The River of No Return

It's rare these days for me to get so caught up in a book that I can't put it down, but this book was surprisingly addictive! I had little faith when I read the premise - two lovers separated by time travel blah blah blah - but the characters and their adventures soon proved me wrong. Julia is such an upstart female character and I was pleasantly surprised when she basically took over the protagonist role from Nick. He's great, but she's the one with the real mystery and I can't wait to figure out how they're going to deal with time collapsing backwards. I'm also curious to discover how Julia's mother actually got across The Pale in the first place, and how she managed to conceive and birth a child along the way. The next book is show more forthcoming, so I hope that it doesn't disappoint. show less

4.5 Stars

The River of No Return, Bee Ridgway's remarkable debut novel, is a thoroughly enjoyable tale of time travel, adventure and romance. Seeking to escape the familial responsibilities thrust upon him after the unexpected death of his father, English Marquess Nick Falcott joins the Army and is sent to the continent to help defeat Napoleon's forces. While in Spain Nick finds himself on the wrong end of a French soldier's weapon and is faced with certain death. Rather than dying, however, Nick wakes up in London 200 years into the future, where he is recruited by the Guild, an ultra-secret time travel organization. Told that it is impossible to ever go back, Nick settles into a new life in the United States. After more than a decade show more in the 21st century, however, Nick is summoned to Guild headquarters in London. The Guild needs Nick's help to stop the activities of a rogue time travel group. There is only one catch. In order to carry out the Guild's wishes Nick must do something he was told wasn't possible - he must travel back in time to 1815 England.

Meanwhile, back in 1815, Julia Percy, mourning the loss of her grandfather and trying to avoid his tyrannical and obsessive heir, discovers she has the ability to manipulate time, a gift she had believed belonged to her grandfather. When Nick, whose family estate lies next to Julia's, returns home seemingly from the dead, he and Julia find themselves increasingly drawn to one another. But despite her growing feelings for Nick, Julia quickly realizes that she must keep her time manipulation abilities from him. Nick, on the other hand, becomes drawn into Guild intrigues and learns that there may be more to the Guild than he has been lead to believe. The only thing he knows for sure is that the very future may be in jeopardy and that he must do what he can to get to the bottom of things before it is too late.

The River of No Return is the type of novel that reinforces why I love to read. With a fabulous cast of characters, an original and imaginative storyline and eloquent prose, Bee Ridgway has created a memorable work of fiction that is a delight to read. Nick is the type of hero who is easy for readers to like, while Julia is the type of heroine with whom readers can empathize. Together they make a formidable pair. The supporting characters are well drawn, interesting and, most importantly, entertaining. The story itself moves at steady pace, never flagging, and contains some interesting and unexpected twists. This is a book not to be missed. I can't wait to hear more from Bee Ridgway.

Note: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. show less

Time travel is something that has fascinated scientists and non-scientists alike for centuries. Bee Ridgway uses this fascination in The River of No Return. In her story, time travel is an innate skill accessible by only a select few. An entire organization called the Guild exists to help those who make the jump and to monitor the “river of time”. Nick Falcott is one such jumper, discovered after he jumps from a battlefield in 1812 to two hundred years into the future. Comfortable in his new life, the Guild soon calls on him for help and the chance to jump back to 1815, three years after he was given up for dead by all those who know him. This jump also leads him back to his mysterious brown-eyed girl and neighbor, Julia, for whom show more his longing has only increased over the years. Once back, Nick finds himself embroiled in a situation for stickier than what was initially explained to him, and as his past and his future collide, both Julia and he must navigate their way to the truth if they ever hope to save the future of mankind.

Perhaps it is an incorrect interpretation on this reader’s part, but one cannot help but feel that Ms. Ridgway is ever so slightly mocking the same genre into which The River of No Return falls. There is nothing overt about this subtle sarcasm, but it is more of a gut feel that comes from reflection. The story has an earnestness and urgency to it that only makes sense when one considers it as satirical in nature. It is as if Ms. Ridgway is poking fun at the game-changing cliffhanger ending, the serious and uber-manly male lead, the beautiful, intelligent, and spirited female lead, the bad guys posing as good guys, and all of the other plot devices used by the genre. Ms. Ridgway knows her story is not meant to be life-altering, and so she has fun with it. The fact that Ms. Ridgway gives readers permission to not take the narrative too seriously only serves to increase a reader’s enjoyment and relish the clichés she uses throughout the story.

There is something about The River of No Return that makes it highly enjoyable in spite of its flaws. The time travel elements and their explanations are weak on science and long on wishful thinking, while the characters barely expand beyond a character sketch. The world-building is confusing at times, the plot flows at a feverish pace, some of the connections are predictable, and a reader gathers more questions than answers. Yet – and this is a big yet - the story is compulsively enjoyable. The River of No Return is one of those novels that is meant to be enjoyed for what it is – a science fiction/historical fiction/thriller crossover meant to entertain rather than educate – and entertain it does. It is as if the entire stories revels in its familiarity to similar and very popular stories, while at the same time one knows instinctively that one should not take the story seriously. It is like a summer rom com with more gravitas. Readers can sit back and appreciate the fun world created by Ms. Ridgway and appreciate it they should. show less

So many things to love in this book. I love it that there are no all-knowing characters who the author uses to explain the world. Instead, what the reader gets from the characters is more like puzzle pieces. The different characters differ in their opinions of how their time traveling and time manipulation abilities work, and how the flow of time ("the river") is affected by them. None of them knows for sure what's going on or how to solve the problems connected to the "river". I've never seen such an imaginative treatment of time travel. The author's bottomless imagination just keeps coming up with new twists to keep you guessing throughout the book.

The other thing I really liked about this combination of science fiction, time travel show more and romance, was that the female characters weren't pitted against each other. I could imagine this going a very different direction once Nick was told to become Alva's lover, but instead of introducing a stereotypical siren to be Julia's rival, the author created a wonderful character in Alva, who was perfectly happy to be friends with Nick, even relieved that she didn't need to include the extra step of sex to their charade. I appreciated her compassion and matter-of-fact attitude, and her treatment of Bella's insensitivity made me cheer.

The book ended with much more to resolve, but it still left me satisfied and hopeful that there will be more books to come about our time-traveling friends. show less

This was a fabulous roller coaster of a read. It's fast paced, exciting and very much a romp through time. It begins with the Marquess of Blackdown, Lord Nicholas Falcott, time-travelling to the 21st century from 1815 to avoid being killed in battle and his being enrolled in a society called 'The Guild' who specialise in such people as him. He is told he can never return to his previous life but one day he receives a summons which negates this rule. He then finds himself once again in battle, but in this instance against time itself!

Time slip/dual timeframe novels are one of my favourite genres and this book exceeded my expectations. I found it an imaginative and absorbing tale, evocatively told and it had a good sense of time and place show more in both the present day and the 19th century. It was intriguing, believable and I was easily transported between the eras.

There's a good element of mystery to the story and I loved that no-one was quite who they seemed. The characters were well drawn and interesting. They felt very real and came vividly to life, a sign of a good author for me.

A thrilling historical fantasy adventure with a smidgen of romance, an excellent debut. It was a definite page turner! I look forward with eager anticipation to Bee Ridgway's next instalment in this wonderful new series. show less

This book features solid writing, compelling characters, and an extremely tempting premise. Unfortunately...it's not finished.

I don't simply mean that it's a cliffhanger, or a book with some loose ends--it is half of a novel. And it's impossible to judge a book that hasn't bothered to do any of the heavy lifting associated with successfully wrapping up a story.

There was a lot to like in it, and I'll probably read the sequel. Maybe everything will be resolved in the next book and I will be in fully love with this series and world. It's possible. But for now, I consider this book to be seriously unfinished business and can't recommend it despite its many strengths.

In The River of No Return, Lord Nicholas Falcott is about to be run through with a sword on a Spanish battlefield when he is hurtled two hundred years into the future. He wakes at the mercy of The Guild, a seemingly benevolent organisation that supports people who find themselves displaced in time. Nick spends a year in a reeducation center, adjusting to modern life and learning the rules of the Guild:

There is no Return.
There is no Return.
Tell No One.
Uphold the Rules.

Then, nine years after his resettlement in the USA, The Guild demands Nick's help. He is required to travel back to 1818 and resume his position as Lord Blackdown in order to help The Guild find a Talisman which is said to amplify the ability to manipulate time, before a show more rival group of travellers, known as the Ofan, do.

The River of No Return is a tale of adventure, romance and intrigue as Nick finds himself a pawn in the battle for the control of time. Two groups, The Guild and The Ofan are comprised of people displaced from their own time who fail to agree on how it can be used but both fear The Pale, a phenomena which is causing time to reverse. Rumours of a Talisman, an object of some kind that could perhaps undo the damage to the timeline, has them all desperately searching, loathe for the other to gain control.

I found the concepts surrounding the time travel element in the novel surprisingly easy to grasp. Ridgeway's characters have the ability to move both forward and backward in time and even stop time, within a limited range. The how is a little more complicated but it's an instinctual talent so most people do not discover the ability until in the midst of a life or death crisis. The Guild tells it's general members that traveling is a one off event in order to protect their own interests in the timeline. The Ofan are essentially a rebel group who have spurned the Guild's control.

Though Nick makes the leap from 1813 to 1993, our time with him in both era's are fairly brief. The bulk of the story of The River of No Return takes place in 1818 in England when Nick returns on his mission for the Guild. I think this is, in part, why I took to the novel so well as I didn't have to contend with multiple jumps through time and the inevitable fracturing of the storyline that leads to.

There are three main points of intrigue in the story, the veracity of the Guild and the Ofan, the identity of the mysterious Mr Mibbs and the whereabouts of the Talisman. Nick is unwittingly mixed up in all three and is forced on a path to try and solve the mysteries.

Romance is a strong element of the novel, Julia, is the seventeenth century neighbour of Nick, raised by her grandfather, who discovers after his death that she she has power over time. Julia and Nick shared a moment as children and it is the memory of Julia that still haunts Nick after his leap in time. When he returns to his own time, a relationship develops between he and Julia, but it is complicated by secrets and misunderstandings.

One word of warning, The River of No Return is the first installment in a continuing story, so it ends with little in the way of plot resolution but I, for one, am looking forward to the next adventure.

I have to admit I was trepiditious when I agreed to review The River of No Return, not entirely convinced a debut author could write convincingly about time travel when it is such a challenging concept. However I was sufficiently intrigued by the premise and sample chapter to give it a try, even after I discovered the novel was nearly 600 pages long.

I am very glad I did because I found The River of No Return to be an entertaining, engaging and well written novel. As this novel crosses genre boundaries, blending elements of historical fiction, sci-fi, adventure and romance I think it will appeal to a wide audience and I am happy to recommend it as a great read. show less