In the sequel to The Akhenaten Adventure, John and Philippa Gaunt continue their adventures while discovering their new powers. The twelve-year-old twins, who live in New York with their mother Layla and mundane (normal) father Edward, have just returned home after defeating the most evil djinn named Ifrit when they have another visit from their uncle Nimrod. Soon, Philippa finds herself interested in a game called Djinnverso. Although at first she shows no interest in the national tournament, Philippa finally enters after meeting the previous champion Lilith, a nasty girl with no manners. However, just when Lilith is about to lose, Philippa is accused of using her powers to cheat. Ayesha, the powerful blue djinn of Babylon who is residing over the tournament, disqualifies Philippa, allowing Lilith to win once again. Then, the famous book of Solomon Grimoire goes missing, forcing the twins to forget about trying to discover who framed Phillipa and locate the stolen book. As they begin another journey into danger, John and Philippa reunite with their old friends to recover the book and save the world from utter devastation.

      Children of the Lamp: The Blue Djinn of Babylon is best suited for readers from ages eight to fourteen. The lower level vocabulary makes the book easier to read for a younger audience so that they can appreciate the novel as well. Lots of action makes the sequel comparable to the first book in the series and keeps readers on their toes. The dangers that the characters have to face are unpredictable and very imaginative. Furthermore, even though the odds are incredibly high, the main characters like John and Philippa always manage to find a way to solve their dilemmas. The book is an excellent source of imagination for younger readers; however, I do not find some of the situations very realistic such as John’s journey through the Iraqi desert. A few of the ideas such as the whirlwind are cool but hard to imagine. Overall, the fast pace makes the novel enjoyable and entertaining.

~Rebecca Theophanous, Boardman High School, Grade 11