Praise for The Eye of Ra series
⭐️ Gold Recipient, Mom's Choice Awards Honoring Excellence
⭐️ Silver Medal in Children's Adventure, 2020 International Readers' Favorite Awards
⭐️ Award-winning Finalist, Next Generation Book Awards
⭐️ 1st Place in both Children's Adventure AND Grades 4th-6th, 2020 TopShelf Awards
⭐️ Grand Prize Winner, Colorado Author Project
⭐️ 1st Place, Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Fiction Award
"An engaging, eventful, history-based fantasy with realistic protagonists and an enjoyable, twist-filled plot." -Kirkus Reviews on The Eye of Ra
"Once again, Gartner deftly weaves real-life history into a compelling adventure, offering high-stakes, realistic danger and vivid scene-setting." -Kirkus Reviews on Sol Invictus
"Gartner's middle grade time-travel adventure is a rollicking ride . . . this adventure novel hits the sweet spot. " - BookLife Reviews by Publishers Weekly on The Eye of Ra
"Gartner has a knack for action and creating compelling historical personalities . . . Middle readers who treasure ancient history with a side of adventure will welcome this fantasy story." -BookLife Reviews by Publishers Weekly on Sol Invictus
"Gartner's narrative voice complements the book's brisk pacing and heightens its unending action...The book echoes the same adventure-driven narrative of Percy Jackson and the Olympians but with its own Roman twist. However, Gartner skillfully embellishes a narrow glimpse of history that is typically studied for its grander narrative." -BookLife Prize, 2021 on Sol Invictus
"Ben Gartner has a gift for capturing details of the past and weaving a story that brings the adventure out of history. This series creates a love of history and learning with the wonder and excitement that the siblings find when they travel back in time." -Readers' Favorite
"Fun, action-packed read, with a healthy dose of historical facts. Kids will be hooked on this one!" -Adam Perry, author of The Magicians of Elephant County
"A heartwarming and fun action adventure novel for the whole family. Full of interesting historical tidbits and fun mishaps, The Eye of Ra keeps the pages turning. An excellent read! " -Kerelyn Smith, author of Mulrox and the Malcognitos
"With tons of action, humor, excellent character development, and historical details that will make you feel like you've been swept back in time too, this is sure to be a winner for middle grade readers." -Sam Subity, author of The Last Shadow Warrior
"The Eye of Ra is a delightfully quick and smart magical tour of ancient Egypt, giving middle grade readers an educational survey from the perspective of a modern kid without ever feeling like a lecture." -Jason Henderson, author of Young Captain Nemo
"This book was awesome! The book captivated me." -10-year-old book blogger from Fantastic Books and Where to Find Them
2021-08-25
Time-traveling siblings race to save the world’s future by restoring historical events in this third installment of a middle-grade fantasy series.
After discovering the eye of Ra, Sarah and her younger brother, John, traveled through time and space to ancient lands. They embarked on adventures and saved the planet, so now they can be typical kids in California—if their mom scores a teaching gig there. But apparently there’s more for the siblings to do. Two aging, time-traveling strangers show up and ask for their help. In 2049, a solar flare interrupts a demonstration of a time-slowing device. This catastrophic event not only wipes out the future beyond 2049, but also transports people at the demonstration into the past. Toci, a woman in early-16th-century Mexico, plans to lead the Aztecs in defeating Cortés before he slaughters them. Sadly, this tragedy must occur, as it’s a consequential part of history’s “story lines.” Sarah and John travel back in time to stop Toci, but this smart and resourceful Aztec scholar has already anticipated innovative adversaries and is determined to take down Cortés. Gartner wisely simplifies his briskly paced tale, which zeroes in on a single “mission.” Along with lessening potential time-traveling complications, the move paves the way for additional quests in future volumes. This book is primed for younger readers, highlighting real-life customs and places as well as the Aztecs’ Nahuatl language (with helpful phonetic spellings trailing certain words). The author, meanwhile, paints a sublime portrait of old Mexico and its people: “Canoes drifted on canals like the pictures he’d seen of Venice in Italy….Farther out into the lake, men cast nets and brought up flopping silver fish, their scales sparkling in the sun.” As in earlier installments, the author includes a recipe—xocolatl, a spicy, nonsweet hot chocolate Toci deems an “acquired taste.”
An SF–infused tale that proves both entertaining and educational.
