The Chronicles of Earth (The Edinburgh Doctrines #3), by CL Jarvis
The Book
Synopsis:
Edinburgh, 1785. A kidnapped geologist unleashes an explosive new theory.
George Stephens is weeks away from receiving his medical degree, but he doubts he'll make it as a physician in a crowded, competitive marketplace. Instead, he hopes Professor Joseph Black's friend James Hutton might get him a job in his chemical manufacturing works.
But before he has a chance to suggest this, Hutton is kidnapped. The eccentric geologist was about to deliver his bombshell treatise on the true age of the Earth, threatening to upend conventional beliefs about the universe and man's place in it.
Getting Hutton back pits George, Black and friends against a fanatical opponent who will stop at nothing until Hutton's dangerous theories are buried. If George wants to survive long enough to graduate, he'll need every ounce of his courage and skill.
My Review
The Chronicles of Earth is the third book in the historical fantasy series The Edinburgh Doctrines, written by CL Jarvis. We could call this the second instalment in the George Stephens' part of the series, returning as a main character, weeks before receiving his medical degree, but lacking the confidence to exert as a medical practicing, hoping to get a job in James Hutton's manufacturing.
However, things can't be easy for our George at this point: James Hutton is also a famous geologist who is about to unleash his theory about the Earth's age, a theory that contradicts directly the calculations made based on the Bible, and which puts him in the eye of the hurricane. Before his theory is presented, he's kidnapped by a fanatical opponent who wants to make it disappear; George will be again together with Black and company fighting against the time to recover Hutton before the deadline hits.
And while we still keep the core of characters related to the Edinburgh academic work, this book puts more the focus on George and in his growth as character; despite his lack of self-confidence, with many help from his wife, and a bit of a push from the professors, we finally see him shining, ready to become a physician, a really different character to the first impression we got from Stephens at the start of The Doctrines of Fire.
As in the previous books, we have a mix of a fast pacing with an agile prose, precise and that immerses us in the convulse Enlightement Edinburgh, a city with a fierce academic competition; Jarvis takes a black hole in the history and fills it with a thrilling story.
At this point, I should recommend reading the whole The Edinburgh Doctrines series, especially if you like the mix between dark academia and historical fantasy; each book is a delight to read, so what are you waiting for?
