Past Tense (edition 2010)

This is a sequel to "Soul Purpose", which I enjoyed very much (review here). "Soul Purpose" had an ordinary vet and a psychic dragged into a nasty supernatural plot, and surviving against the odds. "Past Tense" draws them further out of the ordinary, and sends them on a trip through time.

Marsh's style is much the same as ever, and I enjoyed spending a bit more time with the characters. However, I wasn't quite as happy with the plot as in "Soul Purpose". This is partly because it steps away from the "wrong place, wrong time" way that Alan stumbled into things, and reveals him as a unique individual and Chosen One. I'm a bit wary of that trope, and didn't feel it was particularly called for. I also felt that, while the time-travel idea was interesting, it meant dropping a lot of the everyday characterisation that I'd enjoyed in "SP", while the characters struggle to handle Roman Britain. I'm not saying it's a bad book, but the shift away from aspects I'd liked in the previous book meant I didn't enjoyed as much. That being said, it's still a perfectly decent read. ( )