The sequel to the bestselling debut in the Children of the Lamp series, The Akhenaten Adventure (which puts "an entertaining spin on the genie-in-a-lantern mythos," according to PW) takes 12-year-old twins John and Philippa Gaunt, who discovered in the first book that they are descendents of a long line of djinni, from New York to Istanbul in The Blue Djinn of Babylon. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Author P.B. Kerr's attempt to divert his children from the lure of video games and into the world of books eventually evolved into a first rate young adult adventure novel. Until their twelfth year, twins John and Phillipa Gaunt's lives were pretty normal. Then their bodies and minds begin to change in strange ways. They grow wisdom teeth. They have a sudden and strong desire to smoke cigarettes. Strangest of all, it seems like they can make wishes come true. While under anesthesia, the twins share a bizarre dream in which their Uncle Nimrod, whom they barely remember meeting, invites them to visit him in London. Remarkably, the twins' parents go along with this request. Nimrod explains to the children that they are "djinns," which humans refer to as Genies. Djinns are responsible for tracking the luck of the world, and right now that luck is in a dangerous imbalance: an evil group of djinns are attempting to set free seventy ancient Egyptian genies that have been bottled up for thousands of years. Nimrod and the twins' adventures take them to the hottest place on earth as well as to the coolest. Along the way, they find themselves embroiled in many harrowing scrapes, which they get out of with the help of a cast of colorful characters. Humorous dialogue and vivid imagery abound in this witty and imaginative read. 2004, Orchard Books/Scholastic, Ages 8 to 12.
—Christopher Moning
What do wisdom teeth, The Arabian Nights, an earthquake in Egypt, and a missing couple on a flight to London have in common? Quite a bit, it turns out, for two twelve-year- old twins. John and Philippa Gaunt enjoy an exciting and, at times, dangerous, adventure, thanks to what happens to them after a trip to the dentist--and a little luck. Luck is precisely what these twins need after they go to stay with their uncle Nimrod. Only John and Philippa discover they have much more control over luck than they ever thought possible. The twins must quickly learn to harness their emerging powers to help their uncle solve an ancient mystery. If they succeed, the balance of Good and Evil in the world will remain in homeostasis; if they fail, Evil will have the advantage, and the whole world will suffer. It is no surprise P.B. Kerr is also a writer of adult thrillers, as Phillip Kerr. Although the wit and vocabulary may be beyond some young readers, enthusiasts of the Harry Potter series and similar works will enjoy Kerr's suspenseful, yet fun, tale. 2004, Orchard Books, 355 pp., Ages young adult.
—Emily Pauly
Gr 5-8-In this uneven fantasy, 12-year-old twins live a privileged but uneventful life in New York City until both John and Philippa need to have their wisdom teeth extracted. Afterward, the children begin to experience strange growth spurts, have cravings for smoke and heat, and gain the ability to grant wishes. After inviting them to visit him in London, their Uncle Nimrod informs them that they are descended from the Marid tribe of djinn. As he begins their training, they travel to Egypt, where they are pursued by Iblis, the leader of an enemy tribe who thinks Nimrod knows the location of the lost tomb of Akhenaten. This pharaoh bound 70 djinn to his service and whoever finds his tomb will have the ability to command them and shift the balance of power from good to evil. As they travel around the world, the siblings and their uncle have numerous adventures, culminating in an encounter with Akhenaten's ghost. The writing has a cinematic quality as Kerr provides detailed glimpses at the changing scenery; at times, there is too much description, particularly of room furnishings. In-depth characterizations are sacrificed for the often humorous, fast-moving plot. For a more complex and satisfying fantasy about djinn, try Jonathan Stroud's "Bartimaeus Trilogy" (Miramax).-Sharon Rawlins, Piscataway Public Library, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Entertaining archaeological adventures unfortunately find humor in pettiness and snark. Twelve-year-old twins John and Philippa share a vision in the dentist's office in which mysterious Uncle Nimrod encourages the children to visit. At his direction, they blackmail their parents into sending them to England, where they learn they are half-djinn. Soon they are embroiled in a race against the wicked Iblis, in a competition to turn the balance of mystical power in the world to good or evil. With the help of a djinn with an Irish brogue, a human butler with an almost intriguing past, a stereotyped Egyptian chauffeur, and a bit of cleverness, the children save the world for the forces of good while coming into their birthright. Puns abound, but too many are knowing winks to adult readers, and many others rely on snide little cruelties at the expense of secondary characters or entire nations. Funny and clever, but weakened by cheap shots. (Fantasy. 10-12)
