Angels on Crusade

by Samantha Winston

A condemned criminal in the far future is sent to the past to try to save the crown of France. Isobel was a carefree student one day, and in prison the next for the accidental murder of a child. Her fate, life in prison. But she's offered a way out - through time. The crown of France is in peril. A young boy, who never should have left Paris, has gone to join the ill-fated 8th Crusade. Isobel's task is to talk young Jean de Bourbon-Dampierre out of joining the Crusade so that he can sire a dynasty. Isobel chooses to go back to the twelfth century, although she knows she will be left to spend the rest of her life there. At least it will give her a chance to redeem herself, she believes. If she fails...it's erasure and certain death, and someone else will be sent. In any case, she will never see her own time again.

Genres: Time Travel

517 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2005

About the author

Samantha Winston is the pen name for Jennifer Macaire, an American freelance writer/illustrator. She was born in Kingston, NY, and lived in Samoa, California, and the Virgin Islands before moving to France. She attended Parsons school of design for fine art, and Palm Beach Junior College for art and English literature. She worked for five years as a model for Elite. Married to a professional polo player, she has three children.

After settling in France, she started writing full time and published short stories in such magazines as Polo Magazine, PKA's Advocate, The Bear Deluxe, Nuketown, The Eclipse, Anotherealm, Linnaean Street, Inkspin, Literary Potpourri, Mind Caviar and the Vestal Review. One of her short stories was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. In June 2002 she won the 3am/Harper Collins flash fiction contest for her story "There are Geckos".

Reviews

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't repeat what the description tells you above. Instead I'll explain to you why I enjoyed this book. I wanted to give ANGELS ON CRUSADE more than three stars but it took me forever to read the complete story. I actually set this book down in the middle of reading it and started (and finished) another book.

That said, it was not suspenseful but yet it had me plodding through to find out how the story of Isobel and Jean would end. It wasn't a book that I could leave unfinished. The excellent description of what the characters felt like...dirty, hair with lice, depressed...you felt like you were there and living in the 13th century. When you read something like this, you know how glossed-over and unrealistic other romances from this time can be.

The age of some of the characters and their relationships can be a put-off for some but, hey, I am not from that time. And when you are lucky to live to adulthood who knows what will happen.

Can I recommend this book? Yes. Is it a heart-racing, can't-put-down novel? No, so if you need constant action in your romance this is not the book for you. But if you can stick through it I think you will enjoy learning about how people lived during this time.

[Jimminnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good time travel book that is rich in description of the start of the dark ages in France. I learned a lot about this period of history and enjoyed a satisfying romance as well. The sci fi is not very believable so I gave it 4 stars.