INVICTUS
Dr. Who meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this thrilling sci-fi novel by acclaimed author Ryan Graudin.
Seventeen year-old Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling recorder from the future and a Gladiator living in Rome in 95 A.D., Far’s birth defies the laws of nature. All set to follow in his mother’s footsteps, Far has been preparing his whole life for a chance to time travel. That is until he fails his final exam, and is kicked out of the program. With no prospects for the future,
Dr. Who meets Guardians of the Galaxy in this thrilling sci-fi novel by acclaimed author Ryan Graudin.
Seventeen year-old Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time. The son of a time-traveling recorder from the future and a Gladiator living in Rome in 95 A.D., Far’s birth defies the laws of nature. All set to follow in his mother’s footsteps, Far has been preparing his whole life for a chance to time travel. That is until he fails his final exam, and is kicked out of the program. With no prospects for the future, Far takes a position as Captain working for a man who runs a black market operation.
During a heist, Far meets a mysterious girl named Eliot. A girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Eliot has secrets—big ones—that will effect Far’s life and everyone he holds dear. As Far learns that his birth has caused time and universes to unravel, he will have to find a way to set everything right before time runs out.
In this heart-stopping adventure, Ryan Graudin has created a world that defies time and space.
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Hardcover
- September 2017
- 464 Pages
- 9780316503075
Buy the Book
$18.99
About Ryan Graudin
Ryan Graudin was born in Charleston, SC with a severe case of wanderlust. When she’s not traveling, she’s busy photographing weddings, writing, and spending time with her husband and wolf-dog. She is the author of The Walled City, Wolf by Wolf, and Blood for Blood.
Praise
“Graudin weaves the past and future seamlessly together into an epic canvas spanning generations. An incredibly intricate, brilliantly paced, masterfully written journey.”—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites
“I’ve loved all of Ryan Graudin’s books, but I love this one the most. Time-traveling thieves skipping through history! Mind-bending in the best way.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Strange the Dreamer
Discussion Questions
1. After he fails his exam, Far is faced with the opportunity to become a time-traveler on the black market. Is it worth the moral compromise to become a thief in order to achieve his dreams? Would you make the same choice if your life-long dream came to a screeching halt?
2. The time travelers of 2354 are able to vacation in any time and era they could imagine. Where would you go if you were able to bend space and time? What artifact from history would you steal?
3. The corps maxim is “The future’s hope is in the past.” What does it say about the society of 2354 that they are so obsessed with history? What will future historians have to say about our current era?
4. Invictus is told from the perspective of many narrators. How did that affect your experience of reading the book?
5. Far’s world is turned on its head after meeting Eliot. How would the story change if he hadn’t let her on the ship?
6. Each of the crew members of the Invictus have their own distinct personalities and quirks. How did that help them work together? How did it get in their way? Which character did you most identify with?
7. “Invictus” is also the name a of poem by William Ernest Henley, the first stanza of which is quoted in the book:
Out of the night which covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
How does this stanza apply to the book?