by Margot Hovley
ASIN : B094T42HFT
Publisher : Eagle Gate (June 1, 2021)
Publication date : June 1, 2021
Language : English
After a rough stint at work in the ER, Dillon Kelly is more than a little ready for a vacation when he packs his bags and sets off on a camping trip in the wilds of Ireland. But when a mysterious dagger covered in druidic markings appears in his backpack, Dillon finds himself hurtled into the fourteenth century. Thrust into the legends and politics of ancient Ireland, he is rescued from suspicious locals by a beautiful young woman named Ailish.
Ailish has always dreamed of being a bard, but there’s just one problem: women aren’t allowed. Determined to follow her heart, Ailish has fooled everyone into thinking she’s a boy—everyone, that is, except for Dillon. He’s agreed to keep her secret in exchange for her help in finding his way home to his own time. Despite the impossible barriers between them, feelings beyond friendship soon blossom. But more than just their budding romance is in danger. Ailish isn’t the only one who recognizes the dagger’s druidic significance, and there are those who would stop at nothing to harness its time-bending powers.
Time’s Dagger is a time travel romance with some supernatural and fantasy elements. It takes place during modern day as well as Medieval times.
The book opened with Dillon Kelly going hiking with his brother in Ireland. I’m Irish, and an avid hiker, so these scenes were extra interesting to me. I liked learning that the Irish call backpacking, “wild camping”. I also found it funny that Dillon bought a bunch of fancy hiking equipment, and he doesn’t even have a GPSr. And during the bushwhacking scene I kept thinking about all the ticks he would have to pick off. Though I don’t know how bad Ireland is with ticks vs America.
There are chapters written from both Dillion and Ailish’s viewpoints. I don’t know the exact breakdown, but it seemed like his viewpoint was told more often. Because of this it feels like we get to know him more than Ailish, and it also makes the book feel more contemporary; the most common theme from the Middle ages being the discussion of the druids and the fact that no one wore pants.
There were some interesting contrasts between the two time periods. Even in the middle ages, Dillon cannot live without his phone. At one point he shows Ailish some cat videos. She then describes the phone as “the box he’d shown me on the path—the one with wee little cat demons trapped inside it”.
I liked the mystery involving the dagger and some of the historical elements mentioned from the middle ages. While the theme of the story was interesting, I had a hard time getting past one of the main character’s worship of idols.
Timeless Novels 