The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

Title: The Bronze and the Brimstone

Author: Lory S. Kaufman

Series: The Verona Trilogy

Published: June 7th, 2011

Publisher: The Fiction Studio

Pages: 336 (paperback)

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

What could go wrong in the 14th-century
for three time-traveling teens?
How about – EVERYTHING!

Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention to the rich and powerful.

But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.

Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disasterous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.

Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone.

Do they have a future in this past? --Goodreads

As far as sequels go, The Bronze and the Brimstone was a solid A. After a somewhat misleading dream sequence, the story picks up right where The Lens and the Looker left off. Hansum and the gang are still working in the shop, living the good life (or as good as life can get for three teenagers trapped in the past), making lookers for their reigning lord. But when Hansum is asked to move into the palace, he’s thrown into a world governed by political relationships, religious loyalty, and lies. While we don’t learn much more about the gang’s past lives in the future, it was nice to see them mature in the past as they work towards maintaining a comfortable lifestyle with their new family. Again, we see them accomplish this by bringing in new technology—this time, a deadly cannon with the ability to rewrite the history of war.

A good chunk of the book is dedicated to experimenting and constructing the cannon. Though it sounds like the reading could get tedious, the plot moves along smoothly, with enough fiction and drama to balance the historic/scientific details. I think the majority of the credit for this can be given to Hansum’s and Gui’s clandestine relationship. Even though I still didn’t see the chemistry between them (they don’t spend a lot of time together, despite the fact that they are *spoiler alert* married), the risk of exposure increased the complexity of the relationships in the plot, and Hansum’s family was forced to constantly act like they were walking on glass.

Overall, The Bronze and the Brimstone was a much better sequel than I could have hoped for. It was complex, thrilling, educational, with a cast of characters that just continues to grow on the reader until the very end. My only complaint is that the tagline on the cover of the book (“Can he get back IN TIME to save her?”) is sort of misleading…It feels like more of a spoiler for book three, not what book two is really about.

P.S. For my review of The Lens and the Looker, click HERE!

The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

Title: The Lens and the Looker
Author: Lory Kaufman
Series: The Verona Trilogy #1 (aka A History Camp novel)
Published: Mar. 16, 2011
Publisher: The Fiction Studio
Pages: 336 (paperback)
I received this book as part of the The Lens and the Looker blog tour, in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history. --Goodreads

The Lens and the Looker is unique in the sense that it’s difficult to label as belonging to a single genre. On one hand, it’s sci-fi. You begin in the 24^th century, where you spend a brief time learning just enough to know that all the kids in a three hundred million populated world are sent back in time as part of their education. Learn from hardships of the past to change the future and all that. But on the other hand, once the main characters are transported and trapped back in time, the book is just as much historical fiction as it is science fiction. Hansum and his friends are exposed to a world without plumbing, hearthcare, and easy transportation in 14th century Italy. The detail put into creating the past was by far the greatest strength of the book, and watching the characters mature to deal with the difficulties of that time period in order to survive was the most rewarding aspect of the plot. The historical fact blended well with the fantasy of the entire novel, and I felt like I was being given a focused lesson in history without actually having to attend class. I especially loved the detail put into explaining the art of lens making. You never see that kind of focus in YA fiction, and the craftsman in me loved it.

As far as action goes, there’s really not much of it. Instead, the book draws you in through the character relationships and everyday drama of life in the 14^th century. There are no real villains, just characters in a position to act out of the need to survive (well, with the exception of one, but to say anymore would mean I'd spoil some stuff for you). But, to be honest, though I liked the characters of the book, I didn’t feel like they stood out. We’re not given much back story about our three heroes, and the chapters sort of bounce around from character to character as needed . It was difficult to seperate Hansum as the main character from a minor character like Ugilino when the emotions of all of the characters were sort of light and didn't go far beyond the surface level, even when dealing with big emotions like love and heartache. It was clear by the end of part one that this was very much a plot driven story. Hopefully we’ll get to know the other main characters (specifically Shamira--who was sort of pushed to the side after she was introduced) in the sequel.

So, if you’re looking for something a very different compared to the other dystopia/post apocalyptic novels out there or in the mood to read the equivalent of watching a History Channel special, I highly recommend you pick up The Lens and the Looker. It was an interesting way to start what looks like will be an awesome series, and I can guarantee that you’ll learn a thing or two as you read through it’s pages. I know I did, and I can't wait to read the sequel!