City of Time and Magic
My Rating: 4.5
Genre: Fiction/Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Format: Audiobook*
Publication Date: November 23, 2021
Author: Paula Brackston
Similar To
City of Time and Magic Blurb
Xanthe meets Brackston’s most famous heroine, Elizabeth Hawksmith from The Witch’s Daughter, in this crossover story with all the “historical detail, village charm, and twisty plotting” of the Found Things series (Publishers Weekly).
City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. While her earlier mission to Regency England had been a success, the journey home resulted in Liam being taken from her, spirited away to another time and place. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.
Xanthe is certain that Mistress Flyte has Liam and determined to find them both. But when she discovers Lydia Flyte has been tracking the actions of the Visionary Society, a group of ruthless and unscrupulous Spinners who have been selling their talents to a club of wealthy clients, Xanthe realizes her work as a Spinner must come before her personal wishes. The Visionary Society is highly dangerous and directly opposed to the creed of the Spinners. Their actions could have disastrous consequences as they alter the authentic order of things and change the future. Xanthe knows she must take on the Society. It will require the skills of all her friends, old and new, to attempt such a thing, and not all of them will survive the confrontation that follows.
City of Time and Magic Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
Probably my favorite book of the series thus far. Paula Brackston is a meticulous story teller in the best way. All of the historical detail seems to unfold around the story, creating this completely consuming world. If I didn’t know better, I would think I had genuinely time travelled or maybe Ms. Brackston has some secrets of her own?
Either way, The Found Things is a magical series and this installment is no different.
I would suggest reading the entire series before starting this one. There is just too much happening and too much that has happened to jump in on book 4. Or maybe that’s just because I love the series so much and wouldn’t want anyone to miss any of them.
The historical detail is impeccable, but I want to caution new readers that the pace of the story is not a thriller. City of Time and Magic really takes its time and I am 100% ok with that. I get to enjoy the build up and the last 20% of this book, as with all of Paul Brackston’s books, the ending just soars. Full of action while also fitting in perfectly with the tone of the rest of the story.
Conclusion
I can’t say enough about this series and encourage all historical fiction fans to start the Found Things series immediately.
*Special thanks to Paula Brackston, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of City of Time and Magic in exchange for an honest review.
Leave a Reply