Synopsis:

The past is waiting.

Josie Jackson has been thrown back to the era of the Mongol Empire by Carter, the mastermind behind her trip to the Old West. Soon after arriving, she’s discovered by Carter’s enemies. They sever her connection to her handler, leaving her no choice but to obey them – or risk never making it home.

She completes the mission they assign her, only to have her hope of seeing her family and time again crushed. Her new handlers have stranded her in the past – alone, friendless and with no empathic memory chip to help her navigate the dangerous politics of an Empire at war.

When a Mongol warrior named Batu becomes her protector and guide, she can’t decide if she’s better off with him or alone. Strong, brave, loyal and quick to both laugh and kill, Batu and his world initially baffle her. With nowhere else to turn and no other option, Josie takes a chance to find happiness in the beautiful yet dangerous steppes of thirteenth century Mongolia.

Lizzy Ford, author extraordinaire, is an evil mastermind. She knows exactly how to weave a suspenseful tale and how much to give the reader before taking it away, enough to break your heart and enough to make you demand to know how Josie’s story ends.

Seriously, I’ve never known anything like it.

Written in the first person, from the perspective of Josie, we feel everything that this lovable and sensitive (but not too sensitive) characters as she’s torn from the world she knows and finds herself lost in time and in Mongolia, on this occasion.

Still reeling from the upheavals that beset her in the first book, she has to find herself a place in this new world. What makes this so engaging to read/listen to is that she’s developing as a character and Ford takes a deep dive into her psyche to really explore how being so lost and confused would feel when you’re a naturally warm and empathetic person. This is why the author is an evil mastermind.

I’m also impressed by the scope of the author’s writing, she’s successfully gone from the wild West to the Mongolian empire without breaking her stride – writing outside your own culture can be a minefield but in this case, I think it’s perfectly done.

The book follows the journey of Josie and Batu to the steppes, their interactions are fascinating as they bond despite being such different people. There’s nothing rushed in the writing style and I was hooked.

Not only does every fan of time travel, fantasy and romance need to read this book, they need to do so in the audio format. It’s not a secret that I love Lillian Yves’ work but she’s outdone herself with this particular title – she turns Josie into a real and breathing person for you, which makes this story all the more breathtaking. As a first person perspective, I think it’s essential to pick the right voice artist for the role and this was a match made in heaven.

I was going to wait for another audio to be released before pursuing this series but sadly… no can do. North is already out in print and sitting on my Kindle, flirting with me. I’m only human! In the meantime, I’m listening to the audio for one of Ford’s other books; Black Moon Drawn. Review to follow!

Review of West