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My review of middle grade fantasy People of the Sun by Ben Gartner

cover of People of the Sun by Ben Gartner

The explosive reveal about who John and Sarah really are and why they’re traveling through time, with their most gut-wrenching challenge yet.

In the time of the Aztec, a scoundrel named Cortés arrives and the kids are forced to make an extremely difficult decision: If you could change history, should you? For more twists, more danger, and more fun, read the third book in The Eye of Ra series, People of the Sun!

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Excerpt from People of the Sun

The ground shook like the end of the world.

At least, that was how it felt to John, who had never experienced an earthquake while growing up in Colorado. And they’d only lived in Maryland for a month before taking this trip to California to visit their aunt. On their second day in the steep mountains of Santa Cruz, while hiking through an old-growth redwood forest that reminded John of a fairy tale, he suddenly felt woozy. But he wasn’t sick. His legs swayed like he was dancing the hula, as if the ground beneath his feet were the roiling sea. Birds took to the sky. Their aunt’s dog, Nickel, barked and snapped at the air, her ears tucked back and tail between her legs.

“Sarah?” John looked over to his sister and held out a hand to steady himself.

She wore the same expression of bewilderment for a moment, then realization dawned across her face. “Is this an earthquake? Cool!”

Her voice rose and fell with the waves just like her knees riding the shifting earth as if it were a skateboard or a pair of skis. Dander like fireflies floated down from the trees and sparkled in the sun’s rays.

“Earthquake,” Aunt Lorraine confirmed. “Just a little one. Hold on, it’ll end in—”

The earth eased to a halt.

“There ya go, all done.” Aunt Lorraine heaved a breath. “For now.”

“For now?!” John hunched over, ready to fall flat on the ground if it got any worse.

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My Review of People of the Sun

Well, I’m very glad this  came up for review. After reading the first two, I was dying to know how the series ended, and ask and you shall receive, as they say. I’m not disappointed (well, I am a little because it’s over), but the ending itself wrapped everything up beautifully. Except for the fact that there could totally be a sequel at some point. But there doesn’t have to be. There just could be.

The time-travel aspect of this series is fascinating, and this brought it to a whole new level. The ending proves that we should not play with advanced science we don’t understand. Or maybe we should because how else will we understand it, but I digress. The back-and-forth of “should we or should we not change events” is always a grand part of time-travel stories, and it was used to great effect here.

I definitely recommend this book and series if you like time travel, middle grade fantasy, awesome siblings, and cool science. It’s a great adventure for adults and kids alike, and I’m officially on the look out for more from this author.

About Ben Gartner

Ben Gartner is the award-winning author of The Eye of Ra time travel adventure series for middle graders. His books take readers for a thrilling ride, maybe even teaching them something in the meantime. Ben can be found living and writing near the mountains with his wife and two boys.

Find him online:

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7 thoughts on “Review+Giveaway: People of the Sun by Ben Gartner

  1. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of this book and series, this sounds like an epic read and I am looking forward to it

  2. Thrilling excerpt, and the book sounds like an exciting adventure that my granddaughter will love and the cover is very nice! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Kit ‘n’ Kabookle for sharing your review! Have a great day!

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