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Carter Knox's mother, a famed archaeologist, has been missing and presumed dead after a dig site buried her. In response, Carter's father has buried himself in his work at the museum to forget. What neither of them knew was that she was working for the god Osiris to stop a shadowy group known as the Keepers, who wish to rewrite history in their image, and they are searching for the tools to do so. Carter, armed with the ability to interact with ghosts and a magical ankh, enlists the help of his two best friends, Charlotte and Lincoln, to take up his mother's quest. When the Keepers kidnap Carter's father and divulge that his mother is their captive, the three friends come up with a desperate, time-traveling plan to stop the Keepers. First, they'll need to contact some ghosts and find The Lost City of Z.
Hockwater's young adult adventure will appeal to those readers who enjoyed Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It has twelve-year-old protagonists, gods from multiple pantheons, magic, and action. The author's book is well-paced and won't bore young readers with too much information. There are times when the book's timing seems a little off, and there are questions about what both the ghosts and Seekers can do, but much of the target audience won't pay those things too much attention. Middle school students looking for more fiction about gods and action heroes their age will likely enjoy this book and wonder if, and when, a second book is slated for release.