S.W. Lothian – Author

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis
by Sharon Ledwith ★★★★

When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children, along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save the Earth from an uncertain future.

The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of merry teens before history is turned upside-down. [Goodreads].

My Review

This is a cool book that leads readers through a medieval adventure with an unlikely group of teens.

In a nutshell, The Arch of Atlantis is a story of a group of opposing teens thrown together into a thrilling time-travel adventure. The group are involved in a food fight at school which ends in them all receiving detention together (you could say the situation is reminiscent of The Breakfast Club). Quite simply, this cast of characters don’t get on, and I think that is why the author has chosen to put them together.  In between a volley of one liners (I hope my kids grow up with more respect for others than these teens show), we  see their attitudes to each other evolve as the story progresses.

Whilst on detention, they discover the Arch of Atlantis hidden in the overgrown garden of a volunteer from their school.  It’s a mysterious gateway to time-travel and adventure.  Amanda unlocks the key to the arch and they find themselves transported to Atlantis, where they are told of the legend of the arch, and bestowed the roles of The Last Timekeepers. I’m guessing, that it looks like there will be more time-travel missions ahead for these guys.

Their first mission sends them way back to 1214 in Sherwood Forest, where they meet up with a band of merry teens, a young guy called Robyn, and feisty lass known as Miriam (do they sound familiar?). My favourite parts of the book were the adventures in Sherwood Forest and Nottingham.  I could almost smell the stench from the mud and hear the sounds of the locals. The dialogue used was also reminiscent of the time – thou didth enjoyeth it – (clearly I’m no expert here).  There are many trials and obstacles that they must overcome along the way, until it all culminates with ….. (I’m not telling you). As with all my reviews, I try not to inject them with too many spoilers. If you want to know more about the medieval adventures. then you’ll need to read it for yourself.

The target audience for the book is 9 to 16.

My Bottom Line: This is a cool book that leads readers through a medieval adventure with an unlikely group of teens.

Note: I don’t claim to be a pro-reviewer, I am a reader. My reviews are based on my personal thoughts around the story that the book is trying to tell. I try to focus on the story (which is the reason I read) rather than dissect the book and pass comment on typos, writing style or structure.

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More about Sharon Ledwith and The Last Timekeepers

It just so happens that Sharon is celebrating 12 months since the release of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, and is currently hosting a giveaway.

So, if you’re inspired or curious, jump on over there for a peek and maybe win a copy for yourself.

Click to time travel over to Sharon’s 1st Anniversary Book Release Celebration

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This post is part of the greatest blog hop on the block. Click the kids below to check some more blogs to hop.