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eBook editions

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

by R. L. La Fevers

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos Cover

ISBN13: 9780618999767
ISBN10: 0618999760
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo — and only Theo — who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum. Sneaking behind her father's back, Theo uses old, nearly forgotten Egyptian magic to remove the curses and protect her father and the rest of the museum employees from the ancient, sinister forces that lurk in the museum's dark hallways.

Review:

"Frankly, I'm not fond of surprises, as the ones around here tend to be rather wicked.' There are surprises aplenty in LaFevers's spirited debut, a sort of Indiana Jones for girls and a perfect blend of mystery and humor. Set in turn-of-the-20th-century London, it involves 11-year-old Theodosia Throckmorton, who 'assists' her parents in their Museum of Legends and Antiquities. But Theo is the only one who can tell when ancient artifacts arriving at the museum bear a curse — and as new acquisitions arrive, she makes it her business to secretly remove any lingering curses by using recipes she finds in her constant research. Her mother returns home from a dig with the Heart of Egypt, a scarab amulet that was used as a death marker for the Pharaohs. When the amulet goes missing, Theo's search for it leads her to Lord Wigmere, the leader of an underground society that watches for magical artifacts entering England. The Heart of Egypt, it turns out, possesses a particularly nasty curse, 'designed to weaken a nation, to make it easy to conquer.' Crops begin to fail and a flu epidemic overtakes the nation. To break the curse, the Heart must be returned to the tomb from which it was taken — and, of course, it falls to Theo to recover the Heart. Loads of evocative Egyptian history and an oh-so-plucky, resourceful narrator make this the first volume in a series to watch. Ages 9-12." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"A sure bet for Harry Potter fans as well as Joan Aiken's and Eva Ibbotson's readers. This imaginative, supernatural mystery will find word-of-mouth popularity." Booklist (Starred Review)

Synopsis:

Set in 1906 London and Cairo, this middle-grade mystery introduces an intrepid new heroine — Theodosia Throckmorton, who is thrust into the heart of a mystery when she learns an ancient Egyptian amulet carries a curse that threatens to crumble the British Empire. Illustrations.

Synopsis:

Nate Fludd is back in the camel saddle in pursuit of a missing, deadly basiliskthe King of Serpents. As if saving a Dhughani village from the beast isnt hard enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to solve the mystery of his parents disappearance and protect The Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seems to be one step ahead of them. This is the perfect adventure for boys and girls not quite ready for longer texts.

Synopsis:

Nate Fludd, Beastologist, is back in the camel saddle in hot pursuit of a missing, deadly Basilisk—the King of Serpents. As if saving an entire Dhughani village from the Basilisks poisonous gaze isnt difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to piece together the mystery of his parents disappearance and protect the lone copy of the Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seem to be one step ahead of them. Pack your goggles, rue, and an extra pair of gloves and join Nate on another unbelievable adventure—theres no rest for the worlds youngest beastologist-in-training!
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About the Author

R. L. LaFevers (Robin Lorraine when shes in really big trouble) has been fascinated by libraries and museums ever since she first set foot in one. When shes not gazing longingly at ancient artifacts or wallowing in old forgotten texts, shes busy trying to keep one step ahead of her two teenage sons. She lives with the aforementioned sons, her husband, and a demonic cat in Southern California.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Klickitat, January 28, 2011 (view all comments by Klickitat)
Like Roald Dahl's Matilda before her, Theodosia Throckmorton can't get any respect. At the young age of eleven she already has a formidable knowledge of Egyptian theology and black magic but her parents are too consumed with running their museum of antiquities to notice. Even worse, the elder Throckmortons often unwittingly place themselves in harm's way, forcing Theodosia to rescue them (but always behind the scenes in order to spare their pride.) I think kids will love the many jabs at adults' apparent cluelessness. After all, what child hasn't pondered how life would be better if only they were in charge? Theodosia's adventures are not only thrilling, they're wish fulfillment - i.e. what theoretically would happen if a bright kid was afforded with the perfect venue for their talents?

Unfortunately LaFevers isn't quite successful in capturing the voice of a young Edwardian girl. She makes a good effort to insert period expressions into the text but a strong (contemporary) American twang remains. I didn't think this marred the story at all but, if that type of thing bugs you, you've been warned.

Oh, also, look up the meaning of the name "Theodosia" if you're not familiar. I did so on a whim and thought it was a clever choice, given the book's subject matter.
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FrankSara, May 3, 2009 (view all comments by FrankSara)
What starts slowly with an isolated girl having to sleep with her cat in an Egyptian sarcophagus (again) turns into a faster-paced adventure with chases, rescues, pickpockets and an international ring of terrorists. Outsiders would say Theodosia is a paranoid and eccentric child, but when we start to see what she sees we are sympathetic with her fascination for hieroglyphics, amulets, and bits of wax for absorbing curses. An interesting glimpse into ancient Egyptian religion with a peek into British life of 100 years ago.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780618999767
Author:
La Fevers, R. L.
Publisher:
Sandpiper
Illustrator:
Tanaka, Yoko
Author:
Murphy, Kelly
Author:
Tanaka, Yoko
Subject:
Non-Classifiable
Subject:
Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
Subject:
Adventure and adventurers
Subject:
Antiquities
Subject:
Humorous Stories
Subject:
Magic
Subject:
Family - General
Subject:
Action & Adventure
Subject:
Children s-Adventure Stories
Copyright:
2008
Edition Description:
Trade Paper
Series:
Theodosia
Publication Date:
20080505
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
from 3 to 7
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Black-and-white illustrations
Pages:
352
Dimensions:
7.75 x 5.5 in 0.72 lb
Age Level:
09-12
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Related Aisles

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$4.95 In Stock
Product details 352 pages Houghton Mifflin Company - English 9780618999767 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Frankly, I'm not fond of surprises, as the ones around here tend to be rather wicked.' There are surprises aplenty in LaFevers's spirited debut, a sort of Indiana Jones for girls and a perfect blend of mystery and humor. Set in turn-of-the-20th-century London, it involves 11-year-old Theodosia Throckmorton, who 'assists' her parents in their Museum of Legends and Antiquities. But Theo is the only one who can tell when ancient artifacts arriving at the museum bear a curse — and as new acquisitions arrive, she makes it her business to secretly remove any lingering curses by using recipes she finds in her constant research. Her mother returns home from a dig with the Heart of Egypt, a scarab amulet that was used as a death marker for the Pharaohs. When the amulet goes missing, Theo's search for it leads her to Lord Wigmere, the leader of an underground society that watches for magical artifacts entering England. The Heart of Egypt, it turns out, possesses a particularly nasty curse, 'designed to weaken a nation, to make it easy to conquer.' Crops begin to fail and a flu epidemic overtakes the nation. To break the curse, the Heart must be returned to the tomb from which it was taken — and, of course, it falls to Theo to recover the Heart. Loads of evocative Egyptian history and an oh-so-plucky, resourceful narrator make this the first volume in a series to watch. Ages 9-12." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "A sure bet for Harry Potter fans as well as Joan Aiken's and Eva Ibbotson's readers. This imaginative, supernatural mystery will find word-of-mouth popularity."
"Synopsis" by , Set in 1906 London and Cairo, this middle-grade mystery introduces an intrepid new heroine — Theodosia Throckmorton, who is thrust into the heart of a mystery when she learns an ancient Egyptian amulet carries a curse that threatens to crumble the British Empire. Illustrations.
"Synopsis" by ,
Nate Fludd is back in the camel saddle in pursuit of a missing, deadly basiliskthe King of Serpents. As if saving a Dhughani village from the beast isnt hard enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to solve the mystery of his parents disappearance and protect The Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seems to be one step ahead of them. This is the perfect adventure for boys and girls not quite ready for longer texts.
"Synopsis" by ,
Nate Fludd, Beastologist, is back in the camel saddle in hot pursuit of a missing, deadly Basilisk—the King of Serpents. As if saving an entire Dhughani village from the Basilisks poisonous gaze isnt difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to piece together the mystery of his parents disappearance and protect the lone copy of the Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seem to be one step ahead of them. Pack your goggles, rue, and an extra pair of gloves and join Nate on another unbelievable adventure—theres no rest for the worlds youngest beastologist-in-training!
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