Hoover, P.J. Tut: My Epic Battle to Save the World.

Hoover, P.J.  Tut: My Epic Battle to Save the World. Macmillan/Tor Books      2017  336p  $15.95  ISBN 978-0-7653-9082-0  ms/hs Mystery/Detective   VG-BN

This is the second book in Hoover’s series about the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun transported to modern times, but it can be read as a stand-alone as well, with hints of a sequel too.

Gil is gone.  Gilgamesh, guardian of the teenaged Tutankhamun, has disappeared and Tut is desperately trying to find him.  In the epic battle at the end of the first book in the series, Tut’s friend Henry is grievously injured and Tut gives up part of his immortal life force to sustain him.  Tut’s guardian Gilgamesh channels his own scarab heart into Tut in exchange and then disappears.  Tut must rescue his “older brother” from Apep, God of Chaos, with the help of his friends Tia and Henry.  The adventures come fast and furious as the frantic Tut searches Washington, D.C., for Gil and a way to save the world from Chaos. 

This solidly written fantasy will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end with its lively prose and well-developed characters, creative plot twists, wit, and dramatic story line.  The modern participants are excellent representations of those of Egyptian mythology, offering a nice introduction for further investigations. The book includes a glossary of Egyptian and Sumerian gods and monsters, a list of real people, a description of “all things Shabti", instructions for playing Senet, and instructions for caring for your Sumerian monster.  

Summary: Gil is gone.  Gilgamesh, guardian of the teenaged Tutankhamun, has disappeared, and Tut is desperately trying to find him. This solidly written fantasy will hold the reader's attention from beginning to end with its lively prose and well-developed characters, creative plot twists, wit, and dramatic story line. This is the second book in Hoover’s series about the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun transported to modern times but it can be read as a stand-alone as well, with hints of a sequel there as well.  
                 

Fantasy, Ancient Egypt-Fiction                                          --Susan Ogintz

Meyer, William. The Secret Scarab Beetle.

Meyer, William.   The Secret Scarab Beetle.     Sleeping Bear Press(Cengage)  2016  240p  $16.99  ISBN 978-1-58536-938-6      elem/ms  Fantasy  VG

When Horace J. Edwards’s grandfather unexpectedly dies, his grandmother gives him a cryptic message.  Then a surprise package arrives for Horace and he must determine the relationship between the message and the gift. Once Horace pieces together the conundrum, he finds himself on a time travel mission back to Ancient Egypt in which he must avert an evil deed that could change history forever.

In this fast-paced, adventurous historical novel, William Meyers combines the daily life of a typical eleven-year-old boy with accurate Ancient Egyptian history.  The story brings to life the history of this time period, and it will engage and appeal to young readers.  As the first book in an upcoming series, the ending satisfies the reader but also leave enough questions unanswered to support the arrival of the second book.  Young readers will enjoy this page-turner and find themselves anticipating the next installment.

Summary: When Horace J. Edwards’s grandfather unexpectedly dies, his grandmother gives him a cryptic message, and when a surprise package arrives for Horace, he must decode the message and complete a mission that takes him back to Ancient Egypt.     

Time travel-Fiction, Ancient Egypt-Fiction            --Virginia McGarvey