TIME TRIALS

A ragtag team of archaeology experts find themselves at the center of a battle for humankind’s survival in Rothman and Butler’s supernatural thriller.

Present-day Egyptologist Marty Cohen joins a secret, privately financed dig in Egypt’s Nabta Playa after his friend and German archaeologist Gunther Mueller tantalizingly tells him that they found hieroglyphs that predate any known writing from the region. The expedition, led by eccentric French millionaire François Garnier, also includes Indigenous Australian biological anthropologist Lowanna Lancaster; security expert Surjan Singh, a former member of India’s special forces; and Egyptian dig specialists Abdullah bin Rahman and his nephew Kareem. When Marty finally sees the hieroglyphs in a tunnel leading to a mysterious chamber, he’s dumbfounded to find something that shouldn’t be there: English-language text. Just then, the members of the expedition are suddenly transported to another place, across the Sahara—and back in time, thousands of years. As they journey across the desert in an attempt to find their way back home, they meet new friends and foes; among the latter are monsters with jackal heads and human bodies that looks suspiciously like the god Seth. The team soon discover that the future is in danger—and that they’re the only ones who can save it. This highly enjoyable novel by Rothman and Butler is full of nonstop action, bits of science, mystery, humor, and enough Ancient Egypt trivia to satisfy any history enthusiast. The quest narrative and the Dungeons & Dragons–style team structure recall familiar fantasy tropes, but the authors manage to develop the characters well, giving them each their own distinct arcs, and it results in a tale that’s well worth reading. The overarching mystery keeps the pages turning in an adventure tale that refreshingly shows respect for ancient civilizations and their accomplishments.

An entertaining first entry in what promises to be a fantastic time-travel series.