Intricate plotting, higher stakes, and cozy vibes mark an epic conclusion to this time-traveling trilogy.
Tables have turned for time traveling emperor turned schoolteacher Julian. Used to being master of his fate, he is now facing the Time Service, a shady organization that is fast closing in on him. To top it off, he has been captured along with Lexi, the woman he loves. When he and Lexi discover the person behind their abduction, everything they think they know will be shaken to the core.
Judah Goodman has made a huge mistake. One that, if left unchecked, will destroy humanity as we know it. Even though he has inherited his unknown father’s gift of traveling through time, he’ll need far more help to fix this problem. Luckily for him, he has a couple of unsuspecting allies he can call on. As long as they’ll hold off killing him long enough to listen.
Just in Time Deliverance is the final book in the Just in Time trilogy. Itpicks up where the previous book ended with Julian and Lexi having been captured by an unknown time traveler. The trilogy uses sci-fi/fantasy to examine deeper philosophical and ethical issues, each book building a little more on the same theme. The previous two novels explored the world mostly through a lens of the past and present, while this addition delves more into the possible future.
The scrupulous detail in the Just in Time series is always spot-on. It’s clear while reading it that Wetsman knows his way around history. The description of different places and eras drop you right into the novel. As always, setting plays a prominent part of the story. The New Orleans atmosphere is the beating heart of this novel. The streets, history, weather, and rhythm of the place are nearly tangible.
Wetsman weaves so many superb worldbuilding fragments into this novel with seeming ease. I love that the time travelers become a part of New Orleans’ spooky lore with people mistaking them for ghosts. The initial creation of the Time Service and the danger it poses are also fascinating. The second book gave us a hint of how difficult things would be when Julian went up against other time travelers. Deliverance takes this notion up several notches, giving us a slew of enemies who can not only match Julian and Judah for powers, but who have the advantage of an entity who can process data and coordinate counterattacks in seconds.
There are very few memory prompts in Deliverance. The second book in the series, Just in Time Service, is complicated with a lot of new characters and ideas. Unless you’ve read the previous novel recently, it can be difficult to remember the specifics of who certain people are and what happened.
Like the previous books in this series, Deliverance blends a fascinating, complex plot with historical events to create a highly enjoyable conclusion to this trilogy. All of the elements that I loved from the first two novels are equally present here. The philosophy of kindness, the idea that a person should give back to the world where they can, and the cozy feel despite the high stakes. Coming at this story from Judah’s perspective offers something new as well. It gives the conclusion a freshness that I wasn’t quite expecting. Altogether an immensely satisfying end to a wonderful trilogy.
The post Just In Time Deliverance by Howard Wetsman appeared first on Independent Book Review.