A Second Chance

The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 3

By: Jodi Taylor

Narrated by: Zara Ramm

The third book in the best-selling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.

History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.

I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.

It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.

But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.

With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance.

©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2014 Audible Studios

Critic reviews

"Ramm deftly takes listeners through Taylor's temporal shifts, emphasizing Max's dry wit and sense of the ridiculous.... Ramm's smooth voice pivots to a tone of regret and loss as Max confronts the consequences of dabbling in time. Ramm portrays Max's complex nature in all its flawed humanity." ( AudioFile)

This series is just gettihg better and better.

Any additional comments?

This series is fast becoming one of my favorites. I love the lead character, Max, for her snarky humor, and she is surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters at St. Mary's. There's humor, adventure, history (some interesting re-tellings and speculations) and romance.

Do yourself a favor and don't start with this book--go back to the first in the series, Just One Damned Thing After Another, and get to know these people from the beginning. You won't be sorry.

Zara Ramm does a wonderful job of narration--I will look for other books that she reads just to hear her interpretation of them.

Highly recommended! I can't wait for the next one, which is due out in print in January 2015. I'm hoping the Audible version won't be far behind.

The Chronicles Take Some Gut Wrenching Turns

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If they read the first two volumes, then yes. As a stand-alone, no.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Second Chance?

The Trojan war. It and it's aftermath were described in vivid detail and showed just how horrific that war at that time was.

What does Zara Ramm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

To me, she personifies this series. Her voice and delivery are pitch perfect.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of a major character. And the ending section which initially left me extremely sad as it seemed that the series might be over somehow. Then it turn a sharp left turn into WTF land.

Any additional comments?

While the previous volumes were not all rainbows and light, this volume definitely trends much darker in tone. There are still many laugh out loud moments, but as a whole, a darker tone. Still very good. Still a very good choice. Oh and that ending...

It is amazing to read a series this good!!!

What made the experience of listening to A Second Chance the most enjoyable?

That the author continues to up her game with each book. It's extraordinary.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Series this well written are far and few between. I cannot recommend it enough.

Observing History in Contemporary Time

Not time travel. The author posses an amazing imagination. Just when you think they couldn't get better, it gets better.

This one meets Sir Isaac Newton, a new character - an elderly Physicist - completely delightful, an interesting take on Jack the Ripper, tragic deaths, (more than one), and on.

These stories are hard to categorize, but I suppose fantasy/science fiction is the closest. They are humorous, there is romance, suspense, they have it all. So far so good.

Ms. Taylor may run out of ideas, I hope not.

Hooked on this series!

Perhaps because the narrator is so good, I love listening to this series. I usually read books instead of listening; but highly recommend listening to these!

Obsessed

I am officially, completely, irrevocably obsessed. That probably tells you all you need to know.

Intense, Funny and Heartbreaking

Jodi Taylor gives us another great story of the St. Mary's Chronicles. Max and Leon travel through history getting in and out of trouble when suddenly tragedy and heartbreak almost tears Max apart. She works through this the only way she knows how, to continue viewing and recording history. On her latest jump Max runs into trouble that she can't get out of. Near death, she's given a second chance to have a life with Leon in another time-line. Will she chose this life or face the consequences in her old life. A fast paced funny, intense, tragic and heartfelt story.

A Second Chance

This may have been my favorite in the series so far.I am in love with this series!As soon as I get a credit I buy the next one!In this one we run into Isaac Newton.Zara Ramm is the perfect narrator for the series!

Heart wrenching in the best way

This series is witty, complex, requires acrobatic thinking about space-time continuum. The characters are quirky and lovable. This particular book brings the interlocking story line together in multiple heartfelt ways. Read the others first for the best reveals.

A very good addition to the St Mary's series

First of all, read the stories in sequence. This is number three, after Just One Damned Thing and A Symphony of Echoes. There are also 3 very "short stories" that are fun and just add to the quick trips through time that can be read pretty much any time. There is too much prior "history" that you will need to understand to truly enjoy this installment.

I did like the book, but the story is a little disappointing. Although Jodi Taylor's flowing and descriptive writing continues beautifully in A Second Chance, the story seemed to jump around a bit (literally and figuratively!). As one reviewer states, the author can't make up her mind as to the type of story she wants to write. But don't get me wrong, I still recommend it as a must listen in the series.

As we follow the adventures of St. Mary's, we find the H&H in another fantastic point in history (The Trojan wars). Unfortunately, as the story unfolds and as the jumps are made, I did not really like the progression of the love story between Max and Leon. It seems to me the author can't decide if the romance should carry on and for how long. However Max does experience the same conflict within herself and her commitment to Leon. The stolen moments between the two leave the reader wanting. Also, the position Max takes in one major event depicts her unyielding adherence to the law of jumping through history damn the emotional consequences. I found it unbelievable. But admittedly that is likely because I selfishly wanted a different result to the confrontation between Max and Chief Ferrell. In the end, there are some unexpected twists, and the book pulls at a few heartstrings. I will definitely keep me reading this series.

There are introductions of new characters, one of which is Prof. Peterson. I felt his back story needed more explanation and development. Some events at St. Mary's, like the blue historians were head scratchers, but most of the high-jinx of the crazy historians and residents bring forth Taylor's dry wit and humor at which she is so talented. I will never tire of her pure mastery of the English language and ability to draw a vivid picture for the reader of what each place in time could have truly been like. She has strong structure and pacing in the story as told in the first person. That for me is tantamount to the small story flaws in this case.

The narration by Zara Ramm, as in the other installments, is superb and adds immensely to the story. So, overall, a four star rating instead of three.

Very well worth a read, especially for St. Mary's followers.