Sandy M’s review of Sword of the Highlands by Veronica Wolff
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 27 May 08
While I enjoyed the characters and the time travel aspect of this book, even learning something new about Scotland’s history, I didn’t like the fact that the hero and heroine spent so much time apart. I know the battles the hero faced and won for the Royalist cause at that time in history is important, but I felt bogged down, sometimes bored, with so much of it and then irritated with it because that’s what kept the main characters separated.
Yes, this is an historical time travel romance novel. I usually thoroughly enjoy reading about another country’s history, especially Scotland. I just had the hardest time with the length of time James was out fighting for his country, as did Magda at one point in the book. I realize at this point in Scots history battles such as depicted in this book were basically the way of life. But I’m reading a romance novel and I want more romance than I want fighting, battles, even talk of war. For me, the only author who gets away with so much epic description is Diana Gabaldon. In a book the third of the size of one of Gabaldon’s books I should be getting more conflict between my hero and heroine, not the hero and his enemies.
Okay, you know how I feel about that part of the story. The other parts of the book I did enjoy. I really did like James, a man of honor and duty, responsibility, which he takes all very seriously. He’s even forward thinking enough to not be too wigged out when he learns Magda is from the future. I did question his actions, however, when he kept charging into battle full speed ahead and at the same time waving Magda’s information of his death away, being cocky enough to tell her it won’t happen, that he’ll return to her no matter what. Of course, we know that’s not going to happen and it’s up to Magda to save the day. I felt it a little short sided of James to be as flippant as he was about it all while telling Magda he loves her and will return.
Magda is a modern day woman intrigued with history and works at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she encounters a portrait of James and is thrown back to his time when she touches it. She thinks it’s all a dream at first, but little by little she realizes she truly has traveled back in time. She slowly begins to fall in love with James and knows she has to stay with him instead of returning home.
When James first goes into battle after Magda arrives in his time, she goes with him. I know later he sends her to safety when the fighting escalates, but when I expected more of their time together after he comes home, all he does is pack up and take off again, much to Magda’s, and this reader’s, dismay. Especially when she knows his death is imminent. It was during these scenes of battle that I found myself skipping ahead. They just carried on too long, keeping James and Magda separated way too much.
I think this is one reason why story ideas that originate from true facts in history don’t appeal to me. Although some license is taken by authors during the length of their book, there’s only so much license they can take with certain parts of history. I know Ms. Wolff did change things around a bit as needed for her story, but it just wasn’t enough for me to really enjoy the book more. I’m definitely happy with ending I got and the author did devise an interesting way to extricate James from his enemies’ hands before it was too late.
But at the end for me, this was just an okay read because I just won’t remember all of those battles and the too little romance that I was given.
Grade: C
Summary:
SHE HAD TO GO BACK IN TIME TO FIND THE MAN OF HER DREAMS…
One minute, she’s New York heiress and art curator Magda Deacon, enraptured by the sexy Scotsman captured in an old portrait. The next, she’s falling through time to 17th century Scotland—and embarking on the most erotic journey of her life…
Infamous playboy James Graham, First Marquis of Montrose, doesn’t know what to make of the strange woman who’s stumbled into his life. Her accent may be foreign, but Magda plays golf and rides like a red-blooded Scotsman—not that James could ever mistake her succulent lips and curves for anything but deliciously female…
But war rages in the Highlands, the land for which James and his men will lay down their lives. And when Magda faces a terrifying enemy and a daunting choice, only her Scottish hero will be able to set things right…
Read an excerpt.
