Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets($9.99Value)

Description

Breathe. Listen. Surrender. Twelve-year-old Zya Nicole Jenkins wishes for an adventure on the last night of summer. But, when she and her best friend Elijah find a glowing door in the woods, the youngsters get much more than they bargained for, and find themselves swept away on a quest of epic proportions. Cast into the midst of a centuries-long, intergalactic conflict, the newly minted heroes will have to overcome their greatest fear, learn to trust a mysterious ally and master their new magic timepieces to save the day and free humanity from the Evil Archons. A 2025 Literary Global Children’s Book Award winner and finalist for the Children’s Book International Award for Fantasy, Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets is packed to the brim with pharaohs and zombies, twists and turns, shape-shifters and a fearsome Lizard King. The Emerald Tablets follows two precocious young people as they break the mold, transcend expectations and grow to accept their destiny. A fast-paced story about freedom, responsibility and friendship that can’t be broken. With the fate of humanity on the line and new surprises around every corner, you’ll be on the edge of your seat until the final bell. If you’re a fan of Ancient Egypt, time travel, aliens or the cosmic battle between good and evil, this story is just for you. The first of a seven-book series, The Emerald Tablets aspires to be a foundational narrative for anyone with big dreams. For Parents of Young Children : The plot places our protagonists in uncertain situations with selfish, creepy and power-hungry adversaries, causing them to act decisively and demonstrating that any obstacle can be surmounted with patience, team-work and imagination. The narrative addresses themes of liberation, self-confidence and bodily autonomy, while taking on difficult topics such as parental abandonment, bullying, family trauma, slavery and death in ways young adults can understand and relate to. Jabril Yousef Faraj's Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks kicks off a wild, genre-blending ride through time, space, and soul-searching adolescence. It follows Zya, a spunky, sharp twelve-year-old girl with big dreams and an even bigger heart, and her quieter best friend Elijah, a kid with a mind for circuits and logic. When they stumble upon a mysterious portal in the forest behind their neighborhood, they're launched into a futuristic yet ancient interstellar conflict. There are aliens, time travel, cosmic watches, and high-stakes missions to recover the enigmatic Emerald Tablets—artifacts of immense power tied to humanity's fate. All of it is steeped in Afro-futurist themes, social commentary, and enough banter to keep it all feeling grounded. I honestly fell in love with the way Zya is written. She's the kind of kid you root for immediately—complicated, headstrong, sweet, and full of fire. Her thoughts about wanting to be free, wanting to be seen and heard, absolutely resonated with me. It's not just character-building; it's emotionally real. Her world feels alive even before aliens and spaceships show up. When the science fiction finally kicks in—like when Zya and Elijah first lay eyes on the glowing portal in the forest and jump through it without hesitation—I was hooked. The pacing is snappy, but not rushed. The way Faraj builds out the Lumerian race, particularly through the elegant and mysterious Maroun and the guide Kelven, is slick and satisfying. The Nimrod (their spaceship) is described in such a cool, cinematic way it's easy to imagine it. But what surprised me most was how layered the story is. Faraj isn't afraid to get deep. The Archons—power-hungry lizard-like overlords—aren't just sci-fi baddies; they're stand-ins for systemic oppression. The idea that they've used Earth's pyramid structures to send out mind-controlling frequencies is wild, sure, but also kind of genius​. It reimagines colonialism and spiritual suppression through a futuristic lens. The Emerald Tablets themselves are introduced with mythic reverence, and their purpose remains just cryptic enough to keep you curious. That said, I think some of the explanations got a little too exposition-heavy—especially in the scenes where Maroun lays out the backstory. It wasn't bad, just a bit dense for younger readers. Still, the dialogue often balances it out with humor and warmth. Zya and Eli's dynamic never feels forced. They're just two kids, caught up in something huge, doing the best they can with sass and heart. Guardians of the Cosmic Clocks: The Emerald Tablets is a blast. It's heartfelt and hopeful. It manages to feel epic and intimate all at once. If you love sci-fi with strong characters, real-world metaphors, and a touch of magic, this is for you. Teachers and parents looking for a smart, diverse, adventurous read for middle schoolers—grab this. Jabril Yousef Faraj is an award-winning Young Adult Fantasy author. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Midwest, the nonbinary, Arab-American artis