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A review by lykkes_laeserier
The World That Was by Jay Pelchen
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thoroughly enjoyable historical speculative fiction!
“The World That Was” (2024) by Jay Pelchen is not a science fiction novel but something quite different. Sure, it is rooted in science fiction with a time travel premise but only as a frame for the real story of Matilda, a young woman who travels back in time to 1123 England.
Matilda has trained for most of her life to become one of history’s first time-travellers – or Chronomads, as the promised book series is called - on an official mission to kickstart scientific discovery and thus change history. In Matilda’s own time of 2035, mankind has spent years recovering from a major solar flare destroying all technology on the planet just as time travel had been discovered. The aim is to set technological progress on a much faster path to enable humans to avoid the solar flare’s otherwise dystopian results of warfare and famine.
I loved the historical what if’s of the novel through the introduction of technological improvements and discoveries decades or centuries prematurely. Pelchen has obviously researched Medieval England extensively to create as believable a setting as possible. Tension is created fairly early on in the story through the figure of a villainous bishop who, for various reasons of his own, does not want Matilda to succeed in her endeavours, giving off “Pillars of the Earth”-vibes along the way.
While Matilda is the main character, we get to experience the world through the eyes of other characters as well, creating a kaleidoscope of the era. I enjoyed all the different characters and points of view – even the bad bishop’s.
I don’t know how many books Jay Pelchen is planning on writing for his Chronomad series. I only know that I plan to read them all, and I am already looking forward to the next instalment.
“The World That Was” (2024) by Jay Pelchen is not a science fiction novel but something quite different. Sure, it is rooted in science fiction with a time travel premise but only as a frame for the real story of Matilda, a young woman who travels back in time to 1123 England.
Matilda has trained for most of her life to become one of history’s first time-travellers – or Chronomads, as the promised book series is called - on an official mission to kickstart scientific discovery and thus change history. In Matilda’s own time of 2035, mankind has spent years recovering from a major solar flare destroying all technology on the planet just as time travel had been discovered. The aim is to set technological progress on a much faster path to enable humans to avoid the solar flare’s otherwise dystopian results of warfare and famine.
I loved the historical what if’s of the novel through the introduction of technological improvements and discoveries decades or centuries prematurely. Pelchen has obviously researched Medieval England extensively to create as believable a setting as possible. Tension is created fairly early on in the story through the figure of a villainous bishop who, for various reasons of his own, does not want Matilda to succeed in her endeavours, giving off “Pillars of the Earth”-vibes along the way.
While Matilda is the main character, we get to experience the world through the eyes of other characters as well, creating a kaleidoscope of the era. I enjoyed all the different characters and points of view – even the bad bishop’s.
I don’t know how many books Jay Pelchen is planning on writing for his Chronomad series. I only know that I plan to read them all, and I am already looking forward to the next instalment.