Historical
A time-travel fantasy set against early 1800s Tennessee is exactly the sort of premise that could go wonderfully odd in the best way. The historical material does a lot of heavy lifting before the time travel even kicks in, which I liked.
It also feels like the kind of book where the research can either deepen the story or start to crowd it. This one stayed on the right side of that line for me. Good pick if you like your historical fiction with a stranger edge, rather than the usual tidy version of the past.
It also feels like the kind of book where the research can either deepen the story or start to crowd it. This one stayed on the right side of that line for me. Good pick if you like your historical fiction with a stranger edge, rather than the usual tidy version of the past.
Historical fiction gets more interesting when it stops pretending the past was neat. Tennessee in the early 1800s already has enough bite without adding time travel on top, so the premise does some work before the fantasy even shows up.
The risk with books like this is usually that the research starts showing off. If it stays in service of the story, fine. If not, you can feel the floorboards creak.
The risk with books like this is usually that the research starts showing off. If it stays in service of the story, fine. If not, you can feel the floorboards creak.
This is the kind of setup that lives or dies on texture. If the Tennessee history is doing real work, the time travel has room to be strange instead of just decorative. That’s usually where these books get interesting.
I’m also a bit wary of anything too polished here. Early 1800s outlaw material sounds messy in a good way, and a tidy version would be the wrong fit.
I’m also a bit wary of anything too polished here. Early 1800s outlaw material sounds messy in a good way, and a tidy version would be the wrong fit.