The Grandmother Paradox

Nikel’s sequel to The Continuum is sadly less satisfying than its rollicking predecessor. The Place in Time Travel Agency’s best agent, Elise, is being hunted by rival agents who threaten her very existence. Chandler, the man from the future whom Elise saved in the first book, must now return the favor. When the Agency realizes that even Elise’s ancestors are being targeted, it is up to Chandler to zip back in time to protect Elise’s great-great-grandmother, Juliette Argent. Then Chandler falls in love, and his anachronistic romance threatens to destabilize the fabric of time. Nikel spends too much of the brief story on set dressing, though it’s a marvelous character study. The ending does not feel satisfying or warranted, given the hurried plot development in the second half of the novella. Fans will appreciate Nikel’s signature attention to detail and atmosphere, but that’s not enough to make up for the novel’s lack of substance. (July)