The Avenger (Time Raiders #3) by P. C. Cast

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): The Time Raiders project sends Alexandra Patton, a reluctant psychic, back to 60 AD Briton – a world where she can barely understand the accents, let alone its culture of brutality and superstition. Armed only with her "freakish" ability to talk to the dead, Alex must use all her gifts to entice Caradoc, a savagely sexy Druid warrior, into helping her succeed in her mission.

What they discover along the way is pure passion.

Now, torn between duty and the man of her dreams, should Alex return home if given the chance? Or dare she risk everything to begin anew in this strange and mystical land?

MY OPINION:

The Avenger has both good and bad sides.

What I liked:

- the way Alex’s ability to communicate with ghosts is dealt with – especially how it is accepted by an ancient/pageant society in contrast to modern civilisation. I think this is quite credible.

- Alex’s view upon the Celts and their life.

- I really liked the fact that Alex is a strong heroine – she neither whines nor brags about her ability/curse.

What I disliked:

I didn’t actually hate anything. However, the book felt somewhat rushed and there were two things I missed. Firstly, I would like to learn a little more about some of the characters, particularly Boudicca and her daughters. I would also love to see Caradoc’s view on “the future”, i.e. the present time, and I think the author missed a great opportunity for an exceptional plot element by omitting that aspect altogether.

Nevertheless, the positive things outweigh the shortcomings in The Avenger and make it a compelling read.

RECOMMENDATION: Those who love historical/time travel romance will most probably find The Avenger a fast and entertaining read which is hard to put down. Also, despite being a part of series, The Avenger is in fact, as well as the other Time Raiders books, a book which can be read as a stand-alone.

Outlander (Outlander #1) by Diana Gabaldon

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon – when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach – an "outlander" – in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

MY OPINION:

I cannot believe it took publishers in Slovenia twenty years from its first release to discover Outlander. However, better late than never, as this is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read. The translator could do better rendering the Scottish accent, but overall the translation is good and reads as smoothly as I imagine the original writing does.

It took me about a hundred pages to really get into the book, but once I did, I could hardly stop reading for the remaining eight hundred pages or so. Despite being an enormously thick book, Outlander is a fast read.

Gabaldon’s setting is amazing, her descriptions take the reader right to Scotland and its stunning nature, castles and villages. Her writing is noticeably well-researched from historical data, weapons and fighting techniques to medicine, clothing and culture. A little bit of magic just adds to the atmosphere of the eighteen century she so vividly recreates.

The characters in Outlander, not only the main protagonists, but also minor characters, are well-developed and multidimensional, which enriches the book further. Claire is an exceptionally strong female character. She appears a little dry in the beginning, because she is an analytical, rational person due to her being a nurse. This very attribute makes her not only able to survive, but also thrive a little, in such a harsh world she is thrown in. Only a person who has experienced the horror of World War Two is able to cope with the harshness of the world two centuries earlier and adopt to the position of women at the time. Her medical and historical knowledge helps her, too, naturally.

However, Claire is also a compassionate and romantic person. She is a free spirit and she enjoys her adventure. Claire is the kind of person who wants to make the best of her situation while waiting for the opportunity to get out of whichever predicament she finds herself in. Claire is also a very loyal person. She is always trying to do what she is supposed to do. Her persistence to find her way back to her husband seems a little strange since their relationship did not seem to work well, because they did not have a lot in common and Frank seemed somewhat inconsiderate towards Claire and her feelings. Claire’s sense of loyalty is admirable and it takes a lot for her to change her feelings.

Frank being a scholarly and quite dull personage, Jamie is the very opposite of him. Jamie is a fierce warrior who would do anything to protect the people he loves. He has a strong sense of honour and always keeps his word. He is an open-minded person, which is an absolute necessity for his relationship with Claire. Speaking of it, I liked it that their relationship was a slowly growing and well founded one. Claire and Jamie are a great couple and their love is based on mutual understanding, trust and many things they have in common. 

The chief villain in the book, Jonathan Randall, is one of the most terrifying villains ever. Sauron, take a bow. It is a big difference between a sinister mythological force and a tangible evil of a human being. Randall is a cruel, sadistic man, bent on ruining Jamie and there are no limits to his pursuing of his goal. However, Gabaldon makes Randall a complex personality, giving his psychopathic behaviour a background and reasons, so I could not help myself feeling sorry for him for a moment or two. 

Gabaldon’s approach to love scenes is very subtle, which is nice for a change, but she does not spare the reader with violence. Her descriptions of violence and subsequent injuries are graphic, forcing the reader to face the horror and the characters’ feelings. 

There is no pretence about historical reality in Outlander. Gabaldon presents human nature authentically. Alongside reading, one realises that human nature has not changed over the centuries. The world may have changed its appearance, but the essence remains the same.

RECOMMENDATION: Outlander is definitely not a book for everyone. However, for the people who enjoy a mix of history and love together with a pinch of magic and can stomach violent scenes, this book is a must-read. 

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

SUMMARY (from Goodreads): When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future.

MY OPINION:

I have seen the film before I read The Time Traveler’s Wife. I had been postponing reading the book for a long time, because I had thought it would be boring since I had already known what happened. Naturally, reading the book was worthwhile and not at all boring.

Although the book is sometimes sadder and gorier than the film, it is more enjoyable because it offers you time to process things. And processing is indeed needed. The concept of time travelling is very confusing, nonetheless Niffenegger deals with it in such a manner it makes sense. The reading can be difficult on some spots and you might stop a couple of times to think things through, but in the end everything works out.

I also liked how Henry and Clare alternate to tell their story. It is often argued that re-telling the same event from the point of view of several characters is redundant. I usually agree with this. However, in this case, it is sometimes necessary and I believe Niffenegger uses just the right amount of this technique in all the right places.

The best thing about The Time Traveler’s Wife is that, in spite of such unreal problem as time travelling, Niffenegger makes the plot as well as the characters realistic. Henry and Clare have to face the same issues as any “normal” couple. They disagree, they fight, they suffer, and then they make up, laugh, dance, and are happy. They work hard for their love and this makes it extraordinary. 

RECOMMENDATION: The Time Traveler’s Wife is a wonderful story about true love which overcomes all obstacles. It requires some effort to understand the course of events, but it is what makes this book special.