Bury the Living by Jodi McIsaac

Title: Bury the Living
Author: Jodi McIsaac 
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Series: The Revolutionary #1

Trade Paperback, 302 Pages
Publication: September 6, 2016 by 47North

Source: I received a review copy from Saichek Publicity in exchange for a honest review.

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Rebellion has always been in the O’Reilly family’s blood. So when faced with the tragic death of her brother during Northern Ireland’s infamous Troubles, a teenage Nora joined the IRA to fight for her country’s freedom. Now, more than a decade later, Nora is haunted by both her past and vivid dreams of a man she has never met.

When she is given a relic belonging to Brigid of Kildare, patron saint of Ireland, the mystical artifact transports her back eighty years—to the height of Ireland’s brutal civil war. There she meets the alluring stranger from her dreams, who has his own secrets—and agenda. Taken out of her own time, Nora has the chance to alter the fortunes of Ireland and maybe even save the ones she loves. In this captivating and adventurous novel from Jodi McIsaac, history belongs to those with the courage to change it.

I had some trepidation Going into Bury the Living. It was being compared to one of the most famous and well known Historical Fantasy novel, Outlander. It was a lot to live up to. While Bury the Living shared one aspect with Outlander, that being it’s a time-travel novel; that was where the similarities ended. Bury the Living was a book distinctly its own and I enjoyed it nonetheless.

McIaasc was meticulous and detailed in the account of Ireland’s history. Many reviewers felt that the book was bogged down by the amount of information presented early on in the book. That it was too much. I on the other hand was fascinated by the IRA, Free State and PIRA. I thought McIaasc did a great job balancing the history and fantasy part of the novel. The characters were definitely special. They brought the rebellion to life and made learning about the Irish history all the more interesting. Our main heroine, Nora, was a spitfire. She had a hot temper and jumped head first into danger without any regards to herself when it came to people she cared about or for what she believed in. I admired her tenacity. Nora wasn’t the only strong female in the book. There were plenty of them, mostly from Cumann na mBan, The Irish Women Paramilitary Organization. There was also a potential love interest for Nora but it was still too early to tell and thankfully it wasn’t the main focus of the story.

I thought time-travel was as fantasy as it was going to get in Burying the Living but things took an unexpected turn. A little past half way through the book, the story took on a more fantasy than historical fiction vibe. McIaasc incorporated old forgotten gods, myths and fairytales into the mix. I wasn’t expecting that all. It was different, if not a little farfetched but it didn’t bother me or take away anything from the story. This unexpected turn left a door wide open for more possibilities and sequels and with how Bury the Living ended I am eager to see where this series goes. And most importantly why was Nora chosen of all people and how is she and Thomas supposed to help each other? So many questions! All in all, Bury the Living is a great start to a new series! I can’t wait for the sequel! I highly recommend checking out Burying the Living if you’re looking for something fresh, unique and a quick read!