The blurb does such a good job of covering the basics, there isn't much left to say. Imagine a world where time travel is not only possible, but taken for granted. Students can attend the academy and train to be a Recorder (the one who goes out and actually gets video of history), an Historian (who helps prep the Recorder and works on wardrobe design, etc.), or an Engineer (who can run the ship and all the gadgets). And the rest of the populace watches the recordings and mimics the historical wardrobes when they get the chance. After going to work for a black marketeer as the only way to have access to time travel, Far and his crew plunder history for artifacts. One mission it might be a pirate's cutlass, another it might be a rare bottle of wine - but always things that are already considered lost, or not easily missed in their own time.
So, partly it's a good heist tale with high speed chases, split-second timing, and cover stories firmly in place. Then there's the time travel, paradox, alternate universe side of things. And the mystery - where does the enigmatic Eliot come from before they meet her on the Titanic? How is she able to teleport and travel through time without a ship? What is she planning? Friendship, trust, family, loss, redemption, all sorts of themes also work their way into the fabric of the story as a whole. By the time we reach the climax, we feel as if we have lived for hundreds of year with these characters and that the fate of the universe truly does rest with them.
Highly recommended for fans who enjoy historical fiction with a sci-fi twist. "Carpe the hazing mundi!" (And as a Latin major, I have a great appreciation for the Latin words and phrases scattered throughout the story, including the title. Just saying.)
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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