The Map Across Time by C S Lakin

This an amazing tale of time travel and a search for the cure of an ancient curse...


Living Ink Books will be publishing this book in March and sent me an ARC for review (thank you).  I had read the Wolf of Tebron and loved it, so I was anxious to see where the next book in the series would take me.


First the queen dies from some mysterious disease and then the King starts acting weird.  The King's teenage twins, Adin and Aletha, know there is something evil going on.  The kingdom is falling into disrepair and the people are close to revolting and the councillor is gaining too much power.


Ms. Lakin does a wonderful job of making her story move right along with no wasted motions and no unanswered questions.  Her characters are filled with life and you feel like you are there travelling with them.  You also empathize with Adin, who has some physical deformities and his father's scorn for defective.


The King has become a collector.  He wants the best, the most uncommon, the hardest to find objects.  So when he finds out there is a firebird in the forest, he wants to acquire it for his collection.  Adin decides he will try to capture the bird and see if he can win the King's favor.  But his adventure in the forest eventually leads him into the past...


The author's accounting of time travel gets a bit complex, but is a great read.  Adin's sister, Aletha, follows him back in time and there are tough choices to be made about how to save their world and how to accomplish it.


I really like this author's work and highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fantasy read.  My very favorite character is Winston, the pig.


If you'd like my ARC, leave a comment here on the blog and email at info @ bookfaerie.com (take out the spaces) with your name and ADDRESS and why you'd like to read it.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.