(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Jesse Marley calls herself a realist; she’s all about the here and now. But in the month before Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding in 1981, all her certainties are blown aside by events she cannot control. First she finds out she’s adopted. Then she’s run down by a motorbike.
In a London hospital, temporarily unable to speak, she uses her left hand to write. But Jesse’s right-handed. And as if her fingers have a will of their own, she begins to draw places she’s never seen, people from another time—a castle, a man in medieval armour. And a woman’s face.
Rory Brandon, Jesse’s neurologist, is intrigued. Maybe his patient’s head trauma has brought out latent abilities. But wait. He knows the castle. He’s been there.
So begins an extraordinary journey across borders and beyond time, one that takes Jesse to Hundredfield, a stronghold built a thousand years ago by a brutal Norman warlord and passed down to the noble Dieudonné family, a clan honored and burdened with the task of protecting England’s dangerous northern border in the fourteenth century. Jesse holds the key to the castle’s many secrets and its connection to the mystical legend of the Lady of the Forest.
Somehow Hundredfield, with its history of darkness and light, of bloody battles won and lost, will help Jesse find her true lineage. In a world where the tales of old are just a heartbeat away, there are no accidents. There is only fate.

A blend of genres in this story that are both, at times, helpful and a detriment to the story.

In essence, this story is about a young woman who "time-travels" back to 14th century Scotland and, through a series of events, makes them question everything about their own existences. At least, that's what I took from it...

I enjoyed the early 90's part of this story, I think there is something interesting about Jesse's character in 1981. An Australian, living in England, trying to track down her origins there. Intriguing history story that I was somewhat pulled into...

...but sadly, when we "time-slip" back to the 1300's, it lost the appeal for me. No real specific reason but I felt that any connection I had with the "origin" story for Jesse was lost in the historical part of the novel.

Having said all that, the writing style was easy to read and I never had that jarring sensation I sometimes get when reading historical fiction - the one when you know something is impossible in the time setting and throws you right out of the story. Like I said, I liked Jesse's character and Bayard was very good, too. I took to him as well - he felt genuine and every time he spoke, I felt that sense of history (weird, I know!)

I have read comparisons to Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series but I don't think that is fair to either author. Sure, they both take place in Scotland...but that is about the only link.

Overall, I think this was a very decent story that could have been a whole lot more.


Paul
ARH

Different to what I normally read, but still enjoyable this was well written and very unique.