Jeremiah Bourne in Time

From the former star of The Young Ones and voice of Pratchett’s Discworld novels, Jeremiah Bourne in Time is the first instalment of Nigel Planer’s historical fantasy trilogy: The Time Shard Chronicles. 

Jeremiah Bourne’s mother is a fugitive from the future, and her son, Jeremiah has inherited her ability to travel in time.

In modern day London, 18 year-old Jeremiah lives with his step-dad in a rambling house in Blackfriars, which they are trying to restore. An innocent turn of an old biscuit tin propels Jeremiah into history, specifically into London Bridge in 1910 – the smoggy end of the Edwardian era. Jeremiah has two questions: how did he get there, and how can he get back?

On his quest for answers, he enlists the help of Phyllis Stokes of The Society for Theosophical Research and her equally eccentric brother, Roger Allcott Standish, magistrate, spiritualist, and dedicated nudist. He encounters the sadistic Mr and Mrs Grout and the ruthless Ed Viney, thief, gang member and slitter of throats. Events get increasingly sticky for Jeremiah when he arouses the disapproval of Clementina Quentinbloom, the head of a home for ‘Fallen Girls’ by befriending Daisy Wallace, a girl ahead of her time.

Jeremiah’s movements alert Dr Mandar Vergeelis, the leader of a time travelling monitoring organisation based in the future, who has been searching for his mother for some time now. As she plots to set a trap, Jeremiah’s aunt, Archimeza Plutarch finds herself unwillingly drawn into Jeremiah’s eventful escapades. Not only does Jeremiah have to evade the Blackfriars Breach Brigade who are travelling from the future to capture him, but he also needs to rescue Daisy from a eugenics experiment conducted by the famous “humanitarian” Dr Henry Davenant Hythe, all whilst figuring out his newfound skills.

Who can Jeremiah trust to help him and his new friends? What are the inevitable consequences of meddling with time? And how does the very familiar getaway taxi driver with a missing tooth factor into all the above?

Mixing real history with adventure, Planer’s engrossing tale will catapult you on an exciting journey across London Bridge through the ages, from 1910, to 2019 and on to an imagined future of 2121. Infused with a steampunk vibe, this novel will appeal to readers of speculative fiction and fantasy, particularly fans of Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Doctor Who novelisations.

Image credits: Design by Mecob. Images: © Shutterstock.com. Book designs, cover and other images are for illustrative purposes and may differ from final design.