I had a really great time reading these books again! I really enjoyed Into the Dim the first time I read it, and I'm glad that I got to continue onto the next book, while the details were sharp in my mind. Reading these books was so entertaining!

This word of of Viators, and time travel, it's just such a fascinating idea. That each book dealt with a different time period, the first in the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the other of Nicolas Tesla, well, they're both pretty important people to history!

The first book, Hope doesn't know about this world, but learning that her mom isn't dead like she thought, but trapped in the past, that galvanizes Hope into action. I loved watching her get to know this world, find out what was going on while trying to help her mom!

Then with Sparks of Light, that her and Bran are dealing with questions about their future, well, dealing with a new situation gives them some space to think about it. I loved following along on their adventure as they sought to complete the mission!

Loved reading these books was so great and I'd love to read more by Janet B. Taylor!

I realized this wasn't a book that would work for me before I downloaded it. Clearing out my backlog of Archived, Not Downloaded.

The first book in this series was absolutely stunning, so I went into the sequel with extremely high expectations, and boy, was I not disappointed! The action and the plot was so great, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations.

So, I ended up DNFing the previous book Into The Dim. It seems like Janet B. Taylor's writing is not for me - given the whole information dumping and how not very much happens within the first 116 pages of the first book. So, I feel like I would just end up DNFing Sparks Of Light as well.

I had a lot of fun with this book! I like the idea of time travel and stopping the bad guys in another era. Making sure to keep the customs while trying to stop others from changing the past is quite difficult! I think this was well done!

I would give this a 3.5. I was very excited to dive back into this story after LOVING Into the Dim. To be honest, this one took me a WHILE to get through. There was a lot of back and forth between past and present... This book was fine, but, to me, it was not quite as enjoyable as the first book.

I really liked the first book in this series, but couldn't really get into this one :-(

I give the book four stars. I did enjoy reading the book. I really liked all the historical details and references. The secondary characters were great. I also like that this was darker and had darker themes in the book. But I don’t think it was as good as the first book. I did not like the jumping back in forth between the past memories to the present. I don’t think it was smooth transitions.

I was able to read Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor thanks to a goodreads giveaway of a hardback book and thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an arc! Sparks of light continues the story from Into the Dim, the first book in this series. Hope is with Phoebe and their other companions in the Scottish Highlands. Everyone is adjusting to the drastic change in Hope's mom and the baby she now has. Hope's boyfriend Bran has gotten away from his mother, Celia, to tell the companions about his mother's new plan. After Bran reveals Celia's plan, the Viators make a plan of their own - to travel back to 1895 and visit Nikola Tesla and his discovery. The trip to 1895 causes extreme circumstances for Doug and Hope when they are involuntarily taken to an asylum and treated with the new drug, heroin. Intense and interesting and on the edge-of-your-seat suspense! Hope describes the asylum and its residents in detail. She also reiterates her previous knowledge of asylum history. Morbidly fascinating and scary. As the comrades work to visit Tesla, they encounter atrocities and tragedy in this time traveling adventure worth 5 stars! I am, once again, anxiously awaiting a sequel!

My first mistake was in reading a book that is the second in a series without reading the first one first. Most sequels do a decent job of catching the reader up on the first book, but I was simply lost most of the way through this book. I’m always on the lookout for quality young adult fiction for my daughters, but I don’t think I would recommend this book to them.

While many aspects of the time-travel history of New York were well researched and the plot idea was engaging enough, I felt that part of the book (the bulk of the story) dragged on and on. I had a hard time staying focused. Maybe if I were a young adult with a million fewer responsibilities, I could have enjoyed the extended plot line. As it was, I just couldn’t be patient with much of the book. I finished it, but only because I had committed to do so.

I received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This sequel to one of my favorite books of 2016, Into the Dim, definitely did not disappoint. This time the characters have a different time period that they will have to visit in order to solve their current issues. Hope's mother is back, but she is suffering basically PTSD from dealing with being left with the cruel man she'd been stuck with back in time. Not only is she back, but Hope has a new little sister. Her father is asking for a divorce, happy with his new wife. This makes one more emotional issue for Hope's mother to deal with. While Bran had to go be with the woman who had tried to say she was his mother up until now, their enemy, he comes back to see Hope when he can, but when he comes back, he has some alarming news, news that sends them on their next trip back in time. This time they will need to meet up with Nikola Tesla, and hopefully get him to stop working on the instrument that could mess up the careful time travel the Viators have tried to perpetrate. This time we have Doug going back, and he's never been able to go because of his seizures. But since he is best to work with Tesla, being the one who knows the most about what is going on, and kind of a Tesla expert, he is chosen to go, despite Phoebe's pleas about his safety. Of course the fact that he is partly black will cause issues in how he can be a part of the group back in the time period. It is after the civil war, but still things are not good for black, or even mixed race people like Doug.

I liked that not only did we get a glimpse into a world with John Jacob Astor and the Vanderbilt's, a look at Nikola Tesla himself, but a dangerous glimpse into the world of the insane asylums of the time, women being committed by their husbands, the type of experimentation with lobotomies and other cruel procedures. This added an aspect to the overall story that wasn't expected, but definitely made for a very interesting twist. While they still also talked about the rules of not knowing about your past self/future self, as well as not changing any big events, like the fire that destroyed Tesla's lab, a very tragic death of someone in the team makes the rules seem like maybe they were made to be bent at the right times.

Of course we're once again left without the villain being brought in, not to mention that there is now someone even more dangerous out there, working with, or around the villain from before. That means that there MUST be a third book. And I will be waiting on the edge of my seat to hear news for that one.

After not enjoying Into the Dim as much as I thought I would, I was a bit nervous before starting this one. While Sparks of Light still had some faults, I ended up being glad I continued with the series. This sequel artfully dodges the second book trap, taking the characters on an entirely new fast-paced adventure that was interesting and well-researched.

After the events of Into the Dim, Hope Walton has settled into her new home at her family's estate in Scotland. Between her now rescued mother, her newly born little sister, and the other Viators, Hope finally has the family and friends she always dreamed about. Plus there's a romance with Brandon Cameron, a figure from her past who she wants in her future. This fragile peace is shattered when Bran tells the Viator's of Celia's plan to obtain a device of Nikola Tesla's that has the power to revolutionize traveling through the Dim. Hope and her friends rush off to Gilded Age New York in an attempt to reach Tesla before Celia and her cronies can.

I thought that the plot of this book had much better pacing than the first book. I was engaged and interested throughout. There was a nice mix between action scenes and ones that let the characters shine. As before, the author had clearly done her research into the history and it showed in the general excellence of the descriptions and details. The storyline was much tighter in this one, not delving into quite as many subplots. However, there was one subplot in an asylum that seemed out of place to me. It definitely explored some interesting issues of the time but didn't really do anything to advance the plot. Additionally, the time spent dedicated to it meant that the rest of the plot wasn't quite as fully developed as I thought it could be. 

As much as I wanted to love the characters, I was never able to quite click with any of them. Phee, Collum, Doug, and Mac were included but didn't seem to have major roles in the action until the end. Even when they did appear, they felt slightly flat to me and seemed like slightly different characters from who they were in the first book. I enjoyed seeing more of Hope and Bran's past, it helped me understand their relationship in the present more. However, I couldn't really feel the sparks between them and they barely spent any time together. The villains were honestly the most interesting characters for me but, even with them, I wished for more depth to their characters. I liked all of the characters but I wasn't too emotionally invested in them.

Sparks of Light is an improvement from Into the Dim. I still believe this series has a lot of potential and ended up enjoying most of this one. I love how Janet Taylor so vividly paints the past in this novel, I just wish the plot was a little tighter.

Review based on a digital copy provided by Netgalley.

3.5 stars

This story seemed to be kind of slow in the beginning, but I am not sure if that is because I had to read it on a computer versus my Kindle. I have little time to read things on my computer, so it took much longer to read than it normally would have. Unfortunately, a Kindle version was not available. Anyway, the characters of Collum, Phoebe, Mac, Moira and Doug were all present and accounted for – with good relationships continued from the first book. Hope continues to struggle with her place among the viators, although she seems much more sure of herself in this book. I felt that Bran was a little less of a fully fleshed out character, though. I could not quite see why the relationship between Bran and Hope was so important. I guess it was a continuation from the last book, and the build up was not necessary. I found myself wondering, at times, if he was going to remain loyal.

This book took the reader back to the time of Nikola Tesla in New York City. The majority of the book took place in this time period, and that’s fine, as it is a time travel book. My only complaint is with the mental institution scenes. For some reason, they really bothered me. I suppose they were designed to make one uncomfortable, but I found myself struggling to get through those pages.

The action really started to ramp up in the last 100 pages or so of the book, as the viator crew had their confrontation with the enemy’s minions. It was a little difficult to see the connections between this villain and Bran’s mother, although I know they are there. Again, it took me so long to read, I think I may have forgotten parts from the beginning. There is a scene near the end that is very gripping and heart wrenching, but I won’t spoil that for anyone. The book ends on a positive note that necessitates a sequel or two.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, maybe not quite as much as the first one, but I still liked it. I look forward to reading the next one.

Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor is book two in the Into the Dim series and Ms. Taylor brings us back into the lives of Hope Walters and the other Viators as they try to stop those who are trying to hurt them and the world as they know it.

The story picks up two months after Hope saved her mother from twelfth-century England where Sarah was left behind, betrayed by her jealous best-friend, Celia Alvarez. Celia and the Timeslippers, are set on still finding the Nonius Stone, an infamous jewel that will let them slip through time without the Dim's rules.

When Bran informs Hope and the Viators of Celia's plans to steal Nikola Telsa's invention, an enhancement that can mask a person's genetic signature to cheat the Dim's rules and stay longer in a certain time, it becomes a race to get to Tesla between the Viators and the Timeslippers as they go back to Victorian New York. Filled with action, danger, and surrounded by rich historical detail, Sparks of Light will have you anxiously turning the pages to find out what happens next.

After reading Sparks of Light, I want to say that I enjoyed Ms. Taylor's detailed descriptions, the research and historical references to the time period, and how it was all interwoven with the ongoing storyline of Hope and her friends trying to stop the Timeslippers and finding Collum and Phoebe's father, Michael. Both realistic and fantastical, Sparks of Light really is a well-written time-travel novel. Ms. Taylor also introduces us to new villains, Dr. Carson and Gunnar Balsi, a man who may be a bigger threat than Celia is. Both men throw a couple of curve balls at our heroes, that had me worried at times for the characters.

Overall, Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor is a great second novel in an interesting series. I can't wait to read the next installment (which I hope there is one because there are so many things left unfinished). I eagerly recommend.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

Bluefire reader was too difficult to use and I was not allowed to download to Overdrive. The struggle to advance the pages was just too distracting.

Hope has always lived an unusual life, which includes limited friends. It looks like she is finally creating some personal bonds and might even have a boyfriend. She comes from a long line of Viators and has been training to time-travel, just like her ancestors before her. Unfortunately, all Viators are not good and when it is discovered that someone plans to steal an invention from Nikola Tesla, she must travel back to 1895 and try to save the timeline.

Sparks of Light is the second book in the Into the Dim series. Most second books are lack luster compared to their beginning, yet this novel is great, even on its own. Hope must face high society and the dregs of the underworld while attempting to not change anything in the past. Taylor has given readers a satisfactory ending while also creating more interest in future time-traveling escapades. Sparks of Light is a great book and will delight male and female readers alike.

This was solid sequel to Into the Dim.  I really enjoyed it.

After learning about her true family history, Hope is settling in to her new life after the events of traveling back in time.  Although the road to recovery is far from easy.  When Hope and the other Viators learn of a plot to steal Tesla’s newest invention, they travel back to the Gilded Age of New York City to stop him.  Once they arrive however, they’re faced with true horror and betrayal they never thought possible.  Loyalties and morals are put to the test in this thrilling sequel.

So I know a lot of people didn’t enjoy Into the Dim (which I disagree with), but I urge you to give it a shot because I’m really digging this series.  Albeit, I think the first installment was a bit better than the second, but this one really pulls out the stops in the emotional roller coaster department.  Whew.

So this picks up not long after the events of Into the Dim.  We’re met with all our familiar friends–Collum, Phoebe, Bran, Mac, Moira.  The plot moved rather quickly, but it definitely through you for a loop at one point.  I won’t give any spoilers but there was a point in the plot where I was reading and just thinking, “This is truly horrific.  Only because it actually happened.”  I really like how Janet B. Taylor can translate historical events and make them relatable to the reader through her characters.  She definitely had me biting my nails.

We see more of Hope’s true past through some flashbacks.  I really enjoyed those because it shed so much more light about Bran and their relationship.  I wouldn’t have minded some more! Although, I have a feeling we’ll probably be getting that in the next installment.

I did have some issues with the ending.  I know there’s more to come, but it just felt a little unresolved.  It was almost as if you turn the page and thought, “That’s it?!” I don’t want to lead you astray.  There’s no cliff-hanger per se, but it just seemed a rather transitional ending.  Like, “That’s the end then? Oh, ok.” We are left with an idea of the direction they’re heading for the third book, which has been building since the first and I AM ALL THE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, I highly suggest you do. Now.  It’s like Outlander…for teens.  Nothing wrong with that.  The plot moves rather quickly and the characters are entertaining to read.  Go ahead and immerse yourself in the past.  Lemme know how you find it.

Sparks of Light is the second book in the Into the Dim series by Janet B. Taylor. In the first book of the series we met Hope Walton as she was attending her mother’s memorial held about eight months after it was believed that her mother had been a victim in an earthquake while traveling overseas. After the service for her mother Hope received an invitation from her mother’s sister to come for a visit while her father travels. Not wanting to be left with her grandmother that had never accepted Hope into her family since Hope was adopted, she battled her anxiety and boarded a plane to meet her mother’s family.

When Hope arrived at her mysterious aunt’s home she is told that her aunt had to leave for a few days. Hope is full of questions, especially when it’s let slip that her mother had been there right before her supposed death but no one was answering Hope’s inquiries until she stumbles upon some strange artifacts and costumes beneath the manor. Only after Hope’s discovery did her newly acquired family let Hope in on their secrets. They are a group of time travelers and her mother had been trapped in twelfth century England, left by another group of time travelers who had been in somewhat of a feud with Hope’s family.

Sparks of Light picks up Hope’s story a couple of months after the end of the first book in the series. Hope and her family have returned to the present time and are trying to regroup and figure out what their next step needs to be. Meeting up with the person spying on their enemy they find out about plans in the making for the other time travelers to steal a dangerous device from the inventor Nikola Tesla. Another adventure awaits the group as they will need to also travel back to the same time and stop the device from being stolen or the future could be in danger.

This series is one that for me the more I read the more I love what the author has come up with as far as the world and characters as the story develops. Starting off the series I was a tad worried if I would like it or not but everything has just grown on me so much. Hope was a character that was plagued with a slew of anxieties and phobias and had been home schooled and protected but she has grown so much during the two books. The other characters are also a mix of strong and quirky and fun to follow.

For the history buffs the time traveling aspect of the books leads readers to explore different times and places and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing where the next book takes us. This time the book included one of my absolutely least favorite settings in the story when the group traveled back but after the first few cringes I ended up understanding where the author was taking us and found that it was done in a way that I still enjoyed the action this provided for the story.

When finished with this second installment I’d rate it at 4.5 stars and would recommend any fan of young adult sci-fi fantasy type of books to give this series a try although I do suggest starting at the beginning of the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A riveting sequel to Into the Dim, Sparks of Light brings back the whole gang and after learning of plans to steal a time traveling device from 1800's New York, off they go on their own adventure to get it first and save the timeline from utter chaos. And who better than the renown scientist Nikola Tesla to have discovered it and built it, with some very bad help. Will to love conquer all or will death reign in this arena to see who gets the device first?

This is another awesome book filled with action, history, science, more action, twist and turns you won't see coming, a little romance (but not a lot), and even more action that does not stop. I loved this book it really keeps you on your toes, every bit of it is a cliffhanger, you never want to put it down because you just want to see what is going to happen next. I took a while for this book to come out but it surely will not disappoint.