Sammy C- City of Time- Eoin McNamee

Over the summer, I read the second book in The Navigator trilogy. It is called City of Time, by Eoin McNamee. The whole series is under the genre of science fiction and has many sci-fi characteristics. It is one of my favorite books and is a really fun read.

The main character, Owen, is courageous, intelligent, and the Navigator. Your probably wondering what the term “Navigator” means; after all, it is the title of the series. The Navigator is a warrior that sails on the currents of time and provides amplitudes of assistance when needed. Owens right-hand-man (in this case lady), Cati, is very resourceful, risk-taking, and holds the position of the Watcher. Just like the Navigator, the Watcher is a very important position. The Watcher watches over the Resisters, a group of well trained soldiers, as they sleep until they are awakened. Another character, Dr. Diamond, is creative, smart, very zany, and a fabulous scientist. The last main character, Rosie, is kind, daring, sassy, and a key asset to the others. These four main characters provide a great story with an outrageous plot and crazy events they encounter.

In the novel, the main external conflict goes like this: Owen gets a message from a dead spirit that there is not enough time left in the world and needs to find a Tempod, a special time capsule, from a faraway world called Hadima. Once in the great city, he learns that there is a plethora of trouble in the land and deals with many foil characters, some even try to annihilate him along the way. Once he retrieves the Tempod, he hops aboard a special boat that sails on the currents of time and returns to his own world to restore time. Owen’s internal conflict in the story is on how to find the Tempod. He struggles and stays up for weeks not sleeping, thinking about where a Tempod could be. The conflict definitely shapes the plot and is a main technique used by the writer.

McNamee definitely wrote this book in a unique style. One writing tactic he used is writing in third person limited omniscient. I really like that he wrote from that point of view because it gives me an understanding of what most of the main characters are thinking at different times. Also, McNamee does not let me know every characters thoughts at every point in the story. That gives me a feeling of suspense. Furthermore, the author does not use many pictures. It lets me envision what the scene is like and gives me a sense of freedom while reading the story.

When you read some superb books, it is very challenging to determine the best parts of a novel. That is the case with this book. My overall favorite part of the story was definitely when Owen got thrown into jail. The reason why is there is lots of suspense. During that event, Owen and Dr. Diamond go into an ancient trading hall. They become spotted by the city police and Owen takes all the blame and gets hauled off to prison even though it was not his fault. Generally, the older and more mature adult would take the blame. That was what puzzled me. It turns out that Owen had an extensive and well-thought-out plan. When Owen got to jail, he cried to the officer that he did not want to be thrown into a cell with “The One”. The officer thought he was being mean (which was what the officer wanted) and decided to put him in a cell with “The One”. But Owen had outsmarted the cop and got to where he wanted. “The One” actually ended up being a friend of his grandfather’s, the previous Navigator, and gave him clues to restore time in Owen’s world. This event was truly the best highlight of the story.

This book has a very important message. I think that this book’s message is that people should take risks. I think this is the message because Owen and his gang always take chances and put themselves in danger for a greater cause. This is a theme that everybody should live by throughout their lives.

Many literary devices are utilized during the progression of the story. One device used is foreshadowing. The use of foreshadowing allowed me to predict and infer what is going to happen. When Owen got into his jail cell, I knew that he wanted to be there because McNamee added that he smiled as he stepped through the bars. Symbolism is also used in the book. This apparatus gave meaning to items that Owen encountered in his story. When Owen finally retrieved the Tempod, the Tempod symbolized hope because it meant no more pandemonium in his land. Finally, the last device I am sharing are foil characters. This novel is filled to the brim with characters that try to ruin Owen’s plan. This device allows Owen to grow as a character and become round because it makes all sides and personalities of Owen to shine to surmount his obstacle. One foil character is Headley. Headley is the head of the cruel Hadima police. Every time Owen was out on the streets past curfew, he always tried to get Owen in serious trouble. Another foil character is Johnston. Johnston lives in Owen’s town and always tries to defeat him. When Owen was traveling back from the city to his land, Johnston tried to knock Owen’s vehicle into a time whirlpool. One more foil character is the Harsh King. The Harsh King is the ruler of the Harsh, an extra terrestrial terrorist group, and wants to massacre Owen, the Navigator, and his clan. During Owens trial in jail, the Harsh King tries to freeze Owen with his icy breath. All of the great devices that are utilized throughout the story make it enjoyable to read.

Last but not least, I would indubitably recommend this book to a friend. It is filled with action and makes you never want to put the book down. When I read this novel at night, I would sometimes read form nine o’clock to twelve o’clock a night. That is how fantastic the story is. I would unquestionably say that City of Time is an extremely superior book and the series is meant for anyone that wants a magnificent adventure.