Fans of the series will be pleased with this installment which answers questions raised in a cliffhanger in the last one. Unfortunately, I think it would be next to impossible to enjoy it without having read the earlier books as Brackston plunges right in to the story of Xanthe, Liam, and her ability to spin through time. Xanthe has three objects- a writing desk, a brooch, and a hat pin- which sing to her and she hopes one of them will take her to Liam. Which one? Well, that's less important than the fact that she gets there and gets answers to questions that have lingered through several books. Her hunt for Lydia Flyte takes her to 1878 and to Erasmus, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Nipper. Erasmus is a stepper, not a spinner, and Elizabeth, well she's got a secret too (which fans of Brackston might remember). There's nefarious activity afoot and villains who hope to use spinning for their own purposes. It's an entertaining read, with good atmospherics (nice details on clothing, among other things). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. While it might seem as though as has been resolved at the end, I suspect there's a trick or too I missed which will hopefully allow for another installment.

In book 4 of the Found Things series, Xanthe has to travel back in time and try to find her boyfriend, Liam, who got separated from her when they traveled in time together in the previous book. She goes on the hunt for treasures to aid her in her journey and finds three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call to her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, so the stakes could not be higher. Xanthe is certain that Mistress Flyte has Liam but when she discovers Lydia Flyte has been tracking the actions of the Visionary Society, a group of ruthless and unscrupulous Spinners who have been selling their talents to a club of wealthy clients, Xanthe realizes her work as a Spinner must come before her personal wishes. The Visionary Society is highly dangerous and directly opposed to the creed of the Spinners. Their actions could have disastrous consequences as they alter the authentic order of things and change the future. Xanthe knows she must take on the Society. It will require the skills of all her friends, old and new, to attempt such a thing, and not all of them will survive the confrontation that follows.
I really enjoy this series. I will suggest that if you haven't read the previous books, you read those first just so you have the full scope of the story. I have read them all, and I had forgotten part of it, and wished I had re-read the previous book just as a refresher, because there is no synopsis at the beginning to help you remember all that had gone on previously. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, then you will love this series.

Thank you, NetGalley, Paula Brackston, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book! It releases on November 23rd, 2021!

City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston is one of my most anticipated reads for this year! I am not kidding, I had a countdown. This is book four in the Found Things series. I have loved every single book so far. I will admit, I wanted to cry at the end of the last book because it ended on a cliffhanger.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD

Liam has ended up in the Victorian Era, dragged there by Time Spinner, Lydia Flyte. Xanthe trusted Lydia, how could she betray a friend and fellow Spinner? Xanthe needs to find a way to get to Liam, but first, she will need help. She will need objects to take her and this time it isn’t just one object that sings to her, it is three objects. Second, she will need backup. Her friend Harley has always wanted to accompany Xanthe on her adventures, and now it is his chance. Getting to the correct time was easy, but finding Liam and discovering why Lydia kidnapped him is another matter. Thankfully, Xanthe and Harley run into a former Time Spinner and his wife. Together, they discover that a group called the Visionary Society is using the Spinner powers to get information from the future to further line their pockets–which could have dangerous consequences. Xanthe will find out what she is capable of and who she is meant to become.

I will say this now. This book will not have the same effect on the readers who have not read the previous books in the series. This can’t be read as a standalone because readers will miss out on all the beautiful plot and character development leading up to this book. It would also help if readers read The Witch’s Daughter series because this book is also a crossover! And let me tell you, it was everything I wanted in a crossover book event!!! I was ecstatic to see some of my favorite characters again!!! However, if you are reading this book without having read the previous books or the Witch’s Daughter series…it may not have the same appeal.

“It seems strange to me that in all your spinning through time, you have not yet encountered a witch?”

CITY OF TIME AND MAGIC
I really love how Xanthe grows in this book. She is finally understanding the depth of her powers and that, in turn, is helping her acknowledge the feelings and emotions she has been suppressing. Xanthe and Liam are dynamic together but don’t even get me started about Harley! I would gladly take a spin-off all about Harley. He proved himself an asset in this journey and a loyal friend.

As always, Paula Brackston knows how to weave fantasy, time travel, and historical fiction with ease. I read this book in a day and I am already counting down the days before her next book! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

City of Time and Magic picks up where The Garden of Promises and Lies ended. Xanthe is determined to find Liam and bring him home. But things are not as simple as they seem and Xanthe faces many challenges on her rescue mission . . . some of them good and some of them evil. There are many obstacles she must overcome before she can successfully complete her current mission, including a change in her level of responsibilities.

It helps to have read the previous three books in this series as there are key characters in those prior novels who have important roles to play in City of Time and Magic. This novel ends with an interesting premise that will affect the direction to be taken in future books in this series. This series is based on several interesting premises, from time travel to magic, from fantasy to sci-fi. I look forward to reading more of Xanthe’s adventures.

City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston is Book 4 in her Time Travel Series Found Things. History with a little Romance and time travel adventures set in England in the present time and other times in the past.
Paula Brackston’s writing is magic in itself. I am transported feeling, hearing and seeing the places, people and times that she writes about.
Xanthe’s life is always full of unexpected risks and the actions of her enemies bring danger to her and her friends. There are new adventures with her old and new acquaintances. Xanthe has grown in her gift and is more sure of her role. I absolutely love the characters, storylines and the historical details.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

This will delight readers of the Found Things series. I don’t think it would be as enjoyable without having read the preceding books because I believe it would be confusing. Also, part of what makes this so satisfying is seeing more of familiar characters. There is also a crossover character from another series, but I didn’t find it necessary to have read that one.

I enjoyed the growing romance between Xanthe and Liam, but it was not the focus of the story. The focus remained Xanthe and time spinning. There was a nice amount of action and mystery, and it was fun that some of Xanthe’s friends travel with her. This book didn’t need to set up all the details of time spinners because it builds upon previous books, which made it flow nicely.

City of Time and Magic gives Paula Brackston a chance to resolve the cliffhanger from her last book in the Found Things series. And in true Brackston fashion, the resolution includes history, magic, time travel, and a little romance. Our favorite time traveler, Xanthe, meets up with a magical character, Elizabeth, from the author’s earlier Witch’s Daughter series. The crossover works like a charm!

In book three, Xanthe enlists her present century friends and family in the time travel process. She even takes her recent love interest, Liam, back in time. And things promptly go sideways—of course. This time, the book’s initial purpose is solving those cliffhanger problems. Naturally, nothing that includes magic and time travel is ever straightforward. And that makes for an absorbing, mysterious novel.

Brackston takes us to Victorian London for this story. We revel in the city and its foggy atmosphere, bustle costumes, and chamber pots dumped out windows. For me, it’s also a familiar period, since I enjoy Sherlockian stories. However, Xanthe is no Sherlock Holmes. Rather, she’s approachable and caring.

My conclusions
Xanthe starts this series as a reluctant and tentative time traveler. She doesn’t know much about the process, including how to stay safe in the process. But by book number four, Brackston gives her growing confidence and resources. And that makes for a more absorbing book this time around.

It’s hard to talk about the fourth book in the series without including spoilers related to the other books. But what I will say is that Brackston’s writing is highly readable. She mixes just the right amount of fantasy into her historical fiction. Or perhaps it’s the other way around. And who hasn’t read history and wished to spend just a few days living in those other people’s time? In the Found Things series, Xanthe does just that.

Since Brackston reintroduced me to Elizabeth from The Witch's Daughter, reading that book again is a tempting prospect. We shall see …

I recommend City of Time and Magic if you’re a fan of time travel novels. But definitely start with the first book in the series and work your way through. This doesn’t work as a standalone book, and the series is a fun diversion from any heavy reading.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review. The publication date is November 23, 2021.

For a reader like me who has read all of Paula Brackston books, if you say you’re bringing in a character from another series, I’m there! Xanthe has defeated one evil time spinner but in the process, her dear friend Liam was pulled away from her into another time. Frantic to find him, she begins her search where she believes he must be – with her one-time friend, Mistress Flythe. What Xanthe doesn’t realize is she will need all of her strength as a Spinner and all her friends to help her fight evil once more in order to save Liam. And lucky for her, a very talented witch is on her side.

I love the way Ms. Brackston spins a story. The characters and scenery come alive in your mind. You don’t want to put down a Paula Brackston book once you’ve started it – so sit back, relax, and enjoy. I highly recommend this fourth book in the Found Things series as well as everything else she has written!

"City of Time and Magic" is book four in Paula Brackston's wonderful series of "Found Things." Lately, I've been reading a lot of pretty intense romance, and this series has been a breath of fresh air in comparison. The characters are cute and caring, and have grown a lot since they were introduced in the first book. As a stand-alone, I do not recommend this book at all. Jumping into this series at book four will be disorienting- so much has happened in the previous books to have brought the characters where they are in "City of Time and Magic."

This book crosses over with another of Brackston's books "The Witch's Daughter." I haven't read it... although (like "City of Time and Magic) it has a beautiful book cover and has been sitting on my bookcase for a while. Not knowing much about Elizabeth (cross-over character) did not detract from my reading of the book.

I love this series, and I hate myself for consistently giving each book in the series four-stars.
Things I love:
-Xanthe. She's the heroine I wish I could be. I can't promise that I'd be such a good person if I was gifted the powers to travel through time.
-Liam. Love interest, and I love his characterization.
-Time travel. Can you think of a romance genre book where time travel is NOT good?
- Attention to historic details. Join Paula Brackston's FB fan page- you can read a bit about some of her artistic journey and the effort that she puts into being historically accurate.

Things I don't love:
-The beginning of this book. The entirety of it. Sorry Ms. Brackston, but I could never get on board with Miss Flyte's desperate behavior. It just didn't work for me.
-There was a lot of back and forth in locations that got repetitive. Basically a square... quadrilateral... of important places. I wish I could explain myself better, but the travel between these four places always felt awkward to me.
All in all, I love this series. As the series progresses, I feel like the plot continues to develop in a natural way. I also REALLY appreciate that this book didn't end in a super cliffhanger.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this e-book. Publication is set for 11/23/2021. This is definitely a good series to purchase as a holiday gift ;)

I have truly loved this series by Paula Brackston and would love to see more books with Xanthe and Liam. This series needs to be read in order otherwise you'd miss all the previous time travel adventures and the people Xanthe has met along the way. I loved the fact that Elizabeth is from another series that Paula wrote...I just recently figured that out and now I can't wait to go and read The Witch's Daughter!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publishes 23 November 2021

City Of Time And Magic is the conclusion to the fabulous "Found Things Series". I have read the series from the beginning and highly recommend this series. This is a wonderful conclusion with the charcters we love and even a tie in to the author's Witches Daughter Series. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher. My review opinion is my own.

Be prepared to dive into this book and read it cover to cover ! All the magical elements we love are here as well as charcters we adore and have come to love in each book . This last in series is set in England in 1878 and features our time spinner protagonist, Xanthe, and her mother Flora.

Xanthe has a unique gift . She does time travel to address injustices. Objects speak to her and ask for help. She goes where help is needed. This book starts two weeks after the last with Xanthe betrayed and terribly concerned about a friend. Now three objects speak to her and she is not sure which mission she must prioritize. Xanthe has grown over the course of this series and is now a strong confident woman and proud of her abilities. Throughout this book we see her courageous and standing on her own. Some loss occurs in this book that is heartbreaking for her . The author crosses over with the series A Witch's Daughter and that segway is wonderfully drawn to incorporate both worlds for the reader. It's a fantastic conclusion to this beloved series . This series has it all, magic, realism, history and romance.

This is 4th in a series that I’ve been back and forth on, but this one featured more movement forward plot-wise, and I did enjoy it.

As the prior book (The Garden of Promises and Lies) left a cliffhanger, Xanthe (a modern-day Spinner who travels through time to right injustice) must travel to Victorian England to rescue her friend Liam. While there, she makes new “magical” friends while working to thwart two greedy, unscrupulous Spinners who use their abilities to selfish ends.

I loved the introduction of new characters, a taste of new magical abilities, the formation of a new traveling team of helpers and the promise of further adventures. Oh, and a tentative love interest confirmed. Entertaining.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

City of Time and Magic is the 4th book in the Found Series, and it is the best one! This is a cross over story, so it is best if you have read all The Found Series and The Witch’s Daughter Series. Life in Victorian England collides with time travel when Xanthe must choose from three singing treasures to see which will take her to Liam. It seems Liam has been kidnapped and now Xanthe must rescue him or risk losing him forever. To rescue him, she must join forces with her old friend Lydia and infiltrate a group of Spinners who have decided to use their abilities in nefarious ways.
The books in The Found Series keep getting better and better as Xanthe is being molded into the Spinner she needs to be to keep peace in the galaxy. Oh wait, wrong story. But not really, as The Spinner book has revealed Xanthe’s true calling. I cannot wait to see what other adventures are in store for Xanthe and her friends, as she has finally come clean about her time traveling so, they can help when needed.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for sharing this eArc with me. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfection! No seriously it was perfection. Every word, every character just combined for a novel that made you truly appreciate her quality writing and character development.

This one was not what I expected. A women is tasked with selecting one item and this will help determine her fate as a witch. She can see how each road would lead her

Paula Brackston is an auto - read author for me and this her latest didn't disappoint! Another expertly woven story that kept me turning the pages.

What a fun and thrilling romp through time! Xanthe, a "spinner", is one who can spin time and travel through it. Her access point is the old blind house facilitated by objects which "sing" to her, calling her back in time to right a wrong or correct an injustice. As it turns out, this is the call of the "spinners". But what happens when "spinners" go wrong and upset the balance of the universe? Can plucky, fearless, resourceful Xanthe set things aright?

In this story, Xanthe's friend Liam is kidnapped by a previously trusted spinner during a return trip to present day England. Xanthe is angry, hurt, confused and determined to go back in time to rescue Liam. Once Xanthe lands in 1878 London, it doesn't take long for her to get the lay of the land, get some questions answered and set a course of action in motion.

Author Paula Brackston, through her extensive research, is brilliant at world building and deftly creates two - the now and 19th century then of England - specifically, London. Her writing is exquisitely crafted and at times poetic. Such a wonderful imagination this author has to spin such a fabulous yarn.

This fourth in series book, stands well enough on its own. However, there are a few tantalizing references to the earlier books in the series which may well entice new readers to go back and read the stories from the beginning.

I am grateful to Paula Brackston and her publishing team at St. Martin's Press for having provided a free uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publication Date: November 23, 2021
Pages: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1250260697

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 23, 2021
Paula Brackston brings her time traveling romance novel series “Lost Things” back with a vengeance with her fourth instalment, “City of Time and Magic”. Delighted to get a chance to read the first three novels, I was excited to know that Brackston had continued this charming series, and went into the fourth with high expectations. Brackston did not disappoint!
During a recent trip back in time, Xanthe lost her new love, Ian, somewhere across the centuries, as he was snatched from her grip. Desperate to find him again, she searches for antique items from long ago, hoping that one of them will call to her and will bring her to the time where Ian lies in wait. After finding a writing slope, a broach and a hatpin that all call to her with such strength Xanthe knows Ian must be on the other side of one. But which one will take her to where Ian is? With the help of a few spinner friends, a witch and a Scottish bartender Xanthe uses all of her resources to help locate Ian, but finds that she may have a much more important task at hand. A nefarious group known as “The Visionary Society” are using their Spinner talents for evil, and Xanthe must destroy them before they alter life and the future as we know it.
I found Brackston’s first three novels compelling and delightful, and it was not necessary to read them in order. However, the fourth would come up empty without having the first three novels to go on, as “City” requires a deeper knowledge of the settings and the characters in order to fully enjoy it. That said, every novel in this series is a delight, and should not be missed!
Once again, Xanthe and her mother Flora are back in action, running their antiques shop. All of the usual characters return, including Harley and Ian, and Miss Flyte’s character has an unexpected twist that will have readers doubting all they knew about the elderly time spinner. This character takes place primarily in London (in both modern day and in various stages of the past) and Brackston paints such a detailed picture that she serves to completely ensconce the reader in the city, both with modern day technologies and without.
The romance component in this novel is sweet and heartwarming, now that Ian and Xanthe have found their way to each other, but the focus of the plot continues to be on the magical items and Xanthe’s trips through time. I loved Brackston’s creative spin on the ‘singing objects’ and I am glad to see they remained a strong component of the plot.
Like its predecessors, “City” has a conclusive ending, but still leaves many possibilities open for future novels, which I very much look forward to. Brackston’s series shows no signs of slowing down, and I hope to be along for the ride!

I love crossovers and this one was really well done, the characters felt like their previous versions. The story was really well done and I had enjoyed going on this adventure.

"City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. While her earlier mission to Regency England had been a success, the journey home resulted in Liam being taken from her, spirited away to another time and place. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.

Xanthe is certain that Mistress Flyte has Liam and determined to find them both. But when she discovers Lydia Flyte has been tracking the actions of the Visionary Society, a group of ruthless and unscrupulous Spinners who have been selling their talents to a club of wealthy clients, Xanthe realizes her work as a Spinner must come before her personal wishes. The Visionary Society is highly dangerous and directly opposed to the creed of the Spinners. Their actions could have disastrous consequences as they alter the authentic order of things and change the future. Xanthe knows she must take on the Society. It will require the skills of all her friends, old and new, to attempt such a thing, and not all of them will survive the confrontation that follows."

Time for some more magic!