The Chronicles of St. Mary's Book Four - A Trail Through Time

I really enjoy the St Mary's time travel books. This is a very clever vehicle for a rollicking adventure novel. It is also a plot line that allows those of us who enjoy history to get a different viewpoint of famous events. Jodi Taylor's St Mary's series is great fun!

This review is for the entire series, which I devoured, and now want to be prodding her "write more, write more"

Learn something new and have a great time doing it. Jodi Taylor is my new favorite author. Her books are extremely well researched, unless your the smartest person in the world whose spent every moment since birth studying history you will learn something, and laugh out loud funny. I love that she doesn't get to caught up in how time travel works, it just does a and therefore her very engaging characters can have a bunch of fun with it. It's not all laughter and games I have cried as well. They are also every age appropriate, I'd give them to anyone who could read. I wonder....could I get my mother ( who doesn't like reading or history) to read them? Now to write a superlative headline that doesn't sound like I got paid for it.

This review is for the entire series, which I devoured, and now want to be prodding her "write more, write more"

Learn something new and have a great time doing it. Jodi Taylor is my new favorite author. Her books are extremely well researched, unless your the smartest person in the world whose spent every moment since birth studying history you will learn something, and laugh out loud funny. I love that she doesn't get to caught up in how time travel works, it just does a and therefore her very engaging characters can have a bunch of fun with it. It's not all laughter and games I have cried as well. They are also every age appropriate, I'd give them to anyone who could read. I wonder....could I get my mother ( who doesn't like reading or history) to read them? Now to write a superlative headline that doesn't sound like I got paid for it.

The first book was really good. Second less good but still fun. Third only ok. After that the series really drops off. Characters acting stupid. Changing rules of how the time travel was supposed to work.

I Love Jodi Taylor's style of writing. You get very caught up in the story and don't want to put it down. It's a great book for lovers of time travel combined with adventure and just a touch of romance. Lots of good old British "to the last man standing" feeling to the book.

I was enjoying this series but this is the last one I will buy because text to speech is not enabled. I listen to books on one of my Kindle Touch e-readers while I drive and paying extra for the audio book version then using another device to play it is not something I am willing to go through.

Very dissapointed...so far; after reading with lots of joy-joy the first 3 books, when I delved onto this one, it was like diving onto a murky pool of stagnant stuff! I had to put it down after the second chapter-just could not get onto it. I read 3 to 6 books a week. I'll again give this a try some dark and stormy rainy day, out here in the Central Coast California, the land of fruits and nuts, and, great wine and beef!
Hey Jodi, why start this one with your heroin and her beau being chased though time by the baddie assailants? ZZZZZZZZZZZ.

This was the best for me of the whole series. Leon and Max took over the first half of the book and it was absolutely fantastic. Jodi Taylor completely redeemed herself after the upset of Book 3 and gave me such a high with this one. I loved it. This relationship - up to now so problematic - really took off in this book. The dialogue between these two is always crisp, clever, witty and heart-warming. And of course I'm madly in love with Leon Farrell!

It's a brilliant piece of fiction that simply drags you along in its wake. I adore this series, and this book is totally my favourite. After reading book five, I turned straight round and read this one all over again. I can't praise the series enough. It's clever, funny, full of highs and lows, and completely mad throughout, but you get so involved, it feels like you're there. Love the characters, familiar and not so much, love the history, love the crazy goings-on.

I've said it before, this series is the best thing since Harry Potter.

How can you not love it!! I would say the first book was my favorite, not only did it start me on the road to wanting to become a Historian (a little late in my life, but one can dream) but it also was the best in the series. Having said that, I have devoured and loved each other book and can not wait for #5 (seriously...not having fun waiting).

**Might have a SPOILER below - I'm trying to be vague in my review, but I might fail miserably**

"A Trail Through Time" was a little murky in the middle - nooo, bad word, perhaps I should say it didn't flow as well as the other books. Mostly once Max spent time alone at St. Mary's getting acclimated, I found myself putting it down and reading later (something I never did with the other books, you couldn't pry them out of my hand to eat/sleep or bathe). But in the end it had the action & fun I have grown to love, and the characters I have a serious fondness for, so I found it enjoyable nonetheless. I wish Max was still in her original timeline/universe/world...because there are two constants I firmly believe she should always have, Farrell & Peterson (in that order of course)!! I was thrilled, though, that in the end things seem to be on an even road and back to normal. HA - what the heck is normal at St. Mary's???

So keep the books coming, god help me if I find that Ms. Taylor retires St. Mary's at some point. I'm a hardcore Preston/Child fan (totally different style, subject, genre) but they are at #14 for their main character so I say "Charge ahead, write 20+ St. Mary's books....there is no end to the mishaps and antics that they can find themselves embroiled in and you'll always have a loyal following waiting to grab it up".

This is the fourth story in the St Mary's Chronicles and has to advance the story from the catastrophic ending of book 3. I'm not sure if I'm 100% for the way they did it, but that's how it starts and this one is the most action packed of all the books.

The Time Police are after Max and she and Leon try to keep one step ahead of them as they jump across time, sometimes they are only half a step ahead.

The main adventure is set in Pompeii and, as usual, nothing goes to plan. This all builds up to the final fight, which may well be the final fight of all.

I really enjoy this series. As the books go on the characters develop. Max is not the young newcomer from the first book anymore. The supporting cast are well rounded and bring more to the story with their St Mary's quirks.

I really enjoy Jodi Taylor's series and the last one, A Second Chance, was the best so far. Sadly, A Trail Through Time, is a bit of a let down. It's important in terms of the storyline but the writing is a bit tired, the constant running away repetitive and the characterisations either stall or simply don't even start. The pure silliness and joy of the early books gives way to a rather desperate battle that has fairly few (and this is saying something when talking about this series!) logical touchstones. Sadly, the core relationship between Max and Leon never really makes much sense because it has been so poorly developed prior to this. Yep, they like each other and they fight a lot and they have searingly, excellent sex but.....they never seem to get on for longer than about half and hour.

Start at the beginning of the series and enjoy the wild ride. Read this one because you have to and hope - as I do - that Jodi regains form.

The fourth book in this hilarious time-traveling series was just as full of adventure and wit as the previous books. The addition of the Time Police was both fun and exciting (and I still adore the ending to the last book that led into this one). I love these books and all the history I learn from them, the laughter that they cause, and the relationships in them. Looking forward to the next one!

I don't like cliff hangers!! This one is awful, but I love this series and these characters SO much I have to live with it. Thank Goodness the next book is out. No, I will never get used to them. Rant over.
Wild ride through time being chased by organized bad guys! An old villain rears an ugly head as well. Excellent, non-stop fun.

Will Max and Leon EVER get a break?
But wait, it all started with her final jump - to Agincourt. Clio, Muse of History steps in at the last minute and Max's life is, yet again, thrown into chaos. This time, however, maybe more chaos that she can handle. Can Max think quickly and save herself, Leon and St. Mary's?
And what is it with Barkley? In every conceivable incarnation she is Max's nemesis.
I laughed, I cried, and was left wondering what will happen next.
I am definitely addicted!

Another very good book in this excellent series. Alternate Max pingpongs through the centuries pursued by the Time Police. Many trials and fortunately just as many escapes moves everything back to St Mary's for a final cataclysmic battle featuring pistols, caltrops, crossbows and is concluded by a volley of loaded condums.

This is a fantastic series and while book 3 didn't thrill be as much as the first two, this book is back on track! Quirky, humorous, intelligent, emotional and a boatload of fun. If at all possible, I encourage you to listen to the audiobook version. It takes the story to the next level with a fantastic performance by reader Zara Ramm. Am anxiously awaiting the audio version of the next book! Hurry please, Audible.

Another St Mary's adventure with twists and turns. I like that Max and Leon were involved together again though in a different way. This wasn't my favorite but still worth the time and I am looking forward to the next book.

Thank goodness the goddess of history is on Maxwell's side. She resolves a tricky situation by dumping Max in an alternate reality--a place for second chances and new possibilities.

Fans of St. Mary's will love the tender moments, high excitement, and time-travel conundrums of this fourth book.

You know a storyline is well crafted when each book in the series is just as great (or, dare I say, even better) than the one before. By this point, you are probably starting to feel like one of the St. Mary's family , so reading this book will be just like visiting old friends. Welcome back!

I've found the very best series of books after only 55 years of diligent searching. From Book 1 through Book 4,
with short reads in between about St.Mary's and her denizens, I have just one huge wish. That I live until I'm at least 100 years old and Jodi Taylor continues writing these marvelous books.
If you like well drawn characters, humor, history and one pair of apparently star crossed lovers PLEASE dive in and become a part of history, St.Mary's style.