Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Time Taken
SERIES: Out of Time #3
AUTHOR: C.B. Lewis
PUBLISHER: Ninestar Press
LENGTH: 456 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2019
BLURB:
Time travel is a precarious business at the best of times, but when Qasim El-Fahkri’s mission to the past ends in violence, it has a ripple effect through every level of the Temporal Research Institute.
Rhys Griffiths finds himself caught in the wake of the disastrous jump, his own career uncertain. With the Supervisory Board breathing down his neck, operatives demanding answers to baffling questions, and life outside of work bearing down on him, his only respite comes from Qasim’s company. As the professional slowly becomes the personal, they must confront the echoes of their own pasts to try and move forward in the future.
But another past is waiting for Qasim, and there may be no coming back from this one…
For full enjoyment, it is recommended to first read books 1, Time Waits, and 2, Time Lost.
REVIEW:
What a series this has been! I love it! Suspenseful, angsty, heartbreaking, joyful, you name it. It sets a bar in sci-fi for me and it’s a high one. These characters just reach in and grab your heart and you can’t help but love them. Even the ones that come across as buttheads. Except for one….(he gets his.)
Rhys is so nervous about this jump. It’s his first in a supervisory role, and, well, he failed. One of his operatives ended up seriously injured and executed a jump that was a rare thing. What Qasim didn’t tell anyone, is that he almost died. The sword cut to his ribs was close enough, but the second before he came through the gate, the sword was going for his head. But he survived and lived another day, trying to enjoy being alive and with his family. But the nightmares and panic attacks are getting to him. Thankfully, Rhys has been noticing and keeping him occupied and helping him to recover and they’ve grown close. Qasim isn’t ready for this next jump. He’s scared to death, to be honest. Rhys is trying to help him keep calm and Qasim used his family’s holiday to postpone it a bit, but he’s still got to go. When he does, tragedy strikes. And this time, he may not make it.
The suspense in this one. Man. It doesn’t help when you really just love these guys. Rhys is already low from Qasim almost dying the first time, and with all the stuff happening in his personal life, it’s pushed him too far. I love the bond he and Qasim are growing. In truth, it’s the only thing that keeps them sane most days. They talk and play games, flirt and play around and it helps them both. But even with all the present crap going on, everything keeps piling up. Their pasts have made their presence known in many ways and all of it is affecting their future.
These guys go through a hell of a lot. Qasim more than anyone. It takes a lot to get through it. And they almost don’t. Things get desperately close to ending and the blowback from it is excruciating. It takes a bond of family, love, faith and one day at a time. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next. Especially with the way this one ended.
RATING: 
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