Paris Adrift

Swift (the Osiris Project series) delivers both an unusual take on time travel and solid characters, including a fantastic protagonist. Hallie drops out of her geology program in college and runs away to Paris, where she lands a job at Millie’s (a bar that “will employ anyone with a pulse”). She meets a motley cast of characters, including flamboyant Algerian expat Angel and nice but mysterious bartender Gabriela. One in particular, Léon, the stranger who suggested she apply at Millie’s, becomes a huge part of her life. Léon was sent from the distant future, one of a handful of people capable of time traveling thanks to “anomalies” that are tied to individual travelers. Hallie learns that she is also capable of time travel—and that she and Léon might be able to save the future. Swift keeps things moving briskly, throwing out innocuous tidbits while scene setting that lead to surprising later payoffs. The ending is hardly surprising, but the story’s good enough to handle the slight letdown. (Feb.)