Author Emily Vanderbent has created a spellbinding world in her latest book, Crimson Time. The novel is set in the past with an intriguing plot that will keep you guessing until the end. When Adelaide’s parents are killed by a fire at their cabin, she becomes convinced it was no accident and sets out to find out what really happened. But she soon realizes there may be more secrets buried beneath the surface of her family’s history than anyone ever imagined.
A young woman is looking for answers about her parent’s death in a fire. She finds herself thrust into the world of the Red Rose Society, a secret order composed of descendants of historical figures. After being unexpectedly invited to join them, she discovers that there may be more to her story than meets the eye.
Vanderbent is a gifted writer with themes and characters bringing to mind worlds created by Victoria Schwab and Neil Gaiman (high praise, but certainly something for this author’s fans to aspire to). This is the first book in a series and I am eager to see what other secrets are revealed. Vanderbent’s characters shine, with their complicated relationships providing an intriguing backdrop for Adelaide’s story. The author has done well to balance mystery, suspense, romance and history (the latter two of which can be hard things to incorporate into a first book in a series.)
Admittedly we did find some of the time travel tropes hard to follow if you put the book down and didn’t read it in a single sitting, but as we know time travel is… well complicated. But overall it’s a unique spin on the time travel approach, and this plot kept us guessing about where we might go.
Fans of YA genre that want the complexity of a time-travel world will love the book and be anxious for the series to continue.
About the Author
Emily VanderBent is a writer and historian. A natural born storyteller, she desires to relay and celebrate the stories of women in history. Her premier novel, Crimson Time, is the first in a series that uses elements of history to creatively engage readers with the past. She hopes her writing will encourage young women to fearlessly pursue their passions and own the narrative of their own story. With a degree in history, Emily uses her talent for writing, research, and design to create blog posts, online content and design for Girl Museum. She also helps walk new authors through the publishing process as an Author Coach for NDP. While living in the real world, Emily dreams of days long past and stories yet to be told.