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A Crown in Time
"Fascinating . . . jam-packed with adventure and colour" - JODI TAYLOR, author of The Chronicles of St Mary's , on Jennifer Macaire.
ONE LAST CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION . . . TWO THOUSAND YEARS IN THE PAST.
For fans of JODI TAYLOR and NEIL GAIMAN, the first in an action-packed new series, from the author of the "incredible" and "compelling" Time for Alexander novels.
England, the year 2900 CE. Sentenced to decades of imprisonment, Isobel believes that life as she knows it is entirely over.
Or is it? When she's offered a time-travelling mission back in the time of the Crusades, she has the chance to change the course of history - and free herself in the process.
But the perils of medieval France are like nothing she's encountered before, and Isobel realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .
A CROWN IN TIME will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page
* * * * *
READERS AND AUTHORS ARE GRIPPED BY JENNIFER
"A vividly written, characterful, informed and unusual take. I loved it" - Carol McGrath
"Fun, sexy and at times incredibly sad, the story held me to the end and the research was incredible" - Karen King
PRAISE FOR A CROWN IN
"From the moment you open a Macaire book, you're sucked in ... I lost myself in this novel and simply devoured it." - VAIN RADICAL
"I love how vivid Jennifer Macaire's writing is. I was transported" - JESSICA BELMONT
"This book reads like a dream! I finished the book in one go" - BOOK VUE
ONE LAST CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION . . . TWO THOUSAND YEARS IN THE PAST.
For fans of JODI TAYLOR and NEIL GAIMAN, the first in an action-packed new series, from the author of the "incredible" and "compelling" Time for Alexander novels.
England, the year 2900 CE. Sentenced to decades of imprisonment, Isobel believes that life as she knows it is entirely over.
Or is it? When she's offered a time-travelling mission back in the time of the Crusades, she has the chance to change the course of history - and free herself in the process.
But the perils of medieval France are like nothing she's encountered before, and Isobel realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .
A CROWN IN TIME will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page
* * * * *
READERS AND AUTHORS ARE GRIPPED BY JENNIFER
"A vividly written, characterful, informed and unusual take. I loved it" - Carol McGrath
"Fun, sexy and at times incredibly sad, the story held me to the end and the research was incredible" - Karen King
PRAISE FOR A CROWN IN
"From the moment you open a Macaire book, you're sucked in ... I lost myself in this novel and simply devoured it." - VAIN RADICAL
"I love how vivid Jennifer Macaire's writing is. I was transported" - JESSICA BELMONT
"This book reads like a dream! I finished the book in one go" - BOOK VUE
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 2020
6 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Macaire
37 books136 followersJennifer Macaire lives in France with her husband, three children, & various dogs & horses. She loves cooking, eating French chocolate, growing herbs and flowering plants on her balcony, and playing golf. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Peter and Paul high school in St. Thomas and moved to NYC where she modeled for five years for Elite. She went to France and met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 30, 2020
In this world, the year is 2900, and time travel has been perfected through quartz crystal technology developed by an elite institution, Tempus University.
Though time travel is reserved for the few time travelling journalists, certain errors committed in the past could be undone by the Correctors.
Isobel is serving a life sentence for accidentally killing a child in a car accident and is serving a lifetime sentence in a reproduction prison. For the past four years, now at 24yo, she has been donating her ovules monthly. An opportunity to gain freedom, Isobel was given a choice to time travel and correct a mistake that happened in the past. She joins the Corrector program and has been training for the past year. A success means her name would be remembered as one of the heroes, while a unsuccessful mission means being erased from this world as if she has never existed at all.
I absolutely loved the premise and the pacing of this book. It was fast, the story developed quickly, and the writing was exciting that really kept my attention to this creative story line. Macaire was able to explain how this time travel worked swiftly and the story began right away.
I love Historical Fiction reads like this where time slips are a part of the story line, and to go back in time from 2900 AD to the French Countryside in the Middle Ages was a fun ride that Macaire definitely took me on.
What an enjoyable read that is full of amazing characters to follow around in this story. I highly recommend this amazing book.
Though time travel is reserved for the few time travelling journalists, certain errors committed in the past could be undone by the Correctors.
Isobel is serving a life sentence for accidentally killing a child in a car accident and is serving a lifetime sentence in a reproduction prison. For the past four years, now at 24yo, she has been donating her ovules monthly. An opportunity to gain freedom, Isobel was given a choice to time travel and correct a mistake that happened in the past. She joins the Corrector program and has been training for the past year. A success means her name would be remembered as one of the heroes, while a unsuccessful mission means being erased from this world as if she has never existed at all.
I absolutely loved the premise and the pacing of this book. It was fast, the story developed quickly, and the writing was exciting that really kept my attention to this creative story line. Macaire was able to explain how this time travel worked swiftly and the story began right away.
I love Historical Fiction reads like this where time slips are a part of the story line, and to go back in time from 2900 AD to the French Countryside in the Middle Ages was a fun ride that Macaire definitely took me on.
What an enjoyable read that is full of amazing characters to follow around in this story. I highly recommend this amazing book.
January 26, 2020
As payment for her crimes, the disposable Isobel is sent back to correct history. She has one mission: stop Jean from going to the crusades.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
After killing a child by her careless driving, Isobel gets a life sentence. Because of her studies into Medieval French poetry, she is selected to be a Corrector.
Basically, a time-traveller made an error that is disrupting the timeline, when young Lord Jean overhears about the Crusades. Suddenly inspired, he dies in Tunis, instead of staying home and producing a bloodline that will eventually be on the French throne.
Now, Isobel has to go back to counter the problem.
When Isobel goes back in time, she has to travel with the Crusaders, learning to survive in the Middle Ages.
This was a fascinating look into the Crusades, focussing not on the glory of battle, but the day-to-day life. From the wearying marches through rough terrain, and how the Crusaders put a strain on every town they visit. For the most part, the 'soldiers' are young villeins (peasants), who have joined the Crusade so they can eat.
There's the stressful boat journey, and living with the disease that comes with cramped conditions.
Isobel's relationship with Charles is absolutely adorable. He is only ten, and has been half-starved all his life; but he really thrives as Isobel's shadow. He helps her in every way he can, wanting to be useful.
The not-so-good.
I always felt that Isobel's narrative was observational and distant. There's no passion or variation in how she presents everything.
This may be explained because technically everyone around her is already dead; or perhaps she has become institutionalised whilst in prison. She sort of fell into a relationship with Jean; chose to have a fling with a handsome lawyer; and was raped by a prison guard. Each of these are treated with the same distance and fact-presenting.
(Don't get me started on Isobel having a sexual relationship with teenage Jean. Shudder.)
Whereas the historical story is presented very strongly, the future that Isobel comes from (and all the science fiction attached to it) is poorly lacking. Certain things in the future are referred to when the plot needs it, then dropped without explanation.
I have no idea what Isobel's life was like before her crime. There was a mention about being harvested for eggs? But also being raped by a guard? How do people travel back in time? How do they travel back to the future? If the brains behind it could simply erase the past to fix the timeline, why send Correctors back at all?
The future never felt real to me.
Overall, this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me. The historical aspects are very strong and it was interesting to get an in-depth, unflinching view of the Crusades.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
After killing a child by her careless driving, Isobel gets a life sentence. Because of her studies into Medieval French poetry, she is selected to be a Corrector.
Basically, a time-traveller made an error that is disrupting the timeline, when young Lord Jean overhears about the Crusades. Suddenly inspired, he dies in Tunis, instead of staying home and producing a bloodline that will eventually be on the French throne.
Now, Isobel has to go back to counter the problem.
When Isobel goes back in time, she has to travel with the Crusaders, learning to survive in the Middle Ages.
This was a fascinating look into the Crusades, focussing not on the glory of battle, but the day-to-day life. From the wearying marches through rough terrain, and how the Crusaders put a strain on every town they visit. For the most part, the 'soldiers' are young villeins (peasants), who have joined the Crusade so they can eat.
There's the stressful boat journey, and living with the disease that comes with cramped conditions.
Isobel's relationship with Charles is absolutely adorable. He is only ten, and has been half-starved all his life; but he really thrives as Isobel's shadow. He helps her in every way he can, wanting to be useful.
The not-so-good.
I always felt that Isobel's narrative was observational and distant. There's no passion or variation in how she presents everything.
This may be explained because technically everyone around her is already dead; or perhaps she has become institutionalised whilst in prison. She sort of fell into a relationship with Jean; chose to have a fling with a handsome lawyer; and was raped by a prison guard. Each of these are treated with the same distance and fact-presenting.
(Don't get me started on Isobel having a sexual relationship with teenage Jean. Shudder.)
Whereas the historical story is presented very strongly, the future that Isobel comes from (and all the science fiction attached to it) is poorly lacking. Certain things in the future are referred to when the plot needs it, then dropped without explanation.
I have no idea what Isobel's life was like before her crime. There was a mention about being harvested for eggs? But also being raped by a guard? How do people travel back in time? How do they travel back to the future? If the brains behind it could simply erase the past to fix the timeline, why send Correctors back at all?
The future never felt real to me.
Overall, this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me. The historical aspects are very strong and it was interesting to get an in-depth, unflinching view of the Crusades.
January 9, 2020
Some of my best reading travels this year were with author Jennifer Macaire and Alexander the Great. Her time travel six book series of life with Alexander the Great gave me adventure, romance, history and immense pleasure.
With that enthralling saga complete, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read a new book from Ms. Macaire. Fortunately, my time travel passport is still valid, so I was soon off on my journey to France, circa the end of the 1200’s A.D. A Crown in Time is just as satisfying a read as the earlier series.
I will be telling all the reasons that I am drawn to Ms. Macaire’s books, but the first is that she makes the time travel procedure simple and easily explained and then dives straight into the story. This book is similar to the first series, in that Tempus University (circa 2900 A.D.) again needs to send someone to the past.
This time the heroine is a dubious candidate, who is known as Isobel when she arrives from the future in France, plopped down in a mud puddle in the French countryside. Her mission from Tempus University is to correct a small mistake in time. Specifically, she must save the future crown of France by convincing a young man, Jean, to not join the Eighth Crusade. But, first, she must find him.
The next reason I can’t wait to read Ms. Macaire’s books is because she presents the sights, sounds, smells (plenty of them in the Middle Ages) of everyday life in vivid fashion. She also brings the history alive. We eat grass and onion soup and frogs, we help search for mushrooms, we wash clothes, we trudge with the crowds on the road to Tunis, and we get a front row seat at the battles the Eighth Crusade faced.
The best reason to read this book is because of the characters, which are so real, you will think you really have traveled back in time. As I said, Isobel is a dubious protagonist because she while has no particular skills, she does have the ability to care about people and she does care about her completing her mission successfully. She is helped by a 10-year-old boy, Charles, who is wise for his years. And she meets many interesting men and women, some are “real” historically, and she faces many challenges and adventures as she seeks to fix history.
At one point in the story, Isobel ponders how memories and dreams can be so real. If they seem real, perhaps time travel is, too. Enjoy the journey to France in the Middle Ages!
Thanks to Rachels Random Resources for a review copy. This is my honest review.
With that enthralling saga complete, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read a new book from Ms. Macaire. Fortunately, my time travel passport is still valid, so I was soon off on my journey to France, circa the end of the 1200’s A.D. A Crown in Time is just as satisfying a read as the earlier series.
I will be telling all the reasons that I am drawn to Ms. Macaire’s books, but the first is that she makes the time travel procedure simple and easily explained and then dives straight into the story. This book is similar to the first series, in that Tempus University (circa 2900 A.D.) again needs to send someone to the past.
This time the heroine is a dubious candidate, who is known as Isobel when she arrives from the future in France, plopped down in a mud puddle in the French countryside. Her mission from Tempus University is to correct a small mistake in time. Specifically, she must save the future crown of France by convincing a young man, Jean, to not join the Eighth Crusade. But, first, she must find him.
The next reason I can’t wait to read Ms. Macaire’s books is because she presents the sights, sounds, smells (plenty of them in the Middle Ages) of everyday life in vivid fashion. She also brings the history alive. We eat grass and onion soup and frogs, we help search for mushrooms, we wash clothes, we trudge with the crowds on the road to Tunis, and we get a front row seat at the battles the Eighth Crusade faced.
The best reason to read this book is because of the characters, which are so real, you will think you really have traveled back in time. As I said, Isobel is a dubious protagonist because she while has no particular skills, she does have the ability to care about people and she does care about her completing her mission successfully. She is helped by a 10-year-old boy, Charles, who is wise for his years. And she meets many interesting men and women, some are “real” historically, and she faces many challenges and adventures as she seeks to fix history.
At one point in the story, Isobel ponders how memories and dreams can be so real. If they seem real, perhaps time travel is, too. Enjoy the journey to France in the Middle Ages!
Thanks to Rachels Random Resources for a review copy. This is my honest review.
January 31, 2020
Having read Jennifer Macaire’s previous series, The Time for Alexander, I wanted to check out what her next book would read like. I’m glad I chose this book because just like her previous books, this book too, takes the reader to the past and makes one wonder if history can really be altered.
A Crown in Time by Jennifer Macaire is the first book in her Tempus U Time Travel series. Let’s get down to a short summary before my detailed review.
Summary
Isobel is a convicted criminal and she is sent back in time by the Tempus University as punishment. She is a corrector, meaning she needs to correct certain flaws back in time and if she succeeds, she gets to live out the rest of her days there. But if she fails, she is erased forever.
Isobel didn’t realise how difficult her job was and falling in love was definitely not her plan. But she must not lose focus and try to bring her plan to fruition before she is either killed by the people in the past or erased by the Tempus University, forever.
What I Liked
This book reads like a dream! The story just flows easily but I wasn’t surprised when I finished the book in one sitting. After all, that’s what the author’s writing is all about!
I love how the author shapes the characters as the story progresses. Isobel is deeply affected by the state of people in the past and she doesn’t stop herself from helping others. Even to the point that she takes a detour in order to be useful rather than just focusing on her plan. These qualities gives life to the story.
The narration is superb, like I mentioned before, I finished the book in one go. I love how the author mixes relevant events in history with a bit of romance and still manages to have a futuristic ring to it. I simply enjoyed the combination!
What I Did Not Like
Honestly, couldn’t fault anything in the book.
Other Details
As mentioned, this book is the first one in a series. The author’s previous series was The Time for Alexander and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Would I Recommend It?
Do you enjoy time travel stories? Are you into historical fiction? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to both then you must pick this book up!
A Crown in Time by Jennifer Macaire is the first book in her Tempus U Time Travel series. Let’s get down to a short summary before my detailed review.
Summary
Isobel is a convicted criminal and she is sent back in time by the Tempus University as punishment. She is a corrector, meaning she needs to correct certain flaws back in time and if she succeeds, she gets to live out the rest of her days there. But if she fails, she is erased forever.
Isobel didn’t realise how difficult her job was and falling in love was definitely not her plan. But she must not lose focus and try to bring her plan to fruition before she is either killed by the people in the past or erased by the Tempus University, forever.
What I Liked
This book reads like a dream! The story just flows easily but I wasn’t surprised when I finished the book in one sitting. After all, that’s what the author’s writing is all about!
I love how the author shapes the characters as the story progresses. Isobel is deeply affected by the state of people in the past and she doesn’t stop herself from helping others. Even to the point that she takes a detour in order to be useful rather than just focusing on her plan. These qualities gives life to the story.
The narration is superb, like I mentioned before, I finished the book in one go. I love how the author mixes relevant events in history with a bit of romance and still manages to have a futuristic ring to it. I simply enjoyed the combination!
What I Did Not Like
Honestly, couldn’t fault anything in the book.
Other Details
As mentioned, this book is the first one in a series. The author’s previous series was The Time for Alexander and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Would I Recommend It?
Do you enjoy time travel stories? Are you into historical fiction? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to both then you must pick this book up!
November 24, 2020
In the far future time travel has been perfected, but it is only for the wealthy elite, except when a visitor from the future has altered the timeline, then they send in a convicted criminal, a 'Corrector' to restore the timeline.
Isobel is serving life in prison, being used as a human egg donor, for a heinous crime. Then she is offered a one way trip to 1270. A time-travelling historian accidentally discussed the child crusades in front of a hot-headed young noble, although personally insignificant his descendants should have eventually ruled France but by overhearing a conversation not meant for his ears Jean de Bourbon-Dampierre was set on a course which would lead to his death fighting the Infidels in Tunis.
Isobel's mission is clear, get Jean to return to his home in France safely and thereby save the crown of France. If she achieves her mission she can live out the rest of her life in the past. Fail and she will be erased from time.
Isobel has received some training, mainly through the Tempus University's Corrector's Handbook, unfortunately it turns out to be full of plain wrong or unhelpful advice such as try to stay indoors at night and avoid taverns and rowdy gatherings.
I'm a sucker for a time-travel novel and I was intrigued by a novel focused on the time of the Crusades, just before the Inquisition had taken hold of France when society had very different views about sex and nudity. I found it all fascinating. As a keen reader of these novels however, I was not surprised at the plot twist (if I can call it that), but that did not detract from my enjoyment. I really enjoyed the way in which Jennifer Macaire brought to life the difference between an intellectual knowledge of the fate of historical figures and knowing those individuals personally and being affected by their deaths.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I will be looking for Ms Macaire's back-catalogue to read more.
Isobel is serving life in prison, being used as a human egg donor, for a heinous crime. Then she is offered a one way trip to 1270. A time-travelling historian accidentally discussed the child crusades in front of a hot-headed young noble, although personally insignificant his descendants should have eventually ruled France but by overhearing a conversation not meant for his ears Jean de Bourbon-Dampierre was set on a course which would lead to his death fighting the Infidels in Tunis.
Isobel's mission is clear, get Jean to return to his home in France safely and thereby save the crown of France. If she achieves her mission she can live out the rest of her life in the past. Fail and she will be erased from time.
Isobel has received some training, mainly through the Tempus University's Corrector's Handbook, unfortunately it turns out to be full of plain wrong or unhelpful advice such as try to stay indoors at night and avoid taverns and rowdy gatherings.
I'm a sucker for a time-travel novel and I was intrigued by a novel focused on the time of the Crusades, just before the Inquisition had taken hold of France when society had very different views about sex and nudity. I found it all fascinating. As a keen reader of these novels however, I was not surprised at the plot twist (if I can call it that), but that did not detract from my enjoyment. I really enjoyed the way in which Jennifer Macaire brought to life the difference between an intellectual knowledge of the fate of historical figures and knowing those individuals personally and being affected by their deaths.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and I will be looking for Ms Macaire's back-catalogue to read more.
January 31, 2020
Welcome to a far future where time travel is the remit of an elite group of highly trained operatives from the Tempus University. Their job is to research and monitor the past to ensure the future remains stable, and if necessary, they will take action to correct timelines which seem to be going astray - even to the extent of erasing whole chunks of history.
Isobel, imprisoned after a car accident in which a small child was killed, is offered the chance of freedom if she agrees to undertake a dangerous mission to put right a timeline which has been inadvertently knocked off course.
The mission involves going back to France of the Middle Ages and persuading a young nobleman, whose descendants are destined to become the Bourbon Kings, not to run off and join the ill-fated Eighth Crusade.
The chance of freedom proves to be one Isobel cannot ignore and she grabs at it with both hands, even though success will mean that she has to live out her life in the thirteenth century and failure could lead to herself, and history, being erased.
How hard can it be to persuade the mind of a hot-headed youth? Well, as it turns out, nigh on impossible! And so Isobel embarks on a journey that will change her destiny in most unexpected ways...
**********************************************************************
I am always a sucker for a time-travel adventure, and one that offers such a rich historical setting as this one does is always going to be a winner with me.
Going back in time does have a pretty vital part to play in the premise of this book, and be assured you will find yourself pleasantly mulling over the loops and consequences of Isobel's mission, which is one of things I find most enjoyable in such stories. But Jennifer Macaire quite sensibly does not dwell too much on the hows, whys and wherefores of the actual mechanics of the time-travel element. Although we do learn some bits and pieces about how things stand in the future that Isobel inhabits - enough to tell us that the world she is used to is very different to the one which is destined to become her new home - this is not a science fiction novel.
It is the past that matters, and drawing us into the past is where Jennifer Macaire's skills as an author really shine. Her uncomplicated writing style is able to completely draw you into France of the Middle Ages. The sights...the sounds...even the smells are described so well that you can almost imagine you are there by the side of Isobel as she tries to navigate her way through a reality she has previously only experienced through the pages of a history book.
The period detail shows that Jennifer Macaire has done her research for this book - one of the things I always enjoy in historical fiction. There is so much about how people lived during this time, not just where they lived. It was also fascinating to read about the danger presented by the rising power of the Catholic Church and how this was changing the attitudes of the population. I loved that she took the time to add a section with her notes about the history behind the tale too, so we could see how the story not only fitted into the time period in which it is set, but also showed the events that followed.
However, don't be afraid that the historical detail makes this book a dry, dusty read, as this couldn't be further from the truth! There is humour, romance and plenty of thrills and spills along the way.
On the subject of humour, the excerpts from the Tempus U handbook at the head of the chapters - giving pithy little snippets of advice about the world Isobel has been sent back to - did make me chuckle. At each stage, Isobel found it necessary to completely go against most of this advice in pursuit of her mission, which was beautifully ridiculous.
I found this book to be utterly charming and became so invested in Isobel's tale that I raced through it in order to find out how the story ended - I and can tell you without the need for spoilers that I was very happy with the result!
A Crown in Time is set to be the first in a new series by Jennifer Macaire, called the Tempus U Time Travel Series, and I am looking forward to reading more.
Isobel, imprisoned after a car accident in which a small child was killed, is offered the chance of freedom if she agrees to undertake a dangerous mission to put right a timeline which has been inadvertently knocked off course.
The mission involves going back to France of the Middle Ages and persuading a young nobleman, whose descendants are destined to become the Bourbon Kings, not to run off and join the ill-fated Eighth Crusade.
The chance of freedom proves to be one Isobel cannot ignore and she grabs at it with both hands, even though success will mean that she has to live out her life in the thirteenth century and failure could lead to herself, and history, being erased.
How hard can it be to persuade the mind of a hot-headed youth? Well, as it turns out, nigh on impossible! And so Isobel embarks on a journey that will change her destiny in most unexpected ways...
**********************************************************************
I am always a sucker for a time-travel adventure, and one that offers such a rich historical setting as this one does is always going to be a winner with me.
Going back in time does have a pretty vital part to play in the premise of this book, and be assured you will find yourself pleasantly mulling over the loops and consequences of Isobel's mission, which is one of things I find most enjoyable in such stories. But Jennifer Macaire quite sensibly does not dwell too much on the hows, whys and wherefores of the actual mechanics of the time-travel element. Although we do learn some bits and pieces about how things stand in the future that Isobel inhabits - enough to tell us that the world she is used to is very different to the one which is destined to become her new home - this is not a science fiction novel.
It is the past that matters, and drawing us into the past is where Jennifer Macaire's skills as an author really shine. Her uncomplicated writing style is able to completely draw you into France of the Middle Ages. The sights...the sounds...even the smells are described so well that you can almost imagine you are there by the side of Isobel as she tries to navigate her way through a reality she has previously only experienced through the pages of a history book.
The period detail shows that Jennifer Macaire has done her research for this book - one of the things I always enjoy in historical fiction. There is so much about how people lived during this time, not just where they lived. It was also fascinating to read about the danger presented by the rising power of the Catholic Church and how this was changing the attitudes of the population. I loved that she took the time to add a section with her notes about the history behind the tale too, so we could see how the story not only fitted into the time period in which it is set, but also showed the events that followed.
However, don't be afraid that the historical detail makes this book a dry, dusty read, as this couldn't be further from the truth! There is humour, romance and plenty of thrills and spills along the way.
On the subject of humour, the excerpts from the Tempus U handbook at the head of the chapters - giving pithy little snippets of advice about the world Isobel has been sent back to - did make me chuckle. At each stage, Isobel found it necessary to completely go against most of this advice in pursuit of her mission, which was beautifully ridiculous.
I found this book to be utterly charming and became so invested in Isobel's tale that I raced through it in order to find out how the story ended - I and can tell you without the need for spoilers that I was very happy with the result!
A Crown in Time is set to be the first in a new series by Jennifer Macaire, called the Tempus U Time Travel Series, and I am looking forward to reading more.
March 28, 2020
The book is easy to read and interesting. I like time travel stories and historical novels, so it was a perfect match for me. This book offers new historical information embedded in a gripping story. The historical facts are well researched and also the story about the future is thought through even though a bit sketchy. The characters are aslo a bit sketchy, I was irritated that jean was not a main charater as I expected. Isobel is not my favourite charcter, but I could understand her actions. I liked Charles the most, he was helpful and I felt secure with him. The story had some twists and I had the impression that the author thought it through.
January 29, 2020
There are few authors whose books are must-reads for me, but Jennifer Macaire is one of them. No one blends time travel and history as well as she does. Her Alexander the Great series won me over, and I couldn't pass up on her newest release. And so, off to 13th Century France I went ... and, boy, was it every bit as fascinating and enjoyable as I expected.
So, what happened?
As before, the story starts in the future (2900 A.D.) and Tempus University now offers convicted criminals a chance to wipe the slate clean by completing a task in the past and correcting a tiny mistake in history. Sounds simple, right? Our MC is Isobel, and at stake is the future crown of France. Her job is to convince a young man, Jean, to return home and not fight in the Crusades.
Isobel's mission begins in a puddle in the French countryside; her attire is historically accurate, she carries money of that time - which she sews into her outfit for safety reasons - and she sets off to find the man in question, with no clue as to which direction she should be travelling.
Medieval France comes alive with the details of Isobel's journey, sights, smells and noises are vividly drawn as she catches up with Jean. Isobel, while determined not to be erased (the outcome if she fails in her task), also becomes embroiled in a series of disputes and is frequently rescued by Charles, a ten-year-old boy, who continues the journey with her. She faces many challenges, moves in royal circles, survives the heat of Tunis, and witnesses the consequences of battle, all to complete her mission. But is she successful? What follows, you'll need to read for yourself, but rest assured, this is no easy task.
If you enjoy history in all its glorious detail, then take a shot at this. It's an engaging, evocative read.
So, what happened?
As before, the story starts in the future (2900 A.D.) and Tempus University now offers convicted criminals a chance to wipe the slate clean by completing a task in the past and correcting a tiny mistake in history. Sounds simple, right? Our MC is Isobel, and at stake is the future crown of France. Her job is to convince a young man, Jean, to return home and not fight in the Crusades.
Isobel's mission begins in a puddle in the French countryside; her attire is historically accurate, she carries money of that time - which she sews into her outfit for safety reasons - and she sets off to find the man in question, with no clue as to which direction she should be travelling.
Medieval France comes alive with the details of Isobel's journey, sights, smells and noises are vividly drawn as she catches up with Jean. Isobel, while determined not to be erased (the outcome if she fails in her task), also becomes embroiled in a series of disputes and is frequently rescued by Charles, a ten-year-old boy, who continues the journey with her. She faces many challenges, moves in royal circles, survives the heat of Tunis, and witnesses the consequences of battle, all to complete her mission. But is she successful? What follows, you'll need to read for yourself, but rest assured, this is no easy task.
If you enjoy history in all its glorious detail, then take a shot at this. It's an engaging, evocative read.
June 3, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this, both the time travel and historical aspects of it. Will be looking for more by this new to me author.
June 5, 2020
Story 📖
The year is past 2900 and Isabel is sitting in jail for a serious crime. Since time travel was perfected in 2900, historians send time correctors (often prison inmates) back in time to fix past wrongs.
Isabel is sent to France in 1270 to help save the town of the young King.
Despite thinking that the historians had educated her in all that she had to do - things start to not go to plan and it starts to look as though maybe Isabel was always supposed to end up in 1270.
Summary 📖
I thought this was such a cool idea for a book and I really enjoyed the way the author combined future, history, friendship and romance altogether. I’m so glad I picked this one up @kinokuniya_sydney as I really enjoyed it.
Suggestion 📖
If you like stories based on a really cool premise, I think you will enjoy this one. I thought it was great!
📖
The year is past 2900 and Isabel is sitting in jail for a serious crime. Since time travel was perfected in 2900, historians send time correctors (often prison inmates) back in time to fix past wrongs.
Isabel is sent to France in 1270 to help save the town of the young King.
Despite thinking that the historians had educated her in all that she had to do - things start to not go to plan and it starts to look as though maybe Isabel was always supposed to end up in 1270.
Summary 📖
I thought this was such a cool idea for a book and I really enjoyed the way the author combined future, history, friendship and romance altogether. I’m so glad I picked this one up @kinokuniya_sydney as I really enjoyed it.
Suggestion 📖
If you like stories based on a really cool premise, I think you will enjoy this one. I thought it was great!
📖
June 1, 2020
It was well written but eh it just came across as a bit privilege white middle upper class privilege somehow. It felt like the masses were regarded as just that 'the masses'.
Also trigger warning for rape.
Also trigger warning for rape.
April 13, 2020
First published at Booking in Heels.
So Isobel accidentally hits a child with her car and is sentenced to life in prison (which seems bizarre to me, but hey ho), unless she agrees to head back to 1270 and correct the course of time, led astray by a careless modern journalist. Excellent. I am completely on board with this plot. 100% up my street. A Crown in Time has my complete attention.
85478The time travel aspects are actually pretty great. Isobel has to figure out in what time she has landed and where, and how to complete her mission (by forcing the ancestor of the Bourbon monarchy to abandon following the Eighth Crusade) without derailing time more than it already is. I love it. She’s lost and confused, exactly as somebody almost two thousand years out of their time should be. She struggles with her companions’ body odour and lack of soap, and has to find ingenious ways to brush her teeth. All the detail I adore in these things.
A Crown in Time provides the perfect amount of detail about the Eighth Crusade; a topic which I knew literally nothing about. I love history, but my education was almost solely around British history (with a quick dip into the French Revolution). The book gives enough detail to follow the plot and learn a little something, but without getting bogged down in political detail which would have slowed down the story. It’s a great balance.
What isn’t a great balance is the shift between the over-arching story, i.e. fixing the timeline, and then the end game. The first two thirds of the book or so are great. But then A Crown in Time settles down into sort a historical fiction-romance – only more of the latter than the former. It was still fine, but what made it interesting was the historical aspects and that just sort of went. There was a definite focus on the romance. It reminded me of the later Outlander books, but without the detail.
It’s not that I disliked the latter part of the book – it’s just that historical romance wasn’t why I’d picked it up. It wouldn’t be so bad, but the romance is just… odd. Every aspect of romance in this book is odd – I can’t say much without spoilers, but trust me when I say it’s all a bit squicky and comes from nowhere. And there’s a lot of sex. It’s not graphic at all, but it’s also not necessary. Isobel has sex with three people consensually, is raped once, groped twice and references a previous historical rape. I know that such things definitely happened in the time period, but three unnecessary consensual partners in a 350 page book is a bit much.
In short, A Crown in Time exceeded my expectations and I loved the detail involved in Isobel’s journey back through time. I do think the second half lost its way somewhat – it was still enjoyable, just slightly jarring. I’d recommend this book to everyone who loves time travel, historical romance or the very specific combination of factors that I do. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series, as well as starting Jennifer Macaire’s next series, The Road to Alexander.
So Isobel accidentally hits a child with her car and is sentenced to life in prison (which seems bizarre to me, but hey ho), unless she agrees to head back to 1270 and correct the course of time, led astray by a careless modern journalist. Excellent. I am completely on board with this plot. 100% up my street. A Crown in Time has my complete attention.
85478The time travel aspects are actually pretty great. Isobel has to figure out in what time she has landed and where, and how to complete her mission (by forcing the ancestor of the Bourbon monarchy to abandon following the Eighth Crusade) without derailing time more than it already is. I love it. She’s lost and confused, exactly as somebody almost two thousand years out of their time should be. She struggles with her companions’ body odour and lack of soap, and has to find ingenious ways to brush her teeth. All the detail I adore in these things.
A Crown in Time provides the perfect amount of detail about the Eighth Crusade; a topic which I knew literally nothing about. I love history, but my education was almost solely around British history (with a quick dip into the French Revolution). The book gives enough detail to follow the plot and learn a little something, but without getting bogged down in political detail which would have slowed down the story. It’s a great balance.
What isn’t a great balance is the shift between the over-arching story, i.e. fixing the timeline, and then the end game. The first two thirds of the book or so are great. But then A Crown in Time settles down into sort a historical fiction-romance – only more of the latter than the former. It was still fine, but what made it interesting was the historical aspects and that just sort of went. There was a definite focus on the romance. It reminded me of the later Outlander books, but without the detail.
It’s not that I disliked the latter part of the book – it’s just that historical romance wasn’t why I’d picked it up. It wouldn’t be so bad, but the romance is just… odd. Every aspect of romance in this book is odd – I can’t say much without spoilers, but trust me when I say it’s all a bit squicky and comes from nowhere. And there’s a lot of sex. It’s not graphic at all, but it’s also not necessary. Isobel has sex with three people consensually, is raped once, groped twice and references a previous historical rape. I know that such things definitely happened in the time period, but three unnecessary consensual partners in a 350 page book is a bit much.
In short, A Crown in Time exceeded my expectations and I loved the detail involved in Isobel’s journey back through time. I do think the second half lost its way somewhat – it was still enjoyable, just slightly jarring. I’d recommend this book to everyone who loves time travel, historical romance or the very specific combination of factors that I do. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series, as well as starting Jennifer Macaire’s next series, The Road to Alexander.
March 29, 2020
Paying the price for a moment of distraction that had devastating consequences on the lives of two families, Isobel is sent back in time on a mission to right another wrong. She knows from the start this is a one-way trip, with the only option being success, as failure will mean she is erased from time. Hers is a lonely mission with huge responsibility and high stakes.
Arriving in France at a difficult period in time, Isobel is tasked to persuade the young Jean not to leave his family for an ill-fated crusade in Tunis. With knowledge that stands her out from the crowd, she can’t risk those around her becoming suspicious of her behaviour or singling her out as different, but who can she trust as a friend to help her to fulfil her mission.
One of the first people she meets is Charles, who becomes her loyal companion and helps her settle in to her new life, but things don’t go to plan. The facts she has been given don’t match the reality she finds herself living, and very soon she is swept along with the action, quickly becoming embedded in life on the crusade. Alongside her, we experience the discomfort, hunger, dirt and disease of daily life, and get an insider’s eye on the crusade and life in a royal court.
Living in a family unit and forming relationships, Isobel must battle with her emotions, both memories from her past (in the future) that never leave her, as well as feelings for those who she is now living amongst. She cannot risk her actions changing history in a different way than the Time Correctors planned.
I enjoyed following Isobel who showed herself as strong and determined, choosing to hang in rather than quit, but her flaws and mistakes are not overlooked either. If you are looking for something a bit different that seamlessly ties together the future, the past and complex relationships, then this book should tick all these and more.
Arriving in France at a difficult period in time, Isobel is tasked to persuade the young Jean not to leave his family for an ill-fated crusade in Tunis. With knowledge that stands her out from the crowd, she can’t risk those around her becoming suspicious of her behaviour or singling her out as different, but who can she trust as a friend to help her to fulfil her mission.
One of the first people she meets is Charles, who becomes her loyal companion and helps her settle in to her new life, but things don’t go to plan. The facts she has been given don’t match the reality she finds herself living, and very soon she is swept along with the action, quickly becoming embedded in life on the crusade. Alongside her, we experience the discomfort, hunger, dirt and disease of daily life, and get an insider’s eye on the crusade and life in a royal court.
Living in a family unit and forming relationships, Isobel must battle with her emotions, both memories from her past (in the future) that never leave her, as well as feelings for those who she is now living amongst. She cannot risk her actions changing history in a different way than the Time Correctors planned.
I enjoyed following Isobel who showed herself as strong and determined, choosing to hang in rather than quit, but her flaws and mistakes are not overlooked either. If you are looking for something a bit different that seamlessly ties together the future, the past and complex relationships, then this book should tick all these and more.
March 2, 2020
Jennifer Macaire has a knack for transporting the reader in time, alongside her characters. In A Crown in Time she brilliantly depicts the raw and unforgiving era of the Crusades. The moment you step into the story, your senses are assaulted with images, odours, sounds and textures that all come together to sweep you off your feet and take you right into the black heart of the Dark Ages. Macaire knows her stuff. She comfortably navigates the era when and the areas where her book is set, and you as a reader know that you’re in good hands. Gone is the vague romanticism of the Crusades and in comes the stench of death, dysentery and unwashed bodies. The sea crossing to North Africa and back left me reeling with sea-sickness. The brutality of human interaction in those days made me thank my lucky star that I was born eight hundred years later.
Then there are the characters. Isobel, the woman who travels from 2900 to save the French dynasty, isn’t a pre-progammed robot. She is fallible. She makes mistakes. She is unsure about her task. The threat of time-erasure hangs over her head and she doesn’t quite know how to avert it. Things go constantly wrong and she responds as best as she can. You can tell she is lost and that she is on her own. She not only needs to fend for herself (and that’s not an easy task even for her medieval contemporaries), but she also takes it upon herself to take care of Charles, her streetwise orphan sidekick. And of course she is tasked with protecting Jean, the future father of the kings. She invests herself in that task on more levels than one. And it doesn’t quite go to plan. But she has to go on and every new chapter is filled with new challenges.
A visceral read, full of passion and heart.
Then there are the characters. Isobel, the woman who travels from 2900 to save the French dynasty, isn’t a pre-progammed robot. She is fallible. She makes mistakes. She is unsure about her task. The threat of time-erasure hangs over her head and she doesn’t quite know how to avert it. Things go constantly wrong and she responds as best as she can. You can tell she is lost and that she is on her own. She not only needs to fend for herself (and that’s not an easy task even for her medieval contemporaries), but she also takes it upon herself to take care of Charles, her streetwise orphan sidekick. And of course she is tasked with protecting Jean, the future father of the kings. She invests herself in that task on more levels than one. And it doesn’t quite go to plan. But she has to go on and every new chapter is filled with new challenges.
A visceral read, full of passion and heart.
January 31, 2020
I haven't read any previous books in this series. The concept of time travel and the future world, Isobel comes from, is understandable. The historical setting has a good sense of place and time. It is atmospheric and vividly described.
Isobel is a corrector, sent back to the correct history, inadvertently altered by another time traveller. She has nothing to lose. Emotionally damaged after she killed a child in a car accident, she knows that failure means death. Success means life can continue, but in the time zone where she is. Isobel can never go back.
The story is told from her first-person point of view, but even when she witnesses the horrors of the time, her reactions are superficial. Her lack of emotional depth is apparent. Possibly due to her past life experiences. She is hard to empathise. Many of the relationships, whilst acceptable in the middle ages, seem wrong from a 21st-century viewpoint, but they do make the story authentic, despite its fantastical premise.
The sense of adventure, albeit misguided comes across well in this story. The plot cleverly interweaves fact and historical fiction. A considered and well-written time travel story with strong, vibrant characters and a fast-paced plot.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
Isobel is a corrector, sent back to the correct history, inadvertently altered by another time traveller. She has nothing to lose. Emotionally damaged after she killed a child in a car accident, she knows that failure means death. Success means life can continue, but in the time zone where she is. Isobel can never go back.
The story is told from her first-person point of view, but even when she witnesses the horrors of the time, her reactions are superficial. Her lack of emotional depth is apparent. Possibly due to her past life experiences. She is hard to empathise. Many of the relationships, whilst acceptable in the middle ages, seem wrong from a 21st-century viewpoint, but they do make the story authentic, despite its fantastical premise.
The sense of adventure, albeit misguided comes across well in this story. The plot cleverly interweaves fact and historical fiction. A considered and well-written time travel story with strong, vibrant characters and a fast-paced plot.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
February 1, 2020
This book is a fascinating and very successful mixture of sci-fi and historical fiction. Time travel is a theme that never grows old – for obvious reasons! – and the author uses it in an original and interesting way in this story.
Our unlikely by likeable heroine Isobel is hurled back in time and dumped unceremoniously in Medieval France. Her task of finding a certain Jean and persuading him not to fight in the next Crusade seems impossible, but she’s nothing if not determined. She is helped along the way by a variety of characters, some entirely fictional but others based on real people.
Both time periods are convincingly created, but I prefer the French setting. The author must have done a lot of research to conjure up such an atmosphere, sharing such details of the smells, food, clothes and so forth that you’d have encountered at that time.
I found the novel thoroughly absorbing and entertaining. As well as the excelletn settings and characterisations, the plot is clever and interesting, the writing flowing and a delight to read and the whole experience is wonderful.
Our unlikely by likeable heroine Isobel is hurled back in time and dumped unceremoniously in Medieval France. Her task of finding a certain Jean and persuading him not to fight in the next Crusade seems impossible, but she’s nothing if not determined. She is helped along the way by a variety of characters, some entirely fictional but others based on real people.
Both time periods are convincingly created, but I prefer the French setting. The author must have done a lot of research to conjure up such an atmosphere, sharing such details of the smells, food, clothes and so forth that you’d have encountered at that time.
I found the novel thoroughly absorbing and entertaining. As well as the excelletn settings and characterisations, the plot is clever and interesting, the writing flowing and a delight to read and the whole experience is wonderful.
February 20, 2020
I’m a big fan of Jennifer Macaire, so it was a no brainier when A Crown In Time was offered to me to review. One of my favorite things about Jennifer Macaire’s take on time travel is that it is simplified in the best way ever. It feels realistic and I understand what is happening. That makes it so satisfying!
I love how vivid Jennifer Macaire’s writing is. I was transported into this novel and could feel, see, smell and hear all the things she wanted me to. I felt like I was part of the story. This is the kind of book I love…one that absorbs you and captures your mind.
The characters are so real which makes this story even more compelling. I love when I feel like I know the characters. It makes me feel like I’m even more part of the story.
I love Jennifer Macaire’s stories. Her writing is brilliant and I highly recommend this novel!
5/5☆
*I recieved a free copy of this book from Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
I love how vivid Jennifer Macaire’s writing is. I was transported into this novel and could feel, see, smell and hear all the things she wanted me to. I felt like I was part of the story. This is the kind of book I love…one that absorbs you and captures your mind.
The characters are so real which makes this story even more compelling. I love when I feel like I know the characters. It makes me feel like I’m even more part of the story.
I love Jennifer Macaire’s stories. Her writing is brilliant and I highly recommend this novel!
5/5☆
*I recieved a free copy of this book from Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for an honest review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
April 30, 2020
The thing I love about Macaire's books is her intelligence and wit. They are well written, and delicious to digest in the way that a good writer can swing you from the hilarious to pathos within pages, and you just keep turning those pages to see what's coming next. She doesn't disappoint. I don't like to reiterate plots and ruin a reader's fun, so I will only say that this protagonist is as real as a modern (if misguided) woman dropped into the `13th Century can be. She has no pretenses, no airs and no nonsense about telling it like it is. And it's exciting and wonderful! And did I mention that the writing is superb?
November 1, 2020
Isobel is a convicted criminal who is offered a chance to atone for her crime by going back in time to save the crown of France. Thrown into France at the time of the crusades she must first of all find her quarry and then persuade him to go home. Simple right? No.
I loved this book. It was easy to read and a definite page turner. The characters were well drawn and I cared what happened to them. I even learned something about the history of the time.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone and I thank the author and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I loved this book. It was easy to read and a definite page turner. The characters were well drawn and I cared what happened to them. I even learned something about the history of the time.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone and I thank the author and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
February 13, 2020
It's a fascinating mix of historical fiction and sci-fi with a well researched and vividly described historical background.
The story flows and the characters are well thought and interesting.
The only fault I found is that the book is somewhat lacking in the world building of the present time but it's nonetheless and excellent and entertaining story.
It's the first work I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The story flows and the characters are well thought and interesting.
The only fault I found is that the book is somewhat lacking in the world building of the present time but it's nonetheless and excellent and entertaining story.
It's the first work I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
July 25, 2020
it hit on a lot of stuff i don't like so a HUGE nope from me
January 30, 2020
For the most part I really enjoyed this book; it reminded me of the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon, merged with the Caitlyn series by Elizabeth Davies & I was hooked on the story. I found protagonist Isobel interesting & adored her relationship with Charles & what she did to help & save others. However, some of her choices were strange & made no sense to me. Throughout almost the whole read I was desperate to see what happened - I even stayed up late on a work night to finish it. I wish I hadn’t . The last 30% or so really let it down though & I was really disappointed with the ending.
⚠️ This story contains starving children, forced operations (including a hysterectomy), references to suicide & self-harm, violence, scenes of a sexual nature & death/hunting of animals ⚠️
I was sent this book to review as part of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-36A
⚠️ This story contains starving children, forced operations (including a hysterectomy), references to suicide & self-harm, violence, scenes of a sexual nature & death/hunting of animals ⚠️
I was sent this book to review as part of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-36A
February 3, 2020
Although this is set in the same universe as the Time for Alexander series you don’t have to have read them to understand what’s going on. Jennifer has skill at writing a story and repeating information that those who have read the books will know, but new readers wont, in a way that doesn’t feel repetitive.
This is great as it ensures all readers know what going on without boring regular readers. There were even some differences in the reason and way Isobel was sent back in time. This was emphasised at the beginning of each chapter as a nugget of information from her Correctors Handbook was quoted before moving on.
I need to add that I want to talk about a spoiler coz it was part of what made this story so good for me!
The fact that Isobel couldn’t save his life had me thinking that that was going to be the end of things for her. Yet the fact that she was pregnant and able to continue his line after all meant that the key thing that he needed to do, have kids, was achieved.
But it left me wondering what the Institute saw in the history books when they compared the results. Like, did they see that he still died but his line continued? Did the books even record that?
I wanted to know more!
Ok, that’s the spoilers done.
As a stand-alone book using the same universe as the Time for Alexander series, I love the way this story was so different, and had so much emotion and backstory involved in such a short space.
This is great as it ensures all readers know what going on without boring regular readers. There were even some differences in the reason and way Isobel was sent back in time. This was emphasised at the beginning of each chapter as a nugget of information from her Correctors Handbook was quoted before moving on.
I need to add that I want to talk about a spoiler coz it was part of what made this story so good for me!
The fact that Isobel couldn’t save his life had me thinking that that was going to be the end of things for her. Yet the fact that she was pregnant and able to continue his line after all meant that the key thing that he needed to do, have kids, was achieved.
But it left me wondering what the Institute saw in the history books when they compared the results. Like, did they see that he still died but his line continued? Did the books even record that?
I wanted to know more!
Ok, that’s the spoilers done.
As a stand-alone book using the same universe as the Time for Alexander series, I love the way this story was so different, and had so much emotion and backstory involved in such a short space.
March 19, 2020
"A Crown in Time" had a really interesting premise, but the author rushed through the story. The characters didn't really have time to develop naturally, the romantic relationships felt forced and the different historical events all happened way to quickly without really leaving an impact on the story.
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