Book Review: Guardian Of The Horizon (Amelia Peabody #16), by Elizabeth Peters

Guardian of the Horizon by Elizabeth Peters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Guardian Of The Horizon, by Elizabeth Peters
★★★★★ and a ♥

Synopsis: 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
In A Sentence: Awesome, but maybe not the best in the series

My Thoughts: Okay, technically this book is #16 in the series, but chronologically it immediately follows The Ape Who Guards The Balance. Since I like to read books in chronological order, I bumped this one up.
For me, I’m at the part of the series where I absolutely love it, but at the same time, I’m starting to tire of it. We get more and more input from Ramses, who’s 20 years old by this point, and I love reading from his point of view. We started getting Ramses’ POV in Seeing A Large Cat, and I feel it really adds to the story. Elizabeth Peters was mostly successful in her ability to write the narrative from a man’s POV, in my opinion, especially since he’s also in love with Nefret ( who, btw, is completely oblivious). I think it’s rather difficult for a woman author to think more like a man, but Peters pulled it off pretty well.
The other reason why I like Ramses’ POV is because he is now considerably more active than his parents. He’s more physically involved in the adventure, thus he is more interesting to read about. Amelia Peabody is now more of an armchair detective, so Ramses’ role creates the excitement. Plus, I have a bit of a fictional crush on him. What can I say, he sounds like a gorgeous archaeologist. I’m crushing on him more than Indiana Jones! :)
Okay, back to this book. Because this book was published later, there’s something about this book that starts to bore me a little. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve noticed it with the last few books in the series, and it makes the story drag a little. It is still a fun read, however, and it does have its full share of excitement.
Overall, I enjoyed myself with the read. I mean, it’s Indiana Jones all over again! It’s just good fun. In terms of following Ramses with his adventures and love problems, I would say my favorite stories are Seeing A Large Cat, The Ape Who Guards The Balance, The Falcon At The Portal (which I’m reading now), and He Shall Thunder In The Sky. My favorite Amelia Peabody adventures are the first several books in the series, all the way up to The Hippopotamus Pool (book #8). Like I said, the last few books in the series are the stories where I start to get a little bored, but I still love the entire series as a whole. Strongly recommended.


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