Neri
The Shield and the Thistle by Jillian Bondarchuk
As always, I’d like to start by thanking the author for giving me the chance of reviewing their book in exchange for an eARC. So, without further ado…
⭐⭐⭐/5
The Shield and the Thistle is the author’s first installment in “The Grey Tower Chronicles”, which is a series made up of several standalones. This is described as “a love beyond time. An adventure beyond imagination…”. The main protagonist is Maggie, who leaves Manhattan and sets off to Scotland after being dumped by her boyfriend. While hiking in the mountains, she falls through a cave and goes back in time to the 17th century.
Maggie needs to adapt herself to this new time and the people around her. But, “when she attracts the eye of Colin Mackinnon, brother to the region’s Laird, she finds herself wondering if she really wants to return to her own time after all”.
The more she ventures into this world, the more she discovers how free and comfortable she feels. Although she feels like her world is upside down, “she feels a fire she’s never felt before” when she’s around Colin. Will this be enough for her to stop trying to find answers and go back to her time? The place is dangerous and Maggie is unaccustomed to the violence and feuds between clans and Colin will help her navigate this new place but “what are they willing to sacrifice in the name of love?”
TRIGGER WARNINGS
- Implied sexual assault
- Human trafficking
- Violence
- Mental abuse
- Torture
SPOILERS AHEAD, BEWARE!
I really liked this book. To be honest, it was a very refreshing novel and it helped me break from the high fantasy books I usually read. The author’s writing style is very flowy and that makes the plot evolve at a quick pace.
If I had to describe it, I would use the words “found family”, “time travel” and “romance”. I need to say that Steven is awful, I can’t even describe how much I hate him. Does he appear that much in the novel? Nope. But I really needed to put it out there.
I enjoyed seeing Meggie’s time in the MacKinnon castle and how she evolved and adapted to the new world and new people. If I had to complain about anything, I’d say the action comes very far into the book and that makes the climax of the story to be resolved very fast. In addition, some of the issues or the end can be somewhat expected.
I would definitely recommend this book, particularly to Outlander fans. It is the perfect mix between time travel and romance. Finally, although it is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone; which I surprisingly loved.
There are three reasons as to why I wouldn’t personally rate it higher:
- I would love to have seen Meggie and Colin’s relationship growing more organically by spending more time together and enjoying each others’ company. I feel like they made rushed decisions, on a whim, for what felt like true love but it was difficult to connect with it as a reader.
- As I commented before, the climax of the story is very quickly resolved. My problem was that I was loving the way Jillian built that intensity on the story but it quickly faded away.
- I was definitely attracted to it for the Outlander vibe it gave me, but I was hoping for bigger differences that would make the book unique.
Finally, I really want to see what comes next and how the characters will evolve.
Goodreads: goodreads.com/book/show/58491777-the-shield-and-the-thistle
Instagram: @jillianbondarchuk
