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Summary and Reviews of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by Robin LaFevers

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by Robin L. LaFevers

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

by Robin L. LaFevers
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • First Published:
  • Apr 9, 2007, 343 pages
  • Paperback:
  • May 2008, 352 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be the 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.

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.

When Theo’s mother returns from her latest archaeological dig bearing the Heart of Egypt—a legendary amulet belonging to an ancient tomb—Theo learns that it comes inscribed with a curse so black and vile that it threatens to crumble the British Empire from within and start a war too terrible to imagine. Intent on returning the malevolent artifact to its rightful place, Theo devises a daring plan to put things right. But even with the help of her younger brother, a wily street urchin, and the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers, it won’t be easy . . . she quickly finds herself pursued down dark alleys, across an ocean, through the bustling crowds of Cairo, and straight into the heart of an ancient mystery. Theo will have to call upon everything she’s ever learned in order to prevent the rising chaos from destroying her country—and herself!

December 17, 1906

I don’t trust Clive Fagenbush.

How can you trust a person who has eyebrows as thick and black as hairbrushes and smells of boiled cabbage and pickled onions? Besides, I’m beginning to suspect he’s up to something. What’s worse, I think he suspects I’m up to something. Which I usually am.

Not that anyone would take the word of an eleven- year-old girl against that of the Second Assistant Curator—even if that girl just happens to be the daughter of the Head Curator of the museum and is rather cleverer than most (or so I’ve been told; oddly, I don’t think they meant it as a compliment). As far as I can tell, it doesn’t make any difference to adults how clever children are. They always stick together. Unless you are sick or dying or mortally wounded, they will always side with the other adult.

That’s certainly the case here, anyway. My father oversees the Museum of Legends and ...

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Reviews

BookBrowse Review

BookBrowse

Children aged about eleven years and up will root for Theodosia and enjoy the action and the gritty details of how to recognize and remove curses (every detail of Theodosia's curse removing kit is lovingly explained). Hopefully, we won't have to wait for too long for the next in the series...continued

Full Review (638 words)

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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).

Media Reviews

Booklist - Gillian Engberg
Starred Review. This imaginative, supernatural mystery will find word-of-mouth popularity.

Kirkus Reviews
Stock characters and a school of red herrings crowd the narrative; the cracking good tomb showdown rewards persistent-or unfussy-readers.

School Library Journal
Vivid descriptions of fog-shrouded London and hot, dusty Cairo enhance the palpable gothic atmosphere, while page-turning action and a plucky, determined heroine add to the book's appeal. Unfortunately, Theo's narrative voice lurches between the diction of an Edwardian child and that of a modern teen.

Reader Reviews

Mtwazherr11

Bahahahaha!
I liked this book it was very vivid to me and my friends that I read this book with. I really liked it. I would recommend it to all 5th grade students.

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Beyond the Book



R. L. LaFevers has been fascinated by libraries and museums ever since she first set foot in one. She's pretty sure it's because of all the ancient mysteries sitting there on the shelves, just waiting to be discovered. She has also spent a large portion of her life being told she was making up things that weren't there, which only proves she was destined to write fiction.

When she's not gazing longingly at ancient artifacts or wallowing in old forgotten texts, she's busy trying to keep one ...

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