Book Review: Time's Legacy by Barbara Erskine

Time's Legacy
by Barbara Erskine
HarperCollins
Genres: Romance, timeslip
ARC from amazon vine.

Blurb:

Ancient secrets buried deep in Glastonbury’s past.
And one woman’s quest to finally set them free.

Cambridge present day: Following the death of her mother, Abi Rutherford receives a mysterious bequest – a misshapen sphere of crystal known as the Serpent’s Stone which seems to hold echoes of concealed mysteries, long covered up by the church.

Western England 25AD: A stranger has come to the chilly Somerset wetlands, with a story of hope and reconciliation. But he is being followed by powerful forces, determined that he will not undermine Roman rule in Britain.

What connects these ancient events and Abi’s gift? And why do so many people seem desperate to hide the truth?

A strange shadow has fallen across the centuries, and a woman is in fear of her life. But is it danger that awaits her, or the final truth so long whispered across the echoes of time?



Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of The Chosen

I must admit that this reivew is biased. Why, you may ask? Well, there hasn't been one of Barbara Erskine's books that I didn't like whenever I've picked one up, and Time's Legacy is no exception. Peopled with complex characters and and rich, deep storylines, this book is like stepping into another world. Although quite a long book, the writing is flowing and fast-paced, with just enough description to detail what you need to know. Ms. Erskine knows how to weave a spell with words and none of them are wasted.

Some people might not like the duality of a modern day tale set against one so far in the past, in this case around 2,000 years ago, but for me it was book heaven. The main character, Abi, has just recently been ordained as a priest, which was unusual to say the least. I've only read one other set of books where the heroine was a female priest, the Merrily Watkins mysteries series by Phil Rickman.

Abi is very spiritual and a bit psychic, she also seems to have the gift of healing and these things combine to make her new boss, Keir Scott accuse her of witchcraft and she is forced out of her new parish on a retreat to the west country. Her story is juxtaposed with that of a young Roman family living near Glastonbury Tor and the enigmatic young man who is studying with the druids there. But with Abi's forays into the past becoming more and more frequent, is he a danger or something else?

It's a bit of cliche, but this book was a page turner. I needed to keep reading to find out what happened next. The storyline is intriuging, but I don't want to say too much in case I give the plot away, it is something you'd need to read for yourself and come to your own conclusions. But if you like things like the Da Vinci Code, then this one is another that you might like.

Great, satisfying read.