Apparently, time-travel spells have a sense of humor and don’t take direction well. Mei Li could’ve done with knowing that beforehand and fully blames Shunlei for not forewarning her.

Instead of going back a few years to rescue the missing tomes, Mei Li finds herself thousands of years in the past, with the original events she needs to learn about still 10 years into the future. She is stuck in a hurry-up-and-wait pattern she doesn’t appreciate.

It doesn’t help that this world is full of its own problems, and Mei Li has more than enough of those already. Now she must face shape-shifting demons, volatile water deities, and a murderous sword on a rampage all while trying to figure out why the spell sent her here in the first place.

There are a few side benefits. Mei Li gets to meet younger Shunlei—or Shunlei the Red. Seeing him as a young dragon is fun. It’s also fascinating being with the first group of magical troubleshooters, the original founders before the tomes system ever existed.

And when the past starts to intertwine with the future in ways she could never have predicted, Mei Li prays she’s able to navigate it without ruining the future. If she does, she fully plans on blaming Shunlei for that as well.