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Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop
  • Published: 21 October 2025
  • ISBN: 9780143779377
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $16.99

Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop

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A laugh-out-loud, edge-of-your-seat time-travel adventure perfect for fans of Back to the Future and Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds from bestselling Australian author Krystal Sutherland.

Twins Pearl and Patrick are no ordinary twelve-year-olds. They’re geniuses hiding in plain sight, who pull heists all over the world to further their scientific and historical research. Their criminal activity, including grand theft auto, B&E and even espionage, has made them a regular nuisance to both the CIA and MI6. But it’s all been worth it. They’ve finally achieved their greatest triumph: time travel. Pearl’s Chrono-Loop can take the twins anywhere! Their first stop: ancient Egypt, where they even get to see King Tut!
But when they return home, they’re arrested by TIME (The Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry) a secret organisation charged with maintaining the timeline. Turns out Pearl and Patrick didn’t invent time travel – that happened two hundred years ago! And what Pearl did in ancient Egypt – killing a mosquito – could have rewritten history as we know it if not for TIME agents stepping in.
Punishment for disrupting the timeline is normally 100 years in the Eternal Abyss. But TIME, impressed by the pair, offer them a chance to become agents. Unfortunately, they fail their entrance exam, and instead are banned from ever attempting time travel again. Pearl is infuriated and when she’s offered another chance at time travel from a rival organisation, she can’t resist. Too late, she realises she’s been tricked and unwittingly plays a hand in replacing the timeline they know with a nightmarish scenario.
Now Pearl and Patrick must fix their mistake. But the only way to save the future is to go back to the past to enlist the true inventor of time travel for their help.

Praise for Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop
'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.' Kirkus Reviews

'The fast-paced story includes healthy doses of Sri Lankan heritage, world history, and science in a way that keeps readers engaged while learning. With the door left open for a sequel, this genre-bending sf adventure will be the next series to recommend to reluctant readers and lovers of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.' Booklist
  • Published: 21 October 2025
  • ISBN: 9780143779377
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $16.99
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About the authors

Krystal Sutherland

Krystal Sutherland is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of House of Hollow, The Invocations, A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmare, the Time Lions series (with Martin Seneviratne) and Our Chemical Hearts, which was adapted into a film by Amazon Studios. Her books have been published in more than twenty countries and nominated for the Carnegie Medal and YA Book Prize, among others. Originally from Australia, she has lived on four continents and currently calls London home.

portrait photo of Krystal Sutherland

Martin Seneviratne

By day, Martin is a doctor and AI scientist. He trained in medicine in Australia, studied AI at Stanford, and worked at Google. But at his core, Martin is a storyteller, having grown up with the rich mythology of his Sri Lankan family. He loves to imagine how technology can power new futures (and pasts).
Martin is married to bestselling author Krystal Sutherland. On a visit to Sigirya, the ancient rock fortress in the heart of Sri Lanka’s jungles, they began to craft their debut middle-grade series, Time Lions. The story of the genius Amarasinghe twins and their adventure back through time, it explores overlooked parts of history and the overlooked geniuses who shape it.

portrait photo of Martin Seneviratne