The Bronze and the Brimstone

Review by Nancy
Review of: The Lens and the Looker AND The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

Hansum was a teenager of the usual sort; rude, impish and not particularly concerned with his future or the consequences of his present. That all changed when he was teleported off to History Camp. History Camp is a handy time out for teens who need to “get a grip”. It is supposed to show the kids how much better it is in the 24th Century. There he meets Shamira and Lincoln both hard cases as well.

Hansum’s mom is a History Camp Elder so he kinda has a clue about what’s going on . He also has smuggled a genie on a voyage. Pan, the genie, promises to help the three raise a bit of hell while they’re away from home – and that’s when everything goes to, well, to hell in a handbasket. The enactors at their camp try their best to make it work, but the kids don’t like 14th Century Verona, Italy and don’t care who knows it. Along with Pan, they cause enough trouble to end up in 14th Century Verona. The real one.

Taken there by a rogue Elder, Arimus they are left there with a lens maker, an old drunk, his schizo wife and beautiful daughter, Guilietta. Operating under names of the time, Romero (Hansum), Carmella (Shamira) and Maruccio (Lincoln) do their best to get along. Heck, it’s bad, hard, nasty and only for a month, right?

Hansum, helped by Pan, teaches easier ways of doing things. A serious no-no since it could change time. These changes bring him to the attention of the Leader of Verona who thinks Hansum is a savant.

In The Bronze and the Brimstone, the teens are known for their wonderful ideas. Some of them more than 400 years in the future. What they are trying to do is gain someone in the future’s attention because Arimus has been killed and, it turns out no one know where the kids are in the past. Hansum and Giulietta are in love and want to marry but the Leader of Verona won’t allow it as he wants Hansum for his daughter. A priest feels the three are in league with the Devil and, of course we have the Black Plague.

Will Hansum and Guilietta marry? Will they kids be rescued and do they really want to be any more? These two novels lead us at a breathtaking pace through telescopes, bifocals, cannons murder, death, poisoning and many other Medieval issues which will not only intrigue but teach the reader a lot of history and hopefully encourage an interest in the same. There is one volume left in the series called The Loved and the Lost. I can’t wait.

Book #1 came on the scene in March and Book #2 The Bronze and the Brimstone comes out Tuesday, June 7th. Get ‘em both and sign up for #3. Your teen will actually like you for it!