Let’s face it. I want to travel in time (preferably with the Doctor, but will take hand prints in an Etruscan tomb a la this series if needed). I have always imagined what it would be like to live in another time period, wear pretty (albeit hot and uncomfortable) dresses, meet a dashing nobleman, etc. So it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed Lisa T. Bergen’s River in Time series.
In case you missed my reviews of the first two installments (Waterfall and Cascade), the story follows Gabriella (Gabi for short) and her sister Evangelia (or Lia). They were poking around an archaeological site with their mother one day and found hand prints on the wall that looked oddly familiar. They put their hands on them and WHOOSH - they were back in medieval Italy and caught in the middle of a battle. As to not spoil the plot, let me just say that epic adventure ensues.
“Torrent” is a lovely finale to this series. Ms. Bergen sure knows how to write some awesome battle scenes. I couldn’t wait to get to the next one! The only things I didn’t care for was that the teen slang seemed a bit forced at times as did the religious aspect. I mean, I get that Gabi is confused and starting to feel connected to the big guy, but how many different ways can she question her beliefs? I’m grateful though that the religious aspect never got overwhelming. It’s another thing I think Ms. Bergen did really well. It’s relevant to the plot and time period. She reined it in once it started to get a little too strong. To be honest with you, I’m not a very religious person and I didn’t mind it at all. It never got to the point where it overpowered the plot.
I have mentioned this in previous reviews, but even if Christian fiction isn’t your thing, if you like books where people travel back in time, check these books out. This series is full of fun medieval adventure and shouldn’t be missed. Now, I’m off to eat an Italian cookie. Ciao!
The River of Time series is published by David. C Cook. "Torrent" is scheduled to be released on September 1st of this year. I was provided with a digital ARC by the author for honest review.
Thanks for the review of my finale. I appreciate your time and effort in following the whole series. :-)
ReplyDeleteHaha, "the big guy." You crack me up!
ReplyDeleteIt's valuable to get the perspective of a not-so-religious person reading Christian fiction. I think most people, unless they are specifically seeking it out, are a little uncomfortable with fiction centered around a particular faith, because they think it will be too overwhelming or too preachy. So it's cool that you gave it a try and liked it!