Night of the Owl The Novels of Ravenwood Book 4
Fantasy/Time Travel/Romance
The Wild Rose Press, Inc
October 21, 2019
172
PhD student Ardyth Nightshade has renounced men and pursues her twentieth-century career with single-minded focus. When fate whisks her to medieval England, she meets her match in a man whose passions mirror her own. Can she sacrifice ambition for a love she never sought?
Hugh, Lord Seacrest confounds all who know him. He refuses to marry without a meeting of minds and hearts, and no lady has even approached his ideal…until Ardyth. But she's an odd one, with unique skills, shocking habits, and total conviction she needs no man. She also harbors secrets, and in the midst of rumors, plots, and murder, trust is fragile.
A woman outside of her time. A man ahead of his. They must take a leap of faith to forge a bond that will shape history.
Review by Madison Davis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Night of The Owl is the fourth book in the ‘Ravenwood Series.’ I didn’t read the first three books, but after reading ‘The Night of The Owl, I bought them for me. I’m quite curious if they are as good as this one is.
Ardyth Nightshade didn’t like to think back to her treacherous ex-boyfriend. After he had betrayed her and stolen from her, she had decided for herself that she would concentrate on her career rather than having another man in her life she couldn’t count on. She had sworn herself; she would only ever be with a man whose love was unique and proven and would not go for anything less. She had seen it with her parents.
An amazing opportunity for a summer job made her travel to England, where fate takes over. A situation she couldn’t control allowed her to leave 1986 and arrive in the 1100s in medieval England. She meets wonderous people, a young girl and a couple who are not surprised to see her. As curious as this all is. With her skills as a Ph.D. student and her love for history, she is well prepared to live in that time. What adventures would she have to face?
Her hosts are sending her away to another keep where she meets Lord Seacrest, Hugh, as she comes to call him. He is a man, she Ardyth knows, deep in her soul, he could be her fate. But with the need for his marriage and the crimes around her, she does not know what will happen.
Night of The Owl is an unusual book. I’m not too much into time travel since most of them end up in the future. The story here is different. Ardyth (how much I love that name) travels into the past and must face many difficulties, betrayal, rumors and greed.
With my ‘short version’ of the book, I almost gave too much away, but let me tell you that I love the book and the story. Ardyth is a skillful, smart, and clever woman with a lot of courage and strength. Her resilience allows her to take over most of the habits and traditions in medieval times (without giving up her need for bathing).
I find the characters well developed. Ardyth is a wonderful character, mostly dominating the book, supported by Hugh, Lord Seacrest, his mother and Juliana, one of two sisters, and another impressive character, Ranulf.
Now, why didn’t I give the book five stars? It has two reasons. For once, it’s Juliana’s sister Isobel and their uncle, the Archdeacon. Both characters are very ‘obviously’ badly tempered and there’s no secret within them. They’re just unlikeable and turn out to just be that way in the end.
Also, at the end of the book, as much as I like it, there’s a massive breach of paradoxes when it comes to time travel. I’m convinced not everyone feels that way, but I do. I still love the book, but I think the end could have been written a bit more carefully.
Thank you for the review. So glad you want to read the other books, too!