Celtic Cousin Wren makes a psychic connection with a girl emigrating to America in 1912. Through his eyes, she is able to foresee the fate of the ship taking her across the Atlantic. Consequently, RMS Titanic steams safely into New York Harbour: an anomaly which creates devastation for future generations.
Twenty-first century Britain still has an Empire, and World War One continues to ravage Europe. Wren must somehow turn back time, and repair history; even if it means sacrificing everything he loves.
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An iconic image of the last century, the Titanic represents hope, ambition and tragedy. It also marks the beginning of the end of an era. However, “A Ripple in Time” isn’t all about the Titanic. It’s about making unbearable decisions, taking chances and allowing faith, and love to grow.
About this book:
“A Ripple in Time” is a time travel romantic adventure. Protagonist Wren Prenderson was nominated for “Best Hero” in the E-Festival of Words 2013 Awards Hall, and voted by readers into joint second place.
Quick update! The new DI Crombie title is out: "Everybody Lies" can be downloaded exclusively from Amazon, for the special early bird price of 99p. Or download an excerpt right here, from Goodreads - just navigate to the book title. An additional Christmas bonus! Crombie's Christmas will be free to download from Amazon from 23 Dec - 27th December.
Author of The Celtic Cousins' Adventures: (A Raucous Time, A Ripple in Time and An Explosive Time), also The Bridle Path, and The Griffin Cryer.
This is my first indie published novel. The four stars reflect the ratings given by customers who purchased from Amazon.4 star mainly with one five star. And I'm thrilled to know that others are enjoying this little story; I'd love for you to take the time to tell me what you think: This is the latest four star review on Amazon: I enjoyed this ebook. The author presumes her audience is already familiar with some legends regarding ancient Britain, before going on to deal with the tantalising possibilities and problems which might materialise if time travel were possible. In this case a major event in time doesn't happen, creating a domino effect. This leaves the lead characters with a terrible dilemna; They have to ensure said event happens even though it is going to result in tragedy. Some points were dealt with a little too crisply, but this added to the overal tightness of the story which is fast paced and has some unexpected twists. What others said: "What an extraordinary idea! Ms. Hughes has a gift for melding fantasy with reality. Taking one of the most famous events in history, Julia Hughes offers a glimpse as to what might have happened had the Titanic never sank. For every action, there must be a consequence. That is the heart of the story. How will Wren's choices affect him and those around him? Will he be willing to make the sacrifice needed? Great philosophical ideas presented in a great story." (Amazon.com customer review) "Although not my usual genre I found myself captivated by the story. The characters develop well throughout and the way they interact is plausible and heart warming. The book itself is well written and thought provoking, leaving the reader guessing as to what will happen next. The action and history elements of this story stop it from being a romantic novel, meaning so many more readers will enjoy the content." (Amazon.co.uk customer review)
This isn’t something I’d normally read, and whilst I enjoyed it, I did spend some time after finishing it trying to categorize it by genre – I’m thinking it’ somewhere between fantasy, dystopian, and historical fiction – and yes, that does make for an interesting mix!
The story does tend to jump around a bit at the beginning and end, and I admit, this did confuse me a little until I clicked what was actually going on. The story follows Wren and his cousin Rhyllann, and their adventures when the fabric of time tears, rewriting history, and causing Wren’s spirit to become trapped at Stonehenge. This leaves two problems – how to get his body back when he can’t leave the stone circle, and how to change the events in this reality so that reality goes back to ‘normal’.
I have to say this was a very original read – I haven’t read anything like this before! There was clearly a lot of research into the events leading to the Titanic’s demise, and this was very important in the plot of the story, and I don’t think it would have worked so well as it did had this not been so well done. Generally, the characters were interesting – the reader sort of watches Wren grow up throughout the book, and whilst Rhyllann seems a bit… brusque at points, he does come through and is likeable. Again, I found myself hoping things went okay for Carrie, although she did seem to have some mood swings sometimes!
One of the only things I would have liked to hear more of is what happened when time was returned to normal – did Wren and Carrie ever get together? Did Carrie remember anything? I very much hope so, but I didn't feel this was particularly well explained. That said, it could be argued that this leaves it open to interpretation by the reader.
This said, it was an enjoyable read, and I found it to be a pleasant change of pace in my reading.
I'm currently in the middle of reading this and I have to say it is quite a page turner. It combines the idea of time-travel, altering events and ancient Briton mythology in the form of Merlin and Stonehenge.
I'm really enjoying the concept of what happens when a particular historical event is changed and the consequences that happen as a result. In this case, a complete change in world history. There is also the relationship between Carrie and Rhyllann, would this be the same in a different set of circumstances - that was a really interesting concept to explore.
This Celtic Cousins adventure was an original read, looking forward to any more that might come out!
This is a creative novel involving one of my favorite elements - time travel.
While I found the beginning of this novel a bit confusing, about half way through it started to make a bit more sense to me and I caught on.
It is the story of Wren, a time traveler who has inadvertently wreaked havoc on the world by saving the Titanic from sinking. He, his cousin Rhyllann, and the spunky Carrie, must find a way to go back in time and make sure the Titanic is not saved in order to restore order to their world.
A harrowing ride, where it seems the good guys aren't always good and ethical challenges abound Julia Hughes shows a great deal of imagination. I enjoyed this.
I found I was quite intrigued as I began but was easily confused throughout. I did really enjoy quite a few injections of history and the scenes that take place at the end however it was not enough to really make me enthusiastic about this one.
Before you pick up this book, you’ll need to put down your preconceived notions of time travel, ripple effects, and the paranormal. Hughes makes her own rules for these things, leaving much to be wondered at, but the effect is a tale filled with twists, turns, mysteries, and really, really strange stuff.
When two people’s dreams entangle 100 years apart from each other, history gets rewritten. A passenger on the Titanic gets tipped off from Wren’s dreams 100 years later and succeeds in thwarting the disaster. The world is torn asunder into two parallel universes: what happens after the Titanic sinks and what happens after the Titanic safely docks in New York. Big changes exist between the two worlds, but Wren has to correct this mistake.
He embarks on a difficult journey where he receives help from his cousin Rhyllann (well, parallel universe Rhyllann) and the Carrie, great-great-great-granddaughter of the visionary who stops the ice berg accident. Amid all this mess, a young romance blooms between Wren and Carrie, two strangers from different worlds who know there’s no way to be together. At least, not in that world.
What ensues is a maze of twists that will keep you reading, flying through that last 50 pages at lightning speed. In the meantime, you grow to love this unlikely trio and cheer for them every step of their unusual journey. I’ll even admit to some misty eyes for a little bit there toward the end.
If you can let go of reality to make it through this quick read, you’ll enjoy the ride for sure. Hughes displays her expert knowledge of the Titanic’s tragedy without overwhelming you with details. Her romance story line is a delicate thread woven throughout the story and tying things nicely together. And her ability to keep you guessing helps turn those pages just that much faster.
A Ripple in Time - Angel of the Titanic was a time traveling fantasy. It started off rocky for me, so stick with it. I felt like I was dropped in mid-story and it took me a while to get my bearings. My reward came to fruition quickly, as I embarked on an exciting quest; filled with famous characters, places, events, villains and lovable heroes.
The premises behind the tale started with Wren's dream of the sinking of the Titanic. His dreams became entangled with those of a young girl who lived a hundred years ago. Based on those dreams, her knowledge averted the sinking of the ship. This action altered the course of history. Wren (who no longer existed in his current timeline) had to convince his brother Rhyllann and Carrie, the granddaughter of the young woman from Wren’s dreams to help him restore the timeline. The story that unfolded was delightful.
Hughes wove a tale using both fantasy and fact. While there were some errors in her historical references, her knowledge of the subject was apparent. It was highly entertaining the way she brought famous persons throughout history to interact with our heroes. Character development was good, and the romance that developed felt fresh and believable. I found Rhyllann, Wren and Carrie to be enchanting. I cheered this trio on throughout their quest. Hughes tale posed several questions regarding the butterfly effect. The novel emitted many emotions from me and I did get weepy at the end.
A Ripple in Time - Angel of the Titanic, is currently only available as an eBook, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystical fantasies.
This book and I have gotten off on the wrong foot.
The premise of this book is extremely interesting, but the execution is atrocious. I don't know the characters, I don't understand what Wren is, and frankly, I'm over it.
I started reading it and was immediately confused. What the flying hell does "brawd" mean? What is this mission that Wren and Rhyllann went on earlier? I go to GoodReads, only to discover it's a sequel. But wait, no it's not. It was published first then a prequel was published, so presumably I should be able to read this book without having read the prequel. But wait ... what's this info dump that reads an awful lot like a plot summary/recap of the previous book? Am I supposed to know these characters?
Then there's my beef with the title. Why does this book have two titles? Pick one. And WHY did you use Bradley Hand ITC font on the cover? This is a published work of fiction, not a poster on the wall of a high school bulletin board.
It starts out with a woman named Becky - who is quickly dropped from the plot. Why have us start the book from the POV of a character who is GONE one chapter later, as if she never existed? Then we abruptly transition into the POV of a girl on the Titanic - I blame formatting in the ebook for my confusion here. Then we even more abruptly transition back to present day, where time is bucking and trying to fix itself because the Titanic didn't sink, so America never entered World War I. WWII never happened and now everything is weird and oh yeah, we still don't know why Wren has magic Angel of Time powers or why he's trying to get Carrie to save a sword. Then Carrie was supposed to go find this timeline's version of Wren's cousin Rhyllann to save the sword and she gets sexually attacked in the street. What the flying crap?!
I'm out. This is too poorly constructed and my TBR is too long.
With "Angel," Ms. Hughes didn't quite knock it out of the park. She did, however, bang the ball into the gap for an easy stand-up triple--and for that, she deserves every one of the five stars I'm giving her. (She's British, so I hope she'll forgive the baseball analogy. I guess the cricket equivalent would be hitting a "four" instead of a "six.")
Time travel's been done before, of course; so has the Titanic; so have Merlin and Excalibur--but to put it all together and make it work demonstrates not only imagination, but also artistry of a high order. I won't give away the added twist, except to say that it pushed me out of 4 stars and into 5. I think you'll like it, too.
The book is excellently formatted and well edited. I found a very few errors that survived the proofing process, as they are bound to do in any book, let alone a self-published one: the most significant of these was the reversal of "its" and "it's" throughout, but the author rarely uses those words in this book (no more than a small handful of times for either) and so the effect is negligible.
Ms. Hughes clearly knows her Titanic; the research on the ship and the disaster are impeccable. There are one or two minor historical solecisms (Stonehenge was not one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, the ancient Greeks having stuffed the ballot box with all their own creations); but that doesn't detract anything from a great story, well told. I can recommend "Angel of the Titanic" to you wholeheartedly, and look forward to hearing more from Ms. Hughes and the Celtic Cousins.
Wren needs to convince his cousin Rhyllann to bring the sword Caliburn (Excalibur) to him at Stonehenge. The only problem is that Wren has been dead for the last five years and if he steps out of the stones protective circle he will cease to exist. Wren needs to turn back time to make sure that one of the biggest events in history takes place, the sinking of the Titanic. Wren is in an alternative reality were the Titanic captain was forewarned about the ship hitting the iceberg so he changed course and the Titanic never hit the iceberg, so it never sunk. Due to the Titanic not sinking this caused an even bigger disaster, World War I did not end in 1918, and many more lives were lost as a result of this.
Wren must make sure that the Titanic fulfils her true destiny and sinks. The only person that can see Wren is an old lady. She gives Wren the name Angel of the Titanic, and her Granddaughter agrees to help Wren on his quest.
Can they change the timeline back to its normal course?
This is a great idea for a storyline, very original and makes you think what if the Titanic had not sunk. The story mixes fact and fiction and uses some well known legends and they do gel nice together turning the story into a good adventure. The story is written in a fast pace that goes straight into the heart of the story. The book has a great cast of characters. If you like mystical adventure stories with a touch of romance then this is the book for you.
Julia Hughes' debut novel, "A Ripple in Time - Angel of the Titanic" is a wonderful novel with a unique concept. It's not your every day time travel story.
The story begins in the present day with Wren's dreams intertwining with the dreams of Carina, who is a passenger on the Titanic. As a result of this entanglement she learns from Wren's mind what actually happens to the ship she is sailing on. She warns the captain and disaster is averted. Or is it?
The change in the course of history from this ripple in the fabric of time results in a different world that is darker and much less advanced. World War I has never ended and has become a 'cold war'. Women still do not vote and life is hard.
Wren knows that he needs to make things right again. He enlists the help of his cousin Rhyllann and Carrie, who is a descendent of Carina. He shares a special mental bond with Carrie and they grow close along the way.
Once they make it on to the Titanic the difficulty lies in allowing the crash to occur and not changing the original history.
This is truly a fascinating read! I loved the whole concept of the altered reality. The pace and action kept me rooted to the pages. There was a little bit of everything in it. Love, danger, humor and fantasy.
The first Celtic Cousins novel, A Raucous Time, introduces the two cousins of the series title, Rhyllann and Wren, who adventure through a sequence of escapades and an on/off relationship with the taciturn but kindly Detective Inspector Crombie. I liked these three main characters and wanted to read more about them. It's true to say that A Ripple in Time wasn't quite what I was expecting. D.I. Crombie doesn't really feature at all other than through a couple of tangential references and the paranormal aspects of this novel are developed much more than in the first volume. However, I enjoyed reading the book and still found the characters of Rhyllann and Wren engaging and interesting. Author Julia Hughes has introduced a new main character, a young woman named Carrie, who is central to the storyline and proves to be the catalyst for much of the drama in the plot. There are some great supporting characters especially the dictatorial Gabriel and Carrie's eccentric Grandmother. There are some good passages of descriptive writing which give the novel its sense of time and place and this is really important because the structure of the novel is extraordinary. With its interesting characterisation and complex plot A Ripple in Time is a thoroughly enjoyable and unusual book.
Like another reviewer, I found this quite confusing & disjointed throughout the majority of the novel. The plot premise was intriguing & did have interesting elements; but the story dragged on & on when the action seemed to keep repeating itself.
The characters never got a chance to stir any solid emotion as to how you felt about them. I didn't really like them, didn't hate them, didn't envy them, feel their plight or was moved when they were supposed to be afraid, happy, sad, or frightened.
It took around 65% of the book to finally get on the Titanic. I did like this section better. The story & action seemed to go 'somewhere'. All in all, can't say this excited me too much. Shame I was looking forward to a time travel novel (with whatever the author did with the concept) & the Titanic was a great subject choice.
At the beginning, it took a little bit for me to pick up the flow of A Ripple in Time, most likely because it was written by an author who is not American so the styling was a bit different than what I'm used to. I'm so thankful I pushed through, because once I got into, it was beautiful and incredibly creative. I loved that it was so fast passed and there was something changing their course or bringing them closer to their ultimate goal throughout the entire book.
The only drawback for me was I felt there were a few questions that remained unanswered or perhaps could have been clearer, but nothing that would lead me to rate this book anything less than a 5. Very excited to know when the next will be coming out!
What a ride! A Ripple in Time reads like a movie and transports you far away from the mundane, and into a universe where everything is possible. I enjoyed the mysterious setting and the complex characters. I am a fan of what-if stories and I was blown away by the intricacies of the alternate Earth where Carrie lives. I also like how Ms. Hughes combines post apocalyptic elements with mystical places and time traveling. Now, I'll go back and read the cousins' previous adventures, because I'm not ready to let them go.
The story revolves around the sinking of the Titanic, a subject that I am absolutely fascinated by, so that really drew me to the story. It took me awhile to get into the story of Wren and Carrie. A long while. I was on the verge of giving up when something sparked my interest and I continued to read on. Once I was able to keep track of who was who and where they were in time, it was easier to read and exciting to see if the protagonist and his cohorts would succeed in righting a wrong that rewrote history as we know it.
Although not my usual genre I found myself captivated by the story. The characters develop well throughout and the way they interact is plausible and heart warming. The book itself is well written and thought provoking, leaving the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
The action and history elements of this story stop it from being a romantic novel, meaning so many more readers will enjoy the content.
Excellent. What a terrific mix of genres. I've been a sci-fi, sci-fantasy fan for years, but also like a light romance mixed in there. Loving the idea of trying to save all the people on the Titanic and causing such a terrible alternate future. This story also had interesting and likeable main characters and a great bad guy (girl). An exciting page turner, and I can't wait to read the next one.
It took little while for me to get into what was happening, but once I got caught up in the story, Wow. Time travel and its consequences make a wonderful premise for a novel, and when coupled with mythological and historical pieces if really makes you think, what if? The characters were well developed and overall I was very impressed!
Ths book has the potential of being a fun read, but it needs work. The beginning is very confusing, important connections are left to guesswork and arcs are left abruptly abandoned. Characters are underdeveloped and abandoned. I waited and waited for the point where other reviews suggested it would come together, but it never happened for me.
I almost took a star because of the typos, which pull me from the story, but I was so thrilled I couldn't stop to fuss. At one point near the end a sentence is repeated, that should have been caught and fixed by now. Enough griping, what a wonderful story!
The cousins part ways as only they can. Nothing could do that but death. Through an anomaly that is and isn't explained, time and events are warped. They have to find each other, and they do that with the help of the spunky new character, Carrie.
I wish there were footnotes, or some kind of guide, to help me break down the different timelines, and allow me to track each character through their lives. What became of the twins? Why did Jennifer end her season early? What becomes of the Blond in the original timeline? In the end does Excalibur return to the cave? I want more more more!
I wasn't certain what to expect when I started reading, but I soon was pulled into the story and the characters. The time travel elements are nicely handled, the descriptions vivid and detailed enough that I could visualize them easily. I enjoyed the book completely.
I read this novel because I am drawn to time travel plots. Although I finished reading it, I am still confused about many major events that took place and really don’t know the characters any better than at the beginning. Sorry, not a book I would ever read again.
This was a free book. Since I had no clue there was a first book it made the first 15 chapters one hot mess. The next few a little clearer but just when I thought I had a handle on it it became confusing as to why some people saw them at Stonehenge and others not. Finally they make the jump back in time. I enjoy this part of the book up tell the ending. So many loose ends , no real explanation as to what happen. Just if you want to read the next book buy.... Sorry but I need closer to one's story line before I buy a new one. Sloppy writing.
A Ripple in Time is about a young man named Wren who is quite the dreamer. You see, his dreams have changed history entirely. All of which start with tragedy of the Titanic sinking. Problem is, it didn't sink and that has caused a ripple in time. So it is up to Wren to find a way to travel back in time and make sure the Titanic runs its course properly. With the help of a powerful sword (Excalibur), his cousin and a girl named Carrie, they will fight to make sure history is corrected and stop whoever gets in their way.
I got this book months ago from Hughes and only got into a couple of months back. Man, my life can't be simple can it? I finished this a while ago though, but I thought with the anniversary coming up, why not post this review then? I was given this a while back by Julia Hughes and it took forever for me to get to it. I really need to change my reading habits. Still when I finally started this, I couldn't put it down. It is fun, unique, and adventurous.
I loved our characters. We have Wren who truly is a "time lord". I know Wren is a blond, but I couldn't help picturing a younger David Tenant when reading this (best Doctor ever, I dare you to disagree). Wren is super smart and has an odd sense of humor. There were times in the book when you weren't sure you should trust him because he was quite impulsive. But it made him more interesting. I really enjoyed Carrie. I love that she finally came around. Carrie's granny could see Wren's "ghost" and Carrie just thought she was nuts. But I was so happy she put her doubts aside and she was very courageous. Rhyllann (love that name by the way) was so pigheaded. It took him forever to get onboard, but you do root for him. He is the one who must help because Caliburn (Excalibir) responds to him.
I love this story. It is a great mixture nonfiction and fiction. Hughes did a great job balancing those out. I love how the story progresses. It does start of a little slow because you are trying to grasp the full extent of the situation. It is quite in depth. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It goes through a lot of adventures and mystery. I love the idea of time getting screwed up because of what happened, well didn't happen, with the Titanic. Going back and time and trying to make sure the tragedy takes place or else our future (well our present) is doomed. This is why I love sci-fi. This truly would make an awesome movie or tv show. If you are a Doctor Who fan like me, you will be drooling all over this. Just a blast.
I highly recommend this read to everyone. It was such a fun read. It definitely took me by surprise. And I know how iffy some can get about time travel, so I am glad to say this won't confuse you. You will love all the characters instantly and you will dive right into to this story. If you are looking for a romantic, adventurous, and original read, this is your book.
Ms. Hughes is a Grand-Master Weaver when it comes to writing a phenomenal tale. When I first saw that A RIPPLE IN TIME was a story about the Titanic, I passed on the opportunity to read it. `Enough about the Titanic!' was my thought months ago for I could not imagine a new story to be any different than others. After marveling at the superb story writing skill that I found in the other two Celtic Cousins' Adventure novels, I read the synopsis for ARIT and sensed that this tale would be extraordinary. A RIPPLE IN TIME is a brilliant tale that has both mystical and historical influences. The author's greatest gift, however, is the ability to create a fantastical adventure for a cast of endearing yet flawed down-to-earth characters. Their dialogues are intelligent and rich yet tossed with a bit of wit. From page 1, I began my experience of there being a sense of synchronous flow beneath the storyline itself. This novel is a treasure that has mentally, spiritually and soulfully enriched my reading experience. The timeline of 100 years of history has been devastatingly altered due to `a ripple in time.' In 1912, a young woman named Carina is onboard the RMS Titanic and experiences nightmares of the ship's collision with a mountain of ice. Her dreams collided with current-time dreams of Wren and, as a result, Carina's warnings to the ship's Captain thwarted the collision. This one alteration in 1912 changed the course of history, causing devastating consequences in the world since that time. Wren must convince cousin Rhyllann to travel back with him in time, to 1912, in order to do the unthinkable: restore the world to its original historical timeline. To accomplish this, the Titanic must fulfill her destiny and thus, the lives of many onboard must perish. In order to so convincingly write this exceptional tale, Ms Hughes first had to do her research. She expertly wove into the story the many aspects of historical events that would not have occurred if the Titanic had made it safely into New York Harbour. A most endearing touch relates to young Wren's coming-of-age experience: falling in love. There are overt and covert complications relative to his relationship with Carrie, which Ms Hughes' creatively crafted. Each of the three Celtic Cousins' Adventure novels sits on the top shelf of my favorites' bookcase. Not only does each one offer a tale that depicts an electrifying roller coaster ride full of dangerous, daring and valiant scenes; more so, each tale invites the reader to jump in and come along for the ride.
A Ripple in Time - Angel of the Titanic (Celtic Cousins' adventures #2) Julia Hughes
Fantasy/Adventure
Wren has a dream regarding the Titanic that changes the course of History. He is on a mission to go back in time and will do what ever it takes to make sure the Titanic follows its natural course.
One hundred years earlier Carina, a young lady also has dreams of the Titanic hitting an iceberg, she tells the captains to try to convince him this dream is real. Is Wrens dream and Carina connected? Wren is determined to find out.
Carrie, a descendant of Carina, is out with her grandmother who keeps talking of "The Angel of the Titanic". Carrie dismisses her grandmothers fantasies. Soon she teams up with Wren to find his cousin Rhyllann, go back in time to make things right.
Filled with adventure and evil people out to destroy the cousins and Carrie, this thrilling adventure tale kept me up late into the night. I highly recommend to Adults as well as YA readers who love time travel/adventure/fantasy tales.
I also recommend the first book in the Celtic Cousins series A Raucous Time (Celtic Cousins' adventures #1) by Julia Hughes
World War I. is known only as World War and it lasts for more than a hundred years. All this because of a strange connection of two people living in different time has.
Wren - living in present time - and Carina - who was on her way to America on Titanic - connects and actions Wren does 1912 prevent the famous ship to sink, but that also completely change the the future. Welcome to the 21st century of an alternative future...
So what would you do if you find yourself in a future that is so wrong and you know you have to make sure that a world well known disaster,must happen, yet you know that if you do it, you indanger the love of your life?
That's the question Wren faces in the alternative future and only if he succeded to make all wrong right again, he might save the world and the love of his life.
But will he do it?
I loved the book. It is a great sequal to a A Raucous Time in The Celtic Cousins' Adventures Series... And you defenitely won't regret if you read it.