Review of The River of No Return by Bee Ridgeway, a time-travelling historical fiction novel set primarily in Regency England.
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Synopsis
In the early 1800s, Nick Davenant was the Marquess of Blackdown. Then he almost died at the battle of Salamanca but instead woke in 2003. For ten years, he has been cared for by The Guild, a mysterious organisation that provides new lives for time travellers.
When The Guild discovers that the future is turning back on itself, they break their own rules and send Nick back to 1815. He resumes his 19th century life easily enough, but struggles with following The Guild’s instructions.
Meanwhile, Julia (Nick’s neighbour and love interest) is struggling with her grandfather’s death. Soon, she is entangled in the manipulation of time and hiding her abilities is all she can do to keep herself safe. As Nick untangles the relationship between the Guild and their rivals (the Ofan), he and Julia grow closer.
Review
The River of No Return is a thought-provoking book with lots of twists and turns. There is some romance, but most of the story is about time travel and its consequences. It has adventure, passion, intrigue, and one crazy nobleman. The world was complex, clearly presented, and believable.
I loved the constant confusion over which side in the Ofan vs Guild conflict was good. Was The Guild good and the Ofan bad? Or was The Guild bad and the Ofan good? The Guild said they were keeping members ignorant for their own good, but is that really the right thing to do?
Nick was an intriguing character. He was intelligent, caring, and sexy (but not overwhelmingly so). I particularly enjoyed the internal struggles between his modern ideas and what is expected of him in the 19th century.
He could feel the ghostly marquess building up a head of steam, could even taste the aristocratic outrage in his mouth: rusted metal. It must have been that man’s outburst that Clare was expecting. He let his gaze rest on his elder sister … His anger dissipated as fast as it had built. ‘It should have been yours anyway,’ he said … ‘You are the eldest and, by God, I will sign it over to you in life as I did in death. Blackdown shall remain yours. It always should have been.’
I spent much of the book waiting for Nick and Julia to talk to each other about time-travel. They’re the two main characters, but don’t actually spend much time together or communicate about anything meaningful. This creates misconceptions between them and makes their romance feel underdeveloped.
The ending left me dissatisfied. Sure, Nick and Julia get their happily ever after, but so many other threads of the story remain unresolved. For instance, the mystery of Mr Mibbs isn’t solved, and Mr Mibbs himself has disappeared. Also, no one’s managed to mend the future or work out why it’s behaving so peculiarly. I hope Bee Ridgeway is working on a sequel.
Conclusion
Have you read The River of No Return? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at the following stores:
Review of The Parchment Scroll, a time-travelling romance set primarily in 17th century Scotland, the final book in the Highland Secrets trilogy by C.A. Szarek.
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Synopsis
After her sister goes missing, Jules McGowan travels to Scotland to look for her. There, she meets a strange woman called Bree who claims she can take Jules to her sister. They go together to the Faery Stones where Bree (with Jules’ help) opens a portal to the 17th century.
The first person Jules meets in 1675 is Hugh MacDonald, Laird of Clan MacDonald. Seeing that Jules has a parchment scroll written by someone close to the laird of his rival clan, Hugh takes her to his home, intending to ransom her. Instead, his auntie makes him send her straight to the MacLeods, but not before both he and Jules become obsessed with each other.
Then Bree steals a MacLeod child. Hugh returns the boy to his family, taking the opportunity to kidnap Jules again. Back at Hugh’s home, he and Jules get to know each other better and become lovers. After a while, Jules decides it’s time to return to the 21st century. Will she leave Hugh, or will he convince her to stay?
Review
The Parchment Scroll is the 3rd and final book in the Highland Secrets trilogy. I found it engaging from the start and thought it tied everything from the series together well. It has lots of action, great characters, and an interesting storyline. I particularly loved the scenes between the two sisters, especially their conversations.
I enjoyed getting a bit more of Claire and Jules’ backstory. In The Tartan MP3 Player, we are told that Claire has no one in the future except her sister. There’s no parents or other family that she should return to her own time for, other than Jules. In The Parchment Scroll, we find out that they spent much of their childhood in foster care.
“How could being raised with technology be better than being with his father?”
Jules frowned. She didn’t have the balls to retort to that. They’d been raised without either parent, so she couldn’t blame her sister for wanting her kid to have both.
Foster care sucked.
The characters felt more real in this book than they did in The Tartan MP3 Player. I can’t put my finger on what exactly the author did differently, but they seem more like people and less like characters.
I liked that the author used the real historical rivalry between the MacLeod and MacDonald clans as a source of conflict. While they’re not actively at war, they clearly don’t like each other. This makes Jules falling in love with a MacDonald while her sister’s married to a MacLeod a bit awkward.
The romance between Hugh and Jules was problematic. They are both possessive of each other, to the point that Hugh keeps kidnapping Jules. At least Jules recognises this, occasionally calling herself ‘Stockholm-Syndrome-Girl.’ However, they are both strong people with strong personalities, and the banter between them is both funny and sweet.
Conclusion
Have you read The Parchment Scroll? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it from the following stores:
So, you’ve read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and loved it. You’ve maybe watched the TV show. Now, you have nothing “Outlander” to read or watch. It’s droughtlander. You could reread or rewatch Outlander, but eventually you should find something else to read. Check out my recommendations of books to read if you love Outlander.
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Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati
Into the Wilderness features Elizabeth Middleton, an English spinster schoolteacher, as she joins her father in the New York wilderness. Her father has plans for her to marry the local doctor – plans that she has no intention of going along with.
Instead, she runs away with Nathaniel Bonner, a man whose Native American family could be destroyed by the local village. After several months in the bush while their friends take care of legal matters, they return home where they have to rebuild the good opinions of their neighbours.
Elizabeth is a strong woman who knows what she wants and does what she has to do to get it. She may not have travelled back in time, but she has progressive ideals and a modern way of dealing with things. Like Outlander, Into the Wilderness is the first in an epic series packed with romance, adventure, and the vicissitudes of life.
Clan of the Cave Bear is the first of Jean M. Auel’s Earth Children’s series. It tells the story of a young girl who is adopted by a community of Neanderthals. Though the Clan, as they call themselves, are initially wary, they come to love Ayla.
However, the Clan’s leader has a son who instantly dislikes Ayla and does everything he can to make her life difficult. This eventually leads to her leaving the Clan, and later books in the series follow her life apart from the Clan, her romance with a hunky caveman, and her struggles fitting in.
White Rose Rebel is the story of Anne Farquharson, Lady MacIntosh. A staunch Jacobite, she raises the men of her husband’s clan to fight for Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 1745 rising. Her husband (Aeneas), however, has indebted himself to the English and joins the government forces.
Like Outlander, White Rose Rebel has a strong female protagonist who gets involved in the Jacobite rising. Anne’s romantic life features throughout the book, and like Claire’s, is somewhat complicated. It’s a standalone book, but the story is told so well, there’s no need for a sequel.
Dougless Montgomery has been abandoned by her boyfriend while on holiday in England. While she’s crying over her misfortune, a strange man appears in front of her wearing 16th century armour.
Nicholas, Earl of Thornwyck, was awaiting execution when he is magically transported to a strange future where he meets a crying woman. Convinced that the woman can send him home, he tries to keep her with him. Together, they dive into the historical record to try to uncover the truth behind the final days of Nicholas’s life.
There’s romance, a handsome and chivalrous hero, and well-developed historical settings. Nicholas isn’t as immediately loveable as Jamie, but by the end of the book, his relationship with Dougless was just as swoon worthy as the romance between Jamie and Claire.
After travelling to court in an attempt to have King Alexander cancel her betrothal, Margaret MacDonald finds her home has been raided by Norsemen. As the group searches the rubble, a group of Irishmen arrive, including the half-Norse Gannon MacMagnus. The following months are trying for everyone, as they rebuild the castle and seek vengeance on the raiders.
On a Highland Shore has romance, adventure, and a gorgeous Scottish setting. Unfortunately, Kathleen Givens died before she could finish the series (something I sincerely hope doesn’t happen to Diana Gabaldon). Otherwise, it’s an epic story.
When scattering her grandfather’s ashes on an Irish lake, Anne Gallagher gets lost in a sudden fog. She finds herself in 1921 with a bullet wound in her side. Dr Thomas Smith, the man who raised her grandfather, rescues her, initially mistaking her for his ward’s mother.
Once she’s healed, Anne throws herself into 1920s life: being mother to Eoin, joining the Irish revolution, and falling in love with Thomas. She loves her life in the 20s, but the revolution and questions about the other Anne’s disappearance create difficulties.
What the Wind Knows has time travel, romance, and a woman trying to fit in a time other than her own. I loved the glimpse of what life was like in 1920s Ireland. The characters were life-like, the love was timeless and unconditional, and the writing was superb.
When her uncle the King dies, Rhiann must secure her people’s future by marrying and producing an heir. Eremon is an exiled Irish prince who is in Alba (Scotland) to make alliances and create a name for himself.
Their forced marriage starts a bit rocky, but soon they become friends. United by a desire to protect Alba from the Romans, they travel across Scotland, visiting powerful kings. Along the way they fall in love, but their various secrets keep them from admitting it to each other.
Set in 1st century AD Scotland, The White Mare gives brilliant descriptions to the same place Outlander is set in, just at a different time. The hero, Eremon, has a lot in common with Jamie Fraser; they are both handsome, courageous, and intelligent men. If you love Outlander, you will thoroughly enjoy the story of Rhiann and Eremon.
Taking the form of a series of letters, Letters from Skye tells the story of a Scottish poet and her impetuous, American admirer. Elspeth and Davey share their thoughts and dreams, eventually realising that they’ve fallen in love with each other.
When Europe goes to war in 1914, Davey volunteers to drive ambulances in France. This prompts Elspeth to overcome her fear of boats to meet him in person. During World War Two, their daughter finds her mother’s letters and determines to find out what happened.
Letters from Skye left me with a massive book hangover. As much as I wanted to find out the end of the story, I didn’t want it to end. The letters were gripping, the romance emotionally involving, and the setting beautiful.
In 17th century Scotland, Morna has been unable to learn how to use her magical powers since her father banished her teacher. Then she finds an injured man who needs help returning to his own time. Fortunately, her brother has found journals written by her old mentor and set up a secret magic room for her to study in.
As Morna works towards sending Jerry home, the two of them become good friends and romance develops. Then word reaches them of a druid who might be able to teach Morna. While Jerry searches for the druid, Morna becomes convinced that he will never return and agrees to marry her brother’s friend, Henry.
Love Beyond Reach is the eighth book in the Morna’s Legacy series (it’s a prequel to the other books). There’re twelve novels in the main series so far, and this is the first one I’ve read. Having read it, I definitely want to read the rest.
In Tapestry, Jane Maxwell falls off Uluru (Ayers Rock) and wakes in the body of a Scottish noblewoman. Winifred’s husband, the Earl of Nithsdale, is in the Tower of London, awaiting execution for his part in the 1715 Jacobite Rising.
As Winifred, Jane must travel to London and save the Earl. If she succeeds, Jane is certain that her 21st century fiancée (Will) will wake-up from his coma. Along the way, she makes friends and falls in love. By the time she returns home, Jane is no longer sure that she wants to marry Will.
The Earl of Nithsdale’s escape from the Tower of London is truly an incredible true-story. I liked the unique angle the whole time-travel element added to it. Jane is such a strong, ingenious woman (a bit like Claire). Between the adventure, Jacobites, and romance, Tapestry is a book you will enjoy if you love Outlander.
Book review of 11.22.63, a time-travel historical fiction novel by Stephen King, based around the JFK assassination.
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Synopsis
Divorced high-school English teacher Jake Epping is marking essays when he receives a strange phone-call from the owner of his favourite diner.
Years ago, Al discovered that his pantry contains a portal to 1958. Over the years, he has made hundreds of journeys into the past, worked out some basic rules of time-travel, and decides to stop the JFK assassination. Unfortunately, he became too unwell to complete his quest and had to return to 2011.
So Jake takes up the baton and makes his own journey to the past. While waiting for that fateful day, Jake takes up a teaching job in Jodie, Texas. In Jodie, he falls in love with beautiful, recently divorced librarian Sadie Dunhill. Their relationship is strained when he moves to Dallas to spy on Lee Harvey Oswald and cannot tell her what he’s doing.
Review
I am usually not a fan of Stephen King. Afterall, his novels are mostly of the thriller/horror type. However, 11.22.63 is more of an alternate reality historical fiction. There is a bit of violence, but nothing too terrifying.
I didn’t like how the author talked about various historical characters as if the reader already knew who they were. This seems perfectly reasonable for ‘big’ characters (like JFK). But who on earth is Frank Anicetti?
The characters were all so realistic and vivid that it made the fantastic things that happen to them believable. Each person was detailed and had their own flaws. I thought this was excellently done; it really helped with the whole suspension of disbelief thing.
Jake and Sadie’s romance was so lovely. There’s so much honesty and tenderness in their relationship, but it wasn’t at all sappy.
I liked how the book explored time-travel and its consequences. The little details of the past restarting each time someone goes back and each trip lasting two minutes were clever. However, I thought the alternate future bit with reality destroying itself due to the timeline changes was a bit over-the-top.
I loved how both the positive and negative aspects of the settings were shown. The historical time may be exciting and dreamy, but its problems (such as segregation) are included. Even horrible places (like Derry) have little bits of beauty shown (such as those children practicing a lindy-hop dance).
Conclusion
Have you read 11.22.63? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of Tapestry by Fiona McIntosh, a time travelling historical fiction set in the 18th century and 1970s.
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Synopsis
Following an incident that leaves her fiancé in a coma, Jane travels to Australia feeling that, somehow, it will help him. After climbing Ayers Rock (Uluru), she wakes up to find herself inhabiting the body of Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale. Winifred’s husband, William, has been imprisoned in the Tower of London for his part in the failed 1715 Jacobite Rising.
Acting as Winifred, Jane must travel to London and save William. If she succeeds, her 20th century fiancé will wake-up. Heavy snow and Winifred’s physical frailty work against her, but she is helped by a man called Julius Sackville and Winifred’s friends in London.
Once her quest is over, she has to make some difficult decisions. Does she still want to marry her 20th century fiancée? What about the man she fell in love with in 1715?
Review
The Earl of Nithsdale’s escape from the Tower of London is a fantastic story. I suspect that many authors would write it as straight historical fiction, but adding the mystical time-travel element gave Tapestry a unique angle.
I thought Jane was a strong, courageous, and likeable heroine. However, climbing Uluru as she did, with no water in the middle of the day and with a storm threatening, was unbelievably stupid. I understand that she was driven by worry for her fiancée, and without it there would be no story. It just seemed out of character for such an intelligent person.
The way that Jane spent most of the book in Winifred’s body was confusing at times. Jane does and thinks things, but does things as Winifred and is called ‘Winifred’ by everyone around her. There’s two people in one body – very confusing.
Traquair House was in a state of flux as Winifred prepared for her journey to London. Jane had begged off food and company that evening, desperate to have time alone to think.
I liked how the story occasionally jumped back to the 1970s. I particularly enjoyed the way these ‘jumps’ incorporated the points of view of different people, like Jane’s parents and the nurse who cares for Jane’s fiancée.
Tapestry ended well. For the first 70 or 80 percent of the book, it was average. While the prologue was interesting, it didn’t make any sense until the executions scene. The set-up (getting to know Jane’s life and personality) was effective but long and boring. But the ending, with the escape and return to the 1970s was fantastic.
Conclusion
Have you read Tapestry? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!).
Review of Love Beyond Reach, a time travel romance set in 17th century Scotland by Bethany Claire.
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Synopsis
Morna’s father strongly disapproves of her magic abilities and sends away the one person who can teach her. Years later, 20-year-old Morna finds a strange young man. She is Jerry’s best hope at returning to his own time, but first she has to learn all she can from some recently discovered spell-books left behind by her teacher.
As they spend more time together, Morna and Jerry grow to love each other. Then Morna’s father dies, and her old teacher returns and takes Jerry. Heartbroken, Morna agrees to marry her brother’s friend but finds that he is not the man she thought he was and leaves to fight to get Jerry back.
Review
Love Beyond Reach is the eighth book in the Morna’s Legacy series and is apparently something of a prequel. I haven’t read the previous books yet but think that I might appreciate Love Beyond Reach more once I have. I love how it was written as a book meant to help the woman in the next book. It’s definitely left me wanting more.
This book could be called a romance novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes where Morna and Jerry were falling in love. However, the romance was far from overwhelming. There was a lot of intrigue and other sub-plots, so I initially categorised it as historical fiction, not romance.
The characters were all well developed and memorable, even minor characters. Morna’s brother, Alasdair, was so caring and protective of his family. Her one-time fiancée Henry had an interesting arc where we gradually discover just how bad he really is. And Mary, the housekeeper, was such a forceful, loyal, and organised person that I just had to like her.
I really liked Morna. She may not do things the way she’s expected to, but she follows her instincts and gets things done. I loved how close she was to her family and lengths she goes to protect them. Despite constant challenges, Morna keeps learning and becomes the person her brother believes she can be.
“But yer death is a ruse to save yer brother from a violent clash with Henry’s clan.”
So Henry would keep his word and spread the news of my witchcraft, and my death is all that could prevent the bloodshed of others. I would gladly fake my death for such a cause. […]
Until he asked the question, I’d not stopped to think about the ramifications of faking my own death. I would never be able to see all those I loved. For them, it would seem as if I truly were dead. It would be my last time to see my home, my nephew, my brother.
Love Beyond Reach could have been set in any time or place. There is almost nothing that sticks it to 17th century Scotland. Sure, the dialogue has the occasional bit of Scottish brogue, but the setting isn’t developed enough.
Conclusion
Have you read Love Beyond Reach? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Book review of What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon, time-travelling historical fiction set in modern and 1920s Ireland.
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Synopsis
Following her grandfather’s death, Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland to find out more about her family. While scattering her grandfather’s ashes in Lough Gill, she gets lost in a sudden fog, is shot, and is pulled out of the lake in 1921. Her rescuer is Dr Thomas Smith, guardian to Eoin, a six-year-old boy who is Anne’s grandfather.
Having been mistaken for Eoin’s long-missing mother, Anne assumes the dead woman’s identity. Once healed, Anne gets involved in Irish independence, and the relationship between her and Thomas develops. However, the differences between her and the original Anne eventually puts her life in danger.
Review
I was completely captivated by What the Wind Knows. The writing is poetic and lyrical, and just jumped off the page. It was so suspenseful that I always had to read “just one more chapter” to find out what happened next. The whole story was heart-wrenching, beautiful, and felt authentic.
I loved the depth of emotions experienced by various characters. The writing is so brilliant that I could feel what they were feeling most of the time. There were many intense, emotional moments between characters. However, it wasn’t just the love between people explored in the book; there was love for a family, a country, and a past time.
The characters were all distinct from each other, each with different features and personalities. I liked how each of the protagonists were imperfect, neighbour-like people. I also liked how the villains of the story weren’t evil for the sake of being evil; they were doing what they truly believed was best.
Thomas was lovely. He was such a timeless, unassuming hero. Not a complicated character, he was smart, kind, gentle yet strong, and generous. He wasn’t one of those heroes the heroine (or the reader) falls for immediately, but by the end you can’t help but love him.
The time travel element was very well done. Like other aspects of the book, it was well thought out. The author wrote it in a way that made sense. This can’t have been easy, what with time being ‘coiled into ever-widening (or tightening) circles, layered and wrapped around the next’ and not linear.
If I had to give What the Wind Knows one criticism, it would be the multiple references to people and dates that I didn’t get – I just didn’t have enough prior background knowledge. However, it did make me curious about the events mentioned.
Conclusion
Have you read What the Wind Knows? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
Review of Tangled in Time, time-travelling romance set in Ireland by Barbara Longley.
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Synopsis
Regan MacCarthy is in Ireland for a break from her exhausting life. While trying to return her ability to see ghosts, she meets a gorgeous man who refuses to accept his death. Fáelán is a 3rd century warrior who was cursed by the faerie princess Morrigan. He is doomed to live in the Fae realm, invisible to most humans, until he falls so deeply in love he would sacrifice his life.
To this end, Fáelán spends the following weeks showing Regan around Ireland, longing for the solstice when the realms meet and he can touch her. Once Regan and Fáelán have fallen for each other, Morrigan steals him back into the void. With the help of Morrign’s daughter, Regan travels back in time to the 3rd century to prevent the curse and save Fáelán’s life.
Review
This book is called “Tangled in Time,” which gave me the impression that the characters get tangled up in time. But having read it, I think it’s time itself that gets tangled. Regan goes back in time, changes things, and returns. Fáelán both lives through time in the normal linear manner and jumps straight from the 3rd century to the 21st.
There’s a good amount of scientific explanations behind the alternate realms/dimensions. However, once time-travel gets involved in the second half of the book, the scientific explanations become a bit complicated – I had to think through it a bit to understand it.
I found how quickly Regan and Fáelán fell in love unconvincing. I know that Fáelán was desperate to fall in love (with anyone) to break his curse, but Regan had no such motivation. It seems even more unconvincing when early on in their relationship, there are scenes like this:
“Enough.” Her dismissive assumptions nearly chocked him. Fall in love with Regan MacCarthy? Impossible. She’d insulted him in the worst possible way, accusing him of deluding himself with faerie tales as if he were a laddie of but a handful of winters. Cursing his fate, he was sorely tempted to return to his island to wait a hundred years or so afore seeking out another woman who might see him.
I loved how Regan kept thinking of (and referring to) Fáelán as a “boasty ghosty.” That phrase made me giggle every time. Boasty ghosty.
Fáelán felt more real as the real as the book progressed. When we first meet him, he seems simple and two-dimensional. By the time he’s fallen madly in love, we have learned so much about him that he has become a really believable person with both good and bad qualities. However, this occurs so gradually that I didn’t notice it until I had almost finished to book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who didn’t enjoy science in high-school or who gets their knickers in a twist over magic.
Conclusion
Have you read Tangled in Time? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!).
Review of The Tartan MP3 Player by C. A. Szarek, a time-travelling historical romance set in 17th century Scotland.
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Synopsis
Claire McGowan finds herself running naked along a cold beach. At first, she thinks she is having a particularly vivid dream, but when she meets Duncan MacLeod it becomes apparent that she is in the Scottish Highlands in the 1600s.
Duncan’s brother, Alex, was captured by the Fae King Fillan six months earlier. Since then, Duncan has been searching for the Faery Stones so that he can enter the Fae Realm and rescue Alex. Now, he has found a strange woman who looks to have come through the very same Stones that he has been looking for. He takes her in, hoping that she knows something that will help him.
After a week of fighting to keep their attraction to each other under control, Duncan insists that they marry. By the time they find the stones and begin their attempt to save Alex, both Duncan and Claire are struggling with their feelings and eminent separation.
Review
The Tartan MP3 Player looks a lot like it started as Outlander fanfiction, especially at the start. A woman is transported back in time through stones where she marries a man that she then falls in love with and stays in the past for. Very Outlander. However, the style is very different and as the story progresses the fantasy element comes out more, the differences become more obvious.
Usually, I don’t like books with a lot of magic or a strong fantasy element. However, the way it was dealt with in this book was quite believable and I found that it didn’t feel strange or unusual. The author managed to weave the Faery world and the real world together in a very convincing manner.
“The Fae might be in stories, but they’re very real, Claire.”
She scoffed, and the water shifted in the tub with her movements, splashing against the side of the tub.
“Ye’ve come through time, yet ye doubt?”
Claire paused, her green eyes boring into him. “True. I was still hoping this is all a dream.”
Duncan smirked. “Nay, lass.”
“So the Fae are real?” Her tone was a combination of curiosity and disbelief.
“Aye, and they hold my brother captive.”
There were a couple of erotic scenes in the middle of the book that were excessively explicit. It wouldn’t have been too hard to tone them down a notch. We don’t need to know that much!
I wonder why Alana, the Fae Princess that Alex married, didn’t leave the Fae realm earlier, perhaps when she first married, or when she had Angus. Of course, if she had there would be no story and this book would be absolutely rubbish. Perhaps she loved the Fae and didn’t want to leave them, but she obviously loves her son and husband.
The writing style is a bit abrupt. There are a lot of short sentences and one-line paragraphs that make it feel jumpy or startling (I’m not entirely sure what word would best convey what I’m thinking). There are also a couple of bits where the author explains things that happened earlier, which seems a bit amateurish.
Despite the above comments (most of which appear to be negative), I got hooked into this book, read it several times in a row, and want to read the other books in the series.
Conclusion
Have you read The Tartan MP3 Player? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, it can be bought atthe following stores:
Review of Daughter of Time by Sarah Woodbury, prequel to the After Cilmeri series of time-travelling historical fiction set in medieval Wales
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Synopsis
Meg has been going through a rough time when a car accident throws her and her two-year-old daughter into 13th century Wales. Her car lands in a marsh and she is rescued by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales. Unsure what to make of her, he takes Meg with him as he deals with a rogue lord.
Along the way, Meg shares what she knows about Welsh history, particularly about Llywelyn’s betrayal and death 14 years later. As they spend more time together, they grow to care about each other and face various challenges together.
Review
It’s pretty obvious that Daughter of Time is a prequel. The story-line is weak (the main villain and conflict are unclear), there is very little character development (Meg doesn’t grow personally at all), and the secondary characters are insubstantial (it might have been easier to care for them if you had already read the main series).
Meg’s reaction to being in Medieval Wales is very believable. She initially distrusts the people around her and doesn’t immediately fall in love with her rescuer. She doesn’t magically understand the local language. However, she also doesn’t think much about her mother and sister at home; they must have been going mad worrying about her disappearing.
I had no idea what he’d said. Confused because his words were unintelligible, even as they tugged at my ear with familiar tones, I didn’t move or say anything, just stared. He tried again. I shook my head, uncertain.
He stayed relaxed, his hands at his sides and walked toward me, speaking a little louder, as if somehow that would help. I was desperately trying to make sense of what he was saying, but as he got closer, my breath rose in my chest until it choked me. He must have seen the fear in my face because he stopped, about three feet from the bed. I finally found my voice.
“What?” The words came out as little more than a squeak. “Who are you?” I dragged my eyes from his face and flashed them around the room again, seeking somewhere to run but no seeing anything but the long distance to the door and the man standing between it and me.
There were a few things that bothered me about Anna. For example, she seemed way too advanced for a 2-year-old; the sentences she uses are too complex. While I loved how everyone treated Anna (especially Llywelyn’s knights), it seemed like she was an extra character that was there because the author was stuck with her, not because she played any part in the story.
The ending made me want to scream. Meg’s return to the present is so sudden; it just happened. I’m not even sure if whatever story-arc the author was pursuing in the 13th century had a conclusion. I assume all the questions I was left with would be answered if I read the first book in the series.
Conclusion
Have you read Daughter of Time? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!). However, I got a copy of the eBook for free on Face Book (obviously the author giving away the prequel in order to get people hooked and buying the rest of the series); if you don’t mind eBooks, go and take a look.
