Chronomad One – The World That Was: Teaching science and medicine to (somewhat reluctant) peasants in medieval England

by Jay Pelchen

Planet Earth is broken.

Civilisation was plunged back into the Dark Age when the Sun spewed forth the largest solar flare in recorded history. But amidst the ashes, a lone physicist made humanity's greatest scientific breakthrough - time travel.

A decade later, the fledgling technology is ready to send a pair of daring pioneers on a one-way journey into the past. When the portal shuts there will be no communication. And no coming back.

Even then Matilda and Harry were enthusiastic volunteers, eager to impart their futuristic knowledge so a future civilisation might mitigate the inevitable celestial cataclysm.

But when the inaugural mission goes awry in its opening heartbeats, Matilda finds herself trapped and alone in 12th Century England.

She is Chronomad One. Humanity's first time traveller.

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy

394 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2024

About the author

Jay Pelchen started his working life in an Aussie chocolate shop.

At university he studied mechanical engineering and physics, though his friends always said he liked reading too much to be a “real” engineer.

He has spent his professional career working to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The World That Was is his first novel.

Jay lives in Vienna, Austria with his wife Joti.

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, thanks to BookSirens for allowing me to read this book as an ARC for my honest review.

The book had me at the words “time travel” as I’m a fan of sci fi and think time travel is something that is difficult to write well. I think the story and the overall idea of the book were great, however I think there were things that could have been better. We are talking about going back to the 12th century. I expected language to be very different between Matilda and the people she met - not just comments on accents. It would have been nice if the characters spoke more Medieval/very old English. I think even if you look back to Shakespearean era, the English language was very different to the language today and so I would have expected the 12th century English to be even more different and for there to be big misunderstandings about who was saying what and for the characters to take time to learn about how they speak differently and what different words and sentences mean. There were times where I had to consciously remind myself that she is 900 years in the past, because the language itself was very modern. I also found it strange how quickly people became friends with her and how lucky she was that she had generally good people around her. I know there were antagonists and people she didn’t get along with, but overall when I think back to her story I think it’s very unusual that people would have been so open to her ideas and accepting of her.

I also wasn’t a big fan of the overall pacing of the book. I think the overall story moved very slowly, while individual events happened very quickly without a lot of description.

Another thing was that I wished the book was more polished. There were quite a few sentences where a word was missing, a comma was missing, or a sentence had been edited, but not proof read properly so it didn’t make a lot of sense.

Lastly, I think the world building could have been more in depth. I know that there were a few points made of the fields and the villages but even things like the markets could have had more description about what was being sold and what it all looked like and who was selling it etc to help me really immerse myself into the 12th century.

Overall, I think the story was there and it was interesting, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the execution and the writing.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings about this book. Sometimes I loved it and sometimes I didn’t. I enjoyed the main character and reading about her journey. But sometimes it dragged too slow but I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know how it ended. The cover is 5 stars amazing. Just gorgeous! I will def keep an eye on this author and patiently await to see what he releases next.

[Haley McRawr · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, this is my first ARC and I am happy to have had this opportunity to read this book ahead of the crowd. Thank you BookSirens and Jay Pelchen!

Now into my review:

The description for this book mentions how the planet has experienced a large solar flare which has ruined the quality of life in the future, so they send two people back in time, but only one can continue on their journey in the past.

The description for this book, although extremely enticing when I read it, is quite vague to explain this book. This book starts in 2037 (if I recall correctly) and over a decade has passed since a large solar flare that kind of ruined things a smidge on Earth. Someone discovered time travel during this flare and decided to train people to time travel and bring knowledge to the past to help civilization survive this solar flare in 2025. Matilda and Harry are the two first chronomads to be sent back in time to try to spread knowledge of science and medicine and jumpstart civilizations advancements in technology. Unfortunately, during the trip to the past, only Matilda survives and she tries to spread this knowledge on her own. The book is set predominantly in the 13th century following Matilda around while she befriends people and helps revamp everybody's trades.

When I read the description of this book I thought it sounded AMAZING. A woman of the future, stuck in the past. The first chapter I really struggled to visualize and once it jumped into the past I felt like I could start picturing the story better. I felt like the visualizations were lacking in quite a few places of this book as well which is unfortunate, it was hard to keep myself in this world. I was quite invested until about 20% in when the story started slowing down. I think maybe my expectations were wrong with this book? I thought she was going on a journey to London to visit the king and after she missed her window of opportunity I figured that year would be a short bit of the book and then she would try again, but the book ended up being about her staying. There were a few good moments in the book that had me reading faster but I felt like the pacing was too slow to keep me invested. I tend to finish books solely because sometimes the endings can save slower books, but unfortunately I felt this one fell short. It does set up nicely for a second book but I felt like what comes next should have been in this book and it could have been condensed a bit.

I did enjoy the character building and relationship between Matilda and William, Ma, Pa, and Rachel. I also really enjoyed the addition of John. I love that Matilda is a little powerhouse; a strong independent woman in the 13th century, dressing and acting confidently, being genuinely herself and completely not fitting into society. Hoping to see lots more of William and Matilda in the next book, or maybe hear more stories from Matilda on her time from the future to help us love her even more!

[Julia Salmonson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I would like to thank the author Jay Pelchen for reaching out on Goodreads and offering me the chance to have a early read of this truly awe inspiring book…

It’s the year 2037 and the earth has experienced a solar flare causing devastation and disease… hundreds of millions die… but there is hope as a lone physicist makes a scientific breakthrough and discovers the key to time travel!

Thus begins the story of the Chronomads, Harry and Matilda, trained and then sent back in time “to kickstart an early Renaissance in their timeline”. They arrive in the year 1123 with a mission to bring todays science and medicine to the King in London. Things don’t go as planned but on the journey you meet wonderful characters and you will be inspired by them!
You will feel Matilda’s triumphs and tragedies…

I looooooooooved this book! I finished it in 3.5 days and I didn’t want to stop reading even to make dinner! Such wonderful character and world development. You will be cheering for Matilda and William and the town of Holford. You will be hating on the antagonist Bishop Godfrey and his cohorts! I seriously wanted to step into the book and kick his ass! Lol 😂 Beautifully written and I truly never wanted the story to end!

Thank you again Jay!

Pick up a copy for yourself, you won’t regret it!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading The World That Was. I always like a good time travel story and this one was quite unique in my opinion. Most of the time-traveling books I've read talk about avoiding changing the past or the fact that you cannot change events. This books takes a whole new angle since its whole point is going back in order to "fix" a major problem in the present/future.

Apart from that, the way 12th century England is portrayed feels very realistic and the book have its fair share of humor, action, suspense, etc.

Looking forward to the sequels…

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Chris Elam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story with futuristic and historic themes.

Very good read and well written. I enjoyed Matilda's adventures and the way the author blended futuristic technology an education with historic background of life.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit this is not my usual genre, but 3 chapters in, I was hooked! I loved the characters, how descriptive the settings were and I could really imagine this being made into a movie (or TV mini series) one day. Loved it! Can't wait for the next book in the series.

[Patrick MacGuire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great writing and poor research

The author has an interesting idea, but didn't really research the lives of Medieval peasants. People were more likely to wed at fifteen than eighteen and would have been considered mostly adult at fourteen. Children that avoided work and responsibility would have been driven from their communities. Historically the introduction of strange foods like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers did not succeed for hundreds of years; people were and are very set in their ways when it comes to eating.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The World That Was is a suspenseful and thought-provoking work of speculative fiction. It takes a refreshingly different approach to time travel than many contemporary novels in the genre do. Instead of having the time traveler (chronomad) scrupulously avoid doing anything that could unleash the Butterfly Effect and accidentally change the course of human history, this novel takes the opposite approach. Matilda, the first chronomad, is sent back to twelfth-century England to intentionally alter the trajectory of human progress by introducing as many innovations as possible. Think electric lights, flush toilets, printing presses, and telescopes!

As might be expected, Matilda’s efforts meet with suspicion and accusations of sorcery, and she quickly makes a powerful enemy. But there are also plenty of open-minded, good-hearted villagers who befriend Matilda and see the value in her teachings. The question is, can she survive long enough to fulfill her dangerous solo mission? The novel is mostly good fun but also highlights some important modern problems such as distrust in science and fear of change. I only wish the book had been proofed a bit better and that the medieval characters didn’t use blatantly modern words like “OK.” (Disclaimer: I received the Kindle version of the book in a Goodreads giveaway, and this is my honest review.)

[Sneezless · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll try my best to put my feelings on this incredible book into words, though that is fairly hard in this case.

Firstly, I want to thank Jay for the early digital copy he sent out to the backers on Kickstarter; it’s only made me more excited for my physical copy, and I’m sure others feel the same.

I’ll put it simply; this book blows all of the other historical fiction I’ve read out of the water. The attention to detail Jay gives everything in the novel was great; he even managed to bring in the lack of buttons being used as fastening during that time period, something I at least would completely overlook writing something like this.
The plot is great too, as is the pacing, though I’m likely not giving them credit here.

One of the biggest things I found was Jay releasing his writing resources on his website; his Engineers method spreadsheet provided me with an idea of how I could actually go about writing a novel, when, similarly to his experience, things like NaNoWriMo didn’t work particularly well.

I realised this turned out just a tad too long, so…
TL;DR The book was brilliant, with great accuracy and good plot and pacing, can’t recommend it enough.

[Amelia Byers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast-paced and interesting.
However, I feel there are a few glaring inconsistencies that make it a little bit far-fetched. Yeah, I know time travel is far fetched too.
As other reviewers noticed, the fact that the Chronomad and the 12th century peasant folk could easily understand each other is optimistic at best.
Also as another reviewer noted, why weren't they sent back with clothing appropriate to the time? Of course 12 century people would be scandalized by a woman wearing tight fitting trousers.
And finally, why on earth would they give the time of day to an unmarried woman? She was to all appearances a peasant, but could read like nobility. A single woman had no status at all, and yet they all pander to her every whim? Yes, she proved herself, but why were the villagers so easily swayed? I would have thought that peasants would be the most resistant to change.

Having said all of that, I still think it was definitely worth a read for the premise alone.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note.. this is a very good book. It is just very very rarely I give 5 stars.

OK.. let me begin by saying that Jay very kindly gave me an advance copy to read. However, this has not affected my rating at all, (except to say "Thanks Jay"). To be clear, the rating 4 means I really liked it. I save 5 stars for e.g. Saga of the Exiles, LOTR, and a very small number of other books which I still continue to re-read. It was a great book. I would have been more than happy to pay money for it and more than happy afterwards with the fact that I had paid money for it. Now on to the review.

TLDR: Buy the book, enjoy the book, you won't regret it.

The WTW is an interesting take on the modern-person-travels-back-in time story. Instead of a strange freak event like a storm leading to stranded time like Eric Flint, or a deus-ex-machina style of the Baron books, in this case it is because they are deliberately sending people back in time in order to boostrap progress faster. This leads to the central plot.
The trigger point on the plot was a useful one, and I found the characters believable. Jay tries to make sure that they are not overpowered, and a "Mary Sue" kind of trope. To the extent that a couple of times I felt the MC could be a little stronger, but that is just an opinion.

I loved the fact that the Author took time to work on editing, and spell checking and grammar. Lots of little things. For example... In the early stage of the book he said that a character's "Interest was piqued". It drives me CRAZY when I see lazy writing in bookes that says "their interest was peaked". Therefore that means that their interest goes down from there! .. and so does mine :-).
There are very interesting descriptions in the book, and little turns of phrase such as when he describes a couple as being almost a "fluid synchronised team". Using this and some other phrases managed to colour in the married history of that couple very well without having to resort to heavy exposition. Overall the use of language is very well done, and helps to pull you into the story.

It's very easy to read, and while I was tapping the next page screen reasonably swiftly, that was because I was enjoying the book, rather than the "oh just skip and skim the pages " that you get with a lot of other books.

The central plot moves well, and at a measured pace, the MC is both lucky and unlucky. Adversarial characters are coloured in reasonably well and I feel their characters have substance. Some of the not-exactly-adversarial-but-irritating characters were well.... irritating, but in the end that's probably ok because they are intended to be so. There was one character who was engaging to me, the miner. I kind of felt his arc was closed too soon, and we could have seen more of what he was becoming before it ended. Maybe this was intentional by the author, in which case that was both annoying and justified . It's better to have a shorter book and think.. "oh, it's over.. that's a pity" than have a longer book and think "OMG this could have been 200 pages shorter" (HP + Order Phoenix anyone? :-) )

The end of the book comes together almost a little too neatly (tiny bit), however it comes to a satisfying conclusion as a stand-alone-novel. The epilogue was a nice touch and a bit cheeky.

The writing style showed that this was a book written early in a writer's career. If I compare for example to some of the writing style of a very polished author such as the Preston Child Pendergast books which are mature but still very easy to read, it's not as nuanced. But this does not stop it still being enjoyable. If anything it makes it a little more accessible.

Where to go from here? I'm not sure. Will the Author go back to the original plot with additional time travellers in different places? There's probably more to explore but it risks being repetitive. Will the author go back to the original point and continue to walk-forward? Could be interesting if done well, but again a little risky. Or will the author have an idea for something entirely different? Either way I really enjoyed the book and will watch Jay for the next one.

Thanks Jay, time well spent

[Tilde D · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book's prologue, we learn how in July of 2025 an immense solar flare of unprecedented size and power bathed the entire earth in electromagnetic radiation, disrupting radio electronic communications around the globe. Auroras lit the skies all over the world for more than 14 hours. Power grids and pacemakers, the entire global web of communications went dead, fried by the electromagnetic storm. Supply chains broke down; overwhelmed governments could not enact relief efforts; food and medicines ran out within days; anarchy erupted; millions died around the world.

In the aftermath of this event, which came to be known as The Long Day, as the world started to rebuild, a lone physicist made the biggest scientific discovery in history: Time Travel.

A dozen years later, the time travel device was built, and an Institute of Temporal Relocation began training people, called "Chronomads" to make the one-way trip into the past, to the 12th century, with the goal of jumpstarting the Renaissance, so that by the time of The Long Day, humanity would have advanced enough technologically to avert the worldwide death and destruction that had been the outcome in 2025.

This book, The World That Was, subtitled Chronomad One, is the first volume in a series detailing the adventures and effects of the Chronomads as they leave their time forever and try to change history.

The Chronomads chosen to make this first, one-way trip into the past are Matilda and Harry, two highly trained 22-year-olds sent back to the year 1123.

Armed with supplies, some tech, and a reference book that Matilda calls her "bible", which documents everything from agricultural practices to biology to metallurgy, Harry and Matilda arrive in 12th century Somerset in England, near a small village called Holford. The mission is to interact with the people, offer help with new technologies, and make their way to London to meet with and advise the King.

Unexpected, irrevocable events happen immediately upon their arrival.

What I liked about this book were the very detailed descriptions of places and structures as varied as cathedrals and caves; mills, villages, mines and cities. Maps of 12th century Somerset, and of the Quantock Hills area, where Holford is located, lend a wonderful sense of place as well as time. The author has done meticulous research of the society and infrastructure of the area, with fascinating descriptions of processes including the milling of flour; the sowing and harvesting of fields; the financing and building of the Cathedral of Bath, and everyday hardships of the time that we can barely imagine from our 21st century perspectives.

What I didn't like nearly as much was the very anachronistic, purely 21st century speech patterns of most of the characters. Young 12th century Holford people apparently frequently expressed themselves in exchanges such as "No way!" "Way!"

And expository sentences were sometimes phrased a bit anachronistically. E.g. The villagers were said to be "wowed" by the modern technologies the Chronomads had brought.

Eventually I decided that this casual use of modern speech patterns and phrases might make the book even more accessible and appealing to its target YA readership/audience.

Overall, I give this book a very solid 3 and 1/2 stars. I look forward to future Chronomad adventures. Well done!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Hurricane_ReD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Book Sirens for providing me with the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

The concept of this book was incredibly intriguing, which is what made me request it from Book Sirens in the first place: 'Person travels back in time to try to influence/advance technology enough so that the world will be able to withstand a solar flare that destroys humanity, and here is some really cool info about her adventures along the way.'

I was really interested to see where the author was going with it. It started out seemingly very clinical and matter-of-fact, but that could be because the author has a background in engineering, not in something more emotional like English literature, or humanities. It's also possible that it's just how he chose to write the main character. I identified with Matilda not because of her matter-of-fact attitude, but because of her hair. People throughout history have typically been quick to judge a redhead based on the color of her hair alone, before they even get close enough to examine the content of her character.

Observations:
* On page 100: "And contribute information for the rebellion of Normandy." is not a sentence - even in the context of the paragraph it appears in.
* I have issue with the repeated use of the word 'bitch' in this book. It simply didn't exist in a societal setting in the time period this book is set in, and didn't appear for about 300 years afterward. It seemed out of place for a setting that otherwise seemed so meticulously researched.
* On page 289: "...a wave a doubt..." is not the correct expression. It should say a wave OF doubt.

I am stunned that not a single man in this time period tried to sexually assault this single woman who thought (and acted) like she knew better than all the men. Of course, it's not something we want to read about, but we know how commonplace an event like that could be throughout history, so to not even suggest such a thing seems remarkably naive, but perhaps there was a greater purpose behind it that I haven't grasped yet. It also seemed strange that not a single person attempted to tie themselves to Matilda romantically - not even William.

I enjoyed the story - I thought the pacing was a little too slow at the beginning, and then too fast toward the end, but after a couple of slow starts, I did find myself really anticipating what was going to happen at the end - what the final outcome would be. Although we don't get to witness it, I thought maybe Matilda would be included in a future book in this series, but once we get to the Epilogue, the author does sort of hint that Matilda didn't make it out of the situation with the King unscathed. An intriguing idea, and I'm glad I got the chance to read this book.

[Ted Waterfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thanks to Book Sirens for this free Advanced Readers Copy download.

Jay Pelchen has written a novel about time travel. The basic premise is this:

In the year 2027, a massive solar flare devastates earth in an event which becomes known as the Long Day. This is so devastating that society collapses, long forgotten diseases reemerge, and violent gangs roam lawless lands. Millions upon millions die world wide.

Ten years later order has been restored and nuclear physicist have been able to create a short lived worm hole allowing for time travel possibilities. A school called the Institute for Temporal Relocation has been established which has identified “fertile periods of history - times of social or scientific growth that preceded great upheavals.” Students were then trained in everything they might need in their journey back to these time periods; science and medicine, economics and politics, languages and music. Their task was to teach the locals as much of this knowledge, and to build as much as was practical, 21 Century technology in 12th Century England, in order to kick start an early Renaissance in hops of building of that earlier start creating an exponentially more advanced parallel society to avoid, somehow, the impact of the Long Day. The year chosen was 1123, England.

Matilda was a young female who was transported back in time. As may be expected her reception by the locals was mixed, at best. Some welcomed the obvious improvements in their peasant drudgery while others viewed the with suspicion. Those with the most to lose, (the Church’s hold over the population) resisted the most. The Epilogue raised one question in this reviewer’s mind, at least. Did Matilda, who revolutionized 12th Century England and the resulting future, really succeed in changing anything of substance in humanity? Or did she simply modernize the status quo? Can humanity ever really change beyond the superficial? I found this question rather disturbing.

An interesting adventure filled with speculation, Jay Pelchen is no Isaac Asimov or Frank Herbert, but then, who is, and it would be unfair to judge his writing by those masters of the genre. Still I fell that this book would probably appeal more to the young reader. However, this senior still enjoyed the read.

An Advanced Reader’s Copy with more volumes promised by the author.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was so much about this book that I loved. It was creative, it was smart, it kept its scope small but somehow huge at the same time. I had high hopes going in, and safe to say it delivered!

First of all, the time travel element. This is a fairly unique time travel story, in that typically, time travel stories are focussed on not changing the past, and on the consequences of doing so. This book takes the unusual approach of the goal being to change history, quite drastically so. It made for a very refreshing take on time travel stories, but with the stakes kept just as high as they would be usually.

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Another stand-out feature for me was how well-thought through everything was. I love a sci-fi/fantasy story which looks at the world as a whole, without glossing over any inconveniences but instead examining and embracing them. When Matilda travelled back in time, it felt very realistic how some people embraced new ideas and technology, while others shunned and feared it. The battle for social change was also something she came up against, sometimes in unexpected ways. The amount of care and research that has gone into this book – into language, technology, history, social history and more – really paid off.

In the end, this book felt like a love letter to the human thirst for knowledge – to curiosity, to creativity, and to the desire to innovate. So many of the characters, in their own ways, found fulfilment and purpose not just in the knowledge brought back in time to them, but to the possibilities it opened up.

If I’m being very (very, very) picky, there were a couple of writing/editorial choices that I found a little bit odd, namely the overuse of capitalised nouns. In the end, though, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book as a whole. It’s a brilliant book that sits perfectly at the cross-section of science fiction and historical fiction.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Nikkiya Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Jay Pelchen has a strong start with his debut novel The World That Was. I did not know historical sci-fi could be a genre, but here it is! Readers that enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this book. The female main character, Matilda, is the first time traveler to go back in time to fix a broken Earth. She is brave, smart, and cunning, which allows her to survive the harsh environment and lifestyle of 12th century England. The pacing is relatively fast because, as you can imagine, there are many situations that can go wrong when mixing a fierce woman in a male dominated society.

The author does a wonderful job with characterization and giving side characters a voice, which left me feeling more invested in their lives and the story. Also, giving life to the setting were the descriptions of surroundings. Pelchen made use of all the senses, not only describing how things look but how they smelled, felt, tasted, and sounded as well.

Here are some things that kept this from being a 5 star read. First, I felt there should have been more dialog about the differences in dialects. There could be instances of misunderstandings that are comical or put characters in conflict because of a miscommunication. Even though the FMC is fierce, I feel like she would have had a harder time being so independent during that time period. This gave the book more of a light-hearted and unrealistic feel. In my opinion, sci-fi is done well when it seems like it could really happen. The fact that the historical elements were so strong made up for the lack of struggle the FMC had at times.

Overall, this novel was a treat. I am looking forward to the continuation of this series. I would love more sci-fi and have the perspective be from Earth and showing what changes Earth went through because of the Chronomad project. I feel like the target audience for book 1 is 14+. If future installments were a little darker, more adult, I would be thrilled. I am still a fan, even if it remains YA.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dee_Dee]

DNF at 18% -skip read till 56%

The premise of the story is interesting: solar storm with EMPs have destroyed all computer chips and chaos ensued. But someone has figured out time travel. This is the only thing we learn about this event.
An institute named The Institute wants to send people back in time so that we are better prepared for this event. So I thought: they travel back to the 1930s/1940s when the first prototype of the computer was thought of.
But they chose the 11th century: a time where you had to walk a fine line between innovation and burning at the stake. The reason for this time period is never explained.
Plan is they go to the king and teach him things. Again the reason behind this is not explained. The current royalty in Britain is not the same family as then. I think liberal bishops etc would have a more lasting effect.

This was already a big chunk out of my “suspense of disbelief”.

The time travellers are a pair: man and a woman. Again I wondered why not 2 men as women were not as free in the Middle Ages as men. And a woman alone would be considered as weird. But anyway.

The man is killed immediately, so the woman (Mathilda) is alone. And she is another element that doesn’t work for me.
Yes, she is not written in the style that is so popular now (the unbearable belligerent stubborn “strong” FMC). She is quite the opposite. A breath of fresh air. Unfortunately she is very immature.
At 22(?) that’s not weird, but again why did the Institute choose such a young person.
She is not really resilient. She does pull herself up by the bootstraps, but she quite easily just gave up the goal of why she is there in the first place.

And then there were minor annoyances: she lets her hair unbound. Something that is not done on that time. I just think it’s very unlikely that all physical books in libraries and bookstores, and tapestries are destroyed during and after the EMP pulse.
Clothing the same.

It is quite a positive or feel good story: never is she confronted with bias; everyone listens to her. And all her ideas work. The “hurdles” she comes across are quickly resolved.

For me that made it a not interesting story. Such a pity. I really had high hopes.

[OhWowAlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️With all the preparations, Matilda was ready to time-travel back to the Medieval Ages. Unfortunately, something unexpected happened and she found herself trapped alone in the 12th Century England…

⭐️It is like a miracle that this book made it to my TBR in the same year I have been hooked by Ken Follett’s Medieval Trilogy. With my still fresh knowledge about the Medieval Ages, I could not wait to see how Jay’s work differs from other works.

⭐️The society during the Medieval Ages is usually portrayed as a civilization where regional power was centralized around bishops, the main occupation was peasant and women had little political power. There would be no much surprise if a novel that features a Medieval society had the exact same setup as above. The breakthrough of Jay’s work is that through injecting the time-traveling concept, it introduces modern technologies while featuring a fearless and independent woman who fights for her own destiny and breaks the power domination by males. This setup changes the originally depressing Medieval society into a more vibrating and hopeful one.

⭐️The story contains so many intriguing plot twists that make you feel so powerful as a human from the 21st Century. As a fan of classic literature, I have always wondered what would happen if those ancient characters could have a tiny bit of modern knowledge. Jay’s book completely fulfills that hole in my heart.

[Henrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the review copy, Jay.

Have you ever wondered what time travelers might accomplish if they weren't so afraid of butterflies?
In The World That Was, Pelchen explores the idea of time travelers sent back some 900+ years to intentionally rewrite scientific history.

In TWTW, we follow Matilda, or Chronomad One, who is stranded alone in 12th-century England after her partner dies in the first few pages. The story follows her struggles as she tries to integrate into a small medieval village while navigating the dangers posed by the enemies she makes along the way by refusing to submit to the power hierarchy.

Pelchen's story is interesting and engaging. You will find yourself rooting for the characters, learning about old village life and technology while chuckling at pop culture Easter eggs. The story appears well-researched with regard to history, science, and geography with some fun footnotes at the end.

I enjoyed following Matildas' efforts and her impact on medieval England and will keep an eye out for any future novels Jay writes.

[Kassassinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical adventure with science fiction elements. This story follows Matilda as she tries to save the world by bringing science to 12th Century England, but she is more than a stereotypical flawless hero. In her first real introduction in the book she is vulnerable and contemplative as she realises that after all the pressures of training her to be a saviour, she can finally enjoy life in a quieter world than she is used to. However, my favourite character is Will, I love his enthusiasm and loyalty to Matilda. They become friends early on and turn into a force to be reckoned with by the end of the book. I felt invested in Matilda's grandiose mission and did find towards the middle of the story that I didn't feel as invested in the small town dilemmas. Eventually, it all comes back around and you see the power of knowledge when it's shared and not hoarded. I am both excited to see where Tilda's story leads her and keen to find out if other Chronomad's will lead to the exploration of different interesting time periods.

[Globalt38 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost gave up on it in beginning but enjoyed it overall

I came very close to abandoning it in the beginning, due to the main character's clear lack of understanding of the mores, customs, and way of life in rural 12th century England where she was sent.
This frustrating aspect, despite her supposedly studying most of her life in preparation for the trip, almost got her killed in the story and most certainly would have in a more accurate telling of the story.
Despite that and other following irritating aspects (like not speaking 12th century English but it being passed off as just a strange but understandable accent by the locals and her not being identified as a witch and burned by anyone she came in contact with) and the complete ignoring of time travel "science" - which in the absence of any paradoxes indicates this would be an alternative universe explanation (e.g. Matilda's timeline continues on its own when she left it and her time travel created an alternate universe). I did enjoy the tale.

[Scott Ravede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time Travel stories are always tough to do, especially since they have been done so often. It is difficult to come up with an original take. While I wouldn’t say this one is completely original, it is different in the sense that it shows how someone from the future can adapt to medieval society using modern concepts. And that is what makes this novel interesting.
Matilda is the time traveler from the future. She travels back in time with no hope of ever returning to her own time as her world is on the verge of destruction. Matilda uses the knowledge she has to improve medieval technology and make advances in the society she finds herself in, that otherwise would have taken hundreds of years. In this way, she hopes to shorten the medieval period and jump right into the industrial age, so by the time the 21st century arrives, it will be a far more advanced society than the one she came from.
Unfortunately, the novel ends before we find out how The World That Was will become The World That Will Be.

[Walker Boah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not in "book mode" this year, then randomly along came Jay Pelchen and offered me my favourite kind of story, tiiiiiime travel... I'm glad I accepted because I am definitely back in book mode. I ate this story up. I love the idea of going back in time to make a better future, but exactly what would that entail? How would you take such a basic and fearful society into the that future - and survive them? Well, let Jay tell you!
Matilda is a plucky young woman charged with fixing the world. With no other choice but to wander out into 12th century England as a woman alone, Matilda must rely on her training, her wits and her "bible".
A believable tilt at what kind of scientific leg ups could practically be employed to achieve the Chronomad's goals whilst also giving a realistic snapshot of what the world of that time might have looked like.
An easy, compelling read that had me racing to the end to find out just what happens to the world that was.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The long day arrived. It caused all electrical to stop. Academics started to work to solve the problem. Students were taught to survive in history to change the present, to kickstart the Renaissance. Matilda and Harry were chosen to be the first to go. It was a one way trip. Saying goodbye to family is hard at 22. Knowing you'll never see them again and know what happens to them.

The day arrives for Matilda and Henry to leave. Off they go. When they arrive there is a problem. Henry arrives but not alive. Matilda is alone in Twelfth century England. Now the story begins. Here is a modern woman in old England. An educated woman no less. Her story is a good one. Highly recommended. I hope we get more stories of Matilda in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What If….

The idea of going back in time to change the trajectory of events mankind experienced is just so interesting to consider! As a fan of sci fi and all things fantasy, I was completely pulled into Matilda’s “mission”. Imagining one person introducing so many simple yet significant scientific advances in a rural peasant community at such a fast pace seemed a bit much at times. Still, I enjoyed watching her use the magic of logic and science to make life better for everyone in the community. One thing is for sure- the corruption and greed of small minded people thirsting for power over others remains the same regardless of the time period. This story was entertaining and relatively realistic with a satisfying peek into the future Matilda had hoped to change.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amanda Kahs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated in anything to do with time travel, so I was intrigued when I read the synopsis of this book. Set in the not too distant future, it opens with Matilda and Henry preparing to be sent back into the past as the world's first time travellers or chronomads as they are known. They hope to pass on knowledge and help the people avoid a disaster far in the future. The only thing is, they won't be able to return. The story is well written with lots of historical detail, and it made me think about how things could have changed if a time traveller really did go back to the past. I was drawn into the story straight away and it held my interest right until the end. I really enjoyed it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two people from the future travel way back in time altering history. I won't spoil anything for other readers by telling whether the changes were good or bad. The length of time that it took me to read this one is not an indication of how good or bad it was either.

The characters and the story line were well developed and different with almost no romance (that was a welcome change of pace and not needed to make a great story).

I would definitely read more from this author and more in a series involving the continued adventures of the characters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love time travel stories, and this one was done brilliantly.

Matilda is a Chronomad (time traveler) who travels back in time in an effort to save the world from future catastrophe. She’s tasked with jump starting technology in the Middle Ages.

I loved the characters. We really get to know many of the townsfolk that Matilda encounters.

There was a hint at the end of future novels, which really excites me because even though I know a bit of what she accomplished, I want to read about it as it happens. Also, there are other Chronomads with stories to tell. I can’t wait to read them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Pamela Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

In many ways this story is similar to others I have read. That is not intended to detract from it's power and enjoyment. It is obviously programmed into our DNA to build homes and families and communities. Then to educate ourselves and each other. To expand our knowledge and our skills and our understanding of the universe. So this book satisfies every spot which my DNA wants to to hit. I look forward to the next one but don't forget the fundamental principle of expanding knowledge.