The Hour of the Cobra

This sequel to the award-winning time-travel adventure, "The Golden Hour," takes readers to Cleopatra's Egypt This time fourteen-year-old Xanthe leads the adventure as the four time-traveling kids from "The Golden Hour" make a trip back to ancient Egypt to rescue the library at Alexandria from destruction by Caesar's troops. Xanthe is particularly excited to visit Egypt, where she hopes to get a glimpse of Cleopatra. But she gets more than the quick peek she bargained for when young Cleopatra mistakes her for the goddess Isis. The princess begs Xanthe to intervene in a royal feud between Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy. Xanthe, who's feeling overshadowed by her own brother, Xavier, is tempted to help the princess, thus changing history and setting off a chain of events that traps Rowan and Nina in time limbo. The Egyptian setting and action-packed plot makes this a particularly exciting installment in the series, and the African American heroine is a welcome addition to the ranks of fantasy protagonists. Awards and praise for "The Golden Hour," the prequel to "The Hour of the Cobra" Book Sense Pick International Reading Association Intermediate Fiction Award Southern California Booksellers' Association Children's Book Prize "A trip well worth taking." -"The New York Times" "One of the few fantasies with any African American characters..." - "Booklist" "Action-packed and laden with good-natured humor, Williams' tale is a journey worth taking." - "Publisher's Weekly"