Castaways In Time 02 Seven Magical Jewels Of Ireland [Mass Market Paperback]

The Seven Magical Jewels of Ireland is the second book in Robert Adams' series Castaways in Time and returns the reader to a 17th century parallel world wherein the Holy Church has declared a Crusade against the England sovereignty. The sequel picks up not too long after the concluding events of Castaways in Time. The siege of the City of London, the last English bastion of the Catholic papacy, continues. Bass Foster, time traveller from our present, Duke of Norfolk and current Lord Commander of the Royal Horse under King Arthur III, has been soldiering for some time now and would like nothing better than to lay down his arms and settle down with his increasingly discontented wife Krystal and their toddler Joe. The book's opening finds him bemusedly engaged in privateering. Bass is well on his way to starting his own flotilla when he is summoned by the Archbishop Harold of York. Harold is also a time traveller, but from a further future, and he fears his time machine has been re-activated and might imminently bring forth an invading force from his corrupt timeline. Bass must contend with that task, as well as another mission tasked him by King Arthur - to make his way to Ireland and aid in whatever manner Arthur's ally, the beleaguered King Brian. *Sigh* There's just no rest for the weary.

A familiarity with the first book is helpful here as Adams weaves in a multitude of storylines and refers quite a bit to prior goings-on (the return of the madman William Collier, the coming of Colonel Dr. Jane Stone, etc). The author fragments the book confusingly in his jumbled introduction of new characters, his narrative bouncing back and forth from various 17th century locales and told from varying viewpoints, and even detailing to extreme one new time traveller's backstory. The Seven Magical Jewels of Ireland never really jells. Adams has too many irons in the fire and the sense I get is that this book is nothing more than a set-up for the third installment. The author once again, though, displays a deep knowledge of medieval lore and of things antiquarian. There's one indulgent scene in which Adams uses a full two-page breakdown to lovingly detail the process of Bass donning his numerous accoutrements of war before engaging in a sea battle.

One question I have is how is the title relevant to the contents of this novel? There was no mention of Seven Magical Jewels of Ireland anywhere. And though he was directed by King Arthur to Ireland, Bass never does get there in this book. And Duce Timoteo di Bolgia, Bass's possibly projected lead foe, arrives there just in time for the book to be over. And on a side note, just how accomplished is Nugai, Bass' Asian bodyguard? This guy can seemingly do anything, and do it exceedingly well.

Here's hoping the third book's an improvement.

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