Transylvanian Knight

Turning Points #2

by Jodie Lane

Doctor Who meets Outlander in this fast-faced time-travel adventure!

Gwyn is back in time again but this time she's on a mission to influence the actions of Vlad the Impaler.

Convincing a charismatic yet violent prince to go to war against the Ottomans is one thing, but things get complicated when Gwyn falls in love with Vlad's wife. She risks getting stuck back in time again, but gets help from an unexpected quarter - an Ottoman soldier who hates Prince Dracula and will do anything to destroy him.

Vlad isn't so easy to destroy, and he won't let go of Gwyn without a fight.

Genres: Time Travel

249 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2023

About the author

Queer, autistic nerd, Jodie Lane reads and writes science fantasy, dark comedy and YA time-travel adventure. She loves finding the quirky and odd in her everyday world, and is passionate about telling authentic stories that make people feel alive.

Jodie is an enthusiastic historian, combining her love of travel and adventure with fascinating stories from the past. Brisbane based, she studied a variety of modern history at the University of Queensland.

Her travels have taken her all over the world: she has lived and taught English in China and Romania, backpacked through Europe and South America, and holidayed in the Middle East, Central America, South East Asia, New Zealand and South Africa. She speaks basic Spanish as a second language.

She is currently a member of the Brisbane Book Authors and the Queensland Writers Centre. You can contact her about Author Talks for libraries and schools.

Reviews

[Delia Strange]

Generally, I'm a fan of time travelling stories and I like the premise of "meddling only to keep things the same". There's a 'Shift' in time that is disrupting history and Gwyn - an untrained youth with a knack for controlling her timepiece (called a 'chronokinetor') - is sent back in time while the future-born TimeSpace Agent Michelle is caught up in red tape and corruption. It's a clever concept that explains why Gwyn is the one to perform these seemingly impossible tasks.

Regarding the plot; I enjoyed the gradual dilemma that was imposed onto the unsuspecting Gwyn and the snapshots of history as experienced by other, minor characters. Even though this book is firmly a historical novel with a fantasy bent, I found the historic events were well-woven into the story and not dumped onto the reader in a flood of information. Gwyn is certainly growing as a character between the first and second time-travel adventure she has, and I predict she'll be quite a talented young women after a few more missions. There's an obvious path that the writer Jodie Lane is taking us down with her, but I have yet to know the destination - which only makes it more intriguing.

As for the writing style, voice and pace, there is a surge of improvement between the first book 'Siege of Masada' and this one. The story moves into action more quickly and the conflict arrives sooner, hooking me in faster.

Four stars because I 'really like it' as the rating declares. It's a light, entertaining and uncomplicated read that will have a broad appeal.

[M.G. Ryan]

Transylvanian Knight is the second book in 'The Turning Point Series'. Having enjoyed the first book, I was keen to read this story, especially with its setting in the time of Prince Vlad Dracula, in which I have an interest. The story did not disappoint. This time we see young Gwyn sent back to 1459, where she encounters 'Vlad the Impaler', while time travelling Agent Michelle, is stuck in her own time.

The story line is well passed and has allowed the author to use historical facts, as well as poetic licence. I did detect what I believed to be politic undertones within the book, which for me was a little off putting, only because I read for escapism from both my every day life and current affairs. In saying that though, the political tones are true to the characters and are well written and subtle within the plot.

Overall this is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend this book. I look forward to the next instalment from author Jodie Lane.

[Lynne Stringer]

I enjoyed book 2 in the Turning Points series a lot. There was definitely a healthy dose of violence, but that's to be expected when one of the main characters is Vlad the Impaler. Gwen was again travelling through time, this time at Michelle's direct behest. She can't go because of a myriad of issues in her own time.
The story leaves a few things open at the end of it, but only things that relate to the overall arc of the series. All the things relevant to this story are tied off and I enjoyed one particular turn the story took in the closing chapters. It will be interesting to see what happens next. :-)

[Natasha Ramm]

I rate this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this second book in the series and found the writer has developed and improved since The Siege of Masada. My favourite character in this instalment was Vlad and I thought his brutality and cunning nature were well portrayed. I also liked the brief inclusion of the Roma gypsies and the 'vampire' Countess Bathory and thought they brought Transylvania to life. I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see how Gwyn and Michelle deal with the looming "shift".

[R. Lennard]

I loved the deception of Vlad, and Gwyn's struggle to handle him was brilliant. I can't wait to see what happens to her next!