Title: The Hands of Time
Author: Michelle Madow
Series: Elementals #5
Genre: YA Mythology
Published: November 25th, 2016
Source: E-galley through Michelle Madow's street team
My rating: 4 Stars
This conclusion to Michelle Madow's Elementals series is very well done. I was excited to see how the group that we had left would be able to close the gate to Kerberos as well as defeat Typhon. The end of book 4 left us wondering if all that they had done so far would be enough. If the losses they'd suffered would not be in vain. If the final tasks would be surmountable. The way Madow lays the story out is done in a well-thought out way, without any sort of cheating or unsatisfactory tying up of loose ends. If you haven't read the first four in the series, you can go back and read my reviews of each of them in the links below, because I can't promise to not give any spoilers for the first four in my review of this final book.
1. The Prophecy of Shadows
2. The Blood of the Hydra
3. The Head of Medusa
4. The Portal to Kerberos
Where we pick up at the beginning of this book, Nicole and Danielle have stepped back through the portal thanks to Chronos being able to turn back the time so that they can keep Blake from dying. But not only Blake, they're also able to save Chris from the poison of the bite he sustained. However they're still left without Kate, who was turned to stone by Medusa in an earlier story. Now the four of them that are left must figure out how to get Typhon stopped before he comes through the portal, which happens to be in Sicily. If they can do that, it doesn't mean that everything will be all perfect, because the portal will still be open, and all kinds of creatures, centaurs, cyclops, dragons, all will come through.
But when it comes to figuring out how to close the portal, before the summer solstice, it seems that one of them may have to be on the side of Kerberos, which means they will be stuck there forever, as there is no other way home. In their searching for a way to close it, they will also try to find a way to bring Kate back, something that may only be done in turning her into a minor goddess, but could also kill her. They will try talking to the Oracle for another way to open the portal so no one has to stay in Kerberos. But the Oracle is in the Underworld, which will require a trip there by a few of the group.
In the end, it mostly will work out. There will still be some loss, but there will be things that are unexpected.
I really liked all the tasks and things that they had to go through. However, I knew the way that they could do what they wanted, and I think it is a little silly that it was such a surprise to everyone. To me it was obvious as soon as they said one of them had to be on the other side of the portal. I knew exactly who would be okay with staying there, because there would be something in Kerberos for them. So that is my only gripe with the story. Other than that, I loved the way they figured out how to save certain people, but I also loved how the battles weren't perfect and easy for everyong to make it out alive.
I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes mythology stories similar to The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, any of the Rick Riordan series, and even a little bit like Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I look forward to future stories from this author!
