I’m not sure when I went from reading one book at a time to three! I’ve just started The Stickleback Catchers which I’ve downloaded from NetGalley. I’m still reading Beyond the Frozen Horizon as my evening read. I’m really enjoying this, and definitely keen to find out what is going on with the mining company and who Rory might be seeing. I’m about two thirds of the way into listening to The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks which is absolutely wonderful. Alice is an incredibly likeable autistic girl who has been sent to a boarding school by the sea only to discover that she has the ability to talk to the animals (and more). They need her help to save them as their friends go missing. This really is a gorgeous mystery adventure.
I’ve read Blanksy The Street Cat which is a gorgeous, illustrated story for younger readers telling the story of a street cat who makes a friend in Peter the busker and, in order to help Pete get more attention, he begins to create some murals, but is fame really what they want? I’ve also read Rivet Boy which is a brilliant historical fiction based on real events telling the story of 12-year-old John Nicol who becomes a rivet boy working on the construction of the Forth Bridge after he becomes the family breadwinner. I will be posting my review during the upcoming Blog Tour.
I read a few pages of this and was completely hooked, so I’m going to pick it up next.
Written by Sinéad O’Hart Cover illustration by Abigail Dela Cruz Published by Little Tiger
I’m so excited to be kicking off the Blog Tour for the absolutely gripping The Time Tider. Thank you so much to Dannie Price and Little Tiger for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Today, I’m sharing a wonderful, and truly inspirational, piece from Sinéad entitled ‘A Tale as Old as Time’ alongside my review.
A Tale as Old as Time by Sinéad O’Hart
Whenever an author has a book published, it’s a cause for celebration. Writing is hard, getting an agent can sometimes be hard, getting published (and staying published) is the hardest of the lot – so every book that makes it from idea, to first draft, to draft one zillion, to finally being printed, decked out with a beautiful cover, glued together with craft and skill (and possibly a little magic), and placed on a bookshop shelf is truly something to be proud of. With The Time Tider, my latest book (being published on February 2nd, 2023), I’m delighted for all these reasons – but also because the story in this book is one that has been inside my head for so long that it feels like part of me. This is a story that has tried to be told, over and over, and which took over twenty years to find its way out of my imagination and on to the page.
But before all that…
A long time ago, when the world was fresh and new and things like social media hadn’t even been invented yet, I was a young wannabe writer with lots of ideas. One of them was about a girl and a boy who travel to the north of the world to find out the truth about a mysterious Creature who lives there. (Later, it turned into my first book, The Eye of the North, but for now, while we’re imagining me as a youngster, let’s understand that, at this time, the idea of being published was akin to the idea of me walking on the moon.) I wrote whenever I could, trying to ignore the little voices in my head that told me to get a grip, and that being published wasn’t allowed for people like me. Life started happening – jobs, and paying rent, and all the rest of it – and for a long time, those little voices drowned out every spark of writerly ambition I had. I let them dampen my dreams, though I kept my ideas alive.
Then came the day when The Time Tider arrived in my head.
It had been years since an idea had made me fizz, from toenails to tip-top, with excitement. This was an idea that seemed to have potential, that really seemed original, that had come straight out of the depths of my brain, and I loved it. I kept it safe and guarded it close, but the self-doubt voices were still strong, and life was still busy, and rent still needed to be paid. So, it remained in my heart for another decade, quietly – or, not so quietly, at times – waiting its turn to be written into existence.
The first time I tried to write The Time Tider, it had been in my head for over ten years, and it had ideas about how it wanted to be told. The very first draft was over 150,000 words long! It featured a sixteen year old girl who finds out her father has strange abilities to slip through Time, for reasons of his own. The girl feels her father’s power is one he’s misusing, and she decides to try to stop him – with chaotic results. It’s lavish, it has all manner of complicated settings, and despite its own ambitions, it did not work. I tried, and tried again, and worked so hard on trying to edit down this beast of a book, before finally concluding: this was not the way the story needed to be told.
So, a few years later, I tried again. This time the story had a Victorian setting, with nefarious villains, shadowy corners, shiny gold artefacts, glowing vials filled with strange substances, and a locked chest full of secrets. There was a girl, her baby brother, and their mysterious father, and again the story failed. It was almost there – but not quite. Next came a setting in an ancient civilization, with marble palaces and great riches and a missing sister, and a cruel father with his time-slipping power, and this draft was one I didn’t even manage to finish. For a long time, I gave up on the idea – I couldn’t write it! I wasn’t good enough to write it! It was supposed to land in someone else’s head instead of mine! – but the story kept nagging me to try. I listened. This time, the setting was futuristic: doors that hissed open and closed, people who lived in high-rise towers, a girl with an older brother who makes a serious mistake. This draft, I finished. It was good!
But it still wasn’t right.
I wrote and published other books; life moved on. I began to look at The Time Tider with fondness, like ‘the one that got away’, the idea I was never quite able to handle. And then, one day, I got the flash of a scene in my head. A girl, living in the back of a van with her dad, and someone throws a brick through their window. It gave me the same sense of fizzing excitement I’d first had over two decades before, and I knew – here it was. The setting, the place, the voice, the characters, and finally things began to click into place, and my Tale as Old as Time finally took shape.
Sometimes, ideas take time. You’re not a failure if you give them that time, and if you allow them to come to you when they’re ready. And if there’s an idea that won’t leave you in peace, one your mind keeps coming back to, then take heart. One day, your spark will come – and the story will be all the better for having taken the long way round.
Review
The Time Tider is a ferociously fast-paced, thrilling and intriguing contemporary fantasy that transported me into an enthralling adventure where the phrase ‘just one more chapter’ has never been so apt.
Twelve-year-old Mara lives with her dad, Gabriel, in their worse-for-wear, old van. They never settle anywhere, and travel from place to place, meaning that Mara has never attended school or had the opportunity to make friends. Although she is curious about the work that takes so much of her father’s time, she does not know what his mysterious job entails beyond that he works with watches and keeps colourful liquid in jars. When Mara sees her father selling some of this liquid to a stranger, she witnesses something that should be impossible.
Determined to discover the truth behind the secrets her dad is keeping from her, she begins a search and finds The Time Tider’s Handbook, a collection of notes held by the Time Tider: her father! He is responsible for slipping through time to harvest lost Time from those who die before they are supposed to, and storing it safely and securely so that dangerous time warps, capable of ripping the fabric of Time and endangering human existence, can be eradicated.
After confronting her father, he promises to tell Mara the truth but, before he can do so, Gabriel is kidnapped by a dangerous group, and so begins a heart-pounding, action-packed adventure as Mara and her new friend Jan race to find the Time Tider before his abilities, and harvested time, are used for nefarious purposes. Oh my goodness! This is a story that kept me on the edge of my seat, desperately turning pages (those cliffhanger chapter endings!) as I was completely captivated by the intricate and fascinating plot; caught up in the danger, tension and chase; and left breathless by the unexpected twists and revelations. Just wow!
I’m used to stuff not being safe. I’ve never been safe. Not ever.
Mara is an incredibly sympathetic young girl and one who I have definitely taken into my heart. Her mother died when she was two years old and she has spent her young life travelling from place to place with her father who is obsessed with his mysterious job and often doesn’t give her the time and attention she needs. She is courageous, resilient and determined as she learns more about her father’s abilities, his motives and her family history whilst at the same time finding her own truths. I adored the close friendship that forms between Jan and Mara as they face their fears, overcome dangerous situations and learn to trust each other.
I found the exploration of the role of a Time Tider absolutely fascinating and incredibly thought-provoking. I loved the extracts from The Time Tider’s Handbook which preceded each chapter, giving a tantalising insight for the chapter. Themes of power, betrayal, temptation and loss were brilliantly intertwined into the story alongside those of family, trust and friendship. I really enjoyed the ‘greyness’ of motives, choices and decisions which made this such an intriguing, exceptional read.
The Time Tider is an exhilarating, irresistible page-turner: a heart-warming, intricate story of family and friendship woven into the most brilliant time-twisty plot that is guaranteed to bring hours of reading delight!
Don’t let any more time pass before picking this up. You can purchase it at:
Today’s prompt for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot, is for February reads. I’m going to include three from my Beat the Backlist challenge and three books that I bought in January.
The three that I bought in January that I’m hoping to read in February:
The three from my Beat the Backlist challenge that I’m hoping to read this month:
What books have you on your February TBR? Have you read any of these?
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!
I’d never been in the sky before. It feels unnatural. A subversion of all the laws of physics, and all the Climate Laws too. Humans don’t belong in the air. But I hadn’t reckoned on the excited twitch of my brain as the metal cylinder hurtled into the sky. Above the clouds, looking down on England as we left it behind for six whole weeks.
Any ideas?
This is my current Beat the Backlist challenge read which I’m absolutely loving.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The earth is thriving – with wilderness status protecting land and wildlife, and scientific organisations researching new ways to support human life sustainably. Rory’s mum is a geologist on one of these projects, and Rory is beyond excited to join her on a work trip to the Arctic. But the project isn’t all that it seems, and Rory soon learns what’s at stake for the people and animals that live there…
Written by Zillah Bethell Cover and inside illustration by Saara Söderlund Published by Usborne Publishing
The Song Walker is an absolutely stunning, transcendent, and deeply moving story: a story of friendship, of courage and of hope set in the fierce beauty of the Australian Outback that held me spellbound throughout. I have no doubt whatsoever that this will be one of my books of 2023!
A young girl walks aimlessly through the relentless heat of the Australian Outback having no memory of who she is, nor why or how she got there. Wearing one black shoe, a silky black dress and carrying a locked metallic case, she is woefully ill-equipped to face the fiercely beautiful and dangerous landscape. Waking from the coldness of the night to the merciless heat of the morning sun, she meets Tarni, a First Country Australian, and so begins the most incredible, awe-inspiring, and courageous journey …
And oh my goodness – what a deadly journey the girls have undertaken! The tense anticipation, the glimpses into each girl’s secrets, the twists, revelations and danger: at times, I had my heart in my mouth and, at others, tears streamed down my face. I wish I could say more, but I really don’t want to give away any spoilers. Suffice to say that this is an unforgettable story that sang its way into my heart, and left an indelible impression.
In their own ways, both girls are trapped and lost, and are undertaking a quest to find what is most important to them whilst at the same time struggling with what it means to lose your sense of self and to reclaim your identity. The friendship between the girls is beautifully realised and so authentic as they begin to open up to each other, as they grapple with the ups and downs of forming bonds of sisterhood, dealing with thorny issues, falling outs, compromise and really getting to know and understand each other. They find a lasting, empathetic friendship as they wander across the desert, gradually building trust and understanding more about each other’s lives and the people they want to become. I was completely gripped by their plight, by their courage and resilience as they fight for survival, face heart-stopping dangerous situations and reveal each other’s secrets.
Memory and music both play an important part in this story. For one of the girl’s, her memories of her past life and who she is are trapped, only being triggered in dream flashbacks and sparked by the contents of the case she carries. They show her regrets, fear, loneliness and confusion which she needs to piece together and build into a new song for her life. Tarni’s memories are related to her identity and cultural heritage as a First Country Australian, following the path of song maps left by her ancestors and respecting the land, the history and the mysticism that is her birth right.
The Song Walker is a story that beats to its own poignant and heartfelt pulse that encapsulates friendship, pain, identity and hope in the most remarkable, unmissable and unforgettable adventure. An absolute masterpiece!
Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and Usborne for a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I have now bought a gorgeous finished copy for my class library.
And January’s over – it always seems like three months rolled into one! Maybe that explains why it’s been my best reading month for ages! It’s not all been books – I’ve also enjoyed some great TV: Only Murder in the Buildings, Happy Valley and The Last of Us.
Books I’ve read:
I’ve read 16 books this month including 8 from my Beat the Backlist Challenge (48 left!):
The Vanishing of Aveline Jones
My Story: Princess Sophia Duleep Singh
The Tower at the End of Time
Tyger
The Secret of Haven Point
Twitch
A Girl Called Justice: The Spy at the Window
Furthermoor
The two that have really stuck with me are Twitch and Furthermoor for very different reasons. Twitch is just the most brilliant mystery adventure with wonderful twists and such a likeable character in Twitch. I really did love everything about this, and have been recommending it in school. Furthermoor is such a thought-provoking story with heart-breaking themes of bullying and grief and really explores the power of the imagination. This would make a brilliant read-aloud for a mature Year 6 class or a reading group.
NetGalley:
I’ve got another badge from NetGalley – my approved badge as I have been auto-approved by four publishers which I’m very grateful for – and it gives me instant access to some wonderful upcoming books. My ratio is currently at 96% and I’ve added one new book to my shelf:
Books sent by publishers:
I am grateful to have been sent six books by Publishers this month.
Books bought:
I’m trying really hard not to buy too many books each month as I have so, so many to catch up on, but still managed seven – but I’ve read 2: The Song Walker and No Place for Monsters. I’m aiming to read some more of these over half term.
How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these?Have you any of them on your TBR?
I’ve loved Nicola Penfold’s previous two books, and have just started Beyond the Frozen Horizon.
I devoured The Time Tider over a couple of days and absolutely loved it! The main character, Mara, is wonderful and I really enjoyed the whole concept of unused time. I will be posting my review and a piece from Sinead during the Blog Tour next week. I absolutely loved Twitch, so when I saw Spark on my library app, I had to borrow it. The Twitchers have another crime to solve whilst/during trying to protect a rare bird. This adventure is more focussed on Jack as he leads the investigation. I love the interactions between the children, the brilliant building of the mystery and M G Leonard’s narration is fantastic. I’m so looking forward to the next book in the series, Clutch which will be released in April. I’ve had October, October since it was first released, but just never got round to reading it. Oh my goodness – that was a mistake! It is absolutely stunning and such a heartachingly, beautifully told story. This is both a heart-warming and a heart-breaking story as October comes to terms with the changes in her life (after having to go to live with her mother in London when her father becomes seriously injured at their isolated home in the woods) and searches for the wildness that makes her feel safe. I can definitely see why this won the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022.
I love Barbara Henderson’s historical fiction, and am really looking forward to reading her next one, Rivet Boy which is set during the building of the Forth Bridge.
Book Craic 