Description
A crumbling castle, a moat full of crocodiles, a catastrophe of kittens, and let’s not forget the villains and the mummies!
1873 England - Orphaned Hattie goes to live with her great uncle and aunt in their crumbling castle in the English Fens. There, Great Aunt Iphigenia hosts flamboyant mummy-unwrapping parties to save her home from ruin – until the mummy supply runs out. On a dangerous search for more, a thousand miles up the Nile, Hattie is haunted by these ancient souls and tries to free them with unexpected consequences. A potent blend of fantasy and history, this rambunctious story has it all!
Review
Hattie had only really known life at boarding school. Her parents disappeared on an Egyptian adventure when she was only three, and her last seven years had been spent under the guardianship of her always absent Uncle Heracles.
Little did Hattie know that she even had a Great-Uncle Sisyhus, or his sister Great-Aunt Iphigenia, until she was sent to Crumblin Castle to live with them.
They are experts on Egyptology and Hattie immediately shares their fascination. Hattie becomes her Great Aunt’s assistance during ceremonies to unwrap Mummies. Even better, Hattie gets to go on an adventure of a lifetime down the Nile to purchase more Mummies, which are then supposed to leave Egypt with them. At least, that’s the plan until the ancient souls start haunting Hattie.
Things get even worse when Hattie becomes suspicious of Edgar and Edwina Raven, who take care of all the financial matters for her Uncle and Aunt. Hattie is determined to reveal their thieving.
This is a great history and fantasy novel with a charming and fun main character. With many twists and turns, some magic cats and seriously good adventure, this book will be loved by readers aged 9 - 12 years.
Reviewed by Rob
