Time Siege

Starred review from June 6, 2016
In this engrossing sequel to Time Salvager, Chu continues a futuristic saga that pits fugitive time traveler James Griffin-Mars and his allies, who seek to rescue a ravaged Earth from utter destruction, against Valta, the megacorporation that rules the galaxies. While James and Grace Priestly, the Mother of Time, embark on an interplanetary search for a cure for James’s unwell sister, Sasha, scientist Elise Kim and the Elfreth tribe seek refuge from Valta’s ruthless Senior Securitate Kuo on “the dreaded Mist Isle,” formerly Manhattan. Through Chu’s convincing worldbuilding, the future New York and Chicago become eerily familiar and frighteningly strange locales that integrate seamlessly into the story’s elaborate interstellar landscape. James rescues Levin, his former nemesis, from prison, and has ongoing exchanges with the spirit of his murdered friend Smitt, but still insists that “the past is already dead.” Smitt’s response—“You only think that, my friend”—captures the bizarre, provocative reality the characters inhabit. The story’s intricate plotting, breathtaking battles, and hefty doses of cruelty, betrayal, sacrifice, courage, and hope culminate in a cliff-hanger that will leave readers longing for the next installment. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary.