strange and random happenstance

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 12th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Challenge: Valley of the Kings
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

With Will's brother in a mesmeric trance by the Great Awi Bubu he eerily repeats Theodosia's false prophecy to the Black Sunners: "The Black Sun shall rise up in a red sky before falling to earth, where a great serpent will swallow it." Theo is instantly suspicious of this Egyptian Magician. How did he get Ratsy to say what she herself said? It's got to be a trick! But when she's trying to loose her "protective detail" that the Black Sunners have set on her, the Egyptian Magician doesn't really bear thinking about. But at least The Black Sunners have a tendency to take care of those other occultists trailing her, The Serpents of Chaos. But that Egyptian Magician comes to the fore when he appears one night at the museum, which her parents have shut down for two weeks to prepare for their gala opening to celebrate their recent discoveries from the Tomb of Amenemhab. He then asks for Theo to return to him an artifact of great value. But how could he know about the Emerald Tablet when she just discovered it in the basement mere hours before? She needs to inform The Chosen Keepers about these events, but by forcing her to deal only with Fagenbush, she'll just have to find a way to keep him occupied... perhaps a few cursed objects landing in his lap? After all, she'll do whatever is necessary to deal with Wigmere himself and cut out Fagenbush and use only Will, her street urchin best friend. But with a mummy who is haunting her brother, all these occultists and parents to keep happy, it's a wonder Theo gets anything done! But she has a feeling, if she could just find out who the wedjadeen are and get ride of the Emerald Tablet, everything would return to normal... or at least as normal as can be when you can detect curses and have mysterious powers that don't have an easy explanation.

In the third  installment of the Theodoisa series by R. L. LaFevers', we once again are immersed in the wonderful world of Edwardian England in the grip of Egypt fever. I too have that fever. I don't know if it's contagious... but those mummies coupled with that fashion sense, I wish I could dive right into these books. This book had a very satisfying ending to plot points that have been dangling for awhile, yet at the same time opening it up to a whole new level of awesome. The end of the Black Sunners and their uber creepy and inappropriate leader is at an end. The Serpents have had a little bit of a smack down and Tetley, that inconveniently "modern" mummy has been put to rest. Also, surprisingly, Theo's prophecy came true. Who would have thought that!?! But then again, as Awi Bubu told her, she is more than she could ever imagine. She has a role to play and her powers, as well as her travelling companions, indicate that the Gods themselves might have a stack. After all, who else do you know with an occasional jackal sidekick?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 2011 Reading Challenge, Awi Bubu, Black Sunners, Egypt, R.L. LaFevers, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, Theodosia Throckmorton

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
ARC Provided by Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 12th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

The official patter:
"Being able to detect black magic isn’t all tea and crumpets—and for Theodosia Throckmorton, it can be a decidedly tricky business! When Sticky Will drags Theo to a magic show featuring the Great Awi Bubu, she quickly senses there is more to the magician than he lets on, setting in motion a chain of events she never could have bargained for. Meanwhile, back at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, Henry is home for the spring holidays and makes an accidental discovery of an artifact that alchemists have been hunting for centuries. Soon, every black-cloaked occultist in London is trying to get their hands on it . . ."

Just in case you forgot how awesome today's new release is, here's my review once more!

With Will's brother in a mesmeric trance by the Great Awi Bubu he eerily repeats Theodosia's false prophecy to the Black Sunners: "The Black Sun shall rise up in a red sky before falling to earth, where a great serpent will swallow it." And as luck would have it, who is an even bigger thorn in her side than usual? The Black Sunners. But don't rule out The Serpents of Chaos... oh my, Theo does have her hands full. But the occultists are the least of her worries, when her parents have shut down the museum for two weeks to prepare for their gala opening to celebrate their recent discoveries from the Tomb of Amenemhab and The Chosen Keepers have oddly distanced themselves from her, forcing her to deal only with Fagenbush, who sadly, still appears to be a good guy. But Theo won't be having any of this imposed rank, she'll do whatever is necessary to deal with Wigmere himself and cut out Fagenbush and use only Will. Of course, her childish ways tend to cause more mayhem and somehow all that was made wrong must be righted. But could Theo herself be even more then she appears?

In the third, and most recent, installment of the Theodoisa series by R. L. LaFevers', we once again are immersed in the wonderful Edwardian England in the grip of Egypt fever. You would think that all those mummies moving around London in the previous installment would have calmed the ardor of the masses, but no. London loves their mummies, and I love this London. While this book is just as action packed as the previous installments, we don't get so many new plots as a resolution to those dangling threads from the previous books. The Black Sunners are creepier than ever, with a not quite right, almost inappropriate feel to them, that is thankfully quenched by Stilton and his redemptive character arc. But, it's the character of Awi Bubu that solidifies this book. At first I was hesitant with his caricaturish name and his almost stereotypical quality, but he was able to overcome this quite readily. In fact he brought with him an integration of two disparate elements. Before Awi, we had the ancient mystic artifacts and then Theo, who can somehow see curses... but now, we have Theo herself being woven into the Egyptian mythology. So much so that I can't wait for the next installment. I feel that there's this overwhelming urgency for these cults and their love of mystical powers to be stopped, while at the same time an inevitability that somehow Theo and the Keepers will fail, resulting in the first world war. I can't wait to see how everything plays out and just wish that Robin could write just a little faster.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Amenemhab, ARCs, Awi Bubu, Black Sunners, Edwardian England, Egypt, Fagenbush, Mummies, R.L. LaFevers, Stilton, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton, Wigmere, Will

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 13th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Being able to detect black magic isn’t all tea and crumpets—and for Theodosia Throckmorton, it can be a decidedly tricky business! When Sticky Will drags Theo to a magic show featuring the Great Awi Bubu, she quickly senses there is more to the magician than he lets on, setting in motion a chain of events she never could have bargained for.

Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: April 13th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has bewitched audiences with her Otherworld series of supernatural thrillers. Now, in this new collection of shorter fiction, some of Armstrong’s most tantalizing lead characters appear alongside her unforgettable supporting players, who step out of the shadows and into the light.

Have you ever wondered how lone wolf Clayton Danvers finally got bitten by the last thing he ever expected: love? Or how the hot-blooded bad-girl witch Eve Levine managed to ensnare the cold, ruthless corporate sorcerer Kristof Nast in one of the Otherworld’s most unlikely pairings? Would you like to be a fly on the wall at the wedding of Lucas Cortez and Paige Winterbourne as their eminently practical plans are upended by their well-meaning friends? Or tag along with Lucas and Paige as they investigate a gruesome crime that looks to be the work of a rogue vampire?

Now devotees of the Otherworld can share these special moments with some of their favorite characters—as well as discovering deeper insights into the lives of some of the lesser-known players. But even readers new to the

Otherworld universe will find much to love in these seven tales of friendship, adventure, and enduring romance. For when the superhuman men and women of the Otherworld set their minds to a task, they do so with fierce passion and an undivided sense of purpose that make them, in the end, very much human."

A few busy weeks here for Kelley Armstrong. The 3rd Darkest Powers book came out last week, which I just noticed I forgot to mention on last weeks Tuesday Tomorrow. Oops, but rectified below. Now another new Otherworld book, of course it's just collected short stories, but still.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 6th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope."

Yeah, forgot it last week, I can't wait to read it, I have all the series so far, plus so pretty.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yan Martel
Published by: Spiegel & Grau
Publication Date: April 13th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fate takes many forms. . . .

When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey—named Beatrice and Virgil—and the epic journey they undertake together.

With all the spirit and originality that made Life of Pi so beloved, this brilliant new novel takes the reader on a haunting odyssey. On the way Martel asks profound questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity."

Don't know anything about this, but seeing as it's Yann Martel... could be awesome.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beatrice and Virgil, Darkest Powers, Kelley Armstrong, Museum of Legends and Antiquities, R.L. LaFevers, Tales of the Otherworld, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton, Yann Martel

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the lovely Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus ARC by R. L. LaFevers. As for mummies being cursed... it appears we are evenly split between those who do and those who don't believe. Though it is interesting that most who don't believe said that you never know... so wisely hedging your bets there if a mummy should come around, I fully embrace your cunning self preservationist attitudes. Now to the winner.... inthehammock! AKA Carrie!

Also, just because "Desert Sands Month" is over, doesn't mean the explorations to Egypt should or even could stop. It is really a rather big obsession of mine, I'm too fascinated to ever give it up. But Elizabeth Peters and R. L. LaFevers, while my current favorite authors also enamoured of the land of the pahroahs, there are many authors to come before and many authors that will come after. From Agatha Christie to Margaret George, Michelle Moran to Lawrence Durrell, Olivia Manning to Eloise Jarvis McGraw, from fiction to non, the stories are never ending and my Egyptian Shelf keeps expanding!

And as a final note, remember that this month, as in, today, the day that is the official start of "no more crap February" as I like to call it... sure there were wonderful Egyptian stories to drive away the cold, but I had a flu akin to a mummies curse that I hope will end with the briskness of March which will shortly bring little bunnies and happy flowers and wonderful SPRING! Also never forget Cadbury mini eggs, the reason Easter was created. But besides the choclatey goodness, there is also a giveaway that will be my biggest yet. There are multiple prizes, at least four winners, and as for the books... some of my favorite of all time and total amazing. So come back and see what you can win, if you weren't lucky enough this time around.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Easter, Egypt, Giveaway, Lawrence Durrell, Michelle Moran, Olivia Manning, R. L. Lafevers, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton, Winner

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus by R. L. LaFevers
Published by: Houghton Mifflin
ARC Provided by Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 12th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Preorder

The official patter:
"Being able to detect black magic isn’t all tea and crumpets—and for Theodosia Throckmorton, it can be a decidedly tricky business! When Sticky Will drags Theo to a magic show featuring the Great Awi Bubu, she quickly senses there is more to the magician than he lets on, setting in motion a chain of events she never could have bargained for. Meanwhile, back at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, Henry is home for the spring holidays and makes an accidental discovery of an artifact that alchemists have been hunting for centuries. Soon, every black-cloaked occultist in London is trying to get their hands on it . . ."

With Will's brother in a mesmeric trance by the Great Awi Bubu he eerily repeats Theodosia's false prophecy to the Black Sunners: "The Black Sun shall rise up in a red sky before falling to earth, where a great serpent will swallow it." And as luck would have it, who is an even bigger thorn in her side than usual? The Black Sunners. But don't rule out The Serpents of Chaos... oh my, Theo does have her hands full. But the occultists are the least of her worries, when her parents have shut down the museum for two weeks to prepare for their gala opening to celebrate their recent discoveries from the Tomb of Amenemhab and The Chosen Keepers have oddly distanced themselves from her, forcing her to deal only with Fagenbush, who sadly, still appears to be a good guy. But Theo won't be having any of this imposed rank, she'll do whatever is necessary to deal with Wigmere himself and cut out Fagenbush and use only Will. Of course, her childish ways tend to cause more mayhem and somehow all that was made wrong must be righted. But could Theo herself be even more then she appears?

In the third, and most recent, installment of the Theodoisa series by R. L. LaFevers', we once again are immersed in the wonderful Edwardian England in the grip of Egypt fever. You would think that all those mummies moving around London in the previous installment would have calmed the ardor of the masses, but no. London loves their mummies, and I love this London. While this book is just as action packed as the previous installments, we don't get so many new plots as a resolution to those dangling threads from the previous books. The Black Sunners are creepier than ever, with a not quite right, almost inappropriate feel to them, that is thankfully quenched by Stilton and his redemptive character arc. But, it's the character of Awi Bubu that solidifies this book. At first I was hesitant with his caricaturish name and his almost stereotypical quality, but he was able to overcome this quite readily. In fact he brought with him an integration of two disparate elements. Before Awi, we had the ancient mystic artifacts and then Theo, who can somehow see curses... but now, we have Theo herself being woven into the Egyptian mythology. So much so that I can't wait for the next installment. I feel that there's this overwhelming urgency for these cults and their love of mystical powers to be stopped, while at the same time an inevitability that somehow Theo and the Keepers will fail, resulting in the first world war. I can't wait to see how everything plays out and just wish that Robin could write just a little faster.

Also make sure to enter my giveaway for an ARC of this book, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, thanks to Houghton Mifflin!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amenemhab, ARCs, Awi Bubu, Black Sunners, Edwardian England, Egypt, Fagenbush, Mummies, R.L. LaFevers, Stilton, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton, Wigmere, Will

Thank you to everyone who entered my author sponsored giveaway of Michael Palmer's newest book, The Last Surgeon. I hope that even if you didn't win you'll go out and pick up this great read and pay Michael Palmer a visit over on his site to celebrate the release of his newest book. I also hope that you won't be too downhearted if you didn't win, because I have one giveaway still going, for R. L. LaFever's Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus. Also, might I hint... March... oh yeah, there is going to be some major giveaway action next month, biggest yet... especially as a creep ever closer to 200 followers... I think there might be an extra something, something. Well enough about what's to come, what is? Well... the winner is... Alexa! Please check your inbox for an email, and good luck to everyone in the future!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:22 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Giveaway, Michael Palmer, R. L. Lafevers, The Last Surgeon, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus

Right about now, yes, right now, at precisely this hour and minute every year, winter becomes, not so much fun, as, unbearable. All the really great holidays and presents have passed leaving us with lots of snow and slush without the pretty lights and garlands hung to distract us. Plus, don't forget, vacation is over and school does exist once more. We only have Valentines, and for the single surrounded by smug couples, it's not a holiday worth embracing. So I figured, lets escape! Let's find a nice warm place to read ourselves into and just live there all February and pretend the snow and sleet don't exist on the lovely desert plain. That's right, to Egypt we will go! I have always been fascinated by Egypt. The history stretching out thousands of years before Christ. Plus, what's not to love about a culture that openly worships cats!?! Pyramids, Peabodys, Parasols... what's wrong with that. So for this month, only books that have some, if not most, of their story set in Egypt will be reviewed. I'd also love to hear what your favorite Egyptian getaways are... are you also an Amelia Peabody girl? Or perhaps Theodosia Throckmorton is more your style? So sit back on the Dahabeeyah, grab your parasol and relax... but of course it's not a true vacation without that little remembrance, that special book you picked up to treasure always... found at a mysterious stall, secreted away in a back ally, which you couldn't find again if you tried... which leads me to my giveaway.

THIS GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

The Prize:
An ARC of R. L. LaFever's most recent entry in the Theodosia Throckmorton cannon: Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, not available till APRIL 12th, 2010! So be the envy of all your Egyptologically inclined friends and enter to win! PLUS a Carnelian Scarab Necklace... you will need some protection if you're venturing into the unknowns of Egyptian Mysticism.

The Rules:
1. Open to Followers, but just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, just hit that handy little follow button and you are good to go.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Contest ends February 28th, 2010 at 11:59PM CST
4. How to enter:

Answer me this: Do you believe that mummies are cursed?

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question above
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +5 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @MzLizard), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 21 comments  

Labels: Amelia Peabody, ARCs, Dahabeeyah, Desert Sands Month, February, Giveaway, Parasol, Pyramids, R. L. Lafevers, The Valley of the Kings, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton

So here I am prattling on yesterday about how excited I am for the new Theodosia book and what should arrive in my mailbox today? That's right! Thanks to felicitous serendipity I have the new Theo book in my hands. (Also felicitous serendipity goes by the name of Houghton Mifflin if you were interested). So many hard decisions now... should I abandon what I'm currently reading and go for Theo or should I wait, finish what I'm reading then do a quick re-read of all the previous Theo books and then crack open the new one... such a hard decision... how ever will I decide... as she reaches for Eyes of Horus...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:49 PM 2 comments  

Labels: ARCs, Houghton Mifflin, R. L. Lafevers, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton

Hopefully by now you all know of my love of Theodosia Throckmorton. If not, I love Theo! Was that good for you? She's smart, funny, has an awesome cat and is an Egyptian Curse breaker. She is easily a young adult's version of Amelia Peabody and everyone should read these books they are that awesome. Yes, kids to grannies, everyone! Anyways, the highly anticipated (certainly by me) 3rd book, Theo and the Eyes of Horus is coming out in April. To whet you appetite, Robin posted the cover up on her website today. I love it! All yellow and shiny and beautifully done by the talented Yoko Tanaka. Can't stand the wait now that you have the cover? Well lucky for you Robin's publishers have let her put the first two chapters up on Theo's website, so head on over and enjoy a little time with Theo. Plus if you haven't read any of the books yet, there's plenty of time before April!

Also she unveiled the cover for her second Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist book. The first was a really fun quick read (review to be posted soon!). So another book to look forward to from the pen of Robin... it's going to be a great 2010! This book is slated to drop in June.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:30 PM 2 comments  

Labels: Beastologist, Kelly Murphy, Nathaniel Fludd, R. L. Lafevers, The Baslilisk's Lair, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, Theodosia Throckmorton