Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren (The River of Time #2)

Published: June 1^st 2011 (David C. Cook)

Pages: 399

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever. [Description from Goodreads]

First off, I read this book about a month ago, and made the mistake of not taking any notes (darn…what was I thinking?), so just bear with me here. This might be a bumpy ride.

Cascade picks up right where Waterfall left off, with the Betarrini sisters travelling back through time to see their mother. Being an archeologist, she’s completely gung-ho for travelling back to 14^th century Italy, which is exactly what Gabi wants to do. Lia, on the other hand…not so much. When they finally get back, much more time has passed for Marcello than it has for the Betarrinis (but don’t worry- he’s not old and senile quite yet). Gabi and Marcello are thrilled to be united again, but with danger lurking behind every, erm, castle, they’re soon swept off to defend the land from their ever-persistent enemies. And this time, there’s no stopping them. With her love belonging to another and her family to protect, Gabi must find great courage in order to overcome the hardships she encounters and make the sacrifice that’s necessary.

I really loved this book. Maybe even more than Waterfall, which is saying something, because I LOVED Waterfall. Lisa’s writing proved to sweep me off again, and once you get going, it’s hard to stop. I have to say, the little tidbits of insight about faith, love, and trusting God are still one of my favorite things. I love how Lisa incorporates them into her book! And oh, the action was lacking in nothing. This second installment was even more intense than the first. Running-for-your-life-from-fatal-enemies kind of intense. There might even be a possibility that said enemies capture one of the Betarrinis. Just a possibility. *shrugs* You know I’m just baiting you, right? And it’s working, isn’t it? I thought so. *wink*

I was even more convinced of Marcello’s love for me for Gabi in Cascade than I was in Waterfall. He’s so perfect it’s almost frustrating. His and Gabi’s relationship got even sweeter in this book…almost to the point of being sickening in some places. That was the only thing that bugged me a little. But I got over it. *grin*

In conclusion, I once again apologize for this messy, unorganized attempt at a review. While my thoughts might be in so much of a jumble that they’re a pain to read, Cascade is a book you do want to read. I felt like it was a solid sequel to Waterfall, and if Torrent (book three) is even a fraction as good as Cascade was, I can’t wait to read it!

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None.

Violence: Moderate (Battle sequences, torture, etc.)

Sexual: Mild (some kissing)

Interview with Lisa T. Bergren, author of the River of Time series and the Grand Tour series

Today we’re chatting with the awesome lady who wrote the River of Time series. She’s my new favorite person, and soon she’ll be yours, too. *wink*

Great to have you on the blog today, Lisa! I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about this.

Your historical novels for teens are like no other. What inspires and motivates you to write historical fiction for YA?

I love the River of Time series because it’s historical, and yet not-quite. Given that we have contemporary girls there, we can get a contemporary perspective on a wildly different time period. It was fascinating to write, and I think it’s because of that nuance that many readers say, “I don’t usually read historicals but I loved these!” It made it more accessible. And I love history…stories seem to write themselves in different eras.

What kind of research did you do for the Grand Tour series, as well as the River of Time series? Did you do any travelling? (If it were me, I’d probably sit around watching BBC period dramas all day, but I’m sure you were much more studious, right? *wink*)

I’ve been to Italy four times, and France and England. Would love to do more, but the bank account is empty. J Other than that, I read a lot. And yes, I’m a huge fan of Downton Abbey, but I discovered it AFTER I’d written GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS.

I love how you incorporate Biblical principles into your books. Is this ever difficult to do?

Not really. All of life incorporates God at work, and either our resistance or cooperation with him. It’s hard for me NOT to write about Him, given that I think He’s a part of everyone’s life, whether they recognize it or not.

You’ve written a couple of novellas for the River of Time series (Bourne and Tributary). Do you think you’ll do the same for the Grand Tour series? I’m sure we (your fans) would eat it up!

Thank you for your support, but no. I’ll just do the three, full-length novels. I think. Ask me again after GLITTERING PROMISES (book 3) is out. J

What’s the main message you want readers to glean from Glamorous Illusions and the other books in the Grand Tour series?

Our core identity is not the one the world gives us: it’s the one God gave us from the day we breathed our first breath. We are His treasured children. Anything else is just icing on a very delicious cake.

The cover for GRAVE CONSEQUENCES (Grand Tour #2) was revealed just the other day (I’ll admit, I “squeed” when I saw it). Can you tell us a little bit about what’ll happen to Cora Kensington in this installment?

Cora’s finding it harder and harder to avoid what she feels for Will, and he for her. But that is forbidden. So it’s really their story of working that out…when everything seems set against them.

I hear you’re working on a YA dystopian series. Dystopian is my absolute favorite genre, so as you can guess, I’m super excited about this! Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Sure! The title was just set yesterday: REMNANTS: SEASON OF WONDER. It’s about a group of young people, born a couple hundred years after the world’s gone to war and many, many have died. They’re brought together to knit back together the people that can bring the world back from the brink and closer to what God hopes for us.

And just for fun…if you could go back in time and hang out with any historical figure from any time period, who would be your top pick?

Winston Churchill. He seems like such a character with his dry wit and sharp mind! I’d be scared to talk to him. I’d just want to sit in a corner and listen.

Lovely talking with you, Lisa! We’re all on the edge of our seats as we wait to read your upcoming books. *grin*

Thanks for inviting me!

~~~

Check out more about Lisa in these crannies of the internet:

Website: http://lisatawnbergren.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.t.bergren

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaTBergren

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/73754.Lisa_Tawn_Bergren

  Oh, and don’t forget to check out her books!

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Published: February 1^st, 2011 by David C. Cook

Pages: 369

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaeologist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. [Description from Goodreads]

Review:

Meet Gabi. She’s just a regular teen, spending her summer in Italy and wishing she were elsewhere. Her parents’ obsession with their work as archaeologists leaves Gabi and her sister Lia spending their summers in Italy, usually at a digging site as their mom hunts for the “next big find.” But one afternoon changes all that. After sneaking into an ancient tomb and getting sucked through time, Gabi is not only separated from her sister, she’s plopped in a different century. Psh, more like a different time period! As she emerges in the thick of a fierce, bloody battle between two warring knights, she realizes she’s not in Kansas anymore… I mean Italy. *grin*

I absolutely loved this book. I’ve honestly heard not one negative word uttered about this series. That, combined with the fact that it involves time travel, hot knights, and history, and I knew I was in before I cracked the cover.

Lisa joined just the right amount of “modern” and “historic” to keep our attention and keep us entertain, but also to make the facts believable in a non-boring way (If that makes a lick of sense). To put it simply: Reading Waterfall was like a history lesson, but with a whole lot of fun thrown in (not that history isn’t fun, but let’s be honest here). After reading her book, I’m thoroughly convinced that Lisa is such a cool adult. She uses words and phrases that “normal” adults don’t use, and while she claims to get her slang from her readers in her focus group (consisting of her daughters and other young women), I think she’s just cool like that. *wink*

 I wasn’t completely sure how Lisa was planning on pulling off the whole time travel bit, but she did marvelously. Not only was it believable, it wasn’t ridiculous, either. I know, major shocker, right? Most books that involve time travel completely botch the whole thing and you’re sitting there thinking, “A three year old could have come up with a more convincing story.” But Lisa obviously had this well thought-out, and for that I am eternally grateful.

I was kind of surprised at the gritty action and battle sequences this book featured. Just wasn’t expecting it, I guess. Don’t get me wrong- it wasn’t gory, I was just prepared more for the girly, prissy kind of character, but Gabi turned out to be a pretty awesome heroine. She could stand her own. I’m considering taking fencing lessons now, because it sounds like it could be a useful tool when fighting off pervs. Just sayin’.  J

Marcello! Try imagining him
with curlier tresses, and you'll
get the picture. See? I told you
he was hot.



And now, the part you all have been waiting for. Yes, that part. The part when I talk about the romance and how hot the guy was. Prepare yourself: it was pretty amazing. It topped a lot of what I’ve been reading recently. Actually, somehow Lisa stirred up this hot romance between Gabi and Marcello and kept it completely clean. I was in awe, to be completely honest. She’s like a book magician. (Can I learn some of your tricks, Lisa? Pretty please???) I won’t go into too much detail, because  then what fun would that be, but I will say that 1) Marcello is very hot, 2) I got green with envy over Gabi and Marcello’s relationship, mainly because it’s so stinkin’ unrealistically perfect, and 3) For some reason, I kept thinking that Luca was going to get together with Gabi, and thankfully, that never happened, and I don’t know what compelled me to think that, but…that was kind of pointless telling you, wasn’t it? Anyway. *whistles*

Lastly, and something I loved most about Waterfall, was the fact that Gabi struggles with the same things that a lot of us struggle with. Things like waiting on God’s timing, having faith, trusting, obsessing over guys when we really should be obsessing over the God Who loves us dearly, etc. etc. She’s relatable. I love that in a character; in fact, I love it so much that it might be the one thing that compels me to like or dislike a book. But you can rest assured that I most definitely liked loved this book. It’s perfect for teen girls of any and all ages, and even more perfect for group discussions. It stands out in the book world where “young adult” is rarely linked in the same sentence with “historical fiction,” and even more rarely “clean Christian fiction.” My point: there needs to be more books like this one. Because this one was plain awesomesauce. Go read it.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: Moderate- Heavy (mostly battle violence- some brief description of wounds/blood)

Sexual: Mild (Some kissing/PDA; a failed attempt at rape, nothing described)