Sometimes it’s a little scary to go back and read something that you once loved when you were younger. You have so many awesome memories with that story and the chance that upon rereading it you find that you no longer like it. Well, it’s hard.
The Guardians of Time is that series for me. I loved it in high school. Both Chelsey and I had a super huge crush on the tech guy Arkarian (seriously, I still use Arkarian as my username on most websites). When 2013 rolled around Marianne Curley announced her return to teen fiction with Hidden the first book in a new trilogy. I was super excited but when I finally got around to reading it, I was… well not impressed. I began to wonder if The Named and its sequels were as good as I remembered, or if it was a case of serious nostalgia goggles. It wasn’t until recently that I finally built up the courage to dive back into the trilogy….. and….
The Named may not be the best novel I’ve ever read, but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. It’s a simple story of Good and Evil. The Guardians are our good guys, while the Order serve the Goddess of Chaos. Both organizations travel back in time to, the Order to influence events so the present will be in their favour, while the Guardians chase after them to try and keep history happening as it should. Ethan has been an agent for the Guardians since he was young and is just about to gain his wings: the ability to teleport anywhere at will. But he first must prove himself by taking on an apprentice Isabel, the sister of his ex best friend.
As Ethan trains Isabel, the Guardians of Time realize that certain pieces of a prophecy are starting to fall into place, and Ethan and Isabel may have a part to play….
To this day, The Named has one of my favourite opening scenes. It’s a little creepy, but manages to set the tone for the rest of the book. The prose is very straight forward telling you exactly what is happening and painting a clear picture in your mind. This is a vibrant story.
This book also introduced me to one of my favourite (and still favourite) characters of all time: Arkarian. Blue haired and purple eyed, I’ll admit that I was shamelessly in love with him when I was in high school. But then again so were most of my friends.
The Named is a fast paced ride, keeping the reader hooked on the story. The writing style may leave a little to be desired but its easy to look past once you become invested in the story and the characters. The book is a great introduction to the series, giving the reader an idea of what the world is like and what is to come without feeling too much like a “first book”.
So if you’re looking for a book to bring with you up to the cottage then I suggest this one. Just make sure you bring the rest of the trilogy along with you!
And remember:
“I want to take you to a place where it is midnight everyday and black irises glisten under a bleeding moon” (pg. 11)
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