P. Breakfield IV 2008-11-02

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

I am the type of reader that finds an author I like, and then I order everything I can get my hands on that the author has written. My thinking is that if I like the writing style of the author in one book, I am likely to enjoy it in another.

USUALLY this turns out to be true. (Orson Scott Card, Robert Sawyer, Richard K. Morgan, David Brin, etc...) but sometimes a book pops up in an author's bibliography that just doesn't excite me.

Time City is definitely one of those books for me with Diana Wynne Jones.

I LIKE time travel stories and I liked the characters in the story. But one thing you have to watch for with time travel is creating scenarios where no matter what you do there are no consequences since you can go back and try again. Paradoxes are introduced in most time travel stories as a way of putting up boundaries, but in this book there just seemed to be no real lines in what you could and couldn't do - except one malfunctioning time travel egg, which still eventually got the job done.

It isn't a terrible book, but I expected so much more after reading her Chrestomanchi Chronicles. This was just not in the same league.

R. M. Fisher 2004-11-01

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

"A Tale of Time City" is a little different from Diana Wynne Jones's usual fare - it is not fantasy but science-fiction, though apart from that distinction there is the same wry humour, complicated storylines, quirky characters and original invention.

Time City is a place existing outside of space and time where the progress of time is watched over by the inhabitants, to make sure it progresses normally. But Time City is slowly running down, (helped along with the tampering of rouge time-travellers) and the legendary founder Faber John is the only being that is able to renew it. It is told that four caskets of Gold, Silver, Iron and Lead may save the city, but only the mysterious Time Lady can awaken Faber John.

Jonathon and Sam, two sons of important families within the City have decided to take matters into their own hands. After seeing a "time-ghost" (a visual imprint of an important moment) they travel through a time-lock into History for an adventure of their own that they haven't even begun to sort out. There, Jonathon grabs Vivian Smith, the girl that they are certain is the Time Lady.

Vivian Smith however, is soon to correct them - she's just a normal girl who was being evacuated with hundreds of other children from World War II. Now with no way back, and the concept of Time itself in jeopardy, Vivian agrees to help the boys uncover the mystery of Faber John (and keep them out of trouble while she's doing it). Racing through time to collect the four caskets before their enemies, the trio have to dodge androids, teachers, time-ghosts and antagonistic locals in order to save Time City.

Though I enjoyed "A Tale of Time City", it is not my favourite Diana Wynne Jones book; perhaps because I'm not a big sci-fi fan, perhaps because time-travelling stories utterly confuse me. I'm never sure what happened when, or what the true chronological order of the events are. But as usual, there is a lot in this DWJ book to recommend it, and it is packed full of creativity and enjoyment - such as the "butter-pies", cold on the outside and warm on the inside. Likewise, she gives us some future events to look forward to, such as the Mind Wars, the Forth World War and the Depopulation of Earth.

Time City itself is a great idea, (complete with architecture, social customs, and low opinions of those that live in 'history') and is vividly brought to life, but this is not really a book for younger readers, as the plot is quite twisty and complicated, and the ending a little bittersweet. But for a DWJ book that is a bit different, or a science-fiction book that is truly unique within the genre, then give this one a try.

pmegan 2004-07-04

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

While most of DWJ's books are fantasy, this one is pure sci-fi: there is no magic, just plenty of 23rd century butter pies (cold on the outside, warm and gooey inside: I wish the 23rd century would hurry up so that I can try one!).

This is the story of Vivian Smith, a girl who is being evacuated from London because of WWII. Because of a mixup with names, she gets kidnapped by two boys from Time City, a metropolis located outside of time where the officials monitor time and make sure it runs smoothly. Unfortunately for the boys, the sons of distinguished dignitaries, their "playing hero" went horribly wrong and Vivian is NOT the girl they are looking for.

By plucking an innocent person out of a time period that is already unstable, the boys have set off a chain reaction. Now they must work with Vivian to put everything right, before Time City itself disolves around them.

This is a fast-paced and exciting book. I have probably re-read it hundreds of times in the past 10 years. Anyone who likes DWJ's other books should give this one a try, even though it's a little different. Anyone who doesn't like the fantasy in her other books should definately give this one a try: it's a great work of science fiction, and oh so fun. I normally really dislike science fiction books, but this one is very well done and avoids the usual traps of the genre.

danielle 2004-05-16

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

This book started out okay but by the time I was half way through it I was wishing it would end. There were too many characters and the time travelling was just confusing. When I got to the end of Novel I was so thoroughly confused that the only thing I could say about this book was that I wasn't very good. I've read a whole bunch of other books by Diana Wynne JOnes and they were all alot better than this one. So instead of buying this one go look at the Dalemark Quartet, The chrestomanci series and Archers Goon.

2003-11-05

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

A Tale of Time City
By Diana Wynne Jones, Published by HarperTrophy (January 22, 2002).

Vivian Smith was being evacuated along with all of the other children in London to "the Country" because World War II had just broken out. When she got off the train she was pulled into the greatest adventure of her life. When she got off the train she was kidnapped by an older boy named Jonathan Lee Walker, who claims to be her long lost cousin. In a space outside of time, there is a city. Placed there by a mythical man named Faber John, it has the overwhelming task overseeing the history of the earth and mankind all the way from the stone age to the depopulation of earth. This place is called Time City. Brought through a silver portal Vivian is taken to Time City. There's only one problem with Time City, its falling apart. Mistaken for another person called the Time Lady (Faber Johns mysterious wife), Vivian is swept away in the struggle to keep time city alive. This is one wonderful science fiction/adventure/action/fantasy book, I never really liked sci fi but I made an exception for this book and I was greatly rewarded.

The main characters are Vivian, a normal 18th century girl, who as I explained was kidnapped off a train. Vivian seems like anyone else, she just wants to go home. Jonathan Lee Walker, who Vivian always describes as a very "lordly" boy is the one who with the help of his best friend Sam kidnapped Vivian off the train during their mid year break. He and Sam at first only took it as an adventure but after they found out that Vivian was the wrong person it turned serious. Sam is another Lee (the Lees are the oldest family in Time City) he is only 8 but he is the closest in age to Jonathan for along distance ( There aren't many children in Time City). Sam is a butterpie addict (butterpies are a form of futuristic food) and it really shows. It is said that Faber John built the city with the help of his wife, the Time Lady, but when they were deciding how to govern the city they had an argument.

This is one of those books you can never put down,
if you are ever going to start this than make sure you have a long time to read. You just can't stop. Oh just one more page, just to the end of this chapter, I'm going to quit now, well maybe a little bit longer. I spent many late nights reading this book. I became part of this book as I read it, I felt as though I was really in Time City and I couldn't get enough! This is one book that I know I'm going to read over and over again, I can't wait to find more books like this. It's one of the books you can't figure out until the last page. This book is a treat that will satisfy almost anyone (unless you have a thing against fiction). I would recommend that every one at least give it a try.