Common Sense Media Review
Clever time-travel adventure veers into mythical realms.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
At the beginning of THE SHIP BEYOND TIME, Nixie and the crew of the time-traveling ship Temptation arrive in modern-day New York City. There she learns she's fated to lose the love of her life and end up like her heartbroken, embittered father. Unable to face the possibility of witnessing the death of her best friend, Kashmir, she steers her ship toward Ker-Ys, a mythical utopia where she hopes to meet a man who can tell her how to change the past and alter the future. What she finds brings into question every aspect of her life.
Is It Any Good?
Mixing piracy and time travel is a potent narrative blend, and this nautical fantasy takes full advantage of its concept. The Ship Beyond Time continues the mind-bending plotting of the previous volume, but it bogs down a little in the middle, with more talk than action. Author Heidi Heilig ratchets up the suspense in the narrative's final third, however, as Nixie seeks answers from an ancient oracle and discovers only more uncertainty. At the end, many tantalizing questions remain unresolved, but most readers will eagerly await the third volume in the series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about time travel in The Ship Beyond Time. Why are time-travel stories so popular in books and movies and on TV shows? How does the possibility of time travel relate to questions of predestination and free will?
If you could go back in time, would you try to change history? What might be the dangers of doing so?
Do you think most people have a single "true love"?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship , Pirates
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Greenwillow Books
- Publication date : February 28, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 464
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate
