The Third Rule of Time Travel

Philip Fracassi

Save to Your Books

Bookshop

Amazon

100% of affiliate revenue supports Not So Well Read.

The Rules of Time Travel

• Rule One: You can only travel to a point within your lifetime.
• Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.
• Rule Three: You can only observe.

The rules cannot be broken. In this electrifying science fiction thriller from acclaimed author Philip Fracassi, a scientist has unlocked the mysteries of time travel. This is not the story you think you know. And the rules are only the beginning.

“Tense, fast-moving, surprising, and above all else, entertaining.” — Owen King, New York Times bestselling author

“A clever premise digs its heels into a sci-fi thriller that breaks into a fast gallop from the first page — exciting, haunting, compelling stuff.” — Chuck Wendig, author of The Book of Accidents

Scientist Beth Darlow has discovered the unimaginable. She's built a machine that allows human consciousness to travel through time—to any point in the traveler's lifetime—and relive moments of their life. An impossible breakthrough, but it's not perfect: the traveler has no way to interact with the past. They can only observe.

After Beth's husband, Colson, the co-creator of the machine, dies in a tragic car accident, Beth is left to raise Isabella—their only daughter—and continue the work they started. Mired in grief and threatened by her ruthless CEO, Beth pushes herself to the limit to prove the value of her technology.

Then the impossible happens. Simply viewing personal history should not alter the present, but with each new observation she makes, her own timeline begins to warp.

As her reality constantly shifts, Beth must solve the puzzles of her past, even if it means forsaking her future.

“Part Crichton, part Bradbury, and all Fracassi, The Third Rule of Time Travel further demonstrates why Fracassi is one of the best writers working today, regardless of genre.” — Tyler Jones, author of Midas

Show more

Weekly Wrap Up – 3.17-3.23

This week in the book world:
This week was all about Sunrise on the Reaping! It's been so fun seeing everyone diving back into the world of my all-time-favorite series. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through, but I know from everyone's stories that this is going to emotionally destroy me. I am ready.
I had my own personal drama with this title–specifically a certain publisher not having us sign the needed embargo paperwork, which delayed our shipment by 3 days–but overall this release seemed to go a lot more smoothly than THAT one in January. I will say, I am forever jealous of the folks who got to attend the Waterstones Midnight Release. That looked AMAZING and even my indie-loving heart isn't afraid to admit it.

This Week's Publishing News:

• Sarah Beth Durst announced a new teen book this week! It's called The Faraway Inn about a teen girl who goes to work at her aunt's secretly-magical B&B after a breakup.
• New horror novel called The House Where Nothing Hurts, "pitched as Bunny meets Marlena and for fans of Yellowjackets, about a high school volleyball team that discovers a haunted house where none of their actions seem to have lasting physical consequences"
• Lindsay King-Miller, author of The Z Word, is teaming up with Rachel Feder for a dystopian retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray called Dorian/Gray, pitched as a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray "where the rich are assigned poor scapegoats who experience all the negative consequences of their actions through quantum entanglement"

This Week's New Releases:
Much slower week than last week, but still some good ones:

• Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
• The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley
• The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth
• The Prince Without Sorrow (Obsidian Throne, #1) by Maithree Wijesekara
• The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

What I Read This Week:
Oathbound (Finished)
UGGGHHH!!! When's the next one???? I just want my babies to be happy together, okay? Also, in other news, I saw in publisher's weekly that Legendborn sold only 2,000 copies in its first week, but Oathbound sold 20k+ in its first week and I'm just so happy!!
Soulgazer (Finished)
This book captured my entire heart in a matter of pages. Not only is it an incredible pirate fantasy, it's got an incredibly tender romance that will be beloved by both historical and fantasy romance readers. I cannot wait for the next novel and will be thinking of Faolan and Saoirse nearly every day until then. 10/10, perfect romantasy. Y'all make sure to preorder this one and show author Maggie some love.
Kill Creatures (Finished)
Kill Creatures is the exact reason why I love teen thrillers. Impossible-to-put-down from the very first page with a twist that will leave readers of all ages reeling, Kill Creatures is the a sun-soaked-fever-dream thriller that's perfect for summer reading. This one comes out 6/3/25!
Blood Over Bright Haven (50%)
I am loving this book, which is very likely due to the incredible audiobook narrator. We called the twist pretty early on, but that hasn't kept me from enjoying it. I need to finish this one tonight before book club tomorrow, so I'll keep y'all updated on my progress.
Dance of Lies (28%)
Ooooh, I can tell that this one is going to be a slow burn and I am buckled in and ready. What I bought/shelved:
Bought:

• Till Death by Kellan McDaniel
• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
• I Am the Swarm by Hayley Chewins

Shelved:

• Between Ink and Shadows by Melissa Wright

Other Musings:
Don't forget the Trans Rights Read-a-thon is happening now till 3/31! I am hoping to read The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts and Till Death during this time!! I also wrote a little blog post with some of ours booksellers' favorite books by trans and nonbinary authors. You can read that here if you want some book ideas!