shannonmiz's Review of Into the Dim

by Janet B Taylor

"Instantly engaging, constantly suspenseful, ultimately poignant and satisfying. Loved it!"--Diana Gabaldon, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Outlander series

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. And she's alive, though currently trapped in the twelfth century, during the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Passing through the Dim, Hope enters a brutal medieval world of political intrigue, danger, and violence. A place where any serious interference could alter the very course of history. And when she meets a boy whose face is impossibly familiar, she must decide between her mission and her heart--both of which could leave Hope trapped in the past forever.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
When I started this book, I will confess, I was bored. Hope was irritating me, and I just felt like things were dragging. I seriously contemplated not finishing. But, when the real action of the story began, everything changed! Hope started to become not only a character I cared about, but one that I liked. The time travel itself was brilliant, and it was very clear that there was a lot of research done.

I haven't read anything else set in the twelfth century, ever. I really didn't even know much about it, honestly, except that it was probably pretty awful. So the setting was incredibly unique for me, but so was the actual time travel. I often feel like time travel parameters are similar in a lot of books, but not so in this one. At the same time, it wasn't confusing either.

And there were twists! I did not see most of them coming, either. That really kept me eagerly reading along, looking forward to the next bit of information that Hope was going to get. I also really enjoyed the romance. Don't want to say too much, other than I shipped it, and fear not, there isn't a triangle. :)

Bottom Line: Although this book and I had a rocky start, I ended up really enjoying and being completely invested in both the plot and the characters. I eagerly await the sequel!

*Copy provided by publisher for review

Into the Dim

by Janet B Taylor

Reviewed by shannonmiz on Feb 6, 2016

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