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Timecaster Chronicles #4
Twisted by Time
Twenty years before Brielle and Leo saved the realm, another witch fell through time...
17-year-old witch Desiree Campbell tries to cast a spell to go to Miami for spring break.
But she ends up in Cuba a hundred years in the past.
The year is 1898. The Spanish-American War rages. Demons thrive in the city, preying on humans. Desi is caught between the war of mortals and the war of monsters.
She meets Oliver Gerrick, a handsome American soldier and warlock. He offers to help her fight off demons and find a way home.
But the path to returning back to her own time won't be easy. Demons attack, hungry for blood. And Desi suddenly finds herself targeted by a powerful demon lord.
He knows she's time-traveled. And he wants to keep her trapped in 1898 forever.
This book begins a new saga in the Timecaster Chronicles and takes place twenty years before the events of The Lost Phoenix.
17-year-old witch Desiree Campbell tries to cast a spell to go to Miami for spring break.
But she ends up in Cuba a hundred years in the past.
The year is 1898. The Spanish-American War rages. Demons thrive in the city, preying on humans. Desi is caught between the war of mortals and the war of monsters.
She meets Oliver Gerrick, a handsome American soldier and warlock. He offers to help her fight off demons and find a way home.
But the path to returning back to her own time won't be easy. Demons attack, hungry for blood. And Desi suddenly finds herself targeted by a powerful demon lord.
He knows she's time-traveled. And he wants to keep her trapped in 1898 forever.
This book begins a new saga in the Timecaster Chronicles and takes place twenty years before the events of The Lost Phoenix.
442 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2020
36 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 5, 2020
It’s kinda the perfect book for people who love witchcraft, YA, and time travel? It follows Desi, a teenage witch who accidentally finds herself transported to Cuba right during the Spanish American war. A war that is much more than the history books recorded, since a demon lord is on the prowl!
It’s a real roller coaster of a read for anyone who wants a fun adventure to dive into headfirst. Desi is smart and capable but still questioning her place in the world. She has a habit of dropping into yoga stretches when she’s anxious, which is something I would have found weird before I discovered yoga myself (same, girl, same). She’s wonderfully relatable. There’s a bit of suspension of disbelief when it comes to the time period accuracy, but it’s such an enjoyable book nonetheless.
It’s a real roller coaster of a read for anyone who wants a fun adventure to dive into headfirst. Desi is smart and capable but still questioning her place in the world. She has a habit of dropping into yoga stretches when she’s anxious, which is something I would have found weird before I discovered yoga myself (same, girl, same). She’s wonderfully relatable. There’s a bit of suspension of disbelief when it comes to the time period accuracy, but it’s such an enjoyable book nonetheless.
August 17, 2022
Go on a journey to Cuba in the middle of the war with America. This wasn't a time period, or conflict, I really knew anything about, so it was interesting to learn more about that as well as follow the story and her struggle to get home/fit in. Some of the characterisation felt forced, but overall it was an enjoyable story full of twists and turns.
March 20, 2021
I'm reading this as a prequel to The Nightcaster Chronicles since I had previously read that series. I said it when I read The Cursed Witch, I don't like time travel stories. However, Ms Perez's take on time travel is completely engrossing to me. Her world building is so fantastic. It's sprinkled with factual historic events and then enlivened by her fabulous imagination. I love the characters here because they have such depth. The pain, anguish, love, hate, and fear they encounter feels real and I get that twinge of anxiety for them that only occurs in a will written book. I will be devouring this series shortly.
June 6, 2020
I really enjoyed Twisted by Time (Timecaster Chronicles Book 1). It took me a bit to get into the book. But, once it hooked me I couldn't put it down. The characters were well fleshed out. I liked the inclusion of Santeria since they were in Cuba. It gave a different element to the magic realm. The main character, Desi, matures as the book goes on. I can't wait to see what happens with Desi, Oliver, El Diablo, and all the rest. I'm curious to hear more of Kismet's story as well. I look forward to seeing what R. L. Perez comes up with next.
July 3, 2020
WOW this is a great first book! Well written this story is gripping and intriguing and you get lost in this as we travel back in time with our kick ass female mc. There’s demons, witches, vampires, and werewolves, magic, Action, fighting, twists and turns and so much more that will leave you eagerly awaiting book 2!
May 8, 2022
Good start to a series
I’m not normally too much of a fan of fmc being under the age of age of 18 because I’m not really a big fan of YA books.
This story is interesting, time travel witch.
Light vs dark
The narration is good narrator does a good job.
We shall see how this goes
Gifted audio in exchange for an honest review
I’m not normally too much of a fan of fmc being under the age of age of 18 because I’m not really a big fan of YA books.
This story is interesting, time travel witch.
Light vs dark
The narration is good narrator does a good job.
We shall see how this goes
Gifted audio in exchange for an honest review
May 28, 2022
Twisted by Time is the first part in the Timecaster chronicles by R.L. Perez. I previously read her Nightcaster Chronicles and Bloodcaster Chronicles which I both really liked. But will I like this first part in this series just as much as I liked her other series?
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
A fall through time. A reckless witch. A war of monsters.
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
July 11, 2022
I've always loved RL Perez's books, she's a natural at character development, story lines, hea and making me fall in love with the MCs almost instantly.
Read
January 13, 2023What an unique, engaging world. Lots of action and tension. Nicely done!
February 9, 2022
The writing itself is ok, and I like the plot story. However, I have a few “icks” about this book:
• The main character faints almost every time they’re in an intense battle and it’s SO annoying
• The use of “frack” instead of a curse word is imo cringe, but it does give the book a sprinkle of something special/unique
• Some adjectives get repeated quite a lot when describing emotions
• Saw the plot twist at the end coming from a mile away
For sure gonna give the second book a try. Still enjoyed the book even though I give it 3 stars!
• The main character faints almost every time they’re in an intense battle and it’s SO annoying
• The use of “frack” instead of a curse word is imo cringe, but it does give the book a sprinkle of something special/unique
• Some adjectives get repeated quite a lot when describing emotions
• Saw the plot twist at the end coming from a mile away
For sure gonna give the second book a try. Still enjoyed the book even though I give it 3 stars!
August 3, 2021
I love this book, time travel, witches and warlocks, demons, vampires, werewolves, trolls and Santeria all in one book!
Oh, and obviously romance, since this is a fantasy romance novel.
The story captured me from the start, though at first I wasn’t too sure about the protagonist Desi and her friends, who have no interest in learning to use their magical skills properly and prefer to waste their time away drinking and having fun.
Kismet is Desi’s familiar and has brought her up and been her mentor since her parents died and is doing her best to prepare Desi for her magical heritage. Desi witnessed her demon hunter parents being killed by a powerful demon and she wants nothing to do with magic and wants to pursue a career as dancer.
When she can’t afford to fly with her friends to Miami for spring break, she attempts a teleportation spell to join them. It goes horribly wrong and deposits her in the past in Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish – American war.
There is a demon, who calls himself El Diablo and he is using the human battles as cover while he wages against the light magic covens to eradicate them so dark magic and demons gain dominion over the world.
Desi must now learn to use her powers and become a demon hunter, to help defend the coven that takes her in and if there is any hope of returning to her own time. Complicating matters are her growing feelings for the good-looking American soldier and warlock Oliver, who is also part of this coven and seems to be dedicated to helping the Cubans, but he is hiding something and she isn’t sure if he is trustworthy.
Desi is a conflicted and insecure character, but also impulsive and sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into her, but she is a difficult age and had a traumatic childhood experience and she develops and matures a bit over the course of the book, though her stubbornness and impetuous nature manages to get her and her comrades into trouble numerous times.
All of the other characters are very believable, though there is more focus on the stories of the light casters than the demons.
The world building shows that the author has done her research into the Spanish- American war, battles on Cuba and the religion of Santeria, which all makes a wonderful background to the magical battles and demon hunts that take place.
The magic system is a typical light versus dark scenario, but there is also a council that is supposed to keep the balance and peace between them; so the structure and hierarchy of the magic community is interesting.
This is a fast paced story with plenty of action, suspense and twists and turns, as well as human (witch/warlock/demon) interaction and romance.
Rebecca Winder is the narrator; her voice is well suited to the protagonist Desi and she does a good job of giving the characters different voices. However to me she seemed to speak too slowly and drawing words out, almost like a bit of a ‘drawl’. This was easily remedied by speeding up the playback and overall I enjoyed listening to her and hope that she narrates the next books in the series too.
I received this book in audio book format free from the author and am leaving this review of my own volition.
Oh, and obviously romance, since this is a fantasy romance novel.
The story captured me from the start, though at first I wasn’t too sure about the protagonist Desi and her friends, who have no interest in learning to use their magical skills properly and prefer to waste their time away drinking and having fun.
Kismet is Desi’s familiar and has brought her up and been her mentor since her parents died and is doing her best to prepare Desi for her magical heritage. Desi witnessed her demon hunter parents being killed by a powerful demon and she wants nothing to do with magic and wants to pursue a career as dancer.
When she can’t afford to fly with her friends to Miami for spring break, she attempts a teleportation spell to join them. It goes horribly wrong and deposits her in the past in Santiago, Cuba during the Spanish – American war.
There is a demon, who calls himself El Diablo and he is using the human battles as cover while he wages against the light magic covens to eradicate them so dark magic and demons gain dominion over the world.
Desi must now learn to use her powers and become a demon hunter, to help defend the coven that takes her in and if there is any hope of returning to her own time. Complicating matters are her growing feelings for the good-looking American soldier and warlock Oliver, who is also part of this coven and seems to be dedicated to helping the Cubans, but he is hiding something and she isn’t sure if he is trustworthy.
Desi is a conflicted and insecure character, but also impulsive and sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into her, but she is a difficult age and had a traumatic childhood experience and she develops and matures a bit over the course of the book, though her stubbornness and impetuous nature manages to get her and her comrades into trouble numerous times.
All of the other characters are very believable, though there is more focus on the stories of the light casters than the demons.
The world building shows that the author has done her research into the Spanish- American war, battles on Cuba and the religion of Santeria, which all makes a wonderful background to the magical battles and demon hunts that take place.
The magic system is a typical light versus dark scenario, but there is also a council that is supposed to keep the balance and peace between them; so the structure and hierarchy of the magic community is interesting.
This is a fast paced story with plenty of action, suspense and twists and turns, as well as human (witch/warlock/demon) interaction and romance.
Rebecca Winder is the narrator; her voice is well suited to the protagonist Desi and she does a good job of giving the characters different voices. However to me she seemed to speak too slowly and drawing words out, almost like a bit of a ‘drawl’. This was easily remedied by speeding up the playback and overall I enjoyed listening to her and hope that she narrates the next books in the series too.
I received this book in audio book format free from the author and am leaving this review of my own volition.
September 18, 2023
What a fun contemporary fantasy with a time travel twist! And what a unique time and location for the historical bit!
Desiree is a witch, daughter to a famous pair of demon hunters, but she's been orphaned for five years after her parents were killed while on duty. This book deals a lot with grief and how differently people will handle it. Some of us, like Desi bottle it up and internalize it. Others, like Elena will fly off the handle and lash out at anyone and everyone close to them, their emotional pain becoming vicious and pushing everyone away. I think it's an important topic that few Young Adult authors deal with as openly and "head on" as Perez does in this novel, and it is something I really appreciate about this book.
At first, I really didn't like Desi. Part of it was her early behaviour, very much linked to her unresolved grief, but there were also a few things that are common in Young Adult MCs that just tend to grate me the wrong way. However, as soon as she messes up a travelling spell and ends up travelling back in time to Cuba, during the height of the Spanish-American war, things got really good and, almost immediately, Desi grew emotionally. Yes, her arc is a long one, but the wake-up call of her magical mishap was enough to make her understandable even if not entirely likeable at that point. By the end of the book, I absolutely loved her. She becomes someone I definitely got invested in and who represents a lot of things I find important.
The romance. Ah, the romance! It's really well done. I totally shipped it hard. Although I'm not a massive fan of the time travel romance trope, this one is very well done and Oliver made for a wonderful love interest. He's a complex character and the tug of war between him and Desi, not to mention the will-they-won't-they game, were very well written and utterly believable. I totally shipped it. And shipped it hard.
I think my only gripe is that the author doesn't really go into the culture shock of going back in time just over a century with the great divide in thinking that entails. Perez gave a few nods to the differences, but I personally feel there was scope to go even deeper.
All in all, this is a good fun action-packed magical adventure with a wonderful lesson on grief. And I'm certainly curious to know how things progress in the next book!
Desiree is a witch, daughter to a famous pair of demon hunters, but she's been orphaned for five years after her parents were killed while on duty. This book deals a lot with grief and how differently people will handle it. Some of us, like Desi bottle it up and internalize it. Others, like Elena will fly off the handle and lash out at anyone and everyone close to them, their emotional pain becoming vicious and pushing everyone away. I think it's an important topic that few Young Adult authors deal with as openly and "head on" as Perez does in this novel, and it is something I really appreciate about this book.
At first, I really didn't like Desi. Part of it was her early behaviour, very much linked to her unresolved grief, but there were also a few things that are common in Young Adult MCs that just tend to grate me the wrong way. However, as soon as she messes up a travelling spell and ends up travelling back in time to Cuba, during the height of the Spanish-American war, things got really good and, almost immediately, Desi grew emotionally. Yes, her arc is a long one, but the wake-up call of her magical mishap was enough to make her understandable even if not entirely likeable at that point. By the end of the book, I absolutely loved her. She becomes someone I definitely got invested in and who represents a lot of things I find important.
The romance. Ah, the romance! It's really well done. I totally shipped it hard. Although I'm not a massive fan of the time travel romance trope, this one is very well done and Oliver made for a wonderful love interest. He's a complex character and the tug of war between him and Desi, not to mention the will-they-won't-they game, were very well written and utterly believable. I totally shipped it. And shipped it hard.
I think my only gripe is that the author doesn't really go into the culture shock of going back in time just over a century with the great divide in thinking that entails. Perez gave a few nods to the differences, but I personally feel there was scope to go even deeper.
All in all, this is a good fun action-packed magical adventure with a wonderful lesson on grief. And I'm certainly curious to know how things progress in the next book!
July 4, 2020
**3.5 Stars**
Desi wants nothing to do with magic or the world she grew up in and that cost her parents lives. Instead she longs to dance and escape, pretend she is normal. When her friends take off for a Florida vacation she can’t afford, she decides to dabble in the magic she usually rejects and teleport herself to the vacation destination. Instead, Desi lands herself in the past and in a dangerous battle she is not prepared for.
This was so exciting a read, full of magic, time travel, demons and all kind of dangerous paranormal creatures, war/battles and nonstop action. It was a nice twist how the author wove history into what appeared a supernatural war. The pacing of the story was great, never a dull moment, and I was kept on my toes with the surprising supernatural creatures.
I will admit that I had a rocky start with the story; it took reading about 35% of the book before I was fully invested. I think Desi was mainly the reason for my lack of being able to connect- basically she drove me insane. She was very wishy washy with her feelings and actions, hating magic yet using it for her own gains, not wanting a boy but then getting mad if he didn’t want her, rejecting someone for trying to save her life… She was a hard girl to really get a read on and so many times I wanted to have an intervention! By the last few chapters of the story it felt like she really grew up and I rooted for her, fully supporting her choices, including to help a certain secretive boy (who I adore and wish for a love connection to occur!).
The ending to the story was not a cliffhanger but it is not the end of Desi’s adventure in any way, so many things are left unresolved/unsaid. I look forward to the next book and more of the paranormal action that the author is fantastic at!
Desi wants nothing to do with magic or the world she grew up in and that cost her parents lives. Instead she longs to dance and escape, pretend she is normal. When her friends take off for a Florida vacation she can’t afford, she decides to dabble in the magic she usually rejects and teleport herself to the vacation destination. Instead, Desi lands herself in the past and in a dangerous battle she is not prepared for.
This was so exciting a read, full of magic, time travel, demons and all kind of dangerous paranormal creatures, war/battles and nonstop action. It was a nice twist how the author wove history into what appeared a supernatural war. The pacing of the story was great, never a dull moment, and I was kept on my toes with the surprising supernatural creatures.
I will admit that I had a rocky start with the story; it took reading about 35% of the book before I was fully invested. I think Desi was mainly the reason for my lack of being able to connect- basically she drove me insane. She was very wishy washy with her feelings and actions, hating magic yet using it for her own gains, not wanting a boy but then getting mad if he didn’t want her, rejecting someone for trying to save her life… She was a hard girl to really get a read on and so many times I wanted to have an intervention! By the last few chapters of the story it felt like she really grew up and I rooted for her, fully supporting her choices, including to help a certain secretive boy (who I adore and wish for a love connection to occur!).
The ending to the story was not a cliffhanger but it is not the end of Desi’s adventure in any way, so many things are left unresolved/unsaid. I look forward to the next book and more of the paranormal action that the author is fantastic at!
February 17, 2021
Twisted by Time is a magical trip to the past for an encounter with the forces of nature and of sheer evil. Desi Campbell and her friends are witches and warlocks, living in discussing the situation with the demons becoming more active in their city in Wisconsin. Her boyfriend's abuela has a home in Miami that she'd like them to use.They decide to go to Miami for spring break and she tries to cast a spell with the grimoire to get there. Her spell misfires and she finds herself in Cuba during the Spanish American war, but that's not the only war going on at the moment. The demons are using the war as a front for conducting their own magical war. Their leader, El Diablo, is a 2nd tier demon and he's trying to destroy every coven, witch and warlock, as well as any other magical creature. Desi isn't alone for long as she meets a few witches and warlocks who are actively evacuating some of their injured coven. Alba, Elena, Ramon, Manuel and Oliver help her to understand where she is in time and what is happening. Oliver is an American soldier, sent to Cuba to help the Americans win the war. He witnesses the power she holds in her hands and was immediately drawn to her. Elena, a young witch, is jealous that Oliver is interested in Desi and warns her to stay away. Successfully, they work through the city, banishing or killing every enemy that gets in their way until El Diablo. He holds a special power over Oliver that Desi can't ever begin to recognize. This is a marvelous story with an explosive plot and characters that jump right off the pages! The narration is impeccably done by Rebecca Winder and I have to commend her Spanish accent as excelente! Truly bewitching!
October 28, 2021
A whirlwind adventure into the past of the Mexican/American war with a young light mage named Desi growing to realize her purpose while also falling in love with a sexy American warlock soldier.
I listened to this book on Audible, and I almost stopped listening to it because of the narrator's voice for Desi made her sound way too annoying, AT FIRST, but after a few chapters the narration grew on me. The narrator is actually really good, but sometimes you get used to a certain kind of voice and then a new one can take some adjusting to.
I'm glad I stuck it out, because I really enjoyed listening to this magical book of demons, mages, and time travel. The story follows the first person narrative of Desi, a frizzy-haired American light mage with the ability to push (a telekinetic ability). She finds herself thrust back in time to the Mexican/American war in Cuba, a long way from home both in time and location, and must figure out what pulled her there, and why before a powerful demon kills more mages, or herself. It doesn't hurt that she gets to learn about how strong she is along side a hunky warlock that makes her blood sizzle. Though, she must work through miscommunications, and opening herself to being hurt again after she'd closed herself off to most emotional attachments after her parents died five years ago, killed while protecting their coven from demons.
The best part is that you don't have to wait to find out more, or wait for answers, because the full series is already released and complete, so binge away.
The author R.L. Perez spins an engaging tale of magic, personal growth, relationship woes, and time travel.
I listened to this book on Audible, and I almost stopped listening to it because of the narrator's voice for Desi made her sound way too annoying, AT FIRST, but after a few chapters the narration grew on me. The narrator is actually really good, but sometimes you get used to a certain kind of voice and then a new one can take some adjusting to.
I'm glad I stuck it out, because I really enjoyed listening to this magical book of demons, mages, and time travel. The story follows the first person narrative of Desi, a frizzy-haired American light mage with the ability to push (a telekinetic ability). She finds herself thrust back in time to the Mexican/American war in Cuba, a long way from home both in time and location, and must figure out what pulled her there, and why before a powerful demon kills more mages, or herself. It doesn't hurt that she gets to learn about how strong she is along side a hunky warlock that makes her blood sizzle. Though, she must work through miscommunications, and opening herself to being hurt again after she'd closed herself off to most emotional attachments after her parents died five years ago, killed while protecting their coven from demons.
The best part is that you don't have to wait to find out more, or wait for answers, because the full series is already released and complete, so binge away.
The author R.L. Perez spins an engaging tale of magic, personal growth, relationship woes, and time travel.
August 22, 2020
Note: This is a review of the prequel to the Timecaster Chronicles entitled "The Devil's Slave" NOT the first novel in the series. It seems to have been moved here for some reason..? Leaving this review up for now as I was hoping it'd remind me to check out the series, but now I'm terribly confused and worried I may be forced to delete it (and lose the series in the TBR wishlist of doom).
An intriguing prequel telling the story of a witch who ends up falling in with a very bad magical crowd after a traumatic event. When a young girl with Timecaster abilities turns up, it might be her ticket out of enslavement, but at what cost?
There's definite shades of Charmed here: creepy supernatural types separated into Light and Dark, a ruling Council, witches chanting rhymes, a sorta insta-love, and a rebellious female character or two who won't take their problems lying down. OK, so I'm no fan of the meet-cute moment being defined by the lady giving the guy a good sniff or how easily he just accepts magical things exist, but the writing really drew me into Kismet's world and turmoil of emotions. I wanted to know more about her. It works great as-is, though I wish it could be longer and more fleshed out. The time-hopping chapter structure confused me at first, but I got it in the end.
The only real issue I had was that, towards the end, events must collide with what happens in the main series and having not read any of it (yet!) I was really lost as to what was going on and why things were happening, and the scenes felt very short and disjointed. If you have read the series, it'll probably make much more sense and add an alternative perspective of things like Desi's first spell and Kismet's capture by the Council.
Overall good writing, interesting idea and those Charmed vibes make for a strong argument to pick up the series (just maybe before reading the last few chapters of this one though!)
-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-
An intriguing prequel telling the story of a witch who ends up falling in with a very bad magical crowd after a traumatic event. When a young girl with Timecaster abilities turns up, it might be her ticket out of enslavement, but at what cost?
There's definite shades of Charmed here: creepy supernatural types separated into Light and Dark, a ruling Council, witches chanting rhymes, a sorta insta-love, and a rebellious female character or two who won't take their problems lying down. OK, so I'm no fan of the meet-cute moment being defined by the lady giving the guy a good sniff or how easily he just accepts magical things exist, but the writing really drew me into Kismet's world and turmoil of emotions. I wanted to know more about her. It works great as-is, though I wish it could be longer and more fleshed out. The time-hopping chapter structure confused me at first, but I got it in the end.
The only real issue I had was that, towards the end, events must collide with what happens in the main series and having not read any of it (yet!) I was really lost as to what was going on and why things were happening, and the scenes felt very short and disjointed. If you have read the series, it'll probably make much more sense and add an alternative perspective of things like Desi's first spell and Kismet's capture by the Council.
Overall good writing, interesting idea and those Charmed vibes make for a strong argument to pick up the series (just maybe before reading the last few chapters of this one though!)
-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-
March 29, 2021
Audible listen. Narrator does a good job. She has a nice tone to her voice, and fits the character well. Good listening experience.
Interesting premise with Desi being a witch and the whole time-traveling aspect. Cool magical elements, and cool action. This story takes place in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. There’s lots of danger in the form of demons and an evil group of magical people. Witch Desi has denied her magical abilities; she wants to be a ballerina and just a normal type of girl. When her friends go off on a vacation she can’t afford, she decides to try doing a transportation type spell. Things go way wrong when she ends up in Cuba in the past; time traveling definitely wasn’t her plan. Especially, during war times. Since Desi didn’t do much training with her magic, she’s going to find returning back to her time a bit difficult. She’s a bit of a brat at times and there was a bit too much annoying teenager stuff going on, but she does show some strength. There’s still lots of room for her to grow in the next books in this series. I bought the boxset for the series, so I do look forward to reading the next books. There’s still lots of story to be told. There is a bit of cute romance too; didn’t quite feel the chemistry, but still some sweet moments. Overall, entertaining story!
Interesting premise with Desi being a witch and the whole time-traveling aspect. Cool magical elements, and cool action. This story takes place in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. There’s lots of danger in the form of demons and an evil group of magical people. Witch Desi has denied her magical abilities; she wants to be a ballerina and just a normal type of girl. When her friends go off on a vacation she can’t afford, she decides to try doing a transportation type spell. Things go way wrong when she ends up in Cuba in the past; time traveling definitely wasn’t her plan. Especially, during war times. Since Desi didn’t do much training with her magic, she’s going to find returning back to her time a bit difficult. She’s a bit of a brat at times and there was a bit too much annoying teenager stuff going on, but she does show some strength. There’s still lots of room for her to grow in the next books in this series. I bought the boxset for the series, so I do look forward to reading the next books. There’s still lots of story to be told. There is a bit of cute romance too; didn’t quite feel the chemistry, but still some sweet moments. Overall, entertaining story!
July 26, 2023
This is a time travelling first book in a series and one which is full of magic, witches and demons foremost of which is the witch called Desiree who is very young and reckless. She has a familiar called Kismet but is not sure she wants to learn how to become a hunter like her parents. She avoids training and wants to run away to become a ballet dancer. She casts a spell to meet up with her friends in Miami for a holiday but instead ends up travelling to Cuba during a war between the US and Spain, as well as a war between demons and mortals in 1898. In Santiago she joins a group of magical people and starts to join in their fight but she is so inept and careless that many die because of her mistakes and to protect her. I must admit this main character drove me nuts. She meets up with Oliver, an American soldier who is also a caster and is attracted to him. Then the strongest demon threatening the people of that age sets his sights on her and she becomes a target. She had fought a demon called Levaret back in her time and home and now she once again has to fight El Diablo. They all want her timecasting powers. It took me a while to get into this book namely because I found Desi to be rather silly and a danger to be around but at the end of this book I was quite caught up with the story so I might continue reading book 2.
June 2, 2020
A fall through time. A reckless witch. A war of monsters.
Desperate to escape from her magical obligations, 17-year-old witch Desiree Campbell tries to teleport to Miami for spring break . . . but ends up in Cuba a hundred years in the past.
Caught in the middle of the Spanish-American War, Desi struggles to navigate through the war-torn magical community of Santiago and find a way back to her own time. Oliver Gerrick, a handsome American soldier and warlock, offers to protect her in exchange for her help exposing the mysterious demon lord stalking the city.
But the more secrets Desi uncovers, the more she's unsure if she can trust Oliver, or stop the demon lord from trapping her in 1898 forever.
Twisted by Time is book one of the Timecaster Chronicles, a fast-paced dark fantasy filled with romance, magic, and mystery.
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Desperate to escape from her magical obligations, 17-year-old witch Desiree Campbell tries to teleport to Miami for spring break . . . but ends up in Cuba a hundred years in the past.
Caught in the middle of the Spanish-American War, Desi struggles to navigate through the war-torn magical community of Santiago and find a way back to her own time. Oliver Gerrick, a handsome American soldier and warlock, offers to protect her in exchange for her help exposing the mysterious demon lord stalking the city.
But the more secrets Desi uncovers, the more she's unsure if she can trust Oliver, or stop the demon lord from trapping her in 1898 forever.
Twisted by Time is book one of the Timecaster Chronicles, a fast-paced dark fantasy filled with romance, magic, and mystery.
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
June 12, 2020
This book started out slowly but quickly grabbed my interest as a spell backfired and transported Desi back in time. The story from that point on got interesting real fast and I was hooked!
I recommend this book to young adult and adult readers alike. It contains magic, romance and the
determination to battle against the forces of darkness. Interpersonal relationships are forged as people work towards one common goal and that is to dispel the forces of darkness.
I enjoyed this book and I for one am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series! I believe that R.L. Perez has a winner here! Her descriptions of where things happened made me feel I was right there! It was a page turner that kept me reading faster and faster just to see what happened next!
Seriously I would hope you pick this book up. I firmly believe you’ll be happy you did and you too will be waiting like me for the next book to come out!
Kudos R.L. Perez on a job well done! I salute you! Thank you for putting your story out so all can read and enjoy it as well!
I recommend this book to young adult and adult readers alike. It contains magic, romance and the
determination to battle against the forces of darkness. Interpersonal relationships are forged as people work towards one common goal and that is to dispel the forces of darkness.
I enjoyed this book and I for one am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series! I believe that R.L. Perez has a winner here! Her descriptions of where things happened made me feel I was right there! It was a page turner that kept me reading faster and faster just to see what happened next!
Seriously I would hope you pick this book up. I firmly believe you’ll be happy you did and you too will be waiting like me for the next book to come out!
Kudos R.L. Perez on a job well done! I salute you! Thank you for putting your story out so all can read and enjoy it as well!
April 5, 2021
3.5 Stars
This is a book about witches and magic – Desi, the witch at the centre of it all wants nothing to do with the magical world after losing her parents to it but has no issue using a spell to transport herself to Miami for Spring Break. Ha! Didn’t that go wrong.
Thankfully the story gets underway when she is transported back in time to 1898 Cuba and the Spanish – American war.
The witches of this world have little time for her self-indulgent ways and her scant knowledge of how to use her powers. It does herald the start of her growth as a more caring person and the development of her powers as she embarks on this adventure.
Her adventures with Oliver and her growth as a character have her making decisions at the end of this story she would never have made at the beginning – totally redeemed herself and will have me coming back for Book 2 of the series to find out what happens next.
NB: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a book about witches and magic – Desi, the witch at the centre of it all wants nothing to do with the magical world after losing her parents to it but has no issue using a spell to transport herself to Miami for Spring Break. Ha! Didn’t that go wrong.
Thankfully the story gets underway when she is transported back in time to 1898 Cuba and the Spanish – American war.
The witches of this world have little time for her self-indulgent ways and her scant knowledge of how to use her powers. It does herald the start of her growth as a more caring person and the development of her powers as she embarks on this adventure.
Her adventures with Oliver and her growth as a character have her making decisions at the end of this story she would never have made at the beginning – totally redeemed herself and will have me coming back for Book 2 of the series to find out what happens next.
NB: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 14, 2022
Loving all thing witchy, I had to read this book! And I was not disappointed.
What I love is that Desi, the main character, isn’t the stront female lead that you would expect. During the story she becomes more badass, but it felt natural to have a heroine who starts as a bit of a coward - we can’t all be Katniss Everdeen.
In the beginning the magic was a bit confusing, because there are different types of magic that weren’t explained at the start. But it becomes more clear when the action begins, and there is a lot of action in this novel! It’s also perfect that using magic drains energy, but I couldn’t understand why also the experienced witches and warlocks drain so fast. They would be used to and trained for battle, right?
I don’t want to spoil anything, so let me say this: that ending was a bit weird, but it leaves a lot of space for a second novel in this series to explain some more details.
All in all this was a fun read and I am looking forward to the next one!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
What I love is that Desi, the main character, isn’t the stront female lead that you would expect. During the story she becomes more badass, but it felt natural to have a heroine who starts as a bit of a coward - we can’t all be Katniss Everdeen.
In the beginning the magic was a bit confusing, because there are different types of magic that weren’t explained at the start. But it becomes more clear when the action begins, and there is a lot of action in this novel! It’s also perfect that using magic drains energy, but I couldn’t understand why also the experienced witches and warlocks drain so fast. They would be used to and trained for battle, right?
I don’t want to spoil anything, so let me say this: that ending was a bit weird, but it leaves a lot of space for a second novel in this series to explain some more details.
All in all this was a fun read and I am looking forward to the next one!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2022
What a fun read this was! And touching and heartbreaking at points.
Desi is a bit lost, spending her days with her witchy "friends" drinking and fighting demons (badly) and not-so-secretly feeling bad she isn't striving for something. A travel spell goes awry, and she accidentally travels back in time as well as geographically, landing her right in the Cuban conflicts.
What I loved:
😍Spanish alongside English - I can't speak / read Spanish, but I could understand enough from context, just like Desi!
⭐️How Desi "kind of" gets the magic but does need it explained every now and again - smart way to get the reader on the same page!
🧙♀️The witchy society - I love how it builds up and seems so much deeper than what we've seen - masterful!
Recommended if you like a burgeoning romance story along with your coming-of-age. I loved the portrayal of grief and trying to get back on one's feet / finding your place afterwards.
Desi is a bit lost, spending her days with her witchy "friends" drinking and fighting demons (badly) and not-so-secretly feeling bad she isn't striving for something. A travel spell goes awry, and she accidentally travels back in time as well as geographically, landing her right in the Cuban conflicts.
What I loved:
😍Spanish alongside English - I can't speak / read Spanish, but I could understand enough from context, just like Desi!
⭐️How Desi "kind of" gets the magic but does need it explained every now and again - smart way to get the reader on the same page!
🧙♀️The witchy society - I love how it builds up and seems so much deeper than what we've seen - masterful!
Recommended if you like a burgeoning romance story along with your coming-of-age. I loved the portrayal of grief and trying to get back on one's feet / finding your place afterwards.
May 30, 2020
Desi has magical powers, doesn't train with them as she should. Her friends are going to Miami and she can't afford to get there so she takes her parents Grimoire and zaps herself not to Maimi but to CUBA you got it .....during the Spanish American War. She meets an American soldier Oliver. Anything I write after this will give away part of the story and the surprises in the storytelling are great so I don't want to spoil that for you. But there a witches, warlocks, shifters, vamps, werewolves, all sorts of paranormals, fight scenes, jailbreaks, ships, dungeons. These are all in this story and it works. The story is not busy at all, they even fid time for a little jealousy and romance thrown in. I think that as a 1st story for this writer she nailed it. I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2020
I was really excited to read this book, witches and time travel, sounded so cool. At first, it took me a while to get into it. I wasn’t a fan of our main character Desi. She’s so immature and I found her friends annoying as well. If it wasn’t for Kismet they all would have died for how careless they are.
Desi travels to Cuba 100 years in the past, I love that the women in the story are leaders and fight along with the men considering the time period. We watch Desi grow as a person; she’s still scared, 17 and fighting demons, I think she has the right to be scared, but she’s no longer selfish. I’m glad that she cares about Alba, Elena, Ramon and all the others to want to fight with them.
I was a little upset with the ending but after reading the sneak peek to book two I was fine with it.
Overall I think the book is great for young and older teens.
Desi travels to Cuba 100 years in the past, I love that the women in the story are leaders and fight along with the men considering the time period. We watch Desi grow as a person; she’s still scared, 17 and fighting demons, I think she has the right to be scared, but she’s no longer selfish. I’m glad that she cares about Alba, Elena, Ramon and all the others to want to fight with them.
I was a little upset with the ending but after reading the sneak peek to book two I was fine with it.
Overall I think the book is great for young and older teens.
August 17, 2022
I need more magic in my life.
What to do with a lonely and rebellious high-schooler who wants to go to Miami with her alcoholic friends for Spring Break? Tell her to enjoy herself while you [the familiar assigned to chaperone (read: protect) her] stays home. Oh, and she can’t afford airline tickets so she…somehow or another arrives in the midst of a bloody battle during which the history books forgot to mention demons.
All teens need to read this book to learn why they should listen to their elders about rules, school studies (like history, perhaps?), curfews, and not playing around with magic.
Fave quotes:
Rarity is a power in itself.
Next stop: ‘Devoured by Darkness’ in which we’ll learn about a war that happened in Manila.
What to do with a lonely and rebellious high-schooler who wants to go to Miami with her alcoholic friends for Spring Break? Tell her to enjoy herself while you [the familiar assigned to chaperone (read: protect) her] stays home. Oh, and she can’t afford airline tickets so she…somehow or another arrives in the midst of a bloody battle during which the history books forgot to mention demons.
All teens need to read this book to learn why they should listen to their elders about rules, school studies (like history, perhaps?), curfews, and not playing around with magic.
Fave quotes:
Rarity is a power in itself.
Next stop: ‘Devoured by Darkness’ in which we’ll learn about a war that happened in Manila.
July 4, 2020
What an amazing story. It is jammed packed full of drama, suspense, mystery, and action. There are battles that keep you engaged with mystery weaved into it. It is extremely well written and the characters are stunningly developed. They have magnificent personalities that are felt throughout the story. I loved how the characters grow throughout the story. It is a fabulous time travel story as I do not normally read time travel stories as they tend to not make it easy to understand what time they are in. This one was clear and precise as it was easy to follow. I adored the story and can not wait for the next book in the series. This will not disappoint and is a must read!!!!!
October 30, 2020
I picked this up because the blurb and cover called to me, and I was desperate to start it the day it was released. A witch who has no plans on doing anything with her life but ballet, ignoring everything to do with her witch heritage ends up making a mistake with a spell, and trapped in the past in the middle of a war. I adored Desi from the first few chapters, and as the story went on, I was hungry for more. The characters were all well rounded and engaging and the story fast paced and leaving you desperate to know what happens. I will be looking for more by this author, and reading more in this series when they come out. Overall, a great read and one I recommend!
March 28, 2021
I was so surprised at how good this book is and now I regret not reading this book earlier. This was a hidden gem in my way to large ebook collection and I am glad to have read it.
The beginning is nice until the first major surprise. I haven't read many time travel books, but the transition from present to past here is so smooth, I never even realised when Desi was full on helping the others instead of trying to go back home.
Desi was a well written character, with both flaws and good character traits and through the book she got my approval and simpathy.
Her relation with the other characters was well tought and realised.
The beginning is nice until the first major surprise. I haven't read many time travel books, but the transition from present to past here is so smooth, I never even realised when Desi was full on helping the others instead of trying to go back home.
Desi was a well written character, with both flaws and good character traits and through the book she got my approval and simpathy.
Her relation with the other characters was well tought and realised.
April 30, 2022
I received this book a few days ago and basically blew through it. Desi is probably one of my new favorite strong, female leads. I love how much of myself I can see in her. She starts off wanting to run from her current life and ends up in 1898. She ends up in the wrong time and has to rely on a local coven to help her find her way home. However, she ends up finding herself instead. She becomes someone who isn't afraid to stand up for others and help those who need it. She's got a little sass to her that I love and I am happy she ended up with such an amazing coven and friend. I am excited to continue this series and I look forward to seeing her story continue to develop.
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