Black in Time by Brynn Chapman | Book Review

Welcome to the Prism Book Tour for Black in Time by Brynn Chapman. Stop by each blog for excerpts and reviews from the book!

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Black in Time (Synesthesia Shift #2)

by Brynn Chapman

I received this book free; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no cost to you.

Black in Time (Synesthesia Shift #2)
by Brynn Chapman
YA Historical Urban Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 143 Pages
April 6, 2021 by Burns and Lea Books

Patient Twenty-Nine, or Jane, is within reach of her heart’s desire: a home outside of Soothing Hills Asylum, where she has been raised.

Her sister Jules wants to take her in, and a man, Mason, is deeply in love with her and wants to care for her. But before Jane can leave, she must be examined by the Board of Lunacy. Jane is still hearing voices and songs from the cornfield outside the asylum, voices and songs that tell her what she must do, and that no one else can hear. So the Board may not allow her to leave.

But the asylum is becoming more and more dangerous. Its lead alienist, Dr. Frost, has disappeared, there have been frightening sightings of a woman in white, running through the corn at night, and perhaps worst of all: lobotomized women from the asylum are turning up pregnant.

Jane is desperate to get away and go to her new home. Mason and Jules only want to rescue Jane from the asylum.

But there is a complication: for Jane, the voice in the corn calls. And she must obey.

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My review of Black in Time

It’s been five years since I read The Requiem Red, but it’s a book that stuck with me. I was very excited to read the second book in the Synesthesia Shift series, Black in Time. What is synesthesia? Good question! Most people have never heard of it. It’s not a disorder. In my opinion, it’s a gift!

Here’s the definition according to Psychology Today:

Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway (for example, hearing) leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway (such as vision). Simply put, when one sense is activated, another unrelated sense is activated at the same time.

Jane and Jules have this condition. So does my daughter, though hers is different from Jane’s and Jules’s. My daughter sees letters in color; for example, d would be red and x would be blue. They’re always the same to her, but someone else who sees letters in color might see d as green. Cool, right? But anyway….on with the review!

Black in Time continues the story of Patient Twenty-Nine, Jane. You can’t read this book as a stand-alone. In fact, since it had been so long since I’d read The Requiem Red, I reread it before reading this one. This story is so fascinating. I’m the type of person who loves a creepy, paranormal-ish book once in a while. These two books fit the bill! The setting is an asylum during the late 1800s or early 1900s (I can’t recall!) when virtually anyone could be admitted against their will…especially women. Your husband wants a younger model? Off you go to the asylum for your “hysterics” or whatever!

The setting and time period alone are thought-provoking. However, when you throw in the paranormal element (no spoilers), you get an even more thrilling story. The characters are the well-written and convincingly realistic! They’re another reason you have to read book 1 before you read Black in Time. You will find at least one character you’ll connect with, and they experience growth from book 1 to 2.

The supernatural, paranormal, fantasy elements in Black in Time make for a very suspenseful, page-turning read! If you enjoy this genre, I really think you’ll enjoy these two books.

Book 1: The Requiem Red

The Requiem Red (Synesthesia Shift #1)
by Brynn Chapman
YA Historical Urban Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 300 Pages
February 4, 2019 by Burns and Lea Books

Life for Patient 29 is full of medicated day dreams of a life outside the walls of Soothing Hills Asylum. But fantasies are not all that consume her. A monster roams the halls of the sanitarium she reluctantly calls home and three girls have been found dead. The dead girls share one common thread . . . each was 29’s cell mate. As the investigation gets under way, she retreats into her mind, listening to the voices that call to her. She is endowed with the cursed gift of perception. Through it, she hears messages carried upon the notes of music, discerns words hidden among the strokes of paintings, and minds pleadings for help from the corn field outside.

Could the key to the murders lie within 29’s broken mind? Mason, an orderly, does not see 29 as a lunatic and as his belief in her grows so does her self-confidence. The possibility of one day leaving the asylum seems less and less like a fantasy. But the monster has other plans for her. Leaving will not be so easy, at least not while she is alive.

Amazon

Read my review of The Requiem Red.

About the author

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

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Enter the giveaway

– One winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card and an audiobook of HERE WALK THE DEAD

– Ten winners will receive a print copy of REQUIEM RED

US only
Ends May 5, 2021

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