I rarely read fiction, but I was drawn to read this book! Thank you Kathleen for your engaging writing and your immense insight into this amazing site along with your unique perspectives. I enjoyed your believable touch connecting your characters: Katelyn and her brother Jackson on the front end; Katelyn with her father and his new French wife; and my favorite - Katelyn with Jean and Nicolas working together in the heart of the matter. You wove the threads of a 21st century young woman and some intriguing French history (the 100 Years War) and the particulars of Mont Saint Michele and details about 15th century life during the conflict - along with time travel, discerning evil, and making solid right choices - into a beautiful tapestry. Thank you for sharing your perspective into how the people of Europe and the French specifically view Mont Saint Michele - legend and history and faith and powerful Michael the Archangel. I appreciated the pace of the last half of the book - I could not put it down. While the book is certainly appropriate for youth (thanks for no vampires or werewolves), I would recommend it for youth and adults. Congratulations and much success!  

I am so glad I accepted this book for review! I don't normally read NA novels, but this one sounded really, really good, and when the author contacted me I couldn't resist that summary and the good things that I had read about it! I mean Mont Saint Michel, history, archangels, a sacred mission, a medallion, and an alluring man named Nicolas? I just had to find out for myself, and you should too, because I'm really glad I did!

I was afraid that I wouldn't like the main character, Katelyn, because the summary said that she was determined to hate every moment of her visit to Mont Saint Michel. I mean, I've read a book or two where the characters complained about everything and that gets annoying. I was relieved to find out that this would most definitely not be the case! Katelyn was smart, savvy, and very sarcastic! Her feelings toward her step mother were understandable, and she did enjoy her enjoy her adventures on the mount with her brother, who she was a really good sister to. I admired her love and loyalty toward her family (and later on, the people of the mount). I found her sarcasm funny, and it made for a really entertaining narrative. I really related well to that and her feeling of inadequacy.

Put in the dangerous situations she was placed in, she proved her determination, ability, and worth. With the help of God, she just might be able to save Mont Saint Michel after all. Though she might not be as much of a history guru as her younger brother, something about Katelyn will make her perfect for the mission she had been given.

Then there was her super smart brother, Jackson, who was into history and gave us all lessons about the Mount that were really interesting and quite essential to Katelyn's success. I appreciated how the author pulled it all together, making all of the details significant, and using history to do so!

And of course Jean and Nicolas! Jean was very kind and grandfatherly. He played such an important role in this story from tutor and mentor, to understanding friend. Nicolas?! He was pretty awesome too! From the moment Katelyn and Nicolas laid eyes on each other, Katelyn knew she could trust him with her life (and it's a good thing too). Then, when she travels back in time and meets him again, they don't exactly get off on the right feet. At all! Which made for some humorous situations that had me laughing so hard! And then there was a fantastic twist that actually made me laugh at its brilliancy! For a while I was beginning to wonder if they would ever come to the realization of how perfect they were for each other. And if they do, will it be to late?

My words can not explain enough without spoiling anything about the plot, so you need to know that it is brilliant, and everything fits together so perfectly. The characters were relateable and strong, the descriptions breath taking, the history interesting, the plot perfect, the action heart pounding, and the plan impeccable! Pleas read this book, trust me, you won't regret it!

It also kind of ends on a cliff hanger, so I can't wait for the next book in the Watchmen Saga to come out!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review. This in no way affected my opinions, and all thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

If you have read most of my 425 reviews, you know I very rarely read Young Adults books, that in fact I had NEVER before read a New Adult novel, and that usually time travel is really not my cup of tea. And here we go: 5 Eiffel Towers in all their shine for the amazing historical suspense novel The Keys of the Watchmen. According to my rating, it means “OMG, you have to read this NOW!” Keep reading to know why!

Katelyn Michaels, aka Katie, 17, comes only reluctantly to France, to accompany her younger brother Jackson, 14. Jackson loves history and is really excited at visiting Mont Saint Michel, where a Christian sanctuary was established in the 8th century. Katie is far less interested.
But events take an unexpected turn there for her: first she has this feeling of having been to this place before, and also of being watched by two weirdos: a guy wearing some type of Medieval religious habit and a sinister creature with a Gothic look. “The monk” (Nicolas) secretly puts an ancient medallion in her backpack.

When she follows his directions and uses this “key” in the underground chapel, she is sent back in 1424, a key year for le Mont: we are in The Hundred Years’ War, fifteen years after Agincourt. Mont Saint Michel is the only French territory, trying to stand against the English invasion –Normandy is English by then. The Montois (the inhabitants of Mont Saint Michel) are under siege, starving, desperate and it seems Katie is the only one who can help them.

But imagine: you are a teen used to the comfort of the 21st century, and you end up in the fifteenth century, in the middle of a war torn area. Remember: no shower, no bathroom, no snacks. Aren’t you going to run for your life and use that key to come back to your comfy cozy time? I won’t tell you what decision Katie made of course, but you have to trust me that this book is pure awesome.

• It is of course full of suspense, as you discover what Katie’s mission is and what she might be able to do, IF she decides to stay and do it!
• It is so funny, hilarious (especially with clashing details on 15th and 21st century society –clothing, hair, tattoos and body-piercing!, modern technology), smart, well thought. Nicolas is totally appalled at how through the ages le Mont has changed into a place of business

He didn’t know much about the twenty-first century, except for what he’d seen in his two weeks there, but Nicolas had immediately recognized it as a self-indulgent society where immediate gratification was the order of the day. p.137

• It is packed with tons of information on history (Medieval and modern, as Katie tries to explain for instance the birth of America!, and as she gets inspiration from a page of war against Charlemagne), art, architecture, and also how tides work (they are extremely strong at Mont Saint Michel). Though you never have the impression of reading a textbook

I also really loved how Katie’s adventure connected deep with the religious aspect of le Mont: a legend says that it’s the place where Archangel Michael (hence the name) defeated evil. So this is also all about the struggle between good and evil. Each part of the book actually opens with a quotation from the Bible on the topic.

The characters feel very real, the Medieval ones just as the modern ones. They all struggle at reconciling their present life with life lived in another place and another time. Katie matures beautifully throughout the book, and Nicolas and his mentor show an amazing openness of mind.

I loved also the style of the writing, with the use of the present tense.