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The Mender Trilogy #1
The Mender: Book 1 of The Mender Trilogy
A lost time traveler, a Comanche warrior, and their love across clashing worlds.
The multiverse is broken. Mender Eva, a true believer in the time-traveling cult of Lux Libera, has dedicated her life to merging the world’s reality, one shattered universe at a time — but she can’t do that while stranded in 1835 Texas.
Injured and separated from her mission partner, Eva must find a way home. And there's another the handsome young farmer, Jim, who rescued her. If she's not careful, he may have her questioning everything she's ever believed.
Jim, a former Comanche captive, has been forced to return to Anglo society as an adult. A man of his word, he aims to keep a promise to an old friend even while he struggles to find acceptance within Austin’s colony of San Felipe. But first, he must come to terms with his past and the things he did to survive.
This first installment of The Mender Trilogy invites readers on an epic journey through pre-revolutionary Texas.
"𝐀𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞" 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 "𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬."
5.0 out of 5 stars " THE MENDER is an immersive, historical world posing big questions. Great read!"
5.0 out of 5 stars "An intoxicating journey through time, desire, and duty."
5.0 out of 5 stars "Couldn’t put it down."
Sparks flew up the chimney as Jim propped a log on the fire. Eva rose stiffly from the bench, levering herself up like a pregnant woman. “Ow-wow-wow.” Her legs weren’t cooperating.
Jim laughed at her. “I think the Anglos would call you ‘green.’”
“And what would you call me?”
Jim focused his gaze inward. “There may be a word for it, but the People put their children on a horse as soon as they can walk.” He sat back on his heels. “No one ever has to learn. I was still young enough that if I was ever sore, I don’t remember it.” Poker in hand, he turned back to the fire, rearranging it, to Eva’s eyes, from the perfectly acceptable configuration she had built to something exactly the same. “Our women don’t need carriages or wagons either,” he added, glancing up at her.
Eva examined him from the side of her eye, hands on hips.
He grinned an arrogant challenge.
What would he think of cars? she thought. Eva squatted in place, stretching. The move didn’t help her hips, and she regretted the position the instant she realized she needed to stand back up. Eva had woken up this way, and the pain had only eased during the day while she worked. She tried to straighten but was stuck.
One corner of Jim’s mouth lifted as he suppressed his amusement. “Would you like help?”
They were now eye to eye, Jim cross-legged on the hearth in front of her, Eva contemplating her options. “Yes, please.”
Once standing, Jim lingered with her hands in his. “I could rub your legs for you. That can help.”
His amber eyes bored into her, and Eva let her gaze fall. For the first time, she didn’t know if she should trust him. Until this moment, she had ignored her growing attraction and felt an easy companionship with him, not unlike her partnership with Tophe, and for Jim’s own part, he had acted as nothing other than brotherly toward her. She couldn’t pinpoint when she had started to feel as if she had always known him.
Jim’s thumbs skimmed the backs of her hands. For several heartbeats, he stared into her eyes until he dropped her left hand and cradled her right, his thumb caressing her palm.
She should stop him. Instead, she nodded.
The multiverse is broken. Mender Eva, a true believer in the time-traveling cult of Lux Libera, has dedicated her life to merging the world’s reality, one shattered universe at a time — but she can’t do that while stranded in 1835 Texas.
Injured and separated from her mission partner, Eva must find a way home. And there's another the handsome young farmer, Jim, who rescued her. If she's not careful, he may have her questioning everything she's ever believed.
Jim, a former Comanche captive, has been forced to return to Anglo society as an adult. A man of his word, he aims to keep a promise to an old friend even while he struggles to find acceptance within Austin’s colony of San Felipe. But first, he must come to terms with his past and the things he did to survive.
This first installment of The Mender Trilogy invites readers on an epic journey through pre-revolutionary Texas.
"𝐀𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞" 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 "𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬."
5.0 out of 5 stars " THE MENDER is an immersive, historical world posing big questions. Great read!"
5.0 out of 5 stars "An intoxicating journey through time, desire, and duty."
5.0 out of 5 stars "Couldn’t put it down."
Sparks flew up the chimney as Jim propped a log on the fire. Eva rose stiffly from the bench, levering herself up like a pregnant woman. “Ow-wow-wow.” Her legs weren’t cooperating.
Jim laughed at her. “I think the Anglos would call you ‘green.’”
“And what would you call me?”
Jim focused his gaze inward. “There may be a word for it, but the People put their children on a horse as soon as they can walk.” He sat back on his heels. “No one ever has to learn. I was still young enough that if I was ever sore, I don’t remember it.” Poker in hand, he turned back to the fire, rearranging it, to Eva’s eyes, from the perfectly acceptable configuration she had built to something exactly the same. “Our women don’t need carriages or wagons either,” he added, glancing up at her.
Eva examined him from the side of her eye, hands on hips.
He grinned an arrogant challenge.
What would he think of cars? she thought. Eva squatted in place, stretching. The move didn’t help her hips, and she regretted the position the instant she realized she needed to stand back up. Eva had woken up this way, and the pain had only eased during the day while she worked. She tried to straighten but was stuck.
One corner of Jim’s mouth lifted as he suppressed his amusement. “Would you like help?”
They were now eye to eye, Jim cross-legged on the hearth in front of her, Eva contemplating her options. “Yes, please.”
Once standing, Jim lingered with her hands in his. “I could rub your legs for you. That can help.”
His amber eyes bored into her, and Eva let her gaze fall. For the first time, she didn’t know if she should trust him. Until this moment, she had ignored her growing attraction and felt an easy companionship with him, not unlike her partnership with Tophe, and for Jim’s own part, he had acted as nothing other than brotherly toward her. She couldn’t pinpoint when she had started to feel as if she had always known him.
Jim’s thumbs skimmed the backs of her hands. For several heartbeats, he stared into her eyes until he dropped her left hand and cradled her right, his thumb caressing her palm.
She should stop him. Instead, she nodded.
414 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2023
431 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 24, 2024
Eva is a Mender, a fixer of time. She travels to “shadow” timelines, bringing them in line with the “one true timeline,” a line where Germany won World War II. Now her mission is in Texas, in March 1836, but something is off, as she’s arrived several months early. When she meets Jim, a white man raised by Comanches, she is alarmed to see how real he is. He is supposed to be just a shadow, not a feeling human being, and he’s making it hard for her to maintain her people’s vows of celibacy. Then Jim’s friend Pump astonishes her even more when he reveals a secret that only she can understand.
This is the first book in The Mender Trilogy. Jennifer Marchman has created an intricately woven story, as complex as the quantum strings Eva pulls to move through time. The method of time travel is fascinating and based on string theory. The history of Texas, or what would eventually be Texas, is well researched. Every author of a time travel novel must set rules of travel, and what the author has done here is layer many rules, with the reader soon realizing that only some of them are true. It is an intriguing development, as we discover the truths and deceptions along with Eva. The research into Jim’s part of the story is well done, with Comanche customs, culture, and language added throughout. The racism and brutality of life at that time and the poor treatment of women are realistic and true to the period. The characters’ honesty about their own flaws is touching and compelling. This is a captivating and bold combination of time travel, Texas history, and romance that will leave the reader wanting more.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
This is the first book in The Mender Trilogy. Jennifer Marchman has created an intricately woven story, as complex as the quantum strings Eva pulls to move through time. The method of time travel is fascinating and based on string theory. The history of Texas, or what would eventually be Texas, is well researched. Every author of a time travel novel must set rules of travel, and what the author has done here is layer many rules, with the reader soon realizing that only some of them are true. It is an intriguing development, as we discover the truths and deceptions along with Eva. The research into Jim’s part of the story is well done, with Comanche customs, culture, and language added throughout. The racism and brutality of life at that time and the poor treatment of women are realistic and true to the period. The characters’ honesty about their own flaws is touching and compelling. This is a captivating and bold combination of time travel, Texas history, and romance that will leave the reader wanting more.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
October 23, 2023
I knew before getting too far into this book that I would want to read the whole series, because it drew me in so fast. This book has so much going for it: the writing, the characters, the story, the moral quandaries faced by the characters. It’s all so good!
Let’s start with the writing. This was honestly a breath of fresh air compared to some of the books I have been reading lately. Everything flowed well and showed someone who is adept at descriptions, character-building and world-building. For a new author, this was not something I expected, but it was something that I so greatly appreciated.
On to the characters. They were so real and relatable and beautifully flawed. Eva is someone who is taught to view the world in a certain way and is strong in her convictions, but must come to terms with the fact that maybe not all of what she has been led to believe is true. I appreciated seeing her growth as she started to be able to view things from another perspective. The same goes for Jim. They both grow with each other and through the influence of one another, finding some flexibility within themselves while still staying true to their deepest beliefs and values.
On a related note, I greatly appreciated what Jennifer Marchman says in her acknowledgments about her characters, with respect to race. Given the time period and setting of her novel, there is no way to get around the inclusion of Native American groups and enslaved people, nor should one try to erase them from such a narrative. But I think that Marchman does well with having her main characters be Anglos and to avoid telling the stories of marginalized groups herself. I felt like her inclusion of and treatment of those marginalized groups in the book was sensitive, while trying to stay true to history (but as a white woman myself, I can recognize that others may feel differently). No one is put on a pedestal and no one is wiped clean of their sins.
As far as the story goes, it was intriguing and unique. Many related it to Outlander because of it having time-travel and attempts to change the past, but this goes so far beyond that. This books focuses heavily on the idea of parallel universes existing alongside each other, and how one decision can branch off into so many others, but that there exists a version of you somewhere that would have made a different decision and potentially has a very different life. It was intriguing to think about how someone who is able to travel to these different universes could meddle and mold them. In the case of a larger organization like Lux Libera, they might even go to great lengths to manipulate other timelines into something resembling their own. And for them, the ends completely justify the means. I’m excited to learn more about Lux Libera in the next books and see how Eva deals with them.
All of that idea of string theory mentioned above leads to some interesting dilemmas for the characters, in particulate Eva, and I loved her conversation with Pump once she realizes that she has been changing and even destroying the lives of real people in these different universes and can’t understand how Pump can stand by and watch as enslaved people are exploited by his fellow Anglos. Honestly, the entire conversation is great, but I’ll include just a few of my favorite lines here.
Eva: “How can they be good people if they own slaves?”
Pump: “[…] Is that so different from Comanches being good people to other Comanches but exploiting and abusing their neighbors?”
Eva: “[…] Can a people look out for their own to such an extreme that they are no longer good people?”
Pump: “I sleep easier at night knowing I’ve helped the person next to me, including the slaves I freed, rather than sacrificing for people I don’t really know, like the Comanches. And for the Negro slaves in this colony, what real power do I have to change anything if I’m not a power broker? In my experience, the people with power win the power because they are interested in the power itself, not necessarily in making change. Change only happens if it aligns with their goal of hanging on to power. […] It’s a luxury for you to judge me from the point of view of a world that has solved this problem and can pretend to have a conscience. If you had come even farther from the future to me, say from the twenty-second century, you would be chastising me for eating meat and exploiting animals. Technology solves those problems and creates new ones as it does so.”
Pump: “[…] The need for cheap labor will never fully disappear. At least not in any timeline I’ve ever visited. The actors may switch roles; those who are slaves in this world are masters in another. But the codes, customs, and laws change to veil slavery from society, and everyone pretends it’s something else. People tell themselves what they want to hear, why it’s all so needed and justified and right so they can sleep at night. Nobody wants to look too closely at how their clothes are made or why their food is so cheap. They just aren’t called slaves anymore. Sometimes they’re called sharecroppers or prisoners or migrants or factory workers or debtors or bondsmen or indentured servants or serfs or peons or coolies… I could go on. You know I could. What are the good people doing in those times to fix their societies?”
All the tension here between doing what’s right and doing what’s comfortable is so good! This section in particular, but really throughout the whole book, gave me so many brain tingles.
Finally, I have to say that over the course of the novel, but even more so in the acknowledgements, it was clear that Marchman did her due diligence with researching and making her story as true to history as possible. I have to applaud an author that would go to such lengths to make things accurate and also to be sensitive to how she portrays that history.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Let’s start with the writing. This was honestly a breath of fresh air compared to some of the books I have been reading lately. Everything flowed well and showed someone who is adept at descriptions, character-building and world-building. For a new author, this was not something I expected, but it was something that I so greatly appreciated.
On to the characters. They were so real and relatable and beautifully flawed. Eva is someone who is taught to view the world in a certain way and is strong in her convictions, but must come to terms with the fact that maybe not all of what she has been led to believe is true. I appreciated seeing her growth as she started to be able to view things from another perspective. The same goes for Jim. They both grow with each other and through the influence of one another, finding some flexibility within themselves while still staying true to their deepest beliefs and values.
On a related note, I greatly appreciated what Jennifer Marchman says in her acknowledgments about her characters, with respect to race. Given the time period and setting of her novel, there is no way to get around the inclusion of Native American groups and enslaved people, nor should one try to erase them from such a narrative. But I think that Marchman does well with having her main characters be Anglos and to avoid telling the stories of marginalized groups herself. I felt like her inclusion of and treatment of those marginalized groups in the book was sensitive, while trying to stay true to history (but as a white woman myself, I can recognize that others may feel differently). No one is put on a pedestal and no one is wiped clean of their sins.
As far as the story goes, it was intriguing and unique. Many related it to Outlander because of it having time-travel and attempts to change the past, but this goes so far beyond that. This books focuses heavily on the idea of parallel universes existing alongside each other, and how one decision can branch off into so many others, but that there exists a version of you somewhere that would have made a different decision and potentially has a very different life. It was intriguing to think about how someone who is able to travel to these different universes could meddle and mold them. In the case of a larger organization like Lux Libera, they might even go to great lengths to manipulate other timelines into something resembling their own. And for them, the ends completely justify the means. I’m excited to learn more about Lux Libera in the next books and see how Eva deals with them.
All of that idea of string theory mentioned above leads to some interesting dilemmas for the characters, in particulate Eva, and I loved her conversation with Pump once she realizes that she has been changing and even destroying the lives of real people in these different universes and can’t understand how Pump can stand by and watch as enslaved people are exploited by his fellow Anglos. Honestly, the entire conversation is great, but I’ll include just a few of my favorite lines here.
Eva: “How can they be good people if they own slaves?”
Pump: “[…] Is that so different from Comanches being good people to other Comanches but exploiting and abusing their neighbors?”
Eva: “[…] Can a people look out for their own to such an extreme that they are no longer good people?”
Pump: “I sleep easier at night knowing I’ve helped the person next to me, including the slaves I freed, rather than sacrificing for people I don’t really know, like the Comanches. And for the Negro slaves in this colony, what real power do I have to change anything if I’m not a power broker? In my experience, the people with power win the power because they are interested in the power itself, not necessarily in making change. Change only happens if it aligns with their goal of hanging on to power. […] It’s a luxury for you to judge me from the point of view of a world that has solved this problem and can pretend to have a conscience. If you had come even farther from the future to me, say from the twenty-second century, you would be chastising me for eating meat and exploiting animals. Technology solves those problems and creates new ones as it does so.”
Pump: “[…] The need for cheap labor will never fully disappear. At least not in any timeline I’ve ever visited. The actors may switch roles; those who are slaves in this world are masters in another. But the codes, customs, and laws change to veil slavery from society, and everyone pretends it’s something else. People tell themselves what they want to hear, why it’s all so needed and justified and right so they can sleep at night. Nobody wants to look too closely at how their clothes are made or why their food is so cheap. They just aren’t called slaves anymore. Sometimes they’re called sharecroppers or prisoners or migrants or factory workers or debtors or bondsmen or indentured servants or serfs or peons or coolies… I could go on. You know I could. What are the good people doing in those times to fix their societies?”
All the tension here between doing what’s right and doing what’s comfortable is so good! This section in particular, but really throughout the whole book, gave me so many brain tingles.
Finally, I have to say that over the course of the novel, but even more so in the acknowledgements, it was clear that Marchman did her due diligence with researching and making her story as true to history as possible. I have to applaud an author that would go to such lengths to make things accurate and also to be sensitive to how she portrays that history.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 22, 2023
A very interesting book that takes us on a journey via Texas as part of time travel.
I love the way they use the Comanche to tell the story, and how we learned more about the tribe, their history, and their ups and downs. The writing flowed so nicely, and made the book incredibly easy to read.
The characters were strong, but I especially enjoyed the Eva character as she took us through this entire journey. Best of all, I enjoyed her personal growth through the story. Additionally, I enjoyed the interdependence between her and Jim.
A good book and I can’t wait to read the next one in the trilogy. I highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love the way they use the Comanche to tell the story, and how we learned more about the tribe, their history, and their ups and downs. The writing flowed so nicely, and made the book incredibly easy to read.
The characters were strong, but I especially enjoyed the Eva character as she took us through this entire journey. Best of all, I enjoyed her personal growth through the story. Additionally, I enjoyed the interdependence between her and Jim.
A good book and I can’t wait to read the next one in the trilogy. I highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 19, 2023
A intriguing historical time travel novel that was filled with a rich cultural timeline of Comanches and what it meant to be a captive. The writing pulled me in and I ate up the history of the times. This was definitely a time I would not want to be apart of. I’m picking book 2 up just as soon as a post this. Well written and engaging. I received an eArc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 2, 2024
Wow! This book blew me away. Once I started it, I had trouble putting it down. I've always had an interest in the indigenous cultures of North America, and had heard captive stories of women like Cynthia Ann Parker by the Commanches, so when I read that one of the protagonists love interest had been a Commanche captive, I knew this would be an interesting story, plus, I do love a good time travel tale and the Sci-fi elements of multiple dimensions/timelines existing side by side reminded me of metaphysical teachings I've been exposed to.
The writing is immersive and the dialogue between the characters brilliant. I felt like I was there with the characters and really felt for Eva and Jim as they navigated difficult truths.
The depth of the characters and themes covered in this story are so layered and realistic that I could straight away see how well researched this book was and well thought out. How the author tackled good and bad deeds as people perceive them from their own cultural and personal life experience was actually eye opening and it dispelled for me too this romantic myth that indigenous cultures lived a free life on the land- they too had rigid and complex laws and customs to live by.
It was difficult to read about the cruelty of the times but I loved how the author explored the themes of fate and free will, of how our choices in life have a ripple effect and the many different ways our lives could potentially play out given which fork in the path we choose.
I love, love, loved Eva and Jim's chemistry and how their relationship developed and I'm so excited to have two more books that delve further into this unique and thought provoking story.
The writing is immersive and the dialogue between the characters brilliant. I felt like I was there with the characters and really felt for Eva and Jim as they navigated difficult truths.
The depth of the characters and themes covered in this story are so layered and realistic that I could straight away see how well researched this book was and well thought out. How the author tackled good and bad deeds as people perceive them from their own cultural and personal life experience was actually eye opening and it dispelled for me too this romantic myth that indigenous cultures lived a free life on the land- they too had rigid and complex laws and customs to live by.
It was difficult to read about the cruelty of the times but I loved how the author explored the themes of fate and free will, of how our choices in life have a ripple effect and the many different ways our lives could potentially play out given which fork in the path we choose.
I love, love, loved Eva and Jim's chemistry and how their relationship developed and I'm so excited to have two more books that delve further into this unique and thought provoking story.
April 22, 2024
DNF 48% Well written, not for me. 3.5⭐️
Unlikeable characters, numerous mentions of rape, torture, and abuse, including by the hero.
Has clear warnings in acknowledgements.
I could accept and ignore some considering the time, storyline, and circumstances.
However, when the hero can’t even guess at how many women he’s raped over the years… That I can’t get past, or view him as redeemable, or even tolerable.
Extremely well researched and written.
Just crosses my comfort line.
Would be interested in reading something else by this author.
Unlikeable characters, numerous mentions of rape, torture, and abuse, including by the hero.
Has clear warnings in acknowledgements.
I could accept and ignore some considering the time, storyline, and circumstances.
However, when the hero can’t even guess at how many women he’s raped over the years… That I can’t get past, or view him as redeemable, or even tolerable.
Extremely well researched and written.
Just crosses my comfort line.
Would be interested in reading something else by this author.
Read
December 7, 2023"You know, when I was still with my birth family, I read about our targets in school," she said. "The scene I remember most vividly from Corrie ten Boom's book is where her sister is ill--deathly ill, in fact--but she shares out the last drops of her medicine with the other women in the barracks of their concentration camp. And it lasts a miraculously long time and helps many more women than just herself to survive."
Tophe shrugged. "Their lives are preprogrammed. Just distorted images of reality."
The Mender has a fascinating concept. Put simply, people from the one true world are tasked with traveling through time to change history in various other false timelines (often assassinating key figures, etc.), with the hope of bringing the multiverse back into unity.
During a mission to 1830s Texas, Mender Eva is separated from her platonic time-travel partner and dropped months earlier than she intended. Injured and stranded, she meets Jim, an Anglo who was kidnapped by the Comanche as a boy. Jim was raised among them as warrior, only to be torn from his new people and forced into life as a farmer. As Eva waits for the time when she can reunite with her partner, Jim awakens new feelings in her, which threatens her entire worldview.
This book moved along quickly. While it's not heavy on action, I never felt that it dragged, and I thought it was well-edited and (with the exception of some sensitive content) easy to read. It also feels well-researched, though the detail never gets in the way of the story. And although it deals with multiverses, the author doesn't use that to cheat her way out of portraying what feels like real history. I was sure the timeline where Eva lands was historically accurate and essentially our own, although the author's notes mention that what I found to be one of the most intriguing historical components, , may or may not have existed in our timeline. There are extensive author notes at the end for those who want to learn more about all the history. I feel like I learned quite a bit about the historic Comanche (Nʉmʉnʉʉ) people, and I was surprised to see that some people they took could essentially become members of the tribe. I also enjoyed getting a glimpse of homestead life in 1830s Texas.
The book has this content warning:
In addition, there are also a few scenes of somewhat spicy consensual intimacy, with descriptions of body parts, etc.
From the author's notes at the end, it's clear that Marchman wants to show us the good and bad parts of history, and she does a good job of that. All characters, heroes and villains, have their virtues and faults. She doesn't shy away from or gloss over the brutality of the cultures, or even aspects that aren't brutal but which don't match up with Western norms. That said, sensitive modern readers might struggle with the what the Comanche warriors do or have done to their enemies' women.
People who like adult time travel and romance with "alpha" males who have a dark past should especially like this book, particularly if they enjoy seeing the interplay and struggle between Western and non-Western relationship norms.
Tophe shrugged. "Their lives are preprogrammed. Just distorted images of reality."
The Mender has a fascinating concept. Put simply, people from the one true world are tasked with traveling through time to change history in various other false timelines (often assassinating key figures, etc.), with the hope of bringing the multiverse back into unity.
During a mission to 1830s Texas, Mender Eva is separated from her platonic time-travel partner and dropped months earlier than she intended. Injured and stranded, she meets Jim, an Anglo who was kidnapped by the Comanche as a boy. Jim was raised among them as warrior, only to be torn from his new people and forced into life as a farmer. As Eva waits for the time when she can reunite with her partner, Jim awakens new feelings in her, which threatens her entire worldview.
This book moved along quickly. While it's not heavy on action, I never felt that it dragged, and I thought it was well-edited and (with the exception of some sensitive content) easy to read. It also feels well-researched, though the detail never gets in the way of the story. And although it deals with multiverses, the author doesn't use that to cheat her way out of portraying what feels like real history. I was sure the timeline where Eva lands was historically accurate and essentially our own, although the author's notes mention that what I found to be one of the most intriguing historical components, , may or may not have existed in our timeline. There are extensive author notes at the end for those who want to learn more about all the history. I feel like I learned quite a bit about the historic Comanche (Nʉmʉnʉʉ) people, and I was surprised to see that some people they took could essentially become members of the tribe. I also enjoyed getting a glimpse of homestead life in 1830s Texas.
The book has this content warning:
This novel is intended for an adult audience, deals with mature themes, confronts age-old conflicts, contains some language, and occasionally depicts violence, including brief scenes of sexual violence.
In addition, there are also a few scenes of somewhat spicy consensual intimacy, with descriptions of body parts, etc.
From the author's notes at the end, it's clear that Marchman wants to show us the good and bad parts of history, and she does a good job of that. All characters, heroes and villains, have their virtues and faults. She doesn't shy away from or gloss over the brutality of the cultures, or even aspects that aren't brutal but which don't match up with Western norms. That said, sensitive modern readers might struggle with the what the Comanche warriors do or have done to their enemies' women.
People who like adult time travel and romance with "alpha" males who have a dark past should especially like this book, particularly if they enjoy seeing the interplay and struggle between Western and non-Western relationship norms.
October 14, 2023
Jennifer Marchman’s “The Mender” is an appealing blend of science fantasy and historical romance, and the first installment of The Mender Trilogy. The novel showcases an epic historical journey through pre-revolutionary Texas, through the adventures of a stranded time traveler and an Anglo-turned-Comanche farmer.
Eva is among the chosen individuals of the Lux Libera society, who can traverse different worlds effortlessly. In one of her adventures with her friend Tophe, she mistakenly exits a portal after missing the regular guidance beacon to her home. She is shocked to find herself in a dark zone with an inky blackness, that reminds her of the Abyss. Eva can feel her mind plunging into deep confusion but remains hopeful that this turn of events is just a dream. However, a small step forward sends her tumbling into a seemingly bottomless void, and into a world that is decades behind her typical timeline.
The author blends fantasy, history, and romance to create a tempting tale, which, although slow-burning, picks up pace along the way to wholly capture the reader’s attention and imagination. Readers are witness to the mutation of a belief instilled into the protagonist by the time-traveling society to which she belongs. A change of circumstances that will excite a reader’s emotions forces the protagonist to adapt to a different civilization, where she meets a farmer and a former Comanche captive who is struggling with the events of his past. He is also struggling to find favor within Austin’s territory of San Felipe, and his encounter with Eva may be all that is needed to shift his thoughts and dilemmas regarding some fundamental inferences.
Marchman’s writing prowess is evident as she combines fantasy and romantic facets to make the historical particulars of this book fascinating to fans of these genres. Readers get to interact with the well-hewn characters who ably carried this read to the 2022 top rank in the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest. The author is careful to let her audience know that some of the secondary characters are actual people who deviated from the Anglo, Mexican, and Comanche civilizations. She also points out that the Tikkun Olam, an ancient concept in Judaism, has inspired the ideation of the Lux Libera and Pump, and that the concept of travel between dimensions has been inspired by String Theory.
“The Mender” is without a doubt a masterpiece that will inspire a reader’s adaptability to fateful situations, as well as their decision-making and perspicuity skills. It delivers on all fronts and will relate most to individuals who have found themselves caught up in erratic occurrences and unpredictable arcs in life. Additionally, history enthusiasts who desire a read that colorfully paints the native American beliefs and cultural norms will love this first offering by Marchman.
Eva is among the chosen individuals of the Lux Libera society, who can traverse different worlds effortlessly. In one of her adventures with her friend Tophe, she mistakenly exits a portal after missing the regular guidance beacon to her home. She is shocked to find herself in a dark zone with an inky blackness, that reminds her of the Abyss. Eva can feel her mind plunging into deep confusion but remains hopeful that this turn of events is just a dream. However, a small step forward sends her tumbling into a seemingly bottomless void, and into a world that is decades behind her typical timeline.
The author blends fantasy, history, and romance to create a tempting tale, which, although slow-burning, picks up pace along the way to wholly capture the reader’s attention and imagination. Readers are witness to the mutation of a belief instilled into the protagonist by the time-traveling society to which she belongs. A change of circumstances that will excite a reader’s emotions forces the protagonist to adapt to a different civilization, where she meets a farmer and a former Comanche captive who is struggling with the events of his past. He is also struggling to find favor within Austin’s territory of San Felipe, and his encounter with Eva may be all that is needed to shift his thoughts and dilemmas regarding some fundamental inferences.
Marchman’s writing prowess is evident as she combines fantasy and romantic facets to make the historical particulars of this book fascinating to fans of these genres. Readers get to interact with the well-hewn characters who ably carried this read to the 2022 top rank in the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest. The author is careful to let her audience know that some of the secondary characters are actual people who deviated from the Anglo, Mexican, and Comanche civilizations. She also points out that the Tikkun Olam, an ancient concept in Judaism, has inspired the ideation of the Lux Libera and Pump, and that the concept of travel between dimensions has been inspired by String Theory.
“The Mender” is without a doubt a masterpiece that will inspire a reader’s adaptability to fateful situations, as well as their decision-making and perspicuity skills. It delivers on all fronts and will relate most to individuals who have found themselves caught up in erratic occurrences and unpredictable arcs in life. Additionally, history enthusiasts who desire a read that colorfully paints the native American beliefs and cultural norms will love this first offering by Marchman.
October 2, 2023
What an engaging story! From the first few pages you get pulled into the story and stay there until the end. I kept skipping chores to read this book.
First of all- I love time travel stories and this book mixes the concept into the story in a refreshing way. It supports the story without high jacking it.
The characters- Highly relatable personalities here! The author balances the strengths and weaknesses of the main characters in a very natural way. It was easy to identify with their choices. Some of the characters are very likable and some are not.
The location- Probably my favorite aspect of this story. It would appear that an immense amount of research went into the world-building, creating a fascinating and accurate glimpse into the time period and location of this story. There’s an impressive amount of reference material at the end and it’s clear that the author cared about enriching this story, making this work feel real and grounded in history.
I’ve recommended this book to several of my friends and would do so for anyone who enjoys good storytelling. Most of all, I can’t wait to see what’s next for Eva and Jim!
First of all- I love time travel stories and this book mixes the concept into the story in a refreshing way. It supports the story without high jacking it.
The characters- Highly relatable personalities here! The author balances the strengths and weaknesses of the main characters in a very natural way. It was easy to identify with their choices. Some of the characters are very likable and some are not.
The location- Probably my favorite aspect of this story. It would appear that an immense amount of research went into the world-building, creating a fascinating and accurate glimpse into the time period and location of this story. There’s an impressive amount of reference material at the end and it’s clear that the author cared about enriching this story, making this work feel real and grounded in history.
I’ve recommended this book to several of my friends and would do so for anyone who enjoys good storytelling. Most of all, I can’t wait to see what’s next for Eva and Jim!
October 3, 2023
Knowledge isn't power
Time-traveler Eva meets loner settler Jim when she gets lost and too injured to 'travel'. Her mission in danger, she's dependent on Jim, who becomes dependent on her as she heals and grows stronger. Their seemingly disparate lives meet on common ground; each was uprooted from their childhood, taken to a different place and culture, and forced to assimilate or die. Heavy on the metaphysical in parts, this story still captures the pain, dissociation, anger, and growing mutual trust of two people who learn that all they know is not all that is, that the future is mutable but not under control, and that freedom of choice is always constrained by HERE and NOW. This beautifully detailed and exceptionally well-researched novel moves at a pace which allows their reader to digest the larger implications of the characters' evolving enlightenment, but still pushes the action, the suspense, and the romance forward. It's a remarkable, absorbing, poignant, and evocative read. (There is more to come in the trilogy.) This voluntary ARC review is my recommendation to one-click this book, and 'travel' with Eva and Jim.
Time-traveler Eva meets loner settler Jim when she gets lost and too injured to 'travel'. Her mission in danger, she's dependent on Jim, who becomes dependent on her as she heals and grows stronger. Their seemingly disparate lives meet on common ground; each was uprooted from their childhood, taken to a different place and culture, and forced to assimilate or die. Heavy on the metaphysical in parts, this story still captures the pain, dissociation, anger, and growing mutual trust of two people who learn that all they know is not all that is, that the future is mutable but not under control, and that freedom of choice is always constrained by HERE and NOW. This beautifully detailed and exceptionally well-researched novel moves at a pace which allows their reader to digest the larger implications of the characters' evolving enlightenment, but still pushes the action, the suspense, and the romance forward. It's a remarkable, absorbing, poignant, and evocative read. (There is more to come in the trilogy.) This voluntary ARC review is my recommendation to one-click this book, and 'travel' with Eva and Jim.
September 11, 2023
An easy 4 stars for The Mender! This book has Outlander vibes - which is my all time favourite book series, hence why I couldn’t give this book 5 stars. No one can beat the combo of Claire and Jamie but Jim and Eva have the makings of a strong couple and I can’t wait to read the next 2 books in this trilogy to read about more of their adventures together.
This book was well researched and is evident that the author has a love for the area and the history the book is set in.
I could easily explain and recommend this book to my friends which I have done many times throughout reading it - shows how much the story was at the forefront of my mind.
Thanks to Booksirens for providing me the ARC for free! I am leaving this review voluntarily. A really enjoyable read, excited for the rest of the series!
This book was well researched and is evident that the author has a love for the area and the history the book is set in.
I could easily explain and recommend this book to my friends which I have done many times throughout reading it - shows how much the story was at the forefront of my mind.
Thanks to Booksirens for providing me the ARC for free! I am leaving this review voluntarily. A really enjoyable read, excited for the rest of the series!
September 7, 2023
I enjoyed this book immensely. I thought the premise - time traveler gets stuck in 1835 Texas and needs to survive- to be wonderful. I'm a sucker for alternative history books. As a Texas native, I loved the setting right before the Texan Revolution.
I loved the care that the author took to portray the questions of morality in both sides between the Comanche and the Anglo settlers in the Texan frontier. This book gave me a greater appreciation of the struggles of those two parties just trying to survive with goals contrary to each other.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for this ARC.
I loved the care that the author took to portray the questions of morality in both sides between the Comanche and the Anglo settlers in the Texan frontier. This book gave me a greater appreciation of the struggles of those two parties just trying to survive with goals contrary to each other.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for this ARC.
August 30, 2023
I love reading books that make me think, and Marchman’s “The Mender” did just that.
I thought I was going to read a simple story about a woman traveling in time, getting stuck, falling in love, and fixing wrongs. What I got was soul braking revelations and heart felt discussions on topics that affect us all, everyday.
If you want a simple story about time travel, Texas history, and a touch of romance, read Marshman’s debut novel, “The Mender.” But you’ll get so much more if you let it.
I thought I was going to read a simple story about a woman traveling in time, getting stuck, falling in love, and fixing wrongs. What I got was soul braking revelations and heart felt discussions on topics that affect us all, everyday.
If you want a simple story about time travel, Texas history, and a touch of romance, read Marshman’s debut novel, “The Mender.” But you’ll get so much more if you let it.
February 23, 2024
Something different!
This is an exciting new angle on a story. Characters are probably more realistic due to their individual faults. This make the story more realistic and the characters more likeable. Ready to start book two.
This is an exciting new angle on a story. Characters are probably more realistic due to their individual faults. This make the story more realistic and the characters more likeable. Ready to start book two.
August 27, 2023
I am a sucker for world building, well researched books, and character driven stories and this book really fits the bill. Marchman's world building is the kind I like: subtle, given to you through hints in the story and makes you wanting more (in a good, page turning way). The research that went into this book is astounding as well, as she explains her processes, sources (so many sources!), and even explains the creative liberties she takes on the time period for her story to work. And of course the characters. The book could be seen as a slow burn to some readers, but I think that slow pacing is what makes The Mender such a strong book. Instead of a high octane time traveling thriller, we get a character study of a time traveling assassin as she reckons with being trapped in a time she hasn't been to while she questions the teachings of the very organization that made her the person she is today. Definitely recommend and I'm looking forward to reading book #2!
December 12, 2023
One of the most interesting and exciting books I have read this year. Characters are well drawn and complete. Is it sy-fy, romance, philosophy, time travel, thriller, or fiction? Who knows, and actually I don’t care. I read about 60 books a year, and this one was a great read. At first I had some trouble reading the Indian names and language, but I got used to them. This is not a light, easy read. This is a book for people willing to think. I loved it and I’m moving onto the next one. This book is NOT for the squeamish. It is an adult book.
September 5, 2023
An appealing blend of science fantasy and historical romance, THE MENDER posits a multiverse watched over by super-powered beings whose self-appointed mission is to align divergent timelines with their own line—in their opinion, the only true line. When Eva, a Mender, is stranded in 1835 Texas and meets Jim, a former Comanche captive now living uneasily in the white world he left behind in childhood, her bedrock beliefs—about herself, other human beings, and the time-traveling society to which she belongs—are all challenged by the realities of life and love.
The world (or worlds) of this novel are ingeniously crafted and vividly described. The concept of the Menders reminds me of two of my all-time favorite fantasy series, the Amber novels of Roger Zelazny and the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, both of which envision multiple realms whose travelers must learn to accept the reality of, and their own responsibility toward, worlds and people they had previously considered illusory. Marchman’s rendering of the “real” world—to Eva, the unreal world—of early nineteenth-century Texas is equally remarkable, built on abundant research, a keen eye for physical detail, and a sensitivity to the clash of cultures that existed within that turbulent era. I won’t lie: I had some concerns at the start that Jim would turn out to be the stereotypical “white Indian savior” of stories like DANCES WITH WOLVES and AVATAR. But Marchman largely avoids these stereotypes, making Jim a complex, troubled character whose marginal position within a society that treats Indigenous people as less-than-human parallels the storyline of the Menders, who likewise view those outside their own society as mere “shadows” without sentience or free will and therefore unworthy of consideration. Here, for example, are Eva’s thoughts when a fellow time-traveler expresses remorse for the part he played in the death of Jim’s birth family:
“It didn’t make any sense. The death of Jim’s family was an immutable fate. Is the person reading a book responsible for the terrible things that happen to fictional characters? Or the viewers for the characters on a television screen?... This morning, before [the fellow time-traveler] had revealed himself to her, before he had compelled her to question the irreality of this shadow world, she hadn’t cared about the destiny of one man, much less of an entire people. Aligning this timeline with Axis Mundi was her job. To mend what had shattered at creation. To cleanse. To heal. Now, she didn’t know what to believe.”
I like speculative fiction that uses imaginative worlds as a stage on which to dramatize moral and ethical questions, and THE MENDER delivers in that respect.
It’s also a delight to read, with realistically drawn characters, exciting action sequences, and an abiding sense of a world hurtling toward radical changes that will test the heroes to the utmost. That combined feeling of mystery and portent created a tension that kept me flipping pages, waiting to see how it all turned out. And though this is Book 1 in a 3-book series, which means the larger story is not complete, I was fully satisfied with where this first book left Eva and Jim, with much behind them and much more ahead.
The world (or worlds) of this novel are ingeniously crafted and vividly described. The concept of the Menders reminds me of two of my all-time favorite fantasy series, the Amber novels of Roger Zelazny and the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, both of which envision multiple realms whose travelers must learn to accept the reality of, and their own responsibility toward, worlds and people they had previously considered illusory. Marchman’s rendering of the “real” world—to Eva, the unreal world—of early nineteenth-century Texas is equally remarkable, built on abundant research, a keen eye for physical detail, and a sensitivity to the clash of cultures that existed within that turbulent era. I won’t lie: I had some concerns at the start that Jim would turn out to be the stereotypical “white Indian savior” of stories like DANCES WITH WOLVES and AVATAR. But Marchman largely avoids these stereotypes, making Jim a complex, troubled character whose marginal position within a society that treats Indigenous people as less-than-human parallels the storyline of the Menders, who likewise view those outside their own society as mere “shadows” without sentience or free will and therefore unworthy of consideration. Here, for example, are Eva’s thoughts when a fellow time-traveler expresses remorse for the part he played in the death of Jim’s birth family:
“It didn’t make any sense. The death of Jim’s family was an immutable fate. Is the person reading a book responsible for the terrible things that happen to fictional characters? Or the viewers for the characters on a television screen?... This morning, before [the fellow time-traveler] had revealed himself to her, before he had compelled her to question the irreality of this shadow world, she hadn’t cared about the destiny of one man, much less of an entire people. Aligning this timeline with Axis Mundi was her job. To mend what had shattered at creation. To cleanse. To heal. Now, she didn’t know what to believe.”
I like speculative fiction that uses imaginative worlds as a stage on which to dramatize moral and ethical questions, and THE MENDER delivers in that respect.
It’s also a delight to read, with realistically drawn characters, exciting action sequences, and an abiding sense of a world hurtling toward radical changes that will test the heroes to the utmost. That combined feeling of mystery and portent created a tension that kept me flipping pages, waiting to see how it all turned out. And though this is Book 1 in a 3-book series, which means the larger story is not complete, I was fully satisfied with where this first book left Eva and Jim, with much behind them and much more ahead.
January 14, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you're a fan of Outlander, chances are high you'll enjoy The Mended - I know I did!
Overall: Eva, a member of a society called Lux Libera who self-proclaim to want to "mend" what was broken asunder after God's creation, gets stranded much too early in time during her latest mission, goes "native", learns hard truths about the LL as well as her current time, and makes a life-altering decision that ends on a cliffhanger. If that ain't enough to get you hooked, the author's detailed explanations and examples at the end of the book (as well as her obvious deep respect for the Native American culture) should.
Main character(s): Eva, unlike our favourite Sassenach, is a modern day woman thrust into 19th century society on the frontiers of Texas, and she fails spectacularly at first. I love how Marchman doesn't shy at showing her weaknesses as well as showcasing her strengths. Jim, a combination of Anglo and Comanche, is the perfect contrast to her and her perfect partner (this isn't to say he's ACTUALLY perfect, but he's perfect for EVA)
Side characters: you get a good grasp of them during their short introductions to the story, from Eva's partner Tophe to Pump, Jim's kindly and sometimes overbearing elder (with a secret that Eva uncovers). I like the fact they aren't black and white but dance in shades of gray.
Time travel: the "magic system" I suppose, actually pretty adeptly explained and derived from the so-called 'String Theory', and while I found it hard to follow Pump and Eva initially, it cleared once Jim was brought on and it had to be explained to him.
World building: I love the many versions we get to witness of different ways things could have gone if something or other differed. Gold star.
Romance: slow burn, then goes 0 to 60 but I love it, and nothing too detailed. But I thoroughly enjoyed Eva and Jim's process, then courtship, then decision to be married.
Generally speaking, Marchman really delivers with this novel, and you can tell a LOT of research went into this. I'm also personally pleased and amused how Eva's cycle is explained, because we usually don't see much of that LOL.
The book DOES end on a cliffhanger (which makes me think heavily of The Mob Song from Beauty and the Beast), so be aware of that, but all the trilogy is available to readers so this shouldn't pose a problem.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and can't wait to pick up book two!
If you're a fan of Outlander, chances are high you'll enjoy The Mended - I know I did!
Overall: Eva, a member of a society called Lux Libera who self-proclaim to want to "mend" what was broken asunder after God's creation, gets stranded much too early in time during her latest mission, goes "native", learns hard truths about the LL as well as her current time, and makes a life-altering decision that ends on a cliffhanger. If that ain't enough to get you hooked, the author's detailed explanations and examples at the end of the book (as well as her obvious deep respect for the Native American culture) should.
Main character(s): Eva, unlike our favourite Sassenach, is a modern day woman thrust into 19th century society on the frontiers of Texas, and she fails spectacularly at first. I love how Marchman doesn't shy at showing her weaknesses as well as showcasing her strengths. Jim, a combination of Anglo and Comanche, is the perfect contrast to her and her perfect partner (this isn't to say he's ACTUALLY perfect, but he's perfect for EVA)
Side characters: you get a good grasp of them during their short introductions to the story, from Eva's partner Tophe to Pump, Jim's kindly and sometimes overbearing elder (with a secret that Eva uncovers). I like the fact they aren't black and white but dance in shades of gray.
Time travel: the "magic system" I suppose, actually pretty adeptly explained and derived from the so-called 'String Theory', and while I found it hard to follow Pump and Eva initially, it cleared once Jim was brought on and it had to be explained to him.
World building: I love the many versions we get to witness of different ways things could have gone if something or other differed. Gold star.
Romance: slow burn, then goes 0 to 60 but I love it, and nothing too detailed. But I thoroughly enjoyed Eva and Jim's process, then courtship, then decision to be married.
Generally speaking, Marchman really delivers with this novel, and you can tell a LOT of research went into this. I'm also personally pleased and amused how Eva's cycle is explained, because we usually don't see much of that LOL.
The book DOES end on a cliffhanger (which makes me think heavily of The Mob Song from Beauty and the Beast), so be aware of that, but all the trilogy is available to readers so this shouldn't pose a problem.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and can't wait to pick up book two!
August 23, 2023
I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review.
I can't express how much I enjoyed this book. The world building was thorough but easy to come up to speed on. The characters are realistic and likable, with dialogue that flowed well and was believable.
I wondered how someone so worldly as Eva would relate to Jim, who had been raised among Comanche and was solidly of the 1835 Anglo/Comanche world of central Texas. But that was perfectly executed. Both Eva and Jim had similar philosophical curiosity and self-reflection that made for a seamless weaving together of their lives. I loved the use of the Comanche language and how there would be a smattering of whatever foreign language was being spoken in the various scenes, with translations into English and then the rest of the conversations continuing in the designated language but being written for us in English.
The background activities and settings were shown to us well, descriptively so that we could easily imagine them, ranging from daily Comanche life, logistics of warrior raids, to pioneer farm chores, what a pioneer social gathering and dance would look like, how to shoot an arrow with a primitive bow, etc. I feel like I just gained a semester worth of Native American and Texas history, in a much more enjoyable way than an actual course.
I loved the Lux Libera concept and the alternative timelines. My family plays "what if" a lot about various alternate histories - like what would have to have happened to prevent colonizers from arriving here and in India, etc., or what would have to have happened for the Native Americans to be able to repel the invading Europeans, what would music today be like without the backbone of Black American contributions, or even what if Elvis had not died. And so the whole framework of the different worlds and the philosophical questions Eva struggled with were really fun for me to follow. I wondered how Jim would react when he learned the truth of what she was, and thought that played out very realistically.
Nothing was bogged down, I found no plot holes, there were no "too stupid to die" moments from either of the main characters, it flowed very smoothly. I can't wait to read the next two books!
I can't express how much I enjoyed this book. The world building was thorough but easy to come up to speed on. The characters are realistic and likable, with dialogue that flowed well and was believable.
I wondered how someone so worldly as Eva would relate to Jim, who had been raised among Comanche and was solidly of the 1835 Anglo/Comanche world of central Texas. But that was perfectly executed. Both Eva and Jim had similar philosophical curiosity and self-reflection that made for a seamless weaving together of their lives. I loved the use of the Comanche language and how there would be a smattering of whatever foreign language was being spoken in the various scenes, with translations into English and then the rest of the conversations continuing in the designated language but being written for us in English.
The background activities and settings were shown to us well, descriptively so that we could easily imagine them, ranging from daily Comanche life, logistics of warrior raids, to pioneer farm chores, what a pioneer social gathering and dance would look like, how to shoot an arrow with a primitive bow, etc. I feel like I just gained a semester worth of Native American and Texas history, in a much more enjoyable way than an actual course.
I loved the Lux Libera concept and the alternative timelines. My family plays "what if" a lot about various alternate histories - like what would have to have happened to prevent colonizers from arriving here and in India, etc., or what would have to have happened for the Native Americans to be able to repel the invading Europeans, what would music today be like without the backbone of Black American contributions, or even what if Elvis had not died. And so the whole framework of the different worlds and the philosophical questions Eva struggled with were really fun for me to follow. I wondered how Jim would react when he learned the truth of what she was, and thought that played out very realistically.
Nothing was bogged down, I found no plot holes, there were no "too stupid to die" moments from either of the main characters, it flowed very smoothly. I can't wait to read the next two books!
September 10, 2023
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book and am leaving my honest review.
The Mender surprised me in a myriad of ways. I am not typically a reader of historical fiction, but its science fiction edges and worldbuilding sucked me in. I was not sure what world I was entering, but quickly found myself drawn in by the way the book revealed itself to me.
At the heart of the story is Eva, a time traveler of sorts who becomes stranded in Texas in 1835 and Jim, the Anglo turned Comanche turned Anglo who discovers her injured on his land. Through Jim and Eva’s eyes we are grounded in a world, a timeline, that reflects our own historic knowledge of events. Utilizing her characters' conversations about their “in-between” existence, we better understand how the Anglo's and Comanche's differing belief systems, cultural norms and economic systems contribute to the conflict between them. The author lays these out through her characters in a manner where I found compassion for behaviors I would usually reject out of hand because I now understood them in context of some code of honor, spiritual belief or form of self-preservation.
The author brings in a multi-dimensional reality where history has taken much different twists and turns in other timelines different from the one we know. In looking at the differing realities across timelines we are left to wrestle with our own morality and the mechanics of how these different worlds work. The author never aims to answer the questions posed, but rather to offer different lenses with which to observe the world and put us in our own in-between place.
While there is a lot to think about here, this book is also a well-written adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. We know Jim and Eva cannot stay “in-between” their worlds and need to make choices about their futures. There are many twists and turns and I was never sure how events would unfold. I enjoyed how small actions taken throughout the book acted like pebbles in a pond making waves much later.
I look forward to reading the next two books to see where Jim and Eva’s adventures will take us! I am also looking forward to seeing more of this amazing world that Jennifer Marchman has created!
The Mender surprised me in a myriad of ways. I am not typically a reader of historical fiction, but its science fiction edges and worldbuilding sucked me in. I was not sure what world I was entering, but quickly found myself drawn in by the way the book revealed itself to me.
At the heart of the story is Eva, a time traveler of sorts who becomes stranded in Texas in 1835 and Jim, the Anglo turned Comanche turned Anglo who discovers her injured on his land. Through Jim and Eva’s eyes we are grounded in a world, a timeline, that reflects our own historic knowledge of events. Utilizing her characters' conversations about their “in-between” existence, we better understand how the Anglo's and Comanche's differing belief systems, cultural norms and economic systems contribute to the conflict between them. The author lays these out through her characters in a manner where I found compassion for behaviors I would usually reject out of hand because I now understood them in context of some code of honor, spiritual belief or form of self-preservation.
The author brings in a multi-dimensional reality where history has taken much different twists and turns in other timelines different from the one we know. In looking at the differing realities across timelines we are left to wrestle with our own morality and the mechanics of how these different worlds work. The author never aims to answer the questions posed, but rather to offer different lenses with which to observe the world and put us in our own in-between place.
While there is a lot to think about here, this book is also a well-written adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. We know Jim and Eva cannot stay “in-between” their worlds and need to make choices about their futures. There are many twists and turns and I was never sure how events would unfold. I enjoyed how small actions taken throughout the book acted like pebbles in a pond making waves much later.
I look forward to reading the next two books to see where Jim and Eva’s adventures will take us! I am also looking forward to seeing more of this amazing world that Jennifer Marchman has created!
October 6, 2023
Very well-researched unique time travel of sci-fi, dystopian, and historical romance. The world-building is great. Characters are well-rounded, both good and bad characters. I loved this story. The reason I am not giving a 5-star rating is due to the poor editing in so many places. Trying to figure out what the sentence should be, missing words, and words used in the wrong context. It broke the cadence of reading and pulled me out of the story. It wasn't throughout the whole book but in some places and there was quite a bit in those places.
Jim and Eva are both flawed. Jim was a young boy when his parents were killed and he and his sisters were taken captive by the Comanche. You either adapt or die. Jim adapted and became one of the tribe. He was going to marry a native woman. Jealousy from one of the tribe members put into play a series of events where the tribe was told Jim had died and all his possessions were given away and the woman he was to marry, married someone else. Jim is back in the Anglo world and finding it hard to adapt.
Eva time travels for the Lux Libera. She was taken from her family at age 12 and made into an assassin. Lux Libera is altering the timelines and changing history. On a mission, Eva falls into an abyss and is injured. Jim finds her and takes her to his place. She is in Texas in 1835. No running water, no amenities. And she can't cook.
Jim and Eva discuss so many heartfelt issues. They learn from each other about the morality of the Comanche and Anglo settlers in the Texan frontier. They become the best of friends while slowly giving their hearts to each other.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Jim and Eva are both flawed. Jim was a young boy when his parents were killed and he and his sisters were taken captive by the Comanche. You either adapt or die. Jim adapted and became one of the tribe. He was going to marry a native woman. Jealousy from one of the tribe members put into play a series of events where the tribe was told Jim had died and all his possessions were given away and the woman he was to marry, married someone else. Jim is back in the Anglo world and finding it hard to adapt.
Eva time travels for the Lux Libera. She was taken from her family at age 12 and made into an assassin. Lux Libera is altering the timelines and changing history. On a mission, Eva falls into an abyss and is injured. Jim finds her and takes her to his place. She is in Texas in 1835. No running water, no amenities. And she can't cook.
Jim and Eva discuss so many heartfelt issues. They learn from each other about the morality of the Comanche and Anglo settlers in the Texan frontier. They become the best of friends while slowly giving their hearts to each other.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 23, 2023
Time travel in Texas
This unique take on the classic time travel genre of historical fiction was like a breath of fresh air. Jennifer Marchman’s detailed cultural and historical research shows on every page. With alternating points of view from Jim and Eva we learn the nuances of Comanche culture and the hardships of the Texas frontier lifestyle. Every aspect of the plot is interconnected and nothing in this story happens in isolation. Each choice has a consequence, and both Eva and Jim must come to terms with difficult questions of morality.
As Jim tries to adapt to Anglo lifestyle after living with his adopted Comanche family, he grapples with the way Eva challenges his worldview. She questions behaviors and perspectives he viewed as concrete before her arrival in his life. On the other hand, Eva slowly realizes that her “mending” of alternate timelines had very real consequences on the lives of people who hurt and love just like her.
The pacing of this story was perfect, with occasional flashbacks to provide context at all the right moments. Subtle world-building weaves together the intricate concepts of time travel and parallel universes.
Each character is well-developed and complex, and I loved how the relationship between Jim and Eva highlights ethical and moral questions. Embedded within their love story is the revelation that the world does not operate in black and white.
This story was even more interesting to me as someone who lives in Texas and has studied Texas history. The cliffhanger has me eager to know what happens next and I can’t wait to dive into the next installment of Jim and Eva’s story
This unique take on the classic time travel genre of historical fiction was like a breath of fresh air. Jennifer Marchman’s detailed cultural and historical research shows on every page. With alternating points of view from Jim and Eva we learn the nuances of Comanche culture and the hardships of the Texas frontier lifestyle. Every aspect of the plot is interconnected and nothing in this story happens in isolation. Each choice has a consequence, and both Eva and Jim must come to terms with difficult questions of morality.
As Jim tries to adapt to Anglo lifestyle after living with his adopted Comanche family, he grapples with the way Eva challenges his worldview. She questions behaviors and perspectives he viewed as concrete before her arrival in his life. On the other hand, Eva slowly realizes that her “mending” of alternate timelines had very real consequences on the lives of people who hurt and love just like her.
The pacing of this story was perfect, with occasional flashbacks to provide context at all the right moments. Subtle world-building weaves together the intricate concepts of time travel and parallel universes.
Each character is well-developed and complex, and I loved how the relationship between Jim and Eva highlights ethical and moral questions. Embedded within their love story is the revelation that the world does not operate in black and white.
This story was even more interesting to me as someone who lives in Texas and has studied Texas history. The cliffhanger has me eager to know what happens next and I can’t wait to dive into the next installment of Jim and Eva’s story
August 27, 2023
❤️💛🏜🐎ORIGINAL AND CAPTIVATING.
Sanctum True Line, 1997:
Eva felt the threads of quantum energy vibrating between her and the tree.
She asked Tophe one last time if he was ready to go through the time portal...
------------------------------
I was very pleasantly surprised by this dystopia of adventures on a science fiction background.
The story is intimate and tells how the main character of Eva found herself in a delicate situation and tries to survive.
In addition, the secondary character of Jim is added and we learn more about the American Indians.
I sincerely loved reading this first volume and I hope to be able to read the rest in the next two books.
To discover absolutely!
###################################################
❤️💛🏜🐎ORIGINAL ET CAPTIVANT.
Sanctum True Line, 1997 :
Eva sentait les fils d’énergie quantique vibrer entre elle et l’arbre.
Elle demanda une dernière fois à Tophe s’il était prêt à traverser le portail temporel...
------------------------------
J’ai été très agréablement surprise par cette dystopie d’aventures sur fond de science-fiction.
L’histoire est intimiste et raconte comment le personnage principal d’Eva s’est retrouvée dans une situation délicate et essaie de survivre.
De plus, est rajouté le personnage secondaire de Jim et l’on en apprend plus sur les indiens d’Amérique.
J’ai sincèrement adoré lire ce premier tome et j’espère pouvoir lire la suite dans les deux livres suivants.
A découvrir absolument !
Sanctum True Line, 1997:
Eva felt the threads of quantum energy vibrating between her and the tree.
She asked Tophe one last time if he was ready to go through the time portal...
------------------------------
I was very pleasantly surprised by this dystopia of adventures on a science fiction background.
The story is intimate and tells how the main character of Eva found herself in a delicate situation and tries to survive.
In addition, the secondary character of Jim is added and we learn more about the American Indians.
I sincerely loved reading this first volume and I hope to be able to read the rest in the next two books.
To discover absolutely!
###################################################
❤️💛🏜🐎ORIGINAL ET CAPTIVANT.
Sanctum True Line, 1997 :
Eva sentait les fils d’énergie quantique vibrer entre elle et l’arbre.
Elle demanda une dernière fois à Tophe s’il était prêt à traverser le portail temporel...
------------------------------
J’ai été très agréablement surprise par cette dystopie d’aventures sur fond de science-fiction.
L’histoire est intimiste et raconte comment le personnage principal d’Eva s’est retrouvée dans une situation délicate et essaie de survivre.
De plus, est rajouté le personnage secondaire de Jim et l’on en apprend plus sur les indiens d’Amérique.
J’ai sincèrement adoré lire ce premier tome et j’espère pouvoir lire la suite dans les deux livres suivants.
A découvrir absolument !
February 25, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The narrative initially presents a labyrinth of confusion as it delves into various timelines surrounding Eva and Jim, along with an alternate iteration of Eva. Gradually, the plot unfolds, disclosing more about Eva's affiliations and her mission to rectify history, driven by her conviction in a singular, authentic path amidst the myriad versions of Earth. When a mission falters, Eva becomes marooned in 1835, encountering Jim, a former Comanche captive who becomes her rescuer. With each passing moment, revelations surface, challenging Eva's perception of alternate Earths and their inhabitants as mere ephemeral shadows devoid of consciousness. The narrative delves deeply into philosophical discourse on religion and cultural belief systems, inviting readers to ponder the essence of existence and the nature of reality. As Eva grapples with her role as a savior and the futility of her efforts, the story navigates through uncharted territories, questioning the very fabric of existence and the interconnectedness of choices across realities. It's a captivating tale that intricately weaves together diverse cultures and belief systems, inviting readers on a thought-provoking journey through the depths of human consciousness.
The narrative initially presents a labyrinth of confusion as it delves into various timelines surrounding Eva and Jim, along with an alternate iteration of Eva. Gradually, the plot unfolds, disclosing more about Eva's affiliations and her mission to rectify history, driven by her conviction in a singular, authentic path amidst the myriad versions of Earth. When a mission falters, Eva becomes marooned in 1835, encountering Jim, a former Comanche captive who becomes her rescuer. With each passing moment, revelations surface, challenging Eva's perception of alternate Earths and their inhabitants as mere ephemeral shadows devoid of consciousness. The narrative delves deeply into philosophical discourse on religion and cultural belief systems, inviting readers to ponder the essence of existence and the nature of reality. As Eva grapples with her role as a savior and the futility of her efforts, the story navigates through uncharted territories, questioning the very fabric of existence and the interconnectedness of choices across realities. It's a captivating tale that intricately weaves together diverse cultures and belief systems, inviting readers on a thought-provoking journey through the depths of human consciousness.
October 8, 2023
Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.
I generally enjoyed this book. It was obvious how much research went into this book, and I appreciated the author's attention to detail when it came to describing the ways of life of both the settlers and the Native Americans. This is a time period I am less familiar with, so being immersed was a fun experience.
The book is dual POV (Jim and Eva) and also contains flashbacks for both Jim and Eva. While I found Jim's flashbacks to be interesting and enlightening, Eva's fell a little flat for me. They didn't seem to illuminate much of her character, and I often felt disoriented and confused during her flashbacks -- the character goals/motivations in some of her flashbacks were murky or unexplained. Worse, these flashbacks started to make the book feel a bit disjointed and jumpy.
Overall, I think the author did an excellent job navigating some really tough topics, while crafting a compelling story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I generally enjoyed this book. It was obvious how much research went into this book, and I appreciated the author's attention to detail when it came to describing the ways of life of both the settlers and the Native Americans. This is a time period I am less familiar with, so being immersed was a fun experience.
The book is dual POV (Jim and Eva) and also contains flashbacks for both Jim and Eva. While I found Jim's flashbacks to be interesting and enlightening, Eva's fell a little flat for me. They didn't seem to illuminate much of her character, and I often felt disoriented and confused during her flashbacks -- the character goals/motivations in some of her flashbacks were murky or unexplained. Worse, these flashbacks started to make the book feel a bit disjointed and jumpy.
Overall, I think the author did an excellent job navigating some really tough topics, while crafting a compelling story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 11, 2023
My favorite books always have deep and rich characters first and foremost, a touch of romance, and a thought-provoking plot. This book delivers on all fronts.
Eva and Jim as the main characters both go through worldview changing events. However, the author navigates the characters through these big life changes in a very authentic way. There is no rushed and totally predictable character building here.
The story is set in the past mostly but as part of a multiverse where Eva can travel throughout worlds and time, while Jim is firmly in 1800s Texas. This leads to fascinating questions about what is real, whether predestiny is a thing, and how much people have control over their fate. As another beloved character Pump says “Every single choice and possibility exists on some timeline somewhere, but it’s the individual souls that chose the path they will navigate.”
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more about Jim and Eva.
Eva and Jim as the main characters both go through worldview changing events. However, the author navigates the characters through these big life changes in a very authentic way. There is no rushed and totally predictable character building here.
The story is set in the past mostly but as part of a multiverse where Eva can travel throughout worlds and time, while Jim is firmly in 1800s Texas. This leads to fascinating questions about what is real, whether predestiny is a thing, and how much people have control over their fate. As another beloved character Pump says “Every single choice and possibility exists on some timeline somewhere, but it’s the individual souls that chose the path they will navigate.”
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more about Jim and Eva.
December 26, 2023
I actually didn’t quite finish this book
So you may be wondering why I gave it five stars. It was extremely well written, well researched historical novel that didn’t pull any punches. You have to be pretty brave as an author to write something like this in today’s society which tends to look at the past thru some pretty slanted, revisionist glasses. This was a brutal time period and it’s not easy to read about. There are no objectively good people in this story, not really, they are all shades of grey. Anyway, good book, I made it more than halfway over a matter of hours but I’m just not in the right headspace to read something like this right now. I’m off to find something lighter and fluffier.
So you may be wondering why I gave it five stars. It was extremely well written, well researched historical novel that didn’t pull any punches. You have to be pretty brave as an author to write something like this in today’s society which tends to look at the past thru some pretty slanted, revisionist glasses. This was a brutal time period and it’s not easy to read about. There are no objectively good people in this story, not really, they are all shades of grey. Anyway, good book, I made it more than halfway over a matter of hours but I’m just not in the right headspace to read something like this right now. I’m off to find something lighter and fluffier.
October 18, 2023
Extremely well written. Thia author has spun quite a tale of mixing time travel with history. It makes this a really great book to read. Eva is a time traveler , who is injured and separated from her partner. Jim finds and helps her. He himself has issues that he is dealing with. So much action packed into this book, with lots of twists and turns add some romance and WOW. Eva and Jim have lots of decisions that they will have to make. Can't wait to read book 2 in this series. Would strongly recommend to everyone.
I am an ARC and leave this unbiased, honest review.
I am an ARC and leave this unbiased, honest review.
October 2, 2023
I tried to like it
I just never got into it. I really tried, always thinking the next chapter was going to grab my attention...but it didn't. I gave it 164 pages before giving up. The characters were not cohesive, or likeable. I have to feel a connection with at least one character, but I found I really didn't care what happened.
I just never got into it. I really tried, always thinking the next chapter was going to grab my attention...but it didn't. I gave it 164 pages before giving up. The characters were not cohesive, or likeable. I have to feel a connection with at least one character, but I found I really didn't care what happened.
December 4, 2023
Creative, unusual plot! Accurate history with timetravel
Fascinating fast-moving story, convincing characters, intriguing flashbacks; morally flawed individuals who do grow and change and inspire; thematic juxtaposition of contrasting cultures-- European-American versus Comanche in 1836 in Mexican territory, (later to become Texas).
Fascinating fast-moving story, convincing characters, intriguing flashbacks; morally flawed individuals who do grow and change and inspire; thematic juxtaposition of contrasting cultures-- European-American versus Comanche in 1836 in Mexican territory, (later to become Texas).
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