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A review by lillian_francis
Shadows on the Border by A.L. Lester
4.0
I have to hope that this series isn’t finished. For now it’s at a suitable pause but I need to know what happened to Will and Fenn, even if it’s only in another short story. I’d also like more about the couple from The Gate and how Arthur’s book (because I have to believe that is Arthur’s book) ended up in junk shop for Mira to find. And I want to know if Lew and Alec manage to track down any of the descendants of Kelly’s acquaintances.
Obviously, none of what I’ve said above will make any sense to you if you’ve not read the books in this series, but hopefully it will show the impact these stories have had on me that I want to know more about these people.
This story, Shadows on the Border, is not a standalone and can’t under any circumstances be read that way. It’s a part two, to Lost in Time’s part one, and I honestly believe that they should have been produced as one novel. Neither are particularly long in themselves, and this would have prevented the cliffhanger in both mystery and relationship that end the first book. That said I read them one after the other (starting with The Gate, although that isn’t entirely necessary) and without reading anything else in between.
I liked the pretty much everything about these books. The characters, the premise, the murder storyline, the 1920’s post war setting and even the gentle love story between Alec and Lew and the even subtler one between Fenn and Will Grant. That said, the books aren’t without their issues. The cliffhanger at the end of book 1 I personally find infuriating but might not bother others. There were quite a few typos in both books, not just the ARC, but I find this is the norm for that publisher. My biggest issue was with the timeline in both books. It read as though additional chapters had been added at a later date but the timeline not adjusted. However all of these things are minor irritations.
If you’re looking for an interesting time travel story with an urban fantasy (or is it scifi, I’m not great with the distinctions in this sort of situation) storyline and a gentle, low key gay romance then you need look no further.
Obviously, none of what I’ve said above will make any sense to you if you’ve not read the books in this series, but hopefully it will show the impact these stories have had on me that I want to know more about these people.
This story, Shadows on the Border, is not a standalone and can’t under any circumstances be read that way. It’s a part two, to Lost in Time’s part one, and I honestly believe that they should have been produced as one novel. Neither are particularly long in themselves, and this would have prevented the cliffhanger in both mystery and relationship that end the first book. That said I read them one after the other (starting with The Gate, although that isn’t entirely necessary) and without reading anything else in between.
I liked the pretty much everything about these books. The characters, the premise, the murder storyline, the 1920’s post war setting and even the gentle love story between Alec and Lew and the even subtler one between Fenn and Will Grant. That said, the books aren’t without their issues. The cliffhanger at the end of book 1 I personally find infuriating but might not bother others. There were quite a few typos in both books, not just the ARC, but I find this is the norm for that publisher. My biggest issue was with the timeline in both books. It read as though additional chapters had been added at a later date but the timeline not adjusted. However all of these things are minor irritations.
If you’re looking for an interesting time travel story with an urban fantasy (or is it scifi, I’m not great with the distinctions in this sort of situation) storyline and a gentle, low key gay romance then you need look no further.