This is not my usual cup of tea kind of book series. But since the first installment I have loved it. The characters are so well drawn out. I love where the story takes me. I'm drawn in from the first page and can't wait till the end (and then I'm sorry it's over). She has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Wonderful story combining past & present. Anyone who enjoys supernatural stories and historical fiction will enjoy this story of Tilda & Seren. I raced through this book and loved how the author alternated chapters, from present (Tilda) to the past (Seren), The entwined stories kept my interest from start to finish.

This is the first book I'd read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more by her. Highly recommended.

I loved this story right from the beginning. Fans of history and the supernatural will enjoy the parallel tales of Tilda Fordwells and Seren Arianaidd, a witch and shaman. They are both strong, independent women of extraordinary talent. It reminded me of The Mists of Avalon and the lady of the lake. The location is a small, lakeside village in Wales set in both the early 10th century and present day. Love, romance, jealousy, power, mystical visions, war, suspense and death all move quickly throughout the story, drawing you in and holding your attention until the end. It left me breathless and wanting more.

This is the first time I've read this author, but not the last. I am recommending this book to several friends who are also readers. What a joy it is to start a book and get so caught up in the plot that you don't want to put it down. That is exactly what happened with this book. The plot was well executed and the author painted an excellent picture of her characters. It was easy to imagine the lake and village where the story takes place. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Cancel all appointments and get a pot of coffee brewing. This is a book that demands every minute of your time until the last page is turned. This is the first novel I've read of Paula Brackston's, but it will certainly not be my last. She paralled the lives of the two main characters in such a way that you were drawn to each one with the same emotion. Usually, I can only be really drawn into one character, but not in this novel. I found this novel to be in no way predictable. Everytime I thought I had it figured out, my theory was blown out of the water. I loved how the author wrote the novel so that you could visualize the lake in present day and immediately see it again with the village in Celtic times.

I have never read any of Paula Brackston's books before but now I will search out her other books.
I enjoyed this book very much, had a hard time putting it down and read it into the wee hours of the night. Her descriptions make it easy for the reader's mind to visualize what she is describing.
Tilda is a complicated character, so many fears and phobias. I liked that the story, showing their connection, went between the two women; Seren in the distant past and Tilda in today's world.
Paula Brackston brings the reader along for a wondrous journey. We forget that we didn't just sprout up in this world that there were people who came before and deposited their lives in us.

I was immediately drawn to the characters in this book and the beautiful word imagery and style of this author. I have never read Paula Brackston before but I look forward to reading her now. Book clubs will enjoy discussions centered on intuition, heritage, ancestry and magic. Beautiful story set in a beautiful place.

Tilda hugs her life close to a beguiling lake, of which entices her innate fear of water to plunder back inside the folds of her conscience; succumbing her to fits of anxiety. Her life is jarred by the sudden exit of her beloved, taken by force in a most tragic method; setting her hours a bit off-kilter to her natural rhythm. The closeness of her tucked away cottage to the water, breathes a bit of new possibilities into her heart, yet her mind is keenly attached to her grief.

Little bits of disturbances are shifting forward into Tilda's waking hours, wherein she is being given little insights of forethought on behalf of what her truer gift might be outside of her pursuit of clay and kiln. As her sensory awakening starts to quicken, time continues to shift and slide into her own world whilst it arches backwards to provide a bit of a window of explanation on her behalf. A story told half in the modern era and half within a time of uncertainty where loyalty and first sight were equally measured as tools a ruler must attach his trust upon.

Seren by far has the harder route to take, as she's already wholly full-on into her life's work and path, whereas Tilda has stepped outside of her time; opening her up to a new dimension where she forsakes what her eyes see and her heart can sense. Seren is a wizened owl, trusting her own instincts even if she is uncertain if those during her time will accept the scope of what her kind can contribute. Tilda is the unexpected heroine you love to curl up inside a novel to discover, for she is both innocent and astute in observation; seeking knowledge out of chaos, whilst setting herself free to find meaning where others only see a foggy mist.

Book Browse First Impressions Programme: I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review on Book Browse from the publisher Thomas Dunne Books (an imprint of St. Martin's Press. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.