Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (Theodosia Throckmorton, Bk 1) on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
Theodosia Throckmorton, a precocious and self-assured eleven-year-old girl, can see the curses swirling around the Egyptian artifacts in London's Museum of Legends and Antiquities. Too bad the grown-ups won't listen to her. Her father, the head curator, and her mother, an archaeologist who makes frequent trips to Egypt to acquire new artifacts, don't understand why their daughter continues to give them protective amulets, or at least get them to wear gloves when handling cursed objects!
Good thing Theo's a smart girl; she takes it upon herself to find ways to un-curse the things her parents bring back to the museum, learning how to read hieroglyphics and perusing old papyrus documents about the legends and myths of ancient Egypt. She's not perfect--sometimes her solutions go awry, as when she accidentally transfers a curse to her pet cat, Isis--but her skills keep the museum in good order, leaving her parents none the wiser.
Things start to get bad when Theo's mother comes back from Egypt with a new artifact: the Heart of Egypt, a legendary object that carries with it a curse that could destroy all of Britain and plunge the world into chaos. When the Heart of Egypt is stolen from the museum before Theo can work out a way to dispel the curse, she's sent on a wild chase through London. With the help of her younger brother, Henry, and a young pickpocket, Sticky Will, Theo organizes a plan to find the Heart of Egypt and steal it back.
Theo is an innovative and interesting young girl, and her first-person narration is full of spunk and energy that shapes her character. The narrative voice was easily my favorite part of the storytelling; Theo's narration was compelling, really showing the world through her eyes. The supporting cast--heroes and villains alike--is rendered in great detail, so hat even those characters who might seem larger-than-life are just right for their setting. LaFevers paints a wonderful picture of 1906 London, with nods to the geopolitical tensions rocking Europe at that point, delivered through the perspective of a young girl who cares more for curses than for politics.
The plot moves along at a good pace, spending just enough time on each scene that the reader gets a sense of being there, all of which is only emphasized by the voice of the novel's protagonist. The conclusion is satisfying, but the story's larger questions are left unanswered, in preparation for a sequel I can't wait to read!
Theodosia Throckmorton, a precocious and self-assured eleven-year-old girl, can see the curses swirling around the Egyptian artifacts in London's Museum of Legends and Antiquities. Too bad the grown-ups won't listen to her. Her father, the head curator, and her mother, an archaeologist who makes frequent trips to Egypt to acquire new artifacts, don't understand why their daughter continues to give them protective amulets, or at least get them to wear gloves when handling cursed objects!
Good thing Theo's a smart girl; she takes it upon herself to find ways to un-curse the things her parents bring back to the museum, learning how to read hieroglyphics and perusing old papyrus documents about the legends and myths of ancient Egypt. She's not perfect--sometimes her solutions go awry, as when she accidentally transfers a curse to her pet cat, Isis--but her skills keep the museum in good order, leaving her parents none the wiser.
Things start to get bad when Theo's mother comes back from Egypt with a new artifact: the Heart of Egypt, a legendary object that carries with it a curse that could destroy all of Britain and plunge the world into chaos. When the Heart of Egypt is stolen from the museum before Theo can work out a way to dispel the curse, she's sent on a wild chase through London. With the help of her younger brother, Henry, and a young pickpocket, Sticky Will, Theo organizes a plan to find the Heart of Egypt and steal it back.
Theo is an innovative and interesting young girl, and her first-person narration is full of spunk and energy that shapes her character. The narrative voice was easily my favorite part of the storytelling; Theo's narration was compelling, really showing the world through her eyes. The supporting cast--heroes and villains alike--is rendered in great detail, so hat even those characters who might seem larger-than-life are just right for their setting. LaFevers paints a wonderful picture of 1906 London, with nods to the geopolitical tensions rocking Europe at that point, delivered through the perspective of a young girl who cares more for curses than for politics.
The plot moves along at a good pace, spending just enough time on each scene that the reader gets a sense of being there, all of which is only emphasized by the voice of the novel's protagonist. The conclusion is satisfying, but the story's larger questions are left unanswered, in preparation for a sequel I can't wait to read!
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (Theodosia Throckmorton, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
This is the first book in the Theodosia Thockmorton series by LaFevers. I actually received the second book "Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris" though the Amazon Vine program and really liked it. After realizing that that was the second book I went back to read this one. The third book "Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus" comes out in April of 2010. This was another great Theodosia book. These are wonderful books for kids interested in Egyptian history, magic, mystery, or just reading about a smart young girl who gets into all sorts of trouble.
In this book Theodosia's mother brings back a whole load of artifacts from Egypt and they are rife with curses. Theodosia has a special talent for being able to sense curses and uses her hard-won knowledge to dispel them. One of the artifacts her mother brings back is the Heart of Egypt. The Heart of Egypt will bring about the fall of England if it is not sent back to Egypt quickly. Unfortunately Theodosia's mother is not the only one interested in it, a nefarious group steals it and it is up to Theodosia, a pick pocket named Sticky Will, and Theodosia's brother Henry to find a way to get that artifact back where it belongs.
LaFevers spins an intriguing and interesting mystery surrounding these Egyptian artifacts. I love Theodosia's resourcefulness and practicality, these coupled with the fact that she is only a young girl make for a number of very humorous moments in the book. I think after Theodosia my favorite character is Will, he is resourceful in a different way and another great character. There are many excellent characters, but by far the strength of the book is the mystery and the interesting Egyptian lore included. The plot clips along at a good rate and never becomes boring.
The only thing I didn't like was that LaFevers makes the parents so clueless, in fact most of the adults in the book are rather stupid and helpless. I kind of wish that at least some of the adults in the book had a clue, but it is a good story nonetheless.
I found this book to be a quick and fun read and suitable for children of all ages. There are some scary parts, but nothing too horrible. Overall a very enjoyable read, very in keeping with the second book (Which I read before this one) I am really looking forward to the third book in this series.
In this book Theodosia's mother brings back a whole load of artifacts from Egypt and they are rife with curses. Theodosia has a special talent for being able to sense curses and uses her hard-won knowledge to dispel them. One of the artifacts her mother brings back is the Heart of Egypt. The Heart of Egypt will bring about the fall of England if it is not sent back to Egypt quickly. Unfortunately Theodosia's mother is not the only one interested in it, a nefarious group steals it and it is up to Theodosia, a pick pocket named Sticky Will, and Theodosia's brother Henry to find a way to get that artifact back where it belongs.
LaFevers spins an intriguing and interesting mystery surrounding these Egyptian artifacts. I love Theodosia's resourcefulness and practicality, these coupled with the fact that she is only a young girl make for a number of very humorous moments in the book. I think after Theodosia my favorite character is Will, he is resourceful in a different way and another great character. There are many excellent characters, but by far the strength of the book is the mystery and the interesting Egyptian lore included. The plot clips along at a good rate and never becomes boring.
The only thing I didn't like was that LaFevers makes the parents so clueless, in fact most of the adults in the book are rather stupid and helpless. I kind of wish that at least some of the adults in the book had a clue, but it is a good story nonetheless.
I found this book to be a quick and fun read and suitable for children of all ages. There are some scary parts, but nothing too horrible. Overall a very enjoyable read, very in keeping with the second book (Which I read before this one) I am really looking forward to the third book in this series.
