Author: Lisa T. Bergren
Classification: YA Fiction, Christian, Historical Fiction
Source: Public Library
Overall Grade:
B-
I thought...
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Summary (from Goodreads):
What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?
Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaeologist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.
Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.
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My Thoughts:
This underrated historical novel is a serious treat! Adventure, romance, sword fights, time travel, and even some court intrigue really keep you turning pages.
Gabi and her sister Lia are very unique heroines! Growing up as the daughters or archaeologists, they are very well-versed in history, old civilizations and they are even fluent in Italian. Watching Gabi adjust to life in 14th-century Italy was awesome. She is transported back 700 years in the midst of a veritable sword fight, where she meets Marcello.
... sigh. Marcello. The dreamy, steamy, Italian hottie who is skilled with a blade, with genteel manners, and maybe even a sense of humor. However, I did find Marcello's character to be almost too perfect... where are his flaws, lady? Granted, this may be because I prefer the damaged love interests to the balanced and "normal" ones... think Cole St. Clair from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series...
Gabi is an awesome protagonist! She is very independent, strong heroine who isn't afraid to literally battle for those she loves. I also enjoyed the Christian side of this novel, which is not overt in the slightest. Rather, Gabi wrestles with her idea, or lack thereof, of God as she meets the most exciting, brutal, and heartbreaking challenges of her life. By the end of the book, we definitely see a different Gabi than the girl who surprised feuding, sword fighting Italian guys in a tank top and jeans.
Perhaps because Marcello's character was lacking an unidentifiable... oomph, I felt that his relationship with Gabi was slightly contrived. But I did appreciate their flirtations, the way they grew together through extraordinary circumstances, and yes, the kissing.
The ending of the novel was a little confusing and anti-climactic for me, but it did set us up nicely for the second book in the River of Time series, titled Torrent. I can't wait to see how Gabi, Marcello, Lia and Luca's stories end!
My Thoughts:
This underrated historical novel is a serious treat! Adventure, romance, sword fights, time travel, and even some court intrigue really keep you turning pages.
Gabi and her sister Lia are very unique heroines! Growing up as the daughters or archaeologists, they are very well-versed in history, old civilizations and they are even fluent in Italian. Watching Gabi adjust to life in 14th-century Italy was awesome. She is transported back 700 years in the midst of a veritable sword fight, where she meets Marcello.
... sigh. Marcello. The dreamy, steamy, Italian hottie who is skilled with a blade, with genteel manners, and maybe even a sense of humor. However, I did find Marcello's character to be almost too perfect... where are his flaws, lady? Granted, this may be because I prefer the damaged love interests to the balanced and "normal" ones... think Cole St. Clair from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series...
Gabi is an awesome protagonist! She is very independent, strong heroine who isn't afraid to literally battle for those she loves. I also enjoyed the Christian side of this novel, which is not overt in the slightest. Rather, Gabi wrestles with her idea, or lack thereof, of God as she meets the most exciting, brutal, and heartbreaking challenges of her life. By the end of the book, we definitely see a different Gabi than the girl who surprised feuding, sword fighting Italian guys in a tank top and jeans.
Perhaps because Marcello's character was lacking an unidentifiable... oomph, I felt that his relationship with Gabi was slightly contrived. But I did appreciate their flirtations, the way they grew together through extraordinary circumstances, and yes, the kissing.
The ending of the novel was a little confusing and anti-climactic for me, but it did set us up nicely for the second book in the River of Time series, titled Torrent. I can't wait to see how Gabi, Marcello, Lia and Luca's stories end!
Overall Grade:
B-
I thought...
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