Writing Style: The Author’s style actually surprised me. You know, those awesome magical demons who lay around in bottles and lamps all day, granting wishes to people who free them (imprisoned by King Solomon in The Arabian Nights stories). What kid wouldn’t love that to happen to them? In this case, instead of Greek, Egyptian, or Roman gods, John and Philippa are descended from the djinn. Mythical beings from favorite classic stories come to life in the modern day, and two average kids turn out to be related to them and have their powers. This is the kind of thing I loved when I was a kid, and it’s why I like Rick Riordan’s books. Never waste time with an adventure story. Plot: The story wastes no time in getting into it, which is good. The villain of the piece, though, isn’t all that frightening, and I hope the villains improve as the series goes on. The tag-along character Groanin is actually pretty amusing, too. He definitely makes the book worth reading. Nimrod is a riot - he would be an awesome uncle to have. When it comes to adventure stories, your protagonist has to be willing to come to terms with the unlikely very rapidly, otherwise the story gets bogged down. Funny, resourceful, ready for an adventure, and quick to accept the impossible. I actually first read this book when it first came out, and the cover is what caught my attention because I was very much into stories relating to The Arabian Nights (still am).Ĭharacters: John and Philippa are excellent protagonists for this type of story. Will the twins be strong and skilled and clever enough to outwit Iblis, the most evil djinn on the universe and live to see another day - another city - another adventure?Ĭover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes. And not a moment too soon! Because John and Philippa are about to embark on a search to locate a monstrous looking (but supposed to be dead) pharaoh named Akhenaten, and his tomb, which may be holding seventy lost djinn. Luckily (and luck does have something to do with it), the twins are introduced to their eccentric djinn-uncle Nimrod, who will teach them how to harness their newly found power. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places (and not necessarily on public transportation), and make people and objects disappear.

Meet John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year-old twins who one day discover themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn.

Genre: Middle Grade, adventure, historical fantasy

The akhenaten adventure