In 1348, two brothers are given a choice – either live out their last 6 days stricken by the plague, or spend each of the remaining 6 days 99 years apart, in the attempt of finding salvation.

I’ve lived the past few years thinking that Ken Follett was the best historical fiction writer, and I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that the Kingsbridge series is over and I’ll never get to feel what I felt when reading The Pillars of the Earth or A World Without End. Ian Mortimer proved to be the light at the end of the tunnel – a tunnel full of trial and mostly error to engage with other books on medieval history. This being said, I’m by no means comparing the two. Besides writing on the same time period, the two have nothing in common but one thing: they do it damn well.

Refreshing take on time travel

Most of all, The Outcasts of Time is a time travel book, with one of the most unique concepts I’ve come across. As I’ve said before, I grew up used to the trope always focused on the present in relation to either future or past. You either get your Terminators, or your 14th century knight combing their hair with forks and calling cars witchcraft. The idea of traveling from past to past instantly intrigued me, especially as we most often fail to see the differences between the 14th and the 15th century, per se. The novel didn’t disappoint to deliver all these close cultural examinations, and the main character’s reaction to the changes across time. However, I was most surprised how the book’s main discourse on morality outshone its premise.

The discourse on morality outshone the book’s premise

Yes, there is an element of time travel, but that’s as much fantasy as you get in this one. In fact, I’d hardly classify it as such. At its core, this is an allegory on what makes a person “good” and how moral codes shift or are completely replaced by others throughout the millennium. What made a person “good” in the 14th century is, let’s say, radically judged upon in the 17th century. In this case, how universal is finding peace of the soul actually? Is heaven open to both the 14th century saint as it is to the 17th century one? Mortimer plays with this idea and many more, in a scrutinizing take on religion.

Comical through its absurdity, grand in its scope, yet never loosing its grasp on small history

The prose is another beast. It was strong enough to gracefully support all the above, with an exquisite flow to it. The first-person perspective gave a whole new depth to the narrative, in what soon turned out to be an amalgam of my favourite quotes anyone had ever bundled together in a book. It was comical through its absurdity, grand in its scope, yet never loosing its grasp on small history. It was very clear to me that Mortimer is a massive history buff and wrote the book for the fun of it, a premise which he explores in his non-fiction as well, but this time he wrapped it in flesh and bone and put names on it. It was the only time I turned the speed to its slowest setting on an audiobook because I didn’t want it to end.

Mild flaws

Does The Outcasts of Time have any flaws? Hardly. I read some fiery reviews on Goodreads and struggled to relate to them. The ending was a bit floppy, I admit that. And some parts of the narrative could’ve been crafted better. Overall, I quickly got over these as I mostly appreciated this book for the questions it poses, rather than for the story itself, which some deem “repetitive” due to the cyclical structure of the protagonists waking up in a different century every day and having to take in all the cultural and technological innovations.

And finally…

However, I can’t recommend it to everyone. It’s not the most action-packed novel, so, unless you are very into history, I don’t think this is the right experience for you. It is easy to read, if you do wish to give it a try – but I might be a bit biased.

Overall, I’m excited to pick up more of Mortimer’s books (I’ve got my eyes on Millennium for now), and weeks after finishing it, I’m still in dire need of closure for having read such a wonderful and heart-warming book.