Extracted (The Lost Imperials #1) by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler H. Jolley

I received an ARC of Extracted from my friends at Spencer Hill Press and will be taking part in the blog tour for this great book later this month!  Here is the cover and Goodreads blurb:

Welcome to the war.

The Tesla Institute is a premier academy that trains young time travelers called Rifters. Created by Nicola Tesla, the Institute seeks special individuals who can help preserve the time stream against those who try to alter it.

The Hollows is a rogue band of Rifters who tear through time with little care for the consequences. Armed with their own group of lost teens--their only desire to find Tesla and put an end to his corruption of the time stream.

Torn between them are Lex and Ember, two Rifters with no memories of their life before joining the time war.

When Lex’s girlfriend dies during a mission, the only way he can save her is to retrieve the Dox, a piece of tech which allows Rifters to re-enter their own timeline without collapsing the time stream. But the Dox is hidden deep within the Telsa Institute, which means Lex must go into the enemy camp. It’s there he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them both comes flooding back.

Now armed with the truth of who they are, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them both…again.

I loved that this is not a varying viewpoint between two romantically involved characters but two people whose lives intertwine but remain separate for at least half of the book before coming together.  It give s the reader both sides of the story across time and space.  It makes the story that much more complex.  When I saw where the authors were going with Lex and Ember's origin story, my jaw dropped.  It's a mystery that kept me away many nights as a teenager.  This book is so complex with so many characters, plot twists and themes.  It is really worth the read.  It is not straight forward steampunk as we really never get to see when they really are.  The Rifters seem to exist outside of time and they really don't spend a ton of time in the Victorian Era but many of the outfits they favor are from that time.  The steam is seen in many of the apparatuses in the two bases.  The way the weapons and tech are constructed also lends a steampunk feel to the book.  I usually hate time travel because it makes it hard to keep the story and the timeline straight in your mind but this book is so well done that it was easy.  I really don't want to spoil anything so I will just say that this book is wonderful and I highly endorse it!

You can click here to find Extracted on Goodreads.  Tyler H. Jolley can be found on his blog and on Facebook.  Sherry D. Ficklin can be found on her website, Facebook and Twitter.  You can also check out the Official Lost Imperials website.  I give Extracted 4 Fairies for a great book that kept me guessing.