Member Review

The Good, The Bad and The History by Jodi Taylor

Thank you Netgalley for an arc for an unbiased review.

I'm a huge Jodi Taylor fan. Huge. I even mention her in my Netgalley bio bit. I am a disaster magnet, who has merchandise as well as books, and follows groups on Facebook.
So, I had to push all that aside to try and ensure that I read this to review and be as unbiased as I could be.

Now, the one problem some readers might have picking this book up. It is not a standalone book to the series. You do need to read the others, preferably in sequence, as there is a lot referenced from previous books. Obviously as an avid reader of her books, this isn't a problem for me. However, for some it could well mar their enjoyment. I'm not marking the book down for this, as plenty of books in a series require you to read from the start, but I feel I should mention it.

So, anyway.

We have, once again, delightful chaos, brought in this instance primarily by Max and Markham. I mean, the two who probably bring the most calamity as they hop along the timeline of history. What could possibly go wrong?

What Jodi manages so well in her writing is how she can have you laughing, then crying, then laughing again within minutes. Her ability to turn from humour to angst to emotional is a ride few authors can do well. If there was a masterclass for this, Jodi would lead it. This book is no exception.

I also loved how we got some more on Markham. His story has always been tinged with a mysterious past, but Jodi recently brought in a lot more about him in a previous book. I was always worried by revealing what she had, it might diminish the character somewhat. Never fear. If anything I found it broadened Markham's character and as a result, brought fresh aspects to his relationships to those around him, with Max especially. Not always an easy feat 14 books in. But for me, that's the beauty of Jodi's writing.
We know we are getting a wonderful wordsmith, humour that is apparent, some of it less so, but once it clicks, it's just delicious to read in a new light. Again, we get these moments here.

Max starts us off and this book jumps right in where book 13, A catalogue of catastrophe left off.
Jodi is also a master at pulling in history, her research is often meticulous, and I found myself again marvelling how she brings these books to life in her own indomitable way.

Jodi has brought a slightly darker element perhaps more than usual to this book, but it doesn't feel out of place. Far from it. The tone for me was balanced.
We had a brief reappearance of xxxxxx (no names here, sorry) that made my eyebrows go up. But actually it made sense, so I'm surprised I didn't suspect it as a possibility at least.

The ending is satisfying and while I was worried this might be the last of this series, I was grateful for three words at the end that say otherwise.

If you love books with history, time travel, humour, snark, angst and love, then you really should give the series a chance. Start at the beginning, plus check out the short stories (details are all available on Jodi's website including a reading order) and I truly hope they bring you as much enjoyment as I gain from them.

How do I rate this book?
I adored it. I think this is by far the best she has written from the entire series! I do not say that lightly. It really feels as if Jodi elevates this above the rest. How on earth she does this, I'll never know.

5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 if I could give more, I would.