Review Detail

THE ORDER OF TIME by Scott P. Southall is a Middle Grade Sci-Fi Fantasy novel. The story follows two twins, Anastasia and Edward, who couldn’t be more opposite from one another. Not only do they look different, but their personalities and interests also clash. Anastasia is athletic and loves math and science, while her artistic brother is a walking historical encyclopedia. The two, however, do share a love for the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., where they live. There, they meet the museum’s curator, Dr. G, who also happens to be a time traveler. One day, he’s attacked and hurt by the Corsairs, an evil group who wants to change the past for their own benefit. Since Dr. G is physically unfit to protect the historical timeline, the twins must step in to help. Anastasia and Edward are sent back to Ancient Egypt during the reign of Nefertiti and Akhenaten, and have to navigate gaining the pharoah’s trust, so they can save his life.

What works in this book is the overarching plot. Once the main characters get sent to Ancient Egypt, the story becomes a lot of fun. I love getting to explore the new setting with the twins and seeing it through their eyes. Between Thutmose’s workshop, the palace, the markets, the food, and the clothes, Akhetaten (modern Amarna) is vibrant and visual. Also, the new characters we meet in Egypt are so loveable, especially Salah, that I didn’t actually want the twins to go back home and leave them.

With that being said, the way the characters talk is dated. Kids today are not using some of the terms Anastasia and Edward do. Instead, their cadence and turns of phrase remind me of people from when I was growing up. In other words, based on the dialogue, this book feels more like 2001 than 2020. Because of that, it’s hard to separate the author’s voice from the character’s voice here, and the kids read older than their ages. Add to that the fact that they are insanely smart and uniquely gifted, and it’s doubly hard to imagine them so young when they constantly best the adults.

Overall, THE ORDER OF TIME gains momentum as the story progresses, and seems to kick off a coming series. This first book is just the beginning of Anastasia and Edward’s adventures and I’m curious to see what they get into next.