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.

Pages: 140 | ASIN : B0DNR18FLZ