Time Is Heartless

2024: BookLife Fiction Prize: Finalist Science Fiction 

"Equal parts thought-provoking and riotously joyful, Time is Heartless is a book I'll be thinking about for months-maybe even years. It's genuinely, completely hilarious in the brilliant, sparkling, ridiculous way the future with all its boundless potential could be . . . some of the most intricately imagined worldbuilding I've ever read, and yet it feels completely accessible."

-Independent Book Review

"The surprising, emotionally resonant third entry in Lahey's near-future Heartless Series blends thoughtful, inventive science fiction with romance, family drama, and a heartwarming commitment to love . . ."

-BookLife Editor's Pick Review

"Author Sarah Lahey has crafted an imaginative and compelling work. I was particularly impressed by the way the many levels of the novel worked together, and how much work the author pours into every moment of the worldbuilding, plot construction, and character development to make this possible." 

- Readers' Favorite Five-Star Review âââââ

"The world-building is extraordinary, the characters are wonderful."

- Sam Goodreads Review âââââ

". . . a novel that pulses with both ideas, humanity, and (at its start and ending) adventure. Lahey's storytelling circumnavigates a fascinating Earth of heat surges, advanced tech, dark secrets, and deeply human connection."

-BookLife Editor's Pick Review

". . . some fantastically timed twists that I didn't see coming, yet they fit so satisfyingly into the plot that had already been laid out for some brilliant "a-ha!" moments."

- Readers' Favorite Five-Star Review âââââ

"Time is Heartless is a rare work of fiction that I would gladly gift and recommend with great confidence to both my parents, my best friend, and to my middle-aged neighbors. Even reading this book as a standalone-coming into this story without the relationships built in the two previous books-I felt a close and familial connection to these characters."

-Independent Book Review

". . . a sparklingly original futuristic sci-fi tale set in a world that features cyborgs, AI meerkats (yes, meerkats), cutting edge tech, time travel, and exists in the midst of surging climate change. Despite the invigorating and expertly crafted worldbuilding, it's the characters and humanity of the novel that make it a true standout within the genre. Lahey infuses the story with practical and relatable concerns (such as Quinn seeking balance between career and raising a child), providing readers an emotional anchor to offset the fantastical circumstances."

-BookLife Prize Critic's Report