Guardian of the Horizon (Amelia Peabody, #16)

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Guardian of the Horizon (Amelia Peabody #16)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 3,039 ratings · 102 reviews

Readers have long wondered what befell the Emerson clan during the years before the Great War. Now, at last, the silence is broken and the truth revealed of a perilous journey to a secret and mysterious place hidden deep in the heart of the unforgiving desert. An adventure prompted by loyalty to an endangered friend -- and spurred on by lies and treachery -- it leads Ameli...more

Paperback, 544 pages

Published March 29th 2005 by Avon Books (first published 2004)

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Aug 08, 2012 Trina Morgan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction, and I love series fiction. Ms. Peters (or Mertz, or Michaels) has been an inspiration to me for over a quarter-century.

When I was a very young mother, and had all the time in the world for reading and writing, Ms. Peters' books stimulated my intellect and aroused my imagination. I had no college, and through Vicky Bliss and Amelia Peabody I was inspired to learn who John Donne and Howard Carter were, to read Shakespeare and listen to Handel, and to reach for independen...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, homey, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Should be considered #11 in the series
Oh lord, this was good! Do read The Last Camel Died at Noon if you want the background to this particular sequel. And do read the Editor's Note at the beginning of every book. It's not a typical editor's note but a part of the story.

Now for the negative, this story takes place when Ramses is 20 and Nefret is 23, immediately after Ape Who Guards the Balance in which Abdullah dies, so chronologically, this story is way out of place---pop Guardian of the Horizo...more Should be considered #11 in the series
Oh lord, this was good! Do read The Last Camel Died at Noon if you want the background to this particular sequel. And do read the Editor's Note at the beginning of every book. It's not a typical editor's note but a part of the story.

Now for the negative, this story takes place when Ramses is 20 and Nefret is 23, immediately after Ape Who Guards the Balance in which Abdullah dies, so chronologically, this story is way out of place---pop Guardian of the Horizon into 11th place and push the others up one.

Tarek's cousin shows up at Amarna House in England begging the Emersons to follow him back to the Lost Oasis and rescue Tarek, his family, and their people from some terrible disease. Going back is tricky for two reasons: 1) Emerson, Peabody, and Ramses barely escaped with their lives the last time they were there when they rescued the 13-year-old Nefret and 2) it's taken Merasen 5 months to gain England. Is there anyone still alive after all this time?

Additional concerns revolve around the fact that the Lost Oasis must remain a secret from the world and the world is much too fascinated with the Emersons. They can't decide if Merasen is duplicitous or simply young. On the journey, their people are attacked forcing them to leave more behind to care for them. Abdullah makes his first appearance in Amelia's dreams and sets the standard for the future---cryptic utterances and amused love.

Im tellin' ya, it's action aplenty in Guardian. They dabble in archeological pursuits on their way to the Oasis and as a way to through off suspicion while there as they plot their coup d'etat.

I do adore this series. The characters are beguiling, the history is fascinating especially as Peters weaves real-life events into her stories, and the adventures are continuous with a warm, equal approach to all. I do love how the Emersons give the put down to their fellow, bigoted Europeans as they embrace their workers and the native peoples (well, ya can't really just say Egyptian as then we'd be leaving out the Arabs, the Bedouin, the...)(less)

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Feb 23, 2010 Genie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I understand Elizabeth Peters will end the Amelia Peabody series with the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. If that is true, then the series nearing its end. Keeping that in mind, Peters goes back in time with ‘Guardian of the Horizon’. As explained in chapter one, a new cache of papers documenting the 'missing years' has been found. These documents chronicle the eccentric Emerson family of Egyptologists / amateur sleuths as they travel and explore the tombs and monuments of Egypt.
'Guardian of th...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourite-series, strong-female-characters

I love the Emerson family, and I love reading about their adventures. This book wasn't my favourite, mainly because it's a "lost" year of Amelia's journals, and takes us a number of years back into the past, well before the current situation, when the make-up of the Emerson family was quite different.

All the things I love about the Amelia Peabody books are here - the laugh-out-loud-funny snappy repartee between Emerson and Amelia, the exciting adventures the family ALWAYS manages to get themselv...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

This adventure of the Emerson family was written out of chronological order in order to fill in a gap left in the story of Nefret and the Lost Oasis. It takes place in the year 1907 - 1908.

When the Emnersons are summoned to come to the aid of their good friend, Tarek, King of the Kingdom of the Hidden Mountain, they do not hesitate to return to Sudan to come to his aid, though they are suspicious of the messenger.

When they arrive, they soon find that their suspicions were warrranted. Tarek has b...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Deanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amelia and her handsome and irasible husband are drawn again into danger and intrigue. Her son, Ramses, has grown into a tall, handsome man with his own set of talents -- bravery, cunning, intelligence. Her adopted daughter, Neferet, has her own set of issues, and one is the conflicted feelings about her past and future.

I love this entire series. But, I can only give this one four stars, because in this book, for the only time in the series, one of the main characters violates internal principle...more Amelia and her handsome and irasible husband are drawn again into danger and intrigue. Her son, Ramses, has grown into a tall, handsome man with his own set of talents -- bravery, cunning, intelligence. Her adopted daughter, Neferet, has her own set of issues, and one is the conflicted feelings about her past and future.

I love this entire series. But, I can only give this one four stars, because in this book, for the only time in the series, one of the main characters violates internal principles. The hesitation this character feels about this violation is not because the act is "wrong," but because it is disloyal. Usually, Elizabeth Peters has a very fine-tuned sense of right and wrong, but in this case, she betrays herself as having succumbed to the modern notions of relative morality, and that's a bit disappointing. It is a slight break. The character is determined to "make things right," but this is again because of duty and loyalty, not because of underlying basic morality.

It's a flaw one sees everywhere today -- in literature, movies, and in almost all of my friends outside my own faith -- this idea that morality is negotiable, that there is no black and white of right and wrong anymore, and that such ideas are silly and antiquated. Hmmm .... that sounds just like the Book of Mormon cycle, doesn't it?

So I still love the books, the characters, the plots, the excitement, the intrigue, the romance, the mystery, the archaeology, but I wish she shared my morals, dang it.

Very, very, well worth reading, but parents would have to discuss this idea (a subplot) with their teenage children, and this makes the book unfit for those under 12, although no body parts or actions with them are described in detail, no bad language (well, nothing very important) occurs. Criticize Stephenie Meyer's writing all you want, but you don't have this problem if they're reading Twilight. Stephenie understands, as do most people of the faith we share, that there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven, before the foundation of the earth ... that is non-negotiable. Violating it leads to loss of something one cannot regain, ever. Innocence. And this violation is more important than almost any other, except cold-blooded murder.(less)

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Dec 07, 2010 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

My least favorite of the Amelia Peabody series is "The Last Camel Died at Noon", which has Amelia and Emerson discovering a lost oasis that is a remnant of ancient Kushite/Egyptian civilization. When I realized that "Guardian of the Horizon" involves a return to that lost oasis I was disappointed. But for some reason I liked this book a lot better.

A young man named Merisen (I'm guessing at the spelling since I listened to the audiobook format) shows up at the Emersons' residence in England aski...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm really not sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it's always fun to visit the Emersons, and Amelia and Emerson are as adorable as usual in this book. On the other hand, this book takes place chronologically out of order -- it's book #16, but it takes place about 10 years(?) prior to book #15. It was a little strange to go back to before Ramses was married, and knowing what happens subsequently in his life made his relationship with Daria seem adulterous. I just don't understand t...more

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Aug 15, 2010 Kaye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-a-series-mysteries

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 04, 2011 Mary Stephanos rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another in the long line of Amelia Peabody mysteries, "Guardian of the Horizon" follows the same formula as Elizabeth Peters' previous books. This time, however, she goes back to the period before World War I, when Peabody's son Ramses still yearned for his "sister" Nefret and when Sethos was still the "Master Criminal." The plot is rather staid, if convoluted in parts, and, as usual, there is little mystery to speak of. But Amelia Peabody and her clan are irresistible, especially to those of us...more

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Sep 09, 2010 Gracie rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this, the Emerson's second visit to the lost city called "the holy mountain", we have the first of the Amelia Peabody series that is out of chronological order. There are a few of these so-called "lost journals" and I must say that I have mixed feelings about them. While on the one hand there are magnificent examples of the Author's sturdy talents and a good adventure to boot, they are not completely in sticking to the previously written books that take place after the events described. Durin...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel returns to one of my favorite settings in the entire series, The Lost Oasis and was just as fun and interesting as the first novel that took place here. While the description of the city was not as gripping as in the first novel a lot more of the oasis was explored and I got a better view of the society, so it was a good trade off. I loved the plot and felt for the characters as I was supposed to (aside from Nefret, but we'll get to that) It was another fabulous novel in the series.

Oh...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Jodi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Again, for something to listen to on my commute--this was just fine. Have heard of this author (under a couple of her names) and thought I would give it a shot. Sure had some loopholes in the story, but I could easily live with that. Hardest thing for me was swallowing the portrayal of the son as nearly perfect. Didn't get on my nerves but I found myself laughing out loud when something he did or said was relayed—pretty funny.
Strangely, I’ll probably get another book in this series for my iPod....more

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Jul 15, 2011 Rach rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, challenge-11-summer

For the first time, the Amelia Peabody series is jumping back in time to "fill in" one of the missing years from its timeline. This book, which chronologically takes place directly after The Ape Who Guards the Balance, transports us back to a time before Ramses' and Nefret's marriage and children, before Nefret even realized she loved Ramses. If I had read this book right after TAWGTB, I would have loved it more, I think. Amelia, Emerson, and company head back to the Lost Oasis, one of my favori...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, amelia-peabody

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. By publishing order, Guardian of the Horizon is book #16 of the Amelia Peabody series. Chronologically, however, it is book #11, falling in time not too long after The Ape Who Guards the Balance. It's one of two (as of the writing of this review) books that fill in the gap of time between Balance and the book after it, The Falcon at the Portal. And, if you're a fan of Book #6, The Last Camel Died at Noon, it's vital to note that this is also a direct followup to that book as it revisits the lost...more By publishing order, Guardian of the Horizon is book #16 of the Amelia Peabody series. Chronologically, however, it is book #11, falling in time not too long after The Ape Who Guards the Balance. It's one of two (as of the writing of this review) books that fill in the gap of time between Balance and the book after it, The Falcon at the Portal. And, if you're a fan of Book #6, The Last Camel Died at Noon, it's vital to note that this is also a direct followup to that book as it revisits the lost oasis city where the Emersons first discovered and rescued Nefret Forth.

The young prince Merasen comes to England to bring the Emersons the news that Tarek, the ruler they helped put into power ten years before, is gravely ill and needs their help. Naturally Amelia, Emerson, Ramses, and Nefret agree that they must go--and are in equal agreement that David must not, for he has only just finally won the betrothal of Walter and Evelyn's child Lia and they all believe it would be cruel to part him from her. And for all that they'd just as soon leave Nefret behind as well, Ramses and his parents must grudgingly admit that Nefret's medical skill makes her essential on the journey.

That journey proves just as perilous as the one the Emersons undertook before. This time around the story has a darker overtone, as assault and murder and betrayal dog them all the way to the Lost Oasis. Nor does it help matters that a treasure hunter and a young woman who seems rather forcibly in his care cross their paths, for Ramses finds himself uncomfortably drawn to the girl.

And that's where this book falls over somewhat for me. We've just spent two books, Seeing a Large Cat and The Ape Who Guards the Balance, establishing that Ramses has been carrying a growing devotion to Nefret and has pretty much ever since he set eyes on her as a lad. In this very Lost Oasis, for that matter. I won't go into details here for fear of spoilers for those who haven't read this book; instead I'll simply say that the strength of Ramses' reaction to her is totally out of left field to me as a reader. The ending scene that tries to smooth things over and remind you who Ramses is really destined for doesn't help, either.

I should also mention that Nefret herself spends regretfully little time doing anything useful in this plot. She becomes a MacGuffin here rather than a fully participating character, and behaves generally out of character as well.

It's a shame, really, because aside from these two factors the book's still fairly solid. The Emersons walk right into a trap of political intrigue that follows nicely out of the original adventure in this setting, and at least when Ramses and Nefret aren't being out of character, there's decent tension to be had. On my second read through I did appreciate those parts of the story more, which let me add another star to my original rating. Still, though, this is one of the weaker installments of the series. Three stars.(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 Sarah Sammis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pc, read-in-2004, released

While I found Guardian of the Horizon one of the better recent books in the series and closer to the charms and cheekiness of the earliest books, I still don't like Ramses. Why did Peters let this series become the Ramses Adventure serial? The end of chapter 11 made me put the book down for a good half hour of eewing. I don't want to know about Ramses love life. I'd rather he be seen and not heard. He's never been a well written or likeable character but had fortunately been nicely toned down fo...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Librarianforhim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: archaeology-fiction, family-relationships, friendships, funny-reads, historical-fiction, mystery, read-in-2011, set-in-egypt, set-in-britain, world-history

A lost journal of the Emersons details their return to the lost oasis (the Holy Mountain) from which they rescued Nefret. They return at the supposed summons of Tarek, whom they helped place on the throne during their first visit. What they discover this time is a plot of intrigue and danger for Nefret.

This installment of the series was a great mixture of suspense and light-hearted moments. I know I've said this with other Amelia Peabody books, but this one my favorite so far.

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Aug 15, 2010 Morgan Pugh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ousted from their most recent archaeological dig and banned forever from the Valley of the Kings, the Emersons are spending a quiet summer at home in Kent, England, when a mysterious messenger arrives. Claiming to be the teenage brother of their dear friend Tarek, prince of the mysterious Lost Oasis, the charismatic herald brings troubling news of a strange malady that has struck down Tarek's heir and conveys his brother's urgent need for help only the Emersons can provide.

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Jul 27, 2011 Bronwyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 02, 2009 Candi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I really liked this book, it was a flashback in the series and very engaging right from the start. It was nice to see all the characters younger again, but nothing really developing can happen on account of it was in the past. It's kind of like when you want to go reread a favorite book, but you wish the ending could still be a surprise. It's not exactly like that because most of the character development happens across the whole series of 18 books, but it was still v. fun.

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Mar 29, 2012 Meredith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, audio, daddy-issues, fiction, humor, intrigue, mystery, novel-of-manners, road-trip, series, stranger-in-a-strange-land

I recently discovered that a couple of Peters' books go back and fill in the blanks. That includes this book as well as #19.

Guardian is a sequel of sorts to The Last Camel Died At Noon. It's ten years since the original adventure in the Holy City and the Emerson clan has been called back to help out their friend, Tarek. But of course, things are more complicated than they had been led to believe.

A fun romp, in which Emerson and Peabody have their enemies spinning like tops and wishing they'd ne...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Sophia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery-suspense

I was so thrilled to see that Elizabeth Peters filled in some gaps in the Emersons' story. It was like a typical reunion of sorts for them to return to the place where they found Nefret and discover what had happened in the intervening years. I loved going back to a time when Ramses, Nefret and David were younger and it was great seeing Emerson and Peabody at their best with Selim and Daoud in tow.

The story has its usual twists and turns, delightful dialogue and wonderful character sketches agai...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-i-read-in-2011

Another top-notch installment from Elizabeth Peters. I recommend to friends who haven't read the series that they move this into the correct chronological location (since it fills in a gap in time in the series) rather than reading in the order of publication. Fun no matter what, but it does lose a bit of the tension in the Emerson clan dynamic if you know what developments take place later.

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Aug 13, 2012 Janae rated it 1 of 5 stars

Honestly this wasn't the best. I found myself skipping ahead because I was bored with what I was reading and I had already figured out the plot. It wasn't like her others. Fun to go back to the lost oasis and have that different setting, but it didn't drive me to read it the same way the others do. Mostly it was just frustrating. Maybe because I read it in the order it was written, and not chronologically in the series. This book does take you back to some of the lost years.

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Mar 14, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: egypt, mysteries, archeology

These books enter a new dimension with the readings of Barbara Rosenblatt. She brings such wonderful characterizations to the people in the book you can imagine them as completely real. Some times I am so eager to find out what comes next I am tempted to turn to the written version but I have learned to desist. It is not the same.

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Feb 23, 2010 Chrisanne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-i-d-never

If I could give it less, I would. Technically, after it hit a certain point I began to skim. Is she really that desperate that she is scraping out the dregs of the plotline barrel to come up with this? Also, it crossed a moral barrier that I just couldn't approve of... Really! The reason these books were so good was because they were clever, funny, originally voiced AND clean.

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Apr 24, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a total sucker for Elizabeth Peters. I've read all of them and I'm now listening to them in the chronological order of the story. I can't claim that they're more than popcorn for the mind. But she does a nice job developing the characters of the second generation of the family. The elders (Aemilia, Emerson, etc.) are fully fleshed out as you meet them. Anyway, I think they're perfect relaxation reading.

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Feb 17, 2009 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, readin2009

Narrator, Barbara Rosenblatt, does a great job with each member of the Emerson family. This is a very British book, and very stilted due to its turn-of-century timeframe, but somehow endearing. I tried an audiobook a little further on in the series, but couldn't latch on to the characters, partly because I was unaware of what had occurred before in the lives of the Emersons. This book is complete in itself and not a bad place to start - but it is Book SIXTEEN.

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May 18, 2009 Frederick Masterman rated it 4 of 5 stars

An interesting and adventuresome addition to the Amelia Peabody series. A bit of a stretch at times, but then Amelia always stretches things to the extreme. Also a bit like Edgar Rice Burroughs with Tarzan and the many strange, lost civilizations of Africa that the jungle man encountered. A fun read.

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Aug 31, 2012 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy this author. This book was no exception. Love the Amelia and her well crafted sentences. My only dislike was the strangely crafted extra letters and manuscripts. This at times was confusing and I think the story would have been just as well if not better told without using this device.

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About Elizabeth Peters

Elizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also writes as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lives in a historic farmhouse in Fred...more

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Books by Elizabeth Peters

Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody #1)

The Curse of the Pharaohs (Amelia Peabody, #2)

The Last Camel Died at Noon (Amelia Peabody, #6)

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Guardian of the Horizon (Amelia Peabody #16)

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