This is John and Sarah's second foray back in time, this time in a trip to a Roman arena where they're forced to fight gladiator style. Of course, it's not quite that simple.
The portal is opened while they visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with their mom and dad, but not before a former prisoner delivers their mission and a warning: "Unite Roman emperor Constantius and Crocus, but beware the one named Alex."
John traces the Eye of Ra pendant he wears around his neck and they're transported back in time to a Roman gladiator arena -- but this time they bring a passenger, Lucius.
Of course, Lucius wants the necklace and pendant to get back to DC and modern day too, but the kids escape with help from one-handed Crocus, of all people. He's their age and looking for his tribe's princess, Aurora. Together the four flee the Romans into the surrounding mountains.
Except freedom from Roman slavery for Crocus and Aurora is not enough to send John and Sarah home. They figure out they have to complete the mission before they can leave.
But Crocus hates Constantius for killing his father and has sworn revenge. How will the siblings ever unite them? And who the heck is Alex?
This one's a little longer than the first and a bit more satisfying. We're still not told why the kids are chosen by the sun gods to travel in time, but a reason is hinted at and hopefully coming in the sequel.
I won't spoil the ending. Read and enjoy!
This is the conclusion to the Eye of Ra series by Ben Gartner, in which siblings John and Sarah learn how their adventures in time started. But more importantly, they learn why they've been chosen for these time-jumping missions, first to Egypt, then to Rome.
You see, the world's coming to an end.
On Aug. 6, 2049. Dr. Sarah Tidewell and Mr. John Tidewell, from the future, invented a device they use to hop back in time. Now they're using it to contact and recruit their younger selves to help "correct" the timeline. They're asking children John and Sarah to undo all the mistakes their elder selves made while learning to use the device.
This time, the mistake they need to fix takes them to Azteca Mexico. Sarah and John must prevent a woman from the future from stopping Cortés and his band of Spanish hooligans from wiping out the Azteca. But Sarah, in particular, grapples with her duty to restore the timeline versus preventing the atrocities and the millions of deaths she knows Cortés will cause.
If the kids fail and this woman succeeds, the timeline will remain for the worse -- it will end on Aug. 6, 2049.
This isn't a last mission series finale. Instead, the author has cunningly made it a beginning-of-a-lifelong-mission story, one which involves the two kids incrementally correcting the mistakes their elders have caused.
I could even see this not being the end of the series, so I love the way the author leaves the door open for more.
Enjoy!
