Monday, November 17, 2014

Time slip novels by Susanna Kearsley

Everybody has that author that every time they put out a book, you read it. Maybe they have a theme that works or things are always thought out well. Maybe their characters are developed well or there are real surprises and twists in their books.  For me, that author is Susanna Kearsley.

Kearsley, for the most part, writes what she calls "Time Slip" novels.  They focus on a modern character somehow being incorporated into past events.  They can be passively involved, watching scenes unfold from an outside perspective or the characters can be active in past events.  The best part of these stories is that it never happens in the same way twice.


Also, look how pretty her covers are! Sure, there is a theme going, at least with her kindle covers but it works for me.  Her paperback covers are a little more diverse and the ones that were written most recently are equally beautiful.  Each one reveals a tiny piece of the story, even if they all seem very similar.  I personally like the Mariana cover the best.

Kearsley writes mostly about the English countryside and the history associated with it.  Often, the stories are set in the shadow of a beautiful castle or manor house with its own stories to tell.  But still, every one of these books is different from the others.  Three of them, The Shadowy Horses, The Winter Sea, and The Firebird (in that order) all tie together in their own ways but can be read separately.  They are great books to pick up on a cold winter afternoon with a massive cup of tea, a blanket and a fuzzy dog to keep you warm.

Two of these books also have one of my favorite book boyfriends in them.  The Shadowy Horses focuses on Robbie as a child, where his unusual talents with communication with the past are explored by an eccentric archaeologist on the Scottish coast. He is a smart kid to say the least and even as young as he is, Robbie is comfortable with who he is and what he can do.  He accepts himself and everybody respects that, for the most part.  The Firebird catches up with Robbie (Rob now) as a 28 year old man and shows how much he has grown.  I fell completely in love with Rob and it was impossible to resist his charms.

That's how well this author writes her stories.  Kearsley can take a child and turn him into a man without it seeming silly or focusing on his past too much.

So, do y'all have an author that you are obsessed with and read everything they write?

2 comments:

  1. Yes! I have many authors on my auto-buy list e.g. Sarah J. Maas, Murakami, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, Morgan Matson, Laini Taylor... I WILL READ WHAT THEY WILL WRITE =D

    I'm not familiar with Kearsley's works, but the "time slip" concept is so complex and mind-boggling, i like! i admire that she never writes the same story twice, because i know some authors whose stories fall into a fixed framework over time (ahem Dan Brown). i want to read her books someday! thank you so much for recommending =))

    alicia @ noverly things

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    1. I love Sarah J. Maas books but I have to admit, I haven't heard of the others. Maybe something new to try!

      Kearsley books are really charming and even within the same series, the time slip doesn't happen in the same way, book to book. It is amazing the way she writes. Dan Brown and Nicholas Sparks have both figured out a formula that works for them and apply it to all of their books.

      Thanks for commenting! Definitely pick up one of these books at the bookstore if you see it :-)

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