reviewed by
Jennifer Kahng
Violynne Vivant was an orphan of sorts. Her parents, archaeologists, disappeared a year prior while on a dig. Except no one thinks they're dead, least of all Violynne. In fact, the leader of the planet is looking for them and seems to have orchestrated a break-in at the Vivant home. The burglar stole a violin. It soon becomes obvious they stole the wrong kind.
Lost Time details Violynne's journey as she tries to figure out the mystery behind her parents' disappearance. Aided by her aunt, Madelyn, and the house butler, Einhart, Violynne takes on the planet. Almost quite literally.
Set in the future on the world of Lindos, Violynne encounters a creature know as the Coil, an embodiment of the planet; the Croon, an ancient civilization whose ruins her parents were excavating; the Arbiter, the self-proclaimed ruler of Lindos; and a few other folks along the way.
There are almost too many characters and out of all of them, there are few Violynne can truly trust or turn to for help. Most of them have their own agenda and they're not afraid to use her to fulfill their needs. Others get taken out of the picture, whether by necessity or bureaucracy.
The story, although short, is full of imagery and fascinating technologies. The Vivant house seems almost magical, and wouldn't it be nice to have the house take care of most of your needs by just talking to it? The landscape of Lindos also seems fascinating and so do the wonders the Croon had created.
Unfortunately, there's also a little bit of discord. I'm generally good at suspending my disbelief, but there were a few things that nagged at me. The most prominent was Violynne herself. She is twelve years old. That's not to say she's not capable of having such an adventure, but she seems inconsistent. At one moment, she's flabbergasted that her aunt and butler want her to sneak into the Arbiter's office and steal information as if she is not able to do such a thing. Yet when the time comes, she appears as if she's been trained in covert operations as she expertly gets into the office and steals important and well-guarded information. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but that and a few other inconsistent moments made it a little difficult to really understand what Violynne was all about.
For a first novel, Schmid does a fairly good job of establishing her story and characters, discordance aside. There's adventure and mystery and just a hint of danger. Aimed at young readers, this book should do well to serve eager minds wishing to have a glimpse at another world.
