The walled kingdom of Sherbourne is under a curse, and unless a remedy is found, will fall to utter ruin. The king, obsessed with greed and under the influence of corrupt councilors, fears treachery from his son, Prince Adin, who yearns only for his father’s approval . Adin sets out to capture the elusive firebird, to win his father’s love, but learns that the only hope for Sherbourne is to uncover the source of the curse—set in motion three centuries earlier—and counteract it. Adin acquires a magical map that sends him back to Sherbourne’s beginnings, unaware his twin sister, Aletha, has followed in his footsteps. Both arrive in Sherbourne’s past, in a turbulent time of war. They must find the Keeper, the one who watches over the sacred site, before the besieged city falls, but calamity strikes. Adin must return to the future and manipulate events in the stream of time to assure the success of his mission—though his actions come at great cost to both him and Aletha.

The Map across Time is a riveting time-travel adventure with twists and surprises at every turn. Through it all, the characters see heaven’s hand in their lives and are reminded of these words: “Heaven uses all circumstances to its advantage. Do you really think our small failures can stop the intentions of heaven? Believe me, they cannot.”

The Gates of Heaven series celebrates the reinvention of the fairy tale in the tradition of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. These hope-inspiring tales, replete with unforgettable characters and engaging plots, will delight readers of any age, reawakening the simple joy of a tale well told.