The Mongol Ascension follows Dan & Sam's time travel jump back to the rise of Genghis Khan and the battle with the Merkits following the abduction of the 17 year old Khan's wife Borte.

This series of books is great for boys aged 10-13 that maybe aren't so into reading - they depict real battles in history with real snippets of what life was like back then. A museum story come to life, with high stakes.

This 3rd instalment in the series is differently paced, as the time jump section of the story only takes up the first half of the novel - the rest is taken up with setting up for a big arc for a future narrative, without spoilers - some teenage relationship angst, finding your place in the world, coming of age and Saving the World With a Bunch of Misfits.

I cheated and read someone else's review before coming here and they raised a seriously enlightening idea, that the more I think about it the more I am manifesting for it to come true - for the fourth instalment, I want some chapters from Samantha's point of view. Following Derpy Sam around for three full novels now is getting a bit tired, he's not very bright as a protagonist.

Andrew Varga brings us the third story of his Jump in Time series. It’s another engrossing tale set in the unusual location of ancient Mongolia, an unfamiliar place and culture for so many of us. Nevertheless we may expect Genghis Khan to make an appearance, one way or another. Does he or doesn’t he ? Read and see !

Naturally you get a better feel and resonance with the story, if you have the continuity of the different threads of the book series, with having read the prior books of the series. Nevertheless, the threads are easy to pick up, so you can soon enjoy the story, nearly just as much. As young adult fiction, it stands up very well on it’s own, as with when I read book two, prior to book one.

Andrew Varga out of enthusiasm for history and weapons of old, has written the Jump in Time series, for the educational pleasure of his own children and for that of young adults. Also it’s for those of us who are still young enough at heart, to enjoy a youthful adventure, set in and among well known or lesser known historical events.

If you’re up for some present time high school adventures with seventeen-year-old Dan Renfrew and teen partner Sam, plunging back in time, into situations where they have to work out, what they’re meant to be doing there, whilst combating the rogue time jumpers, then buy the book when it comes out on the 3rd September 2024 and enjoy the latest historical time adventure, from Andrew Varga.

Andrew Varga's "A Time Jump Novel: The Mongol Ascension" takes readers on a thrilling journey through time and history, blending adventure, suspense, and cultural exploration seamlessly. Receiving my copy knowing I'm starting with book three I dove into this installment with high expectations, and I wasn't disappointed.

The story picks up momentum from the outset, weaving a gripping narrative set against the backdrop of history. Varga skillfully introduces characters like Congressman Victor Stahl, whose unexpected connections add layers of intrigue to the plot. The hinting of Victor's relationship to another character serves as a clever tease, keeping readers engaged and eager to uncover more secrets.

Central to the story is the protagonist's relationship with Sam, a love interest whose complexity adds depth to the narrative. Their interactions are imbued with a sense of longing and anticipation, highlighting the emotional stakes amidst the adrenaline-fueled time jumps.

What truly sets this book apart is its ability to seamlessly integrate historical elements into the storyline. Varga expertly navigates the complexities of time travel, offering readers a glimpse into different periods and cultures without overwhelming them with exposition. From reading only book three, I learnt of encounters with Norman cavalry to interactions with ancient Romans, each time jump clearly packed with action and suspense.

The characters themselves are a highlight of the novel, with distinct personalities and motivations that drive the plot forward. The dynamic between the protagonist and their companions, (I particularly love Khasar) adds depth to their journey and underscores themes of trust and camaraderie.

One of the book's strengths lies in its ability to tackle social issues within the context of its narrative. Through Sam's experiences as the only woman in an army of Mongols, Varga sheds light on themes of privilege and gender dynamics, prompting readers to reflect on societal norms and expectations.

Overall, "The Mongol Ascension" is a riveting read that delivers on its promises of adventure, intrigue, and cultural exploration. With its engaging plot, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes, it's a five-star addition to the series that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment.

By all means start from book one. But if for some unknown reason you only have access to this book, read it! Now! Don't wait!

Once Dan Renfrew found out that he comes from a long line of time jumpers, his life has changed. While his father was still in a coma, Dan could at least pretend that things would go back to the way they were. Now that his father has passed, Dan feels lost. He finds himself leaning on Sam for support. When they leave the 21st century to deal with a time glitch, they find themselves in Mongolia, which is problematic since they had been told that time jumpers were only altered to glitches in places where they would blend in. They meet a man who is trying to get his wife back from a tribe that kidnapped her. They try their best to help him while also trying to figure out how they can stop Victor's plan for time jumpers to take over the world. A really great addition to this series. Word of warning, you must read this series in order.

I flew through this book, totally hooked on it. It's not the most lofty of writing, as it's full of cliché story elements and cringy behavior by the teen MC, but the story being told is solidly engaging. It's hard to read some of Dan's internal monolog and actions, but unfortunately, they're largely realistic for some people, although some readers might not relate. I can relate to a lot of his most cringy thoughts and deeds, ha.

I like where this series is going, and I'm very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for having made advanced copies available, as that's how I found out about them. I look forward to continuing the story when the next one is out.

I love Andrew Varga's creation.
I loved the start. It was very different to the previous two books. It held the same level of suspense, but in a different kind of scene. And the fact that the scene was mirrored at the end created a symmetry to which I am not used.

The story is mainly plot-driven, but that is OK. In fact, Dan and Sam follow the plot of history. And actually, they have a lot of agency to drive a few other sub-plots.

The side characters are lovely: well-rounded enough for us to know what their main traits are and to make us know what to expect.

The book stimulated an odd philosophical dilemma inside my head. I felt the book drew some parallels between the main antagonist of the series a great historical figure, violent, but also impressive in vision, strategy and accomplishments .

I predicted Dan's love life dilemma and it feels very realistic. Not necessarily because the characters are teenagers, but because I believe that is human nature.

I will say again what I said about the other two books. We cannot get time travel perfect because we have not achieved it! But Andrew Varga's imagination created a new and interesting take on something that has been a staple of literature and television for decades.

oh wow the MC is strong attractive and doesn't know that chicks are into him until they basically confess crazyily AND he took out multiple men at once wow.

Personally everything was hyperbolic and overdramatic. I want to focus on the story shorten the dialogue pleaseee

I have not finished the book yet I do plan on it but, it's a side of history that does not particularly entice me, the Mongolian empire is just not my Forte at the moment I go in phases, right now classical and the British empire is more my thing when I chose the book I did not think that would be an issue since Ive greatly enjoyed the first two novels but apparently it is, for me. What I've read so far I am enjoying but it doesn't hook me like the others novels did. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book I hope I can get through it soon to give a full review.

Another great young adult historical fiction title from Andrew Varga!

As a homeschool parent, I love the blend of time-traveling excitement with a glimpse of how life was for a particular time period. For this one, the reader meets the young (age 17) Temüjin when he has rallied an army to rescue his kidnapped wife Börte. Dan and his time jumper partner Sam become part of that campaign trying to fix whatever time glitch may be threatening Temüjin's transformation into Genghis Khan.

Along with this is time spent in the present as Dan learns what Victor's plan is for world domination and he makes new connections that may be the friends he'll need for his campaign against Victor. And, he gets another look at a city visible when traveling through time without holding the time jumper rod.

While this is the third book in a series (and I've read the previous ones), you could read it as a standalone. Enough details of his past adventures are mentioned that you can make sense of everything.

Having finished this, I'm passing my Kindle to my 14-year-old son who has been eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for an advance reader copy of this title. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the Jump in Time series. The series is moving along nicely and this is a satisfying addition. Dan, the son of a time traveler is continuing his father’s legacy by fixing glitches in time. Meanwhile he needs to figure out how to stop Victor, time traveler supreme, who is planning world domination. dan’s best friend and partner in time travel is Sam. She has kept him alive on past adventures and continues to do so. In this glitch Dan and Sam find themselves on the Mongol Plain helping their new friend Temujin recover his stolen bride. They need to fit into a history in which they are not well versed, figure out the glitch, fix it and stay alive. This makes for an exciting and informative story. Back in the 21st century Dan is making connections, He is finding a way to have a “normal” life while moving forward in his work to stop Victor.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eGalley of this title.

In this third instalment of the A Jump in Time series, Dan and Sam travel to Mongolia where they meet Temujin, a fellow teen who is gathering an army to rescue his wife. By saving his life, Dan and Sam are invited to join and are under his protection. Dan later discovers that Temujin will become Genghis Khan in the future. In this book, Dan learns about being a leader and also learns much more about fellow time travellers in his own time and Victor’s evil plans for the world. On top of all this, Dan struggles with his romantic feelings and with dating.

I really enjoyed this storyline, especially Dan’s voyage of learning more about other travellers and about how he can take steps to try defeat Victor. Dan ‘s relationships with Sam and Jenna are quite puzzling for him and reflect the typical struggles of teenage boys to understand girls’ emotions and the world of budding relationships. This is another great book for learning about historic events, while also following a teenage boy’s adventures and challenges. I highly recommend it to the Ya audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.

A fun & gripping story full of interesting characters both Fictional & also Historical & this gives History a whole new perspective especially for young readers. It also examines the frailties in Human Society & how the unscrupulous will try to manipulate Society to gain Power & dominate the world. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #Amazon.co.uk, #FB, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

My 15 year old has read every book of this series, and was excited about the chance to read the third one. I will defer to him for the review: The first part of the book was the best of the series, and he loved the time travel part. The end of the book was a bit slower and he didn't enjoy that part as much. Overall, a solid book and he is looking forward to continuing in the series.

A great blend of fiction, fantasy, and historic action. I loved the story and the characters. The author paints a vibrant picture through the battle scenes, buildup, and drama of the book.

Did not start reading it, because after I got approved, I found out that this the Third book in a series, and I do not have time to get to those first. So yeah that was a bit of a bummer as I liked the Synopsis of this book.

I found myself surprised that this novel is classified as middle grade. Typically, middle grade novels have the protagonist being at an age close to 13yrs, but Dan is 17yrs-he drives, he's worried about romance. While there are other considerations for making something middle grade, such as the maturity level, I was thrown by its suggested audience. With that said, I also understand why it might not appeal to a young adult audience. Despite its exciting moments of battle and high school concerns, there is a slowness to the book to make it easier to follow and it has a great deal of repetition. So I would suggest this book to more of an avid reader than just the average middle schooler.
As for the novel itself, I enjoyed it. I appreciate all the historical facts that were woven into the story. I like the historical notes at the end that really highlights how much of the truth was kept in the story. I know this book is part of a series, and while I did not read the previous two books, there were enough references to the previous novels that I did not have any trouble following along with the overarching plot line. As a fan of history, I love to learn new things, and this book certainly taught me something new about the Mongols.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This book wasn't really my cup of tea. I thought I would give it a try as I have been trying.different gonre and liked the descri, but could just not get into the book. It fell flat for me.

That is not to say others would not like it. For me, it was a ho hum three stars.

Review: Aw shucks, the reluctant hero with a heart of gold. At 17 YO can take out 5 guys with his martial arts skills and kill known criminals (in self-defense of course). All the girls want to bang him but he walks around clueless until they jump in his lap. His demeanor and abilities shift around to fit the current story line. When he needs information he is suddenly and easily kidnapped and acts like a whipped puppy. He either is a badass or not, but using the MC as a plot device is never a good way to write.

Despite the MC being written as a total asshat, the story line and movement are really good. The historical world building is, as far as my limited education in history allows, very expansive. I think the author does a great job with world building and SHE should be principle to the series. Just kill off dumbass and let her take over the MC role.

I still had a great time reading this.

Rating: 4.4/5

My thanks to Imbrifex books and NetGalley for the ARC. This book takes the reader in a different direction with the time travelers Dan and Sam encountering Genghis Khan. Life in the modern world also does not disappoint as more about Dan’s life and the plans Victor has come to light. The third book in this series does not disappoint leaving Dan bolder than ever. I cannot wait for the next book. Well done!

In this third offering in the Jump in Time series, Dan Renfrew takes on bullies at school, finds some local friends at his high school and in his hometown, and, along with Sam, visits the Mongol Empire and meets Genghis Khan.

He is still trying to find a way to stop Victor, who is intent on ruling the world using time jumping. As usual, Sam and Dan risk their lives repeatedly when they find themselves part of Temujin's forces in his attempt to recapture his kidnapped wife, Borte, from another tribe. This adventure was the start of his ascent to power.

Dan was seriously injured and had to jump back to the present for help where he confirmed that Temujin was indeed Genghis Khan. Returning to 1100's, he found Sam very upset with him.

The two finally manage to complete their mission and return to the present, where they still have issues to work out.

Fans of the series for younger students, The Time Warp Trio, will love this series as well as history buffs.