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As usual I found this utterly delightful. Max and Co, as I've mentioned previously, have a special place in my heart and I will devour any and all stories that Jodi has to tell about his wonderful found family. Max at this point in the series is starting to think about settling down, much to Leon's delight, and it was interesting to see her come to the realisation that she can't carry on jumping up and down the timeline forever. Even if she wants to. So what do you do when your whole life has revolved around your job? You get a new one working for a highly criminal organisation that may have links to your own chequered past, obviously. I was also nice to see more of Markham and Max's relationship. After recent Markham revelations he's much less the mystery man, and it's allowed Jodi to expand on his already overwhelming personality even more. I'm not alone in saying Markham is my favourite character. The Chronicles of St. Mary's is a series of novels and short stories by author Jodi Taylor, based around the adventures of Madeleine Maxwell ("Max" to pretty much everybody) and the other staff at St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research. First off, this is book 14 in a series. These books are not standalone. I barely can keep up and I've read all 14 books. Do not start here. There will be spoilers for earlier books. I appreciate that Jodi Taylor is going easier on Christians this time around. She’s still hard on politicians, but that’s okay with me. 🙃
The time jumping logic is pretty good. The only time I recall being aware of some missed logic is when the characters need to “hurry up” and get to the past or future before something terrible happens… But in all honesty, it probably keeps things a bit easier for the readers to pretend for a moment that nonlinear time is a bit linear, and aids the narrative and enables a visit to the Great Fire of Rome, so I forgive it.Audible is delighted to bring you an exclusive, author-read production of The Very First Damned Thing. Hear it here first, months ahead of the EBook publication.
Once finished, Taylor self-published her book and it became a hit. It was 2013, and the beginning of the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series. What has Jodi Taylor written beyond the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series? The plot, as usual with St Mary's books is all over the place in the best way. And that ending was not what I was expecting at all, and really begins to bring together thr plots from books 8 onwards. Threads begin reaching their end point, schemes begin to come to fruition. If you're new to the series I absolutely would not recommend starting here because you'd understand it even less than me, who's 14 books and countless novellas in by this point. Start with Just One Damned Thing After Another. Please. It's amazing, and you'll get to see all these plots come together in a really satisfying way.
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Working undercover at Insight, a historical research organisation, Max is put on a rapid promotional path and soon learns about the darker side of the organisation, something she was sent to find out. Desperately trying to save some innocents and prevent the premature start of the Time Wars, Max must do all she can to stay alive, help bring down the baddies and ensure history is not corrupted. Headline Publishing granted my wish and I got a NetGalley eARC of the 14th novel in The Chronicles of St Mary's series. That happened while I was somewhere between book 8 and 9 in my "great TCoSM re-read". I've meanwhile finished the re-read and re-read the ARC.
After a deserved holiday visiting old friends, Max is ready to return to work for Insight where is she is promptly offered a promotion which she accepts. I always get excited when I see another St. Mary’s book come out and this one was not disappointing. I loved seeing (hearing?) just about all my old favourite characters along with Smallhope and Pennyroyal, with whom I’ve become quite attached. The Very First Damned Thing (Short Story), It’s a prequel, but it’s better to read it after Just One Damned Thing After Another. The story takes place sometime in the future. The secret of time travel became available to all. Chaos ensued as people sought to take advantage.
In this volume, she works as a recovery agent (a.k.a. bounty hunter) and in a hilarious partnership with Markham, is hot on the heels of a Insight, a shadowy time travel organization. Long Story Short was published in 2019 and collects “Christmas Past; The Battersea Barricades,”“The Steam-Pump Jump,”“And Now For Something Completely Different,”“When Did You Last See Your Father?,”“Desiccated Water,”“Markham and the Anal Probing,” and “Little Donkey.” Jodi Taylor reads the long-awaited prequel in her Chronicles of St Mary’s series, as Dr Bairstow struggles to set up St Mary’s as we know it in a world still scarred by the ravages of civil war.
The Long and Short of It was published in 2017 and collects “The Very First Damned Thing,”“When a Child is Born,”“Roman Holiday,”“Christmas Present,”“Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings,”“The Great St Mary’s Day Out,”“My Name is Markham,” and “A Perfect Storm.” Thank you, Netgalley and Headline Publishing, for providing me with one of the advance reader copies to read, evaluate and give my honest opinion. This is Book 14, and Jodi Taylor has managed to keep this fun, fresh, interesting, hilarious, and unpredictable through 14 books. Time Machine: The St. Mary's team travel the timeline in "pods" - these come in a variety of sizes, but most are the size of a smallish shed and are disguised to look like a dilapidated hut from the outside so they'll blend into most historical locations. While not indestructible they are extremely sturdy, and inexplicably their interiors always smell of cabbage.
The Chronicles of St. Mary's Series in Order (25 Books)
No Equal-Opportunity Time Travel: Frequently raised as an issue for the female members of the St. Mary's team, who in some eras need a male figure to be able to interact with the locals. I absolutely love everything this author writes! I recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone! However, if you want to experience these series and up your enjoyment to the max, you have to get it on Audiobook and enjoy not only the hectic genius of Jodi Taylor, but the brilliance of the narrator, Zara Ramm!!! Separately, each of these ladies are powerhouses, but put them together, you have MAGIC ✨✨✨! I am spoiled by them and I never want the magic to end! indicates a digital only Short story - these are also available in print in the anthologies The Long and Short of It and Long Story Short. Casual Time Travel: It's not a common thing in the setting, and the vast majority in Max's home time don't even know time travel exists, but for the main characters access to time machines is routine. Not for now. The Chronicles of St Mary’s and the Time Police series continues. One inspiration behind the Chronicles of St. Mary’s
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