My Rating: 4.5
Genre: Fiction/Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Format: eArc*
Publication Date: August 18, 2022
Author: Christina Courtenay
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Hidden in the Mists 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.
Hidden in the Mists 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
So this is the first book I have read by Christina Courtenay, but if her previous novels are anything like this one, it will not be my last.
When I read the blurb (above) I got some serious Outlander vibes. This is both good and bad. I am an Outlandish fan, so I love anything that reminds me of my dear James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser. However, I love Outlander so much that everything else seems to pale in comparison to my beloved series.
Hidden in the Mists did not falter to entertain me and, in fact, reminded me very little of Outlander by the end. Yes there was a time travel aspect with mystical properties, but the characters and intent of Hidden in the Mists differed so much from Outlander as to make it more of an inspiration.
Hidden in the Mists seemed to have a real world yet simultaneously mythical/supernatural air about it. And the dual timelines were absolutely gripping, especially as they wove back and forth. There were times I felt like I was reading a time traveling mystery.
The characters were so vivid and each had their own mysterious pasts that brought them together in a way that spanned space and time. Each of our main characters were so different but similar in many ways. I never once found myself feeling robbed of time with anyone and that is quite an accomplishment for a 4 POV book. Usually I feel wrenched or wanting from a POV switch, but I truly did not feel this way. I felt like I was returning to more fun with every switch.
Hidden in the Mists weaved it’s magic over me as I was spellbound after the first chapter.
Conclusion
Time slip is a popular historical fiction subgenre, but Christina Courtenay seems to have mastered in with Hidden in the Mists.
*Special thanks to Christina Courtenay and Rachels Random Resources for providing a copy of Hidden in the Mists in exchange for an honest review.
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