Barbara Erskine has been among my favorite female novelists for many years now. For me, I suppose she's as near as I'm likely to get to 'Chick lit' preferring my novels to challenge my intellect (unless I'm reading Stephen King of course). There could be something in that, Barbara Erskine is said to be 'a great storyteller' which, I've found, usually refers to authors who continuously write good books. I can't quite believe that its 25 years since she first made a name for herself with 'Lady of Hay' one of her best-known and loved books. I started reading with that debut novel and have read most of her books since then. Perhaps I find her writing comfortable, I ...  Read the complete review

Time's Legacy is the latest of Erskine's historical fantasy novels and follows her typical style. As usual, she takes a modern day character - this time a novice pastor Abi, and links her to a story in the past. In the stunning, atmospheric setting of Glastonbury, Abi connects spiritually to a Roman family and through her their story develops. Typical of Erskine are strong, interesting characters with the backdrop of vivid and descriptive locations that make the book brilliant escapism - as all of her books that I have read so far are. Being a historian, her stories are also always incredibly well researched and Time's Legacy is no exception. Although ...  Read the complete review