OUT OF TIME 3 THE CISTERCIAN CONSPIRACY
Another top quality read for all lovers of history mystery and mayhem! Author Gill Jepson writes with an authentic knowledge of the buildings, byways and legends of the Furness area, particularly Furness Abbey, around which the story unfolds. This is the third book in the Out of Time series, and once again features the young people we are now quite familiar with- Nate, Rebecca and their older brother Rob around whom this tale revolves..(Unless you consider the Abbey itself as a character which is entirely feasible. Its' majestic and brooding walls laying witness to secret acts of treachery over the centuries
) Characters we earlier met in books one and two appear once more. The strange and frightening Mr Dixon and his cohorts appear again and this time appear even more desperate and menacing in their ambition to own the mysterious Chalice. George, or "Titch the children's friend (and who, as it transpires, is also a very special and close relative from a different time) pops up again in his cheery and time-honoured way, helping the teens with their quest to save the Chalice. The scary and menacing ravens which appear silently and appear to be watching and waiting..for..what? And the mystical and wise John Stell .who again appears as a beacon of light and hope and is a key to the secrets surrounding the Abbey and artifacts discovered by the children. We are introduced to James Ramsden (a figure immortalised as a bronze statue you can see today in Ramsden square in Barrow-in- Furness) -an early pioneer of the Furness railway, to whom we owe a great vote of thanks for not demolishing the Abbey to make way for the railway and for diverting it's route through a tunnel next to the Abbey grounds, rather than cutting a sway right through the middle of it! Such were the economic considerations of the time. This, and similar incidentals of the Furness story are alluded to in such a way that the reader absorbs a great deal of interesting historical fact while following the adventures that befall young Rob. There are the usual family interactions, Rob and his siblings are down to earth kids from a normal Barrow home, with the usual sibling rivalries and 21st century values and attitudes, some of which are contrasted humourously when they meet up with their nineteenth century friends We are treated to descriptions of the town and how it was in days gone by, with references to current day buildings and places (the Concle at Rampside, St George's Church, the Smithy fish and chip shop -but formerly the blacksmiths, Aldingham church, Abbotts Wood, the home of sir James Ramsden.. now no longer standing unfortunately but still part of the Barrow and Furness embedded collective memory. And of course The Abbey itself, standing sentinel over the centuries and omnipresent throughout this tale)
The book continues the themes first introduced in books one and two, with Rob's siblings who had also both (at different times) experienced the shifts in time, becoming reluctant time travellers, until their involvement in the quest to save the Chalice and the discovery of old and new friends and fellow adventurers, compels the young people in this latest thrilling chase to save the treasure and in so doing to to save their family which had become imperilled by the evil powers released.
An interesting well-paced and lively read, I can recommend this book either as a stand alone story, or as the third in the Out of Time series. The connections made with people from the past and the influence and power of sacred artefacts are touched upon in this tale of good versus evil, time travel and adventure. The historical detail will delight many readers, who, whether local or from overseas, will be fascinated by the wealth of legend and mystery surrounding many of Britain's ancient and mysterious ruins. Aimed at a younger readership, nonetheless this book will be enjoyed by teens and adults alike, an enjoyable time travelling journey for all who read within!
Verna Sabi Feb 2015
