Historical time travel fiction set in exotic Ancient Egypt

I’m a time travel fan and a historical fiction fan so I looked forward to reading A Time to Seek (The Time Travel Journals of Sahara Aldridge Book 1) by Tracy Higley with a double dose of expectation. For me, this Ancient Egypt time travel romance seemed to get off to a slow start as Higley lays the foundation for this captivating adventure, but it wasn't boring. It just set the scene for the past and present to collide in this captivating tale.

About the book: A Time to Seek 

The story starts in 1922 and is told in the first person by protagonist Sahara Aldridge, an Egyptologist whose parents were also Egyptologists. At the start of A Time to Seek she works in Egypt on a dig, in search of an undiscovered Pharaoh's tomb. Her parents disappeared on a trip to Venice when she was 15 and with no family ties, her life is devoted to her work. Then an attractive young reporter by the name of Jack Moretti shows up on the scene. She’s not the trusting sort, but he wins her over enough to have dinner. The story spirals with secrets uncovered from Jack’s past and her own that I won’t divulge here to spoil the read. The plot is multi-layered and I enjoyed Tracey Higley’s unique rules of time travel that offer a bit of regulation with a twist that makes things more and more intriguing as the story progresses.

Book review: A Time to Seek

A Time to Seek introduces engaging characters including a strong, daring, female protagonist. The world-building stays true to history and offers Ancient Egyptian tidbits that tie into the plot. Once I made it to chapter eight, it turned into a real page-turner filled with mystery, intrigue, and dangerous high-stakes conflicts amid skillfully drawn settings of ancient Egypt. I loved it. 

A Time to Seek is book one in a trilogy and can be read as a stand-alone, but I, for one, look forward to what happens next in the life of this young heroine. I’m happy to give it a strong 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction, fiction set in exotic Ancient Egyptian locales, action and adventure, a budding romance, and elements of revenge all couched amid the ability to time travel. 

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I received a free review copy of this book from the author but was not compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

 

Entertaining YA action adventure fueled by a neurodivergent protagonist

There’s No Basketball on Mars by Craig Leener surprised me. It’s one of my favorite reads for 2023 and a must-read. The protagonist, Lawrence Tuckerman, is a high-functioning autistic teen and the story is told from his POV. The author does a great job of bringing the reader into his head to understand his actions and motivations in this YA action-adventure as he creates a neurodivergent protagonist in Lawrence who is loveable, sensitive, quirky, and a math genius with a dream of manning Earth’s first mission to Mars one day. 

 

 

About the book: There’s No Basketball on Mars

At the start of the book Lawrence’s life is ultra routine. He doesn’t have many friends, and he doesn’t like people asking him questions. In fact, he doesn’t even like talking to people. Instead, he writes notes. His repetitive life goes out the window with a visit from the SFC (Strategic Federation Council) which is loosely affiliated with NASA. They want to include him on a top-secret manned mission to Mars and he accepts.

This is a hero’s journey of cosmic proportions. The mission depends on his mathematical prowess. The rocket science is no problem. It’s actually a strength that plays well with his autism. The question is can he navigate being out of his routine and be a working part of a team that requires communication? 

 

 Book review: There’s No Basketball on Mars

The author’s detailed writing style provides a learning experience that educates readers about people on the autism spectrum through Lawrence’s perspective on life. I recommend this book to young and old who enjoy imaginative action-adventures like The Goodbye Kids. There's No Basketball on Mars is an entertaining read and as I said one of my favorites of 2023 and am happy to give it five out of five stars.

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I received a copy of this book through Blackberry Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the Author: Craig Leener

Despite being relatively earthbound most of the time, Craig Leener has long maintained a keen interest in space travel. He’s also a big fan of basketball, having immersed himself in the game since his youth as a player, coach, referee, fan and, later in life, as a sportswriter. Craig has an above-average ability to go to his left and maintains a solid perimeter jumper. His free-throw percentage on his backyard home court is an implausible 87%—and to this day, that number remains 100% officially unverified. And what the author lacks in foot speed, leaping ability and defense, he makes up for in court smarts and postgame snacks. Craig is a lifelong opponent of the instant replay in sports. He maintains this contrarian point of view because of the intrinsic value he places on the human element’s potential to influence the outcome of athletic competition, inadvertently or otherwise. Craig holds degrees from Los Angeles Valley College and California State University, Northridge. He sits on the board of directors of CSUN’s Journalism Alumni Association and serves as the organization’s director of scholarships. Although Craig possesses an innate curiosity about what might reside beyond the heavens, he lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles with his truly otherworldly wife, Andrea. There’s No Basketball on Mars is his fourth young-adult novel, following the publication of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy.

https://craigleener.com/

https://twitter.com/CraigLeener

Exciting coming of age historical Viking fiction

When The Viking Gael by J.T.T. Ryder opens, the protagonist, a teen by the name of Asgeir, lives on the family farm in Norway with his mom, aunt and older brother, Odd. His father is a famed Viking warrior but missing. The last known whereabouts of his father reported him serving as a Huskarl of the King of Lothlend, but he’s been gone long enough, that his family isn’t sure if he is alive. 

About the Book: The Viking Gael

Quiet life on the farm is shattered when Ulf the Old visits and claims a debt owed by Asgeir's father. His older brother, Odd, steps up to challenge Ulf in a duel and loses his life. Ulf claims Asgeir’s father’s sword, Gael Kisser, and Asgeir is conscripted to serve as a deckhand upon Ulf’s ship to pay off the debt. As he does, he imagines the day he will once again hold his father’s sword, as thoughts of revenge percolate in his heart. Not thoughts of murder, but to kill Ulf in an honorable way.

 

BookHookup Book Review: The Viking Gael: An immersive and exciting historical Viking adventure (The Viking Gael Saga Book 1)

I enjoy historical fiction, and The Viking Gael is a quick read that delivers a unique coming-of-age adventure that plunges the reader back in time to the Viking age with superb world building details. It is well-written, fast paced, and portrays interesting elements about the lifestyle of Viking warriors, their customs, and weapons.

The protagonist is a teenage Viking lad forced to sail as a deckhand for the man who killed his brother. Now he must serve to pay off his father’s debt. It took me a little bit to get into the story, as I familiarized myself with the historically correct Viking jargon and culture but it didn’t take long for me to be rooting for Asegir to survive, fall in love, and find his way home while living the Viking way of life.

I recommend this exciting Viking novel to those who enjoy Viking history, historical fiction, and coming-of-age sagas. Battle scenes are a little gruesome, but not overly so and in my opinion might be labeled PG13 if it were a movie. I do think the story could be fleshed out a little more, but the plot makes sense and the story moves along at a steady pace. While this is the first book in the series, the story does standalone but opens the door for the journey to continue in book 2. I’m happy to give The Viking Gael 4 stars.

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I received a copy of this book through Black Coffee Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About Author J.T.T. Ryder 

Joseph Thomas Thor Ryder is an archaeologist and author of the heroic fantasy novel HAG OF THE HILLS, book 1 of THE BRONZE SWORD CYCLES duology. He is a published author of Viking archaeology, and a doctoral candidate specializing in the Viking Age and Celtic Iron Age. He resides in Norway where he conducts archaeological research and writes heroic fantasy set in historical periods. 

https://oldworldheroism.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oldworldheroism/

https://twitter.com/JTTRyder

 

 

 

 

Grips the reader with page-turning fervor but disappoints in the end

Who Was Sylvia by Judy Gardiner is a haunting WWII tale involving two British sisters growing up in prewar England (1939) in a home with an overbearing father and an emotionally dismissive mother. Kit Coyrn idolizes her older sister Sylvia. She’s not only beautiful but full of life and love. Then one day it all changes. Kit arrives home to find her sister gone without a trace and without explanation from her parents. She’s just vanished. Kit never forgets Sylvia and when she is conscripted to serve during the war and off to London, her mother gives her a picture of Sylvia and tells her that she heard Sylvia was in London. 

About the book: Who was Sylvia?

Most of the story is told in first-person retrospect and does a great job of pulling the reader along the undercurrents of Kit’s life. She learns the rigors of serving in the military, makes friends, finds love, but every time a possible clue about Sylvia surfaces, she after it like a dog on a hunt. The story unravels bits of Sylvia’s life, but remains a mystery raising new questions with each discovery. Finding Sylvia becomes an obsession that involves the reader.

Book Review: Who was Sylvia?

The setting of wartime London adds new depth to Kit’s character. Her captivating story grips the reader with page-turning fervor. When Kit finally prepares to meet her sister after all the years that have passed, the tension is high. The anticipation of learning why she left, and what has happened since propels the story forward along a sketchy trail wrought with details that don’t match Kit’s idyllic memories.

This story of love and loss is well written with one exception. The end. It brings you right to the edge with all kinds of twists and turns, but then falls off the cliff without resolution of who Sylvia really is. It left me disappointed, but I would still recommend it to readers who enjoy WWII fiction like Soraya M. Lane’s The London Girls. Just know the end feels incomplete and there is no second book to tidy up unresolved questions.