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