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The Artifacts: A Flint Hills Story
Kayla buys a house in the Flint Hills town of Sycamore Falls, Kansas. The property includes a dilapidated old house out back. Within its deteriorating walls, she gains insight to the old house's past, of Sycamore Falls, and perhaps ways to help revitalize the town, which has seen better times.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2019
5 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Eric T. Reynolds
21 books6 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Publisher and Editor of Hadley Rille Books, based in Kansas City, Missouri.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Publisher and Editor of Hadley Rille Books, based in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 2, 2020
The Artifacts is a great name for this book, because much of the mystery and action (and paranormal effects) swirl around historical objects in an old, run down farmhouse and elsewhere in the fictional town of Sycamore Falls, Flint Hills, KS.
Young Kayla, an art blogger with a huge following, bought an old Victorian home in the same town that her ex boyfriend (and still best friend) Kevin settled in. He runs an art studio behind the local historical society’s building downtown. Kayla loves books and history, and is undecided about whether or not to renovate or tear down a rundown farmhouse on her new property.
The previous owner of the property, Brenda, still lives in town. She would not let people on her land, and was secretive. Brenda makes it clear that she thinks the old farmhouse needs to be torn down. But if so, why did Brenda not tear it down herself? Does this have anything to do with the fact that Kayla sees glimpses of the past when she opens certain of the old farmhouse’s books with bookmarks and underlined passages? And what happened to the two young people who disappeared in the area? Readers are shown them entering the old farmhouse right before they disappeared.
I’m not going to give away the ending, but let’s just say the book is sort of Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day, but in the Midwest. And it’s absolutely marvelous. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I was allowed, not quite five stars since I did see the ending coming.
Young Kayla, an art blogger with a huge following, bought an old Victorian home in the same town that her ex boyfriend (and still best friend) Kevin settled in. He runs an art studio behind the local historical society’s building downtown. Kayla loves books and history, and is undecided about whether or not to renovate or tear down a rundown farmhouse on her new property.
The previous owner of the property, Brenda, still lives in town. She would not let people on her land, and was secretive. Brenda makes it clear that she thinks the old farmhouse needs to be torn down. But if so, why did Brenda not tear it down herself? Does this have anything to do with the fact that Kayla sees glimpses of the past when she opens certain of the old farmhouse’s books with bookmarks and underlined passages? And what happened to the two young people who disappeared in the area? Readers are shown them entering the old farmhouse right before they disappeared.
I’m not going to give away the ending, but let’s just say the book is sort of Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day, but in the Midwest. And it’s absolutely marvelous. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I was allowed, not quite five stars since I did see the ending coming.
March 7, 2020
My rating is based on the story itself. I liked the time travel, using books and other artifacts, that the author used. The story itself kept me reading, despite the fact that I thought the writing was an amateurish job. Sentences are choppy, storylines that have potential just seem dropped or something is tossed in without a firm basis with the rest of the book. I guess I mean it sometimes felt unfocused.
I do like Kevin's idea about revitalizing the community as a living history tour and would love to go see the evolving project in this real world., rather than the literary one. One other thing that bothered me was the use of "normal time" being used to describe the storyline taking part during our current time in the second decade of the 21st century. It just seems "normal" is a misnomer... I've lived in all the decades since the 1950s and I'm not sure the 2010s can sometimes be described as "normal." But it's what we know NOW. I'm not sure what the best term to use would have been, but this did grate on me.
In summary, I did like the book, based on the storyline. I'd love to have the ability to see other time periods of the places I've lived, too. I guess that why I also enjoy Connie Willis' time travel historicals and the Outlander series... Other fans of those might also appreciate the novel on this basis; just don't expect the same quality of writing.
I do like Kevin's idea about revitalizing the community as a living history tour and would love to go see the evolving project in this real world., rather than the literary one. One other thing that bothered me was the use of "normal time" being used to describe the storyline taking part during our current time in the second decade of the 21st century. It just seems "normal" is a misnomer... I've lived in all the decades since the 1950s and I'm not sure the 2010s can sometimes be described as "normal." But it's what we know NOW. I'm not sure what the best term to use would have been, but this did grate on me.
In summary, I did like the book, based on the storyline. I'd love to have the ability to see other time periods of the places I've lived, too. I guess that why I also enjoy Connie Willis' time travel historicals and the Outlander series... Other fans of those might also appreciate the novel on this basis; just don't expect the same quality of writing.
October 27, 2019
I found this delightful on all turns. Interesting history, a blend of nostalgia and fantasy. Without spoiler, it gives those longing for another time a chance to live it. A unique twist of storytelling, beautifully done without being overdone. A truly enjoyable, quiet kind of read.
January 15, 2020
The Author had a good idea, the story line wasn't bad. But his writing is bad. Choppy, short sentences, he needed a better editor. Characters we not very likeable as well.
May 13, 2019
I bought and read the ebook version of this novel over the weekend. It's a nostalgic book, almost cozy. Kayla, the lead character, buys a pair of old houses in Sycamore Falls, Kansas, a fictional town based on the author's hometown of Eureka Kansas. One of the houses was abandoned, and she discovers the house has some unusual properties.
The novel becomes a series of episodes of Kayla and other characters examining these properties. There's a subplot involving the house which I found was handled with a surprising lack of urgency. Despite that, the book as a whole was interesting.
Overall, the book is a fun read, with some engaging characters. Reading it was a pleasant time spent on a Saturday.
The novel becomes a series of episodes of Kayla and other characters examining these properties. There's a subplot involving the house which I found was handled with a surprising lack of urgency. Despite that, the book as a whole was interesting.
Overall, the book is a fun read, with some engaging characters. Reading it was a pleasant time spent on a Saturday.
April 8, 2022
I wanted to like this book. I tried hard. It's set in my home state of Kansas in a fictitious town in the Flint Hills, an area close to me. I really wanted to like it but I didn't. I'm dnf'ing.
There's no real synopsis on the book's back cover, but from what I read (about a third), a woman moves to this town (I can't even remember the name) and buys a lovely old Victorian home (constantly referred to as The Victorian). On the property is an abandoned farmhouse (which miraculously has a dusty but intact library) in which creepy/mysterious/strange things happen. There's an confusing prologue involving two people, maybe kids, that I think disappear from the house. At about a third in very little happens involving this premise, which I found so interesting. There was a couple little scenes that didn't amount to much. The rest of it is the woman exploring her new surroundings and having some interactions with the locals. I can do a slow start, I actually like that, the but the writing...it was dull and stilted. One example, she's with a friend and they're going they're separate ways. "They hugged. Then split." And that line is used more than once. Add to that unnatural sounding dialog and I was done. I didn't have the patience to sift through the writing to get to the plot.
Maybe this hit me all wrong because I'd just finished reading a book with beautiful prose, but I don't think so. Maybe sometime in the future I'll have more patience with The Artifacts. I hope so 'cause the premise really did sound interesting. I was going to give it 1 star, but it's set in the Kansas Flint Hills, and I'm soft, so it got 2.
There's no real synopsis on the book's back cover, but from what I read (about a third), a woman moves to this town (I can't even remember the name) and buys a lovely old Victorian home (constantly referred to as The Victorian). On the property is an abandoned farmhouse (which miraculously has a dusty but intact library) in which creepy/mysterious/strange things happen. There's an confusing prologue involving two people, maybe kids, that I think disappear from the house. At about a third in very little happens involving this premise, which I found so interesting. There was a couple little scenes that didn't amount to much. The rest of it is the woman exploring her new surroundings and having some interactions with the locals. I can do a slow start, I actually like that, the but the writing...it was dull and stilted. One example, she's with a friend and they're going they're separate ways. "They hugged. Then split." And that line is used more than once. Add to that unnatural sounding dialog and I was done. I didn't have the patience to sift through the writing to get to the plot.
Maybe this hit me all wrong because I'd just finished reading a book with beautiful prose, but I don't think so. Maybe sometime in the future I'll have more patience with The Artifacts. I hope so 'cause the premise really did sound interesting. I was going to give it 1 star, but it's set in the Kansas Flint Hills, and I'm soft, so it got 2.
August 7, 2019
Hmmm... I didn't realize that this was fantasy when I picked it up. I'm not really sure where I got it or why I have it, other than the fact that it is about Kansas. The setting was enjoyable for me because I'm from eastern Kansas and have spent many hours traveling through the Flint Hills. However, this time travel story is curiously light. There are some passing comments about the difficulties of time travel, but each of the characters seems to take it far too lightly. The solutions come far too easily. The ending, abruptly. It was enjoyable, but not well done. Read it if you love Kansas, otherwise, move it to the lower third of your reading list.
February 10, 2020
A delightful cozy read.
Kayla buys a house and its property, which has another, old house on the back acreage of the property. Through the magical effects within the library, she is able to pop back in time and experience the area through the ages.
This historical fantasy is well researched and the past is brought to life through the characters explorations. The characters are warm, thoughtful, and realistic with their own personal drives. The world and city are a gem.
Boiled down, it's a sweet story about a woman finding where she belongs.
Kayla buys a house and its property, which has another, old house on the back acreage of the property. Through the magical effects within the library, she is able to pop back in time and experience the area through the ages.
This historical fantasy is well researched and the past is brought to life through the characters explorations. The characters are warm, thoughtful, and realistic with their own personal drives. The world and city are a gem.
Boiled down, it's a sweet story about a woman finding where she belongs.
January 20, 2020
I loved this book, especially as a bookstore owner! It is beautifully written and has it all: mystery, nostalgia, romance, and time travel. The stunning description of the Flint Hills takes the reader to this hauntingly beautiful place to readily explore it's mystery with Kayla.
June 18, 2020
The name and the picture drew me in. Always an untold story with these old places and the secrets that are held within. Kayla takes one through the history, which kept ones interest. Got the audio and that was well done. For my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews