The Thirteenth Month by Elizabeth Hunter is the first book in the Seba Segel series. Within the pages of The Thirteenth Month, readers get a story immersed in Ethiopian culture combined with a fresh concept of time travel. Sit back and prepare for a cultural, scientific, suspenseful and magical journey.
"Time is the most fluid medium in the universe; humans are its most replaceable element." I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: The Thirteenth Month
Author(s): Elizabeth Hunter
Series: Seba Segel #1
Published by Recurve Press LLC on May 23, 2023
Pages: 435
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy
Source: Publicist
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon
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There are rules for traveling:A mage must never go forward. Keep the secrets of the order in all times.And never, ever travel during the thirteenth month.
Born into a powerful mage family, Narine Anahid Khoren is a time traveler whose life is constantly in flux. Since committing to the order of the Seba Segal at fourteen, she’s spent her life traveling through history, trying to make a difference and sacrificing her life in the present for one jumping through the past.
But while the world in 2071 has moved forward, the ancient order of the Seba Segel have become ever more archaic. The secret sect founded by astronomer priests has passed its magic to thousands of generations, perfecting the secrets of divination and time travel, while also amassing power, influence, and riches.
Change is on the horizon, and some in the order would do anything to stop it from coming. When one of the highest laws of mage travel is broken in the thirteenth month, Narine, her friends, and one unsuspecting professor will have to scour history to set the timeline right.
The Thirteenth Month is the first book in the Seba Segel series, an all-new time travel fantasy series by ten-time USA Today bestseller, Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries and the Irin Chronicles.
Set in the year 2071, the story introduces 28-year-old time travelling Mage, Narine. She comes from an impressive lineage of mages in which she is a third generation time travelling mage. She works for Seba Segal, a secret society of mages. Throughout history, Seba Segal advised world leaders, while protecting the timeline from unscrupulous persons wishing to change the course of history. To ensure a smooth operation, several rules were implemented:
1. No travelling to the future
2. No traveling during the thirteenth sacred month of Pagume.
I had a blast with this one and I eagerly await the release of the next book in the series. While introducing this intriguing world, Hunter opened my eyes to facts relating to the Ethiopian calendar. It was interesting to learn that unlike the European calendar, the Ethiopian calendar thirteen has months. I enjoyed getting to know characters, both the good and the bad ones. Narine topped the list of favorite characters. In Narine, Hunter created a strong, dedicated and empathetic female.
The story moved between the year 2071, 1920 and 1934. Hunter did an excellent job connecting the events of the three timelines.
It moved at a steady pace in the first quarter of the story. During this time, the author sets a scene which draws the reader into a world steeped in magic, time travel and Ethiopian culture. As the story developed, the pacing picked up, delivering several twists and turns. Soon I was flipping the pages with a mix of anxiety and eagerness. Anxiety stemming from my fear for the wellbeing of Narine and her friends and excitement at my need to learn how the events will unfold.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this first book in what I can say without a doubt will be a great series. Although the major conflict in this installment concluded, the story left in a state of wanting more.
The Thirteenth Month will appeal to readers who enjoy suspense and time travel stories.
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About Elizabeth Hunter
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over thirty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
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