The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory Kaufman
Paperback,
1st Edition,
336 pages
Published June 7th 2011 by The Fiction Studio
Age Group: MG/YA
Source: Publisher
Series: The Verona Trilogy #2
Summary (from goodreads):
What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING!
Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention to the rich and powerful.
But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.
Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disasterous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.
Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone.
Do they have a future in this past?
I really like this series. This book picks up right after the first one left off and it doesn’t do too much re-telling. I really liked that. I sometimes get annoyed when series give way too much back story in each of the books. It is a series, people are supposed to read them in order, we don’t need to be told again what happened in the last book. The Bronze and the Brimstone did a really good job of just briefly re-introducing the characters and then jumping right back into the story.
I really like all the characters in the book, and I especially liked how they seemed to get more comfortable with their situation. I thought they matured a lot in the book. And I really like Hansum and Guilietta. I think they are adorable. I liked that Shamira also had a bigger role in this book, I felt like she kind of got lost amongst the shuffle in the first story and here she got her own part.
The attention to detail in this trilogy is astounding! I love reading about history this way, because it really does come alive. Lory does such an amazing job of describing Verona. I think this will be such an excellent way for kids and teens to learn about history in a fun and interesting way. I think this series is good for younger teens, although anyone can enjoy it.
I will admit that I thought it was a little slow at parts. Maybe that was just because I found it to be a little repetitive after reading the first book, or maybe because I have been suffering from reading ADD this past week. Even though I caught myself skimming over a few pages, I still really enjoyed the story and cannot wait to find out what is going to happen in the final installment.
Be sure to check out my review of the first book, The Lens and the Looker
HERE
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| 3/5 gavels |
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Paperback, 1st Edition, 336 pages
Wow! New book for me. Thanks for the review, excuse me while I dash off to add to my wishlist.
alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/
Oh, Yay!! I’m so glad you liked this book! I just got my copy of the first book in the series in the mail yesterday and I really want to get a copy of this one before I start it so I’ll have both of them ready to read!! Thanks for the awesome review:)
jwitt33 at live dot com
Great review! This is a new book/series for me. I had never heard of it until now. i usually don’t read much YA ( I tend to leave that to my daughter) but ever once in a while I will come across a good review and I absolutely have to go buy the book and read it…This is one of those cases. I will be buying Book 1 and 2. Thank you for introducing me to a new series 🙂
Hadn’t heard of this series…but then I don’t really read MG…Sounds like fun though and I love Time travel!