The Bureau of Time by Brett Michael Orr

Title: The Bureau of Time (Timewalker Trilogy #1)
Author: Brett Michael Orr
Publisher: Fontaine
Date of Publication: December 16th 2015
Source: Purchased by reviewer

Blurb:

You cannot change fate.

Cassandra Wright is a Timewalker – a teenager with a genetic mutation that allows her to manipulate the flow of time. But her inexplicable powers have made her a target for Adjusters – monstrous assassins from a parallel universe. 

Saved from almost certain death, Cassie is pulled into a secret agency sworn to defend our timeline against these threats: the Bureau of Temporal Integrity, Monitoring, and Execution. Cassie’s life soon becomes entwined with Shaun Briars – a reckless Timewalker with an alluring smile and dark suspicions about the Bureau itself. 

When Cassie and Shaun cross into the parallel universe, they discover a world in the grips of nuclear winter, with a new war threatening to spill over into our universe. With time running out, they must learn the true history of Timewalkers, confront the unforgivable crimes of their future selves, and defy their own fate to save two worlds.

Review:

Cassie has been plagued by visions of faceless monsters who are trying to kill her. At least that's what her parents believe. Cassie knows the monsters are real, and a confrontation with them leads her to be taken in by the Bureau of Time, a secret military organisation who protect Timewalkers and fight Adjusters. There she meets Shaun Briars, another Timewalker rescued by the Bureau. When the two of them are transported to a parallel universe, what they know about the Bureau and Adjusters will be brought into question and they will have to choose which side they're really on.


The Bureau of Time opens brilliantly, with Cassie fleeing an attack and discovering her powers soon after. I was hooked right from the beginning and read the whole book very quickly, keen to find out what happened.

The military setting seemed authentic and well researched, and I got a real sense of the layout of the bunker and the different levels of command. The timewalking is a great device, with different timewalkers being able to do different things with the temporal energy that holds the universe together. I'd have liked a little more explanation of why there is only one parallel universe and why it was created at that particular time, but perhaps more will be revealed in future books.

I did have some issues with characterisation. I had trouble differentiating between the two main male characters Shaun and Ryan, particularly early on in the piece. Cassie also seems to go from being terribly worried about her family and desperate to contact them, to not mentioning them at all. Her affections also seemed to flow quite easily between Shaun and Ryan.

That said, the story is great and I really want to know what happens next. It's clever and compelling and well worth a read.