Out of Time by Gill Jepson

Nate enjoys being an archaeologist searching for fragments of the past.  It's a way to make history real.  He has no idea just how dangerous that can be...

The author sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  You can purchase a copy on Amazon now.

I was fascinated by the author's use of history and time travel in the story.  The story is busy, the time travel takes Nate back generations, and the evil is there at every corner.

Here is the history of the story's setting from the author's website: 

"All the books are based around the Furness area in South Cumbria. The hidden gem where the action takes place is Furness Abbey the Cistercian monastery which was first established in 1127 by monks from Tulketh near Preston, who were Savigniac monks. The abbey became an influential, powerful and very rich reaching as far as the Isle of Mann, all over Cumbria and Lancashire. It was the second richest abbey in the country and being so-the first large abbey to be targeted by Henry VIII in the dissolution.

John Stell the monk in the stories is based around a real historical character. He was an abbey scribe and was responsible for the creation of the Coucher Book-a daily record of the abbey's business. He has always fascinated me because he managed to insert his self portrait into an illuminated letter, it made me wonder if he was a bit of a special character...and then of course he became one of the main characters in my book. I enjoyed putting flesh on his bones and he became real to me. He is even more important since the discovery of the abbot's skeleton, and I have mused whether he might have known him.

The recent discovery of the fully articulated skeleton was unique, but to find him with a ring and a crosier was even more fascinating. The artifacts will serve to save the abbey, they were only found because of emergency conservation work to prevent the walls falling down. They will provide a focus for renewed interest in the abbey and hopefully will encourage more visitors. The treasures will eventually return to be on permanent display. This has come at just the right time and gives the abbey a new lease of life."

With this history worked into the story, it's a history lesson as well as a grand adventure story.

Nate and his friends (who also happen to be relatives from the past) do what they must to solve the mystery about where the sword is buried.  While they do that, their enemy is never far behind.

This was book two in the series, but it was fine read alone.  I'm pretty sure there will be another story in the series.  Nate's adventures aren't done yet...

Happy reading.