Order from derailing history. Ethan and Arkarian are not only members of the Guard, but also Named by an ancient prophecy that predicts the final battle between the Guard and the Order. After years of devotion to the Guard, Ethan is rewarded with an apprentice. Should he train her well, he could be awarded the Guard's highest honor; the power of flight. His only concern is that is would-be apprentice is Isabel Beckett, the kid sister to his former best friend Matt. Isabel spent her childhood chasing after Ethan, Matt, and their friends, wishing to be included in their adventures while harboring a not-so-secret crush on Ethan. He remembers her as a pest, and knows that Matt, who believes Ethan is after his girlfriend, will make training difficult. After overcoming multiple difficulties, including accidentally showing one of his powers to his history teacher, Ethan and Isabel reconnect and form a strong friendship. They succeed on several missions, revealing other members of the Named along the way. Isabel's crush on Ethan grows and then dwindles as she gets closer with Arkarian, and her passion for the cause and her skills makes her a powerful member of the Named. With the prophecy slowly being fulfilled, more identities of the Order are made known. Ethan and Isabel learn that Marduke, the monster of Ethan's nightmares, is actually a member of the Order, who holds a vendetta against Shaun, a former member of the Named. In an effort to speed up the prophecy, Marduke challenges Shaun to a battle, where the members of the Named face off against Marduke and his best soldiers. In a battle between the Named and Marduke, it is revealed that Matt's girlfriend Rochelle is also a member of the Order, and was planted by Marduke to break up Matt and Ethan's friendship. In a moment of compassion, Isabel frees her from the battle, with a promise that Arkarian will protect her from the Order. Ethan successfully defeats Marduke, and the battle ends. Reception With a 4-star rating on Goodreads, The Named introduces a world that readers enjoy. The concept is highly applauded, although critiques include the characters being too young, and the high-school aspect of the novel overshadows the supernatural. Many call it a page-turner and look forward to reading the other books in the trilogy. See also Guardians of Time Trilogy The Dark The Key List of Characters