The Time Tournament Book Review

REVIEW

Lara Bronson’s The Time Tournament kicks off the Order of the Dragon series with a mix of time travel (love!), witches, dragon shifters, and a battle to the death, all set against the backdrop of real historical events in Eastern Europe. The premise is fascinating, blending fantasy with historical fiction, and while the book has its merits, it also stumbles in a few areas that left me feeling ambivalent.

The world-building is The Time Tournament’s greatest strength. Bronson expertly creates a world where dragon shifters, witches, and human politics all intersect. The historical backdrop adds an extra layer of intrigue, and it’s refreshing to see a fantasy story set in a time and place not often explored in the genre. I also really enjoyed reading Elena’s story after having read the author’s other series, The Vampire Genesis Chronicles, which focuses on her sister, Petra. Seeing how the two stories connect (however subtly) was a treat!

The action and pacing is great, especially once Elena is sucked back into the dangerous world of the past, Moltenclaw Keep, and the Time Tournament. The tournament setup, political machinations, and the ever-present threat of death and failure create an atmosphere similar to Fourth Wing + House of the Dragon. Additionally, I liked Elena’s friendship with some of the side characters like Tarra and Laszlo, as well as the LGBTQ+ representation and found family dynamics, which added depth to the character relationships. Plus, the Chuck Norris-type jokes were pretty funny.

However, while the overall world-building shines, the characters—especially Elena—may be harder to love at first. Her immature and overly dramatic personality made the first part of the book a bit of a struggle. Thankfully, she does grow on you as the story progresses, but her early behavior might be a barrier for some readers. 

As for the romance—this is actually where the book lost me a bit. Elena and Killian’s enemies-to-lovers dynamic is a trope I usually love, but the relationship development was uneven. There’s definitely tension and banter throughout, but I just kept waiting for something… more that made it seem like more than just tension or banter between any ol’ mentor and mentee. Then, Killian’s feelings seemed to go from 0 to 100 with no real buildup? His possessiveness, combined with issues (that I had, at least) around consent and sexual exploration, also felt problematic at times. I don’t know, Killian’s behavior raised some red flags for me, and while I’m all for flawed characters, it didn’t sit well with the pacing of their romance or their characters and dynamic (again, in my opinion).

Finally, the book ends on a cliffhanger—sort of. While it’s clear that this is just the beginning of a much larger story, the ending didn’t have the punch I expected. That said, it still left me curious and eager to grab the next book. 

All in all, The Time Tournament is a solid start to a new series. The historical elements and world-building are fantastic, but the characters and romance need more development. I’ve enjoyed Lara’s other books, and will certainly continue with this series as well. I especially can’t wait to see how Elena’s and Petra’s stories merge. If you enjoy time-travel fantasy, dragon shifters, and a touch of historical fiction, this may be the book for you! Just be prepared for a bit of a rocky start before things pick up. 

Content warnings include bullying, attempted murder, death, assault, grieving, trauma, strangulation, violence, gore, explicit language, and explicit sexual scenes.

Expected publication date is 18 October 2024.