The Time Thief

#2 in the Gideon Trilogy

By: Linda Buckley-Archer

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BAD GUY HAS TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY TECHNOLOGY?

An accident with an antigravity machine catapulted Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to 1763. A bungled rescue attempt leaves Peter stranded in the eighteenth century while a terrifying villain, the Tar Man, takes his place and explodes onto twenty-first-century London. Concerned about the potentially catastrophic effects of time travel, the NASA scientists responsible for the situation question whether it is right to rescue Peter. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands, but things don't go as planned. Soon the physical effects of time travel begin to have a disturbing effect on her. Meanwhile, in our century, the Tar Man wreaks havoc in a city whose police force is powerless to stop him.

Set against a backdrop of contemporary London and revolutionary France, The Time Thief is the sequel to the acclaimed The Time Travelers.©2007 Linda Buckley-Archer; (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

"May very well give J. K. Rowling a run for her money."

-- School Library Journal

Where is Gideon?

I enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, Gideon The Cutpurse. The author changed the focus away from Gideon and he barely makes an appearance in the second volume. Kate and Peter, two tweens from the present day, continue as the focal characters in both the present day and in the 18th century. Though the The Tar Man takes on a major role now as he lands in the 21st century.

The Tar Man, one of the bad guys, is wonderfully evil, though he might have a soft spot under all that meanness. He is my favorite character. He does adjust to the 21st century too easily, though, and based on what he accomplishes, it seems to be in the 21st century for a much longer period than Kate and the others are in the 18th century.

As in the first book, I found it difficult to believe 18th century characters so easily accepted the concept of time travel. Kate and Peter exist is several time periods and the transitions are well handled. The period details continue to ground the listener in the story.

I am not sure if I will continue with the third volume of the trilogy. The second was a disappointment and I lost interest in Peter and Kate. I wanted more Gideon.

Warning - Too Grim for Kids

The main character in this book is a 12 girl but as the story takes place primarily in 1792 the grim reality of the time period is inappropriate for children. This book contains very realistic descriptions of the French Revolution. Avoid this book for children but enjoy it if you are an adult.

Keeps getting better and better & a great narrator

This is a fantastic story. So imaginative! I love the narrator Gerard Doyle, he's great in many books I've listened to. I can't wait for the next book! I'm starting it as soon as I'm done with this review for sure.

Captivating story and performance!

This second book in the series was just as good if not better than the first and the reader does an amazing job of conveying the intensity of the story. Love this book and looking forward to the last in the series.

I’m out for this series

I loved hearing how Kate and peter and families navigated the time dimensions. The focus on the tarman and his evils was not pleasant and I nearly gave up several times. There’s also some ridiculous leaps of continuity for the tarman’s story. As it was, I skipped several sections. Overall, not worth another 9 hours of listening to hear how kate and peter come out.