About the Author

Maiya Williams was an editor and vice president of the Harvard Lampoon and writer for the TV shows Rugrats and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. She is currently a writer and producer for MAD TV and lives with her husband, three children, a Labrador retriever and a variety of fish in Pacific Palisades. This is her second novel.

Reviews

Gr 5-8-In this sequel to The Golden Hour (Abrams, 2004), twins Xanthe and Xavier Alexander are reunited with their friends Rowan and Nina Popplewell. After Aunt Agatha recommends the children for membership in the Twilight Tourist Frequent Flier Club, giving them greater access to the time-traveling alleviators of the Owatannauk resort, they are sent on a trial mission to ancient Egypt. Xanthe's resentment of her brother leads her to feel more sympathy for Cleopatra, who mistakes the girl for the goddess Isis, resulting in an accidental changing of history. A visit to an alternate present reminds the siblings of their importance to one another and leads to their return to the past for an effort at restoring the proper course of history. Williams uses extensive detail about daily life in ancient Egypt and the conflicts between the Ptolemies to frame her story, and concluding notes describe her sources and explain where she deviated from actual history. The twins' roles in Egypt are limited because they are African American, an unusual touch for a fantasy novel. Xanthe's resentment of her brother for taking over what she sees as her personal territory will ring true to any reader with siblings, and the changing relationships and development of the four main characters add realism and depth to the story. After a slow start that re-establishes the characters and focuses on Xanthe's resentment, this novel finds its stride as the characters learn about the past and themselves.-Beth L. Meister, Pleasant View Elementary School, Franklin, WI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Having begun her journey in The Shamer's Daughter, Dina (at 12 years old) finally meets her father in the third book in the Shamer Chronicles, The Serpent's Gift by Lene Kaaberbol, and attempts to discover if she inherited his ability to give people dreams. Ages 9-13. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.