I've been reading so much Urban Fantasy of late (about 80 books in the past two months), that Charles Ryan's The Mason of New Orleans was a delightful departure: a fantasy spun around the concept of a modern-day engineer finding himself back in France in the 12th century A.D. Told in the first person, it tells of his adventures as the engineer finds sanctuary with a local noblewoman whose husband is away fighting in the Crusades, but who is troubled by a nearby lord who believes her castle should be his.
The story is entertaining and well-told, with Michael the engineer slowly coming into his new role of Maitre Martin, Mason of New Orleans.
Compared to other stories where the main characters are displaced in time or world, such as Guy Gavriel Kay's The Fionavar Tapestry, or the Harold Shea tales of de Camp and Pratt, The Mason of New Orleans is set in a much less idealised world; 12th century France was not the best place to live; the world is definitely in its Dark Ages, and the hero has to endure the poor sanitation, housing and medicine of the time. The world feels real and well-researched. It's certainly not a place I'd like to visit!
Despite the primitive state of the world, it doesn't dominate the narrative; it's just part of the palette that Charles Ryan uses to paint the world. His strongest asset is in the character of Lady Madeleine, who fills the roles of patron and potential romantic interest, but the relationship between her and Michael is rarely simple. The adventures of the titular mason flow logically from the initial premise, and we get both good adventure as well as insights into the world.
My biggest disappointment with the book simply came from the fact it ended. There are a lot of dangling plot-threads when it ends; it is very definitely written as part one of a series. The primary challenge of the story may have been overcome, but the relationships between the characters are still unresolved. There are also several mysteries still to be resolved, including the very big one of exactly how Michael managed to end up in 12th century France. There are hints of magic and divine intervention, but there isn't any overt magic evident in this book.
Do I recommend the book? Yes, I do. It exists currently only as an e-book, available from Amazon for the small sum of $3.99. I just hope there's a sequel coming!