Stumbled across Emma Carroll on Amazon, read all the blurbs of her books and decided that I needed to read them all! This is the first book of hers that I purchased.

Synopsis (as on back of book):

London 1922 A discovery from ancient Egypt…

A cursed package…

The untold story of a young pharaoh…

When Lilian Kaye finds a parcel on her Grandad’s doorstep, she is shocked to see who sent it. A famous Egyptologist, found dead that very morning, according to every newspaper in England!

The mysterious package holds the key to a story…about a king whose tomb archaeologists are desperately hunting for.

Lil and her friends must embark on an incredible journey – to return the package to its resting place, to protect those they love; and to break the deadly pharaoh’s curse…

Ability to read – I found this book easy to get into. Though the plot is set in the past and delves even further back over the course of the story, I didn’t feel like the language was getting difficult and I didn’t have any issues with the way the book was structured or have difficulty processing any of the words.

Characterisation – Lilly made for a compelling character because she was at war with herself and who she wanted to be. On the one hand she wanted to please her parents and on the other hand she wanted an adventure. I found her to be a very determined character and a character without the weakness to give up. She remained a very brave character throughout the story and showed just how far she was willing to go to get the job done.

The book explores two families in post war Britain and the contrast between the two families was eye-opening to read.

Visualisation – I found it very easy to visualise what was going on in this book. The easiness of the language and structure allowed me to read without hesitation or issue, which in turn allowed me to create a vivid and well detailed picture of what was happening in my head. I could clearly see the characters and their actions and could see each scene as it materialised.

Uniqueness – I loved the way Emma Carroll was able to merge two time era together and make it interesting. I enjoyed the way she’d made the untold story her own and wrapped it in a way that would be interesting and enjoyable to the reader. I enjoyed the setting of 1922 and the differences between the characters in the story and what lives they lead. I also thought the undercurrent of a sub-plot and the secretiveness around that was a good touch.

Am now excited to read other works from Emma Carroll.

Hannah xoxo