The sequel is a bit better than its predecessor and just as easy to turn the pages for - these are fun reads ( )

I enjoyed seeing these characters again. However, I was disappointed that the plot was initiated by Julia making stupid decisions. She supposedly is a whiz at her job, according to the first book, so it seems out of character for her to deliberately withhold information that others need to know. ( )

I contemplated between scoring The Runestone Incident by Neve Maslakovic with a one star or two stars and picked the latter grade because I haven't read the previous book in this series, which probably contributed to my confusion while reading parts of this story.

Summary:

Once again, troubles and mysteries find their ways into St. Sunniva University and its STEWie lab. Julia Olsen, assistant to the Dean of Sciences, faces an unauthorized time travel run and a kidnapped Dr. Holm. And all the evidence points to her soon-to-be ex-husband Quinn, who is on a quest to prove the authenticity of the Kensington Runestone. Among uncertainties and chaos, Julia, along with her old teammates from the previous adventure and new helps, jump back in time to search for the missing scholar and the truth about Viking history.

My Thoughts:

Although this can be treated as a standalone book, the author does often reference the previous book, The Far Time Incident, so I was lost more than once while reading this story, especially when it comes to how the time travel machine works.

I have no interest in the historical eras that are discussed in this book, so it was quite boring for me when the author goes into details about them. However, if you are interested in these periods, the book provides very intriguing historical facts and theories. It also has an extremely slow start and should have been condensed by about 100 pages. Otherwise, the rest is pretty well written and has an eventful storyline.

It's not easy to find decent time travel stories with reasonable plots yet don't end in a mess, so I would still recommend this book to those who are interested in these particular historical periods or just want an opportunity to brush up on Norse history.

* This book was provided by the author and/or its publisher in exchange for a honest review. ( )

Troubles continue to plague St. Sunniva University’s time travel lab. In this second entry of the series it’s diligent assistant to the dean Julia Olsen’s soon to be ex-husband causing the uproar. He’s convinced that the alleged Viking runestone found by his grandfather not far from the Minnesota campus is authentic, so he hijacks the university’s time travel machine to prove it for a TV reality show he hopes to produce. If like me you enjoy time travel novels with an academic setting, eccentric but appealing characters, pervasive but subtle humor, space/time conundrums, interesting historic eras to visit, and just a light background romance then this is the perfect book. ( )