My #EarlyReview of the time-slip romance, The Runes of Destiny by Christina Courtenay
Separated by time. Brought together by fate.
Linnea felt a shiver travel the length of her spine.
It hadn’t been a joke – the runes really had shown her destiny.
Indulging her fascination for the Viking language and losing herself in an archaeological dig is just what Linnea Berger needs after her recent trauma. Uncovering an exquisite brooch, she blacks out reading the runic inscription, only to come to, surrounded by men in Viking costume, who seem to take re-enactment very seriously.
Lost and confused, Linnea finds herself in the power of Hrafn, a Viking warrior who claims her as his thrall and takes her on a treacherous journey across the seas to sell her for profit. Setting sail, she confronts the unthinkable: she has travelled back to the ninth century.
Linnea is determined to find a way back to her own time, but there’s a connection forming with Hrafn. Can she resist the call of the runes and accept her destiny lies here …
My Review:
This is a time slip romance between the present day and Viking era. I understand that this is the second in a series, the previous book being Echoes of the Runes, but I haven’t read that and believe this still works well as a standalone read.
Linnea Berger had been involved in a tragic accident in which she escaped serious injury. With survivor’s guilt and the trauma unsettling her, she goes to work on an archaeological dig run by friends of her family. Linnea is a keen historian, focussing on understanding the Norse language rather than on artefacts. When she discovers a beautiful brooch, she reads the runes on the back and is whisked back in time to the Viking era, where she awakens surrounded by warriors. Initially she thinks they’re taking enactment too far but eventually comes to realise she’s actually back in the ninth century and so her time slip adventure begins!
This is a story sharing much of the history of the Viking era, a journey through time and visiting different locations, too. Through it you’re given an insight into the times, attitudes and customs whilst also sharing Linnea’s adventure and developing romance. There are a brilliant mix of characters, some to like, others not so much . . . there’s Viking family rivalry, difficult differences and attitudes, danger and, as love develops between Linnea and Hrafn there’s the added dilemma of staying together or being in one time together – but which time?
Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Runes-Destiny-romantic-timeslip-adventure-ebook/dp/B084P2VJ6N/
US – https://www.amazon.com/Runes-Destiny-romantic-timeslip-adventure-ebook/dp/B084P2VJ6N/
Author Bio –
Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014). The Runes of Destiny (time travel published by Headline 10th December 2020) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).
Social Media Links –
http://www.christinacourtenay.com
https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay
https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/
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