Member Review

George was failing at his dog walking job when he suddendly finds himself in the 1300s. He stressed himself into the pastm and now he has to figure out how to survive in a medieval world. On the bright side, he has the help of an escaped servant named Simon, with whom he feels a deep connection that could lead to more. On the downside, there's apparently a dragon going around killing people with noxious gas and the king is has declared that George will be the one to handle it.

It's one weird book. It took a bit for me to get into the story because we spend the beginning just as lost as George. It's a bold choice from Collett to leave readers as confused, but it makes sense that we know what he knows, as it informs the way he reacts to things. The confusion never truly went away; it just turned into acceptance that that was the way the story progresses. I think a big part of it is that I was never sure if I liked George or not. He's a tough nut to crack in that he feels like a hero and a whiny dude from one moment to the next. However, that's kind of why I liked the story. Being unsure of the main character let me focus on the world and things going on around him, which is what shines here.

It took too long for it to hit me what it's based on and who George is. It's a brain-click moment that falls like a rock of brilliance adding to my enjoyment of the book overall. Unexpected, but so obviously perfect for the story.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the great read!