When I reviewed the first Song For A Lost Kingdom novel here, I said that it might be described as Outlander with music because Adeena Stuart, the time traveling protagonist, is a musician whose main concern in both 21st century Canada and 18th century Scotland is her music. This is what I loved most about Song For A Lost Kingdom. I was looking forward to reading more about this singer/cellist in the Song For A Lost Kingdom #2 ARC that I received for free from the author.
Music is still present in the life of protagonist Adeena Stuart, but it has receded into the background as she has become much more involved in a romantic relationship with James Drummond.
James Drummond fights in the Jacobite cause because his mother, a devout Catholic, is deeply committed to the re-establishment of the Catholic House of Stuart. Previous generations in his family had also supported the Stuarts. So he's a Jacobite due to family connections. This sets him apart from Outlander's Jamie Fraser. Jamie strongly believed in the Jacobite cause because he wanted to see an end to English rule of Scotland. It's important to realize that a novel dealing with time travel to 18th century Scotland that also focuses on a romantic relationship shouldn't be regarded as a reiteration of Diana Gabaldon's bestselling book.
Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie (BPC), was the figure on which dedicated Jacobites pinned all their hopes. Moretti's portrayal of BPC as ruthless, arrogant and short sighted may cause readers to think that he didn't really merit the support that he had. I found this lack of romanticization refreshing ,and more in accordance with what is historically known about Charles Edward Stuart.
One example of foolishness shown by BPC in Song For A Lost Kingdom #2 is that just before the Battle of Culloden when he should have been discussing military strategy with his generals, he is totally immersed in the design and production of a Jacobite currency that would have been unlikely to be accepted widely. I decided to check this out to see if BPC had actually done such a thing. I discovered an article about An Exhibit at the Bank of England Museum where a design for such a currency was displayed. In the second paragraph of this article, it states that engraver Robert Strange was asked by Charles Edward Stuart to create printing plates for his currency. This account also says that it did indeed happen right before the disastrous defeat of the Jacobite cause at Culloden. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen the evidence.
The most interesting and original aspect of this time travel fantasy is the 21st century effort by Adeena's doctors to explain what was happening to her scientifically by consulting with experts in the relatively new discipline of epigenetics. I've linked to a Wikipedia article about it written in simple non-technical English. Other readers may disagree with me, but my feeling is that Adeena's time travel is paranormal, and not explainable by current science. Yet the content dealing with epigenetics in this book was absolutely fascinating.
Despite having several different focuses, Steve Moretti didn't lose the thread of the plot. There were no unnecessary digressions. Everything was relevant. All the characters had understandable motivations even if they weren't likable.
The only thing that disappointed me about Song For A Lost Kingdom #2 is the cliffhanger ending. I have always believed that a well-written piece of fiction like this one doesn't need to emotionally manipulate readers into buying the next book.
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