The Lost Saint gives YA Outlander vibes. I am always going to read a story about being transported in time. And while the premise was there, the execution was a little rocky. Keep reading this book review of The Lost Saint for my full thoughts.
Summary
Ana should be enjoying her last summer before college; instead, she’s stuck with her ex on a pre-paid trip in Germany. She’s determined to make the best of it, visiting castles outside Hamburg and drinking in the local myths of medieval saints and miracles.
On the night of the summer solstice, as a meteor streaks across the sky, Ana and her friends decide to attend a party in the sacred caves of Eadin forest. Suddenly, an earthquake strikes and scatters the partygoers. They stumble outside straight into … a snowy landscape where a furious battle rages. In the chaos, Ana is separated from the group and comes face-to-face with Leon, a wounded holy warrior—and realizes she’s been transported to the 14th century.
Ana and Leon must set aside their mistrust to search for safe passage away from the vicious Northmen who are pursuing both of their groups.
As sparks begin to fly between them, Ana faces more dangers in the form of scheming lords, suspicious townsfolk, miracles she appears to be causing, and even Leon, who begins to wonder if this beautiful girl might be a saint or something far more sinister. Nothing is as it seems, and Ana finds herself caught in a power struggle between the church, the men of the North, and a magnetic young lord who is determined to use her as a bargaining chip.
With home looking ever more unreachable, Ana must determine who she is, whom she loves, and what she’s willing to sacrifice to return to the present.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In The Lost Saint I liked all the elements separately and then as they came together, it was just a little disjointed in areas. Let’s start off at the beginning. We were dipped straight into the action a bit too quickly for my taste to even get to know Ana. So when I met her in the past, I wasn’t sure what she would do, what she would think, how much she’d know about the past. And so I struggled for a while to get to know Ana and to realize all the things she’s lost or is struggling with because I didn’t have a clear enough picture of who she was before she’s thrown headfirst in.
That being said, the disorientation and the panic of the time travel I felt was super realistic. It felt much closer to how it would be if we were transported to the past. I’ve always felt Claire from Outlander probably knew more than the average person and certainly I would if I were snatched out the present. It predictably has everyone thinking Ana is a witch which is totally what would happen especially if we started waving our smart phones around. I did wonder why she wasn’t a bit more worried about her other classmates, but I guess the survival mode kicked in.
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Overall,
The Lost Saint also allows us to see through Leon’s POV which I actually found distracting because I really did not get a good sense of who he was. I know it’s supposed to introduce a bit of mystery, and give us some information, but for me I felt like just Ana’s POV is enough. That combined with a bit of a lull in momentum around 30% made it a bit of a slug to get through the middle. I think with a bit of a perspective shift, I could have enjoyed The Lost Saint more. I liked the fantasy elements way more than the romance elements – which felt suddenly introduced – and if I were just to look at those I’d have a much better feeling.
Find The Lost Saint on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.