I'm pretty obsessed with this series. I'm a sucker for time travel books when they are done well. And this one is done WELL. You can't help but to like and feel for Dan. A few times I started to think that something he did or said was a bit immature, but then I remembered he's SIXTEEN. I don't think I would handle being taken back in time to fix a glitch--on which history hangs. Also there are naturally people who don't want him to fix history because of personal gain. Let's not forget that when this happens, no one has told him about time travel.

The character of Sam is great (Let's just admit, every epic novel needs a Sam). Somehow this book brought the magic of time travel I had as a child along with the panic as an adult of what could all go wrong. Somehow, it's just both. Excellent.

The Last Saxon King was such a fun time-traveling Ya story. Homeschooled, history loving Dan gets dumped back in medieval 1066 England, pre-Battle of Hastings. This is exactly the kind of story I would have been obsessed with in middle school and high school. Super excited to see that this is the first in a series.

My reviews are mainly video format, however for the sake of netgalley I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don’t want to say too much because I think it’s imperative that readers go into The Last Saxon King with no knowledge of what they’re about to go into, but I will say it’s pretty great. I will be honest, I have had this one sitting on my kindle shelf for what feels like a year and I regret not reading it sooner.

This was a really fun time travelling YA story. Dan is home schooled and dealing with a very particular curriculum set by his father. When he returned home one day, his father had been attacked. he suddenly finds himself in 1066AD England. Dan and his father are part of an ancient society of time travellers. Somehow, something has changed the timeline. now Dan and his friend Sam need to fix what has been broken.

If I was in high school, I would have probably been obsessed with this book, however this was very engaging and I loved this from the first line.

Overall, I found this boring and odd. Our main character is supposedly homeschooled, and taught an obsessive amount of medieval history, but I don’t think the author knows how homeschooling works. Our main character describes his schoolwork as on the computer, and standard school board approved, followed by random things his dad tacks on. That’s not how homeschooling works, only the public school at home model, which doesn't fit the narrative. He spends the whole first chapter complaining about his dad, being homeschooled, and wishing he was placed into public school. I suppose if he’s on the computer all day, and isolated unlike ACTUAL homeschooled kids, that would make sense, We homeschool, and our children don’t use the language this kid does, and they have friends of different ages, and backgrounds. I know this is a small thing for the over-arching story, but it set the tone. Overall, the book feels like an older adult trying to think like a teen that has, in his view, been sheltered from society and taught weird things for a purpose, but the kid doesn’t feel authentic. Otherwise, it’s a fairly basic time travel story. Just not my cup of tea.

This is a really fun YA time travel story. I would have probably been really obsessed with these books in high school!

Dan is homeschooled and dealing with a very particular curriculum set by his father. When he returns home one day to his father being attacked, he finds himself suddenly in 1066 AD England. Dan and his father are part of an ancient society of time travellers that protect humanity’s timeline. Something has been changed in history and now it’s up to Dan and his new friend Sam to fix what has been broken.

There were definitely some YA tropes in here, but it was done without being forced. There were some really interesting characters and the setting of medieval England was a lot of fun. You could tell Andrew Varga did his research. I really loved Sam as a character and would love to see more of them.

Read this if you like:
- A reluctant hero
- Knights! Kings! Squires!
- Glitches in time

From the first page I loved this book.
Dan was a great character he was dumped in 1066 with no idea how he got there and what he was supposed do but he was fast thinking and adapted quickly to his new environment.
This book is rich in history not just in dates and facts but also in the social aspect.
Dan makes many friends as he is dragged into the many battles that happened in October of 1066 and it is great to see how the armies worked in that time and the pecking order between the men.
This book was fast paced with mystery, suspense and a touch of humour and I cannot wait to read book 2 in the series.

This YA time-travel novel set in England during the Medieval Ages is sure to entertain teen readers interested in historical fiction and adventure stories. Entertaining and a fun read. The main character, Dan, is homeschooled (like many of the teens who visit my library), and finds himself sent back to 1066 prior to the Battle of Hastings in an attempt to stop a group of 'time jumpers' from changing history as we know it for their own gain. I would recommend this title to fans of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice / Brotherhood / Royal Ranger series!

This is the first book in the Jump in Time Series. Dan Renfrew is living a normal life, until he accidently transports himself to 1066 in England. The next thing he realizes is that he's trapped! As he tries to figure out how to get back to his correct time, he realizes that he is time from a long time of time jumpers and he must make sure that time gets back on track before he can go home. Can he beat the evil time jumpers and keep time on the right track, or will he be stuck in 1066?

This well-written, fast-paced YA novel follows the travails of Daniel Renfrew, a typical sixteen-year-old whose main gripe when the story opens is that his dad insists on home schooling even though Daniel would much prefer attending the high school with his friends. At the moment when we meet him, Daniel is at the local shopping mall, where a local cop is hassling him as a potential truant. After side-stepping that threat, Daniel returns home to find his dad under assault from a sword-carrying stranger. Dad tosses Daniel a strange device and orders him to say “the bedtime rhyme.”

Against his better judgment, Daniel complies. Next thing he knows, he’s in a pine forest he doesn’t recognize and has no idea what to do next. He screams for help, which brings out a very grumpy helper who self-identifies as Sam. Only then does Daniel learn that he comes from a family of time-jumpers, and he’s been dispatched to 1066 to figure out what glitch has caused him to be sent there and fix it. Until he does, he’s stuck in the past, not even knowing whether his dad is dead or alive. And although his eccentric education has included all kinds of “weird” skills like sword play and fire building, Daniel is far from prepared for life in the eleventh century.

I’m a long way from this book’s target audience in terms of age, but I enjoyed Daniel’s adventures. I expect it’s already a big hit with those between the ages of twelve and twenty, for whom Daniel’s thoughts and reactions will make these light-hearted introductions to history palatable, even fun.

I plan to interview this author for the New Books Network (link below) when the second in his seven-part series comes out in September 2023.

The Last Saxon King is a unique spin on the classic "unlikely time-travel " trope. I can honestly say that while reading the first chapter, I was sure that I wouldn't like or finish the book. But as soon as we got into the adventure and found out what was actually going to be the backbone of the plot, I changed my mind. The book was a smooth read and completely engrossing (after I got into it). I'm not-so-secretly hoping this is just the start of a series on the time jumping teens.

This is the first in a series. I was stunned with the utter perfection of this book. It is detailed and complex and I just loved it!

This story follows modern day teenager Dan, whose dad is in big trouble. A man named Victor is attacking him with odd, ancient weapons. Dan's dad tosses him a device and requests he recite a riddle his dad taught him. The next thing he knows, he's in the middle of nowhere - 1066! Soon he learns he is from a line of time jumpers tasked with correcting glitches in the time stream.

With the help of new friend, Sam, Dan navigates his new role, trying to figure out how to return home and save his dad.

I am eagerly awaiting future installments!!

Dan Renfrew is a normal 16 year old. And one day that all changes. He comes home to witness a brutal attack on his father from a man named Victor. His dad tosses him a metal rod and tells him to recite the rhyme he was taught. Dan does and there is a flash of light and when he opens his eyes again he is in the middle of the forest. He soon comes to find out that he is actually in 1066 England. Right as King Harold Godwinson’s throne is being challenged. Dan meets another time jumper who explains that it's their duty to fix any anomalies in the timeline. Dan sets out to make sure history happens as it should.

This was the first historical fiction I had read in awhile and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I appreciated how accurate it was down to the historical names for the characters and locations. Dan was an okay protagonist. Of course going in he was confused, but he is quick witted and his Dad trained him well over the years. And his interactions with the housecarls were some of my favorite scenes in the books. His relationship with Sam was comical and tense, not knowing if they can trust each other. As the first book in the series it was a good introduction and did well building the overarching plot as well as the story plot. Look forward to reading the rest as they come out.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review.

Dan, a sixteen-year-old boy accidentally time-travels to the year 1066 and finds himself in the middle of an Anglo-Saxon conflict. He soon discovers that he is part of a group of time jumpers, time travellers who fix glitches in time. But a major threat is approaching, and he'll have to fight if he wants to survive.
This is a really enjoyable and fast-paced adventure. I really liked the characters and the way they managed to face every challenging situation that was up against them. Also, it's probably the most historically accurate book I've ever read, and if you're a history geek, you'll surely appreciate that. I must say I didn't really know a lot about the time period the book is set in, but it really made me want to investigate more about it.
I think it's a great introduction to the series, and I'd absolutely love reading the following books.
If you love historical fiction and time-travel adventures, you should undoubtedly check this series out.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So my favourite genre is time travel and I really haven’t encountered a time travel novel I didn’t enjoy on some level. Also, the author is Canadian which is a huge bonus! This book was fabulous! The introduction to the time travel plot was exciting and you could feel Dan’s angst & fear as he got thrown into a life-changing experience. As Dan finds Sam and figures out what is really going on the story gets even more fun. I really enjoyed all the secondary characters like Ceolwulf, Aethelraed and Osmund who all helped Dan/Leofric. The ending was amazing and I will be looking forward to reading the next book after checking out the preview at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Imbrifex Books for the chance to read this book. It was great!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrew Vargas for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Last Saxon King coming out March 7, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Life is pretty normal for for sixteen-year-old Dan Renfrew until he suddenly time jumps to England in the year 1066. He realizes he might be trapped there, and that’s not his only shocking discovery. Dan learns that he’s descended from a long line of time travelers. He had a legacy of secret heroes who travel to the past and resolve glitches that threaten to alter history. The only way Dan can return home is to set history back on its proper course in the Anglo-Saxon age. Easier said than done. A group of Vikings are ravaging England in the north while a Norman army threatens to invade from the south. In the middle and struggling to hold on to his throne is Harold Godwinson, the newly-crowned English king. Dan meets fellow time jumper Samantha who helps him navigate the past. Dan fights to make sure that events play out correctly when he finds himself plunged into a greater and deadlier conflict. To save history, Dan must battle a group of malevolent time jumpers whose greed for wealth and power threatens the entire future of mankind. Will he be able to fight his battles and find his way home?

Overall, I really enjoyed this this book! I love time travel books and this was an interesting time for Dan to jump into. I thought the characters were interesting. I loved that Sam was the one to help Dan and show him how things were done. The battle scenes and history felt well-researched. The story was on the short side, so some of the details seemed to be missing. I saw there’s a second book coming out, so maybe more will be explained then. At times it also felt like the target audience was on more of a middle schools or freshman high school level. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m a lot older.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys time jumping historical fiction featuring wars!

The Last King of Saxon A Jump in Time Novel by Andrew Varga

296 Pages
Publisher: Imbrifex
Release Date: March 7, 2023

Fiction, Time Travel, Coming of Age, Young Adult, Teen, Medieval England

Daniel Renfrew and his father live solitary lives. He is homeschooled and spends a lot of time playing games online and walking the mall. On a day when he returns home early, he see his father fighting for his life with a man named Victor. His father throws him a baton and tells him to run.

There is a flash of light and then Daniel is in a forest. He starts yelling for help when a hooded person comes to his aid. The person speaks a different language and is dressed in peculiar clothes. Daniel is told to strip down and get rid of all the metal on his body, burn his clothes, identification, and phone. Daniel does not know what is going on. He believes he is being robbed and kidnaps and complies. The person leaves him, and he goes in search of people and comes upon a village. He doesn’t understand the language at first but after the touch of the baton, he can understand them perfectly. He finds out he is in medieval England.

Daniel becomes part of King Harold’s army although William of Normandy must win the battle. He finds Sam, a lovely redhead girl who helps save him multiple times. He fights in the Battle of Hastings before he is able to return to his own timeline.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. Daniel is likeable and Sam is a strong independent young woman. If you like young adult time travel stories, you will enjoy reading this book.

This time travel novel starts out the gate with action packed sequences and continues at a steady pace throughout the novel. After walking in on his father having an altercation with a stranger, Dan is thrust back to the year 1066 in England. He discovers that he comes from a lineage of men who are in charge of protecting the historical timeline and fixing any events that could alter history. However, if that wasn't already a daunting task, Dan learns that there is a war brewing between the factions of time jumpers. He has to both fix the timeline in 1066 while investigating who else is there trying to harm him and make changes in history.

This novel would appeal to young fantasy readers and fans of history. The fast pace of the novel would hold interest for reluctant readers. The writing was clear and easy to understand. I could tell that the author had done appropriate research into the era, but it was presented flawlessly with the story so that it melded fiction and history in an accessible way,

This book was a lot of fun to read. I had recently fallen out of interest in this subject so I was worried that reading this book was going to feel like a chore, but I am glad that I stuck to it as I was really surprised as how much I enjoyed it.

Like honest to god what a journey to be a teenage boy who gets transported in time, but also finds out he needs to get the timeline on the right course and this is considered normal for his family. It was fun to read because I felt like it answered some of the questions I had for myself if I was in similar situations. I always wonder how I would handle if I was transported in time wearing my contacts.

Anyways I think this is a great read for anyone who loves history, you do not need to like the time travel aspect to appreciate the effort and time that went in to make sure everything was accurate as it could be.

An adventurous YA historical Sci-Fi novel, it's simplistic but fun. The historical time periods and battles are researched thoroughly for a young adult/new adult fiction work. I enjoyed the changing pace, and although I typically prefer detailed backgrounds on the main characters and the present timeline, the incomplete picture works for this book. 1066 descriptions and characters were realistic and took up most of the story. Recommended for YA adventure, Sci-Fi (time travel), and historical fiction fans. I look forward to the sequel. Great cover art!!

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