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Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets
138 pages, Paperback
Published December 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 3, 2025
In “Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks - The Emerald Tablets”, Jabril Yousef Faraj leads us into the adventures of two almost-teen friends, Zya and Elijah, who, bored at the end of summer vacation, enter a portal and encounter a world beyond their wildest imaginations. They travel backwards in time, are given magic timepieces to fight the alien lizard species that controls Earth, and search for the keys to the power of this alternate universe. The plot is fast moving, the writing is precise and efficient and each concise chapter leaves you wanting more.
This book is described as young adult fantasy but it will appeal to anyone who likes ancient history, science fiction and lots of action. I can't wait for the next in the series!
This book is described as young adult fantasy but it will appeal to anyone who likes ancient history, science fiction and lots of action. I can't wait for the next in the series!
April 25, 2025
Jabril Yousef Faraj's Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks kicks off a wild, genre-blending ride through time, space, and soul-searching adolescence. It follows Zya, a spunky, sharp twelve-year-old girl with big dreams and an even bigger heart, and her quieter best friend Elijah, a kid with a mind for circuits and logic. When they stumble upon a mysterious portal in the forest behind their neighborhood, they’re launched into a futuristic yet ancient interstellar conflict. There are aliens, time travel, cosmic watches, and high-stakes missions to recover the enigmatic Emerald Tablets—artifacts of immense power tied to humanity’s fate. All of it is steeped in Afro-futurist themes, social commentary, and enough banter to keep it all feeling grounded.
I honestly fell in love with the way Zya is written. She's the kind of kid you root for immediately—complicated, headstrong, sweet, and full of fire. Her thoughts about wanting to be free, wanting to be seen and heard, absolutely resonated with me. It’s not just character-building; it’s emotionally real. Her world feels alive even before aliens and spaceships show up. When the science fiction finally kicks in—like when Zya and Elijah first lay eyes on the glowing portal in the forest and jump through it without hesitation—I was hooked. The pacing is snappy, but not rushed. The way Faraj builds out the Lumerian race, particularly through the elegant and mysterious Maroun and the guide Kelven, is slick and satisfying. The Nimrod (their spaceship) is described in such a cool, cinematic way it’s easy to imagine it.
But what surprised me most was how layered the story is. Faraj isn’t afraid to get deep. The Archons—power-hungry lizard-like overlords—aren’t just sci-fi baddies; they’re stand-ins for systemic oppression. The idea that they’ve used Earth's pyramid structures to send out mind-controlling frequencies is wild, sure, but also kind of genius. It reimagines colonialism and spiritual suppression through a futuristic lens. The Emerald Tablets themselves are introduced with mythic reverence, and their purpose remains just cryptic enough to keep you curious. That said, I think some of the explanations got a little too exposition-heavy—especially in the scenes where Maroun lays out the backstory. It wasn’t bad, just a bit dense for younger readers. Still, the dialogue often balances it out with humor and warmth. Zya and Eli’s dynamic never feels forced. They’re just two kids, caught up in something huge, doing the best they can with sass and heart.
Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets is a blast. It’s heartfelt and hopeful. It manages to feel epic and intimate all at once. If you love sci-fi with strong characters, real-world metaphors, and a touch of magic, this is for you. Teachers and parents looking for a smart, diverse, adventurous read for middle schoolers—grab this.
I honestly fell in love with the way Zya is written. She's the kind of kid you root for immediately—complicated, headstrong, sweet, and full of fire. Her thoughts about wanting to be free, wanting to be seen and heard, absolutely resonated with me. It’s not just character-building; it’s emotionally real. Her world feels alive even before aliens and spaceships show up. When the science fiction finally kicks in—like when Zya and Elijah first lay eyes on the glowing portal in the forest and jump through it without hesitation—I was hooked. The pacing is snappy, but not rushed. The way Faraj builds out the Lumerian race, particularly through the elegant and mysterious Maroun and the guide Kelven, is slick and satisfying. The Nimrod (their spaceship) is described in such a cool, cinematic way it’s easy to imagine it.
But what surprised me most was how layered the story is. Faraj isn’t afraid to get deep. The Archons—power-hungry lizard-like overlords—aren’t just sci-fi baddies; they’re stand-ins for systemic oppression. The idea that they’ve used Earth's pyramid structures to send out mind-controlling frequencies is wild, sure, but also kind of genius. It reimagines colonialism and spiritual suppression through a futuristic lens. The Emerald Tablets themselves are introduced with mythic reverence, and their purpose remains just cryptic enough to keep you curious. That said, I think some of the explanations got a little too exposition-heavy—especially in the scenes where Maroun lays out the backstory. It wasn’t bad, just a bit dense for younger readers. Still, the dialogue often balances it out with humor and warmth. Zya and Eli’s dynamic never feels forced. They’re just two kids, caught up in something huge, doing the best they can with sass and heart.
Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets is a blast. It’s heartfelt and hopeful. It manages to feel epic and intimate all at once. If you love sci-fi with strong characters, real-world metaphors, and a touch of magic, this is for you. Teachers and parents looking for a smart, diverse, adventurous read for middle schoolers—grab this.
January 11, 2026
This book's cover was run through publicly available AI detection software, and comes back to 100% likeliness of AI use in its creation. Within the front matter of the book, specifically on its copyright page, there is no cover designer cited.
Within, taken through Amazon's "read sample", the inside text returned a high likelihood (92% to be exact) of AI assisting in its creation; meaning a prompt was created and then tweaked/doctored.
Demand human voices. Demand human art. Stop generative AI. It's trained by unlicensed (stolen) works of real authors and artists.
To the author: I'm sure this was a great idea, but take the time to learn the craft, invest in yourself and in the story you want to tell.
Within, taken through Amazon's "read sample", the inside text returned a high likelihood (92% to be exact) of AI assisting in its creation; meaning a prompt was created and then tweaked/doctored.
Demand human voices. Demand human art. Stop generative AI. It's trained by unlicensed (stolen) works of real authors and artists.
To the author: I'm sure this was a great idea, but take the time to learn the craft, invest in yourself and in the story you want to tell.
April 11, 2025
I liked it more than I thought I would. The plot was well written and I was hooked from the start. It reminded me somehow of the "The Last Kids on Earth" show and I can see the potential of this book/series to make a good Kids tv show too. Highly recommend and I will ask my son to read it as soon as he reaches pre-teen age.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews