EXCAVATING FATE

Lost in an alternate version of the ancient world, a Greek American archaeology student tries to return home.

Nineteen-year-old Amara Kalogridas’ life isn’t perfect: Her mother died nine years ago, after which her father struggled with alcohol abuse, but her family has pulled through. Now, Amara, her brother, Greg, her best friend, Sophie, and her archaeologist father are working on a dig in Tunisia, where they’re hoping to learn more about the rise and fall of Carthage. Amara is just an intern, but she’s determined to make a discovery of her own. Soon enough she does—and the artifact she uncovers sends her back in time to ancient Carthage. Time travel is bad enough, but Amara quickly learns that she’s in an alternate universe with harpies, djinn, and other beings. Amara has unwittingly become embroiled in the Punic Wars and an even older conflict involving beings that move between dimensions and have their own convoluted motivations. Magical Carthage and the possible futures it invokes make for thought-provoking exploration and speculation. The potential of the alternate-reality situation, however, is diffused by Amara’s preoccupation with her love life and the ancient love triangle that develops, which are less intriguing elements of the story. The plot is largely engaging, although the novel is at times overly reliant on dialogue for exposition.

A light time-travel adventure that struggles with heavy-handed execution.