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The Golden Scarab
(Axel Rhodes Adventures #1)
by
Adventure dwells quietly like a shadow in all of us, waiting to launch us into something spectacular. We all dream of incredible places. We all dream of incredible heroes. We all dream of incredible lives. Sometimes, those dreams become real.
Axel Rhodes has that same yearning. To break free from the norm ... to be the best he can be ... to save the world ... to be a hero. ...more
Axel Rhodes has that same yearning. To break free from the norm ... to be the best he can be ... to save the world ... to be a hero. ...more
Paperback, 326 pages
Published
April 4th 2012
by CreateSpace
(first published January 12th 2012)
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Start your review of The Golden Scarab (The Quest #1)

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Quest One: The Golden Scarab...where does one start? It's like Enid Blyton, E Nesbit and Indiana Jones all rolled into a 200 page story! I only wish I had children so I could read this to them chapter by chapter at bedtime. Three children, one of which is a virtual stranger from a far away land, gain an interest in history once this magical tale of time travel takes them to Egypt during the era of Pharaoh's reign. Only the pure of heart can make it through the booby traps that are set throughout
...more

I loved this! It's a proper adventure with all the essential elements: intrepid young heroes, a thrilling quest and a life-threatening chase set against the exotic backdrop of ancient Egypt, all culminating in the triumph of good over evil as the ultimate goal is achieved. What more could you wish for? This exciting story should satisy any young reader with a thirst for escapist fantasy but, as a "slightly older" reader(!), I particularly enjoyed the historical content, the vivid description and
...more

Here's what my daughter and I have to say:
DAUGHTER SAYS:
What I liked and disliked about it:
I liked the story because it was cool. It was really cool when the statues were coming to life. The Uberdiles were scary but it was funny that my Mom didn't know how to pronounce that word. I liked how they were being chased and then they were ok and then they were chased again, over and over. That made the story exciting.
I liked how it talks about Egyptian Gods and I learned a lot about them. I also thoug ...more
DAUGHTER SAYS:
What I liked and disliked about it:
I liked the story because it was cool. It was really cool when the statues were coming to life. The Uberdiles were scary but it was funny that my Mom didn't know how to pronounce that word. I liked how they were being chased and then they were ok and then they were chased again, over and over. That made the story exciting.
I liked how it talks about Egyptian Gods and I learned a lot about them. I also thoug ...more

JJ is absolutely ordinary. His friend Linc is pretty normal, especially with his love of food and adventure, probably in that order! So how come a statue in a museum starts talking to them?
This is a time travel adventure, where JJ and his friend are invited to go on a Quest and are magically transported back to ancient Egypt by the god Horus. There they meet Rani, also transported back in time, but from Aswan. I was never quite clear what era Rani was from, but it didn't seem to matter. They mee ...more
This is a time travel adventure, where JJ and his friend are invited to go on a Quest and are magically transported back to ancient Egypt by the god Horus. There they meet Rani, also transported back in time, but from Aswan. I was never quite clear what era Rani was from, but it didn't seem to matter. They mee ...more

This debut from S.W. Lothian is a thoroughly delightful adventure story aimed at children in the 9-14 age range but also will be enjoyed by adults who, like me, occasionally find themselves frequenting the children’s book section in search of the latest from Rick Riordan. With a tightly woven plot that moves at a fast pace, seemingly ordinary kids as the central characters facing extraordinary obstacles, a battle between the forces of good and evil, and an appropriate dose of twists and turns, t
...more

It all started when JJ saw a green light coming from a mummy in the Egyptian exhibit at the museum his father works for. After seeing the strange light, JJ had a weird dream and then actually met Anubis (the Egyptian god of the dead). Anubis tells JJ that he is needed to help save the world and asks JJ to go on a mission to do just that. JJ tells his best friend Linc about meeting Anubis and the mission to save the world and Linc decides to go with JJ. The boys then get whisked away to Ancient E
...more

JJ who was 12 years old, had just started school holidays, and with his little sister Grace, and their Mum, they went to visit their Dad, who was in charge of the Museum in town. Wandering off, he found himself in the Ancient Egyptian section. Fascinated, suddenly he was in a room which held an Egyptian mummy, and two really big statues. The following day, he was back again, on his own this time, and his Dad just told him to take care…
When one of the statues started talking to him, he couldn’t b ...more
When one of the statues started talking to him, he couldn’t b ...more

JJ and his friend Linc, are appealed to by the Egyptian god Anubis to save the world. They travel to Ancient Egypt where they are teamed up with Rani and together all three are given instructions about their mission: stop the Egyptian god Seth from getting his evil powers and controlling all of Egypt, and subsequently, the rest of the world. Together, we race with the young heroes, hoping that they would succeed in their quests. Their enemy is powerful, and there are minions who do his bidding a
...more

This book was reviewed by Lee Ashford for Reader's Favorite.
“Quest One: The Golden Scarab” by S.W. Lothian shares the story of JJ, Linc, and Rani, as they are called back through time by Egyptian gods Anubis and Horus to recover a golden Scarab containing the evil nature of the god Seth, and return it to the goddess Ma’at for protection so that Seth can never again become the evil being he once was, and longs to be again.
Provided by Horus with a handful of magical items to help them on their qu ...more
“Quest One: The Golden Scarab” by S.W. Lothian shares the story of JJ, Linc, and Rani, as they are called back through time by Egyptian gods Anubis and Horus to recover a golden Scarab containing the evil nature of the god Seth, and return it to the goddess Ma’at for protection so that Seth can never again become the evil being he once was, and longs to be again.
Provided by Horus with a handful of magical items to help them on their qu ...more

Jan 30, 2012
Reading Reindeer 2021 On Proxima Centauri
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
middle-graders, early YA
4 Stars
An immediate plunge into danger and distress gets the book off to a fine start, capturing readers’ interests while we sit with heart in mouth, waiting for the outcome. Poetic imaging accompanies a rapidly-paced plot. The twelve-year-old protagonist, JJ Sterling, is an imaginative boy who spends quite a bit of time thinking about the world, and the Universe beyond; about those who lived centuries ago, and of leaving a legacy for the future. He’s rather advanced in this for his age, perhaps ...more
An immediate plunge into danger and distress gets the book off to a fine start, capturing readers’ interests while we sit with heart in mouth, waiting for the outcome. Poetic imaging accompanies a rapidly-paced plot. The twelve-year-old protagonist, JJ Sterling, is an imaginative boy who spends quite a bit of time thinking about the world, and the Universe beyond; about those who lived centuries ago, and of leaving a legacy for the future. He’s rather advanced in this for his age, perhaps ...more

Quest One:
The Golden Scarab
By S.W. Lothian
Twelve year old JJ Sterling has been enlisted by Horus to retrieve the Golden Scarab for him so he may be able to defeat his evil brother Seth. Thrust back in time to Ancient Egypt JJ must travel through a dangerous tomb and dodge Seth’s minions at every turn. Will JJ be able to complete his mission and return back to modern day London in one piece?
This was a great “Early Young Adult” novel. The author did a wonderful job in brining Egyptian mythology to ...more
The Golden Scarab
By S.W. Lothian
Twelve year old JJ Sterling has been enlisted by Horus to retrieve the Golden Scarab for him so he may be able to defeat his evil brother Seth. Thrust back in time to Ancient Egypt JJ must travel through a dangerous tomb and dodge Seth’s minions at every turn. Will JJ be able to complete his mission and return back to modern day London in one piece?
This was a great “Early Young Adult” novel. The author did a wonderful job in brining Egyptian mythology to ...more

I was very impressed with this book although this is written for the younger generation, I really enjoyed the whole concept of the story and fell in love with all the characters especially Mau. Of course the book as it is does need some editing with typos and some missing words to make complete sense of the sentences but other than that the story line is well thought out and follows through to the last page. The descriptions of the characters are very detailed and descriptive. I felt like I knew
...more

Okay premise and some decent research are dragged down by the writing.
J.J. visits a local museum one day and is chosen by the God Anubis to go back in time to the days of ancient Egypt. There's a mystical golden scarab that the evil god Seth wants, and he must not obtain it. J.J. isn't alone, however: his friend Linc, another summoned child named Rani, and the servant of Bast named Mau accompany him. The god Horus is their ally as well. Together the three children must flee an army of living sta ...more
J.J. visits a local museum one day and is chosen by the God Anubis to go back in time to the days of ancient Egypt. There's a mystical golden scarab that the evil god Seth wants, and he must not obtain it. J.J. isn't alone, however: his friend Linc, another summoned child named Rani, and the servant of Bast named Mau accompany him. The god Horus is their ally as well. Together the three children must flee an army of living sta ...more

The Golden Scarab is book one in the Quest Series. J.J. is 12 years old. My students will identify with him because they are also middle graders. J.J.'s father is the head curator at a museum. His family visits the museum one day and J.J. wanders into an Egyptian exhibit. The statue of Anubis begins to talk with J.J. He is the protector of the mummy at the museum. He challenges J.J. to find a friend and travel through time to find the Golden Scarab. This scarab will save Egypt from Seth, an evil
...more

I don't read a lot of middle grader books, however this one was quite enjoyable. JJ Sterling seemed very advanced for his age, wondering about life and the universe. His dad works in a museum and he finds a secret gateway into the past. Along with his two friends, they have to race against time and challenges to locate the amulet. It has a very treasure hunt feel, like Indiana Jones or National Treasure, except of course with kids. Add in non-stop action, and magic and you get a fantastic mix!
Th ...more
Th ...more

It all begins when JJ visits the Egyptian exhibit at the museum where his father works. That’s where he meets Anubis, a statue tasked with the protection of the mummy on display. Anubis needs JJ’s help to set things right in ancient Egypt where the evil god Seth is upsetting the balance of power. But JJ mustn’t go alone, so he recruits his best friend, Linc, to come along. Linc and JJ meet up with another recruit, a girl by the name of Rani, and the three of them set off to recover a golden scar
...more

If you are a "Mummy or Indianna Jones" fan, you will love this book. We follow JJ, Linc and Rani, as they travel to the past on a quest set by Horus to find the Golden Scarab. It is the key to defeat the evil Seth in order to restore peace to Egypt again. The author uses lots of descriptions to set the scene in Egypt weaving Egyptian mythology throughout. I enjoyed JJ, Linc and Rani's characters very much and I loved that the kids did not know it all and were not invincible. They had to learn to
...more

I found this a lovely easy read with tremendous characters. My 2 grandchildren will love this story which is a fab way of encouraging the imagination to grow as the story continues and expands. While the story is more fantasy than anything else it does encourage the reader to go and investigate the history of the time and places written about...children will, I feel, find the book all the more enjoyable when they realise the places are real and the history behind them are just as exciting to an
...more

This was a good book full of adventure back in Egyptian times. The book flows along nicely and keeps you interested the whole way. There are many parts where the characters encounter problems and when they do, the scene is loaded with action.

Great book for 8 - 14yr olds. Some great history facts entwined into the story and it doesn't weigh the story down. Its a good mystery adventure story that I kept reading. Easy read too.
...more

A fun, Indiana Jones-type middle-grade adventure. I'll be checking out book 2!
...more

I give three stars to books I enjoyed while reading; two stars to books that are barely ok. This book deserves a 2.5 stars.
The Golden Scarab is an adventure story about a twelve-year-old boy named JJ who gets a chance to go back in time to ancient Egypt in order to restore peace to the spirit of a famous mummy in a modern museum. With the help of some friends, JJ travels around Egypt on his quest to help the good gods keep the powerful evil god Set from gaining power.
Let me get the bad stuff out ...more
The Golden Scarab is an adventure story about a twelve-year-old boy named JJ who gets a chance to go back in time to ancient Egypt in order to restore peace to the spirit of a famous mummy in a modern museum. With the help of some friends, JJ travels around Egypt on his quest to help the good gods keep the powerful evil god Set from gaining power.
Let me get the bad stuff out ...more

A kids adventure book set in ancient Egypt, who would have thought it would have worked?! It did!
Some of the dialogue seemed a bit juvenile at times, and at others quite adult, this made the main characters a little less real.
Sometimes I didn't get why we went off on descriptive tangents about random things, I believe this was to assist the reader to get a fuller picture of the scene unfolding, but for me, it just didn't work. A good example of this would have been the several paragraph ramblin ...more
Some of the dialogue seemed a bit juvenile at times, and at others quite adult, this made the main characters a little less real.
Sometimes I didn't get why we went off on descriptive tangents about random things, I believe this was to assist the reader to get a fuller picture of the scene unfolding, but for me, it just didn't work. A good example of this would have been the several paragraph ramblin ...more

This is an action adventure that will excite young readers. The three main characters (JJ, Linc, & Rani) travel back in time to ancient Egypt to rescue the world once they find the Golden Scarab. Lots of description about ancient Egypt, though in some places a bit long for my taste. The action is non-stop as one adventure follows another, and sometimes is a bit hair-raising. Kept me reading to the end. I'm an Egypt junkie, and I would recommend this to young readers who daydream about being hero
...more

This book was given to me through Basically Books ARR Reader’s Corner by the author, thank you.
(view spoiler) ...more
(view spoiler) ...more

This book goes into the extremely small stack of books I just can't force myself to read. Going in, I knew it was a YA book. I made the mistake of assuming that it was along the lines of the Kane Chronicles. This book is geared more towards young children than YA.
...more
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Goodreads Librari...: Series Name Change | 8 | 20 | Jun 30, 2020 05:20AM | |
Time Travel: The Quest Series by S.W. Lothian | 3 | 47 | Sep 24, 2014 10:43AM | |
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Aussie Readers: S.W. Lothian - The Quest Series - Action. Adventure. Magic. Mystery.Time Travel | 5 | 45 | Dec 22, 2012 10:15PM | |
Aussie Readers: The Golden Scarab by S.W. Lothian - Paperback Giveaway - Ends Jan 2nd | 4 | 19 | Dec 20, 2012 01:07AM | |
Great Middle Grad...:
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1 | 4 | Sep 06, 2012 07:32PM |
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S.W. Lothian is an Australian author who creates edge-of-your-seat adventures that are great reads for all ages. His books range from those that thrill young adult readers with intrigue, drama, and suspense, to those that launch teens into exciting settings and action-filled mysteries while reminding older readers of their childhood dreams.
His ne ...more
S.W. Lothian is an Australian author who creates edge-of-your-seat adventures that are great reads for all ages. His books range from those that thrill young adult readers with intrigue, drama, and suspense, to those that launch teens into exciting settings and action-filled mysteries while reminding older readers of their childhood dreams.
His ne ...more
Other books in the series
Axel Rhodes Adventures
(3 books)
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