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I was really excited for Invictus because I’m a sucker for time travel in books and shows, plus the book starts off at a gladiator match in Ancient Rome. What more could I ask for? I was, however, left a little disappointed by the world building, which is a shame.
Of course, I looooved the time travel elements to this story. Jumping around in time from Ancient Rome to the sinking of the Titanic and to the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria was entertaining, and those parts were pretty great. I liked seeing these different time periods. Or, rather, I liked the idea of seeing them. The issue I had was that the world and time periods weren’t expanded upon or described well enough for me.
The world building in Invictus was a little disappointing. I wanted to learn more about the present day with the Corps, and also about the time periods that the crew was jumping to. The author didn’t describe the settings particularly well, which really drew me out of the story. I don’t think descriptions of settings are Graudin’s strong point.
The main plot was really good, and I enjoyed reading about the crew jumping around in time and trying to outrun something mysterious.
I didn’t care for any of the characters, really. The main character, Farway, was your typical arrogant YA boy, and none of the other characters stood out at all despite having the story told from their viewpoints in several chapters. None of them were distinct, and the only one I particularly enjoyed reading about was Eliot. The romance between Gram and Imogen was dull and I really couldn’t be bothered with that either. Farway and Priya were kind of adorable though.
Despite being disappointed by Invictus, I’ll definitely be trying out Graudin’s Wolf by Wolf duology, which sounds a lot stronger and more developed.
Invictus is a must-read for any sci-fi fan. Blending elements from some of my favorite sci-fi as I’ve already mentioned, the book is action-packed, full of suspense and hold your breath moments. Seriously y’all I read 460-ish pages in one day! It is that good. I didn’t want it to end. And while I know it’s a standalone, I really hope the author returns to this world and this crew. I’d read it!
I’ve heard mixed things about this book and considering how much I enjoyed the Wolf by Wolf duology that’s upsetting. I am definitely willing to give it a shot but from your review I think I’ll lower my expectations a touch.