This one was a mixed bag for me. I liked some parts and elements and not others.

I'll start with the positives:

1- I thought the writing was actually really strong. On a line level, the author is very good! I would say the author's strength is action scenes and that the line-level writing is great. She shows a lot of promise as a writer.
2-I liked the time travel aspect. I also liked that the characters were skeptics about magic and shared many views of modern teens in that way and then had to question their views when the "impossible" happened.
3-I liked some of the side characters, especially some you wouldn't expect.
4-I liked that it was action=pact (rarely if ever, boring) and the chapters were short making it an easy, quick read.

Things that didn't work for me:

1-The romance didn't quite take off for me. Their interactions didn't go deep enough and I had a hard time seeing him change from fearing her as a possible witch (due to modern things) to someone he had feelings for. The romance just wasn't romancing. As an Outlander fan, which this was pitched as a YA version, that really bummed me out. My favorite thing about Outlander is the larger-than-life romance and how they grow together despite their differences. I didn't get that here. Their connection felt fleeting and shallow.
2-Some of the choices of the author--especially in the way the main character spoke. The "slang" used in the historic time period felt too forced and more like how a millennial would talk instead of modern teens. It really took me out of the story. I'm a teacher, so I interact with students every day and this sounded more like how I spoke in high school than how my students speak now.
3-The ending. Is this a series? The ending wasn't satisfying to me. I won't reveal more here, but I'll say more below in my spoiler section if you're curious.

I have more thoughts, but they're spoilers, so keep reading if you don't mind spoilers:

Spoiler section:
1-I thought some of the choices of the author were very strange. The language, the use of her cell phone at times and I was especially REALLY thrown by the way that magically their lips moved one way and then their voices were magically translated into whatever language the people were speaking...I could not get past that. It seemed too ridiculous to me and too convenient. It made me wonder why the author chose to set this in Germany when the main character didn't speak the language. Part of what works in Outlander is that she can speak English and so can they. I don't understand why this was set in Germany, other than the author wanted to. It didn't seem to have any important relevance or reason behind it.
2-I thought the way the main character spoke was so cringey. If I were transported back in time, I would try my best to NOT speak in modern slang out of self preservation. Nope. This main character said some of the most outlandish, crazy things without a care in the world. It felt like the author was trying too hard to show how she was from a different time. It didn't feel authentic.
3-The ending! I thought this was a standalone, but that can't possibly be the end if it is. Nothing is explained. No one knows why they traveled through time or how to get back. She isn't forced to make a choice about going home or staying. She's just sort of in stasis for now. What??!!!??? What kind of an ending is that? I guess if there is another book, I'll probably read it to see what happens because I did not feel satisfied by the ending. If I knew it was a series, maybe this is an acceptable ending, thinking it was a standalone, the ending just left me so unsatisfied.
4-As I said, the romance didn't work for me. I thought she had more chemistry with Brandt, who was originally set out as the villain, but later is somewhat redeemed. In their short section together at his house, I felt more of a spark than all the scenes with Leon. : (
5-I actually liked the original world in the present/future better. It went downhill for me once she went back in time.
6-Lastly, I didn't love that the enemy was people who were described as barbarians. It felt like it leaned into stereotypes. The "knights and kings guards" are the good guys and the heathen Vikings who wear firs and are wild are the bad guys. I didn't love that. I can understand that every group in history had an enemy and that they could be the enemy, but there should be more nuance there to explain their history and why they're enemies instead of having them just like un-educated, wild, violent men out for blood. They're described as people who kill/sacrifice their babies to a demonic deity (pagan) to gain power and that they are basically somewhat inhuman and cruel. I wish there was more nuance to them to give them dignity and respect that they have different views and a different culture and that they just happen to be the enemy. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

This book was an advance reader copy given by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ana, Gwen, and Ana’s ex-boyfriend Steven are on a trip when things take a terrible turn. Ana and her classmates are transported through time, only to find themselves the target of Northmen who are hunting them as a sacrifice for a god. Ana gets separated from her friends and ends up with a wounded knight who cannot understand where she has come from. As they try to rejoin her friends and avoid those who are hunting them, their attraction grows.

This was an average read for me- it was quick and I enjoyed it well enough, but for me, Ana was lacking as a main character. It seems like “The Lost Saint” is part of a series, but I’m not sure if I would care enough to keep reading.

After starting this book and getting about 70 pages into this I ended up DNFing this book because the writing style (for me personally) made it difficult for me to connect to.

I think the story idea is very creative (though there were things for me personally that made me incontestable) i just think this book isn’t for me personally

a big thanks to netgalley for the arc! all thoughts and opinions stated in this review are my own.

so, first and foremost, i thought this was just okay. nothing to write home about. i might even say it was bland. the action and lore bits were interesting, i'll admit. but i had trouble connecting with the characters. none of them had any charm about them or felt real. that goes for the little bit of romance in this, as well. it just felt like another plot point, not a critical part of the story. i loved the premise of this, and i really was excited to check this out (i love outlander) but, unfortunately, i was left disappointed.

overall, this wasn’t for me exactly, but i hope that others might like it.

Lots of action in this time-travelling, YA adventure! The writing itself was good, very descriptive. I enjoyed that the story was a nod to Outlander and that the FMC had to rely on her wits and little knowledge of the era to survive. We were I produced to a cast of characters who will, no doubt, play bigger roles in the following books.
Unfortunately I never really felt connected to either main character. They seemed very flat and 2 dimensional with little growth as the story progressed.
Overall, it was an entertaining read. 3.25*

Thank you NetGalley and 8th Note Press for allowing me to read and review an eARC of this book.

Rating-
2.5/5 stars
(Rounded Up)

Genre-
Medieval Fantasy

Age Rating For It-
15+ because there is some mentions of a little girl being assaulted by a male predator and there is some violence too. There is also some romance but nothing explicit with the romance mostly just kissing and not too much of that anyway.

Thoughts/Would I Recommend This?-
This book like my last read was also very just mid and there I didn’t connect with any of the characters and I didn’t feel they had much growth in the book either which I didn’t love. I love it when we see the characters grow and develop as the story goes on, and this one didn’t have much of that. I also again like I said at the beginning didn’t connect with the fmc much and so that wasn’t great, but I thought the story was interesting thought and had lots of potential, but it didn’t really fully use the potential or anything. All in all though not the worst book I would say but not the best definitely so I honestly wouldn’t really recommend, but others may like it more than me.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

After Ana and her friends are whisked away to another time and dropped in the middle of a battle, Ana is separated from her friends. This story is about Anna‘s perilous journey back to them, and trying to return to her own time. On her way, she meets Leon, a soldier, and Lord Brandt, who is not as he seems. There are lots of twist and turns, a discovery of new powers and so many kidnappings.

Now to the romance. Ana’s heartbreak in this book was a bit annoying. I feel like she was mourning over a match that was wrong to begin with and she just couldn’t see it. Then she seemed to move on quickly to more heartbreak and then we get a lukewarm budding relationship with Leon. If spice is your thing, this book has none. That isn’t a problem for me as I often just skim those pages anyway. I’m not really a fan of these two as a couple. In my opinion, they lack chemistry and I wish the writer would’ve gone a different way. The relationship lacks real tension or true meaningfulness and came off as really shallow. It would make sense if it ends up being just a rebound, but as endgame I’m not interested in reading anymore about them.

While the plot was unique and I didn’t feel like I was reading a book I’d read 1000 times before, this book felt a like an overlong introduction to a series. A lot happens of consequence and there are plenty of action sequences, but it didn’t feel like we were moving towards a goal until the book was nearing over. This feels like the first of a series that must be read in order to move on and understand a hopefully more interesting story.

I received an advanced review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Spoiler-free Review:

This book is a fully immersive experience. Rachael Craw does an excellent job capturing all of the senses with her beautiful prose. Nature plays a large role in this book—almost to the point of being a character by itself—which works perfectly for what happens. As I was reading I could smell the scents the forest and hear the creaks and groans of the land as if it was a living thing. At times her focus on nature evokes a soothing and pleasant feeling while at other times even the trees feel ominous and foreboding. I loved when she was free to wax poetic about the nature world.

Unfortunately, the main female character, Ana, didn’t capture my attention for much of the book. She felt a bit underdeveloped (note: she admittedly does goes through considerable growth as a character). My favorite character though is Maudwyn who I feel was the most developed.

Without spoiling anything that you wouldn’t already know from reading the synopsis, this book forces you to consider whether you would want to be in Ana’s position in the past or the present. I believe that the best fantasy books make you stop and think if you would want to live in the world you’re reading about. I can say emphatically “no” regarding this book’s world. Not in the present scenes or the past sections—perhaps especially not the past sections.

In conclusion, if you like Diana Gabaldon’s ‘Outlander’ series or stand-alone books like Orson Scott Card’s ‘Enchantment’ novel then you will love this book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this but unfortunately I will not be finishing it. Nothing against the story. I just couldn't get into it and don't think it was the one for me.

The lore of this book is terrifying and beautifully written. Immediately, youre pulled in, page 1. I could imagine myself, standing there and could feel the wind and hear the trees. You could feel the magic causing the hairs on your arms to raise. The descriptions of nature and the scenes are what really brought the magic to life. You experienced the fear, the heart break and the fascination. Ana was easy to like as the FMC. I loved Maudwyn. I wont spoil much, but Id like to think most of us who love fantasy and fiction, will question if youd want this experience for yourself. The old, new, past and present. Though fantasy, historical themes were included. Right place or wrong place, you decide! You will be sucked in! Your heart will be racing! You will read faster just to know what happens next. You will curse, you will put your book down and then hurriedly pick it up again. I read this in one sitting because I couldn’t put the book down! Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read this as a voluntary ARC reader.

I can’t believe how much I loved this book! The world building was amazing and the romance was just the right amount!