Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

R. L. LaFevers

May 2008 · The Theodosia Series Book 1 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

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 magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum.

In this first book in the popular series, 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 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!

This highly praised, exciting middle grade series is a must for fans of mysteries, humor, and nonstop action.

Ratings and reviews

Think of a combination of Nancy Drew and a little bit of Indiana Jones and you have Theo. I really did enjoy reading this book. It had a perfect blend of mystery, adventure, and paranormal characteristics that made the book enjoyable for all ages. Not only was Theo not a typical girl but she was curious, outspoken, and an adventure seeker who was not afraid of getting into danger. Her unique gift of finding the ancient curses and dispelling them is fun and different and I enjoyed her process of removing these curses from these items despite how oblivious her parents are. She does get a little lippy towards people older than her, but I like this part of her personality. It adds more to her stubborn character and adds more to her personality which makes the book all the more fun to read. The plot was really good. As usual, there is an underlying main plot underneath a few mini story arcs. I like it, although it’s nothing really new or different from other novels like this one but it provides the adventure to the story and when Theo does eventually get involved it adds more adventure and quickens the plot pace. My favorite bit was when Theo impresses a crowd with her removal of a particular curse. It gave me a triumphant feeling and I cheered her on as so many adults just seem to push her away just because she’s just a child. However, Theo does have flaws, and sometimes her ability to remove the curse does backfire (and it has somewhat comedic consequences). The ending provides for much of the action, which gives the story a great climax and makes way for the second book. What’s also great about this story is the pace is steady and you’re not slowed down at any time of the point. At each scene, you’re there for a good time before moving onto the next one and there’s no redundancy or over-repetitiveness. This book had a wonderful plot, an outstanding main character who’s fun to read, and I think this is going to be a very exciting fun filled series! I most definitely recommend this book for people of all ages.

One of the best fantasy books I've ever read. Excited to check the whole collection out! Well written, and imaginative.

This is one of the best series of books I've ever read. Up there with Narnia and Harry potter.

About the author

R.L. LaFevers lives in Southern California. Learn more at her website: http://www.rllafevers.com/

Yoko Tanaka lives in Los Angeles and Bangkok with her husband and three cats. In addition to illustrating the Theodosia books, she has also illustrated The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo and a picture book, Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker. Her artwork can be found at yokotanaka.com