The Guardians of Time Trilogy by Marianne Curley

In the first book of the trilogy, the named, Ethan has a secret; although he works hard to fit in as an ordinary high school boy, in his spare time, he is a member of the Guardians of Time. Lathenia, the goddess of Chaos, and her followers are constantly attempting to change history so that she can take over the universe; her brother, Lorian, supports the efforts of the Guard to keep the balance of power - and history - as it is. Ethan has been a member of the Guard from a young age and has done well enough that he has advanced rapidly in the rankes. Now he faces his greatest challeng: training his new apprentice, Isabel. Time is short as the agents of Chaos step up their attacks. Ethan, Isabel, and all of the Guard must reach deep within and learn to use their talents and work together if they have any hope of maintaining history.

The story continues in the dark; the Guard has managed to hold their own and thwart Lathenia's plans, but now she strikes back by banishing Arkarian (Ethan's mentor) to an underworld lost in darkness and full of soulless creatures. Ethan, Isabel, and the others want to do whatever is necessary to rescue him, but Lorian has forbidden in. The race is on to find a way to reach Arkarian before it is too late and without losing all that they have worked for.

In the final book, the key, the Guard is scrambling to keep ahead of Lethenia's plans. The battle against Chaos is more desperate than ever but matters are made worse by the suspicions and distrust within the midst of the Guard. The time of the Prophecy regarding the Named and the final battle between dark and light is finally coming to pass.


Each book is told by a different pair of characters which gives it an interesting depth of perspective. The basic premise is fairly common - good vs. evil - but the story does a good job of giving it a unique edge by affecting history as a way of affecting the outcome. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and plots, although some bits were rather predictable. There were only two things that bothered me; the writing seemed a little off occasionally, as if there were inconsistencies in the tenses (but for the most part, this was fairly minor). The second issue was that the ending is really abrupt. I was actually confused at first when I turned the page and realized that there was no more text. The finale is somewhat artistic, but not satisfying at all. I would still recommend this series to readers who enjoy reading about time travel, but with the caveat that anyone who needs a really complete and happy ending probably out to skip this one.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Lightning Theif, The "Minds" series, or Dark Lord of Derkholm

Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

Rail and Moa live in Orokos, the only city in the world, or so everyone believes. Unfortunately, it isn't a particularly good place to live despite having no escape - much of the population is poor, living in shacks and eating government-issue gruel. Although the poorest citizens bear the brunt, the whole city is at the mercy of 'probability storms,' terrifying sweeps of chaos that can change nothing or everything, often rearranging streets or moving buildings and people. The storms cause death and destruction in their wake. They have already taken a toll on Rail who can no longer breathe without the aid of a respirator as a result of one storm.

As ghetto-folk, the two make their living as thieves, barely maintaining their existence, although Rail dreams of moving up in the world and giving Moa a better life. On one trip, however, Rail discovers a treasure - a piece of technology from before the 'Fade' and the probability storms. This particular item causes them more trouble than he could have imagined, forcing them to run as fugitives and venture into dangerous places as a way to survive. Soon their path will cross that of a golem from another part of the city - between the three of them, they will discover the darkest secrets of the city and have to make difficult decisions which will affect their lives and the fate of Orokos.


This was an interesting book - although it is fantasy, more or less, it reads like a SciFi novel, with a lot of emphasis on technology and political aspects of the world rather than magic. Also, there were several aspects of the book that reminded me of SciFi movies rather than fantasy - so, readers who prefer 'pure' fantasy should probably pass this one up.

I really liked the characters in this story - particularly the golem, although the relationship between Rail and Moa is kind of ambiguous despite its strength (not a problem although I found myself speculating throughout the book).

I think it's also important for readers to know that this book is kind of dark - very solemn and with the constant feeling of the oppressive storms hanging over the city. Additionally, the ending is incredibly vague, without any real resolution - I don't know if there's going to be a sequel or not, however, according to Wooding's site, a new book called The Fade will be coming out soon (it sounds like it's related, but possibly a prequel).

Another random note: Wooding writes in British English, which doesn't make very much difference, but once or twice it made me blink for a moment, so readers who are bothered by that sort of thing should take it into account.

Given all of this, I have to say that it was an interesting book - and it certainly held my attention - but is probably not one of the best novels I've read. Readers who like more serious, SciFi-inclined books might want to check it out, but if you're looking for dragons or magic, this is not the book for you.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Lady in Gil, Fly by Night, or The Summoning