Time Salvager
Though there were moments I consider great I never quite felt settled into this one. It starts as Science Fiction with an obvious emphasis on time travel, and then becomes a discussion on Capitalism and corporate espionage leading to a layer of moralising about the treatment of the poor by the rich. I got the same feeling finishing as I do when a movie ends with the main character waking up from a dream, disgruntled and left wanting, with too many questions left unanswered and a suspicion the Author has taken an easy out.
I loved the premise that time travelling in the future is restricted to salvaging just enough from the past to keep the future going. I loved the horrible head space that James Griffin-Mars has to inhabit as he shifts back and forth constantly, always knowing that the places he is visiting are like heaven compared to the state of the world in his present day. I even loved the cover so the only reason, I can find for this brilliant idea falling somewhat flat is the execution. Spoilers ahead.
The first thing to bug me was the First Law of Time, “Don’t bring someone back from the past”. It only seems to exist to serve the beginning of the story and start the conflict as it’s quickly and easily proven that bringing someone forward in time has no bloody affect at all.
James, our protagonist, has followed the rules on every jump, but on this last one, the one that could buy him out of his contract, he says ‘Stuff it’ and saves a girl he has insta-love with and brings her forward in time. Now there could be a nice moral conundrum raised here as bringing someone forward in time should, according to future science, kill her slowly and painfully so James’s decision is not straightforward and selfless. However instead of this being explored we learn the science behind this life threatening condition is actually complete crap based on corporate propaganda so he is off the hook. Then I’m thinking, ‘well why are these corporate guys so desperate to get hold off this women when they have known all along they can go back and get whoever they want’ but this too is left unanswered.
The two major female characters are both brilliant and stupid at the same time. Scientists and theorists who could save the world yet are written as catty and shrewish to each other and condescending to everyone else, and so enamoured with their own brilliance that they are literally unable, or unwilling, to follow directions based on common sense from the only person they know who is currently a time travelling navy seal in an exo-suit and I’m not talking genius level stuff here. Several times either of the ladies is asked to hang for a second for the sake of security before she gets the sudden urge to go walkabout and find a nice vulnerable spot to relax. It’s even highlighted during the main climax of the book where a battle is raging, buildings are being destroyed and James saves Elise from getting her head blown off.
“Stay back” Then he jumped down into the hole. Yellow and orange bursts of light filled the air, followed by several more loud crashes.
As always with James’s instructions, Elise ignored them and crawled to the hole.
Or this lovely exchange.
“Hush, please, High Scion, or you’ll give me away”
“Don’t hush me, boy”
Mother of Time, who made stupid rules, whose life I saved says what?? Yes it is incredibly important you run tests but while I am out here saving the world and literally killing myself jumping back and forth to get you equipment and food to assist you in doing that, do me a favour and shut the hell up so I don’t get killed. It was incredible how quickly I went from liking the character of Grace Priestly to having little to no time for her bullshit and despite others having a grudging respect for her genius, her main objective in life after traveling forward in time and being given the chance to save the world seems to be to treat everyone around her like intellectual peasants. The sort of person whose mind would be downloaded onto a computer to preserve her intelligence but who everyone would take great joy in just being able to turn off. Eat me GP.
What was perhaps most infuriating was that almost every time one of these characters disregarded a perfectly good suggestion in favour of something stupid and dangerous they wound up stumbling upon a solution or saving the day, leaving our Protagonist looking inept and tactically moronic.
Levin, the unknowing corporate stooge, was actually my favourite character and, possibly, completely inspired by Javert from Les Miserables, as his every action and deed follows that of Javert’s right down to his sacrifice at the end. He is a proud man, proud of his commitment to the Laws of Time and proud of his position as an Auditor who upholds them. His fall is the hardest and most interesting when he realises that ChronoCom’s neutrality and autonomy are an illusion, as law after law is stretched or broken to bolster corporate profits at the orders of those that truly pull the strings. I loved his internal struggle and of all the characters I felt he had the most depth and complexity, and potential to be further explored but sadly he was not.
Time Salvager is a mixture of clichés that needed more reimagining to be successful instead of the Avatar/Star Wars mash up it seems to be. The evil corporation, the future man saving the primitive tribes, hallucinations masquerading as wisdom, all of it is familiar and has been done and sadly the special ingredient that brings it all together was missing. There is not actually a great deal of time travel with most of it being the ‘I’m off to the shops’ variety and it barely has an ending with the set up for the next book deemed enough to bring us back from more. After reading the blurb I could immediately understand why the film options have already been taken up but after reading the book I’m wondering how wise that decision will turn out. 2.5 Stars.
