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First Published:
Mar 2004, 416 pages
Paperback:
Apr 2005, 416 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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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 a remarkable family and an unexpected terror.
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.
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 -- and a fear that the evil forces opposing Tarek's rule will now exploit the royal heir's grave illness -- the family sets off in secret for the land time forgot -- a mountain fortress from which they narrowly escaped ten years before. Braving the treacherous desert climate on a trek fraught with danger at every turning, guided only by a crumbling map, the Emersons are unaware that deception is leading them onward into a nest of vipers -- where a dreadful fate may await. For young Ramses, forced to keep his growing love for the beautiful Nefret secret, temptation along the way may prove his ultimate undoing. And a dark past and grim obligation have ensnared Nefret once again, as she is helpless to save those she loves most from the prison of the Lost Oasis.
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.
Chapter One
When we left Egypt in the spring of 1907, I felt like a defeated general who has retreated to lick his wounds (if I may be permitted a somewhat inelegant but expressive metaphor). Our archaeological season had experienced the usual ups and downs -- kidnapping, murderous attacks, and the like -- to which I was well accustomed. But that year disasters of an unprecented scope had befallen us.
The worst was the death of our dear old friend Abdullah, who had been foreman of our excavations for many years. He had died as he would have wished, in a glorious gesture of sacrifice, but that was small consolation to those of us who had learned to love him. It was hard to imagine continuing our work without him.
If we continued it. My spouse, Radcliffe Emerson, is without doubt the preeminent Egyptologist of this or any other era. To say that Emerson (who prefers to be addressed by that name) has the most explosive temper of anyone I know might be a slight exaggeration -- ...
This book fills in a gap in the chronological record (1907-1908) and reveals details of the Peabody family's second, and previously unknown, visit to the hidden city of the Lost Oasis. Peters slops out great dollops of romance, derring-do and bravery, plus multiple deceptions, betrayals and disguises - always with tongue firmly in cheek...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Barbara G. Mertz has two children named
Elizabeth and Peter (hence, I assume, the reason behind
her most well known pseudonym, Elizabeth Peters!). She is a member, sometimes board member, of many
organizations to do with ancient Egypt. Under her own name
she is the author of at least 3 non-fiction books about Ancient
Egypt. As Barbara Michaels
she's written about 30 novels of suspense and as Elizabeth Peters
a further 30 or so mystery-suspense novels.
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