"Wardens of Eternity" by Courtney Allison Moulton is a thrilling mix of ancient Egyptian mythology and modern adventure! Zara’s journey from an ordinary girl to a fierce heroine battling gods and monsters is packed with action and surprises. If you love mythology-inspired stories with a kickass protagonist, this one’s for you!

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The concept wasn’t all that original but it was a good read. I would recommend it for light readers who are just looking for something to occupy the time.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a great concept and the writing was really good. There was some language that I wasn't comfortable with for religious reasons, but other than that I thought it was a very good and unique read!

This book has a very interesting premise and will be enjoyed by anyone who likes their stories complex and layered.

I thought the book did a good job getting the reader to emphasize with Ziva. I thought the book started a little slow, but it picks up and includes some plot twists. I love reading about Egyptian mythology too, and I think the book incorporated magic and mythology well. Some aspects about the origin of Ziva's spell knowledge were a bit confusing, but it was a great read otherwise!

Wardens of Eternity, by Courtney Moulton, begins in New York City in the year of 1939. The author did a great job grabbing you from the beginning and leading you into the story. The writing style is smooth and developed. Intriguing fantasy dynamics including magic and creatures and mythology. The dialogue flows well and there are appropriate descriptive terms to give you more depth with accents and character features. Overall, I rate it a standard, middle of the road YA fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really like this author and her older series. I thought this one would be a great fit for me. Unfortunately I never really connected to the story about the girl's destiny and powers. I did like the time period, I thought placing the story in Nazi era Germany was really interesting and unique. The main character Ziva, was ok but pretty much the carbon copy of all the girls with destiny characters already flooding the YA market. So it was interesting enough that I finished the book but nothing spectacular that wow'd me.

I really wanted to like this book. I had hoped it would be a good recommendation for those who have graduated from Rick Riordan's stories. And it still might, but I found it a hard story to get into, and I ended up not connecting with Ziva, the main character. I was frustrated with her choices. That being said, there is a lot of action, which will appeal to some YA readers, and the cliff hanger ending obviously points to a sequel. While I'm not eager to read the sequel, I will at least browse it to see if it draws me in better than this first title.

Whew is there a lot to unpack in this novel. This review will include minor spoilers, but nothing too major.


Y’all recognize this?

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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.

A must needed ya mythology. I have only read one other ya Egyptian mythological story. This was a perfect blend of the modern world merging with legends of old. A fun adventure.

A fast paced read set in 1939, with rumbles of the 2nd Great War mixed with Egyptian mythology and magic.

Ziva is a young woman who grew up in an orphanage, never knowing where she belongs. She spends her time working at a factory and reading books in hopes of finding the answers to her questions. When suddenly the mundane rhythm of her life is interrupted by her destiny.

A fantastical coming of age tale, filled with action, magic and mythology. Not my typical read, so I feel that I did not enjoy it as much as someone else probably would. I loved how this book explores topics not often addressed in books approaching this fantasy from a Egyptian bent. Engaging and informative.

I'm not a huge fan of mythology with gods and goddesses, as was present in this book--so personally just not to my taste.

A good paced story with elements of Cassandra Clare in it. Set in Egypt and WWII references makes this a captivating read for the target YA audience. There are plenty of twists and turns to the plot especially at the end, leading to a possible second book.
I enjoyed the principle character, Ziva who thought she had been abandoned by her parents only. The other characters however seemed a little flat, if developed more they would probably contribute more to the reader so becoming more invested in the story.

Ziva was separated from her parents as a little girl and remembers little about her past life and identity. She knows she does not fit in, she knows she is a survivor, she knows that her life holds little promise. She also knows that there is something special about her - that she has certain abilities that are unusual - but she realizes she must hide these abilities to remain safe.. Set just before WWII, with a mystical/magical feel, the Wardens of Eternity rapidly plunges the reader into action, adventure and danger as Ziva discovers her heritage, her power, and her destiny. A fast-paced read that reminds me of the Indiana Jones storyline

Egypt, gods, sphinx and things that go bump in the night are all here. This action packed, historical look at dynasties past intertwined with Nazis and lore are more than anyone can take. This book is like Percy Jackson on steroids. Well written and hopefully the first of the series. There are many twists and turns and surprises. No reader will be disappointed with this book. What would you do for your people to live and thrive in peace?

Wardens of Eternity, by author Courtney Allison Moulton, follows the story of Ziva Ellison who was abandoned by her mother when she was 3 years old. This is a historical fantasy series based on Egyptian mythology. The story opens in 1939 NYC. World War II is slowly spreading and Americans are worried about yet another costly war. Ziva works in a textile company scarcely scraping by. She lives in a small room where she dreams of finding out where she really came from, and if there are any other people like her. Her hope is to discover if her parents are still alive and where they might have gone.

Ziva carries magical powers that she does not fully understand, but she only uses them in self-defense. However, after a Kriosphinx finds Ziva and calls her the queen’s scion, she finds herself fighting back using her powers. Sayer & Nasira Bahri, Medjai, or the last of an ancient tribe who have been searching for Ziva a very long time, help her defeat a trio of Kriosphinx. Sayer claims they are here to take her home so that she can learn about her birthright. The pair claim they will help her discover how to use her power and that she is descended from Queen Nefertiti.

Sworn to protect the world against evil, the Medjai are trying to resurrect their long-dead queen in order to prevent the outbreak of 'a second Great War.' As she wholeheartedly embraces the Medjai's mission to bring back the legendary Queen Nefertiti, she trains in combat and hones her innate spell-casting abilities. The Medjai are opposed by certain gods, however, and even with the blessing of Anubis, lord of the dead, their task seems insurmountable. Anubis becomes a kind of Ace in the hole for Ziva, on call when she needs his help the most.

As Ziva Mereniset, as she is now called, discovers the extent of her abilities and the world she was born into, she also learns her place in it. This story could be compared to The Mummy and Raiders of the Lost Ark for it's exceptional settings. It includes a German occultist group known as the Thule Society which actually existed. This group is searching for the perfect race and attempts to lure Ziva into joining them willingly or not. I gladly join with others in saying that this book would have been better had the story been told in a third person narrative. We, as readers, needed to look into the actions of Sayer and Nasira as well as a group of other important players.

There are key characters such as Anubis, Set, Cyrene, & Baket that were important to the plot, as well as Nefertiti. There is slight romance in this book, but I think it was wasted and not necessary to the enjoyment of the story itself. Wardens shows potential with a premise that should be interesting if the series is to continue, which I hope it does. The historical settings are particularly well done, especially the Egyptian mythology and how Egypt was divided between the English, French and Germans. Wardens is an action-packed adventure tale, filled with magic, romance, betrayal, and battles with the gods.

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.

Wardens of Eternity was full of twists and turns that I didn't expect. I love Egyptian mythology, but I've only read a few YA books about it, and this did not disappoint. I really liked Ziva and Anubis in particular, as well as the sibling dynamic between Nasira and Sayer. Although I do wish we had gotten more chapters from Anubis's point of view.
The only thing I had a problem with was the insta-love between Ziva and Sayer. On one hand, it made sense because Ziva was so desperate to love and be loved by someone, but on the other hand, I didn't sense any chemistry between them at all, and the romance just felt lackluster. I also didn't like the way that things wrapped up relatively neatly at the end, especially given that it was only the first book in the series.
However, I did enjoy the book. This author writes some of the best action scenes I've ever read, and the book was a bit reminiscent of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, which is one of my all-time favorite. I also really loved the Egyptian mythology and hope that we get to see other Egyptian deities that weren't mentioned in the future books.

This was a fun read! I really love Egyptian mythology and this delivered, while adding a unique historical twist. I enjoyed the pace of this - and have been into books that show and not tell lately - and felt invested in the journeys that the main characters went through. The ending didn't have as much of an impact as I felt the full story did, and I am interested to see what another book would do to support this great start.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

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.