If you think history is just a dusty collection of dates and dead kings, you’ve clearly never stepped inside St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. It’s not your typical academic building. Forget the quiet libraries. Imagine, instead, a place where the tea is always cold, the buildings are constantly exploding, and the staff is more likely to die from a stray arrow in the 11th century than from old age. This is the world Jodi Taylor created, and honestly, it’s a miracle anyone in these books survives past the first chapter.
The Chronicles of St. Mary’s isn’t really about time travel. Not officially. The "historians" who work there will get very cranky if you use that phrase. They "investigate major historical events in contemporary time." Basically, they go back to watch stuff happen. But history has a mind of its own. It’s a sentient, petty, and often murderous force that hates being observed. When Madeleine Maxwell—everyone calls her Max—joins the crew, she thinks she’s finally found her calling. She’s right, but she’s also signed up for a lifetime of trauma, mud, and very narrow escapes.
Why The Chronicles of St. Mary's Isn't Your Average Sci-Fi
Most time travel stories are obsessed with the "Grandfather Paradox" or changing the future. Taylor’s series takes a different route. At St. Mary’s, the timeline is self-healing. You can’t go back and kill Hitler to stop World War II; the universe simply won't let you. It might jam your gun, or you might find yourself stuck in a loop, or the "Timeline" will just swat you like a fly. This creates a unique kind of tension. The historians are there to record, not to help. Watching the library at Alexandria burn while being forbidden from saving a single scroll is gut-wrenching. It’s heavy stuff, but Taylor balances it with humor so British it practically comes with a side of biscuits.
One minute you’re laughing at the Chief’s latest temper tantrum or a disaster involving a prehistoric lizard, and the next, you're hit with the genuine horror of the Somme. It’s a tonal whiplash that shouldn't work. But it does. The pacing is erratic in the best way possible. Short, punchy sentences. Long, rambling descriptions of Victorian sewer systems. It feels like a real person telling you a story over a drink.
The Problem With Being a Historian
Max is a disaster. Let’s just be real about that. She’s brilliant, stubborn, and has a terrifying lack of self-preservation. She’s the heart of the series, but she’s also the reason half the fans are constantly stressed out. Her relationship with Leon Farrell is one of the more grounded, messy romances in modern fiction. It isn't sparkly. It’s built on shared trauma and the fact that they’re the only people who understand what it’s like to almost be stepped on by a Mammoth.
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The supporting cast is just as vital. You have Peterson, who is perpetually confused; Sussman, who deserves better; and Dr. Bairstow, the man running the show with a mysterious past and a very sharp mind. They aren't superheroes. They get scared. They get drunk. They make massive, world-altering mistakes.
Accuracy Versus The "Timeline"
Jodi Taylor does her homework. While the time travel mechanics are fictional, the historical settings are researched with an obsessive level of detail. When Max travels to the Battle of Bosworth or the Cretaceous period, Taylor doesn't just give you the highlights. She gives you the smell. Mostly, the smell is "unwashed humans" and "burning things."
History in these books is tactile. It’s the grit of the dust in 1920s Chicago and the terrifying silence of the Mary Rose before it sank. The series challenges the idea of "Great Man History." Sure, they meet famous people, but the focus is often on the chaos of the masses. It’s about how messy and uncoordinated real life is. Nothing ever goes according to plan. Ever.
Why You Should Start With Just One Damned Thing
The first book, Just One Damned Thing After Another, sets the tone perfectly. It starts as a quirky academic comedy and ends as a high-stakes thriller involving corporate sabotage and prehistoric predators. If you're looking for a reading order, it's pretty straightforward, but you have to watch out for the short stories. Taylor writes "interrogative" shorts that fit between the novels. They aren't optional. If you skip them, you’ll find yourself in book four wondering why everyone is crying over a character you thought was fine.
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- Just One Damned Thing After Another
- A Symphony of Echoes
- A Second Chance
- A Trail Through Time
- No Time Like the Past
It goes on from there. By the time you get to The Nothing Girl (which is a spin-off but feels related) or the Time Police series, you're already too deep to get out. The Time Police books are interesting because they look at the same universe from the perspective of the "law," which provides a much-needed contrast to the lawless chaos of St. Mary’s.
The Emotional Toll of Time Travel
People die in these books. A lot of people. It’s something readers often forget when they recommend the series as "funny." Taylor is ruthless. Because the historians are constantly in danger, the stakes feel real. You can’t just assume everyone will be okay because they’re on the cover. This "meat grinder" approach to characters makes the victories feel earned.
The grief is handled with a weirdly beautiful pragmatism. There’s a memorial wall at St. Mary’s. It’s very long. The characters don’t have time for six months of mourning; they have to get back in the "pod" (the transport machines) and go again. It’s a grueling way to live, and the books don't shy away from the psychological damage that causes. Max’s internal monologue often reveals a woman who is held together by spite and tea. It’s relatable, in a strange way.
Common Misconceptions About the Series
Some people think this is Young Adult fiction. It really isn't. The language is foul, the violence is visceral, and the themes of loss and aging are definitely aimed at adults. Others think it’s hard sci-fi. Also no. The "science" is hand-waved away with some talk about "disruptive resonance" and "tethering," but the focus is always on the people and the period they’re visiting.
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Another mistake is thinking the books are repetitive. "Oh, they go back, something goes wrong, they come home." On paper, yeah. But Taylor shifts the genre of each book. One is a police procedural, one is a horror story, one is a political drama. She keeps the formula from getting stale by changing the stakes. Sometimes they’re saving the world. Sometimes they’re just trying to find a decent chocolate bar in the middle of a siege.
How to Dive into the St. Mary’s Universe
If you’re ready to lose your productivity for the next month, here is how you actually handle this series. Don't try to binge-read them all in two weeks. You’ll get "history fatigue."
The Essentials for New Readers:
- Start at the beginning. Do not jump in at book three because you like the French Revolution. You will be lost.
- Track the Short Stories. Use a fan-made timeline. The shorts like When a Child is Born or Roman Holiday fill in massive character gaps.
- Pay attention to the "Black Suits." The antagonists in this series are more than just "bad guys." Their motivations reflect the darker side of why people want to control history.
- Accept the absurd. There is a recurring gag involving a very specific brand of tea and the quality of the breakfast sausages. Just roll with it.
The Chronicles of St. Mary’s reminds us that history isn't something that happened "back then." It's an ongoing, breathing entity. We are the result of all those mistakes and lucky breaks. By viewing the past through the eyes of Max and her band of eccentric misfits, we get a clearer picture of our own humanity. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s frequently on fire.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Newcomers:
- Audit your reading list: If you’ve finished the main series, move to the Time Police spin-offs immediately. They provide the necessary context for the "Council" and how the wider world views St. Mary's.
- Check the Author's Notes: Jodi Taylor often includes notes on which historical details were real and which were "enhanced" for the story. It’s a great jumping-off point for actual historical research.
- Listen to the Audiobooks: Zara Ramm is the definitive voice of Max. If you’ve only read the print versions, the audiobooks change the experience entirely with her comedic timing.
- Join the "Disaster" Community: The fanbase (often calling themselves "St. Mary's Disasters") is active on social media. They are great for tracking down the reading order of the more obscure digital-only shorts.
History is waiting. Just try not to get killed.