Book Review: Across Time and Starlight

Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth

A sweet romantasy treat for readers who loved The Time Traveler’s Wife

The Floating City’s great World Tree is depriving the people of their precious dreams. Without it, the citizens are a husk of the imaginative human beings they once were. But there is light in the world of darkness. A prophesized time traveler is supposed to arrive in their land with their dreams.

When an enslaved fairy, Saya, is sent out to find the famed time traveler, she is forced to reflect on everything she thought was true. Was the dream where someone gave her wings true? Or is there something more to this story?

Meanwhile, Andreas is having dreams of Saya. She seems like a distant memory giving him purpose, leading him to the answers he’s been searching for. With his extraordinary time-traveling ability, he’ll defy the rules of his society. Nobody braver would fight for love more than he does, even if it means the world will fall apart.

Alessandro Candotti’s Across Time and Starlight is like if The Time Traveler’s Wife had more fantasy. There is more to this story than its romantic premise, that’s for sure. This book gets readers thinking about the complications of time travel and the endless loop of life.

Candotti cleverly adds well-known aspects from world mythology into this story too. The Fates in Candotti’s world are seen as the heavenly overseers. People may recall the same “Fates” from the three women who measure a human’s lifespan in Greek mythology. People may connect the dream-devouring World Tree to the Nordic mythology’s Yggdrasil tree; both trees symbolize great power and have deep-rooted foundations.

Saya and Andreas endure heavy trials throughout this book. The two fated lovers start off as enemies. Only in their dreams do they realize they are meant to be together. While Saya starts off as a passive character—a fairy is a valuable specimen and so she is taken and gets her wings removed—she grows bolder and more resilient during her journey with Andreas. The battle to reunite with her lover (and her wings) again pushes her where she needs to go.

Some of the time switches in the chapters can be confusing to keep track of, but the book is largely clear and remains enjoyable when you’re locked in.

Across Time and Starlight is an engrossing fantasy romance featuring a vast world and plenty of time-traveling adventure. But it’s the romance that shines. You’ll be wishing for Saya and Andreas’s happy ending.

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