Waiting over a year for this final installment in the FIVE KINGDOMS series was difficult. So difficult. I wanted to find out what happened to Cole, Mira, Jace, and their friends. What would be the fate of the Outskirts as the evil torivor Ramarro threatened the existence of the Five Kingdoms and everyone living in them? As the year wore on, I wondered if the final book could live up to the incredible fantasy epic Mull had woven throughout the previous four books. But as I closed the last few pages with a lump in my throat, I can say, “He’s done it again.”
TIME JUMPERS, the final book in the FIVE KINGDOMS series picks up where book four left off, with Cole and his friends desperately racing toward an apocalyptic ending to the Outskirts, the place he has decided to call home, and the place many others do call home. TIME JUMPERS lives up to the hype of the series, and even though we had to wait a long time to finish out Cole’s story, it was worth the wait. Packed with adventure, mystery, crazy reveals, and moments I never saw coming, Brandon Mull’s latest puts every reader on the edge of their seats once again.
If you haven’t read any of the books in the series, starting with this one will definitely leave you lost as you try to catch up. I highly recommend going back to SKY RAIDERS and reading through from there. However, Mull does an excellent job reminding the reader what has happened previously with enough detail to jog the memory, but not so much that it bogs down this story.
The one weakness this series has is in the character development for Cole. He goes from a mainly altruistic boy who wants to save his friends to a very altruistic boy who wants to save an entire world. He learns some bravery along the way, but nothing that wasn’t already present in him from book one. Despite the lack of growth, the plot remains an incredible ride through action set pieces and far off locales I wish we could have explored even more.
TIME JUMPERS. Worth the wait. Worth the read.