[.uk] Guardian of the Horizon

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" The latest Amelia Peabody mystery/adventure is a chronicle of one of the ""missing years"" -- 1907-1908 -- shedding new light on an already exceptional career, a remarkable family . . . and an unexpected terror. Ousted from their most recent archaeological dig and banned forever from the Valley of the Kings, the Emersons are spending a quiet summer at home in Kent, England, when a mysterious messenger arrives. Claiming to be the teenage brother of their dear friend Tarek, prince of the mysterious Lost Oasis, the charismatic herald brings troubling news of a strange malady that has struck down Tarek's heir and conveys his brother's urgent need for help only the Emersons can provide. Driven by loyalty, the family sets off in secret for the land time forgot -- a mountain fortress from which they narrowly escaped ten years before -- unaware that deception is leading them onward into a nest of vipers where a dreadful fate may await. The remarkable Elizabeth Peters proves once again that she is truly without peer. A hitherto lost journal of the indomitable Amelia Peabody has been miraculously recovered: a chronicle from one of the ""missing years"" -- 1907-1908 -- shedding new light on an already exceptional career, a remarkable family . . . and an unexpected terror. < Guardian of the Horizon is rich with suspense, surprises, unforgettable characters, and the intoxicating atmosphere that has earned its author the coveted title of Grand Master two times over. The remarkable Elizabeth Peters proves once again that, in the world of historical adventure fiction, she is truly without peer. "

peterselizebeth:
I always enjoy her books and this one was as good as the others.

fabulous story:
I absolutely love this series, and I get the new books as soon as they're released in hardcover. Interestingly, a lot of people who are fans of the series disliked this book. It seems that there are two major complaints: 1) it leaps backward 10 years in the series timeline, and 2) Ramses *gasp* has a love interest other than Nefret! *shock* *dismay* *palpitations* Guardian of the Horizon does go back ten years in the series timeline, filling in some blanks. The Emersons go back to the lost oasis where they first found Nefret (in The Last Camel Died at Noon), to help Tarek, whom they'd left in charge. He does indeed need their help, but not in the way the messenger sent to retrieve them said he did, and they're all in danger again. Sethos shows up, as does an arms dealer and his slave/confederate Daria, with whom Ramses imagines himself in love. I say "imagines," because Ramses is just 20 here, and the only relationship development we see is that Daria is beautiful and needs rescuing/protection--an irresistible combination for a young man, particularly since Ramses admits he's in love with Nefret. Lemme 'splain: Nefret is everything Ramses wants, but doesn't think he can have. She's intelligent, brave, and honorable, as well as beautiful... and she thinks of him as a sibling. And she doesn't need him. Then along comes Daria, who's also beautiful, but she's not anywhere near as intimidating, he doesn't have to worry about losing her friendship if she doesn't respond to his advances, and she's in need of rescue. Of course he falls for her, and of course it's not really love, even if it does feel something like it. A little pause here while I rant about romantic conventions in literature. Romantic heroes are forever turning celibate from the moment they meet The One. They're impotent with any other woman, even if they've only just glimpsed The One across a crowded room. Convention would have Ramses pining away--for all he knows, for the rest of his life. Good grief. I say kudos to Ramses for trying to get on with his life. Anyway. I loved Guardian of the Horizon. Going back in time to before Ramses and Nefret were happy and more-or-less settled was nice. I enjoyed the angst knowing that things would all work out in the end. The Lost Oasis was a nice setting to revisit, and it was fun seeing Sethos in his dual role as heroic villain/villainous hero again.

Out of Place:
*spoiler for falcon at the portal* I enjoy these books and think they can be very fun to listen/read (barbera rosenblat does an excellent job of reading and inhabiting the characters). I think if I could listen/read these books over again, I would prefer to read this before The Falcon at the Portal (its actual place in the time line). To me it seems to help make sense of events that occur in that book. It might have even created a bit of mystery surrounding "little bird" and helped to explain Nefret's reaction. Overall a good book, but not the best in the serious.

Great book!:
Another great Amelia Peabody mystery. I love reading about these times, and cannot get enough of all of the characters. I am glad it is a long series, because this is one of those that I wish would never end.

Another excellent journal from the Emerson-Peabodys:
Peters does another excellent treatment of the Emerson-Peabody saga. I don't want to spoil any part of it for the reader, so suffice it to say that this was a thorough going good visit with my friends Amelia and Radcliff. I especially enjoyed the audio version for my long commutes. I seldom re-read a book, but a second or third listen to an audio is very enjoyable indeed.