Review of "The Ring Fold Chronicles Book 2: Blood of Time" by Scott Swisher

Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)

The Ring Fold Chronicles Book 2: Blood of Time is just the book we needed to read at just the right time!

Speaking of time, this is the direct sequel to one of the best time-traveling novels we've read: Ring Fold (Book 1)! Interestingly enough, though we were highly critical of the characters in the previous books (pointing out that many off them seemed stereotypical for their age and the time periods they come from), we found them engaging and lovable in this book.

Seriously, we wanted to hug and squeeze these characters and never let them go!
They're adorable and endearing.

And that warm, positive feeling not only applies to the returning cast members (Jordan, Rocco, Steffi, Jacob, Carissa, and Scarlett) that also goes for the antagonists/opposing group: Tessandra ("Tess"), Parker, Raya, Logan, Jezebel ("Jez"), and Eliza.

In fact, one of the key emotional notes and tragedies of this book is that most of the antagonists are not evil, they're just very troubled, manipulated, and misunderstood. They're victims, in a sense. In another sense, they're mirrors of the protagonists—just young people who weren't blessed with the blood-transfused abilities of the core cast.

We're greatly appreciated that.

In fact, let's talk about the incredible dynamics between the protagonists and antagonists in this book because—in many ways—these dynamics constitute the book's heart and soul.

As alluded to before, the Ring return as "the protectors of the Fold, the guardians of the [linear] space-time continuum." For those who missed the first book, the Fold is essentially the mechanism by which time-travel can occur for the characters in the series. Think of it like a dimensional corridor that can branch out into other timelines or time periods. So, if the Doctor from Doctor Who has the TARDIS and Marty McFly from Back to the Future has the DeLorean, the Ring have the Fold.

Unfortunately, they're not the only ones who want to use and gain control over the Fold.

In the previous book, the heroes led by Jordan and her close-knit team—Steffi, Carissa, Paul, and Rocco—successfully defended the Fold against Tempus, a covert organization bent on exploiting time-travel for political and militaristic dominance. But that battle was just the beginning. In Blood of Time, the stakes escalate dramatically as a new threat emerges in the form of Darren Kraus, a former ally turned rogue, who has formed his own faction known as Team Kronos.

Kraus, the main villain off the series, isn’t just interested in using the Fold—he wants to reshape time itself, recruiting a team of young, manipulated “Otters” who, like the Ring, have bloodlines tied to original Fold travelers. These recruits, unlike the disciplined members of the Ring, are unstable, untrained, and dangerously empowered through experimental means.

As a result, what was once a carefully maintained and guarded system of time travel is now under siege from multiple fronts. The Fold becomes a symbolic and literal battleground—a fragile tapestry being pulled at from both ends. Jordan and her team must now fight not only to preserve history but to protect the very existence of the Fold itself, which if corrupted, could unravel reality as they know it.

The Otters of Kronos—Tess, Parker, Raya, Logan, Jezebel ("Jez"), and Eliza—are not traditional antagonists. Despite being the "evil" or dark counterparts of the Ring, they aren't evil. They're gray. At times, they seem like the protagonists. They seem like they're trying to save the day, avenge their losses, and make the world a better place. Unfortunately, this means disrupting the linear space-time continuum, causing instabilities and paradoxes that lead to bigger problems.

For example, what would happen if 9/11 were prevented in 2001? What would happen if the Bobby Kennedy assassination were prevented in 1968?

Those questions are some of the big plot points in this novel.

But going back to the Otters...
They're just young people who were robbed of opportunities and—in cases like Raya's—robbed of their loved ones. They're broken, lost, confused, and angry. They all have chips on their shoulders and something to prove.

Oh, and by the way, Raya has a very special motivation in this book. See, Raya is the daughter of Loretta Wretch, a Tempus agent and one of the main villains of the previous book who was slain out of necessity by Jordan. So, she has all the motivation she needs to blame and hate the Ring.

Each of the members of Kronos has a unique charm that makes them compelling, even sympathetic, despite the threat they pose. Tess is wild and unpredictable, but underneath her fiery activism is a passionate heart that genuinely wants to change the world—she just doesn’t know how to channel it constructively. Parker, the tech genius, masks his insecurities with sarcasm and swagger, yet he's the most loyal of the bunch, clearly craving belonging and approval. Raya, cold and calculating on the surface, is carrying the weight of her mother's notorious legacy—trying to outpace it, rewrite it, or live up to it depending on the moment. And Eliza, volatile and tragic, serves as a warning sign of what happens when someone with power is abandoned by the very people who should have protected her.

Together, the Otters of Kronos are less a team of villains and more a cautionary tale—a mirror of what the Ring could have become if they hadn’t found each other and been given purpose. That’s what makes them so dangerous: they’re not evil, they’re hurt, and hurt people with time-traveling abilities can do a lot of damage. But that’s also what makes them worth saving. You don’t want to see them destroyed—you want to see them redeemed. That moral tension is one of the most powerful undercurrents of Blood of Time.

The Otters have very charming, childish, and human moments that endear them to the reader. Tess is excited when she hears the "Macarena," a song from her time-period (the 90s) and immediately goes to the dance floor wearing her cargo pants to start dancing to it.

There are times like when Logan and Rocco each find themselves playing instruments on a band, each having a love for rock and roll music. Logan even develops a bit of a relationship with Steffi, which has its bright and dark moments.

There are literally times in this book when the Ring and the Kronos members are side-by-side coexisting, and we couldn't help but ask: Could this just last forever? Why does it have to end?
The two groups could make such great friends and allies if people like Darren Kraus were removed from the equation.

Let's talk about Logan a little bit. Logan is from a very different time from most of the other characters despite his apparent age. He's a bit like Steve Rogers/Captain America, coming from the World War II era. This also makes him one of the more dangerous Otters because of his tactical experience and ability to use firearms.

Thankfully, the Ring also has formidable members like Jordan, who is essentially Alice from Resident Evil. Jordan is a female wrecking machine who seems to be proficient at whatever fighting skills are needed at the time. Her fighting ability is almost supernatural. Years ago, we remember asking ourselves who would win in a fight: Jordan from The Ring or Gilraen from Jaralii Chronicles. That would be a great fight!

But, for once, this isn't a book in which we looked forward to the fighting. This is a book in which we looked forward to the characters bonding and some sort of reconciliation. It's also interesting to see the characters try to interfere in events like the 1968 Senator Bobby Kennedy assassination and to see the results of that.

Check it out on Amazon!