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5.0 out of 5 stars
Don Your Medieval Garb. Sam and Meg Are At It Again!, March 18, 2005
This review is from: Partners In Time #2: Going Medieval (Paperback)
Sam Foster, the creator of a CD player time machine that can instantly transport him to a time and place of his choosing, is ready yet again to make the leap through time! In the second-in-a-series Partners in Time novel Going Medieval, penned by author Kristen Sheley, the intriguing but ever dangerous time period of the Middle Ages-circa 1191-is the destination Sam chooses as his next exciting journey through time. Of course, Sam has made a promise to a friend-his partner in time-that when he decides on another place and time to hop, he would pick her up first and take her with him. That friend is Meg Clayton, the pioneer girl from 1850 whom he accidentally brought back to his own time of 2005 in Sheley's first novel No Time Like the Present.
Going Medieval picks up again approximately one month after the events in No Time Like the Present. After arriving in the Middle Ages, Sam and Meg find they are the objects of stares from the townsfolk as they stroll through the village. Later in a local tavern, a rather rude encounter with some of the local ruffians places Sam and Meg, posing as brother and sister, in a precarious predicament until the Steward of Rosemont, Geoffrey, comes along to rescue them from the would-be thugs of the pub. He leads Sam and Meg to his place of employment-the manor house of Lord Richard, who is away at the time of their visit.
Geoffrey makes Sam and Meg feel right at home, inviting them to dine with the other servants and guests in the manor house. They are lulled into a false sense of security, however. The next morning, Sam is summoned by Geoffrey to accompany him on his rounds of the manor grounds. The red-headed servant, Wesley, leads him to a horse that Sam reluctantly mounts and follows Geoffrey on the path alongside a river. Geoffrey's intentions are not good; he wishes to take Meg for his wife. The only way he can make that happen is to dispose of Sam. He callously pushes Sam off his horse and into the cold, raging river.
Geoffrey returns to break the news to Meg that "thy brother, Samuel, hast perished" and has been "lost to the waters." Meg wants proof of this terrible accident. This angers Geoffrey who wants only to get on with the nuptials. He sends some men out to find the body of Sam in an attempt to appease Meg. While the search is going on, Meg is left wondering if the news of Sam's apparent death is really true. And if it is, how will she be able to operate the time machine and return to her own time.
Sam survives his encounter with the river and nearly dies. But he is found, cared for, and nursed back to health by a family who lives near to the manor-The Fairweathers. John Fairweather guides Sam back to the manor house so he can rescue Meg from the self-centered Geoffrey. Sam and Meg are reunited with the help of Wesley and Emma, the nobler servants of the manor. They try and escape the manor house, but Geoffrey and his guardsmen catch up with them. Now infuriated by Sam and Meg's uncooperativeness, Geoffrey is hell-bent on killing them both.
The heart-pounding action that follows is sure to keep readers glued to the pages. The surprise ending recounts an event that occurs in Sheley's first novel and sets the stage for the next book in the Partners in Time series.
Kristen Sheley has masterfully sewn together her No Time Like the Present and Going Medieval novels. The needle and thread that she uses to keep the essence of the two stories intact are the main characters, Sam Foster and Meg Clayton. These two loveable characters Sheley has created form the foundation of the series as they each take narrative turns unfolding the story from their own unique points of view.
Sam is the focus of these stories-the boy who has an adventurous soul-and turns his wildest castle-in-the-sky dreams into reality with a device that transports him to places in time and location. Meg is the spirited pioneer girl who yearns for a better life. And now, with knowledge of the future through the aid of Sam's time machine, she knows it is within her grasp. Together, these two 15-year old "partners in time" have control over their own destinies.
As I read Going Medieval, I was really given the sense of being thrust back into the Middle Ages. Meg's narrative descriptions of the "medieval suburb," the buildings and the tavern in Rosemont, and Lord Richard's manor house and the surrounding land are all vividly detailed and allowed me to imagine myself shadowing Sam and Meg as they went about their business.
The title of the book isn't just about where Sam and Meg are "going." Many things about life in medieval times and some of its history can be learned from Sheley's book. The inflection of the language and the words that are spoken are well strewn about its pages. Examples of the typical spoken phrases are "Thou art to take a stead to mount, to accompany the steward on his morn rounds" and "If thou and thy kin have a need for shelter this night, come hither." Terms such as "garderobe," "stewholder," "solar," and "simpkin," will all become familiar to readers as they follow Sam and Meg on their adventure. Mind you-many of the words aren't the meanings that you might think they are.
The ways of medieval life-from how people cleaned and dressed themselves to where they ate and slept-are all vastly different from modern times. The customs of the times are primitive even in comparison to Meg's 1850s "modern" amenities. Sheley does a wonderful job of providing a stark vision of a medieval community through the narrative voices of both Sam and Meg. I found myself wanting to know more about the time period with each turn of the page.
The supporting characters in Going Medieval, really round out this medieval tale. From the "short and stout" Lord Richard to the irrational steward, Geoffrey; from the kind-hearted manor house servants, Wesley and Emma to the hulking guardsmen who follow Geoffrey's orders; and from the helpful Fairweather family to the tavern ruffians; all of Sheley's characters seem very real-three-dimensional-despite the fact that some of them only appear for a short stint in her book.
Going Medieval is a vivid account of life, language, and culture in medieval times. Its dual ability to pull you into the fascinating worlds of both the science of time travel and the treachery of medieval times makes for a novel that is sure to tap into the interests of readers of either of these genres. The friendship between Sam and Meg will certainly grow with time, pun intended. It will be interesting to watch these characters mature as Kristen Sheley's remarkable writing technique continues to grow with them. The future of these two teenage time travelers, and the author who created them, appear brighter and more focused than ever.
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