4.5/5 Thank you to Net Galley and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second entry in Andrew Varga’s Jump In Time series. Dan and Sam’s story continues on from the Last Saxon King. What a great mix of history and fantasy! Good character development is continued with their next jump back in time and it is a really fun, fast read.

Dan Renfrew & his time jumping partner, Sam, are teens from our time who are descended from a long line of secret heroes who correct glitches in the time continuum of the past to ensure that our present is kept safe.
This time, Dan & Sam’s adventures take them to a period that less is known about. A time when the Celts and Romans are clashing over territory in what is now known as the U.K. They easily find each other and then join a group of Celts progressing east away from their homes, running from the advance of the Roman forces. Their group has been trying to get to the Island of the Druids where they hope to be safe with other fleeing Celts.

Once on the island, Dan’s tattoo gives him away as a time jumper - one of the Druids is also a time jumper who has been stuck in this time for a while. He has risen in the ranks such that he can have underlings check all the males coming onto the island for the time jumper tattoo. As it turns out, this Druid was the cause of the time glitch. He was trying to contact other time jumpers. He is able to give Dan and Sam (and the reader) a little more information about the jump rods.

Since less is actually known about this time in history, it is difficult to know how accurate it is; but the fantasy aspect makes up for lots and the story is very entertaining. The interactions with the one Celt couple (Atto & his wife) are a little contrived, but forgivable as they help move the story along.

A very good second entry to the series. Can’t wait to read more!

The Celtic Deception
Jump In Time #2
Andrew Varga
This is the second book in the Jump In Time series, while I recommend reading them in order this book does stand well alone. The premise of this series focuses on Daniel the descent of time jumpers; they travel to the past to fix anomalies in time that portend to change history. Once Dan has jumped to the past he must remain there until he repairs the past and sets it on the right course.
In the first book Daniel walks in on an attack on his father. Before losing consciousness his father passes on the responsibility of time jumping to Daniel. He is transported to 1066 where the Vikings are destroying England in the north and the Norman army is making preparations to attack the south. While Dan struggles to keep the past on the correct path a band of malicious self-serving time jumpers determined to change past events impend him.
In book 2, The Celtic Deception Daniel’s father is still in a coma. Seventeen-year-old, Daniel and Sam jump to 60 AD Wales. The Celts are escaping the looming attack of the Roman army committed to destroying their way of life. As Daniel fights for his life, he accidentally creates a new glitch in time. Sam searches for the original glitch. Both young men wonder if they will ever see their time again.
Victor Stahl is the evil bad guy in this series. He demands Daniel and Sam pledge their fidelity to him or their jump sticks so they can no longer time jump. A stranded time jumper created the glitch in time in hopes of being rescued.
The characters of Daniel and Sam complement each other. The first book ended rather brusquely leaving unanswered questions. The same thread continues in book 2. This is what connects this series. I doubt we have all the answers until the series ends. The plot is a mixture of historical fact and fiction, history, and sci fiction. The target audience for this book in my opinion is 13 and higher. I highly recommend this series.
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I actually recieved this book as a review copy. Now, I have to get the first in the series and am hoping that there are many more to follow.

This author does an excellent job of giving historical facts that make the story all the more believable! From the first page until the last I was totally invested in the story and the characters.

A pair of teenagers connected only by their time-jumping abilities who met in a previous time jump. Not only must they survive the Roman attack on the Celts but they must also fight a much worse enemy in the form of a powerful man who is also a time jumper.

With all the twists and turns in this story there is so much to love about it!

I absolutely cannot wait until another book comes out and I will be looking into purchasing the first in the series.

I reviewed this on Goodreads and went immediately to Amazon to pre-purchase both books. Please tell me that the third in the series and the continuing story of Sam and Dan will be out before the end of next year! This is such a fun and enjoyable book - I can't wait to introduce my kids to it.

Andrew Varga is a master story-teller!! And this book show-cases that story-telling ability.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first title in the Jump in Time, so I had high expectations for The Celtic Deception. Mr. Varga did not disappoint with a similar blend of mystery, history, and adventure.

Instead of the middle ages, Dan and Sam find themselves surrounded by Celts on the verge of annihilation by the Romans. They soon discover that the time glitch was made by another time jumper who had been stuck in the past without the needed rod to return to his present.

Along with deepening their relationship, Dan and Sam learn a bit more about time jumping from him.

All in all, an enjoyable read. My middle school son actually read this title before I had a chance and he gave it thumbs up.

The Celtic Deception is Dan and Sam's second time-travelling adventure, all the way back to the island of Anglesey when the Romans conquered the last Celtic stronghold in Wales. Andrew Varga's writing has eradicated several of the weaker parts encountered in The Last Saxon King and we begin to see a larger scope in the series.

We see the Romans through their opponents' eyes, a point of view which is not common nowadays, and the book scratches the surface of the lost in time ancient Celtic culture.

The dialogue has improved and the main characters feel way less generic and bland than they did in the first book of the series - although Dan remains unpleasantly thirsty.

I am looking forward to the 3rd book which will (judging from the title) not take place in Britain!

Thank you NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the ARC!

I had trouble putting this book down. Excellent world building with a fascinating explanation of time travel. The author executes this page turner science fiction/adventure/time travel with amazing brilliance. The surprising conclusion ties it all together in a way that for this reader is satisfying and complete.

it is so rare to read book two of a series and enjoy it even more than the first book, but here we are. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed the introductory book, I enjoyed this one even more. The author does an amazing job of pulling you into every scene and every battle, and making you care about the characters - feeling all their emotions. This book is an immersive experience and look into a world of which little is known - but now I feel I have a better understanding of the culture that was lost so long ago. And now I am anxious for book three!

An awesome second installment to Varga’s time jumper series. This book will find Dan and Sam landing around the year 60 during a time when the Roman’s were destroying the Celts. I enjoyed this second book a lot. I do wish it was slightly longer but hopefully the following books will be published to continue the journey. During this trip Dan and Sam will meet another time jumper who finds himself stranded in time and creating his own way back home. This will cause many difficulties for the pair of travelers. Dan seems to have grown up quite a bit since the first novel, but I suppose having traveled back in time and nearly killed in history will do that to a person. I highly recommend this series.

The Celtic Deception has second book syndrome, but it’s still enjoyable. This book is written with tweens and teens in mind, so the target audience may be less critical than me, but if the author wants to hold the attentions of adult audiences, I recommend revising before the book is published,

First off, the title is a spoiler. I didn’t even question whether the sketchy Druid’s sketchy plan was on the level, and the main characters definitely had other options besides obeying this stranger. That made for less suspense and more being annoyed whilst waiting for things to go wrong.

Speaking of other options for the protagonists, you could march two Roman legions through the plot holes the new functions of the time travel device introduced. (The new function of locating other devices was not even utilized in this book, despite having multiple good reasons to do so, so I’m confused about why they were added at all.) If Dan and Sam only had to dig up the one item and destroy it to ‘fix the glitch’, and they could now use their device to locate other devices, why did they not send a pair of locals and Sam on fast horses to fix the glitch and have Dan and the Druid try to hide themselves, or follow behind Sam in a cart? They didn’t have to get involved in a battle they knew would be a slaughter, as that was the non-glitched historical outcome.

They get involved in the battle though. So when they were betrayed, why did Sam and Dan not use the locator function to find the thieving Druid? When they got back to the future, why didn’t they use the locator function to check for the nearest time travelers instead of blindly walking into a suspected trap? There are a ton of extra time traveling devices laying around now? The details about the time devices and conflict were spare in the first book and didn’t raise a ton of questions, but if I expounded upon all of the questions I have now that inspire doubts about internal consistency, this review would go on too long.

The best part of the story after the descriptions of life in Celtic Wales was Dan’s friendship with Atto. It gave the book a nice ending.

I hope that Dan and Sam don’t have a falling out between every book and have to repeatedly regrow their relationship. It seems like Sam escaping her abusive home, growing emotionally, and a larger entanglement with the time traveling megalomaniac cult will be part of the story in the future. I’m looking forward to it.

Overall, I would say the writing style is consistent with the first book, but the pacing, plot and character building need some work. The author’s knowledge of history and ability to use it as fiction is great. I would love to read some straight historical fiction aimed toward adult audience by this author.

Very interesting, loved the history! Dan and Sam are time jumpers, with the help of "jump sticks", and travel to locations in time where there are anomalies. They are to correct these anomalies and then they can jump back to their own time. There has to be a bad guy, and of course he's rich and powerful, enter Victor. He wants their allegiance or their jump sticks so they can't jump. Dan and Sam learn through their sticks of an anomaly and jump back to the time of the Celts fighting the Romans. They find another jumper there whose partner had taken his stick and left him back their. He created the issue to get jumpers to come and rescue him! What happens next is the whole story! It was a little disjointed, but that could be because of the time jumping. It was a good read and makes me interested in the first and the next! Hoping there is more for Dan and Sam to learn about themselves!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I did not read the first novel but "The Celtic Deception" makes sure that you can catch up right away. It's about time travelling teenagers who are hunted by other time travellers. In this book, the two protagonists travel to Boudiccan times Wales. They meet a time traveling druid who has been stuck there for a while and are threatened by the arrival of the Roman conquerors.

As somebody with a Celtic Studies degree rating this book, I am sorry to say that I am not happy: it was poorly researched, the othering was ridiculous, and the Celts seemed useless and were ridiculed throughout - of course an American teen needs to save them... In connection to the narrative, it was terribly predictable and the teenage protagonists feel older than they are. I was quite annoyed by this stereotypical and not really properly researched take on Wales and the oversimplification and overgeneralisation of all the Celtic content. I did like parts of the story though, such as the somewhat mad Celtic dude leaving a message. That was funny.

But overall disappointing, but I haven't found an Andrew Varga book that I actually enjoy yet, so maybe I am part of the problem as well.

I loved this story. Even though I haven’t read the first book in the series, I never felt like I was lost. The characters were very relatable and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I did not read the first book in this series but easily followed the story and this could be read as a stand alone with no trouble at all. However, I will be going back and reading the first because I enjoyed this so much. I requested the ARC based soley on the title due to my own English and Welsh heritage and interest in the Celtic history.

The mix of historical fictition and sci fi/fantasy was intriguing and kept the story exciting from page one.

Dan and Sam work wonderfully and compliment each other so well. Dans devotion and commitment to his friends is a theme that always keeps me interested in a story.

I can't wait to see what other adventures they find themselves on!

Andrew Varga has another winner here. The Celtic Deception is smart and a great escape. Thank you for these clever books. I love the way the last and present are woven together.

I really like this series. I think this book would stand alone well, but it would probably be better to read them in order, as this is a continuation of the first story which was left with a cliffhanger.
Our teen heroes time travel to Celtic Wales 2000 years in the past. An adventure ensues similar to the first book but in a different setting. They solve the timeline glitch and return to the present and still have to deal with the cliffhanger problem from book 1. I found this part of the story somewhat abrupt. It still is not resolved by the end of this novel; therefore, this part of the story is the thread binding all of the novels in the series together. The Celtic story came to a satisfying conclusion at the end of the novel.
This series is intended for YA reader. I would rate it PG-13 for language, violence, and teenage boy fantasies. It's a fun adventure story that I think the target audience would enjoy. The characters and historical setting are well-developed. The dialogue is believable and includes an entertaining dose of humor and sarcasm.
These books would make a great tv (or streaming) series. Their episodic nature combined with the ongoing plot make it an engaging series. I will definitely read the next installment.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Celtic Deception is the second book in the Jump in Time series but could be read as a stand-alone story. Once again 17 year old time jumper Dan faces the threat and evil plotting of villain Victor Stahl. Though Victor has forbidden him from time jumping, Dan and fellow jumper Sam travel back in history to 60 AD Celtic Wales where they must once more solve a time glitch in order to return home. Celts are fleeing the approaching Roman army which is intent on destroying their homes and culture. Dan and Sam encounter druids, make Celtic friends and meet a suspicious stranded fellow time jumper. In the course of the Roman attack, Dan must once again fight and faces threats to his life and his very future. Sam searches for the original glitch while Dan creates one of his own. Will he and Sam make it home?

Once again Andrew Varga has given us an exciting story full of action, suspense, raw emotion and historical detail. Dan and Sam’s relationship evolves over the course of their travels. Several hints of what will be explored in the next book are included at the end of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and eagerly await the next instalment in the series! I give this book five stars!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.

Not the typical time travel book.

Was not expecting much, just another time travel book, but was really surprised. I actually enjoyed nthis book!

The story was fast moving and exciting.

The time period was perfect (the Celtic island of Anglesey in 60 CE). I am not a huge history buff, but I loved this setting and the author's descriptions give the sense of being there.

Dan and Sam on my favorite characters, which is as it should be. And I absolutely hate Victor. Author had me from chapter one

Recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opiniond.

5 Stars!! Loved this book just as much as the first book in this series! This is the second book in the ‘A Jump in Time’ series and can be read as a standalone, although I recommend reading book one first. The author has a way of giving tons of historical facts and making it actually interesting and entertaining. Perfect read for teens and adults. I’d say it’s a mix of historical facts & fiction, mystery, with a bit of romance thrown in, lots of adventure, fighting, action, surprises around every corner, and all in all a very entertaining read that I HIGHLY recommend!! I love that I feel smarter for having read this book too, since there were so many facts included which the author then explains a bit at the end. This book had me crying over people that were mistreated and dead over 2,000 years ago and I really can’t wait for the next book in this series! So worth reading! You won’t be sorry!
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

“Waiting for a new glitch to appear became a daily agony”
“But sometimes there are many paths leading to the same destination”
Wow !! I was a fan of book one which completely changed my way of seeing time travel but this one … if possible it was even better !!! I enjoyed Dan and Sam’s journey through Celts and Romans’ fights so much this time around that I actually couldn’t put the book down.
I felt completely enraptured but the plot and the mystery still connected to Victor and both their real lives.
Again I managed to create some friends in a place where, technically, you shouldn’t have them.
After all if you jump in the past … it’s not like you’re gonna be there forever … right?
I loved how the author developed the relationship between Dan and Sam and how much stronger they both are when they’re together, if compared to when they’re apart !! I love how much they find solace in their friendship and they trust each other even during the darkest and most doubtful of times !!
I had so much fun reading this second instalment and I actually both cannot wait for it to be out and the story to grow!!!
“Just two heroic time jumpers celebrating the fact that they aren’t dead”
“Here’s to you Atto, my friend. And to doing the impossible”

This is a young adults SF Historical Fiction and succeeds in forming that sense of wonder about the past
How the past has led to the present and how things may of been different if any changes were made
Within the story the characters actions were believable always difficult to see how people from another timeline would fit into being parachuted into a time and place in the past
A very good read and will give young people more a sense of some Historical Facts
I recommend this to any young or old interested in SF Time Travel and History