The Keys of the Watchmen (Watchmen Saga Book #1) by Kathleen C. Perrin: A Book Review

The Keys of the Watchmen (Watchmen Saga Book #1)
Author: Kathleen C. Perrin
Genre: YA, Christian, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Time-Travel
Publisher: Langon House
Release Date: 2014
Pages: 395
Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Katelyn Michaels plans on hating every moment of her visit to Mont Saint Michel with her father’s new French wife. Once there, she is confused when she experiences sensations of déjà vu as she and her younger brother explore the medieval village and abbey. She is even more disturbed when she is confronted by two unusual young men, one who insists she has a sacred mission, and the other who will stop at nothing, even murder, to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. 

     When the oddly-dressed but alluring Nicolas slips Katelyn a strange medallion, she is whisked back through time where her Watchmen hosts tell her she is the only hope to save Mont Saint Michel. Even worse, she learns that those trying to destroy the mount are led by a fallen angel intent on learning the mount's closely-guarded secret. 

     Katelyn is torn by feelings of anger at being taken back in time, inadequacy at finding a modern solution for a medieval problem, and responsibility for the mount’s starving inhabitants. She is also perturbed by her surprising attraction to the ill-tempered Nicolas. Will she stay to learn why she was chosen by the Archangel Michael and find a way to save his mount? 

     My Review: Katelyn Michaels is an American visiting Mont Saint Michel with her younger brother. During her visit, she encounters two strange men who seem to be be very interested in her for some reason. One man looks like he is dressed in medieval form, and he claims that it is her duty to save Mont Saint Michel. The other man, who dresses very gothic, wants to kill her. These encounters with these two men creep her out, for why would they target her? Her chance encounters with them thrusts her to be trapped in the medieval era, for she is called by St. Michael to save her kingdom. She realizes that she holds France’s future in the balance. Will she be able to succeed in her mission?

     At first, I did not like Katelyn as the protagonist. I did not really like being in her head. She came across as very whiny and annoying. I did not really like her attitude. She seemed selfish. Later on, she began to grow, and I started to like her. She stopped being immature and stopped complaining and pitying herself, and became very resourceful, strategic, and mature. She also became less selfish, and she cared about other people besides herself. She also stopped pitying herself, and focused on her task and what she had to do. Therefore, I liked seeing her grow as a character.

     Overall, this story is about friendship, love, choices, and faith. This book is about a woman who is trying to find confidence in herself. The message of the book is that there is always hope, even when thrust into darkness. This book is told half in first person from Katelyn’s perspective, and the other half of the novel focuses on the supporting characters told in third person. I did not really like the switching of the point of views. I think that she should have either stuck with one point of view throughout the whole novel so that the story would flow more easily. This novel also had some slow parts, and I felt the romance to be underdeveloped and forced. Still, the storyline was very interesting, and it is filled with action and humor. I absolutely loved the setting, and I loved learning the history of Mont Saint Michel. This novel ends in a cliffhanger, and it left me excited to read the sequel to find out what happens next. I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about time-travel, and novels set on beautiful island, such as Mont Saint Michel.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars