While admiring Warwick Castle, German tourist Sophia, finds herself inexplicably transported to the Middle Ages. At first, she believes it’s an elaborate adventure performed by the tour guides of this historic castle in England, but the hanging of a peasant, realistic and definitely deadly, brings her to the conclusion she has time travelled.

Finding her way home seems impossible, so she initially settles in to find her own place in this new and very foreign world, with new friends to make and a gorgeous knight to stop herself from falling for if she wants to keep her wedding vows to Steffan, her husband, who is over six hundred years away in the future.

It’s a beautiful and colourful world Hampstead portrays, bringing us right into the Middle Ages with all its customs—some of them barbaric—and culture, which Sophia must learn if she wants to retain her secure place under her benefactor, Richard de Beauchamp.

But all is not what it seems, and the plot twist left me gaping. Truly unique and brilliant.

The fight scenes were great, showing Hampstead’s personal knowledge of HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) and sword skills. The characters were believable and endearing, especially the hunky Henry, but I must admit the sex scenes were too spicy for me. The story also contains some graphic violence and abuse scenes.

If you enjoy time travel romances—although it’s much more than this—with a forbidden love, a gutsy, brave heroine and a handsome knight—literally—then you’ll love A Code of Knights and Deception the first instalment in Swords of Time.

I received an ARC copy of A Code of Knights and Deception to read and review.