A return to a series that I was unexpectedly pleased with reading earlier this year. This is the second book in the series involving time-travelling historian, Madeleine Maxwell (‘Max’) and the group she works with at St. Mary’s. (As I think I said before, think ‘Hogwarts’ but with added Connie Willis.)
A Symphony of Echoes pretty much follows on from Book 1, Just One Damned Thing After Another (review HERE.)
As ever with the St. Mary’s team things that seem simple become complicated. Max and her colleagues find themselves attacked in the future by her arch-enemies, rogue historians Clive Ronan and Isabella Barclay. The group’s adversaries have escaped into the past and not only killed some of the team but succeeded in that most cardinal of sins by deliberately changing history for Ronan’s own ends. The murder and torture of the staff at the future St. Mary’s site leads Max to be placed in post there as the temporary Director of Operations.
The book therefore is really of three main parts. The first is how Max manages to rebuild the physically and mentally damaged team in order for the work at St. Mary’s to continue. The second is dealing with the discovery that Ronan has others helping him, possibly in the team, and the effect that has on Max and her colleagues. This involves the team on a mission to reset history – something that Max and her team are involved in, even if it leaves Max feeling rather grubby for doing so. The last part is Max back on a mission, with the usual issues. In other words. it’s business as usual for Max and her colleagues.
Along the way there’s a romp around the tapestry of history. There’s a meeting with Jack the Ripper at the start, and a solution to the mystery of why he stopped (although for me it didn’t really work), and towards the end a visit to what could be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, where a supposedly simple mission turns quite nasty.
It’s difficult to point out what I like most about this series. There’s a lot to like, after all. The characters are strong and identifiable with Max herself being an engaging, if self-deprecating, narrator. Whilst the premise is not new, the plot manages to juggle old tropes in a way that keeps the situations original and interesting enough to retain your attention. Whilst I can see a repetition of “Whoops, it’s gone wrong – again!” becoming a little wearing eventually, some of the plot-points are done well enough not to worry about the consequences, which for a time travel story is somewhat unusual!
“…History is a Symphony of Echoes. Every little action has huge consequences. They’re not always apparent, and sometimes, in our game, sometimes effect comes before cause, not after.”
Perhaps what works most of all is the engaging style of the writing. The author manages to balance humour, pathos and action well in a way that keeps momentum. There’s no detailed scientific explanation here, just ‘what-is’, enough detail to keep things moving without telling too much. I liken it to driving a car – to drive, you need to know how to use the car without necessarily knowing all the detail of the electrics and the mechanics.
Instead, this is a book where it is mainly about the characters. It would be easy to dismiss the book as insubstantial, especially as much of the book is written with a seemingly light-hearted, knowing wink – but when horrible things do happen to characters – and they do – the reader cares about what happens. In fact, far from being lightweight, A Symphony of Echoes is not always cosy, nor easy – there are events here that clearly take their toll on the characters, most of all Max. Whilst it reads effortlessly, to write as such is not easy.
For some readers, knowing A Symphony of Echoes is as good as the first will be enough. Whilst some of the things that happen are not too plausible if you think about it, it really doesn’t matter. The fun of the ride makes such things unimportant.
There’s a cliff-hanger at the end that made me want to pick up the next story straight away, which for me is the sign of an enjoyable book. In short, this is a series that I look forward to continuing.
A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor
Book 2 of the St. Mary’s Chronicles
Published by Headline, February 2019
336 pages
ISBN: 978-1472264145
Review by Mark Yon
