Magic and magical creatures. Immortal gods and goddesses. History and mythology. Strap in for this action-packed YA novel that that takes place over the days leading up to World War II, when Ziva must rely on her wit and magic to outmaneuver Nazis and ancient Egyptian gods to prevent global destruction. Ziva has one memory of her parents, made the day they abandoned her on the streets of New York … 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.
Wardens of Eternity
- Is written by Courtney Moulton, author of the acclaimed Angelfire series
- Is an action-packed page-turner that blends history, mythology, and magic
- Is a clean teen historical fantasy; perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Kiersten White
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Whew is there a lot to unpack in this novel. This review will include minor spoilers, but nothing too major.
Y’all recognize this?
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.
Wardens of Eternity is a fun, action-packed story that takes the reader on an international journey of magic and mayhem.
Favorite character: Ziva Mereniset
I debated this choice for a while because she is a very complex character but ultimately decided that she is indeed my favorite in this story. She goes from being a poor orphan girl with no idea about who and where she came from to being someone willing to fight to protect the identity that she discovers throughout the novel. She is open to questionable decisions as well as decisions based on emotional reactions to events going on around her, but that makes her more dynamic and genuine.
What I Liked
The story started out reminding me of some of my favorite series: Percy Jackson, Shadowhunters, and even Harry Potter. I am always on the lookout for new and unique tales, but I also enjoy the expectations that go along with what I already know and love. Wardens of Eternity does have some of those anticipated elements, but it also has many unexpected ones as the story unfolds. It took me from a place of contentment to gradually show me a new story that is unique in many ways.
I loved the Egyptian mythology aspect of the novel. It is a nice departure from Greek and Roman mythology, to which I often am attracted. Wardens of Eternity does a great job breathing life into the gods and other mythological creatures of legend. Set, Anubis and others become just as complex and relatable as their human counterparts without losing their omnipotence.
The setting is historical and international, which reminded me of another favorite – Indiana Jones. Set in a time of Nazi dominance, this added another dimension to the novel by providing another enemy- a human enemy outside the scope of mythology. The setting also adds to the fun by delivering little nuances such as travel by airship and being scandalous by having women who dressed in pants.
I also loved the ending, even after reading it more than once. I can’t say much for fear of giving away spoilers, but it is shocking while at the same time being relatable and, in my opinion, takes the book to the next level in terms of my review and rating.
What I Wish
My only wish is that the story had a slower build. The quickness is jarring and makes suspending disbelief temporarily tricky. This quickness did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel, ultimately, but I can’t help but wonder how much different the story would have been if I had been given time to learn about Ziva’s powers as she learned about them.
To Read or Not to Read
If you enjoy YA Fantasy, this book is a must-read, especially if you enjoy any of the other stories I referred to throughout my review.
I was provided with an advanced copy of the book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved this book, I am a huge fan of mythology! So I was so excited the Egyptian gods were used in this story. I am also a huge fan of archeology & mummies. So this story resonated with me deeply. The characters were so great. Ziva was such a great character who missed out on so many things we take for granted daily. For instance a family, Ziva’s parents abandoned her, or so she thought. When she meets Nasira & Sayer she starts to understand what it is to have a friend. It’s sad that the only friend she ever had was one of the women at the orphanage. She has no choice in going with Nasira and Sayer because if she doesn’t she will keep being attacked by the kirosphinxes. Ziva learns she is descended from royalty. So she stays with her people to fulfill her purpose to resurrect a immortal God. What they don’t tell her is that in order to do that they need to sacrifice her. Find out what happens because several gods have a vested interest in the outcome of this. Not to mention this story takes place when the Nazis are trying to take over the world. They’ve seen the power Zeva’s wield & they want it. So Ziva has them to contend with as well. The ending has left me wanting to read the next book!