Author: Dan Rix
Genre: Science Fiction
Published on: May 7, 2015, self-published
Time travel sucks.
You have to squeeze inside this fridge-sized quantum computer and suffer hours of mind-numbing boredom while it loops back in time. No light, barely enough air, total solitude. All the time in the world.
It’s also like a drug.
After her first nine-hour timeloop, teenage loner Iris Strasser craves another loop, if only for the rush. Determined to one up her, pretty boy Cory Holland ignores the warning signs that they’re meddling with something dangerous and programs in his own timeloop, daring Iris to make increasingly reckless trips into the past.
But when Iris steps into a timeloop and never steps out, leaving Cory with an empty time machine and an ache in his heart, he must come to grips with the unthinkable truth—he’s lost her inside an infinite loop from which she can’t escape. He’s trapped her in the past, and this time, time travel can’t reach far enough back to save her.
Young geniuses Cory Holland, Iris Strasser, and Noah Wright are back for another adventure. It didn’t seem like they’d be up to more time shenanigans, though. In the previous book, the trio clashed against the creator of the Chronos. Edgard Faye didn’t like that they discovered his machine’s secret. He tried scaring them into leaving the Chronos alone. But the huge cliffhanger means Cory and his friends must use the machine yet again. An Infinite Loop starts right where book two left off. Iris gets a strange call, but Cory isn't sure she should answer, lest they open another can of worms.
The trio resume classes the week after their retreat. They’ve resolved to stay away from the Chronos. Of course, the temptation is too great. Cory is stung that Iris one-upped him by getting to time travel before he did. He doesn’t care that she did it out of need rather than fun. Cory wants a go as well. He comes up with a way to use the Chronos without Faye knowing about it. Iris had secretly wanted to sneak into the machine as well. Time traveling left her with an itch, an urge to do it again.
One night, Cory, Iris, and Noah have fun with the Chronos. They take turns going back in time a few minutes at a time. Cory makes Iris go last because she already had a big turn. Iris is chomping at the bit to have another go. When it’s her turn, though, Iris feels unsure. Time traveling messed with Cory’s head a bit. He’s feeling strange, which makes him careless. Cory schedules a time loop for Iris and forces her to take it. Iris has no choice but to do it. She goes inside the machine and vanishes as usual. But when Iris doesn’t return, Cory starts feeling worried. He rechecks the time loop code and is dismayed when he confirms his terrible suspicion.
Noah is distraught when Cory explains what happened. Time traveling is hard for Noah to wrap his head around, so Cory has to give him details. When Noah realizes that Iris is as good as dead, he’s all but devastated. Iris was going to be his homecoming date. Now Cory lost her somewhere no one can reach. Cory may have been unable to stand Iris, but he never wished her dead. Over the past two books, they’ve grown closer. Cory and Iris were on the way to becoming friends. Getting Iris trapped within the Chronos leaves Cory beside himself. He knows he screwed up royally.
By now, we know a lot about the Chronos. Its limitations are what drives An Infinite Loop’s big problem. Like all technology, though, it has workarounds. And it’s lucky that Cory is a genius. Iris’s life is still in his hands. It may take him some time, but if anyone can find a way to save Iris, it’s Cory. Despite being his rival, Cory can’t let Iris go. He finds himself greatly missing her and longing to see her blue eyes and hear her voice again. What lengths will Cory go to rescue Iris if it’s even possible? On top of that, he faces a complication: the Strassers reported their daughter missing. And they suspect Cory had something to do with it.
Although Cory and Iris have the most prominence, other characters play important roles. Noah is of course the most important of these. He may not be able to save Iris, but he is still useful. Anneliese Faye (Edgard’s daughter) is the only “outsider” who knows about the Chronos' secret. She despises that her father is using it as an excuse to let her do whatever she wants. Edgard is certain Anneliese will be completely safe, so he doesn’t protect or guide her in the slightest. To make Edgard be the father Anneliese wants, she takes risky measures. It’s fun to see the effect they have. Edgard is unbelievable.
Cory’s desperate bid to save Iris was fascinating. This is the riskiest, most dangerous mission the trio have taken yet. Even one mistake could push Iris forever beyond anyone’s reach. I was awed how far Cory went for Iris. Not everyone would do that for a rival, even one you accidentally put in mortal danger. Clearly Cory has deeper feelings for Iris than he realizes. This is looking like an enemies-to-lovers thing. I find it riveting. Wanting to see if two people who dislike each other will fall in love is fun. I definitely enjoyed An Infinite Loop. It’s the best entry in the Timeloopers series so far.
My rating: ★★★★★
5 stars - Absolutely must-read. It's outstanding!!!
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