young pilot serendipitously meet and end up on a quest together in order to prevent a major catastrophe.
Time-travel books have always fascinated me. I love how they sweep the reader across time into the past, future, or both as in the case of this novel while creating a sense of danger, adventure and of course, time-paradoxes.
Danielle Rollins plays with these concepts and keeps us entertained, making sure we are not overwhelmed while the story dips precariously between times and more than one Seatle.
The story takes place in a dystopian, future setting in a world one can easily imagine. New Seattle in 2077 has suffered a major disaster creating a watery-world of half sunken buildings; a city rampant with gangs and violence that has been relegated to survival on its own.
I thought the idea of bringing our two protagonists together from different time periods was exciting and I was definitely intrigued by it.
“Time flowed around her like water and, for a moment, it was as though the past and the present and the future existed together, at the same time.”
Ash is a pilot trying to go back in time in search of his mentor who created a time machine in order to try and prevent a major disaster which nearly destroyed Seatle. He's sweet and very noble with his mission meaning everything to him.
Dorothy is from the past, desperately trying to flee her upcoming marriage arranged by her controlling mother who has taught her to be an accomplished con artist. She has definite trust issues and feels like no one truly sees her for her true self.
I liked both characters overall but felt that the romance could have used some more buildup. The interactions between Ash and Dorothy had some great tug and pull romantically but the adventure and time-travel action left them with little time together to explore it.
STOLEN TIME ended up being a fast and entertaining read with some great time-travel action and adventure in it. I loved the watery-dystopian setting of New Seattle and the clash of the past with it. What really made the story stand out in my opinion, is the clever and very twisty ending that ensures I'll be waiting eagerly for the next installment.
