Review: Dispel Illusion (Impossible Times #3) by Mark Lawrence

Rating: 9.0 / 10

Synopsis

Sometimes being wrong is the right answer.

Nick Hayes’s genius is in wringing out the universe’s secrets. It’s a talent that’s allowed him to carve paths through time. But the worst part is that he knows how his story will end. He’s seen it with his own eyes. And every year that passes, every breakthrough he makes, brings him a step closer. Mia’s accident is waiting for them both in 2011. If it happens then he’s out of choices.

Then a chance 1992 discovery reveals that this seeker of truth has been lying to himself. But why? It’s a question that haunts him for years. A straw he clings to as his long-awaited fate draws near.

Time travel turns out not to be the biggest problem Nick has to work on. He needs to find out how he can stay on his path but change the destination. Failure has never been an option, and neither has survival. But Nick’s hoping to roll the dice one more time. And this new truth begins with a lie.

Review

Thanks to the author for an advance reading copy of Dispel Illusion (Impossible Times #3) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this eARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

The stories of our lives don’t behave themselves; they don’t have clear
beginnings, and even death isn’t a clear end. We just do what we can, we take what kindness and joy we find along the way, we ride the rapids as best we’re able.

If anyone could write a novel that grabs the threads from the previous installments, weave them seamlessly together to perfect the bow which is the finale, and provide one of the best reading experiences of 2019, Lawrence is your guy. Authors, take note. This is how you finish a series and give your readers exactly what they crave.

Again, like the previous novels, the focus is on the main character, Nick Hayes. It has been quite an adventure following ole Nicky throughout his journey, especially with the, you know, time traveling genius who had cancer and gets the girl vibe. While Lawrence continues to make maths as sexy as possible, he doesn’t allow the theories and actual science to float over your head like an anvil, waiting to mush your brains as the rope beings to fray. It is like seeing someone rear back to punch you in the face, only to give you the gentlest of touches. Mark does a fantastic job of continuing to mix up the science with mystery, fast-paced action, and plenty of D&D goodness.

What I liked most about Dispel is that we are done focusing on how time travel is possible and more how it will affect the past/current/future timelines. Do your actions really have consequences? If you choose to go to the past to fix a mistake, how does that alter your reality? What exactly are the risks of changing one thing vs multiple? Lawrence really pushes the reader to think, which may or may not be your thing when reading a book. For me, I love a good challenge.

All in all, if you enjoyed the first two (2) books in the Impossible Times trilogy, chances are you have already purchased and/or read Dispel Illusion. Props to you. For those of you who haven’t given this series a chance, it is about time you did.