Reviews

The Celtic Deception by Andrew Varga

peachyteachy's review

adventurous funny informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Great YA novel involving time travel and lots of historical research

drakoulis's review

4.0

The Celtic Deception is Dan and Sam's second time-travelling adventure, all the way back to the island of Anglesey when the Romans conquered the last Celtic stronghold in Wales. Andrew Varga's writing has eradicated several of the weaker parts encountered in The Last Saxon King and we begin to see a larger scope in the series.

We see the Romans through their opponents' eyes, a point of view which is not common nowadays, and the book scratches the surface of the lost in time ancient Celtic culture.

The dialogue has improved and the main characters feel way less generic and bland than they did in the first book of the series - although Dan remains unpleasantly thirsty.

I am looking forward to the 3rd book which will (judging from the title) not take place in Britain!

Thank you NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the ARC!

queencleo's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

 I received #3, The Mongol Ascension on netgalley, so had to try and find the 2nd in the series to follow along

The Celtic Deception sees Dan and Sam jump back in time to Celtic Wales, and the invasion by the Roman Legions at Anglesey, and consequent massacre of the druids.

For middle school reading age, I found it enjoyable but not as immersive as the first in the series, the solution was perhaps a little bit too easy.
Who wouldn't be interested in a modern day retelling of this interesting period in history? 

exlibrisabi's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

kmbooky's review

5.0

This book was amazing. I lived every second of it. There are highs and lows. I went through so many emotions while reading this book. There were parts where I was devastated and just couldn't read on and also parts where I just couldn't put the book down. I love this series. The characters, the adventures, the time traveling, and the events that they go through. Everything about this book is amazing, and I can't wait for the next book.

coramcq's review

3.0

I wasn't aware this was a sequel so read as a stand alone. Think it may have helped to read the previous book. It was a fast paced read, not entirely sure how historically accurate it was but still a good read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

kayu99's review

4.0

I received a digital ARC from the publisher (Imbrifex Books) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just like the first book, this one is a lot of fun. Daniel and Sam are continuing their time jumping shenanigans while navigating the dangers of the present. I enjoyed the expansion of the time-jumping world and definitely hope to learn more about it in future books. I also liked the historical setting and the addition of the historical notes at the end. This book has a compelling quality that makes history feel so vivid. Dan and Sam's friendship is also portrayed well, and I cannot wait to see where they go next (both socially and historically).

mel_books's review

adventurous informative

4.0

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Mark Sanderlin
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars
Complete audiobook review

The Celtic Deception is book two in A Jump in Time series. Again, a terrific adventure with Dan and Sam. This time they are among the Celts and Druids. The jump takes them to the Celtic island of Anglesey in 60 CE. Roman legions are near, and they are here to attack the Celts.

Another wonderful novel for young adults who are interested in history. This is a nice way to learn about Celts and Druids. You can read this novel as a standalone, but it’s much better to read The Last Saxon King first to learn about a background story.

As always, great narration by Mark Sanderlin.

Thanks to Imbrifex Books for the advanced copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own. 

definitelynotreading's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book was even more delightful than the first in the series. It was a bit more graphically violent in my opinion than the first, which to me puts it in the upper YA reader range. The historical setting is incredibly detailed, and while I'm not anywhere close to an expert on any historical time period, it's clear that the author put a lot of research into portraying the time period as accurately as possible. I hope to see this series go on for many many books as the opportunities for time jumps are essentially endless. I appreciated, once again, a lesser known time period and a part of history that isn't emphasized as often. I highly recommend this for YA and adult readers alike, especially anyone who grew up in the Magic Tree House era and has wished for a grown up version. 

jaduxenn's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75