And the Rest Is History: The Chronicles of St. Mary’s Book Eight has all the vivid descriptions we expect from Jodi Taylor with a bonus. Taylor always shows us history and the people involved in colorful, loving detail, but she has tiptoed through on Max’s and others’ feelings. This time Max and Tim, Dr. Bairstow and Leon come alive just as does history.
The result is wonderful. Like every other reader I am horrified at Ronan’s cold cruelty, share Max’s broken heart and lonely soul. I felt especially torn for Tim Peterson, losing happiness not just once but twice.
In the other St. Mary’s books I don’t notice plot holes because we sweep on by so fast, but this novel slows the action to include more loss and hope, moving slowly enough that the holes are easier to spot. For example, why do the Time Police remove Greta and Matthew from their time? Why is Leon, Ian’s and Greta’s pod pre-programmed to go to a hellhole like Constantinople during the massacre? The Police tell Max Constantinople was the last jump the team made; was Ronan trying to lose them in the chaos of the 4th Crusade?
Ronan must have a source at St. Mary’s and help. He stays on the loose for years, yet we know that pods take constant maintenance, plus he needs to get money and food and clothing just to sell Matthew and buy him back. He knows to go to Sick Bay to kidnap Matthew; he stays ahead of the Time Police.
The biggest hole is Matthew. No one with a grain of sense kidnaps a baby and expects to have an easy time of it. Babies take work. I’m curious how Ronan found a sucker someone to not only care for Baby Matthew but actually pay him. I am even more surprised that Max doesn’t bring Matthew back to St. Mary’s when she returns with the rest. She is not a quitter yet she is ready to give up on establishing a relationship with her son after only a few months. We know from the short “Christmas Past” that Matthew stays in the future and rarely sees Max. That doesn’t feel right.
s usual the historical sections are great. We watch Harold vs. William for the future of England unfold from Guy of Ponthieu entertaining Harold and William to Edyth Swanneck retrieving Harold’s body. This is a fascinating time for England and one I’ve always enjoyed reading about. Taylor brings the events to life. We read about Harold’s blue and William’s red, about the deception around the relics Harold swears upon, about the back and forth at the bridge over the river Ouse, about the Saxon wings fatally venturing out beyond their pikes and ditch.
Overall And The Rest Is History is excellent. Yes, it is sad, yes it has plot holes, but the emotional depth and maturation along with Taylor’s normal excellent history make this one of the most intense and rewarding books in the series. It is not as much fun as the others, but it is an outstanding novel.
5 Stars
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