Tut: My Epic Battle to Save the World

December 15, 2016
Combatting the god of chaos as he siphons every last drop of light from the sun is a prime excuse for skipping science camp. In series opener The Story of My Immortal Life (2014), Tut sacrificed his immortality to save his best friend, Henry. Subsequently, Tut's beloved brother-figure, Gil(gamesh), sacrificed his immortality to save Tut. Now Henry may or may not be immortal, Tut's powers are most certainly out of whack, and Gil is MIA. Tut is now haunted by frequent visions that suggest Gil is being held captive by a wicked force: the god of chaos, Apep. As if the path to saving Gil--and the world--from Apep weren't tough enough, enter the oddly unblinking Blair, for whom Henry falls deeply. Tut isn't immune to the kryptonite of amour either when love interest Tia resurfaces; her mission to reunite the gods could even be the remedy for all of this celestial unrest. As with Book 1, a panoply of gods, goddesses, and mythical creatures is fodder for spawning interest in ancient cultures, myths, and legends. However, Henry's interest in disproving the magical, mystical, and mysterious with science and logic acts as counterpoint. A very welcome addition to the sometimes-superfluous and underdeveloped cast is Thoth, the god of words. Hoover adds another layer to the brown (Tut, Tia, and Gil) and white (Henry and Blair) demographic by having Thoth take the form of an Asian, skateboarding, teenage graffiti artist. A decent sophomore dig that won't require heavy excavation. (glossary, notes) (Fantasy. 11-14)

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February 1, 2017

Gr 4-8-In this sequel to Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life, Tut is out to find his missing brother, Gilgamesh. In order to do so, he enlists the help of his mortal friend Henry, who insists they attend science camp first. That turns out to be a total bore for Tut, but readers once again come in contact with Tia and are introduced to Blair, a new character who catches Henry's eye. Blair is an odd girl, which makes Tut suspect that she may be immortal and probably knows where Gilgamesh is. Throw in a few gods like Thoth, Hapi, Ra, and Isis, and the plot really thickens. The sequel does not disappoint, offering suspense and excitement as Tut gets closer to freeing his brother from Apep, who he believes is behind the disappearance. The shabtis return to provide comic relief and prove to be just as loyal as ever to their Boy King. Readers are left with yet another hint of an upcoming volume in the series.

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