Customer Reviews

Sword of King James

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I picked this up because on the cover it is compared to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Indeed, there are many similarities: time travel from the 20th century to 18th century Scotland, the Jacobite Rebellion, romance, etc. One more similarity: I think it would be more enjoyable had I read the first two books in the series first. Unfortunately it did not say on the cover that it was 3rd of 3. I thought it was the first.

That said, it was still a good read, and I have ordered the first two to make up for my not reading them first. Dylan is a hero we can relate to, with passion for his wife (sadly deceased in the book) and his two children. He has also traveled through time and chosen to stay in the 18th century (see another Gabaldon resemblance?). He attempts to make a difference in the outcome of the Rising, as he has knowledge of how things will end.

Bottom line, I wish I had read the first two first!! I hope that reading them will make this book seem even better!

He is a man from another time and another place but fairy magic brought Dylan Matheson to Ciorran in the Scottish Highlands decades before the final Jacobite defeat at Culloden. He fell in love with the laird's daughter and after much hardship and many adventures, he married her. Their union produced two children before his precious Cait was murdered by her abusive first spouse.

Dylan has come to realize his home is with Clan Ciorran and he doesn't even want the fairy Sinann to try to return him to his own time. This is just as well because the bumbling fairy believes Dylan is the only one who can prepare the clan for the hard times ahead. Before Dylan can deal with his enemies (both English and Scottish) he must first defeat Morrighan, the Celtic goddess of war who wants to know the future and will use any means at her disposal to force Dylan into giving up that information.

Cross Sharon Kay Penman with Mercedes Lackey and Judith Tarr and readers will understand that the novel SWORD OF KING JAMES is historical romantic fantasy at it's very best. Hearts will go out to the beleaguered hero who still mourns his true love while trying to move the clan in the direction he wants it to go. J. Adrian Lee has created something wondrous with this haunting novel.

Harriet Klausner