Friday, November 25, 2016

Review: Escape from the Past: At Witches' End by Annette Oppenlander @AOppenlander

Escape from the Past: At Witches' End
(Escape from the Past #3)
by Annette Oppenlander
Expected publication: November 25th 2016
Publisher: Lodestone Books
Genre: YA Historical Fiction, Time-Travel

Blurb:

When Max learns that Karl helped spring him from Schwarzburg’s dungeon during the first game, he feels obligated to return the favor. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but supposedly Max is the one who rescued Karl from Hanstein in 1473 and helped him return home.

With Karl’s programming help Max reluctantly agrees to enter the game a third time. At least he can visit his old friends and get cozy with Juliana while he’s at it. But two years is a long time in the Middle Ages. Something foul is in the air. Lord Werner is mysteriously absent and the new guards refuse Max entrance. Even Bero’s mother is terrified to see him. With no place to stay, Max soon finds himself on the run from Schwarzburg who hasn’t forgotten Max’s miraculous escape two years earlier.

When at last Max finagles a way into the castle, Bero is less than pleased to see him, Lady Clara is near death and Juliana is not meeting his eyes. Can Max sway his friends, help Karl and stay out of Schwarzburg’s clutches? And will he ultimately stop Dr. Stuler’s evil computer game?

This is the final book in the Escape from the Past trilogy.


Buy Link:


Excerpt:

I barely noticed when the trapdoor opened. A wooden platter appeared. On it were several chunks of bread, cold meat, a slice of hard cheese and two apples.
“Max?” Bero’s voice sounded muffled.

“Yeah.” I threw myself toward the door, trying to peek through the opening.

“Got you nourishment.”

“Thanks, man.” I inhaled the nutty aroma of the cheese.

“Sorry I did not help earlier,” Bero said. “I was…stupid.”

“None of this is your fault. The medicos is a lying sack of shit and Lame Hans, he is…” I tried to think of stronger words.

“The fart of an onion-eyed devil.” Bero had a way of putting it.

“Yeah, that one.”

“Must go,” Bero said. “I shall check again tonight.”



My Review:


When Max is approached by Karl in present day 2015 to travel back in time to 1473 in the Middle Ages again by playing a computer game Max is really against playing again until he learns that he owes Karl a favor from the first time he played the game. With Karl’s help and against his better judgement Max decides to travel back in time once more to return the favor he owes Karl. Besides he will get to visit his old friend Bero and his sister Juliana who Max has a crush on.

But Max runs into a little trouble upon his arrival that may cause him to have to stay in the game for ever or better yet lose his life. Max is always on the run and hiding from someone in the game for one reason or another. He is not sure who exactly he can trust well except for the exception of Bero and Juliana.

Max has to complete his missions and find somethings that were taken from him before he can return home again that is if he can stay out of trouble and alive along enough.

Bero and Juliana’s sister is taken by Ott and Max feels as if it is his fault so he has to rescue her before it is too late. Every time he tries to rescue Adela he ends up in trouble or in a dungeon somewhere and needs someone to bail him out.

Can Max complete his mission; find all of his belongings and save his friends before it is too late? Will Max every see his home again?

The Escape from the Past novels is like a bottle of wine they just get better with time. I fell in love with Max, Bero, Juliana and all the other characters in the first book Escape from the Past: The Dukes Wrath. Then I enjoyed meeting up with Max on his next journey when he met Billy The Kid in book two of Escape from the Past: The Kid and in the third book Escape from the Past: At Witches’ End we get to go with Max to see Bero and Juliana again. Although I have loved traveling with Max on all of his journeys through the past I think that his last journey in Escape from the Past: At Witches’ End is my favorite.


Would I recommend Escape from the Past: At Witches’ End? You bet I would to anyone who loves a good book and likes to travel back in time with a great historical fiction novel.


Other books in Escape from the Past Trilogy

Escape from the Past: The Kid (Escape from the Past #2)


Read my review of Escape from the Past: The Kid HERE!


Escape from the Past: The The Duke’s Wrath (Escape from the Past #1)


Read my review of Escape from the Past: The The Duke’s Wrath HERE!





Escape from the Past:
Game of Life: An Introduction
by Annette Oppenlander
Published July 18th 2016
Publisher: Oppenlander Enterprises LLC
Genre: YA Historical Fiction, Time-Travel

Blurb:

Overnight fifteen-year old Max is uprooted from the U.S. and finds himself struggling to adjust to life in Germany. Luckily he can escape reality and Michel, the bully in school, by playing computer games—most of the time. When Michel disappears under questionable circumstances, Max is too relieved to listen to his gut. He doesn't realize he's next in line...to disappear.

"Game of Life" is a short introduction to the ESCAPE FROM THE PAST trilogy, giving readers a glimpse of Max's life before he's sucked into the worst experience of his life, time-traveling to medieval Germany and surviving among blood-thirsty lords who stop at nothing to get Max's hide.




My Review:

Max is having a hard time adjusting to life in Germany after being uprooted from his home in American. They moved there because of his father’s job. One day his father comes home and says he is leaving. Max wants to go home to America but with his mother being from Germany and her family being there she wants to stay so Max has no choice but to stay and start a new school and life.

Max has a hard time in school with some of the students not being so friendly because he is from America but Max is strong and endures it well. But he does make a new friend though and his new friend is from America as well. Max and his new friend both love playing computer games so they get along real well.

Max’s new friend’s Dad creates computer games and just happens to have a new game that has not hit the streets yet and Max wants to play it so bad and begs his friend over and over to ask his Dad if they can play. But his friend hesitates to ask his dad for a reason but of course Max does not pick up on his hesitation because he is too eager to play.   

Since I had read all the other books in the Escape from the Past Series and loved them all so much I just had to read Escape from the Past: Game of Life: An Introduction to find out how it all started. If you have not read any of these books then let me suggest again that you do and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have.




Author Bio:
Annette Oppenlander writes historical fiction for young adults and anyone who loves stories set in the past. When she isn’t in front of her computer, she loves indulging her dog, Mocha, and traveling around the U.S. and Europe to discover amazing histories.


"Nearly every place holds some kind of secret, something that makes history come alive. When we scrutinize people and places closely, history is no longer a number, it turns into a story."





0 comments: