Time lions and the chrono-loop

Married collaborators Seneviratne and Sutherland (The Invocations) make their middle grade debut in this immersive sci-fi fantasy series launch. Upon time-traveling from contemporary London to ancient Egypt, genius Sri Lankan 12-year-old twins Pearl and Patrick accidentally kill the mosquito destined to infect King Tutankhamen with malaria, thus derailing history. Luckily, the Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry--a secret organization tasked with maintaining the timeline--corrects the blunder and recruits the siblings as agents- in-training. After failing to meet expectations, however, the duo is permanently banned from time-traveling. But the youths are later approached by Jack, the young CEO of a shadowy tech startup, who enlists them to "fix history" and create a utopia to Jack's specifications. Though the twins are excited by the prospect, they soon learn that one person's idea of utopia can be another's nightmare. Via alternating POVs, Seneviratne and Sutherland reference real historical figures and events to ground intricate, fantastical worldbuilding, and deploy strong characterization chops to develop fully fleshed-out protagonists. The siblings are complex and undeniably charming tweens, whose journeys toward accepting accountability for their mistakes and impulsive decisions, and learning about their responsibilities as world citizens makes for a vivacious time-hopping extravaganza. Ages 10--up. Agent: (for Sutherland) Catherine Drayton, InkWell Management. (Oct.)

British Sri Lankan twins Patrick and Pearl Amarasinghe hide in plain sight as ordinary London 12-year-olds while secretly moonlighting as historiographical technologists. Mild-mannered Patrick is a gifted archaeologist, adept at several dead languages. Pearl is a brilliant scientist and inventor, aching to be recognized for her genius and open to breaking the law when it suits her. They're both obsessed with ancient Greek and Roman culture, to the dismay of their proudly Sri Lankan father. When one of Pearl's inventions, the Chrono-Loop, transports the twins back to ancient Egypt, they attract the attention of a secret society called The Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry (or TIME), who correct timeline deviations made by unauthorized time travelers. The siblings undergo tests for recruitment into TIME, but when they deliberately intervene in a bid to prevent World War I, they lose the opportunity--and all their devices. Crushed, Pearl hands the Chrono-Loop blueprints over to Jack Noon, the head of a mysterious startup called Tempus (The Ethical Management of Past Unjust Stuff), who promises to realize their vision of a utopia. Instead, Noon rules as a dictator, banning all cultures other than Greek and Roman. Realizing they've been deceived, Patrick and Pearl resolve to make things right. With its brisk pace, well-crafted characters, humorous asides, and abundant plot twists, this book offers a fresh take on time-travel adventures. The cliffhanger climax will leave readers eager for the duology closer. A pacy adventure, centering Sri Lankan culture and inventively reimagining time travel.(Science fiction. 10-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.