Tropes Multiple Timelines

Multiple Timelines

Two or more storylines set in different periods. They weave together until their connection snaps into focus.

Refreshed just now · 58 books

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  1. 1
    Japanese Gothic cover

    Japanese Gothic

    Kylie Lee Baker · Horror

    New York Times Most Anticipated Book for 2026 USA TODAY Most Anticipated Books of 2026 Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Books of 2026 Book Riot…

    gothic atmosphere · multiple timelines · paranormal romance · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  2. 2
    The Strength of the Few cover

    The Strength of the Few

    James Islington · Fantasy

    Omne trium perfectum The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus.

    grimdark · quest · morally grey character · multiple timelines

  3. 3
    My Friends cover

    My Friends

    Fredrik Backman · Literary Fiction

    Fredrik Backman, who “captures the messy essence of being human” (The Washington Post), returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of…

    coming of age · found family · multiple timelines

  4. 4
    The God of the Woods cover

    The God of the Woods

    Liz Moore · Mystery & Thriller

    When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk.

    psychological thriller · missing person · multiple timelines · twist ending · cat and mouse

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  5. 5
    The Bewitching cover

    The Bewitching

    Silvia Moreno-Garcia · Horror

    “Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter…

    gothic atmosphere · witches · haunted setting · multiple timelines · dark academia

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  6. 6
    The Midnight Library cover

    The Midnight Library

    Matt Haig · Literary Fiction

    Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever.

    magical realism · multiple timelines · trauma recovery · redemption arc

  7. 7
    Strange Pictures cover

    Strange Pictures

    Uketsu · Horror

    A Japanese mystery horror bestseller, revolving around a series of creepy drawings, in which the reader is the detective - from the Youtube sensation…

    gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · twist ending · multiple timelines

  8. 8
    Station Eleven cover

    Station Eleven

    Emily St. John Mandel · Literary Fiction

    One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of "King Lear." Jeevan Chaudhary, a…

    post apocalyptic · found family · multiple timelines · survival

  9. 9
    The Ministry of Time cover

    The Ministry of Time

    Kaliane Bradley · Literary Fiction

    In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she'll be working on.

    magical realism · time travel · romantic comedy · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  10. 10
    Hyperion cover

    Hyperion

    Dan Simmons · Sci-Fi

    In the 29th century, the Hegemony of Man comprises hundreds of planets connected by farcaster portals.

    space opera · quest · multiple timelines · found family

  11. 11
    Flashlight cover

    Flashlight

    Susan Choi · Literary Fiction

    One summer night, Louisa and her father take a walk on the breakwater.

    unreliable narrator · multiple timelines · psychological thriller · twist ending · trauma recovery

  12. 12
    Our Infinite Fates cover

    Our Infinite Fates

    Laura Steven · Romance

    THE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Impossible to put down' V.E.

    slow burn · fated mates · time travel · love triangle · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  13. 13
    Turn Off the Light cover

    Turn Off the Light

    Jacquie Walters · Horror

    Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that "upends everything you think you know about ghost…

    gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · multiple timelines · ghosts · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  14. 14
    Shadows Upon Time cover

    Shadows Upon Time

    Christopher Ruocchio · Sci-Fi

    The seventh and final novel of the galaxy-spanning series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe at last lights the…

    space opera · redemption arc · quest · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  15. 15
    The Silmarillion cover

    The Silmarillion

    J.R.R. Tolkien · Fantasy

    A number-one New York Times bestseller when it was originally published, The Silmarillion is the core of J.R.R.

    quest · multiple timelines · dragons

  16. 16
    The Isle in the Silver Sea cover

    The Isle in the Silver Sea

    Tasha Suri · Fantasy

    From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes The Isle in the Silver Sea, a heart-shattering standalone romantasy of sapphic longing,…

    forbidden romance · historical fiction · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  17. 17
    This Is How You Lose the Time War cover

    This Is How You Lose the Time War

    Amal El-Mohtar · Sci-Fi

    Two time-traveling agents from warring futures, working their way through the past, begin to exchange letters—and fall in love in this thrilling and…

    slow burn · space opera · romantic comedy · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  18. 18
    Never Let Me Go cover

    Never Let Me Go

    Kazuo Ishiguro · Sci-Fi

    Ishiguro explores what it means to have a soul and how art distinguishes man from other life forms.

    dystopian society · gothic atmosphere · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

  19. 19
    The Winter People cover

    The Winter People

    Jennifer McMahon · Horror

    The New York Times bestselling author of The Invited will shock you with a simmering psychological thriller about ghostly secrets, dark choices, and…

    psychological thriller · haunted setting · ghosts · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

  20. 20
    The Book of Records cover

    The Book of Records

    Madeleine Thien · Literary Fiction

    One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of the Summer A Literary Hub, Esquire, and Washington Post Most Anticipated Book of 2025 One of Time's and…

    magical realism · multiple timelines

  21. 21
    Homegoing cover

    Homegoing

    Yaa Gyasi · Literary Fiction

    The unforgettable New York Times best seller begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into…

    historical fiction · coming of age · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  22. 22
    Firefly Lane cover

    Firefly Lane

    Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

    Inseparable best friends Kate and Tully, two young women who, despite their very different lives, have vowed to be there for each other forever, have…

    found family · coming of age · multiple timelines · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  23. 23
    The Overstory cover

    The Overstory

    Richard Powers · Literary Fiction

    *The Overstory* unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fable that range from antebellum New York to the late-twentieth-century Timber Wars of…

    historical fiction · political intrigue · multiple timelines

  24. 24
    All the Light We Cannot See cover

    All the Light We Cannot See

    Anthony Doerr · Literary Fiction

    From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German…

    historical fiction · multiple timelines · survival · psychological thriller

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  25. 25
    Orlando cover

    Orlando

    Virginia Woolf · Literary Fiction

    In her most exuberant, most fanciful novel, Woolf has created a character liberated from the restraints of time and sex.

    historical fiction · magical realism · secret identity · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  26. 26
    House of Suns cover

    House of Suns

    Alastair Reynolds · Sci-Fi

    Six million years ago, at the dawn of the star-faring era, Abigail Gentian fractured herself into a thousand male and female clones, which she called…

    space opera · quest · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  27. 27
    Skylark cover

    Skylark

    Paula McLain · Literary Fiction

    ! The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic…

    historical fiction · slow burn · multiple timelines · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  28. 28
    Exit Party cover

    Exit Party

    Emily St. John Mandel · Literary Fiction

    COMING AUTUMN 2026 From the bestselling author of Station Eleven, Exit Party is Emily St.

    magical realism · multiple timelines · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  29. 29
    Red Clay cover

    Red Clay

    Charles B. Fancher · Literary Fiction

    An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War…

    historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

  30. 30
    One of Us Is Lying cover

    One of Us Is Lying

    Karen M. McManus · Mystery & Thriller

    Pay close attention and you might solve this.

    closed circle · multiple timelines · cat and mouse · psychological thriller · twist ending

  31. 31
    A Day of Fallen Night cover

    A Day of Fallen Night

    Samantha Shannon · Fantasy

    Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory.

    historical fiction · quest · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  32. 32
    When the Day Comes cover

    When the Day Comes

    Gabrielle Meyer · Fantasy

    Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City.

    multiple timelines · coming of age · slow burn

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  33. 33
    The Waves cover

    The Waves

    Virginia Woolf · Literary Fiction

    Tracing the lives of a group of friends, this novel follows their development from childhood to middle age.

    multiple timelines · coming of age

  34. 34
    Lightbreakers cover

    Lightbreakers

    Aja Gabel · Literary Fiction

    Named a Most Anticipated Book by LA Times, LitHub, and Harper's Bazaar What would you give to relive the past?

    slow burn · multiple timelines · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  35. 35
    The Things We Leave Unfinished cover

    The Things We Leave Unfinished

    Rebecca Yarros · Literary Fiction

    When Georgia Stanton discovers that her late grandmother, Scarlett, the infamous romance author, didn't get the chance to finish her last book, she…

    slow burn · historical fiction · multiple timelines · second chance romance · trauma recovery

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  36. 36
    By Any Other Name cover

    By Any Other Name

    Jodi Picoult · Literary Fiction

    From the co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s…

    historical fiction · unreliable narrator · multiple timelines · secret identity

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  37. 37
    The Sirens cover

    The Sirens

    Emilia Hart · Fantasy

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • #1 LibraryReads Pick • Indie Next Pick A spellbinding novel about sisters…

    found family · magical realism · historical fiction · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  38. 38
    The Complete Witcher cover

    The Complete Witcher

    Andrzej Sapkowski · Fantasy

    Experience the story from start to finish.

    grimdark · anti hero · quest · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  39. 39
    The Winds of Winter cover

    The Winds of Winter

    George R.R. Martin · Fantasy

    The sixth book in George R. R. Martin's critically acclaimed, world wide best-selling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE - the inspiration behind HBO's…

    grimdark · political intrigue · quest · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  40. 40
    The Forgotten Midwife cover

    The Forgotten Midwife

    Laura Anthony · Literary Fiction

    Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience…

    historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

  41. 41
    The Measure cover

    The Measure

    Nikki Erlick · Literary Fiction

    Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice. It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out. But today, when…

    slow burn · found family · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  42. 42
    A Pale View of Hills cover

    A Pale View of Hills

    Kazuo Ishiguro · Literary Fiction

    In his highly acclaimed debut, A Pale View of Hills, Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling…

    psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

  43. 43
    All the World Can Hold cover

    All the World Can Hold

    Jung Yun · Literary Fiction

    Let the Great World Spin meets My Name Is Lucy Barton in this novel set aboard an aging cruise ship bound for Bermuda, where growing tensions lead…

    coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  44. 44
    Cloud Atlas cover

    Cloud Atlas

    David Stephen Mitchell · Literary Fiction

    A stunning, innovative Matyroshka doll of six nested narratives, which start in the 19th century and vault us into a dystopian future.

    multiple timelines · magical realism · post apocalyptic · quest

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  45. 45
    Magpie Murders cover

    Magpie Murders

    Anthony Horowitz · Mystery & Thriller

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Moriarty and Trigger Mortis, this fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller weaves a classic whodunit…

    twist ending · multiple timelines · psychological thriller · cat and mouse

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  46. 46
    The Guest List cover

    The Guest List

    Lucy Foley · Mystery & Thriller

    THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLERS OF THE YEAR “I loved this book.

    closed circle · multiple timelines · twist ending · psychological thriller

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  47. 47
    You Killed Me First cover

    You Killed Me First

    John Marrs · Mystery & Thriller

    Three women. Three smoldering secrets. Who will make it out alive? It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies…

    psychological thriller · multiple timelines · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  48. 48
    In Ascension cover

    In Ascension

    Martin MacInnes · Literary Fiction

    LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR An astonishing novel about a young microbiologist investigating an…

    coming of age · multiple timelines

  49. 49
    Celestial Lights cover

    Celestial Lights

    Cecile Pin · Sci-Fi

    A coming-of-age tale inspired by Odysseus set both on Earth and in space, Celestial Lights is perfect for fans of Orbital and Normal People.

    space opera · coming of age · quest · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  50. 50
    The Vanished Birds cover

    The Vanished Birds

    Simon Jimenez · Sci-Fi

    A “highly imaginative and utterly exhilarating” (Thrillist) debut that is “the best of what science fiction can be: a thought-provoking, heartrending…

    space opera · found family · quest · coming of age · multiple timelines

  51. 51
    The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle cover

    The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

    Stuart Turton · Mystery & Thriller

    "Pop your favorite Agatha Christie whodunnit into a blender with a scoop of Downton Abbey, a dash of Quantum Leap, and a liberal sprinkling of…

    twist ending · multiple timelines · closed circle

  52. 52
    📖

    Forgotten Garden

    Kate Morton · Mystery & Thriller

    historical fiction · multiple timelines · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  53. 53
    The Lighthouse Witches cover

    The Lighthouse Witches

    C. J. Cooke · Fantasy

    A Most Anticipated Novel by Pop Sugar * Book Riot * Betches * Bustle * and more!

    witches · gothic atmosphere · multiple timelines · twist ending

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  54. 54
    Sea of Tranquility cover

    Sea of Tranquility

    Emily St. John Mandel · Sci-Fi

    Edwin St. Andrew is eighteen years old when he crosses the Atlantic by steamship, exiled from polite society following an ill-conceived diatribe at a…

    time travel · multiple timelines · slow burn · space opera · paranormal romance

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  55. 55
    The White Octopus Hotel cover

    The White Octopus Hotel

    Alexandra Bell · Fantasy

    Journey to a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps, where two lost souls living in different centuries meet and discover if a second chance awaits them…

    second chance romance · time travel · magical realism · multiple timelines · paranormal romance

    🌶️🌶️Mild — romantic tension, kissing, nothing explicit
  56. 56
    A Storm of Swords cover

    A Storm of Swords

    George R. R. Martin · Fantasy

    Here is the third volume in George R.

    grimdark · revenge plot · love triangle · multiple timelines · dragons

    🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Spicy — explicit sexual content, multiple open-door scenes
  57. 57
    The Power cover

    The Power

    Naomi Alderman · Sci-Fi

    ix, 340 pages : 20 cm

    dystopian society · political intrigue · multiple timelines

    🌶️🌶️🌶️Moderate — some open-door scenes, not the focus
  58. 58
    The Radiant Dark cover

    The Radiant Dark

    Alexandra Oliva · Sci-Fi

    Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore in this captivating novel that follows a family over fifty years—a bold and compassionate exploration of the universe…

    coming of age · multiple timelines · trauma recovery · space opera · found family