Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Travel with me to a world with curses and magic. There are many great people in this book with different personalities. Some are sneaky, and some are evil! Theodosia is a girl who travels from London to Egypt. She loves learning about curses and magic. She is sneaky and intelligent and the book is written from her point of view. She is always explaining what she is thinking and her thoughts are always so crazy. The story builds up slowly and then when you think that it will get boring, it gets exciting again! The story is generally easy to follow and sometimes it might seem confusing, but it explains what is going on. Some books have a boring exposition, but this book has a really fun exposition! I would give this book a five star rating because it has details and it's just really fun to read. When I finished reading the book, I felt so happy because it was a great book, and I also felt sad because I could not continue reading it!

Some kids don't like historical fiction, and my daughter is one of those. Ever since she had to read Treasure Island in school she steers well away from any book that takes place in a bygone era. It's sad, really. I read this book and thought, this is the one that will change things. I love the voice of the narrator, which the SLJ review says is inconsistent. I think it's great. It makes historical fiction easily readable, and may, someday, lead to my daughter stretching herself to real historical fiction. Things to love about this book - the voice, the thrilling action scenes in Egypt, the quirky cast of characters, the cursed cat (I have one, too - a complete psycho!), and how Theodosia grows to see her family in a more accurate light (especially her annoying little brother, I have one of those, too). Enjoy this imaginative and fun story, and let's all hope for more Theodosia.

Should I be embarrassed that I am a 50-ish woman who took one little skim of this book and got all the way hooked, snuck it from my son, and read it cover to cover? WOW! I am the kind of person who has 5 or 6 books started all over the house; who reads snippets wherever I sit down. Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos grabbed my imagination and took me on a mystical and suspenseful adventure, full of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, swirling curses and lively heiroglyphs. I met Theodosia's cute but pesky little brother Henry, and a heroic pickpocketing street urchin, Sticky Will, among many others. One of my favorites was Isis, the hapless kitty that became the recepticle for some dark curses Theodosia tried to remove from one of the ancient vases. I could go on and on about how much fun this story was to read, but I'd better not give any more away. I won't tell you that it was on Theodosia's shoulders to save the whole country of England, or that she had to find a way to go to Egypt and visit some tombs for herself. A real feat for an 11 year old girl. I just CAN'T tell you how she managed to get there, or how scary the dark tunnels to the tombs were. You just need to read it for yourself! If there was anything I would change about this book, it would only be to make the story longer. I hope R.L.LaFevers decides to make this only the first of Theodosia's many adventures.

Theodosia Throckmorton is not like most 11-year-olds living in early 20th-century London. Theodosia --- called Theo by her family and friends --- is an intelligent and inquisitive girl with the rare ability to detect and cleanse ancient spells, evil curses and black magic. Her gift comes in handy at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London, where her father is head curator. While her American Mum is off on an archaeological dig and her brother is away at boarding school, Theo stays at the museum with her father. She sleeps in a sarcophagus, not only to keep out drafts but more importantly to avoid the curses that float around the museum at night. During the day she explores the museum with her cat, Isis. Theo researches ancient texts and studies hieroglyphs to better understand how to use her gift to ward off the curses embedded in ancient artifacts. When Theo's Mum returns from Egypt, Theo welcomes the "familiar scent of lilacs" that makes her aware of how much she missed her mother. But after seeing some of Mum's amazing and much coveted finds, Theo detects trouble and feels the presence of "an icy-footed beetle" scuttling down her back. Among her mother's discoveries is the legendary amulet --- the Heart of Egypt --- that, unknown to her mother, carries an evil curse and unleashes forces of chaos. Theo teams up with her brother Henry, who has returned from boarding school, a street urchin named Sticky Will, and Wigmere, the head of a secret society, to return the amulet to the tomb where it was unearthed. But their efforts are stalled when Theo learns there's a traitor who has joined forces with von Braggenschnott, the German antiquities smuggler, and knows the team's every move. Theo must use her knowledge and special gift to return the Heart of Egypt and prevent the forces of chaos from spreading. If she fails, her family and the rest of the world are at risk. THEODOSIA THROCKMORTON AND THE SERPENT OF CHAOS is an entertaining and educational book that's fun to read. Author R. L. LaFevers deftly weaves within the storyline facts about archeological digs, hieroglyphs and ancient Egyptian deities. The end result is an intelligent and enjoyable novel of suspense for middle-grade readers. --- Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt

Eleven-year-old Theodosia Throckmorton spends most of her time at The Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father is the head curator and her mother is an archeologist who brings back her latest finds to the museum. Theo is very busy since she has the unique ability to sense dark magic and curses. Using a blend of intuition and science, she has successfully lifted many curses and has learned what to do when your cat is possessed by a demon. Her mother's latest find is Thutmose's Heart of Egypt. Unfortunately, legend has it that whoever removes the Heart of Egypt from the tomb will bring about famine, plague and pestilence. Members of a secret society give Theo an important mission: return the Heart of Egypt to the tomb to save the British Empire! Readers will enjoy Theodosia as she is precocious and a lot of fun. Her observations are dry and often hilarious. For example, she is able to identify one of the curators based on his signature scent of onions and boiled cabbage. She is also a sympathetic character because she has learned to be self-sufficient. While her parents love her, they often get caught up in their latest discovery. Theo has learned to fend for herself. She does what she can to get her parents' attention and admiration. Although Theo is often told she is a bit too clever for her own good, this trait helps her stay one step ahead of the villains. This is a very well-written adventure story that will appeal to adult and younger readers. I started to read this book before going to bed, thinking that I would just read one or two chapters to start. I stayed up late because I kept turning the pages to find out what happened next. I can't wait for Theodosia's next adventure! [...] Armchair Interviews says: Two thumbs up for Theodosia Throckmorton!