Just One Damned Thing After Another
by Jodi Taylor
The Chronicles of St Mary's (01), The Chronicles of St Mary's {Chronological Order} (1)
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Description
"Madeline "Max" Maxwell has stumbled on the dream of a lifetime: a career as a time-traveling historian with St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research. The researchers are under strict orders to observe only--no interaction with the locals is allowed. But from her first mission rescuing artifacts from the Great Library of Alexandria, Max realized that time travel is a dangerous activity and that history--and other historians--will go to elaborate lengths to protect themselves." --Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
passion4reading Does for librarians what The Chronicles of St Mary's series achieves for historians.
40
SimoneA While one is about travelling through time and the other about travelling through books, the atmosphere of these books (and further series) is very similar, with a strong female lead and an amusingly crazy plot and set of side characters.
30
LongDogMom Similiar time travel in that it's a team working together. In St. Mary's it's usually to observe history, while the Quantum Curators are usually sent to an alternate earth to retrieve something. Both are super enjoyable and creative
20
LongDogMom Both fun time travel with similar stule
LongDogMom Both time travel books with a fresh and fun style and likeable characters
lavaturtle A close-knit group of quirky academics has ill-advised adventures in the pursuit of knowledge, as part of an organization that operates in secret and sometimes deals with ruthless opposition.
Member Reviews
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: “History is just one damned thing after another” - Arnold Toynbee
A mapcap new slant on history that seems to be everyone's cup of tea...
Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics is not always within their power - especially given their propensity for causing loud explosions when things get too quiet.
Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of show more History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process.
But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And, as they soon discover - it's not just History they're fighting.
Follow the catastrophe curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake...
A story of history, time travel, love, friendship and tea. Meet the disaster-magnets at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around history, observing, documenting, drinking tea and, if possible, not dying. Follow the catastrophe-curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. Discover History – The New Sex.
My Review: With a healthy dollop of the Old Sex tossed (!) in for good measure.
Addictive.
Crack-level addictive. This book was free (still is, last I looked) on Amazon for the Kindle. I've gently recommended (stop laughing) that others would do well to avail themselves of the free goodness. I slurped it up in one long day. Because, well, how does one not fall under the spell of a short, buxom, foul-mouthed redhead whose purpose in life is to cock a snook at Authority and go about the business of making the Cretaceous safe for Dinosaurkind despite the fact that we all know how it ends for them?
While, not incidentally, nourishing a serious and well-requited pash for a dark-haired omnicompetent quiet dynamo of a man, fighting most satisfactorily against the evil-hearted plotting of a seriously tall and elegant femme fatale (in the best and most literal senses of that term) and battling to save THE LIBRARY AT ALEXANDRIA!!!!!!
And so much more!
Does anyone remember the Paratime series by [[H. Beam Piper]]? Darn good fun, similar in nature to this series in that the Paratime Police dash about trying to maintain the intended course of History. The difference is that this series assumes there is One History, as opposed to Paratime's many many historys in a multiverse. Both have their strong points, from a narrative structural angle, and their weaknesses.
Knowing how pantiwadulous so very many people become at the merest whiff of a spoiler ::eyeroll::, I will say that Taylor's History has a very...personal...stake in the Universe. Go find out fer yer darnself!
Now. Nothing is flawless. No book is absent goofs, errors, infelicities. This one is no exception. The only one I feel it necessary to mention in this context is that age-old problem of time travel stories, getting it all to hang together. Several characters are set up with a specific backstory that, to the reader, would lead them to know of their own personal knowledge certain other characters. Yet they don't. But they do know other things that fit within the backstory. That's an oops moment.
The others, merest minor gaffe-lets. Punctuation spacing errors, the odd repeated word, blah blah blah. Nothing that merits more than a grunt of annoyance. And each of those is measured against several laughs, a few giggles, a large number of grins, and the odd sniffleback at moments of sentiment. The less disciplined will shed a tear or two, or stand accused of heartlessness.
In short: Excellent fun for the reader in need of fun, thrills, and a larger sense of significance that can easily be ignored if the mood is light. Free. Now, what on earth are you waiting for? Free! Go! GO!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. show less
The Publisher Says: “History is just one damned thing after another” - Arnold Toynbee
A mapcap new slant on history that seems to be everyone's cup of tea...
Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics is not always within their power - especially given their propensity for causing loud explosions when things get too quiet.
Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of show more History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process.
But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And, as they soon discover - it's not just History they're fighting.
Follow the catastrophe curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake...
A story of history, time travel, love, friendship and tea. Meet the disaster-magnets at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around history, observing, documenting, drinking tea and, if possible, not dying. Follow the catastrophe-curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. Discover History – The New Sex.
My Review: With a healthy dollop of the Old Sex tossed (!) in for good measure.
Addictive.
Crack-level addictive. This book was free (still is, last I looked) on Amazon for the Kindle. I've gently recommended (stop laughing) that others would do well to avail themselves of the free goodness. I slurped it up in one long day. Because, well, how does one not fall under the spell of a short, buxom, foul-mouthed redhead whose purpose in life is to cock a snook at Authority and go about the business of making the Cretaceous safe for Dinosaurkind despite the fact that we all know how it ends for them?
While, not incidentally, nourishing a serious and well-requited pash for a dark-haired omnicompetent quiet dynamo of a man, fighting most satisfactorily against the evil-hearted plotting of a seriously tall and elegant femme fatale (in the best and most literal senses of that term) and battling to save THE LIBRARY AT ALEXANDRIA!!!!!!
And so much more!
Does anyone remember the Paratime series by [[H. Beam Piper]]? Darn good fun, similar in nature to this series in that the Paratime Police dash about trying to maintain the intended course of History. The difference is that this series assumes there is One History, as opposed to Paratime's many many historys in a multiverse. Both have their strong points, from a narrative structural angle, and their weaknesses.
Knowing how pantiwadulous so very many people become at the merest whiff of a spoiler ::eyeroll::, I will say that Taylor's History has a very...personal...stake in the Universe. Go find out fer yer darnself!
Now. Nothing is flawless. No book is absent goofs, errors, infelicities. This one is no exception. The only one I feel it necessary to mention in this context is that age-old problem of time travel stories, getting it all to hang together. Several characters are set up with a specific backstory that, to the reader, would lead them to know of their own personal knowledge certain other characters. Yet they don't. But they do know other things that fit within the backstory. That's an oops moment.
The others, merest minor gaffe-lets. Punctuation spacing errors, the odd repeated word, blah blah blah. Nothing that merits more than a grunt of annoyance. And each of those is measured against several laughs, a few giggles, a large number of grins, and the odd sniffleback at moments of sentiment. The less disciplined will shed a tear or two, or stand accused of heartlessness.
In short: Excellent fun for the reader in need of fun, thrills, and a larger sense of significance that can easily be ignored if the mood is light. Free. Now, what on earth are you waiting for? Free! Go! GO!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. show less
Good British chaps muddling through to do the right thing.
The thing I enjoyed most about this book was that St. Mary's, both the institution and the people who give their lives to it, are quintessentially English in the way that they muddle through from one crisis to the next. They break the rules when the rules are silly or even when they're just inconvenient. They are chaotic to the point of recklessness, irreverent and prone to inappropriate humour, they're driven by a passion to do the right thing, they stumble over the simple day-to-day aspects of life, they are emotionally inarticulate, deeply loyal, keep their heads in a crisis, move TOWARDS the gunfire and do what needs to be done to make a bad situation better and, no matter show more how battered or beaten they are, if someone asks how they're doing the answers is always "I'm perfectly fine. Apart from a few cuts, scratches, a broken arm and a mild concussion. Nothing to worry about."
Of course, the English aren't REALLY like this, but they'd like to be. They're probably the ONLY ONES who'd like to be. Which is where the charm and the emotional impact of this book lies. It gets inside this mindset and helps you fall in love with it. If you're NOT going to fall in love with it, you won't make it to the end of the book. If you do fall in love with it, then, like me, you'll be buying the second book in the series pronto.
I am, of course, aware that this is a most improper review. I should have started by saying how this is about plucky time travelling historians from a near-future England, who, working in secret, find out what really happened in key historical events by the simple expedient of turning up, taking notes and trying not to get killed. I should have described the struggle between the good guys from St. Mary's and the bad guys who started in St. Mary's but didn't stay because they were the wrong sort: serious, power-hungry, organized and with no sense of humour at all. I should have commented on how well Jodi Taylor writes the historical scenes set behind the lines in the Battle of the Somme and gives a remarkably effective pen sketch of what it was like to be an unarmed civilian on the receiving end of a cavalry charged by the 15th Hussars in the Peterloo Massacre in 1819.
Instead, I rushed on to the bits I found most important. Perhaps the spirit of St. Mary's is infectious. I hope so.
This is the book I was hoping for when I bought Connie Willis' "Blackout" and "All Clear" novels (which I didn't manage to finish - so disappointing after her wonderful "Doomsday Book").
Part of what makes the madcap Englishness of St Mary's so appealing is that it is seen through the eyes of Madeleine Maxwell, "Max", a brilliant and brave woman who also has "damaged misfit" written all the way through her like "Brighton" in a bar of rock. Max is insightful and brave and dedicated and also distracted, socially inept, emotionally withdrawn, constantly in trouble with authority and ceaselessly, ravenously curious.
She is a well drawn character who makes the whole novel credible. Her relationships, her actions in the face of disaster, her breakdowns and her triumphs humanize what could otherwise have felt like a description of a slightly smug boy's club.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to meet the English as they ought to be.
By the way, the attitude to History (which of course has a capital H) is also very British. The title of the book is actually the definition offered by the influential British historian, Arnold Toynbee: "It's just one damned thing after another." show less
The thing I enjoyed most about this book was that St. Mary's, both the institution and the people who give their lives to it, are quintessentially English in the way that they muddle through from one crisis to the next. They break the rules when the rules are silly or even when they're just inconvenient. They are chaotic to the point of recklessness, irreverent and prone to inappropriate humour, they're driven by a passion to do the right thing, they stumble over the simple day-to-day aspects of life, they are emotionally inarticulate, deeply loyal, keep their heads in a crisis, move TOWARDS the gunfire and do what needs to be done to make a bad situation better and, no matter show more how battered or beaten they are, if someone asks how they're doing the answers is always "I'm perfectly fine. Apart from a few cuts, scratches, a broken arm and a mild concussion. Nothing to worry about."
Of course, the English aren't REALLY like this, but they'd like to be. They're probably the ONLY ONES who'd like to be. Which is where the charm and the emotional impact of this book lies. It gets inside this mindset and helps you fall in love with it. If you're NOT going to fall in love with it, you won't make it to the end of the book. If you do fall in love with it, then, like me, you'll be buying the second book in the series pronto.
I am, of course, aware that this is a most improper review. I should have started by saying how this is about plucky time travelling historians from a near-future England, who, working in secret, find out what really happened in key historical events by the simple expedient of turning up, taking notes and trying not to get killed. I should have described the struggle between the good guys from St. Mary's and the bad guys who started in St. Mary's but didn't stay because they were the wrong sort: serious, power-hungry, organized and with no sense of humour at all. I should have commented on how well Jodi Taylor writes the historical scenes set behind the lines in the Battle of the Somme and gives a remarkably effective pen sketch of what it was like to be an unarmed civilian on the receiving end of a cavalry charged by the 15th Hussars in the Peterloo Massacre in 1819.
Instead, I rushed on to the bits I found most important. Perhaps the spirit of St. Mary's is infectious. I hope so.
This is the book I was hoping for when I bought Connie Willis' "Blackout" and "All Clear" novels (which I didn't manage to finish - so disappointing after her wonderful "Doomsday Book").
Part of what makes the madcap Englishness of St Mary's so appealing is that it is seen through the eyes of Madeleine Maxwell, "Max", a brilliant and brave woman who also has "damaged misfit" written all the way through her like "Brighton" in a bar of rock. Max is insightful and brave and dedicated and also distracted, socially inept, emotionally withdrawn, constantly in trouble with authority and ceaselessly, ravenously curious.
She is a well drawn character who makes the whole novel credible. Her relationships, her actions in the face of disaster, her breakdowns and her triumphs humanize what could otherwise have felt like a description of a slightly smug boy's club.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to meet the English as they ought to be.
By the way, the attitude to History (which of course has a capital H) is also very British. The title of the book is actually the definition offered by the influential British historian, Arnold Toynbee: "It's just one damned thing after another." show less
OK, NOT what I was expecting. Somehow I combined "time-traveling historians" and "tea" and "St. Mary's", and visualized a group of slightly dotty old ladies wandering around time fixing things - sort of a cross between Miss Seeton and the Doctor. Not. Very not. Max is a little wacky, but not in the dotty-old-lady manner (though I could see her ending up that way, in a good many years...). Things tend to blow up around her - OK, admittedly, things tended to blow up at St. Mary's before she ever got there. But she does seem to be a disaster magnet - though the one thing she blames herself worst for is definitely not her fault. Bugger deserved it. The "romance" with the Chief is a little off - particularly since he says he fell for her show more with one look, which means without knowing anything about her. Unless he's lying about how much he knows, which is quite likely - a few too many right choices/action/hints... There are some extremely odd groups converging on St. Mary's - the Chief and the Boss are one thing, but the revelations (which _may_ just be in Max's head) about the other two send things in a seriously weird direction. And then the oddity at the end...no, Max, this is definitely not the end of things. No cliffhanger, not even a hint of one, but the story is not over. And I didn't even mention the dinosaurs, or nearly being crushed by a block of stone, or the wonders of a burnt pinecone... Next, please! show less
Dr Madeleine 'Max' Maxwell is a classical historian who finds herself recruited to a secret research institution affiliated to the University of Thirsk. St Mary's is a research unit with a difference. A small group of historians, supported by an army of technicians, security and administrators do their research by travelling in time back to their periods of interest. After a gruelling training period, Max finds herself visiting the construction of Westminster Abbey, a First World War hospital and the Cretaceous period. However, there is a problem. The historians of St Mary's are 'disaster magnets' and without fail, every trip to the past goes wrong in some (often fatal) way, hence the title of the novel.
Just One Damned Thing After show more Another is the first novel in the Chronicles of St Mary's series. Reading it was well timed as I picked it up straight after Prague Fatale. Where Prague Fatale was dark, brooding and challenging, this book was light-hearted, amusing, silly and easy reading. I shall definitely read other books in this series as it was just unalloyed fun and not at all challenging. It reminded me of the early books in Charles Stross Laundry series. Just silly really, but page-turningly so with characters that you could enjoy. Even the heavy bits (a lot of people die) were somehow fun and the whole issue of time travel is not weighed down with the usual baggage of worrying about paradoxes and the mechanics of the thing. These characters effectively charge around in Tardises (moving not just in time, but in space) and we don't have to worry about how they do it. It's a time travelling romp and my guess is that readers will either love it or hate it, with no in between. show less
Just One Damned Thing After show more Another is the first novel in the Chronicles of St Mary's series. Reading it was well timed as I picked it up straight after Prague Fatale. Where Prague Fatale was dark, brooding and challenging, this book was light-hearted, amusing, silly and easy reading. I shall definitely read other books in this series as it was just unalloyed fun and not at all challenging. It reminded me of the early books in Charles Stross Laundry series. Just silly really, but page-turningly so with characters that you could enjoy. Even the heavy bits (a lot of people die) were somehow fun and the whole issue of time travel is not weighed down with the usual baggage of worrying about paradoxes and the mechanics of the thing. These characters effectively charge around in Tardises (moving not just in time, but in space) and we don't have to worry about how they do it. It's a time travelling romp and my guess is that readers will either love it or hate it, with no in between. show less
The historians at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research are different from their academic colleagues: they conduct their research, investigating major events, in contemporary time – just don't call it time travel. Being such a hands-on historian is a dangerous business, as Madeleine Maxwell and the rest of the team find out to their cost.
As I have repeatedly mentioned to my family, travelling back in time to certain key moments of history to find out what really happened would be my secret superpower, so imagine my surprise and delight to find a book in one of the local charity shops where this is the central theme of a series of books. Apart from picking up a few well-placed history facts, it is the engaging and highly show more idiosyncratic characters and their mad-cap adventures in time that make this book so successful in my eyes. The author puts the reader through their emotional paces: I was elated and devastated, I smiled and quietly chuckled, my eyes pricked with unshed tears on more than one occasion, and several times the plot was so tense that I couldn't wait to turn the next page while trembling with trepidation to find out what other perilous situations Jodi Taylor would throw at those intrepid historians. Written in the first person with the voice of Madeleine 'Max' Maxwell, the style, with its mix of snappy dialogue and one-liners, interesting and engaging characters and fast-paced action, reminded me very much of that of Lindsey Davis and her Flavia Albia character in a series of historical whodunits set in Ancient Rome.
I loved every minute of reading this book but I'm not entirely sure about two revelations towards the end of the novel; I don't think they will play major parts in subsequent volumes but will run quietly as a continuous thread through the series – hence a slightly lower rating. Of course there is no question of my not continuing the Chronicles of St Mary's, and I've already put in my request for Santa to bring me the second volume, A Symphony of Echoes. show less
As I have repeatedly mentioned to my family, travelling back in time to certain key moments of history to find out what really happened would be my secret superpower, so imagine my surprise and delight to find a book in one of the local charity shops where this is the central theme of a series of books. Apart from picking up a few well-placed history facts, it is the engaging and highly show more idiosyncratic characters and their mad-cap adventures in time that make this book so successful in my eyes. The author puts the reader through their emotional paces: I was elated and devastated, I smiled and quietly chuckled, my eyes pricked with unshed tears on more than one occasion, and several times the plot was so tense that I couldn't wait to turn the next page while trembling with trepidation to find out what other perilous situations Jodi Taylor would throw at those intrepid historians. Written in the first person with the voice of Madeleine 'Max' Maxwell, the style, with its mix of snappy dialogue and one-liners, interesting and engaging characters and fast-paced action, reminded me very much of that of Lindsey Davis and her Flavia Albia character in a series of historical whodunits set in Ancient Rome.
I loved every minute of reading this book but I'm not entirely sure about two revelations towards the end of the novel; I don't think they will play major parts in subsequent volumes but will run quietly as a continuous thread through the series – hence a slightly lower rating. Of course there is no question of my not continuing the Chronicles of St Mary's, and I've already put in my request for Santa to bring me the second volume, A Symphony of Echoes. show less
{First of 13? of The Chronicles of St Mary's; time travel, history, urban fantasy, adventure} (2013)
I liked the cast list at the beginning of my book:
and so on ...
I've been coming across this series a lot on LibraryThing recently so I thought I should see what all the fuss is about. Told in first person POV and set slightly in the future with technology that is a bit ahead of ours.
Madeleine Maxwell (Max) has a doctorate in History from Thirske University, specialising in (ancient Greek civilisation). St Mary's, for all it's venerable name and housing in a listed building, is linked to the university and ... ah, does historical research which they pass on to Thirske in return for funding. But (and this is a state secret, so don't let anyone know that you know. And I never told you) St Mary's historians actually go back into the past to do their research. Of course, they have to be extremely careful not to change anything or History will take action to correct/ prevent it ... you know, the odd building accident or hungry T-rex ... needless to say, there is a high attrition rate of St Mary's historians. So, of course, there are no time paradoxes - which is excellent news for my brain.
I think Taylor must have more than a passing interest in history. First she takes you back in time and then ruthlessly strips away your assumptions of a nice, clean, safe place by adding in the smells, sinking your feet in the muck and bringing you face to face with the lack of dental hygiene in the past. I found it a very effective way of making you think about living life in the past. Her historians use their experiences and (if they can take any) holo films to make documentaries for educational institutions to help with their funding.
But then the plot twists, as Max finds out that there is another group of historians whose goals are not quite so altruistic and then she comes into direct conflict with them. And then it turns again - I must say, having got comfortable with the direction the story was going in, I didn't expect these but it's fairly non-stop action and the plot is not just about historical research. (Do be warned, there is one fairly explicit sex scene.)
And then we get internal politics. Also, I think my brain is starting to hurt; but I did enjoy the quirky humour:
(Max and Peterson being historians and Helen, the institute’s doctor, being the love of his life.)
Interesting and fairly unusual premise (although not completely unheard of - see also Simon Hawke’s Time Wars); fast paced and fun. Looking forward to the next one.
December 2021
4 stars show less
I liked the cast list at the beginning of my book:
Dramatis Thingummyshow more
Dr Edward Bairstow Director of St Mary’s. Tall, authoritative. Early 50s. Holds together a volatile mix of technicians, historians, kitchen staff, security teams and the sometimes explosive Research and Development Section.
Mrs Partridge PA to Director. Not to be crossed.
Historians
Madeleine Maxwell (Max) Historian. In her late 20s. Short, red-haired, engaging, impatient, self-deprecating, with a murky past and a precarious future.
Tim Peterson Historian, late 20s. Tall and shaggy. A good friend.
Kalinda Black Historian. Blonde and blue-eyed. Looks like a Disney princess.
Possibly drinks the blood of recently qualified trainees. Recipient of Mr Dieter’s affections.
and so on ...
I've been coming across this series a lot on LibraryThing recently so I thought I should see what all the fuss is about. Told in first person POV and set slightly in the future with technology that is a bit ahead of ours.
Madeleine Maxwell (Max) has a doctorate in History from Thirske University, specialising in (ancient Greek civilisation). St Mary's, for all it's venerable name and housing in a listed building, is linked to the university and ... ah, does historical research which they pass on to Thirske in return for funding. But (and this is a state secret, so don't let anyone know that you know. And I never told you) St Mary's historians actually go back into the past to do their research. Of course, they have to be extremely careful not to change anything or History will take action to correct/ prevent it ... you know, the odd building accident or hungry T-rex ... needless to say, there is a high attrition rate of St Mary's historians. So, of course, there are no time paradoxes - which is excellent news for my brain.
I think Taylor must have more than a passing interest in history. First she takes you back in time and then ruthlessly strips away your assumptions of a nice, clean, safe place by adding in the smells, sinking your feet in the muck and bringing you face to face with the lack of dental hygiene in the past. I found it a very effective way of making you think about living life in the past. Her historians use their experiences and (if they can take any) holo films to make documentaries for educational institutions to help with their funding.
But then the plot twists, as Max finds out that there is another group of historians whose goals are not quite so altruistic and then she comes into direct conflict with them. And then it turns again - I must say, having got comfortable with the direction the story was going in, I didn't expect these but it's fairly non-stop action and the plot is not just about historical research. (Do be warned, there is one fairly explicit sex scene.)
And then we get internal politics. Also, I think my brain is starting to hurt; but I did enjoy the quirky humour:
Helen’s final medical briefing was even worse. She gave us a depressingly long list of the circumstances and/or injuries which would result in us being deemed not fit for purpose. It seemed anything more serious than a slight headache would result in us being returned to sender.
I shifted restlessly in my seat. Beside me, Peterson whispered, ‘Bloody hell, Max, we’ve got to stop including these amateurs. We’ll never get anything done at this rate.’
Unfortunately, at that moment, Helen stopped talking and his voice was heard around the Hall with disastrous clarity.
You can say this about historians, we may be the tea-drenched disaster-magnets of St Mary’s but bloody hell, can we think quickly when we have to. He turned in his seat, fixed a startled Ian Guthrie with a glare, and said, ‘Sh!’
It didn’t save him. I did what I could, but she separated him from the herd and when she’d finished with him, a vengeful Ian Guthrie was waiting.
Afterwards, I took him for a drink and said fondly, ‘Idiot.’
(Max and Peterson being historians and Helen, the institute’s doctor, being the love of his life.)
Interesting and fairly unusual premise (although not completely unheard of - see also Simon Hawke’s Time Wars); fast paced and fun. Looking forward to the next one.
December 2021
4 stars show less
While reading this book, I learned that I am a sucker for fantastical academic shenanigans. This shouldn’t have been a surprise—I have read Connie Willis, Jasper Fforde, Genevieve Cogman, Terry Pratchett…—but there you go. Madcap journeys through space and time, on a quest for knowledge, equal part pitfalls and pratfalls—what isn’t to love?
This isn’t a deep book by any means, but it doesn’t need to be. Most of the fun, honestly, lies at least partly in how hard it isn’t trying to have a deeper meaning. This is pure entertainment*, though that doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen or that when they do, they’re not treated appropriately. It does, however, mean that the characters are a bit two-dimensional, their show more motivations and histories are a little typical, and so on, but the way Taylor’s built the world, that works.
I did wish a few times that the pace would slow down so we could visit more of the eras mentioned. There are a lot of missions that get glanced over I wanted to see in detail! (I get why not, though.) My only actual complaint is that Taylor could’ve been tighter or more obvious when it comes to internal time. There’s a moment when Max mentions how long she’s worked for St. Mary’s that threw me, because I hadn’t gotten that sense at all.
I didn’t love the book enough to rush out for the next book immediately, but Taylor is firmly on my “no-brainer pick-me-up list” now and she’s made my rec lists as well.
*Yes, of course that means explosions, frenzied chases, and fight scenes.
Warnings: No actual dinosaurs were injured during the production of this novel. Also sexual assault, miscarriage, and misogynistic characters of two genders.
7.5/10 show less
This isn’t a deep book by any means, but it doesn’t need to be. Most of the fun, honestly, lies at least partly in how hard it isn’t trying to have a deeper meaning. This is pure entertainment*, though that doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen or that when they do, they’re not treated appropriately. It does, however, mean that the characters are a bit two-dimensional, their show more motivations and histories are a little typical, and so on, but the way Taylor’s built the world, that works.
I did wish a few times that the pace would slow down so we could visit more of the eras mentioned. There are a lot of missions that get glanced over I wanted to see in detail! (I get why not, though.) My only actual complaint is that Taylor could’ve been tighter or more obvious when it comes to internal time. There’s a moment when Max mentions how long she’s worked for St. Mary’s that threw me, because I hadn’t gotten that sense at all.
I didn’t love the book enough to rush out for the next book immediately, but Taylor is firmly on my “no-brainer pick-me-up list” now and she’s made my rec lists as well.
*Yes, of course that means explosions, frenzied chases, and fight scenes.
Warnings: No actual dinosaurs were injured during the production of this novel. Also sexual assault, miscarriage, and misogynistic characters of two genders.
7.5/10 show less
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77+ Works 15,415 Members
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Is contained in
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Has as a reference guide/companion
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Just One Damned Thing After Another
- Original title
- Just One Damned Thing After Another
- Original publication date
- 2013-09-04
- People/Characters
- Madeleine Maxwell; Edward Bairstow (Director, St. Mary's Institute); Leon Farrell (Chief Technical Officer); Kalinda Black; Tim Peterson; Helen Foster (Doctor) (show all 17); Davey Sussman; Isabella "Izzy" Barclay (IT); Sybil De Winter; Cleo Partridge (Muse and personal assistant); Dave "Big Dave" Murdoch; Mr Ritter; Mr Markham (Security officer); Ian Guthrie (Head of Security); Clive Ronan (Rogue historian); Andrew Rapson (Head of R&D); Octavius Dowson (Librarian & archivist)
- Important places
- St. Mary's Institute, England, UK; Alexandria, Egypt
- Important events
- Burning of the Library of Alexandria; Cretaceous
- Epigraph
- 'History is just one damned thing after another.'
Arnold Toynbee - First words
- There have been two moments in my life when everything changed.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But no, I'm sorry, it's not over.
Not so much the end — more a kind of pause . . . - Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.92
- Canonical LCC
- PR6120.A937
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