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A review by sherwoodreads
Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
Copy provided by NetGalley:
Hot Scots in history has been a thing in historical romance for decades. Many believe that Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles kicked it off, and I have no quarrel with that for the adult audience, but the first one I ever read and loved was Sally Watson's Witch of the Glens, which was written for the young adult audience.
And here is a new entry for young adults. (I would say for the high end of young adults, as there is a lot of rough language and some frank sexual discussion, including a couple of attempted rapes and references to off-screen rape.)
A teen who is okay with the above is bound to enjoy the story, which starts off at a brisk clip, and accelerates to non-stop, high tension action once the time travel happens. I think a teen won't mind the somewhat jumbled explanation for the time travel (though a combination of Tesla and ley lines was a lot of fun), and won't notice inconsistent language and details of clothing, anymore than they'll mind the total Evilness of the bad guys.
Pluses are a sympathetic treatment of Jews, various cute guys, Hope's eidetic memory, which she deploys to awesome effect, and feisty Phoebe, Hope's first friend. I really liked the girls' relationships in this story, and for that matter, the women's, barring the Evil Villainess.
Another big plus: Eleanor of Aquitaine, demonstrating her extreme coolness.
If this book sparks in young readers an interest in reading history, that would be an added bonus to a roller-coaster ride of a read.
It's the first in a series, and I will keep an eye out for the next.
Hot Scots in history has been a thing in historical romance for decades. Many believe that Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles kicked it off, and I have no quarrel with that for the adult audience, but the first one I ever read and loved was Sally Watson's Witch of the Glens, which was written for the young adult audience.
And here is a new entry for young adults. (I would say for the high end of young adults, as there is a lot of rough language and some frank sexual discussion, including a couple of attempted rapes and references to off-screen rape.)
A teen who is okay with the above is bound to enjoy the story, which starts off at a brisk clip, and accelerates to non-stop, high tension action once the time travel happens. I think a teen won't mind the somewhat jumbled explanation for the time travel (though a combination of Tesla and ley lines was a lot of fun), and won't notice inconsistent language and details of clothing, anymore than they'll mind the total Evilness of the bad guys.
Pluses are a sympathetic treatment of Jews, various cute guys, Hope's eidetic memory, which she deploys to awesome effect, and feisty Phoebe, Hope's first friend. I really liked the girls' relationships in this story, and for that matter, the women's, barring the Evil Villainess.
Another big plus: Eleanor of Aquitaine, demonstrating her extreme coolness.
If this book sparks in young readers an interest in reading history, that would be an added bonus to a roller-coaster ride of a read.
It's the first in a series, and I will keep an eye out for the next.