7/10 ( )

The characters are less likable than they were in the first book, both in general behavior and in their poor decision-making. The plot is cumbersome and convoluted. Conversations and explanations are too vague and uninformative. I didn't hate the book, but it frustrated and disappointed me. I'm unsure whether or not I'm glad to have read it. I think it would have been best to leave the story as it was at the end of book 1.

The overall idea of the people and their traveling abilities is very intriguing, it's worth being told in stories; but I don't think that the stories we have in these books are as good as stories set in this world could be. I basically don't think it's good writing, and would like to see the premise taken on by another author. ( )

I would totally read more of these books. The characters are multicultural, flawed, and oh so fascinating.

Nix, now captain of the Temptation, while Slate recovers from his opium addiction, is drawn into an opportunity to perhaps change fate. Why does that matter? Joss predicted that she will lose one she loves to the sea. Unwilling to lose Kashmir, she takes the crew to the mythical island of Kys Kys. Adventure ensues, surprises await, things are changed, and betrayal occurs. But can fate be changed?

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The sequel to The Girl From Everywhere is just as gutsy and sweet as the first book. It's a story packed with adventure and dark things that still finds time to be loving and sweet. I always worry about the 2nd book - it tells you whether the author really had a grip on all the things that made the first book great, or if they just got lucky. Thankfully, this book fulfills the promise of the first, and sets us up for more fun to follow. Definitely a recommendation for the older YA crowd, as well as adults looking for a good read.
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Received via Greenwillow Books and Edelweiss in exchange for an completely unbiased review.
Also posted on Silk & Serif

Well, The Ship Beyond Time was just as good, if not better than its predecessor The Girl From Everywhere. The Girl From Everywhere sometimes dragged with intense descriptions of Hawaii's cultural and historical background and many readers found this detracted from the enjoyability of The Girl From Everywhere. In The Ship Beyond Time, Heilig seems to improved her writing to make it more entertaining for the masses while continuing to educate readers on mythological locations of cultural significance. Although this shift from heavily educating narrative to a more character driven plot could have made the sequel to The Ship Beyond Time a flop, Heilig seems to have taken reader criticism and further developed her writing skills – which were frankly highly developed to begin with - while continuing to be rich in cultural context and detail. The Ship Beyond Time continues to develop the crew of the Temptation into living entities to which every reader can relate.

Regardless of the reduction in instructive detail behind the cultural significance of her scenes, Heilig’s newest novel is no less poignant and culturally sensitive than book one of her time traveler series.

The Ship Beyond Time returns to the time-traveling ship Temptation where The Ship from Everywhere left off. Nix has begun to accept the events that unfolded during her last adventure and is actively looking to Navigate her first voyage without the aid of her father. The delivery of a message by a mythological princess fated to die thrusts the crew of the Temptation into another high stakes adventure through time and space. In a beautiful mythological utopia the crew discover revelations about the true nature of Navigation that affects the entire crew.

In The Ship Beyond Time my struggle with our romantic hero Kashmir was rectified. I was incredibly distrustful of his motives with Nix in The Girl From Everywhere and struggled to get a full picture on what sort of person Kashmir was beyond the Nix’s rose haze of luurve. Don’t get me wrong, I could see why Nix was so intensely connected to Kash: drug addicted father obsessed with resurrecting her dead mother and the lack of permanence of a life at sea and throughout time. Yet, when it came time to trust Kashmir’s intentions and motivations, I found myself holding back and waiting for some sort of betrayal. In The Ship Beyond Time, we get to delve into the history and psyche of Kashmir who is not all swagger as we are brought to believe in The Girl From Everywhere. In fact, by the end of The Ship Beyond Time I trusted and empathized with Kashmir who truly cares for Nix and is more “human” than his secretive and robotic self in The Girl From Everywhere. Go team Kash!

Keeping in line with character development: the Captain! Upon his drastic decision regarding his drug addiction, we see a different side of Slate. He is weak, emotional and he shows true affection for Nix. The complex relationship between Nix and Slate begins to settle which is a beautiful and welcome addition to The Ship Beyond Time. Unfortunately, without giving much away, we see some major breakthroughs towards healing between Nix and Slate before a major plot twist that changes everything. Dun, dun. Undoubtedly, book three will be all about the strengthened bond between Slate and Nix as well as her stronger bonds with the crew as a whole - if there is a book three, the synopsis claims this is the final book of the series.

Heiliig has a unique skill in making a diverse cast of characters without making it a political statement. I loved how each character was a different cultural background (even mythological in origin in one case), struggled with serious social issues and were of various sexual orientations. I loved even more that the casts’ diversity was not the main focus of The Ship Beyond Time, but a supportive aspect of the novel. With poise and grace, Heilig diversifies Nix’s rag tag crew aboard the Temptation while weaving together a coherent and enjoyable plot completely unrelated to the character’s diverse and sometimes difficult personal histories. In the realm of diverse literature, Heilig is ahead of the curve in creating sensitive and relatable literature for all ethnic groups. I am in hope that in the future, diverse literature can be more like Heilig’s writing: not focused on the differences between characters, but inclusive and supportive of all cultural backgrounds.

As with the first book, gorgeous nautical imagery throughout is an inspiring addition, reminding this reader why they started reading in the first place: a love of language and how carefully constructed sentences and create a beautiful message.

In the end, The Ship Beyond Time was an epic and beautiful novel of acceptance, empathy and forgiveness. Heilig successfully integrates more character development into an action packed plot steeped in mythology and fantasy to create a unique and picturesque novel. A breathtaking tale of survival, self-realization and acceptance, The Ship Beyond Time is a strong follow up to The Girl From Everywhere, with improved character development and more character driven action.

This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy nautical fiction, young adult fiction, novels featuring strong female leads with healthy romantic aspirations, complicated parental relationships, lovers of the mythological and/or time travel and those who enjoy novels with a diverse cast of characters. I would most definitely recommend reading the entire The Girl From Everywhere series - its not to be missed! ( )