Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .

Title: the syndicate

Author: Sophie Davis

Publisher: Sophie Davis Books

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

ISBN: 9781310788826

Source: NetGalley

So the gorgeous cover is what caught my eye first. Second and third were the ideas of time travel in the 1920s and trying to find a lost manuscript respectively. What reader wouldn’t want to get their hands on a lost manuscript? And the 1920s are one of me more beloved time periods. Set in Paris, one of me favorite cities . . . I am in.

I really enjoyed this novel a whole bunch. It started out in Florence in 1796 with the main character, Stassi, literally on the run and continued happily from there. I adored this prologue by the way and was instantly sucked into Stassi’s story. In this prologue you also briefly meet Stassi’s partner, the runner Gaige.

The relationship and banter between these two is super fun and helped totally make the book for me. The best part? They have NO romantic interest in each other. Yet they care for each other deeply. I love a novel where a man and a woman can have a friendship that does not revolve around sexual desire but instead mutual respect and experiences. Yay! Of course that does not mean that there isn’t romance in this novel but I will leave ye to find out about it on yer own because it is happy and sweet and worth discovering for yourself.

So back to the 1920s. This novel has everything: famous people, a murderer on the loose, 1920s clothes, mystery, and an awesome main character in Stassi. She is a bit of a hard head with slightly poor impulse control at times. She is also intelligent and loyal and inquisitive. Stassi gets herself into a lot of trouble. The secondary characters are lovely as well. I thought the world created by the author was rich in detail and wonderful to read about. I kinda am jealous of runners. Wish I could be one at times. I have an entire list of historic places I would like to visit. Like the Library in Alexandria, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, 1920s Paris . . .

A minor issue with this book was changing some well known history facts involving the Hemingways. Grrr. But I loved this book. The ending was super fun. I will be reading the next one.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Sophie Davis Books!

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