The Skinmap by Stephen Lawhead

 The title gives away part of the plot.   What and who might the skinmap refer to?  That is a question in a time traveling mystery.

This is a coming of age for the protagonist as he grows into a more formidable person.   Kit and Mina were insipid people at best.  Kit changes all that by meeting his grandfather. 

Time travel and magic intertwine in this story where paradoxical encounters abound.   The characters were colorful and the plot was open ended.   I would guess a sequel is in the works.  

I liked the flavor of the story and the way Mr. Lawhead crafted his plot.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Body of  work of <a type="amzn" > Stephen Lawhead </a>

Web Site: http://www.stephenlawhead.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Bronze and The Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

The trio of pending juvenile find the real past is dramatically different than the sanitized version shown in History Camp. 

Mr. Kaufman’s has hit the mark again.   This book is very entertaining and captivating while showing the gritty realities of previous centuries.   This is  possibly a very sneaky way of introducing real history.  Having taught history I always was dismayed how difficult it was to get kids excited about it.   Mr. Kaufman is providing a dose of history disguised as just fun reading.

Historic condition being what they were, the author even shows some insight as to why the nobles may have been so despotic in their behavior.  That was quite well done.  

In my opinion, Lory S. Kaufman has got game! 

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Lory S. Kaufman

Web Site: http://www.history-camp.com/

The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

A trio of pending juvenile delinquents is posted to a alternative school.  This takes place in the not too distant future where the alternative school is a representation of a past history.   It is designed to show difficult students how good current life is compared to what the world suffered in previous generations.   A reasonable premise that is disrupted by a time traveling history buff from the future results in the trio taking an unwanted trip to the real past. 

Mr. Kaufman’s premise for the History Camp series is close to my heart.   I taught history for a few years and was always shocked at the frequency that history repeated itself primarily because we human beings refused to learn from history.   History camp was a safe sanitized method of helping kids learn from history.  

The characters are likeable, realistic and believable.   Intellectually I have to wonder how modern kids would truly fare if thrust into a prior time.   I have seen how tremendously resilient kids are and Kaufman’s postulating doesn’t seem too out of line with what kids could do. 

It is inspiring to see how three less than stellar children rise to the challenge and survive in a dramatically different environment.   I think the book will be an enjoyable read for a wide range in ages and may even get kids to ponder a bit upon life.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Lory S. Kaufman

Web Site: http://www.history-camp.com/

Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

This is vampire story with a historic twist that never once uses the word vampire.

Jeremiah Fall finds himself turned into a creature of the night.   A Puritan, he soon discovers his base urges are incompatible with his Puritan ethics.   The strict manner he was raised contributes to his keeping his internal beast from overwhelming his gentler sensibilities.  

I enjoyed the historic aspects of the book.  It did jump around a great deal and not just in the paranormal vampire manner.   I guess morality play would be an apt description.   Jeremiah’s struggles to come to terms with his internal beast provide the motivating factor of his search for a cure. 

The book was darkly entertaining with some bizarre philosophic overtones on the substance of existence.  

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Stefan Petrucha

Web site:  http://www.petrucha.com/BloodProphecy.htm