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

Hoover, P.J. Solstice.

Hoover, P.J.  Solstice.  Macmillan/Tor Books    2013  381p  $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7653-3469-5        hs  Science fiction   VG-BN

This debut YA novel is an interesting mix of dystopian existence and Greek mythology.  The convoluted plot unfolds gradually and the characters demonstrate the personalities of their legendary counterparts.  Piper Snow lives in Austin, Texas, in the near future.  The world is in the midst of a Global Warming Crisis and temperatures are being recorded in ever-increasing numbers.  The country has implemented many techniques for dealing with the extreme temperatures but the underlying causes have not been rectified.  Piper’s overly controlling mother runs Botanical Haven, the source of many of the fruits and vegetables in Austin, and she keeps a tight grip on Piper.  On Piper’s eighteenth birthday, her mother is called away to help in a political crisis and Piper is left alone for the first time.  She is approached by two young men, Reese and Shayne, and, torn between them, her life begins to spiral out of her control.  As the plot continues to unfold and Piper discovers her true identity, we begin to see similarities between Piper, her mother, and the two boys and their corresponding figures in Greek mythology.  Piper travels through the Underworld with Shayne, repels Reese, and accuses her mother of being responsible for the Global Warming Crisis by not allowing winter to come.  The book ends with a bonus chapter that leads the way towards a sequel and a Tor Teen Reader’s Guide for writing and research activities.   

Summary: This debut YA novel is an interesting mix of dystopian existence and Greek mythology.  The convoluted plot unfolds gradually and the characters retain the characteristics of their legendary counterparts.

Global warming-Fiction, Greek Mythology-Fiction             --Susan Ogintz

Emerald Tablet by P.J. Hoover

Hoover, P J. Emerald Tablet.
CBay Books, 2008, 288p, $16.95, 978-1-933767-13-0

Thirteen-year-old Benjamin Holt finds his whole life and everything he thought he knew changing when at the start of summer vacation he finds out first that he is not human, second that he will be spending eight weeks in summer school on the sunken world of Lemuria.
He forms an Alliance with his best friend Andy, Gary, Heidi and Iva. He is told he is the chosen Champion who must find three lost keys and is the only one who can save the lost worlds of Lemuria and Atlantis and bring peace to the world.
An exciting adventure, well defined characters with sequels definitely to follow. JT