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Veil of Time #1
Veil of Time
A compelling tale of two Scotlands-one modern, one ancient-and the woman who parts the veil between them.
The medication that treats Maggie’s seizures leaves her in a haze, but it can’t dull her grief at losing her daughter to the same condition. With her marriage dissolved and her son away at school, Maggie retreats to a cottage below the ruins of Dunadd, once the royal seat of Scotland. But is it fantasy or reality when she awakens in a bustling village within the massive walls of eighth-century Dunadd? In a time and place so strange yet somehow familiar, Maggie is drawn to the striking, somber Fergus, brother of the king and father of Illa, who bears a keen resemblance to Maggie’s late daughter. With each dreamlike journey to the past, Maggie grows closer to Fergus and embraces the possibility of staying in this Dunadd. But with present-day demands calling her back, can Maggie leave behind the Scottish prince who dubs her mo chridhe, my heart?
The medication that treats Maggie’s seizures leaves her in a haze, but it can’t dull her grief at losing her daughter to the same condition. With her marriage dissolved and her son away at school, Maggie retreats to a cottage below the ruins of Dunadd, once the royal seat of Scotland. But is it fantasy or reality when she awakens in a bustling village within the massive walls of eighth-century Dunadd? In a time and place so strange yet somehow familiar, Maggie is drawn to the striking, somber Fergus, brother of the king and father of Illa, who bears a keen resemblance to Maggie’s late daughter. With each dreamlike journey to the past, Maggie grows closer to Fergus and embraces the possibility of staying in this Dunadd. But with present-day demands calling her back, can Maggie leave behind the Scottish prince who dubs her mo chridhe, my heart?
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 11, 2014
65 people are currently reading
2600 people want to read
About the author
Claire R. McDougall
6 books40 followersClaire R. McDougall, a native of Scotland, graduated from Oxford University and lives now in Aspen, Colorado, with her family. After an early start as a newspaper columnist, her career in creative writing moved through the genres of poetry and short stories to settle on Scottish novels.
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January 2, 2015'Tis verra dangerous to compare a book to Outlander, as the cover blurb of this one does...
October 25, 2015
“It’s no accident it is called ‘his-story’ [...] I did do research, but only as needed. I didn’t do years of research ahead of time like Dan Brown.”
Oooh dear. I've ranted enough about this book to anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot. Suffice it to say that the above quotes from the author Q&A at the end of the book should tell you all you need to know about the quality of the historical background here.
(For the record, the word history comes from the Greek historia, from the word for a narrative, or inquiry. Nothing to do with his/hers/theirs/anyone's story.)
It's a pain, because this is such a fascinating and hardly-used period, but the book is full of clumsy mistakes, misconceptions, and unlikelihoods. Like portraying Christian missionaries as newcomers to Dál Riata in the eighth century, when in fact all the principal monasteries in the area had been well established for more than a century, and by which time Dál Riata and Pictland were both pretty well Christianised. Oops. It was the Picts, not the Scots, who were said to practise matrilineal succession. I'm certainly no expert on the period, but some of the historical howlers in here were just painful. Even in a period where there is so much wiggle-room for differing interpretations, there are still some things that are well-documented.
It's also one of those books that trots out all the well-worn clichés of the EVUL Christian church and how it destroys all that is virtuous and pagan and feminine. Of course the Church has been responsible for terrible atrocities throughout the centuries, but you need to employ a bit of nuance. How else can you explore how Christianity was able to grow as powerful as it did, without showing how it appealed to people? But naturally, the two Christian monks who appear are one-dimensional stereotypes who use their five minutes' screentime to spit venom about how The Evil Of All Women, etc. etc. I'm sure we've all met fundies like that, but the book gives no indication that this is the same early medieval church that produced such influential women as St. Hild, or St. Brigid, or St. Theneu. And on the subject of witch-burnings, the Malleus Maleficarum was denounced as false and antithetical to Christianity by the Church just three years after its publication, and not even used by the Inquisition. If you want to know how it became so influential in the later, post-Reformation witch-crazes, you're gonna have to dig a fair bit deeper than just "but the CHURCH!!!" Research. Research is your friend.
Combine that with the worst kind of soppy nationalistic sentimentalism. Of course our main character has vivid dreams where she meets the Bruce, Wallace, Burns, and Mary, Queen of Scots. Not auld Jeannie McLaren from Dundee, or someone. Apparently James VI is a "turncoat" and a "disgrace to his mother" for uniting the crowns. Because Mary had no designs on the English throne, amirite?? (I guess we just need to ignore that whole Babington plot thing…) The last straw was when the Stone of Destiny put in its inevitable appearance, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head and stayed there for a while.
Apart from all that, the whole thing is told in such a remote, disengaged style that it kind of held me at arm's length the whole time, and it was impossible to get involved. The characters are paper-thin, and although the whole story hinges on the relationship between Maggie and Fergus, they have absolutely zero meaningful interaction before they're shagging and overusing the phrase mo chridhe, and their interactions after that aren't much better.
Poor. Very poor.
Oooh dear. I've ranted enough about this book to anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot. Suffice it to say that the above quotes from the author Q&A at the end of the book should tell you all you need to know about the quality of the historical background here.
(For the record, the word history comes from the Greek historia, from the word for a narrative, or inquiry. Nothing to do with his/hers/theirs/anyone's story.)
It's a pain, because this is such a fascinating and hardly-used period, but the book is full of clumsy mistakes, misconceptions, and unlikelihoods. Like portraying Christian missionaries as newcomers to Dál Riata in the eighth century, when in fact all the principal monasteries in the area had been well established for more than a century, and by which time Dál Riata and Pictland were both pretty well Christianised. Oops. It was the Picts, not the Scots, who were said to practise matrilineal succession. I'm certainly no expert on the period, but some of the historical howlers in here were just painful. Even in a period where there is so much wiggle-room for differing interpretations, there are still some things that are well-documented.
It's also one of those books that trots out all the well-worn clichés of the EVUL Christian church and how it destroys all that is virtuous and pagan and feminine. Of course the Church has been responsible for terrible atrocities throughout the centuries, but you need to employ a bit of nuance. How else can you explore how Christianity was able to grow as powerful as it did, without showing how it appealed to people? But naturally, the two Christian monks who appear are one-dimensional stereotypes who use their five minutes' screentime to spit venom about how The Evil Of All Women, etc. etc. I'm sure we've all met fundies like that, but the book gives no indication that this is the same early medieval church that produced such influential women as St. Hild, or St. Brigid, or St. Theneu. And on the subject of witch-burnings, the Malleus Maleficarum was denounced as false and antithetical to Christianity by the Church just three years after its publication, and not even used by the Inquisition. If you want to know how it became so influential in the later, post-Reformation witch-crazes, you're gonna have to dig a fair bit deeper than just "but the CHURCH!!!" Research. Research is your friend.
Combine that with the worst kind of soppy nationalistic sentimentalism. Of course our main character has vivid dreams where she meets the Bruce, Wallace, Burns, and Mary, Queen of Scots. Not auld Jeannie McLaren from Dundee, or someone. Apparently James VI is a "turncoat" and a "disgrace to his mother" for uniting the crowns. Because Mary had no designs on the English throne, amirite?? (I guess we just need to ignore that whole Babington plot thing…) The last straw was when the Stone of Destiny put in its inevitable appearance, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head and stayed there for a while.
Apart from all that, the whole thing is told in such a remote, disengaged style that it kind of held me at arm's length the whole time, and it was impossible to get involved. The characters are paper-thin, and although the whole story hinges on the relationship between Maggie and Fergus, they have absolutely zero meaningful interaction before they're shagging and overusing the phrase mo chridhe, and their interactions after that aren't much better.
Poor. Very poor.
January 28, 2014
This is a wonderful book, even though it’s not easy to classify. Not fitting into a ready-made genre doesn’t take away the pleasure of reading it.
Though our heroine slips from the present into Iron-Age Scotland and back again, it’s not strictly a time-travel story. Time travel can’t be reduced to mechanics in any event.
Though there’s plenty of chemistry between Maggie and the king’s brother, it’s not just a romance. It’s bigger, denser than that.
Though there are terrific, well-researched details of life in an 8th-century fortress town, the medical realities of epilepsy, and even an on-site description of a devastating earthquake, the book doesn’t overwhelm a reader with minutiae. The language is so carefully chosen, the plot so finely crafted, that we are drawn into it as if by hypnosis. Claire McDougall is a writer of fiction, but her heart is the heart of a poet.
Consider this moment, when Maggie feels a seizure coming on: “…the heat moves up my legs, and soon everything begins to dissolve back into the atoms out of which it came. The particles grow big and bigger, until I begin to squeeze between them, and then I am falling into whatever abyss there is once you remove the stuff that everything is made of.”
Now that is real sensation, rendered into words on a page. There's beauty in those words.
Pigeonhole it as you must, VEIL OF TIME is a lovely book -- intelligent, solid, and satisfying.
Though our heroine slips from the present into Iron-Age Scotland and back again, it’s not strictly a time-travel story. Time travel can’t be reduced to mechanics in any event.
Though there’s plenty of chemistry between Maggie and the king’s brother, it’s not just a romance. It’s bigger, denser than that.
Though there are terrific, well-researched details of life in an 8th-century fortress town, the medical realities of epilepsy, and even an on-site description of a devastating earthquake, the book doesn’t overwhelm a reader with minutiae. The language is so carefully chosen, the plot so finely crafted, that we are drawn into it as if by hypnosis. Claire McDougall is a writer of fiction, but her heart is the heart of a poet.
Consider this moment, when Maggie feels a seizure coming on: “…the heat moves up my legs, and soon everything begins to dissolve back into the atoms out of which it came. The particles grow big and bigger, until I begin to squeeze between them, and then I am falling into whatever abyss there is once you remove the stuff that everything is made of.”
Now that is real sensation, rendered into words on a page. There's beauty in those words.
Pigeonhole it as you must, VEIL OF TIME is a lovely book -- intelligent, solid, and satisfying.
Read
August 10, 2016Well researched, clever premise, however, execution failed. I’m sorry to say this just didn’t work for me, I wanted it to but in the end it was a total miss.
The ‘dreams’ were well crafted, the continuation aspect was smart. The descriptions of Scotland – full on perfect, extremely detailed, you truly feel transported to this distant time and place.
The chemistry between Maggie and Fergus was nonexistent. Chalk it up to language barrier, the behavior of men in the time period, whatever the case, there was absolutely no spark, no tangible raw attraction. Their interaction felt clunky and awkward at best, I failed to see and sense a pull towards one another, flatness throughout. I felt the narrative was all over the place, a few areas caught my attention, others were average, really no apex, the ending was barely okay. I patiently awaited something major to take place, sadly nothing came about, no definable build up. There was an unmistakable monotone vibe of the narrative, no inflections at all.
I would read more from this authoress, she was on to something it just missed translation on to paper for this reader. No doubt this story had potential, arduous effort.
For this and other reviews visit http://ravenhairedgirl.com
The ‘dreams’ were well crafted, the continuation aspect was smart. The descriptions of Scotland – full on perfect, extremely detailed, you truly feel transported to this distant time and place.
The chemistry between Maggie and Fergus was nonexistent. Chalk it up to language barrier, the behavior of men in the time period, whatever the case, there was absolutely no spark, no tangible raw attraction. Their interaction felt clunky and awkward at best, I failed to see and sense a pull towards one another, flatness throughout. I felt the narrative was all over the place, a few areas caught my attention, others were average, really no apex, the ending was barely okay. I patiently awaited something major to take place, sadly nothing came about, no definable build up. There was an unmistakable monotone vibe of the narrative, no inflections at all.
I would read more from this authoress, she was on to something it just missed translation on to paper for this reader. No doubt this story had potential, arduous effort.
For this and other reviews visit http://ravenhairedgirl.com
December 13, 2014
Ugh !! What a boring book !!! Whoever wrote that this would be a great book for lovers of Diana Gabaldon Outlander series sure missed the mark. Characters were flat. Storyline seemed pretentious. Don't bother reading this. Waste of time !!!!!!
April 14, 2014
When I saw the synopsis for the book, I was intrigued and my interest was piqued. I wanted to read the book and thought that I would be reading a great, moving historical love story a la the Outlander series. After finishing it though, I’m sad to say that it didn’t come off that way. The more I read the more it became increasingly clear that this is not working out for me. This is unfortunate because I wanted to like this and I was hoping that it would eventually get better. In the end, all I was left with was the feeling of wanting to have liked it.
One of the things that bothered me about this book was that I found the characters and their relationships with each other lacking in believability. I felt that not enough time was spent developing the characters. I really didn’t get a sense of who they are on a level where I came to care about them. I knew Maggie was divorced and was still suffering the repercussions of not only her epileptic seizures but the loss of her daughter and the estrangement from her son. I knew Fergus was feeling embittered by those in his family because of their insistence for him to marry again. But for all that, there wasn’t anything about them that made me feel anything beyond the superficial. I didn’t feel anything deeper.
Now if I didn’t feel anything for them as individual characters, it made it even more difficult for me to buy them as a couple. In all honesty I didn’t really understand what it was about each other that drew Maggie and Fergus together. It seemed like each made some observations about the other and the next thing I knew they wanted to be with each other always. I didn’t see the progression of their relationship from strangers to passionate lovers. This lack of believability on my part affected the rest of my outlook on the book, considering the central conflict is Maggie having to choose between the past and her present. This was also apparent between Maggie and Fergus’s daughter Illa. There was potential there to delve into the relationship between mother and daughter especially since Maggie lost hers and this second chance at having a daughter again. But like it was between Maggie and Fergus, this relationship wasn’t developed as well. It just felt like Illa just accepted her presence and eventually started calling her mother. Again, I couldn’t believe in these relationships because I didn’t feel that they weren’t developed properly and see the evolution of it.
My issues with the characters and their relationships illustrate the bigger issue of the book for me. As a whole, the story just felt like it was floating on the surface without delving deeper. It felt as if the author, Claire R. McDougall, wanted to keep the story moving therefore not taking the time to clarify details. It led me many times to question certain aspects of the story because I wasn’t fully understanding what was going on and also I didn’t get a full picture of the times that Maggie was inhabiting. For example, I wasn’t clear on the mechanics of Maggie’s time travel. Does she physically travel back? Or is it her conscious mind or her soul that travels back in time? What happens when she comes out of her deep sleep after her seizures in the past? Questions such as these kept on running through my mind and left this hole in the plot for me that bothered me. Furthermore, I believe that the book could have benefitted from a more descriptive type of writing. I didn’t get a full sense of the Scotland that Maggie was traveling back to. I only got certain details but not enough to make me entrenched in that time.
This book was a little frustrating because it had such potential to be so good. I saw it spurts both in the characters and especially the writing. There were certain moments and scenes where the writing showed itself to be beautiful with a fairytale-like quality that lent a mysterious tone. But I would’ve liked it for have gone deeper and given more. I liked the link between the thesis Maggie was working on about witches and the hunt for them and the character of Sula, the druidess who represent the women that will be hunted and burned for their practices. So I saw the book having these good things going for it but they weren’t developed and polished enough.
Being a recent fan of the Outlander series worked in favor and against Veil of Time. My love of the series prompted me to also raise my interest in this book. However, I probably was also comparing it to the series. Unfortunately, this book didn’t come close to it. This book was one of those books that I felt had the potential to be better than what it was if more was given to it. The concept was there and was an interesting one, but the execution needed work.
*Received Advanced Uncorrected Proof from Goodreads First Read giveaway
One of the things that bothered me about this book was that I found the characters and their relationships with each other lacking in believability. I felt that not enough time was spent developing the characters. I really didn’t get a sense of who they are on a level where I came to care about them. I knew Maggie was divorced and was still suffering the repercussions of not only her epileptic seizures but the loss of her daughter and the estrangement from her son. I knew Fergus was feeling embittered by those in his family because of their insistence for him to marry again. But for all that, there wasn’t anything about them that made me feel anything beyond the superficial. I didn’t feel anything deeper.
Now if I didn’t feel anything for them as individual characters, it made it even more difficult for me to buy them as a couple. In all honesty I didn’t really understand what it was about each other that drew Maggie and Fergus together. It seemed like each made some observations about the other and the next thing I knew they wanted to be with each other always. I didn’t see the progression of their relationship from strangers to passionate lovers. This lack of believability on my part affected the rest of my outlook on the book, considering the central conflict is Maggie having to choose between the past and her present. This was also apparent between Maggie and Fergus’s daughter Illa. There was potential there to delve into the relationship between mother and daughter especially since Maggie lost hers and this second chance at having a daughter again. But like it was between Maggie and Fergus, this relationship wasn’t developed as well. It just felt like Illa just accepted her presence and eventually started calling her mother. Again, I couldn’t believe in these relationships because I didn’t feel that they weren’t developed properly and see the evolution of it.
My issues with the characters and their relationships illustrate the bigger issue of the book for me. As a whole, the story just felt like it was floating on the surface without delving deeper. It felt as if the author, Claire R. McDougall, wanted to keep the story moving therefore not taking the time to clarify details. It led me many times to question certain aspects of the story because I wasn’t fully understanding what was going on and also I didn’t get a full picture of the times that Maggie was inhabiting. For example, I wasn’t clear on the mechanics of Maggie’s time travel. Does she physically travel back? Or is it her conscious mind or her soul that travels back in time? What happens when she comes out of her deep sleep after her seizures in the past? Questions such as these kept on running through my mind and left this hole in the plot for me that bothered me. Furthermore, I believe that the book could have benefitted from a more descriptive type of writing. I didn’t get a full sense of the Scotland that Maggie was traveling back to. I only got certain details but not enough to make me entrenched in that time.
This book was a little frustrating because it had such potential to be so good. I saw it spurts both in the characters and especially the writing. There were certain moments and scenes where the writing showed itself to be beautiful with a fairytale-like quality that lent a mysterious tone. But I would’ve liked it for have gone deeper and given more. I liked the link between the thesis Maggie was working on about witches and the hunt for them and the character of Sula, the druidess who represent the women that will be hunted and burned for their practices. So I saw the book having these good things going for it but they weren’t developed and polished enough.
Being a recent fan of the Outlander series worked in favor and against Veil of Time. My love of the series prompted me to also raise my interest in this book. However, I probably was also comparing it to the series. Unfortunately, this book didn’t come close to it. This book was one of those books that I felt had the potential to be better than what it was if more was given to it. The concept was there and was an interesting one, but the execution needed work.
*Received Advanced Uncorrected Proof from Goodreads First Read giveaway
November 30, 2013
*SPOILER ALERT* As a long-time fan of Diana Gabaldon, and a more recent fan of Susanna Kearsley, I must say I found this book to have great potential, but really lacked development both in plot and character.
Let's start with plot development. The plot here is that Maggie has epilepsy and is slated for a lobectomy to cure it. So, newly divorced, and rocking in the wake of her daughter's death, she heads off to a small Scottish village to work on her thesis. She has seizures, which send her back to 765 BC. I'm all for time-travel, don't get me wrong, but the mechanics seemed a little far-fetched. Initially, when she would go back in time, she'd pick up right where she left. But as the book progressed, she'd pick up later than she'd left off. No explanation as to how her "avatar" is functioning without her consciousness, which one would assume is this case, because they never mention her being physically gone. (All in all, I felt the time-travel was not well thought out/developed.)
Now, character. If you're going to compare this to Jamie and Claire, then by God you have to develop him and make us fall in love with him. Jamie would NEVER have dry-humped the druidess in front of Claire. Jamie puts Claire first and foremost over all others, and wouldn't leave her in a swampy village to go rescue Mommy. Don't get me wrong, Fergus is a likable enough guy and definitely better than his brother, but I still found him lacking.
Let's start with plot development. The plot here is that Maggie has epilepsy and is slated for a lobectomy to cure it. So, newly divorced, and rocking in the wake of her daughter's death, she heads off to a small Scottish village to work on her thesis. She has seizures, which send her back to 765 BC. I'm all for time-travel, don't get me wrong, but the mechanics seemed a little far-fetched. Initially, when she would go back in time, she'd pick up right where she left. But as the book progressed, she'd pick up later than she'd left off. No explanation as to how her "avatar" is functioning without her consciousness, which one would assume is this case, because they never mention her being physically gone. (All in all, I felt the time-travel was not well thought out/developed.)
Now, character. If you're going to compare this to Jamie and Claire, then by God you have to develop him and make us fall in love with him. Jamie would NEVER have dry-humped the druidess in front of Claire. Jamie puts Claire first and foremost over all others, and wouldn't leave her in a swampy village to go rescue Mommy. Don't get me wrong, Fergus is a likable enough guy and definitely better than his brother, but I still found him lacking.
March 18, 2016
Loved it. I've been scourging around the dumps of fiction for about a month since Outlander ended, and I was extremely surprised to be so taken with this story and truly be swept up in a unique and realistic setting. I cried in the end and cried even harder when I realized it WAS the end! I'm eager for the next book to come out, and I can't wait to see if the Scottish independence referendum results will affect the story line. (I hope they do!)
May 17, 2018
This genre (time travel) seems to be quite popular these days. And of course, the setting is Scotland. Maggie is getting ready for major surgery to possibly eliminate her seizures, but of course, there are risks. She is also divorced, and the mother of two, although her daughter has died. She travels to a remote area of Scotland to finish up research on witches, and experiences seizures which send her back to the 700's. The story itself is quite interesting, but the prevalence of anti-Catholic messages became disturbing to me. The author, McDougall, reiterated throughout the story, how the Church hated women. I can't help but think how women like St. Teresa of Avila, or St. Catherine of Siena, or St. Claire of Assisi were esteemed for their brilliance and piety. Oh, well. Fascinating historical content, and her use of alternating voices of the different characters by chapter was interesting.
July 11, 2017
I am shelving books to sell at my garage sale and there's a book that I didn't know I had and never read. Soon, I am sucked into the agonizing seizures which send Maggie way back in time to Scotland. She barely can speak their Gaelic, but finds love. This is an intriguing novel and there is a sequel which is Druid Hill. I am very interested in finding it. My father's ancestors came from Scotland!
January 13, 2025
I gave this a C- at AAR, so 2.5 stars. The very thing about Veil of Time which caught my eye is also something that made me dislike the book even more than I ordinarily would have. And what might that be? Well, let's just say that the repeated comparisons and references to Outlander that I saw in cover copy and in the author interview inside the book gave this novel very big shoes to fill. And it didn't even come close.
The heroine in this book really does have a tragic backstory. Maggie lost her daughter and that loss, combined with her own uncontrolled epilepsy, eventually pulled her marriage apart. With her surviving son off at boarding school, Maggie has gone to Dunadd, Scotland to do some research and introspection. Lots of introspection. In fact, parts of the book are told in first person so readers get to spend lots of time getting claustrophobic inside Maggie's navel-gazing mind. Maggie has a way of looking at a small object or occurrence and thinking obsessively about it until it becomes imbued with some great cosmic significance, and I suspect this will drive some readers batty.
Maggie leads a pretty narrow existence out in Dunadd. Her only real interactions seem to be with her cat and with her semi-reclusive neighbor, an older widower who is a font of historical information and the occasional awkward flirtation. The real focus of the story comes from Maggie's non-modern interactions. Her seizures start to send her on temporary jaunts back to 8th century Dunadd, in a time where the Scotti ruled in Dunadd but were on the eve of being overrun by the Picts.
The historical background of Maggie's travels back in time was fascinating, and the author includes many details of 8th century culture. It's a time not often covered in historical romance or general fiction, and the window into the past is intriguing. Less compelling was Maggie's 8th century romance with Fergus, the brother of the ruler of Dunadd.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
The heroine in this book really does have a tragic backstory. Maggie lost her daughter and that loss, combined with her own uncontrolled epilepsy, eventually pulled her marriage apart. With her surviving son off at boarding school, Maggie has gone to Dunadd, Scotland to do some research and introspection. Lots of introspection. In fact, parts of the book are told in first person so readers get to spend lots of time getting claustrophobic inside Maggie's navel-gazing mind. Maggie has a way of looking at a small object or occurrence and thinking obsessively about it until it becomes imbued with some great cosmic significance, and I suspect this will drive some readers batty.
Maggie leads a pretty narrow existence out in Dunadd. Her only real interactions seem to be with her cat and with her semi-reclusive neighbor, an older widower who is a font of historical information and the occasional awkward flirtation. The real focus of the story comes from Maggie's non-modern interactions. Her seizures start to send her on temporary jaunts back to 8th century Dunadd, in a time where the Scotti ruled in Dunadd but were on the eve of being overrun by the Picts.
The historical background of Maggie's travels back in time was fascinating, and the author includes many details of 8th century culture. It's a time not often covered in historical romance or general fiction, and the window into the past is intriguing. Less compelling was Maggie's 8th century romance with Fergus, the brother of the ruler of Dunadd.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
February 8, 2015
It is not often that you can get a glimpse of what it is like inside someones head, but that is exactly what you see when you read this insightful book. This is a very unique read and includes time travel between today and the 8th century. Written by a native of Scotland, the author takes us on a wild journey through the dreamlike seizures of Maggie, to a time of witches, Kings and royalty and back again to reality.
I was intrigued by this book from the first page. I love the authors writing style even though it took me a few pages to fully comprehend. With the differences of the ages, the Scottish language pieces thrown here and there and just the difference in culture, a beautiful story imparts. A love story of sorts.
But Maggie is also fighting reality. A failed marriage and a son that is angry at her and a surgery on the way that could save her life. Maggie decides to escape to the middle of no where and work on her old thesis that has to do with witches and druids and Old Scotland. Soon you realize that are being taken back and forth between reality and her dreams. In many places it was hard to discern where you really were yet it all blended together beautifully, a true mark of a wordsmith.
This book is totally different from what I normally read but I loved the back history of Scotland and the glimpses you get into a medical condition and the power of your brain. Veil of Time is a thoroughly interesting, wonderfully crafted story that takes you through a journey of a thousand years. Very creative and fun!
Read more at http://twoclassychics.com/2014/03/vei...
I was intrigued by this book from the first page. I love the authors writing style even though it took me a few pages to fully comprehend. With the differences of the ages, the Scottish language pieces thrown here and there and just the difference in culture, a beautiful story imparts. A love story of sorts.
But Maggie is also fighting reality. A failed marriage and a son that is angry at her and a surgery on the way that could save her life. Maggie decides to escape to the middle of no where and work on her old thesis that has to do with witches and druids and Old Scotland. Soon you realize that are being taken back and forth between reality and her dreams. In many places it was hard to discern where you really were yet it all blended together beautifully, a true mark of a wordsmith.
This book is totally different from what I normally read but I loved the back history of Scotland and the glimpses you get into a medical condition and the power of your brain. Veil of Time is a thoroughly interesting, wonderfully crafted story that takes you through a journey of a thousand years. Very creative and fun!
Read more at http://twoclassychics.com/2014/03/vei...
August 5, 2016
Do you ever read a book that you know is good, say a classic, but you're just not liking it? This book was the exact opposite. I knew it wasn't well-written and that there were some things that could really be improved (the insta-love, the dialogue, etc) but I still really liked it.
It definitely feels similar to Outlander, big surprise, but it's different in that the things back in time are interspersed with time in the present. She doesn't fall through the stones to remain in the past indefinitely, she visits occasionally. And that's both better and worse. The reader doesn't get the same immersive experience but it can be nice to have breaks from all the italic Gaelic and brooding bad boy warrior.
The historical time period is what really interested me. Who hasn't heard and been wooed by the Stone of Destiny. I read a book about Robert the Bruce not too long ago and it fascinated me to learn about the Stone. In this book, we learn about its origins, along with many other things found in Dark Ages Scotland that just aren't to be found in other books.
Not enough people write about the Dark Ages, in my opinion, unless strictly about Vikings, so a few issues like insta-love and a bit of bad writing can't deter me from giving this four stars. The history (and strangely, the bit of medical science) is where the strength in this book really lies. If you're looking for a love story and don't care about history, I'd probably steer clear. But if you're in it for the history and want to know what it was like to live in this time and place, I really recommend it.
It definitely feels similar to Outlander, big surprise, but it's different in that the things back in time are interspersed with time in the present. She doesn't fall through the stones to remain in the past indefinitely, she visits occasionally. And that's both better and worse. The reader doesn't get the same immersive experience but it can be nice to have breaks from all the italic Gaelic and brooding bad boy warrior.
The historical time period is what really interested me. Who hasn't heard and been wooed by the Stone of Destiny. I read a book about Robert the Bruce not too long ago and it fascinated me to learn about the Stone. In this book, we learn about its origins, along with many other things found in Dark Ages Scotland that just aren't to be found in other books.
Not enough people write about the Dark Ages, in my opinion, unless strictly about Vikings, so a few issues like insta-love and a bit of bad writing can't deter me from giving this four stars. The history (and strangely, the bit of medical science) is where the strength in this book really lies. If you're looking for a love story and don't care about history, I'd probably steer clear. But if you're in it for the history and want to know what it was like to live in this time and place, I really recommend it.
April 19, 2014
*Received an advanced uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher.
Story of a woman with epilepsy who slips back to 8th century during seizures. While the storyline is somewhat reminiscent of the Outlander series, it unfortunately misses the mark. Character development is minimal at best, and at worst, topical. And what one does glean about the characters' inner workings is contradicted by the character's actions multiple times throughout the book. I did not feel connected to any of the characters, as the author barely scratched the surface in describing their emotions and motives.
I struggled to finish this book and only did so because of the "gentleman's agreement" to write a review, since I received a copy for free. Since there was hardly any content and depth to this story, this is a short review. I would certainly not recommend this book.
Story of a woman with epilepsy who slips back to 8th century during seizures. While the storyline is somewhat reminiscent of the Outlander series, it unfortunately misses the mark. Character development is minimal at best, and at worst, topical. And what one does glean about the characters' inner workings is contradicted by the character's actions multiple times throughout the book. I did not feel connected to any of the characters, as the author barely scratched the surface in describing their emotions and motives.
I struggled to finish this book and only did so because of the "gentleman's agreement" to write a review, since I received a copy for free. Since there was hardly any content and depth to this story, this is a short review. I would certainly not recommend this book.
September 8, 2014
I had the most difficult time getting through this book! The pacing was terrible, the writing was, I guess, supposed to be flow-y and flowery but it just dragged on forever. The final decision or major conflict to stay with HER actual, real-life child should have been a no brainer. Also, I did not buy that her and Fergus were in love, mostly because the language barrier was too great. The protagonist goes too far back in time (obviously she has no control, but I'm just saying) and cannot assimilate quickly enough, so it's not very fun to read. Plus, she didn't even finish her thesis on witches in the real world. The whole concept didn't even stick for me and don't get me started on the Outlander comparisons...
June 8, 2016
Ugh. This book was absolutely terrible. It is awkward and boring and monotonous. It starts out with her having "dreams" after a seizure where she is transported to the past. Okay, I'm with you so far. Then in the past, she never seems to leave, but be ever present in their time and yet she's in the present or her time as well. What? Upon meeting this Fergus guy the first time he grabs her crotch to see if she's a woman (because she's wearing pants) and her response is to lift her shirt and show her breasts. Again, what? Immediately after that horribly awkward introduction they moon over each other incessantly. It simply is not believable. I have given up on less than a handful of books, this is one of them By page 167 I had thrown in the towel.
April 28, 2020
Yes, technically a DNF but I read over 60% of this book and I was just SO BORED. I know we have a lot of free time right now, but still I'd rather be using that time to read something I actually enjoy.
March 21, 2016
I liked this book. Its very different and nothing like Outlander except a Scotland setting but the last two chapters had my eyes watering. I admired Maggie tremendously for the choices she makes.
September 30, 2016
Lots of Scottish history, a facinating time travel story.
August 13, 2017
billed as an outlander type book pace was much slower. think its hard to find really good time travel. outlander and the doomsday book are the best so far
February 7, 2021
I was looking for historical fantasy and romance along the same lines as Gabaldon's Outlander - I was also looking for a light read given it's February and I'm tired. I trawled lists with titles like "Ten Best Historical Fiction Books to Read If You Loved Outlander," did some further research on some titles that took my fancy, then compiled a shortlist. This was first. It wasn't exactly original conceptually, but the time period made for an interesting choice, and has made me want to learn more about Picts and Scotti, as well as read Ronald Hutton's book(s) on druids. This didn't have the emotional intensity I was looking for, and I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that finding something akin to Outlander's blend of good history, romance, sex, agency and witchery is perhaps impossible...the quest continues.
May 24, 2019
At first glance the premise of this book seems very much like Outlander. The woman in this story, Maggie has epilepsy. So did her daughter, Ellie, who unfortunately died during a seizure. Maggie's marriage did not survive the loss of a child. She is in the Scottish village of Dunadd awaiting surgery that could stop her seizures. It is during one of those seizures that Maggie is transported back in time to the 8th century village of Dunadd. She meets a widower named Fergus who has a daughter called Illa who bears a striking resemblance to her own daughter Ellie. The book moves back and forth between the present and the past. I'm a big fan of time travel in all its forms so I really liked this book!
July 20, 2025
Comprei o livro unicamente pela capa - é linda!
A estória me prendeu muito no início e fiquei o tempo todo esperando um grande acontecimento. Não teve.
Na metade do livro comecei a achar tudo muito arrastado e sem conclusões....não sei se foi a tradução ou se a escrita original também é assim.
O enredo é riquíssimo de detalhes e quando a personagem principal está no passado, dá vontade de ficar por lá.
Entretanto, a vida "moderna" da principal é chata. Eu realmente não gosto de personagens sem voz. Poxa vida!
Em determinados momentos eu só queria largar o livro de lado de tão maçante e desinteressante que a estória ficou.
1 estrela - capa
2 estrelas - passado, século VIII
A estória me prendeu muito no início e fiquei o tempo todo esperando um grande acontecimento. Não teve.
Na metade do livro comecei a achar tudo muito arrastado e sem conclusões....não sei se foi a tradução ou se a escrita original também é assim.
O enredo é riquíssimo de detalhes e quando a personagem principal está no passado, dá vontade de ficar por lá.
Entretanto, a vida "moderna" da principal é chata. Eu realmente não gosto de personagens sem voz. Poxa vida!
Em determinados momentos eu só queria largar o livro de lado de tão maçante e desinteressante que a estória ficou.
1 estrela - capa
2 estrelas - passado, século VIII
September 2, 2018
I initially was going to give this 4 stars. I didn't like the ending. The story was so unique and captivating. I read this book so quickly! I loved every sentence, but didn't like the ending. Then, I remembered that the author was working on a sequel, so I am hoping there is expansion on the characters' lives in the next book. I rarely give a 5 star rating, so this book of time travel that was written so cleverly, truly deserves a 5 star rating.
September 14, 2020
Gosh this took me ages and ages to read but I’m not sure why. I think it’s better written than the outlander series of books and the 8th century was a lot more interesting to me but I didn’t quite click with the author.
I felt that the author was there all the time, rather than me being able to lose myself in the story. I haven’t quite worked out why i felt like this.
I felt that the author was there all the time, rather than me being able to lose myself in the story. I haven’t quite worked out why i felt like this.
February 1, 2018
I so wanted this book to be better, the historical references were fascinating but the plot line-love story fell flat, I didn't feel anything for these characters at all. While I get the medication she's taking makes her lethargic, the entire book felt that way.
July 14, 2021
Seizure sending Maggie back in time was interesting enough but the character development and quite honestly, the romance, left much to be desired. The scenery descriptions were decent, but emotional impact was missing-except with her son.
August 16, 2023
I didn't finish reading this. Too exhausted after having warriored through the Convenant of Water. To be fair the book might as well get better but so far it just wasn't my cup of tea. Too many great books out there to waste your time on something rather mediocre.
December 24, 2017
I enjoyed this book immensely. I read that she has written the second of three books. Where are they? I am yearning for them!!!!
May 15, 2018
Time travel or 2 stories
It's a good book but the up build till the end doesn't really suffice ..left with questions
Also witch or time traveller?
It's a good book but the up build till the end doesn't really suffice ..left with questions
Also witch or time traveller?
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