The Akhenaten Adventure – P. B. Kerr

Author: P. B. Kerr
Title: The Akhenaten Adventure (Children of the Lamp Series, Book One)
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: 2005
Age range: 10 - 14
Genre: Fantasy (Series)
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Plot summary: In the first book in this series, Philippa and John Gaunt find out that their mother is a djinn when they both get out their wisdom teeth and have a joint dream where their uncle Nimrod from London, also a djinn, explains a bit about their powers and tests the children. Nimrod finds that the power of the twins is strong indeed, as when they work together they can accomplish a lot more than most normal young djinn. The wisdom teeth are the signal that a young djinn is coming into his or her power. The twins discover that their mother vowed to give up her djinn power after uncovering a plot by her human husband's brothers Alan and Neil to murder their rich brother and steal his fortune. Layla Gaunt's solution is to turn the brothers into dogs, and they become intensely loyal to the whole family, constant companions of the twins, and very smart and observant indeed. The twins go to London to learn from their uncle Nimrod about what life as a djinn is like, and whenever these three get together there is adventure. The twins are always up for a challenge, and Nimrod treats them like equals. Philippa and John get a rough introduction into the world and logic of the djinn tribes, as Nimrod begins their training in Egypt, and they stumble across a plot by a notoriously evil djinn to enslave a group of ancient, entombed djinn to his will, tipping the balance of good and evil quite far in his direction.

Comments: Kerr's writing style is fast-paced and entertaining. His descriptions of ancient artifacts and archaeological digs should be fascinating to middle-school aged young adults. Kerr's depiction of family relationships is believable, and the excitement of the twins on discovering more about their powers is fun. It's also nice to see that even as the twins become more powerful and learn more about the djinn world, they retain the respect for their elders that other djinn children they come into contact with do not have. By raising the children as normal humans, Mrs Gaunt seems to have done them a real favor, even if they do not appreciate it initially. With the power to grant wishes, other young djinn have difficulty staying grounded, but John and Philippa value quick thinking and problem solving just as much as performing magic – probably because their minds are more often the tool that gets them out of precarious situations. Kerr has set up a world where endless adventures can be had, as the culture and history of the dinn is uncovered.

Date Read: December 2008