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Wardens of Eternity
Ziva Ellison has one memory of her parents, made the day they abandoned her on the streets of New York City when she was three years old. They left her with only a memory and a promise that she had a great and terrible destiny.
Fifteen years later, Ziva discovers that destiny includes powers that she doesn’t understand and can barely control. Her magic attracts vicious, otherworldly monsters, and eventually compatriots to help her fight them. Sayer and Nasira know the secrets Ziva doesn’t; that Ziva is descended from Egyptian royalty and in possession of ancient magic passed down from the time of the gods. They promise to teach Ziva to control her magic and to give her the family she’s always yearned for.
But trouble is brewing in the world around them; darkness is descending on Hitler’s Germany, threatening World War II. As the last heir of a revered Egyptian queen, Ziva is the only one with the power to prevent another costly global conflict. As Ziva navigates her newfound abilities and makes a connection with Anubis and other Egyptian gods, the Nazis are hunting for the ultimate weapon, and Ziva has caught their interest.
Fifteen years later, Ziva discovers that destiny includes powers that she doesn’t understand and can barely control. Her magic attracts vicious, otherworldly monsters, and eventually compatriots to help her fight them. Sayer and Nasira know the secrets Ziva doesn’t; that Ziva is descended from Egyptian royalty and in possession of ancient magic passed down from the time of the gods. They promise to teach Ziva to control her magic and to give her the family she’s always yearned for.
But trouble is brewing in the world around them; darkness is descending on Hitler’s Germany, threatening World War II. As the last heir of a revered Egyptian queen, Ziva is the only one with the power to prevent another costly global conflict. As Ziva navigates her newfound abilities and makes a connection with Anubis and other Egyptian gods, the Nazis are hunting for the ultimate weapon, and Ziva has caught their interest.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2020
28 people are currently reading
4121 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Allison Moulton
12 books2,255 followersCourtney Allison Moulton lives in rural Michigan with her family, horse, donkey, and a flock of spoiled sheep. When she isn't studying ancient civilizations or writing about magic and monsters, she's busy with farm chores. Her debut novel ANGELFIRE was published when she was just 24 years old.
For more information about Courtney, visit her online at www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com.
For more information about Courtney, visit her online at www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
January 26, 2020
I’m right in the middle with this book. There were parts I loved and there were parts that I just wanted to skip over. The idea is absolutely fascinating and I could have read about it for days. Egyptian mythology and WWII mixed together is a sure fire way to grab my attention! The parts that focused on those two aspects were absolutely stellar and I adored them. What I enjoyed less was the characters and the love story. The characters just seemed flat and didn’t really make me feel anything and the insta-love was a bit of stretch. All in all there was both good and bad to this book and I still do think it’s worth a read because the subject matter is very captivating!
February 9, 2020
It was perfect absolutely everything I wanted and a little more. A good mixed of action, friendship, romance, found family and self-discovery.
The mythology was good somethings I knew and some I did not know witch made it interesting. Different Egyptian mythology creatures some common and some I had never seen before.
I liked how the romance was very slow burn even though it took place over one book. It went from being strangers to attraction to being friends to becoming more than friends but very slowly over the course of the book and not in a few chapters.
Was very easy to read, very easy to get into and though I enjoyed the book a great deal I do have a question. Is this a stand-alone or is it the beginning of a series or duology? Because the ending left me feeling like there should at least be one more book even though Goodreads says it is a standalone.
And for my Final note I did not see that last page coming I hoped for it but did not think It would really happen but I'm glad it did!
The mythology was good somethings I knew and some I did not know witch made it interesting. Different Egyptian mythology creatures some common and some I had never seen before.
I liked how the romance was very slow burn even though it took place over one book. It went from being strangers to attraction to being friends to becoming more than friends but very slowly over the course of the book and not in a few chapters.
Was very easy to read, very easy to get into and though I enjoyed the book a great deal I do have a question. Is this a stand-alone or is it the beginning of a series or duology? Because the ending left me feeling like there should at least be one more book even though Goodreads says it is a standalone.
And for my Final note I did not see that last page coming I hoped for it but did not think It would really happen but I'm glad it did!
January 23, 2020
3.5
Ziva Ellison has been on her own for most of her life and never truly understood where she fits in New York society. When powers attract monsters—and people with the answers she needs—she embarks on an adventure she could not have anticipated, one full of Egyptian mythology and World War II drama, secrets and betrayal and even a bit of romance.
"I’d always been so afraid that receiving someone’s pity and sympathy would make me feel weak and sorry for myself. I’d been so wrong. This was compassion, and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone anymore."
Courtney Allison Moulton’s Wardens of Eternity has an incredible premise, a few great twists, and an ending that left me wanting more. While I felt a touch confused at times, I still enjoyed my time with this YA historical fantasy, and if you are a reader of the genre, I bet you could, too.
This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Ziva Ellison has been on her own for most of her life and never truly understood where she fits in New York society. When powers attract monsters—and people with the answers she needs—she embarks on an adventure she could not have anticipated, one full of Egyptian mythology and World War II drama, secrets and betrayal and even a bit of romance.
"I’d always been so afraid that receiving someone’s pity and sympathy would make me feel weak and sorry for myself. I’d been so wrong. This was compassion, and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone anymore."
Courtney Allison Moulton’s Wardens of Eternity has an incredible premise, a few great twists, and an ending that left me wanting more. While I felt a touch confused at times, I still enjoyed my time with this YA historical fantasy, and if you are a reader of the genre, I bet you could, too.
This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
January 8, 2020
Have got to get my hands on the sequel.
May 15, 2021
Ziva Ellison’s only memory of her parents is the day they abandoned her in NYC when she was three. 15 years later, Ziva has a power she doesn’t understand and can barely control. When her magic attracts deadly otherworldly monsters, and she’s taken under the wing of Sayer and Nasira who tell Ziva she’s a descendant of Egyptian royalty. With World War 2 looming, Ziva has the power to prevent global conflict, but at what cost?
I feel like I really don’t have much to say about this book… but here goes. I didn’t hate it, and it wasn’t bad. But I didn’t love it and it wasn’t great. It felt to me like a very standard YA fantasy book, mediocre and average. The writing was pretty good, but nothing stood out to me that would make this book very memorable later on. The characters were also pretty standard, with the main character being slightly annoying at times: she was constantly talking/acting like she was tough and wouldn’t be defined by her past and circumstances, and yet with the same breath seemed to portray herself as a victim of the world around her. And the love portion really didn’t convince me; it felt like insta-love and I was 0% invested in it.
BUT, while the story and characters were a bit lackluster for me, I truly loved the Egyptian mythology and cultural aspects. Always having been a fan of mythology, I really enjoyed the insight into the Egyptian gods of ancient Egypt. I could tell that Moulton knew what she was talking about and was very passionate about Egyptian history, and I truly appreciated that. This book felt like it could’ve been something on par with Rick Riordan’s books, but it lacked that special “ingredient” to pull me in. Despite having its own spin, it felt like I’d read it before in other moderately interesting YA books, and I don’t feel intrigued enough to read any sequels that release in the future.
I feel like I really don’t have much to say about this book… but here goes. I didn’t hate it, and it wasn’t bad. But I didn’t love it and it wasn’t great. It felt to me like a very standard YA fantasy book, mediocre and average. The writing was pretty good, but nothing stood out to me that would make this book very memorable later on. The characters were also pretty standard, with the main character being slightly annoying at times: she was constantly talking/acting like she was tough and wouldn’t be defined by her past and circumstances, and yet with the same breath seemed to portray herself as a victim of the world around her. And the love portion really didn’t convince me; it felt like insta-love and I was 0% invested in it.
BUT, while the story and characters were a bit lackluster for me, I truly loved the Egyptian mythology and cultural aspects. Always having been a fan of mythology, I really enjoyed the insight into the Egyptian gods of ancient Egypt. I could tell that Moulton knew what she was talking about and was very passionate about Egyptian history, and I truly appreciated that. This book felt like it could’ve been something on par with Rick Riordan’s books, but it lacked that special “ingredient” to pull me in. Despite having its own spin, it felt like I’d read it before in other moderately interesting YA books, and I don’t feel intrigued enough to read any sequels that release in the future.
November 2, 2019
Egypt, Mythology, gods, WWII. Love the cover art very impressive. This story was fast passed and held my interest for the most part. Characters were flat and their emotions were kind of all over the place. Ending hinted at this being the start of a series. "A copy of this book was provided by Blink via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."
January 22, 2020
This was a relatively fun YA adventure! I really enjoying the historical and mythological aspect of the story. The cover art is gorgeous, the world building was beautifully done, the storyline is fantastic! However, the characters really fell flat for me. I'd still recommend and would enjoy reading a sequel.
November 8, 2019
Courtney Moulton, author of the YA series Angelfire, brings us a new young adult fantasy book, Wardens of Eternity. The story opens in New York City in 1939, on the cusp of World War II. Ziva grew up in an orphanage and is now trying to eke out a living as a factory worker, and she uses her free time to research her unknown heritage. She soon finds answers when she is attacked by magical creatures and rescued by two Medjai, protectors of the pharaohs from Northern Africa – and she is a missing member of their people.
Wardens of Eternity is an action-packed adventure tale, filled with Egyptian mythology, magic training, romance, betrayal, and battles with the gods. As Ziva discovers the extent of her abilities and the world she was born into, she also learns her place in it. This is a great option for fans of The Mummy (1999), teens who grew up reading Rick Riordan, especially the Kane Chronicles, and is a read-alike for Kiersten White. I’d also recommend it to libraries wanting to add to their Own Voices collection; Moulton’s ancestry includes North African Algerian-Amazigh, similar to Ziva’s.
Wardens of Eternity is an action-packed adventure tale, filled with Egyptian mythology, magic training, romance, betrayal, and battles with the gods. As Ziva discovers the extent of her abilities and the world she was born into, she also learns her place in it. This is a great option for fans of The Mummy (1999), teens who grew up reading Rick Riordan, especially the Kane Chronicles, and is a read-alike for Kiersten White. I’d also recommend it to libraries wanting to add to their Own Voices collection; Moulton’s ancestry includes North African Algerian-Amazigh, similar to Ziva’s.
September 21, 2019
4.5 stars for that “holy shit, I did not see that last page coming” ending. There’s also the historical aspect, too, that I ate up. I’m dinging on the leadership point I made in my progress comments but other than that, no super horrible cliffhanger! Just an overwhelming desire to get to the rest of the story. Thank you so much for that 😉❤️
Oh yeah, I read the ARC, Thank you Blink! Yada, yada, yada...
Oh yeah, I read the ARC, Thank you Blink! Yada, yada, yada...
Want to read
August 20, 2019Release date January 21, 2020! And it has a cover too!!! Yay!!
January 2, 2020
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yafict...
WARDENS OF ETERNITY follows Ziva, a young woman who was abandoned as a toddler, became a ward of the state, and is now making her own way by working in a factory. Ziva carries magical powers that she does not fully understand, but she only uses them in self-defense. However, one day, a confrontation with some beasts leads to her learning that there are others like her- a group that she once belonged to with her parents.
As she travels with these new companions, she learns that there are much bigger forces at play- particularly those gods/goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Ziva has a destiny that must be fulfilled and she must learn quickly to protect herself and the people around her.
What I loved: This story is quite creative, and I loved the historical fantasy setting (set around 1938 and the beginnings of WWII) plus the other tidbits about life in the 30s/finding work, and racism. This seemed really unique from these perspectives, and some interesting discussions about racism and societal shifts around this add good perspectives to the book. For instance, the questions of where are you from, people with not-white skin being viewed as outsiders, and other similar things. These are discussed when they pop up, and I felt that this was handled in a way that can bring attention to these issues, which are still present today.
What left me wanting more: The fantasy part felt a little forced, and I understood Ziva's powers as well as she does at the start. Additionally, the book is in the first person perspective, but I did not feel that we really entered Ziva's mind. For the most part, the book could have been third person without any true insight or delving into her psyche. Conversation was often stilted and things happen very fast with slow pauses inbetween, making the pacing a little awkward. I also didn't fully understand why she is so quick to trust some and not others.
Final verdict: WARDENS OF ETERNITY shows a lot of potential with an interesting premise that would be interesting to continue. The historical setting is particularly well done, and Egyptian mythology was very well researched with lots for the readers to learn throughout. I would recommend for fans of Cassandra Clare's THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
WARDENS OF ETERNITY follows Ziva, a young woman who was abandoned as a toddler, became a ward of the state, and is now making her own way by working in a factory. Ziva carries magical powers that she does not fully understand, but she only uses them in self-defense. However, one day, a confrontation with some beasts leads to her learning that there are others like her- a group that she once belonged to with her parents.
As she travels with these new companions, she learns that there are much bigger forces at play- particularly those gods/goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Ziva has a destiny that must be fulfilled and she must learn quickly to protect herself and the people around her.
What I loved: This story is quite creative, and I loved the historical fantasy setting (set around 1938 and the beginnings of WWII) plus the other tidbits about life in the 30s/finding work, and racism. This seemed really unique from these perspectives, and some interesting discussions about racism and societal shifts around this add good perspectives to the book. For instance, the questions of where are you from, people with not-white skin being viewed as outsiders, and other similar things. These are discussed when they pop up, and I felt that this was handled in a way that can bring attention to these issues, which are still present today.
What left me wanting more: The fantasy part felt a little forced, and I understood Ziva's powers as well as she does at the start. Additionally, the book is in the first person perspective, but I did not feel that we really entered Ziva's mind. For the most part, the book could have been third person without any true insight or delving into her psyche. Conversation was often stilted and things happen very fast with slow pauses inbetween, making the pacing a little awkward. I also didn't fully understand why she is so quick to trust some and not others.
Final verdict: WARDENS OF ETERNITY shows a lot of potential with an interesting premise that would be interesting to continue. The historical setting is particularly well done, and Egyptian mythology was very well researched with lots for the readers to learn throughout. I would recommend for fans of Cassandra Clare's THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS.
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
March 7, 2025
2.75 stars!
Soooo backstory: I got this book for free (as an ARC) at my school for a "blind date with a book" event on Valentine's Day! It came with adorable stickers and a hope that this novel will be a trope-filled, romantasy vibes masterpiece. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
If I had to choose one word to describe this book, I would choose SILLY. Like the plot was kind of there? The character dialogue was not. The ancient history aspect was kind of cool? The lack of character depth was not. A very VERY fast paced plot, this book intrigued me in the same way that a Wattpad story does -- just enough to keep you reading but not enough to consider it a memorable piece of literature. There were a lot of inconsistencies and inaccuracies (how did this girl learn how to fight all of a sudden and doesn't ever get hurt or tired?) that pained me for sure. Yet, the romance was like lowkey not bad? The ending was awful, I fear.
Thank goodness this book was not actually published, and I never had to spend money on it! Love a silly, free book I guess! <3
Favorite Quotes:
"'I watched them take their first breaths and live their lives and die. I've walked among the fallen in battle, among hospital beds filled with the sick. I have seen life and death for so long and so close that these are tangible things to me now. I feel death in my fingertips and I taste life on my tongue. I'll never be able to teach you the value of mortal life, because you can't feel a thing."'
"'Death is only the beginning. It's the gateway of a mortal's transcendence to immortality. Death is not always beautiful to behold, but the endless peace awaiting a soul is indeed."'
"'Love on a human's face is unforgettable. It's the only place where such a thing becomes tangible. Love is on your lips, your cheeks, and it's brightest in your eyes, like starlight against the nothingness. When you look at the lady, I know love. I see it."'
Soooo backstory: I got this book for free (as an ARC) at my school for a "blind date with a book" event on Valentine's Day! It came with adorable stickers and a hope that this novel will be a trope-filled, romantasy vibes masterpiece. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
If I had to choose one word to describe this book, I would choose SILLY. Like the plot was kind of there? The character dialogue was not. The ancient history aspect was kind of cool? The lack of character depth was not. A very VERY fast paced plot, this book intrigued me in the same way that a Wattpad story does -- just enough to keep you reading but not enough to consider it a memorable piece of literature. There were a lot of inconsistencies and inaccuracies (how did this girl learn how to fight all of a sudden and doesn't ever get hurt or tired?) that pained me for sure. Yet, the romance was like lowkey not bad? The ending was awful, I fear.
Thank goodness this book was not actually published, and I never had to spend money on it! Love a silly, free book I guess! <3
Favorite Quotes:
"'I watched them take their first breaths and live their lives and die. I've walked among the fallen in battle, among hospital beds filled with the sick. I have seen life and death for so long and so close that these are tangible things to me now. I feel death in my fingertips and I taste life on my tongue. I'll never be able to teach you the value of mortal life, because you can't feel a thing."'
"'Death is only the beginning. It's the gateway of a mortal's transcendence to immortality. Death is not always beautiful to behold, but the endless peace awaiting a soul is indeed."'
"'Love on a human's face is unforgettable. It's the only place where such a thing becomes tangible. Love is on your lips, your cheeks, and it's brightest in your eyes, like starlight against the nothingness. When you look at the lady, I know love. I see it."'
September 4, 2019
This book fell right into two of my niche interests: Ancient Egyptian Mythology and World War II. It was an interesting combination that the author executed almost perfectly. The world building is carefully planned, though the explanation of magic spells was a bit rushed. I especially enjoyed the humanization and depiction of the Egyptian gods. However, the climax of the story was very predictable, and the ending kind of fell flat for me. Magic was used to yada yada through a lot of the plot, like how practically everyone seems to escape dangerous situations majorly unharmed. Though the ending for me personally wasn't as dramatic as the author probably intended, I'm excited to see what this ending means for the second book. Overall, the book isn't perfect, but I did enjoy the orginality immensely.
February 25, 2020
I wish I could rate the first half of the book and the second half of the book, because they’d have very different ratings. The first half was slow and choppy and not at all what I was expecting from one of my favorite authors; I’d rate it one star, which I almost never do! But the second half of this book was full of adventure and action and loss, and I sped right through it; I’d rate the second half as 3.5/4 stars! I’m not sure what changed, but suddenly I was falling in love with story and the characters and the romance. I really hope that the second book keeps at the same pace as the second half of this one!!
July 15, 2020
This is my second in a row "young girl left on the street corner by her parents who never came back for her" book. Ziva has grown up in an orphanage and toils endlessly in a factory without earning enough money to survive. When she is attacked by supernatural creatures, she is rescued by people who look just like her. They inform her that her destiny is to resurrect Queen Nefertari by finding four canopic jars and the queen's heart. Ziva accomplishes this but her heart is broken when she realizes she has been deceived. This was a lot like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" complete with evil Nazis. I just didn't like any of the characters, especially Ziva, and don't know why Anubis became her flunky.
January 25, 2020
DNF
Sadly this book didn't meet my expectations. The idea of the story sounded really interesting and the start of the book had my attention but I found the writing to be quite poor. The characters and their conversation was really stilted and alot of the changes were just so unrealistic, even for fantasy!
I found it to be rather confused and wish they has stuck to her story without going to read about the gods (which was boring and rather ridiculous).
I wish I liked it more as it had such promise but it is a DNF for me.
This book was gifted in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly this book didn't meet my expectations. The idea of the story sounded really interesting and the start of the book had my attention but I found the writing to be quite poor. The characters and their conversation was really stilted and alot of the changes were just so unrealistic, even for fantasy!
I found it to be rather confused and wish they has stuck to her story without going to read about the gods (which was boring and rather ridiculous).
I wish I liked it more as it had such promise but it is a DNF for me.
This book was gifted in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2023
Oh, this was a fantastic read, I loved this world and the magic system, and watching Ziva deal with everything! I'm hoping there's going to be a sequel!
October 23, 2019
3.75/5 stars
This book was a bit all over the place for me. I sometimes loved it, sometimes felt bored, and other times had no idea what I even felt. I've been trying to digest my thoughts, but it's a bit difficult for me to truly give then out. I did enjoy this for the most part, so I decided to round up my rating.
The plot was interesting and definitely unique. I lived all the Egyptian mythology that this book covered. Mythology is always one of my favorite topics in general, so seeing them p uhh tninto a book usually makes me very excited! I thought the mythology was done really well, and I appreciate the fact that the author included the many Gods that are relevant in the mythology. So with that said, I actually had issues with the World War 2 aspect. The story itself was well done, but the inclusion of WW2 just felt off to me throughout the entire thing. While I understand why it was included and its meaning for the bigger picture, I still don't think it should've been as prominent as it is. It just throws off the story for me on multiple occasions, enough times that I actually lowered my rating.
Characters are a mixed bag. I like Ziva, Sayer and Nasira, but I had quite a few issues with each of them. Some of their actions or conversations make no sense for what the scene is presenting, so I found myself frustrated at moments. I also have to point out that I didn't love any of them. I liked them for the most part, but even after a few hours I start to forget some of their details. They're a bit forgettable, especially a character who gets offed. I hope the characters get improved in the next book, as this was a major issue for me.
I'd say that if this book interests you to give it a shot! Keep in mind that it may not be the best start for a series, but it does bring new and interesting ideas to the table to keep you entertained.
ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was a bit all over the place for me. I sometimes loved it, sometimes felt bored, and other times had no idea what I even felt. I've been trying to digest my thoughts, but it's a bit difficult for me to truly give then out. I did enjoy this for the most part, so I decided to round up my rating.
The plot was interesting and definitely unique. I lived all the Egyptian mythology that this book covered. Mythology is always one of my favorite topics in general, so seeing them p uhh tninto a book usually makes me very excited! I thought the mythology was done really well, and I appreciate the fact that the author included the many Gods that are relevant in the mythology. So with that said, I actually had issues with the World War 2 aspect. The story itself was well done, but the inclusion of WW2 just felt off to me throughout the entire thing. While I understand why it was included and its meaning for the bigger picture, I still don't think it should've been as prominent as it is. It just throws off the story for me on multiple occasions, enough times that I actually lowered my rating.
Characters are a mixed bag. I like Ziva, Sayer and Nasira, but I had quite a few issues with each of them. Some of their actions or conversations make no sense for what the scene is presenting, so I found myself frustrated at moments. I also have to point out that I didn't love any of them. I liked them for the most part, but even after a few hours I start to forget some of their details. They're a bit forgettable, especially a character who gets offed. I hope the characters get improved in the next book, as this was a major issue for me.
I'd say that if this book interests you to give it a shot! Keep in mind that it may not be the best start for a series, but it does bring new and interesting ideas to the table to keep you entertained.
ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 29, 2020
I don't even know where to begin with this book. When I saw the gorgeous cover I simply had to read this. I was lucky enough to be sent a stunning ARC of it and I could not wait to start reading. But gosh, how fast this joy turned to dread. Since this book was nowhere near as good as I thought it would be. I'm disappointed.
And so I have to give this book one star. Simply because I spent most of my time reading it hating it. Which makes me both angry and sad. This book looks so special and sounded good too. But it was not. And I have so much I wish to share about it all. Minimal spoilers for the story. Just sharing everything else I disliked. Ack.
I wish my review could be positive. I wish I had a bunch of good things to say about this book. But I do not. I pretty much hated it from start to finish. Which breaks my heart a little bit. This whole book was such a mess. There were things that could have been great. But I did not feel like any of it were done well enough at all. Which brings me to my worst problem with this whole book. The writing. I could not stand it for one moment even. It was so awful. Every single thing was described like crazy. This girl seemed to be able to tell everything about a person or a thing by just looking at it. And every thing was described. All the time. It was maddening. I had such a hard time focusing. Because there was so little story; only descriptions. And they were not good at all.
This book tells the story of Ziva. She was abandoned by her parents when she was three years old. She was raised in an orphanage. Spending all her time alone, no friends, no family. I actually really liked the beginning. Reading a little about Ziva and the poor life she had growing up. But that didn't last long. Sigh. The book takes place in 1939. There are mentions of the nazis. Which did not fit in at all. And it was fully silly to read about. Ugh. They were also barely there; supposedly interested in Ziva and her powers. Ha.
Ziva was treated as an outsider her entire childhood, because of her not being white. She did not know where she came from, who her parents where. She only knew that she looks different. And that she might be from Egypt. I liked Ziva a lot in the first pages of the book. But then the book really started and I could not care less about her. I tried to love her. But I felt nothing at all for these characters. They had no spark. No personality. I think it must be because of the terrible writing. Made it impossible to feel for any of them.
This book mentions magic. That Ziva have had magic for as long as she can remember. Her hands have sparks. It was weird. And this magic was never really explained. Ziva gets attacked by ancient Egyptian creatures. With two teenagers saving her. And they see that she is the lost girl they have been looking for all their life. Ha. And she is special. She has the soul of a thousands of years old Egyptian queen. Only she can bring her back to life again, to save them all from the germans and war. Yeah. It was odd. Sigh.
These two teenagers tell her to come with them, to learn about herself and her past. And as they look just like her, and so beautiful, she just leaves with them. Without saying goodbye to the two people she knew. Without returning a library book she had just gotten to loan. Without getting any of her stuff from her small apartment. That was simply weird. And bothered me for ages, haha. She just left with them. First to their hideout or whatever. Then from New York to London. Then later to Cairo as well. They were all very rich.
But yes. The magic. She learn she is part of a group with special powers that all know magic. She begins training with them, learning to read hieroglyphs. And she learns everything super fast. She's awesome at fighting and doing magic after just a couple of days. Yeah. Not realistic. She was skinny and starved. She should not have been able to fight for a long time. She shouldn't have been able to remember everything so fast either. Also, she learns new magic spells in one day. And knows them all. What. It made no sense.
And she calls them all her family. The two teenagers she just met. And she is falling in love with the boy, Sayer, right away. Of course. The writing was so awkward that it was impossible to ship these two. She trained for a few days. Off page. Then they sort of go into battle and she's amazing at it. Of course. Then there were the immortals. Because of course an Egypt story must have gods as well. Which could have been great. But they were thousands of years old and acted worse than teenagers. It was just awkward.
There isn't much for me to say about this book. It is about Ziva travelling with these new people she just met to try bringing a long dead goddess back to life. Most of the book was all about descriptions of things. It was not good. Sigh. The almost romance was just bad. The ending of this book was even worse. What. Dramatic and beyond silly. I simply did not care one bit for any of these characters. But I wanted to. The setting was so interesting and I wanted more. But it was not done well enough at all, not for me, at least.
I shall not say much more about this book. One star, because I did not like it at all. It bothered me from start to finish. I wish I had loved it. But I didn't. The Egypt customs and such could have been amazing. But the writing did not make it seem so, sadly. Wardens of Eternity was such a disappointment to me. I wanted so much more. But I tried to like it, and I did finish it. Curious to know what others think. Thank you so much to Harper360 UK for sending me a free ARC to read and review. I'm sorry I hated this one.
---
This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
And so I have to give this book one star. Simply because I spent most of my time reading it hating it. Which makes me both angry and sad. This book looks so special and sounded good too. But it was not. And I have so much I wish to share about it all. Minimal spoilers for the story. Just sharing everything else I disliked. Ack.
I wish my review could be positive. I wish I had a bunch of good things to say about this book. But I do not. I pretty much hated it from start to finish. Which breaks my heart a little bit. This whole book was such a mess. There were things that could have been great. But I did not feel like any of it were done well enough at all. Which brings me to my worst problem with this whole book. The writing. I could not stand it for one moment even. It was so awful. Every single thing was described like crazy. This girl seemed to be able to tell everything about a person or a thing by just looking at it. And every thing was described. All the time. It was maddening. I had such a hard time focusing. Because there was so little story; only descriptions. And they were not good at all.
This book tells the story of Ziva. She was abandoned by her parents when she was three years old. She was raised in an orphanage. Spending all her time alone, no friends, no family. I actually really liked the beginning. Reading a little about Ziva and the poor life she had growing up. But that didn't last long. Sigh. The book takes place in 1939. There are mentions of the nazis. Which did not fit in at all. And it was fully silly to read about. Ugh. They were also barely there; supposedly interested in Ziva and her powers. Ha.
Ziva was treated as an outsider her entire childhood, because of her not being white. She did not know where she came from, who her parents where. She only knew that she looks different. And that she might be from Egypt. I liked Ziva a lot in the first pages of the book. But then the book really started and I could not care less about her. I tried to love her. But I felt nothing at all for these characters. They had no spark. No personality. I think it must be because of the terrible writing. Made it impossible to feel for any of them.
This book mentions magic. That Ziva have had magic for as long as she can remember. Her hands have sparks. It was weird. And this magic was never really explained. Ziva gets attacked by ancient Egyptian creatures. With two teenagers saving her. And they see that she is the lost girl they have been looking for all their life. Ha. And she is special. She has the soul of a thousands of years old Egyptian queen. Only she can bring her back to life again, to save them all from the germans and war. Yeah. It was odd. Sigh.
These two teenagers tell her to come with them, to learn about herself and her past. And as they look just like her, and so beautiful, she just leaves with them. Without saying goodbye to the two people she knew. Without returning a library book she had just gotten to loan. Without getting any of her stuff from her small apartment. That was simply weird. And bothered me for ages, haha. She just left with them. First to their hideout or whatever. Then from New York to London. Then later to Cairo as well. They were all very rich.
But yes. The magic. She learn she is part of a group with special powers that all know magic. She begins training with them, learning to read hieroglyphs. And she learns everything super fast. She's awesome at fighting and doing magic after just a couple of days. Yeah. Not realistic. She was skinny and starved. She should not have been able to fight for a long time. She shouldn't have been able to remember everything so fast either. Also, she learns new magic spells in one day. And knows them all. What. It made no sense.
And she calls them all her family. The two teenagers she just met. And she is falling in love with the boy, Sayer, right away. Of course. The writing was so awkward that it was impossible to ship these two. She trained for a few days. Off page. Then they sort of go into battle and she's amazing at it. Of course. Then there were the immortals. Because of course an Egypt story must have gods as well. Which could have been great. But they were thousands of years old and acted worse than teenagers. It was just awkward.
There isn't much for me to say about this book. It is about Ziva travelling with these new people she just met to try bringing a long dead goddess back to life. Most of the book was all about descriptions of things. It was not good. Sigh. The almost romance was just bad. The ending of this book was even worse. What. Dramatic and beyond silly. I simply did not care one bit for any of these characters. But I wanted to. The setting was so interesting and I wanted more. But it was not done well enough at all, not for me, at least.
I shall not say much more about this book. One star, because I did not like it at all. It bothered me from start to finish. I wish I had loved it. But I didn't. The Egypt customs and such could have been amazing. But the writing did not make it seem so, sadly. Wardens of Eternity was such a disappointment to me. I wanted so much more. But I tried to like it, and I did finish it. Curious to know what others think. Thank you so much to Harper360 UK for sending me a free ARC to read and review. I'm sorry I hated this one.
---
This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books, here: https://carinabooks.blogspot.com/2020...
September 13, 2019
I received an arc for this at ALA.
I’m not a fan of this book. I think it’s a little odd that the main character goes from knowing nothing About self defense to being a better warrior than everyone else with just a couple of days of training.
There are also several inconsistencies with this book That I hope will get fixed in the final printing. One of the main ones is that on the back of the book it says she was abandoned when she was three, and then 15 years later discovers that she has unbelievable powers. A few pages into the beginning of the book says it has been 16 years.
There are others but they would take too long to mention.
I believe this is a first in a series. I will not be reading the rest of the books.
I’m not a fan of this book. I think it’s a little odd that the main character goes from knowing nothing About self defense to being a better warrior than everyone else with just a couple of days of training.
There are also several inconsistencies with this book That I hope will get fixed in the final printing. One of the main ones is that on the back of the book it says she was abandoned when she was three, and then 15 years later discovers that she has unbelievable powers. A few pages into the beginning of the book says it has been 16 years.
There are others but they would take too long to mention.
I believe this is a first in a series. I will not be reading the rest of the books.
August 10, 2019
NOTE: thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. "Wardens of Eternity" will be released on January 21, 2020.
THE POSITIVES
I don't read much action-adventure, nor do I read a lot of books that deal with magic and mythology; "Wardens of Eternity" was a bit of an outside-of-the-box read for me. I love action-adventure movies, so I'm not surprised, but the degree to which I enjoyed this was unprecedented.
The premise of "Wardens" - teenage girl with magical powers finds out she's the descendant of a powerful Egyptian queen and is swept into a world where mythological deities and creatures meddle in mortals' affairs - is wholly unique, but it's got a vibe that feels familiar. It's like The Mummy meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Percy Jackson, with a plenty of its own unique flavor to spare. The action kept me on my toes, the settings were evocatively painted, and the characters were easy to love. Another thing I loved about "Wardens" was its cinematic feel. This novel would make a fantastic film - I felt like I was reading an action movie, if that makes any sense. The way action scenes and settings are described capture the feeling of seeing, visually, the story as it plays out. It's hard to capture that very visual feeling in a completely verbal medium, but Moulton does it quite nicely. Oh, and that TWIST ENDING - I did not see it coming at all and there had better be a sequel to this, because there's way too much that we still don't know to end Ziva's story here!
Lastly, as the author explains in a note sent to reviewers, this book was a very personal exploration of what it's like to be a person of Mediterranean heritage in the United States. I could tell, while reading, that Ziva's struggles were very much the author's own, and I appreciated the heart and honesty with which she tackled issues that clearly hit close to home. And we don't see a lot of Mediterranean POC characters of any nationality in YA, so Ziva's Egyptian heritage adds a bit of diversity to the book world in an area not many people are talking about.
THE CONS
The main issue I had with this book was its writing style. The dialogue came off as very stilted at times; many of the characters seemed to speak in grand, scripted proclamations rather than casually conversing with each other as most people do. This was especially evident because of the fact that most of the story's social commentary was done through dialogue. There were some very good points about imperialism to be made, but the fact that characters spoke in such an unrealistically lofty manner made it sound a liiiittle heavy-handed and ultimately dampened its power. It was like no one could talk about anything without making a speech. And some parts of the writing seemed like they could have been less clunky. However, the strength of the story was more than enough to make me overlook that.
Also, this isn't necessarily a knock on the story, but the summary made it sound like "Wardens" would focus much more on Ziva and the Medjai's attempts to stop the Nazis than it ever did. That plot seemed like it was no more than a brief footnote at the very end of the book. It took at least half the book for Ziva and co. to even leave New York, so most of it was actually focused on Ziva's training and attempts to discover who she is through her Medjai heritage.
CLOSING
Six-Word Summary: ancient Egypt meets 1930s - chaos ensues.
Recommended For: fans of mythology, Egyptology, or action-adventure stories helmed by Interesting and Capable Females.
Possibly-Objectionable Content: a few heated kisses.
Overall Rating: 4/5
THE POSITIVES
I don't read much action-adventure, nor do I read a lot of books that deal with magic and mythology; "Wardens of Eternity" was a bit of an outside-of-the-box read for me. I love action-adventure movies, so I'm not surprised, but the degree to which I enjoyed this was unprecedented.
The premise of "Wardens" - teenage girl with magical powers finds out she's the descendant of a powerful Egyptian queen and is swept into a world where mythological deities and creatures meddle in mortals' affairs - is wholly unique, but it's got a vibe that feels familiar. It's like The Mummy meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Percy Jackson, with a plenty of its own unique flavor to spare. The action kept me on my toes, the settings were evocatively painted, and the characters were easy to love. Another thing I loved about "Wardens" was its cinematic feel. This novel would make a fantastic film - I felt like I was reading an action movie, if that makes any sense. The way action scenes and settings are described capture the feeling of seeing, visually, the story as it plays out. It's hard to capture that very visual feeling in a completely verbal medium, but Moulton does it quite nicely. Oh, and that TWIST ENDING - I did not see it coming at all and there had better be a sequel to this, because there's way too much that we still don't know to end Ziva's story here!
Lastly, as the author explains in a note sent to reviewers, this book was a very personal exploration of what it's like to be a person of Mediterranean heritage in the United States. I could tell, while reading, that Ziva's struggles were very much the author's own, and I appreciated the heart and honesty with which she tackled issues that clearly hit close to home. And we don't see a lot of Mediterranean POC characters of any nationality in YA, so Ziva's Egyptian heritage adds a bit of diversity to the book world in an area not many people are talking about.
THE CONS
The main issue I had with this book was its writing style. The dialogue came off as very stilted at times; many of the characters seemed to speak in grand, scripted proclamations rather than casually conversing with each other as most people do. This was especially evident because of the fact that most of the story's social commentary was done through dialogue. There were some very good points about imperialism to be made, but the fact that characters spoke in such an unrealistically lofty manner made it sound a liiiittle heavy-handed and ultimately dampened its power. It was like no one could talk about anything without making a speech. And some parts of the writing seemed like they could have been less clunky. However, the strength of the story was more than enough to make me overlook that.
Also, this isn't necessarily a knock on the story, but the summary made it sound like "Wardens" would focus much more on Ziva and the Medjai's attempts to stop the Nazis than it ever did. That plot seemed like it was no more than a brief footnote at the very end of the book. It took at least half the book for Ziva and co. to even leave New York, so most of it was actually focused on Ziva's training and attempts to discover who she is through her Medjai heritage.
CLOSING
Six-Word Summary: ancient Egypt meets 1930s - chaos ensues.
Recommended For: fans of mythology, Egyptology, or action-adventure stories helmed by Interesting and Capable Females.
Possibly-Objectionable Content: a few heated kisses.
Overall Rating: 4/5
January 4, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Review contains spoilers for the book.
Wardens of Eternity was a decent book but never really pulled me in because of the problems I had with it.
I was so excited when I read from the blurb that this book was perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Kiersten White. Those are two authors I love. I grew up alongside Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, and I read Kiersten White’s The Guinevere Deception last year and loved it. However, I didn’t love reading Wardens of Eternity.
There were only a few gods (Anubis, Set, Kauket...) that were important to the plot, which was all about Nefertari and Ziva and her friends/family getting to Nefertari before the evil god Set could.
The main character Ziva was all right, neither uninteresting nor insufferable, but a scene of hers that stood out to me for the wrong reasons was when she was with the god Anubis. After the attack from Kauket, in which the canopic jar got stolen, Ziva summoned Anubis. Although I understood she was in grief over Haya’s death and Nasira’s almost death, I disliked how Ziva demanded Anubis to do what she said and go after Kauket just because she said so.
But even though Anubis was my favorite character of the book, it was ridiculous reading one of the mistakes he made. When Kauket was injured and vulnerable in front of him, he let her go instead of killing her right then and there before she could do any more evil than she’d already done. Yet, he still let her go and the very next page or two, Kauket literally came back and did more evil. It was such a stupid mistake. As a god, shouldn’t Anubis have known better than this?
I didn’t like the romance with Ziva and Sayer because Sayer himself was just so boring. Their romance felt too fast-paced. There were hints of them having feelings for each other as Ziva was trained by Sayer and Nasira, then they kiss and all of a sudden are in love with each other. Except for that really sweet baklava scene between them, Ziva and Sayer’s scenes together didn’t interest me at all, especially when Sayer showed little personality for most of the book until it was almost over.
The same thing happened to the plot. It wasn't until the book was almost over that the plot became more interesting because of Ziva, Set, and what they could possibly do if they worked together in a sequel.
The betrayal in this book was the one thing that actually caught me by surprise, but I didn’t think it or the plot about Nefertari was well done. There was so much running around in the book, going from one place to another to look for canopic jars, and Ziva training as they ran around looking for them.
One great thing I’ll say about this book, though, was how Ziva was able to discover who she truly was, found out about her past, and got to become this confident person who was proud of who she was and where she came from, from Egypt. Even when she was proud, she didn’t forget about New York, the place where she lived all her life.
I loved Baket! Sweet voice, sweet sphinx, and it was endearing how she was always calling Ziva “Lady.”
I also loved that Ziva was both happy and saddened to learn about herself and what happened to her people and parents. She wasn’t my favorite character of the book, but she by far had the most growth. If Ziva follows through with her decision at the end of this book about working together with Set, things should get really interesting and possibly dark if a sequel is published in the future.
Review contains spoilers for the book.
Wardens of Eternity was a decent book but never really pulled me in because of the problems I had with it.
I was so excited when I read from the blurb that this book was perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Kiersten White. Those are two authors I love. I grew up alongside Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, and I read Kiersten White’s The Guinevere Deception last year and loved it. However, I didn’t love reading Wardens of Eternity.
There were only a few gods (Anubis, Set, Kauket...) that were important to the plot, which was all about Nefertari and Ziva and her friends/family getting to Nefertari before the evil god Set could.
The main character Ziva was all right, neither uninteresting nor insufferable, but a scene of hers that stood out to me for the wrong reasons was when she was with the god Anubis. After the attack from Kauket, in which the canopic jar got stolen, Ziva summoned Anubis. Although I understood she was in grief over Haya’s death and Nasira’s almost death, I disliked how Ziva demanded Anubis to do what she said and go after Kauket just because she said so.
But even though Anubis was my favorite character of the book, it was ridiculous reading one of the mistakes he made. When Kauket was injured and vulnerable in front of him, he let her go instead of killing her right then and there before she could do any more evil than she’d already done. Yet, he still let her go and the very next page or two, Kauket literally came back and did more evil. It was such a stupid mistake. As a god, shouldn’t Anubis have known better than this?
I didn’t like the romance with Ziva and Sayer because Sayer himself was just so boring. Their romance felt too fast-paced. There were hints of them having feelings for each other as Ziva was trained by Sayer and Nasira, then they kiss and all of a sudden are in love with each other. Except for that really sweet baklava scene between them, Ziva and Sayer’s scenes together didn’t interest me at all, especially when Sayer showed little personality for most of the book until it was almost over.
The same thing happened to the plot. It wasn't until the book was almost over that the plot became more interesting because of Ziva, Set, and what they could possibly do if they worked together in a sequel.
The betrayal in this book was the one thing that actually caught me by surprise, but I didn’t think it or the plot about Nefertari was well done. There was so much running around in the book, going from one place to another to look for canopic jars, and Ziva training as they ran around looking for them.
One great thing I’ll say about this book, though, was how Ziva was able to discover who she truly was, found out about her past, and got to become this confident person who was proud of who she was and where she came from, from Egypt. Even when she was proud, she didn’t forget about New York, the place where she lived all her life.
I loved Baket! Sweet voice, sweet sphinx, and it was endearing how she was always calling Ziva “Lady.”
I also loved that Ziva was both happy and saddened to learn about herself and what happened to her people and parents. She wasn’t my favorite character of the book, but she by far had the most growth. If Ziva follows through with her decision at the end of this book about working together with Set, things should get really interesting and possibly dark if a sequel is published in the future.
January 2, 2023
Whew is there a lot to unpack in this novel. This review will include minor spoilers, but nothing too major.
Replace the seraph blade for an asaya; the tattoos on the body for tattoos on the face & khol; the “unruly” curly red hair & white skin for unruly curly brown hair & brown skin; replace all connections of the Christian faith & Shadowhunters with Egyptian gods & Medjai, and you got yourself, Wardens of Eternity.
This book was honestly nearly a carbon-copy of the structure of City of Bones. The similarities were astounding. The basics of City of Bones is that there are appointed warriors called Shadowhunters that were created by the Angel Raziel to protect the Earth from supernatural beings. The basics of Wardens of Eternity is that there are Egyptian warriors that are appointed by the Egyptian gods (called the Medjai) to protect the Earth from… you guess it, supernatural beings. Similar to where Clary could manipulate runes to be a very powerful Shadowhunter, Ziva has a lot of control/manipulation over the Egyptian magic. They both start off in New York City. They both get attacked by a supernatural being, which thrusts them into a world hidden within their own, where a warrior-siblings help adjust them into their new life/welcomes them into their family. (view spoiler) They both have tattoos that help protect them and guide them in battle. The Shadowhunters have Institutes that are protected by magic wards and look abandoned on the outside, but grand on the inside; the Medjai have an abandoned mansion and a “Hall” that looks abandoned on the outside but grand on the inside. Shadowhunters/Medjais stay in the Institute/Halls until they are given an assignment.
...Shall I go on?
Now, don’t get me wrong, this book did have its bright sides. I won’t lie, I was very skeptical of this book before I even opened it. I felt a little queasy about the fact that this was a book centered around Egyptian culture, while the author was a white woman from Michigan. I was afraid that Moulton might do the thing that white people do very well: white wash history. Or half-ass history. You can tell Moulton has done a fair amount of research on Ancient Egyptians, and has passion for their history. You can tell Moulton put a lot of soul in explaining and teaching the readers about Egyptian history and culture. It still makes me a little uncomfortable that a white woman wrote in first-person (let me repeat that: FIRST PERSON!!) the experience of a minority character in White-America; but, I am also white, so I cannot speak for minorities. Whether or not they feel she portrayed their experiences accurately is their call to make, I cannot tell the author or them if she did a good job representing them. It is not my place (if that makes sense?).
I especially liked when the author took the characters straight to Cairo. It’s not every day that YA fantasy books are taking place anywhere but the Western World or Asia, and I loved reading a novel that was transporting me to a new country.
I’m giving this book 3-stars instead of 2, because if you haven’t read City of Bones, then you might really enjoy this book. It wasn’t a bad book, it was just something that’s been done before.
Replace the seraph blade for an asaya; the tattoos on the body for tattoos on the face & khol; the “unruly” curly red hair & white skin for unruly curly brown hair & brown skin; replace all connections of the Christian faith & Shadowhunters with Egyptian gods & Medjai, and you got yourself, Wardens of Eternity.
This book was honestly nearly a carbon-copy of the structure of City of Bones. The similarities were astounding. The basics of City of Bones is that there are appointed warriors called Shadowhunters that were created by the Angel Raziel to protect the Earth from supernatural beings. The basics of Wardens of Eternity is that there are Egyptian warriors that are appointed by the Egyptian gods (called the Medjai) to protect the Earth from… you guess it, supernatural beings. Similar to where Clary could manipulate runes to be a very powerful Shadowhunter, Ziva has a lot of control/manipulation over the Egyptian magic. They both start off in New York City. They both get attacked by a supernatural being, which thrusts them into a world hidden within their own, where a warrior-siblings help adjust them into their new life/welcomes them into their family. (view spoiler) They both have tattoos that help protect them and guide them in battle. The Shadowhunters have Institutes that are protected by magic wards and look abandoned on the outside, but grand on the inside; the Medjai have an abandoned mansion and a “Hall” that looks abandoned on the outside but grand on the inside. Shadowhunters/Medjais stay in the Institute/Halls until they are given an assignment.
...Shall I go on?
Now, don’t get me wrong, this book did have its bright sides. I won’t lie, I was very skeptical of this book before I even opened it. I felt a little queasy about the fact that this was a book centered around Egyptian culture, while the author was a white woman from Michigan. I was afraid that Moulton might do the thing that white people do very well: white wash history. Or half-ass history. You can tell Moulton has done a fair amount of research on Ancient Egyptians, and has passion for their history. You can tell Moulton put a lot of soul in explaining and teaching the readers about Egyptian history and culture. It still makes me a little uncomfortable that a white woman wrote in first-person (let me repeat that: FIRST PERSON!!) the experience of a minority character in White-America; but, I am also white, so I cannot speak for minorities. Whether or not they feel she portrayed their experiences accurately is their call to make, I cannot tell the author or them if she did a good job representing them. It is not my place (if that makes sense?).
I especially liked when the author took the characters straight to Cairo. It’s not every day that YA fantasy books are taking place anywhere but the Western World or Asia, and I loved reading a novel that was transporting me to a new country.
I’m giving this book 3-stars instead of 2, because if you haven’t read City of Bones, then you might really enjoy this book. It wasn’t a bad book, it was just something that’s been done before.
June 3, 2020
You can check out this review and my other reviews at Writing the Universe
Title: Wardens of Eternity
Author: Courtney Moulton
Pub. Date: January 21, 2020
Rating: DNF at p.135
This probably won’t be a spoiler free review, because I feel a bit like ranting, but I also didn’t finish this book, so how much can I actually spoil? I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as I can.
I thoroughly loved Courtney’s Angelfire series when I read it, so when I found she was writing a book about Egyptian Mythology, I was excited. Unfortunately, this book did not hold my interest. It took me days to reach page 135 before I decided that I just needed to stop. I didn’t care about the characters, the world, the conflict, any of it really. I thought the pacing was strange and I didn’t quite understand the point of setting the story at the beginning of World War II. Ziva doesn’t even remotely fit the mold of what a late 1930’s woman would be – not even in a “I’m a head of my time” kind of way. She felt like she’d been plucked out of the 21st century and dropped into 1939 New York.
Which brings me to another issue I have. Ziva has powers, and there are others who have powers, and those powers are flaunted (in life or death situations, but flaunted nonetheless) out in the open, without a care to who sees. Same with the supernatural beings that put Ziva and her friends in these situations. Like, is there knowledge in this world of magical powers? Why aren’t locals more freaked out? It almost felt run of the mill and it was weird.
Let me jump back to Ziva really quick because she confused me. Other than feeling out of place in the story, I didn’t get how she was so trusting with Sayer and Nasira. They say they know things about her, and she just trusts them. What? She’s a young woman, living alone in New York and constantly has guards up, but she just trusts these two because they look like her and know things about her. This had me rolling my eyes.
AND Ziva goes from knowing nothing, to training and is suddenly like an expert with magic and fighting after like 3 days of training, bullshit. Like, i get that she’s special, and is inherently going to be gifted, but come on. Three days of training and she’s that bad ass. Three days of training after basically being starving and malnourished. I can’t. I don’t buy it.
Maybe one day in the future I’ll try finishing this book, but today’s not that day. I wanted desperately to like this book, but between the lacking characters, the weird pacing and unbelievable actions, I can’t bring myself to finish it. I don’t buy into Ziva, I don’t care about her or her journey. I don’t care about any of it, if I’m being completely honest. It kind of felt like this could have been a part of the Shadowhunter universe, but like, in a way that just didn’t work. I don’t know and I’m bummed because it sounds really good. Maybe the second half of the book is really good – if it is, and if you’ve read it let me know.
Title: Wardens of Eternity
Author: Courtney Moulton
Pub. Date: January 21, 2020
Rating: DNF at p.135
This probably won’t be a spoiler free review, because I feel a bit like ranting, but I also didn’t finish this book, so how much can I actually spoil? I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as I can.
I thoroughly loved Courtney’s Angelfire series when I read it, so when I found she was writing a book about Egyptian Mythology, I was excited. Unfortunately, this book did not hold my interest. It took me days to reach page 135 before I decided that I just needed to stop. I didn’t care about the characters, the world, the conflict, any of it really. I thought the pacing was strange and I didn’t quite understand the point of setting the story at the beginning of World War II. Ziva doesn’t even remotely fit the mold of what a late 1930’s woman would be – not even in a “I’m a head of my time” kind of way. She felt like she’d been plucked out of the 21st century and dropped into 1939 New York.
Which brings me to another issue I have. Ziva has powers, and there are others who have powers, and those powers are flaunted (in life or death situations, but flaunted nonetheless) out in the open, without a care to who sees. Same with the supernatural beings that put Ziva and her friends in these situations. Like, is there knowledge in this world of magical powers? Why aren’t locals more freaked out? It almost felt run of the mill and it was weird.
Let me jump back to Ziva really quick because she confused me. Other than feeling out of place in the story, I didn’t get how she was so trusting with Sayer and Nasira. They say they know things about her, and she just trusts them. What? She’s a young woman, living alone in New York and constantly has guards up, but she just trusts these two because they look like her and know things about her. This had me rolling my eyes.
AND Ziva goes from knowing nothing, to training and is suddenly like an expert with magic and fighting after like 3 days of training, bullshit. Like, i get that she’s special, and is inherently going to be gifted, but come on. Three days of training and she’s that bad ass. Three days of training after basically being starving and malnourished. I can’t. I don’t buy it.
Maybe one day in the future I’ll try finishing this book, but today’s not that day. I wanted desperately to like this book, but between the lacking characters, the weird pacing and unbelievable actions, I can’t bring myself to finish it. I don’t buy into Ziva, I don’t care about her or her journey. I don’t care about any of it, if I’m being completely honest. It kind of felt like this could have been a part of the Shadowhunter universe, but like, in a way that just didn’t work. I don’t know and I’m bummed because it sounds really good. Maybe the second half of the book is really good – if it is, and if you’ve read it let me know.
February 5, 2020
A slow start, but well worth sticking with until the final pages! The ending puts events in motion for a follow up I am dying to get my hands on!
For as long as she can remember, Ziva has been on her own. The only memory she has of her parents is of the day her mother abandoned her when she was three years old in New York City. It’s been fifteen years since they left her and Ziva is starting to discover she has powers she barely understands and no idea how to control them. The more she uses her powers, strange things begin to occur around her. When other worldly monsters start to attack her, others show up with powers like Ziva’s and explain the history she has missed out on growing up on her own. Sayer and Nasira have searched for Ziva and tell her that she is descended from Egyptian royalty and her magic has passed down from the time of the gods. They teach Ziva how to control her magic and give her the family she has looked for all her life. However, they are not the only ones that have been looking for Ziva and the magic she possesses. World War II is brewing around them and Ziva quickly finds herself at the center of a battle for power, uncertain who she can turn to for help and what it all could mean for her.
This book started a little slow and had a few bumps along the way but finished with twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Ziva has to overcome struggle after struggle and she does so for the most part on her own. When she finds out there are others out there like her, she feels her spirits lifted for the first time in her life. The way she was portrayed helped me relate to her and wish for her to succeed. Not all the aspects of what happened to Ziva and how they got to the end point added up if a reader was paying close attention. Certain moments had me scratching my head trying to figure out how we got to the point we were at. The mythology and magic could have been fleshed out a little more instead of the reader having to try and figure out what the spells actually meant and how Ziva knew them. So much was left out I had trouble keeping up at times. I will say what saved this book for me was the ending. The last two chapters kept me glued to my seat unable to focus on anything else. I really hope there is more to come with this story, so many questions left unanswered and the relationships between the characters that I want to see further developed. I can’t wait to see what comes next. I recommend this book to young readers that are looking for a great story full of mythology, a little bit of history and plenty of action and adventure.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
For as long as she can remember, Ziva has been on her own. The only memory she has of her parents is of the day her mother abandoned her when she was three years old in New York City. It’s been fifteen years since they left her and Ziva is starting to discover she has powers she barely understands and no idea how to control them. The more she uses her powers, strange things begin to occur around her. When other worldly monsters start to attack her, others show up with powers like Ziva’s and explain the history she has missed out on growing up on her own. Sayer and Nasira have searched for Ziva and tell her that she is descended from Egyptian royalty and her magic has passed down from the time of the gods. They teach Ziva how to control her magic and give her the family she has looked for all her life. However, they are not the only ones that have been looking for Ziva and the magic she possesses. World War II is brewing around them and Ziva quickly finds herself at the center of a battle for power, uncertain who she can turn to for help and what it all could mean for her.
This book started a little slow and had a few bumps along the way but finished with twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Ziva has to overcome struggle after struggle and she does so for the most part on her own. When she finds out there are others out there like her, she feels her spirits lifted for the first time in her life. The way she was portrayed helped me relate to her and wish for her to succeed. Not all the aspects of what happened to Ziva and how they got to the end point added up if a reader was paying close attention. Certain moments had me scratching my head trying to figure out how we got to the point we were at. The mythology and magic could have been fleshed out a little more instead of the reader having to try and figure out what the spells actually meant and how Ziva knew them. So much was left out I had trouble keeping up at times. I will say what saved this book for me was the ending. The last two chapters kept me glued to my seat unable to focus on anything else. I really hope there is more to come with this story, so many questions left unanswered and the relationships between the characters that I want to see further developed. I can’t wait to see what comes next. I recommend this book to young readers that are looking for a great story full of mythology, a little bit of history and plenty of action and adventure.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
April 25, 2020
I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and while it took a while to arrive, it was worth the wait, because I did actually enjoy the book a lot. I was skeptical at first, because it sounded a little too much like a mashup of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and Stargate; and, in a way, it was. Luckily, I liked both of those movies. As it turns out, it was also a mashup of the Tom Cruise Mummy movie.
Ziva is a poverty-stricken and undernourished young woman of Middle Eastern origin in New York City in 1939, an orphan abandoned by her parents at age 3 for unknown reasons. She lives in a tenement and works in a factory even though she has mysterious magical powers that she can barely control and doesn't understand. Then, monsters in the service of the Egyptian god Set, and an ancient tribe of royal guardians (the Media) come looking for. All sorts of adventures ensue, leading Ziva on a quest from New York to London, to Egypt. On the way, it is revealed that she is the heir of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertari, and the key to her mummy's resurrection.
The book has plenty of exciting action, and Ziva is an appealing character, as are her guardians: Media, the god Anubis, and a female sphinx. There are unexpected villains, and villains who are not necessarily villains. Moulton is very good at description -- she is paints the scene with detailed descriptions of rooms, clothes; she adds scents, smells and tastes as well.
What bothered me about the book was Ziva's too-quick transformation from a skinny factory girl to a skilled martial arts expert and magical warrior capable of fighting off immortal Kriosphinxes and Egyptian gods. Also, you have to swallow a lot of historical inaccuracies, like easy commercial airship travel; the presence of armed Gerrman SS troops in Egypt after September, 1939 and Britain's declaration of war agains the Third Reich; Germany having armed walking steampunk robots; and so on. But, I guess if you are going to have magic and Egyptian gods, you might as well go all the way with Indiana Jones silliness.
All in all, it's a lot of fun -- not really serious, but a nice diversion during quarantine. It's clearly the beginning of a series, and I will definitely want to see what Ziva does next.
Ziva is a poverty-stricken and undernourished young woman of Middle Eastern origin in New York City in 1939, an orphan abandoned by her parents at age 3 for unknown reasons. She lives in a tenement and works in a factory even though she has mysterious magical powers that she can barely control and doesn't understand. Then, monsters in the service of the Egyptian god Set, and an ancient tribe of royal guardians (the Media) come looking for. All sorts of adventures ensue, leading Ziva on a quest from New York to London, to Egypt. On the way, it is revealed that she is the heir of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertari, and the key to her mummy's resurrection.
The book has plenty of exciting action, and Ziva is an appealing character, as are her guardians: Media, the god Anubis, and a female sphinx. There are unexpected villains, and villains who are not necessarily villains. Moulton is very good at description -- she is paints the scene with detailed descriptions of rooms, clothes; she adds scents, smells and tastes as well.
What bothered me about the book was Ziva's too-quick transformation from a skinny factory girl to a skilled martial arts expert and magical warrior capable of fighting off immortal Kriosphinxes and Egyptian gods. Also, you have to swallow a lot of historical inaccuracies, like easy commercial airship travel; the presence of armed Gerrman SS troops in Egypt after September, 1939 and Britain's declaration of war agains the Third Reich; Germany having armed walking steampunk robots; and so on. But, I guess if you are going to have magic and Egyptian gods, you might as well go all the way with Indiana Jones silliness.
All in all, it's a lot of fun -- not really serious, but a nice diversion during quarantine. It's clearly the beginning of a series, and I will definitely want to see what Ziva does next.
August 19, 2024
I don't read much young adult fiction anymore, but if a book interests me enough, I'll make an exception. The author of Wardens of Eternity described it as "Wonder Woman meets Raiders of the Lost Ark". Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my favorite movies, and I'm a huge ancient Egypt nerd, so I expected to love this book. Unfortunately, I didn't.
This book is fine. I liked it, but it was nothing amazing. Ziva's (the main character's) parents abandoned her as a little girl. They promise to come back for her, but of course they never do. Fast forward fifteen years later, now Ziva is a poor factory worker struggling to get by. Because of her Egyptian heritage, she struggles to fit in, and feels like an outsider in New York City. It's an interesting internal conflict, and I wish it were developed more. But we don't have much time to get to know Ziva before the plot shows up. To make a long story short, she finds out she's descended from the Medjai, a group of elite ancient Egyptian warriors- readers might recognize the Medjai from the 1999 Mummy movie. She's also the long-lost heir of an ancient Egyptian queen.
The plot moves along pretty quickly. I thought Ziva's transformation from blue collar factory girl to badass warrior princess happened a little TOO quickly to be believable. The back cover summary makes it sound like the nazis will be the main villains, but they don't actually show up until near the end of the book. I thought that was a little misleading. As other reviewers have said, all the characters felt pretty flat- even Ziva, the main character. The romance is insta-love, it's just romance for the sake of having a romance.
The ending seemed to be setting up a sequel, but this book was marketed as a standalone. Wardens of Eternity is a fun action/adventure book that suffers from some YA genre cliches. That being said, I still think it's worth reading. All the stuff about World War II and Egyptian history was really interesting, I just didn't care for any of the characters.
This book is fine. I liked it, but it was nothing amazing. Ziva's (the main character's) parents abandoned her as a little girl. They promise to come back for her, but of course they never do. Fast forward fifteen years later, now Ziva is a poor factory worker struggling to get by. Because of her Egyptian heritage, she struggles to fit in, and feels like an outsider in New York City. It's an interesting internal conflict, and I wish it were developed more. But we don't have much time to get to know Ziva before the plot shows up. To make a long story short, she finds out she's descended from the Medjai, a group of elite ancient Egyptian warriors- readers might recognize the Medjai from the 1999 Mummy movie. She's also the long-lost heir of an ancient Egyptian queen.
The plot moves along pretty quickly. I thought Ziva's transformation from blue collar factory girl to badass warrior princess happened a little TOO quickly to be believable. The back cover summary makes it sound like the nazis will be the main villains, but they don't actually show up until near the end of the book. I thought that was a little misleading. As other reviewers have said, all the characters felt pretty flat- even Ziva, the main character. The romance is insta-love, it's just romance for the sake of having a romance.
The ending seemed to be setting up a sequel, but this book was marketed as a standalone. Wardens of Eternity is a fun action/adventure book that suffers from some YA genre cliches. That being said, I still think it's worth reading. All the stuff about World War II and Egyptian history was really interesting, I just didn't care for any of the characters.
February 2, 2020
Egyptian mythology meets World War II in an intriguing adventure between gods and weapons.
Ziva was left alone on a street in New York when she was about four years old, grew up in an orphanage, and tries her best to survive while working a hard job. She's usually hungry, and plays with the idea to use her magical powers to make her life better. When she's attacked by Egyptian creatures right out of the mythology and saved by two warriors, her life takes a massive turn. Soon, she's training to fight off evil and fulfill her destiny before war destroys them all.
I love the cover on this one and the surmise sounded great. So, I was excited to get my hands on an ARC copy. The idea of mixing Egyptian mythology and fantasy into that time of history is a refreshing twist. Throw in the insecurities of a young girl as she tries to figure out who she is and what she should do, and it's a fun read. There's a lot to enjoy, plenty of action, and a world especially mythology fans will enjoy.
I did enjoy the first pages quite a bit, since they do grab up and present Ziva as a wonderful person, who has a ton of bad luck. It's easy to sympathize with her and feel for her. Her powers come a little unexplained, but then the meshing of the two worlds takes a bit to settle in. There are so many aspects to enjoy as magic comes into play along with the monsters, but there are also a few logic burps. Even Ziva's reactions confused me at times. The romance is more instantaneous than I prefer, but it works fine. I did keep wondering what was going to happen next. Some sections flowed rather slow, which might have to do with the very detailed descriptions, at times.
All in all, it's an intriguing twist into history and fantasy, and is a fun read to pick up and dive into. I'm giving this one 3.5 stars and rounding up. I received an ARC copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
Ziva was left alone on a street in New York when she was about four years old, grew up in an orphanage, and tries her best to survive while working a hard job. She's usually hungry, and plays with the idea to use her magical powers to make her life better. When she's attacked by Egyptian creatures right out of the mythology and saved by two warriors, her life takes a massive turn. Soon, she's training to fight off evil and fulfill her destiny before war destroys them all.
I love the cover on this one and the surmise sounded great. So, I was excited to get my hands on an ARC copy. The idea of mixing Egyptian mythology and fantasy into that time of history is a refreshing twist. Throw in the insecurities of a young girl as she tries to figure out who she is and what she should do, and it's a fun read. There's a lot to enjoy, plenty of action, and a world especially mythology fans will enjoy.
I did enjoy the first pages quite a bit, since they do grab up and present Ziva as a wonderful person, who has a ton of bad luck. It's easy to sympathize with her and feel for her. Her powers come a little unexplained, but then the meshing of the two worlds takes a bit to settle in. There are so many aspects to enjoy as magic comes into play along with the monsters, but there are also a few logic burps. Even Ziva's reactions confused me at times. The romance is more instantaneous than I prefer, but it works fine. I did keep wondering what was going to happen next. Some sections flowed rather slow, which might have to do with the very detailed descriptions, at times.
All in all, it's an intriguing twist into history and fantasy, and is a fun read to pick up and dive into. I'm giving this one 3.5 stars and rounding up. I received an ARC copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
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