Forged in Dreams and Magick (Highland Legends, #1) by Kat Bastion: Review and Giveaway

Title: Forged in Dreams and Magick (Highland Legends, #1)

 Author: Kat Bastion

 Release date: September 23, 2013

 Age Group: Adult

 Genre: Paranormal Romance / Time Travel

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . .

Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . .

Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between two millennia . . .

Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of history . . . of everything.

Isobel, a rising-star archaeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice.

She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-century Highlands and a Pict chieftain in a more ancient Scotland. Isobel transforms from an academic, hell-bent on obtaining archaeological recognition, to a woman striving to care for those she loves, and ultimately . . . into a fearless warrior risking everything to protect them.

~Karen’s Review ~

Time travel has always been an interesting concept for a book, and with Forged in Dreams and Magick by Kat Bastion, you get time travel via an ancient magic box.   Okay the practical girl who has a degree in history and a minor in anthropology, was aghast as the main heroine removed an archaeological find from the peat moss of Scotland.  Did she not know how many laws she was breaking?  Even if she had found the archaeological find of a lifetime it would be suspect, because she did not follow proper procedures. Okay, stepping off my soapbox.  No wonder I am so short, it is so I can get on my soapbox without hitting my head in the clouds.

Okay back to the book.  Isobel MacInnis finds a box.  She has a desire to share that said box with highlander and movie actor Iain Brodie, because his family chest resembles markings on the box.   Guess what? The box is magic and they are propelled back to thirteenth century Scotland.

Holy Crap, my mind goes straight to the disease that Isobel can die from. Aren’t I just a bowl of sunshine?  Hopefully her Daddy was like mine and in the military, so she has been inoculated for all the non-common US disease. Here we come, Yellow Fever and Small Pox!   No I am not a world traveler or a time traveler but my shot record has me prepared just in case, thanks to the USAF.  Okay I digress, again, but please don’t die Isobel, viruses are nasty buggers. Mortality rate in the thirteenth century, YIKES!  Start growing mold for penicillin and don’t forget Willow bark is aspirin.  Yes these are the things I think of when I read a time travel novel; it is the Girl Scout in me, because I need to prepare my heroines.

Did I tell you that Isobel is a fabulous heroine? She really is, and Bastion had me hooked with this book from the first page!  It usually takes at least a chapter to hook me, but when Isobel’s Seanair/Grandpap bid her farewell , the scene was so poignant.  Isobel is feisty, smart and all around plucky. Yes plucky is a word, which I actually use.   No I am not above making up a word.   Okay where was I? Oh yes Isobel, the archaeologist, lands on her ass in thirteenth century Scotland.   As a historian I would be thrilled for about a day.  I would miss my smartphone, MacBook, reader,  deodorant, and indoor PLUMBING.  But Isobel has something that could distract even me, a very handsome Scotsman, has come along for the time traveling ride.

Iain lands on his ass back in the thirteenth century too, but all is not as obvious as it seems.  See Iain has a wee bit of a secret.

Do you want to know?

Guess what? I’m not going to tell. Just let’s say Iain used to whip up at the California highland games because OLD Iain had an edge over his competition.   Hmmm, Iain… Oh sorry my mind wandered there for a minute.  Iain is every girl’s highland fantasy.  Insert graphic.   Oh you thought that was a typo. NO I MEANT I INSERTED GRAPHIC. TAKE A PEEK BELOW 😉

Okay eye candy over load, but honestly I just couldn’t help myself.  Holy Hotness!  Iain puts the Alpha in Alpha Male.  He is stubborn, controlling and not a twenty first century guy when it comes to the ladies, but not a barbarian either.  He just knows what he wants and come hell or high water he is going to get it.   Guess what Iain wants.  A certain twenty first century fiery gal.

Okay you are all thinking girl meets medieval boy, they fall in love THE END.  WRONG.  Hmm you think this is the Happily Ever After stage, Wrong, Bastian throws a curve ball as the thirteenth century is not the only stop on Isobel time travel trip. Nor is Iain her only soul mate.

Enter the Pict chieftain Velloc.  Okay honestly I am a one woman girl, but Bastion writes both these dudes so you fall for them, and  so does Isobel . I am more team Iain.   I am really a one woman gal, sorry.  The boys willing to share the girl even though they were centuries apart. I wasn’t thrilled with.  (personal bias didn’t affect rating)

But not everything in this tale is as it seems. This book is so much more than a highland fling. The tapestry of the plot threads are explored,  as it delves into the Brigadoon quality of the tale.  Then others threads are tied in  that explore the supernatural aspects of the book. Bastion, weaves a romance, paranormal, fantasy, mystery, adventure, and time travel tale into so much; that the ride was breathtaking, and hit on all cylinders of the genres.  I devoured the middle 50% of the book in two hours, I was riveted to my chair, and flung back and forth in time with Isobel.  Bastion has written a fun, adventuresome, paranormal fantasy read that I highly recommend.

~About the Author ~

Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.

On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love.

Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds of all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world.

Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit her blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, her website at www.katbastion.com, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kat-Bastion/382546338470769 ,and her Twitter account at https://twitter.com/KatBastion for more information.

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book directly from the author. I was not paid to read or review this book. All opinions are my own, and I was never influenced by anything or anyone.