The Fire (Northwest Passage #4) by John A. Heldt-a review

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About the book: Release Date August 13, 2013

When Kevin Johnson, 22, goes to Wallace, Idaho, days after his college graduation, he expects to find rest and relaxation as his family prepares his deceased grandfather’s house for sale. Then he discovers a hidden diary and a time portal that can take him to 1910, the year of Halley’s comet and the largest wildfire in U.S. history. Within hours, Kevin finds himself in the era of horse-drawn wagons, straw hats, and ankle-length dresses. Returning to the same time and place, he decides to travel again and again and make the portal his gateway to summer fun. The adventure takes a more serious turn, however, when the luckless-in-love science major falls for pretty English teacher Sarah Thompson and integrates himself in a community headed for tragedy. Filled with humor, romance, and heartbreak, THE FIRE, the sequel to THE JOURNEY, follows a conflicted soul through a life-changing journey as he makes his mark on a world he was never meant to see.

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Man can John A Heldt write one heck of a story! Once again I was completely captivated and sucked into a story that was full of possibilities and consistently delivered chapter after chapter. The Fire by John A Heldt is the fourth book in his Northern Passage series and while we get to visit a few familiar characters this particular book is the sequel to his book The Journey.

This story follows Kevin Johnson (he is the son Sally Preston from The Journey). Kevin is graduating from college and about to take his first steps out in the world as an educated man. Right away, we read Kevin saying goodbye to his fave professor Joel (from The Mine and The Show) who had a huge impact on his college experience. Kevin decides to travel to Wallace Idaho to kick back, chill out as his family preps his grandpa’s (he’s deceased now) house for sale. Kevin comes across a hidey hole in his grandfather’s home that held a diary and comes to discover that the old wood shed is a time portal. Next thing we know, Kevin is in 1910. Although anxious to return to 2013, he happens to cross paths with schoolteacher Sarah Thompson and is completely smitten. Although dangerous, Kevin begins to travel back and forth between 1910 and 2013.

Much like Joel, Kevin begins to live another life in 1910 falling in love with Sarah, making friends and adapting to a whole new kind of lifestyle. Unlike Joel however, Kevin plays with fire trying to live two separate lives in two different eras. Mix in a real SOB banker (living in 1910) and forming an attachment to another girl named Sadie Hawkins (I chuckled at the name ..lol) also from 1910, and having the knowledge that there is disaster on it’s way to the residents of Wallace, Kevin is in constant conflict with himself as to what to reveal and how much history he can change without consequence.

Again .. so much more to the story but I won’t spoil or give away any more details than that! LOL

Okay .. so I was never a huge fan of time travel as some books are just downright cheesy, but John A Heldt has convinced me in the same manner that Diana Gabaldon has, that there are some authors who can write time travel absolutely BELIEVABLE. There is so much knowledge and detail given about 1910 and how one lived that the contrast between 1910 and 2013 was exceptional. The angst that Kevin goes through is heart wrenching. I prayed he got his lady love, felt for him when he was conflicted about how much history to reveal and feared for him as he travelled back and forth knowing that he was risking his life.

Once again, John writing style come to the forefront. Never once was I bored. I was engaged in the story and appreciated the smooth transition from 1910 to 2013 and 2013 to 1910. I had vivid images in my mind while experiencing strong emotions (I had to crack out the Kleenex again John ..lol) and I anticipate and predict this author is going places. I can’t wait for MORE MORE MORE!

If you like a well written time travel story that holds pieces of history, a beautiful love story, conflict and page turning moments please check this series out!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel

Copy supplied by the Author

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John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of THE MINE, THE JOURNEY, THE SHOW, and THE FIRE, the first four novels of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at johnheldt.blogspot.com.