This is a fascinating story, with a great concept that introduces us to time travel of a very different kind. I loved the idea of a species that goes out into the galaxy and records the "real history" of dead civilizations by sending agents back in time to examine major catastrophes by having them live through the horrible situations. The scenes picked for Earth are interesting, if not entirely unexpected, and offer a good sample of some of humankind's greatest idiocies (in my personal opinion).

However, as much as I loved and admired the idea and the concept behind it, I also think it should come with a huge warning! I read the entire thing with an expectation of these men, so good at their jobs and very much in love, to be rewarded for all their hard work, but – nothing of the kind happens. I know the mistake was mine, the assumption it would end well my own fault, so to speak. All of this to say that if, like me, you expect what is set up to look and feel like a romance to have a happy ending, don't read this book. Personally, I found the message of the book "live in the moment and appreciate what you have" to be utterly depressing in the way it came across. To have the two main characters bonded and so in love it hurts, yet to never, ever let them come together – except in the moment of death for Dafydd - that is just utterly cruel.

If you're looking for a challenging read and one that will make you think about humankind's history, if you enjoy playing with unusual thought experiments and "what ifs", and if you're a fan of bittersweet romance (heavy on the bitter), you might enjoy this book.




NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )