If you’re looking for a gift idea for a family member who enjoys reading, I recommend The Mongol Ascension by Andrew Varga. This is the first book on my gift guide for 2024. It’s great for YA audiences, readers of Percy Jackson, and anyone who can imagine Harry Potter meets Quantum Leap. This book is for them! Purchase The Mongol Ascension on Amazon.
About The Mongol Ascension
Seventeen-year-old Dan Renfrew leads a normal high school life full of all the usual challenges: homework, bullies, and the enigmatic world of dating. It would be enough for most teens, but Dan has a secret. He’s a time jumper, a member of a clandestine cadre tasked with journeying to the past to repair glitches in history that imperil subsequent events. This responsibility alone is daunting, but it’s even more crucial now. A band of rogue time jumpers is bent on taking over the world, and Dan can’t find any allies to join him in the fight to stop them.
In a last-ditch effort to foil the conspiracy, Dan and his partner Sam plunge into history together. Landing on the steppes of Mongolia in the year 1179, they meet a brave Mongol teen on a courageous quest to rescue his kidnapped wife. But Dan and Sam soon discover that there’s far more at stake than a stolen bride. They’re thrust into a desperate race against time to save the Mongol Empire—and the future of the entire world.
Advanced Praise:
“The history presented is genuinely rendered alongside the captivating fantasy and fictional elements. The storyline is replete with ancient battle action and tactics, flashes of romance, clever humor, and unexpected turns in events. Exceeding my expectations throughout, the book delivers not only fast-paced fun and adventure but engaging historical insight into a time of turmoil and change. Unreservedly recommended for readers of all ages.”–Thomas J. Howley, Historical Novel Society
“Fun immersion in the world of the Celts and the lives of endearing characters the two protagonists come to know as well as plenty of fast-paced, bloody action sequences.”—Kirkus Reviews
Additional Books in the Series:
The Last Saxon King: A Jump in Time Novel, Book One
One Jump to Save All Time Life is just the usual homework and video games for sixteen-year-old Dan Renfrew–until he accidentally transports himself to England in the year 1066. He soon realizes that he’s trapped there, and that’s not his only astonishing discovery. Dan learns that he’s descended from a long line of time jumpers—secret heroes who travel to the past and resolve glitches in the time stream that threaten to alter subsequent history…
2024 Winner of the Honours Award, Red Maple, Forest of Reading Festival, Ontario Library Association
The Celtic Deception: A Jump in Time Novel, Book Two
Every second counts in the fight to save all time.
Dan Renfrew hates that he’s a time jumper—seventeen-year-olds should not be stuck with the responsibility of saving history. But with no one else stepping up to stop Victor Stahl’s plot to take over the world, Dan and his time-jumping partner Sam have no choice but to jump back into history again. They land on the Celtic island of Anglesey in 60 CE, hoping to find answers on how to stop Victor. Their task isn’t easy. Everyone seems to be hiding something, from the druids who rule Anglesey to the Celts who take the time jumpers in. With two Roman legions intent on wiping out everyone on the island drawing closer, time is running out for Dan and Sam.
Upcoming Release:
The Spartan Sacrifice: A Jump in Time Novel, Book Four
Whoever Controls the Past Writes the Future
When seventeen-year-old Dan Renfrew and his partner Sam leap back to 480 BCE to stop a modern-day villain’s global domination scheme, they land in the midst of one of history’s most legendary conflicts: the Battle of Thermopylae. As the fearless Spartan warriors and their Greek allies prepare to face the massive Persian army, Dan and Sam must navigate the perilous past while unraveling Victor Stahl’s plans. But their mission takes a disastrous turn when an unexpected accident threatens to unravel the fabric of history itself. Exciting, action-packed, and full of historical intrigue, The Spartan Sacrifice is perfect for teen and young adult readers who love time travel, epic battles, and fast-paced adventures.
The Spartan Sacrifice will be available wherever fine books are sold on August 5, 2025!
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
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