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Amelia Peabody #16
Guardian of the Horizon
Banned from the Valley of the Kings, Amelia Peabody and her distinguished husband have returned to England with their 19-year-old son Ramses and their foster daughter, Nefret. Ramses is secretly in love with Nefret and plans to flee to Germany to avoid temptation. Then a mysterious visitor changes the plan for the whole family. Set in the Sudan, this is another exciting adventure which follows the Peabody family as they confront all the forces against them armed only with a crumbling map and an important letter...
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2004
246 people are currently reading
3131 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
179 books3,307 followersElizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
February 8, 2021
This book is the lost season 1907-08 and fits in between books 10 and 11 if you want to read them in that order. I did not worry about that but just enjoyed going back in time and getting more back story on all the characters and their relationships.
I am a complete and total fan of this series and in my eyes it can do no wrong. I love the glorious settings in deserts and oases, the heat, the camel rides, and most of all the amazing women like Amelia Peabody who left behind the luxuries of home and suffered incredibly in pursuit of archaeological discovery.
Guardian of the Horizon takes us into the Sudan, a very dangerous place in 1907 and of course Amelia and her family become embroiled instantly in political intrigue, deaths, kidnapping and more. Emerson gets to play a bigger role than usual and some letters written by Nefret give us a better idea of her thoughts and feelings.
The next book takes me dangerously close to the end of the series. I may wait a little while before I continue.
I am a complete and total fan of this series and in my eyes it can do no wrong. I love the glorious settings in deserts and oases, the heat, the camel rides, and most of all the amazing women like Amelia Peabody who left behind the luxuries of home and suffered incredibly in pursuit of archaeological discovery.
Guardian of the Horizon takes us into the Sudan, a very dangerous place in 1907 and of course Amelia and her family become embroiled instantly in political intrigue, deaths, kidnapping and more. Emerson gets to play a bigger role than usual and some letters written by Nefret give us a better idea of her thoughts and feelings.
The next book takes me dangerously close to the end of the series. I may wait a little while before I continue.
April 18, 2019
April 2019: I finally hit the point in my re-read where I’m reading books MPM wrote later to fill in gaps, and although this still feels a bit structurally forced (there was a kind of flow to that big (to the Emersons) gap in time, there is a completist pleasure to knowing why Ramses and Nefret have acted the way they do. I think it is an acknowledgement of how much more real the characters became in later books so they needed more backstory and Former Loves rather than a great sweep of a romance starting at very young ages. It’s very nice to read these in chronological order, as Peters and her assistant obviously did a huge amount of work and cross referencing to keep these interpolations perfect. There is a wry comment about Peabody being kind to someone she would not seem likely to be kind to, a wink to the reader that careful placement be damned, Peters is in charge of this little world and she’ll make it run how she wants.
There is a rather disturbing love of smoking in this and the next few books and it breaks the heart somewhat.
June 2017: My own revisit to the Holy Mountain is everything I remember - just a little too much reliance on my memory of The Last Camel Died At Noon, not enough Daoud and Selim, oodles of intrigue, noble savages, and borrowings of early 20th century adventure lit to make a thrilling time with my old friends.
I am reminded why I mourn EP every time I revisit these. I am going to have to start rereading at the beginning again so I can remember just when Ramses became the smoking hot star of the show and Peabody and Emerson rather cariacaturish. Oh Barbara Rosenblat, I prefer your readings to the voice in my head, perhaps you could narrate my life?
There is a rather disturbing love of smoking in this and the next few books and it breaks the heart somewhat.
June 2017: My own revisit to the Holy Mountain is everything I remember - just a little too much reliance on my memory of The Last Camel Died At Noon, not enough Daoud and Selim, oodles of intrigue, noble savages, and borrowings of early 20th century adventure lit to make a thrilling time with my old friends.
I am reminded why I mourn EP every time I revisit these. I am going to have to start rereading at the beginning again so I can remember just when Ramses became the smoking hot star of the show and Peabody and Emerson rather cariacaturish. Oh Barbara Rosenblat, I prefer your readings to the voice in my head, perhaps you could narrate my life?
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September 28, 2008
Daria makes me want to puke.
And throw something.
And yell at Ramses to try to make him see sense.
And cry. with Nefret.
And throw something.
And yell at Ramses to try to make him see sense.
And cry. with Nefret.
October 27, 2025
Generally, I like stories about adventurous Egyptologists, but this moved slowly and I never cared that much for the characters. Nearly stopped reading--but it got more interesting as our heroes discovered a Lost City in the Sudan...
November 5, 2024
An in-between tale, 10.5 chronologically (16 in publication) in the Amelia Peabody amateur sleuth in an historical mystery series and revolving around Amelia and her family and friends in Egypt. This particular tale begins in the spring of 1907.
My Take
Oh lord, this was good! Do read The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6, if you want the background to this particular sequel. And do read the Editor's Note at the beginning of every book. It's not a typical editor's note but a part of the story.
It's death and love revealed (or not). Peters uses both first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective and third person protagonist points-of-view from Ramses' and Nefret's perspectives.
Emerson is passionate about the scholarship and proper research. Too much so, as when his ire rises — all too often — he ticks people off. In turn the Service restricts him to boring digs. Nor does it help that he refuses to apply for a firman in advance.
Peabody does describe Ramses well, lol, as a trying child, irritating enough that others wanted to mutilate or murder him, who has grown into a nice-mannered adult. His character arc doesn't make a lot of progress and only continues to harp on not telling Nefret he loves her. It also provides an opening to further speculation about Nefret's life in the Lost Oasis, as well as opening up David's assessment of cross-cultural exposure. This all crops up from events in The Last Camel Died at Noon . It also sets up the lead-in for Prince Merasen and also allows Peters to tidy things up for Nefret.
I can't like Merasen. He's such an immature man and quite the spendthrift with no conscience. And he goes after anyone with that knife of his. He certainly isn't a Tarek!
Ya gotta love Peabody's preparedness and her disinterest in how others perceive her costumes. That parasol of hers certainly has a reputation, lol.
Peabody and Emerson's marital actions are certainly interesting. They do love to manipulate each other into tremendous arguments. As for those marital relations, ooh là là, so Victorian in the descriptions, lol.
Aha, it seems Selim is fascinated by machinery.
The Emersons do NOT approve of tourists, for all the reasons most people despise them. Although it appears that Nefret has met a lady physician who is interested in Nefret's plans to open a hospital in Cairo.
Ooh, Nefret is dang quick to lash out at Ramses, and he's getting better at letting her know he's not impressed. Abdullah has his own way of getting at Peabody, and he only drops vague warnings and hints, lol.
I do enjoy the bits of history Peters throws in. Talking about how the Aswan Dam is changing Egypt is interesting. That tidbit about readying camels for a long expedition was interesting as well.
Emerson is not enamored of religion, in fact "religious persons always use God as an excuse for unprincipled acts", as you'll see in Guardian of the Horizon.
Additional concerns revolve around the fact that the Lost Oasis must remain a secret from the world and the world is much too fascinated with the Emersons.
I'm tellin' ya, it's action aplenty in Guardian. They dabble in archeological pursuits on their way to the Oasis and as a way to throw off suspicion while there as they plot their coup d'etat.
I do adore this series. The characters are beguiling, the history is fascinating especially as Peters weaves real-life events into her stories, and the adventures are continuous with a warm, equal approach to all. I do love how the Emersons give the put down to their fellow, bigoted Europeans as they embrace their workers and the native peoples (well, ya can't really just say Egyptian as then we'd be leaving out the Arabs, the Bedouin, the Nubian, the ...)
The Story
The Emersons get a message that Tarek is in trouble with sickness weakening his people. It's been months since the sicknesses had spread, but an attempt must be made.
It's a troublesome and exciting journey with raiders, enemies, and some rather odd travelers met along the way.
Then the Great Ones encounter the current ruler of the Lost Oasis.
The Characters
Amelia Peabody Emerson, a.k.a. Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), loves to entangle herself in everyone's lives. She has quite the fancy for cleanliness, even in donkeys, camels, and horses. Her husband is Professor Radcliffe Emerson, a.k.a. the Father of Curses (Abu Shitaim), a brilliant scholar and excavator. The twenty-year-old Walter "Ramses" Emerson, a.k.a. Brother of Demons, is their son and a skilled linguist and excavator. The twenty-three-year-old Dr Nefret Forth, a.k.a. Nur Misur (Light of Egypt), is a skilled excavator with medical training and a thorough acquaintance with mummies — who has never fallen in love. Horus is Nefret's mean cat, who loves kittens. The twenty-two-year-old David Todros, a skilled copyist and artist, is Ramses' best friend and blood brother, as well as Abdullah's grandson. The Emersons' home in England is Amarna House in Kent. Rose is their housekeeper; Gargery is their nosy butler; and, John is one of the footmen. In the backyard is a small Cushite-styled pyramid over Tabirka's body.
Emerson's younger brother is Walter Emerson, renowned for his scholarly skill in ancient Egyptian languages. He's married to Evelyn ( Crocodile on the Sandbank , 1). Lia is one of their children and engaged to David. Raddie and the twins, Willie and Johnny, are more children. These Emersons primarily live at Chalfont Castle in Yorkshire.
Cairo
M Maspero is the chicken-hearted head of the Service des Antiquités. James Quibell works at the museum; Annie is his wife. Reisner is an American archeologist whom Emerson doesn't despise. Dr Sophia is a Syrian interested in Nefret's hospital plans. Ramses keeps up a membership at the Gezira Sporting Club and the Turf Club for the gossip. Prince Feisal, the unofficial tennis champion and a good shot, is the son of Sheikh Bashoor of an important Bedouin tribe.
Thebes / Luxor
Abdullah ibn Hassan al Wahhab had been a friend of the Emersons for decades and their reis, foreman, of the excavation team, but events in The Ape Who Guards the Balance , 10, have killed that off. Selim ibn Hassan al Wahhab is Abdullah's youngest son, and he will take over as reis. Daoud had been Abdullah's second-in-command and a nephew. Ali, Ibrahim, and Hassan, Selim's cousin, will be the rest of the men who accompany the Emersons to the Sudan.
The Amelia is the dahabeeyah Emerson had restored for Peabody. Fatima, David's aunt, is the cook/housekeeper aboard her. Mahmud is the steward.
Theodore Davis holds the concession for the Valley of Kings and has no care for scholarship. Mohassib is an antiquities dealer. Abdul works at the Winter Palace, a hotel in Luxor.
Sethos is the Master Criminal, a master of disguise and theft, who has had a lucrative deal going on.
The Sudan
Sir Reginald Wingate is the governor general of the Sudan and based in Khartoum. Seems Sir Reg has no clue about archeology. Farah is the reis and old friend of Emerson's who has a boat. Moncrieff is a gossip and friend of Emerson's too.
The Lost Oasis has . . .
. . . had no contact with the world since refugees from the capital of Meroe found their way there in the fourth century A.D. Prince Tarek became the king of the Holy Mountain in The Last Camel Died at Noon . His wife, Mentarit, died in childbirth. Prince Merasen is a braggart, a jerk, and one of Tarek's brothers. The now-dead Nastasen was another brother. The High Priest Murtek had died, his place taken by Amase, the new High Priest of Isis and First Prophet of Osiris. Bakamani is the High Priest of Aminreh.
Count Amenislo, another of Tarek's brothers, is the overseer of the royal storehouses and Second Prophet of Aminreh, a.k.a. Amon Re. The previous priest in The Last Camel Died at Noon died after a year of imprisonment. The Horus Mankhabale, Son of Re Zekare, Lord of the Two Lands, etc., is Merasen's father. Captain Har encountered the Emerson party first. And Peabody finds his behavior quite odd. Harsetef was one of the soldiers saved by Emerson in The Last Camel Died at Noon ; he has three sons now. The Heneshem, is also the God's Wife of Amon, the highest of the high priestesses. In The Last Camel Died at Noon , the Heneshem had been Nefret's mother. Now their High Priestess of Isis is back. Her maidens are the physicians of the Holy Mountain. Khat is a boy of the rekkit.
Zerwali is the leader of the Bedouins who come along to handle the camels. Masud, a Nubian, hired most of the camels to the Emersons.
Hamish MacFerguson is an archeologist at the pyramid field of Nuri, part of Reisner's Nubian Survey.
Sheikh Nur ed Din, the local ma'mur, lives in Wadi Halfa. We meet Yusuf Sawar in Halfa. Mahmud el Araba is a long-dead friend of Emerson's. Captain Barkdoll is the demanding mudir.
Hunter Newbold is a scummy "great white hunter". Daria of Khartoum is the woman Newbold has acquired. Frau Bergenstein is part of an adventurous women's group who call themselves the wild birds as they flew to the farther reaches of the world. The Reverend and Miss Campbell are brother and sister; he's the impassioned one while she's forced to go along.
Sanam Abu Dom had been headquarters for the British and Egyptian soldiers in The Last Camel Died at Noon . Captain Moroney had met Peabody when he was an assistant surgeon back in '98.
Mahmud Dinar is the sultan of Darfur who profits from the slave trade. Mustapha has provided dwelling space before, and Peabody was not impressed. Kemal leads a band of raiders paid to attack.
The Mahdi's occupation of a region that had once held the Napatan and Meroitic kingdoms has been driving Emerson mad and we're first exposed to this in The Last Camel Died at Noon . Willoughby Forth had been Nefret's father. Reginald Forthright had been Willoughby's nephew. Kemit had been a taciturn part of that team. Nefret had been the thirteen-year-old High Priestess of Isis. The rekkit had been the original inhabitants of the Holy Mountain.
The Carringtons are the Emersons' neighbors in Kent with a niece. Erman is a German with whom Ramses wishes to study. Constable is a publishing company which makes an offer to David. Kevin O'Connell is a star reporter for the Daily Yell and a sometimes friend of the Emersons. Mr Breasted of Chicago had been Ramses' mentor at one point. The Book of Hidden Pearls is a medieval collection of fairy tales. Cook's runs steamers of tourists up and down the Nile. Wilkinson and Gerhard Rolfe are interested in the Holy Mountain. Wallis Budge acquires antiquities, usually illegally, for the British Museum. Mr Fletcher is Nefret's solicitor.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a deep periwinkle blue sky with the setting sun forming a thin line on the distant black horizon. At the bottom is an orangey landscape of desert and hills with camels wandering the desert. In the forefront is a beetle-like pale green scarab with a mosaic of wings, legs, and raised arms behind it. The right edge of the cover is torn revealing a black background. At the very top is an info blurb in yellow. The author's name is immediately below this in white with another info blurb in yellow immediately below it and above the scarab figure. The title begins just below the desert horizon and is in white.
The title is about the sun, the Guardian of the Horizon, of the people of the Lost Oasis.
My Take
Oh lord, this was good! Do read The Last Camel Died at Noon , 6, if you want the background to this particular sequel. And do read the Editor's Note at the beginning of every book. It's not a typical editor's note but a part of the story.
It's death and love revealed (or not). Peters uses both first person protagonist point-of-view from Peabody's perspective and third person protagonist points-of-view from Ramses' and Nefret's perspectives.
Emerson is passionate about the scholarship and proper research. Too much so, as when his ire rises — all too often — he ticks people off. In turn the Service restricts him to boring digs. Nor does it help that he refuses to apply for a firman in advance.
Peabody does describe Ramses well, lol, as a trying child, irritating enough that others wanted to mutilate or murder him, who has grown into a nice-mannered adult. His character arc doesn't make a lot of progress and only continues to harp on not telling Nefret he loves her. It also provides an opening to further speculation about Nefret's life in the Lost Oasis, as well as opening up David's assessment of cross-cultural exposure. This all crops up from events in The Last Camel Died at Noon . It also sets up the lead-in for Prince Merasen and also allows Peters to tidy things up for Nefret.
I can't like Merasen. He's such an immature man and quite the spendthrift with no conscience. And he goes after anyone with that knife of his. He certainly isn't a Tarek!
Ya gotta love Peabody's preparedness and her disinterest in how others perceive her costumes. That parasol of hers certainly has a reputation, lol.
Peabody and Emerson's marital actions are certainly interesting. They do love to manipulate each other into tremendous arguments. As for those marital relations, ooh là là, so Victorian in the descriptions, lol.
Aha, it seems Selim is fascinated by machinery.
The Emersons do NOT approve of tourists, for all the reasons most people despise them. Although it appears that Nefret has met a lady physician who is interested in Nefret's plans to open a hospital in Cairo.
Ooh, Nefret is dang quick to lash out at Ramses, and he's getting better at letting her know he's not impressed. Abdullah has his own way of getting at Peabody, and he only drops vague warnings and hints, lol.
I do enjoy the bits of history Peters throws in. Talking about how the Aswan Dam is changing Egypt is interesting. That tidbit about readying camels for a long expedition was interesting as well.
Emerson is not enamored of religion, in fact "religious persons always use God as an excuse for unprincipled acts", as you'll see in Guardian of the Horizon.
Additional concerns revolve around the fact that the Lost Oasis must remain a secret from the world and the world is much too fascinated with the Emersons.
I'm tellin' ya, it's action aplenty in Guardian. They dabble in archeological pursuits on their way to the Oasis and as a way to throw off suspicion while there as they plot their coup d'etat.
I do adore this series. The characters are beguiling, the history is fascinating especially as Peters weaves real-life events into her stories, and the adventures are continuous with a warm, equal approach to all. I do love how the Emersons give the put down to their fellow, bigoted Europeans as they embrace their workers and the native peoples (well, ya can't really just say Egyptian as then we'd be leaving out the Arabs, the Bedouin, the Nubian, the ...)
The Story
The Emersons get a message that Tarek is in trouble with sickness weakening his people. It's been months since the sicknesses had spread, but an attempt must be made.
It's a troublesome and exciting journey with raiders, enemies, and some rather odd travelers met along the way.
Then the Great Ones encounter the current ruler of the Lost Oasis.
The Characters
Amelia Peabody Emerson, a.k.a. Sitt Hakim (Lady Doctor), loves to entangle herself in everyone's lives. She has quite the fancy for cleanliness, even in donkeys, camels, and horses. Her husband is Professor Radcliffe Emerson, a.k.a. the Father of Curses (Abu Shitaim), a brilliant scholar and excavator. The twenty-year-old Walter "Ramses" Emerson, a.k.a. Brother of Demons, is their son and a skilled linguist and excavator. The twenty-three-year-old Dr Nefret Forth, a.k.a. Nur Misur (Light of Egypt), is a skilled excavator with medical training and a thorough acquaintance with mummies — who has never fallen in love. Horus is Nefret's mean cat, who loves kittens. The twenty-two-year-old David Todros, a skilled copyist and artist, is Ramses' best friend and blood brother, as well as Abdullah's grandson. The Emersons' home in England is Amarna House in Kent. Rose is their housekeeper; Gargery is their nosy butler; and, John is one of the footmen. In the backyard is a small Cushite-styled pyramid over Tabirka's body.
Emerson's younger brother is Walter Emerson, renowned for his scholarly skill in ancient Egyptian languages. He's married to Evelyn ( Crocodile on the Sandbank , 1). Lia is one of their children and engaged to David. Raddie and the twins, Willie and Johnny, are more children. These Emersons primarily live at Chalfont Castle in Yorkshire.
Cairo
M Maspero is the chicken-hearted head of the Service des Antiquités. James Quibell works at the museum; Annie is his wife. Reisner is an American archeologist whom Emerson doesn't despise. Dr Sophia is a Syrian interested in Nefret's hospital plans. Ramses keeps up a membership at the Gezira Sporting Club and the Turf Club for the gossip. Prince Feisal, the unofficial tennis champion and a good shot, is the son of Sheikh Bashoor of an important Bedouin tribe.
Thebes / Luxor
Abdullah ibn Hassan al Wahhab had been a friend of the Emersons for decades and their reis, foreman, of the excavation team, but events in The Ape Who Guards the Balance , 10, have killed that off. Selim ibn Hassan al Wahhab is Abdullah's youngest son, and he will take over as reis. Daoud had been Abdullah's second-in-command and a nephew. Ali, Ibrahim, and Hassan, Selim's cousin, will be the rest of the men who accompany the Emersons to the Sudan.
The Amelia is the dahabeeyah Emerson had restored for Peabody. Fatima, David's aunt, is the cook/housekeeper aboard her. Mahmud is the steward.
Theodore Davis holds the concession for the Valley of Kings and has no care for scholarship. Mohassib is an antiquities dealer. Abdul works at the Winter Palace, a hotel in Luxor.
Sethos is the Master Criminal, a master of disguise and theft, who has had a lucrative deal going on.
The Sudan
Sir Reginald Wingate is the governor general of the Sudan and based in Khartoum. Seems Sir Reg has no clue about archeology. Farah is the reis and old friend of Emerson's who has a boat. Moncrieff is a gossip and friend of Emerson's too.
The Lost Oasis has . . .
. . . had no contact with the world since refugees from the capital of Meroe found their way there in the fourth century A.D. Prince Tarek became the king of the Holy Mountain in The Last Camel Died at Noon . His wife, Mentarit, died in childbirth. Prince Merasen is a braggart, a jerk, and one of Tarek's brothers. The now-dead Nastasen was another brother. The High Priest Murtek had died, his place taken by Amase, the new High Priest of Isis and First Prophet of Osiris. Bakamani is the High Priest of Aminreh.
Count Amenislo, another of Tarek's brothers, is the overseer of the royal storehouses and Second Prophet of Aminreh, a.k.a. Amon Re. The previous priest in The Last Camel Died at Noon died after a year of imprisonment. The Horus Mankhabale, Son of Re Zekare, Lord of the Two Lands, etc., is Merasen's father. Captain Har encountered the Emerson party first. And Peabody finds his behavior quite odd. Harsetef was one of the soldiers saved by Emerson in The Last Camel Died at Noon ; he has three sons now. The Heneshem, is also the God's Wife of Amon, the highest of the high priestesses. In The Last Camel Died at Noon , the Heneshem had been Nefret's mother. Now their High Priestess of Isis is back. Her maidens are the physicians of the Holy Mountain. Khat is a boy of the rekkit.
Zerwali is the leader of the Bedouins who come along to handle the camels. Masud, a Nubian, hired most of the camels to the Emersons.
Hamish MacFerguson is an archeologist at the pyramid field of Nuri, part of Reisner's Nubian Survey.
Sheikh Nur ed Din, the local ma'mur, lives in Wadi Halfa. We meet Yusuf Sawar in Halfa. Mahmud el Araba is a long-dead friend of Emerson's. Captain Barkdoll is the demanding mudir.
Hunter Newbold is a scummy "great white hunter". Daria of Khartoum is the woman Newbold has acquired. Frau Bergenstein is part of an adventurous women's group who call themselves the wild birds as they flew to the farther reaches of the world. The Reverend and Miss Campbell are brother and sister; he's the impassioned one while she's forced to go along.
Sanam Abu Dom had been headquarters for the British and Egyptian soldiers in The Last Camel Died at Noon . Captain Moroney had met Peabody when he was an assistant surgeon back in '98.
Mahmud Dinar is the sultan of Darfur who profits from the slave trade. Mustapha has provided dwelling space before, and Peabody was not impressed. Kemal leads a band of raiders paid to attack.
The Mahdi's occupation of a region that had once held the Napatan and Meroitic kingdoms has been driving Emerson mad and we're first exposed to this in The Last Camel Died at Noon . Willoughby Forth had been Nefret's father. Reginald Forthright had been Willoughby's nephew. Kemit had been a taciturn part of that team. Nefret had been the thirteen-year-old High Priestess of Isis. The rekkit had been the original inhabitants of the Holy Mountain.
The Carringtons are the Emersons' neighbors in Kent with a niece. Erman is a German with whom Ramses wishes to study. Constable is a publishing company which makes an offer to David. Kevin O'Connell is a star reporter for the Daily Yell and a sometimes friend of the Emersons. Mr Breasted of Chicago had been Ramses' mentor at one point. The Book of Hidden Pearls is a medieval collection of fairy tales. Cook's runs steamers of tourists up and down the Nile. Wilkinson and Gerhard Rolfe are interested in the Holy Mountain. Wallis Budge acquires antiquities, usually illegally, for the British Museum. Mr Fletcher is Nefret's solicitor.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a deep periwinkle blue sky with the setting sun forming a thin line on the distant black horizon. At the bottom is an orangey landscape of desert and hills with camels wandering the desert. In the forefront is a beetle-like pale green scarab with a mosaic of wings, legs, and raised arms behind it. The right edge of the cover is torn revealing a black background. At the very top is an info blurb in yellow. The author's name is immediately below this in white with another info blurb in yellow immediately below it and above the scarab figure. The title begins just below the desert horizon and is in white.
The title is about the sun, the Guardian of the Horizon, of the people of the Lost Oasis.
April 4, 2017
A mysterious visitor from a place the Peabody-Emersons visited once before insists he needs their help. Emerson is reluctant to agree but the ladies believe their help is needed so off they go to the Sudan on a journey from which they may not return.
This is one of the best books in the series. It starts off a little slow. Amelia recaps the plot of The Last Camel Died at Noon and no one dies for a long time. I remembered perfectly what happened on the last trip so I didn't need the recap. The story ends up being full of adventure and suspense. I had a hard time putting the book down once the adventure really starts. For a change I liked the story from the viewpoint of Ramses because he is separated from his parents. I could have done without his romantic entanglement. I was surprised he stated straight out he had made love and how it made them feel. Amelia is very Victorian and merely implies Emerson is a very dutiful husband and performs his marital duties very well. That part of the plot served to show that Ramses is human and has emotions. At least he stopped brooding once they realized what was happening.
I didn't trust any of the new characters in this book. I have a highly suspicious mind, much like Emerson and Ramses. I thought something a little different but basically I counted on the political intrigue so that wasn't a surprise. The suspense was in how it would all turn out. I didn't like Merasen from the get go. He wasn't a polite visitor but he made plenty of intrigue. Newbold sounds like a nasty character. Anyone who kills helpless animals is a villain in my book and he just oozed stereotypical villain. His association with Daria was a mystery that wasn't fully explained even after her role in the story was made clear. Daria was a bit of a surprise. I didn't expect anyone like her in the story. I thought her story would end one of two ways so wasn't entirely surprised but it took a couple twists and turns I didn't think of. Captain Moroney was basically pointless but complicated the situation even more. MacFerguson also complicates the story. I figured out the mystery of the "friend" just before Ramses. This is getting a bit ridiculous.
The regulars are all back but the family didn't take David with them. Nefret plays a large role in the story but wasn't actually in it that much. It was a rough time for her even though from a distance it seemed like she was OK. Her letters to Lia really reveal Nefret's true personality and how much her early years scarred her emotionally. It was nice to read those letters and get inside Nefret's head for a change. Amelia was back in fine form, making plans and executing them while Emerson took on a supporting role. For once he thought first and acted later while Amelia was the one pushing for action. Amelia's actions added some humor to the story.
Daoud and Selim also added some humor to the story. I love them both, especially Daoud and I am sure Selim must be incredibly patient and devoted to Abdullah to put up with all the craziness. Daoud is sweet, simple and loyal.
I really can't leave the characters behind and need to read the one last pre-war novel soon!
This is one of the best books in the series. It starts off a little slow. Amelia recaps the plot of The Last Camel Died at Noon and no one dies for a long time. I remembered perfectly what happened on the last trip so I didn't need the recap. The story ends up being full of adventure and suspense. I had a hard time putting the book down once the adventure really starts. For a change I liked the story from the viewpoint of Ramses because he is separated from his parents. I could have done without his romantic entanglement. I was surprised he stated straight out he had made love and how it made them feel. Amelia is very Victorian and merely implies Emerson is a very dutiful husband and performs his marital duties very well. That part of the plot served to show that Ramses is human and has emotions. At least he stopped brooding once they realized what was happening.
I didn't trust any of the new characters in this book. I have a highly suspicious mind, much like Emerson and Ramses. I thought something a little different but basically I counted on the political intrigue so that wasn't a surprise. The suspense was in how it would all turn out. I didn't like Merasen from the get go. He wasn't a polite visitor but he made plenty of intrigue. Newbold sounds like a nasty character. Anyone who kills helpless animals is a villain in my book and he just oozed stereotypical villain. His association with Daria was a mystery that wasn't fully explained even after her role in the story was made clear. Daria was a bit of a surprise. I didn't expect anyone like her in the story. I thought her story would end one of two ways so wasn't entirely surprised but it took a couple twists and turns I didn't think of. Captain Moroney was basically pointless but complicated the situation even more. MacFerguson also complicates the story. I figured out the mystery of the "friend" just before Ramses. This is getting a bit ridiculous.
The regulars are all back but the family didn't take David with them. Nefret plays a large role in the story but wasn't actually in it that much. It was a rough time for her even though from a distance it seemed like she was OK. Her letters to Lia really reveal Nefret's true personality and how much her early years scarred her emotionally. It was nice to read those letters and get inside Nefret's head for a change. Amelia was back in fine form, making plans and executing them while Emerson took on a supporting role. For once he thought first and acted later while Amelia was the one pushing for action. Amelia's actions added some humor to the story.
Daoud and Selim also added some humor to the story. I love them both, especially Daoud and I am sure Selim must be incredibly patient and devoted to Abdullah to put up with all the craziness. Daoud is sweet, simple and loyal.
I really can't leave the characters behind and need to read the one last pre-war novel soon!
November 3, 2015
The Peabody family is back their Manor House in England after Emerson's temper got them banned from The Valley of the Kings. A surprise visitor from the Lost Oasis informs them that Tarek and his heir are sick. and dying. They make plans to return to Lost Oasis. To their dismay arriving in Egypt that the secret is out and they gather unwelcome attention. The trip has many excitements and adventures. At the arrival Tarek is not there to meet and the next day Nefert is missing. Meeting the King they are surprised to find a new monarch on the throne. Rames leaves the group to find where Tarek. Amelia decides they need to find Nefert and all escape and joined Tarek an prevent a war putting Tarek back on his throne. All our friends are there Selim, Daoud, Sethos and several new friends they must succeed if so they can return back to Egypt.
September 6, 2013
I LOVE the Emerson family, but this book was a big letdown. I suppose it was naïve to think I'd like all of Elizabeth Peters's books. The author's goal seemed to bring the characters into normality.
In this novel, Amelia, Emerson, Ramses, and Nefret make mistakes and seem helpless. The whole reason we love them is because they charge in where angels fear to tread and somehow, though sheer force of will, they save the day and emerge unscathed. But most of this book is spent sitting around wondering what to do.
Ramses especially shows a weakness of character and an indecisiveness that is certainly uncharacteristic. Since Elizabeth Peters was going back in time, I think she wanted to highlight that Ramses was just a youth and prone to error. But she forgot that we've read stories of his youth and he was never indecisive or prone to error. Even as a child, he was quick to action and smarter and faster than both Emerson and Amelia.
To sum up, the Emerson family still accomplishes heroic deeds in this book, but their dithering inner monologue is atypical of their previous fearless crusades.
In this novel, Amelia, Emerson, Ramses, and Nefret make mistakes and seem helpless. The whole reason we love them is because they charge in where angels fear to tread and somehow, though sheer force of will, they save the day and emerge unscathed. But most of this book is spent sitting around wondering what to do.
Ramses especially shows a weakness of character and an indecisiveness that is certainly uncharacteristic. Since Elizabeth Peters was going back in time, I think she wanted to highlight that Ramses was just a youth and prone to error. But she forgot that we've read stories of his youth and he was never indecisive or prone to error. Even as a child, he was quick to action and smarter and faster than both Emerson and Amelia.
To sum up, the Emerson family still accomplishes heroic deeds in this book, but their dithering inner monologue is atypical of their previous fearless crusades.
February 8, 2025
Guardian of the Horizon
3 Stars
A visitor from the Lost Oasis arrives with troubling news concerning King Tarek's health, and the Emersons set out to help their old friend. However, a series of mishaps during the journey and the dire state of affairs in the royal household find the Emersons once more fighting for their lives and their freedom in the Nubian desert.
Series note: This is the book #16 in order of publication, but book #11 in chronological order. It is set during the lost season of 1907-1908 (which makes sense given the secrecy surrounding the Lost Oasis). The plot is a virtual repeat of book #6, The Last Camel Died at Noon, and there are numerous references to characters and events detailed in that installment.
Once again, the narrative is presented in two formats - Amelia's first-person perspective and Ramses' third-person POV in the form of excerpts from Manuscript H. There are also occasional first-person letters written by Nefret. The transitions between these sections are seamless, and they not only provide insight into the characters' feelings but also help the reader make sense of the complex sequence of events in the story.
Like The Last Camel Died at Noon, there is no real mystery. Instead, the focus is on the journey and the conflict between the factions at the Lost Oasis, and this is where the problems lie as it is virtually identical to the previous story. Yes, Ramses and Nefret are older and play larger roles , but otherwise, there is nothing new.
Nevertheless, the characters are where this book shines. Amelia's machinations and Emerson's outbursts are hilarious. Readers learn more about Daoud and Selim's personalities, and each is delightful in their own way. They are becoming an integral part of the Emerson family. Nefret and Ramses' push/pull relationship also develops; however, the inclusion of is strange and adds little to either the story or characterization. Finally, it is always fun to see in action.
Overall, this is a good addition to the series, but it is not a favorite.
3 Stars
A visitor from the Lost Oasis arrives with troubling news concerning King Tarek's health, and the Emersons set out to help their old friend. However, a series of mishaps during the journey and the dire state of affairs in the royal household find the Emersons once more fighting for their lives and their freedom in the Nubian desert.
Series note: This is the book #16 in order of publication, but book #11 in chronological order. It is set during the lost season of 1907-1908 (which makes sense given the secrecy surrounding the Lost Oasis). The plot is a virtual repeat of book #6, The Last Camel Died at Noon, and there are numerous references to characters and events detailed in that installment.
Once again, the narrative is presented in two formats - Amelia's first-person perspective and Ramses' third-person POV in the form of excerpts from Manuscript H. There are also occasional first-person letters written by Nefret. The transitions between these sections are seamless, and they not only provide insight into the characters' feelings but also help the reader make sense of the complex sequence of events in the story.
Like The Last Camel Died at Noon, there is no real mystery. Instead, the focus is on the journey and the conflict between the factions at the Lost Oasis, and this is where the problems lie as it is virtually identical to the previous story. Yes, Ramses and Nefret are older and play larger roles , but otherwise, there is nothing new.
Nevertheless, the characters are where this book shines. Amelia's machinations and Emerson's outbursts are hilarious. Readers learn more about Daoud and Selim's personalities, and each is delightful in their own way. They are becoming an integral part of the Emerson family. Nefret and Ramses' push/pull relationship also develops; however, the inclusion of is strange and adds little to either the story or characterization. Finally, it is always fun to see in action.
Overall, this is a good addition to the series, but it is not a favorite.
February 24, 2021
This makes 13 out of the 20 books I have now read from this author's wonderful Amelia Peabody series. I must admit this was not my favorite, but it did fill in a blank or two. I always love the relationship of husband/wife in this series.
Library Loan
Library Loan
July 21, 2020
Certainly not the best, but the worst either. Elizabeth Peters goes back in time in this installment - Ramses and Nefret aren't a couple yet and the whole family has to go back to the place where Nefret was found to rescue Tarek, the man who told them about Nefret in the first place.
Some funny lines and I love spending time with them but it's definitely not the most memorable adventure, especially so close to the end (quiet sob).
Some funny lines and I love spending time with them but it's definitely not the most memorable adventure, especially so close to the end (quiet sob).
March 27, 2021
This was such a struggle as I found it to be too long and quite boring.
August 29, 2020
Surprisingly for the 16th in a long mystery series, this was one of the best entries so far. The Emerson family revisits the mysterious kingdom from which they rescued Nefret in an earlier book, and as usual there is excitement and humor. Somehow this installment manages to retain the enjoyable aspects of the earlier books without becoming tediously repetitious, even though the characters remain true to form.
November 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this installment in the Amelia Peabody series. I love any books that feature Ramses and Neferet, Amelia's children (one by birth, one by adoption). They travel back to Egypt because Neferet says they need to go there, and then she is abducted to become the High Priestess of the people she was originally with. Ramses is worried (because he secretly loves her), and all is well at the end.
November 19, 2011
The book just before this one introduces the twins of Ramses & Nephret, so it was difficult at first to get my mindset back to a time when Nephret treated Ramses as her brother. Once I did that, I was ready to travel with them to the Lost Oasis, This book explained about Nephret's early life. I think if I had known that this was a look back into time, I would have read it before they were married and had twins, but it was still a good read. Actually, I listen to this series - Barbara Rosenblatt is such a great narrator!
April 5, 2016
I am in the process of reading this wonderful mystery adventure series for the fourth time. I consider it comfort reading, and truly enjoy rediscovering the characters over again. Barbara Rosenblat's narration is sublime and she truly brings the characters to life. It was interesting to be able to put a face to her voice when I saw her in, "Orange is the New Black" as "Miss Rosa."
May 28, 2022
This takes place back in time before the other novels, called the lost years. The Emersons are headed back to the Lost Oasis, supposedly due to the king and his son being sick. I would have given 5 stars if it wasn’t for Daria. What the heck? So totally out of character for Ramses, in my opinion at least. Otherwise it was a rip roaring read.
October 23, 2013
A great opus in the Amelia Peabody series. Just know that the plot is situated after "The Ape who Guards the Balance". So it was back in time as far as the series goes but very great. Amelia and Emerson surpassed themselves.
June 29, 2017
Another great installment in the Peabody series. I read the series many years ago and thought I had read them all. It was wonderful to get back into the adventures and distinctive style of writing. I highly recommend reading this series in order.
January 28, 2025
I remember reading the first book or two in this series and not liking the characters. Feeling like I was reading people I couldn't connect with in ANY way. And how is their son so.... Ramses. Precocious. Annoying. Arrogant.
And now, I see them as somewhat imperfect narrators, and yet mostly well-intentioned human beings.
Peters does a great job of connecting the many characters to each other and maintaining those characters and relationship details, even when they aren't active in a particular book. The language seems unnecessarily complex and overwrought at time. But also, like Anne of Green Gables, we have a first person narrator throughout, and the voice of the narrator matches exactly who Amelia (or other characters through Manuscript H sections) is.
I feel like these books bring to life a world and a lifestyle that doesn't exist anymore. There are few undiscovered, secret civilizations out there at this point in our global development (if any). So reading about the sun rising over a hidden mountain community in a vast, barely inhabitable desert is fascinating. And Peters, through Amelia, does a beautiful job of describing much of these foreign landscapes to us.
An enjoyable read, even as we travel back in time, relative to the series timeline. This book fills in some blank years for the Peabody/Emerson family.
And now, I see them as somewhat imperfect narrators, and yet mostly well-intentioned human beings.
Peters does a great job of connecting the many characters to each other and maintaining those characters and relationship details, even when they aren't active in a particular book. The language seems unnecessarily complex and overwrought at time. But also, like Anne of Green Gables, we have a first person narrator throughout, and the voice of the narrator matches exactly who Amelia (or other characters through Manuscript H sections) is.
I feel like these books bring to life a world and a lifestyle that doesn't exist anymore. There are few undiscovered, secret civilizations out there at this point in our global development (if any). So reading about the sun rising over a hidden mountain community in a vast, barely inhabitable desert is fascinating. And Peters, through Amelia, does a beautiful job of describing much of these foreign landscapes to us.
An enjoyable read, even as we travel back in time, relative to the series timeline. This book fills in some blank years for the Peabody/Emerson family.
April 30, 2021
One of my absolute favorites in the series so far!! The Peabody-Emersons are legends! In this volume, the family is persuaded to travel to the oasis region where their now-daughter Nefret was once found. It is a treacherous journey across the desert to get there, not to speak of the treachery they discover at the hand of the king upon arrival. This plot feels like it transports the reader to ancient Egypt in the flesh, because the customs of the people who live in this unique oasis still reflect ancient traditions -- even though the story takes place during 1907-1908. It's a wonderful adventure overall.
*As always with this series, I caution conservative readers that this book contains some mild language, and some implied adult themes.
*As always with this series, I caution conservative readers that this book contains some mild language, and some implied adult themes.
August 13, 2019
Another great Amelia Peabody mystery!!
October 2, 2019
Another well read story.
March 26, 2022
Pure perfection.
August 27, 2025
Out of chronological order for the series, which I found a bit disconcerting, but still a great tale.
May 7, 2024
I was annoyed at first that this wasn't a continuation, but a flash back. But it didn't take long to suck me in! Good stuff!
December 30, 2021
I haven't read this in years. Because it was written long after it's sequence in the Amelia Peabody series, I skip it in my regular rereads. However, this time I decided to listen to it in its proper place, and am glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed it. In this episode Amelia and the family go back to the lost oasis (in modern-day Sudan). As expected, they have a lot of adventures, face danger, and triumph in the end. I enjoyed it thoroughly, particularly some added information about missing pieces of Rameses' and Nefret's histories.
May 12, 2020
2020 Review:
3.5 stars.
I decided to live dangerously and continue my reread chronologically and not in publication order. Chronologically loses something stylistically, however, and I don’t recommend it to new readers. In this first of the two “filler books” (written later to account for missing years and missing Amelia journals), the writing is more like later books and relies far more heavily on Manuscript H than Ape or Falcon did. There are also a few character inconsistencies — Nefret’s medical training is more advanced here than it should be, among other things but I’m nitpicking. Daria’s flimsy character irked me more this read, but returning to the lost Oasis is fun, even if these filler books really break the momentum of the Quartet as well as Ramses and Nefret’s chemistry. MPM wrote this book to flesh out Nefret’s character to her naysayers, though all of this was fleshed out in Amelia’s oblique way all the way back in Camel. Oh well — on wards.
More thoughts below.
————————-
2017 Review:
a favorite novel or series is like a homecoming of sorts, and I delighted in rereading Guardian of the Horizon this time around, ten years later. I haven't read Elizabeth Peters since her last published novel in 2010. Seven years later, in advance of her final post humous publication releasing in a couple weeks in addition to discovering this thought provoking fan fiction in my twitter feed [https://raecharter.tumblr.com/post/16...], I decided to revisit one of my least favorite of her novels.
The books that filled in the "missing years" were never that strong. They disrupt the flow and tension of the quartet. Unlike most of the series, like The Camel Died at Noon, the Guardian of the Horizon is an adventure versus mystery novel. It is of course over the top and ridiculous, modeled after the H. Rider Haggard novels (though this one is lighter and more modern than Camel which was straight up Haggard), and because of that, it is a great deal of fun like all Amelia novels as it never takes itself too seriously.
I highly recommend new readers read in publication, not chronological order. If done this way, I found Guardian of the Horizon to be a revealing book when it comes to building Nefret's character in particular. Though Nefret's actual presence is severely lacking in this installment, what is there and what one must read between the lines is most illuminating. When I first read the novel, I didn't think it made logical sense to impetuously return to the Lost Oasis, but for character development, I much appreciated it this time around. MPM never really allowed for Nefret to resolve the issues tied to her upbringing, but of course that is because both Amelia and Ramses are biased narrators. Nefret clearly had difficult, unresolved issues stemming from the first decade or so of her life, and I felt very bad for her at the end for with whom could she talk to in order to resolve her issues?
Ramses and Daria irked me upon my first read. Now that I'm older and wiser, I could read his actions for what they were. It was very much a rebound, immature relationship. His declaration of love is that of a chivalrous, romantic twenty year old who is more in lust than love but so desperately wants a fulfilling, relationship. He barely knew Daria. (Heck, we barely did. She was a rather weak character, even with Sethos's Big Reveal.) It was a distraction in his long, unrequited longing and of course builds character. Oh, to be twenty.
Otherwise, time with the entire Emerson crew is always delightful and just so much fun; I missed my favorite literary characters, their panache, the innumerable laugh out loud moments, Amelia's abounding "logical solutions," etc. And Ramses. Always Ramses. The later published novels rely more heavily on Manuscript H, to my vast delight.
I'm so excited for the final novel! And if you've never read an Amelia Peabody novel, then you're missing out. Go. Right now.
4 stars.
3.5 stars.
I decided to live dangerously and continue my reread chronologically and not in publication order. Chronologically loses something stylistically, however, and I don’t recommend it to new readers. In this first of the two “filler books” (written later to account for missing years and missing Amelia journals), the writing is more like later books and relies far more heavily on Manuscript H than Ape or Falcon did. There are also a few character inconsistencies — Nefret’s medical training is more advanced here than it should be, among other things but I’m nitpicking. Daria’s flimsy character irked me more this read, but returning to the lost Oasis is fun, even if these filler books really break the momentum of the Quartet as well as Ramses and Nefret’s chemistry. MPM wrote this book to flesh out Nefret’s character to her naysayers, though all of this was fleshed out in Amelia’s oblique way all the way back in Camel. Oh well — on wards.
More thoughts below.
————————-
2017 Review:
a favorite novel or series is like a homecoming of sorts, and I delighted in rereading Guardian of the Horizon this time around, ten years later. I haven't read Elizabeth Peters since her last published novel in 2010. Seven years later, in advance of her final post humous publication releasing in a couple weeks in addition to discovering this thought provoking fan fiction in my twitter feed [https://raecharter.tumblr.com/post/16...], I decided to revisit one of my least favorite of her novels.
The books that filled in the "missing years" were never that strong. They disrupt the flow and tension of the quartet. Unlike most of the series, like The Camel Died at Noon, the Guardian of the Horizon is an adventure versus mystery novel. It is of course over the top and ridiculous, modeled after the H. Rider Haggard novels (though this one is lighter and more modern than Camel which was straight up Haggard), and because of that, it is a great deal of fun like all Amelia novels as it never takes itself too seriously.
I highly recommend new readers read in publication, not chronological order. If done this way, I found Guardian of the Horizon to be a revealing book when it comes to building Nefret's character in particular. Though Nefret's actual presence is severely lacking in this installment, what is there and what one must read between the lines is most illuminating. When I first read the novel, I didn't think it made logical sense to impetuously return to the Lost Oasis, but for character development, I much appreciated it this time around. MPM never really allowed for Nefret to resolve the issues tied to her upbringing, but of course that is because both Amelia and Ramses are biased narrators. Nefret clearly had difficult, unresolved issues stemming from the first decade or so of her life, and I felt very bad for her at the end for with whom could she talk to in order to resolve her issues?
Ramses and Daria irked me upon my first read. Now that I'm older and wiser, I could read his actions for what they were. It was very much a rebound, immature relationship. His declaration of love is that of a chivalrous, romantic twenty year old who is more in lust than love but so desperately wants a fulfilling, relationship. He barely knew Daria. (Heck, we barely did. She was a rather weak character, even with Sethos's Big Reveal.) It was a distraction in his long, unrequited longing and of course builds character. Oh, to be twenty.
Otherwise, time with the entire Emerson crew is always delightful and just so much fun; I missed my favorite literary characters, their panache, the innumerable laugh out loud moments, Amelia's abounding "logical solutions," etc. And Ramses. Always Ramses. The later published novels rely more heavily on Manuscript H, to my vast delight.
I'm so excited for the final novel! And if you've never read an Amelia Peabody novel, then you're missing out. Go. Right now.
4 stars.
December 31, 2020
2nd read: 2020
This little gem follows closely on the heels of “The Ape Who Guards The Balance” and is the first book of the series to be chronological, yet not in publication order. During my first read through of this series, I read the stories in publication order, as not all of the books had been written yet, and I often had to wait long periods for the next installment. Needless to say, reading them through back to back in chronological order is thrilling and refreshing. The Emersons easily take the #1 spot on my list of favored series.
The Emersons have returned to their English home in Kent for the summer of 1907, to resume their various activities as usual. With Ramses on the verge of leaving to study in Germany for a year, the family faces the likelihood of being divided for the coming season. Before they can make any concrete plans, a mysterious visitor turns up, beckoning them to return to the Lost Oasis, the secret and remote primitive civilization they had travelled to a decade earlier, and the birth place their ward, Nefret. Promising to come to the aid of an old friend in need, they make preparations to set off into the desert. Ramses agrees that he cannot abandon his parents and Nefret as they embark on such a perilous journey, and decides that he will have to endure the proximity of his unrequited love a little longer.
This adventure is packed with the usual: Emerson’s tantrums, Amelia’s wit and humor, growing pains between Nefret and Ramses, and plenty of suspicious characters. Not everyone is who he seems to be, and there is always the potential for a certain notorious criminal to surface.
Looking back, this book helps to fill some of the gaps existing if one reads in publication order. Specifically between Nefret and Ramses. With this section of the story in its rightful place, many of the actions and emotional estrangement between the two are clearer. Ramses was particularly boneheaded in this story, but given the breakdown of his once impenetrable stone exterior by the intense emotions raging behind it, I’ll excuse his poor judgment. :)
This little gem follows closely on the heels of “The Ape Who Guards The Balance” and is the first book of the series to be chronological, yet not in publication order. During my first read through of this series, I read the stories in publication order, as not all of the books had been written yet, and I often had to wait long periods for the next installment. Needless to say, reading them through back to back in chronological order is thrilling and refreshing. The Emersons easily take the #1 spot on my list of favored series.
The Emersons have returned to their English home in Kent for the summer of 1907, to resume their various activities as usual. With Ramses on the verge of leaving to study in Germany for a year, the family faces the likelihood of being divided for the coming season. Before they can make any concrete plans, a mysterious visitor turns up, beckoning them to return to the Lost Oasis, the secret and remote primitive civilization they had travelled to a decade earlier, and the birth place their ward, Nefret. Promising to come to the aid of an old friend in need, they make preparations to set off into the desert. Ramses agrees that he cannot abandon his parents and Nefret as they embark on such a perilous journey, and decides that he will have to endure the proximity of his unrequited love a little longer.
This adventure is packed with the usual: Emerson’s tantrums, Amelia’s wit and humor, growing pains between Nefret and Ramses, and plenty of suspicious characters. Not everyone is who he seems to be, and there is always the potential for a certain notorious criminal to surface.
Looking back, this book helps to fill some of the gaps existing if one reads in publication order. Specifically between Nefret and Ramses. With this section of the story in its rightful place, many of the actions and emotional estrangement between the two are clearer. Ramses was particularly boneheaded in this story, but given the breakdown of his once impenetrable stone exterior by the intense emotions raging behind it, I’ll excuse his poor judgment. :)
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