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Oracles of Delphi Keep #1
Oracles of Delphi Keep
Ian Wigby is about to find out that he is a very special boy.
Along the southern coast of England, atop the White Cliffs of Dover, stands a castle. And at that castle’s old keep is an orphanage. Delphi Keep has seen many youngsters come and go through its gates, and Ian Wigby and his sister, Theodosia, are happy to call it home. Life has always been simple at the Keep, and the orphanage safe, until one day, Ian and Theo find a silver treasure box. And within the box, a prophesy. Three thousand years ago a great Greek oracle wrote of a quest. A quest on which the fate of the world depends. A quest that names two children—Ian and Theodosia. Suddenly Delphi Keep is no longer safe. And Ian and Theo, along with a very special group of friends, realize they must unravel the meaning behind the scroll of Dover cavern before darkness falls on the world. And before an unfathomable evil catches up with them.
Along the southern coast of England, atop the White Cliffs of Dover, stands a castle. And at that castle’s old keep is an orphanage. Delphi Keep has seen many youngsters come and go through its gates, and Ian Wigby and his sister, Theodosia, are happy to call it home. Life has always been simple at the Keep, and the orphanage safe, until one day, Ian and Theo find a silver treasure box. And within the box, a prophesy. Three thousand years ago a great Greek oracle wrote of a quest. A quest on which the fate of the world depends. A quest that names two children—Ian and Theodosia. Suddenly Delphi Keep is no longer safe. And Ian and Theo, along with a very special group of friends, realize they must unravel the meaning behind the scroll of Dover cavern before darkness falls on the world. And before an unfathomable evil catches up with them.
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
71 people are currently reading
6723 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Laurie
46 books3,175 followersVictoria Laurie is the New York Times bestselling author of 32 books and counting. Over the past 16 years Victoria has created several series and a few stand-alone novels. Her mystery series include: The Psychic Eye Mysteries, The Life Coach Mysteries, and The Ghost Hunter Mysteries. She's also the author of two YA books, When and Forever Again, as well as a middle-grade series called The Oracles of Delphi Keep.
Currently, Victoria is working on the 17th book in both the Psychic Eye Mysteries and the 3rd book in the Life Coach Mysteries, along with also working to produce a brand NEW series called Spellbound set for release winter/spring 2020.
Victoria loves to connect with her fans, and you can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Victo...
Currently, Victoria is working on the 17th book in both the Psychic Eye Mysteries and the 3rd book in the Life Coach Mysteries, along with also working to produce a brand NEW series called Spellbound set for release winter/spring 2020.
Victoria loves to connect with her fans, and you can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Victo...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
October 25, 2013
MontanaLibrary2Go
A warning for those considering starting the series: it has no end. Three books of a planned four were written, and this note appears on the author's website: "Hey, my wonderful fans! So, I have some not so great news to share with fans of the Oracles' series...my publisher has decided not to move forward with a 4th and final book. I'm so, so sorry. I would like to thank everyone who supported the series - your kindness and generosity have been most appreciated, and I'm truly, truly grateful! :)" Since the third book ends as both sides prepare for a final showdown, this is truly a matter of a story simply stopping, a cliffhanger without resolution.
I really thought that reading this right now would be a bad choice, because I seem to keep running across OrphanKidsWithSecretBackgrounds/Powers books and if you read too many books with the same general idea they all start to suffer. However, this was actually quite good. Action well-written, characters pretty fully fleshed out, general plot for the series planned but plot for the book not neglected, all quite good. I've already checked the second out of the library and they also have the third available, so we'll see how the series goes.
A warning for those considering starting the series: it has no end. Three books of a planned four were written, and this note appears on the author's website: "Hey, my wonderful fans! So, I have some not so great news to share with fans of the Oracles' series...my publisher has decided not to move forward with a 4th and final book. I'm so, so sorry. I would like to thank everyone who supported the series - your kindness and generosity have been most appreciated, and I'm truly, truly grateful! :)" Since the third book ends as both sides prepare for a final showdown, this is truly a matter of a story simply stopping, a cliffhanger without resolution.
I really thought that reading this right now would be a bad choice, because I seem to keep running across OrphanKidsWithSecretBackgrounds/Powers books and if you read too many books with the same general idea they all start to suffer. However, this was actually quite good. Action well-written, characters pretty fully fleshed out, general plot for the series planned but plot for the book not neglected, all quite good. I've already checked the second out of the library and they also have the third available, so we'll see how the series goes.
Read
December 6, 2011I read this book as part of an ongoing study of children's books which use Greek or Roman antiquity in some way. The first few chapters were slow-ish going for me, but once I got into the story, I found myself wanting to keep reading; the author handled the pacing of a long book well, I thought.
But I grew increasingly frustrated with the way in which the author presented Classical elements. I don't expect artists and authors to be "true" to ancient sources or even always faithful to ancient historical facts, but when there's a departure, there should (I think) be some pay-off, some reason why the author twisted the tradition in a particular way. I couldn't tell why Laurie made certain unhistorical choices when it would have been possible for her to stay true to history without hurting her plot. Her treatment of the development of the Greek alphabet, for instance, is quite oddly inaccurate and to no real end. Of course, she's not obligated to be historical--but why not be historical when you can be? Or, if she wanted to go off-road as much as she did (the alphabet issue is just the tip of the iceberg!), why not create a fictive Mediterranean culture and imbue it with aspects of Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, etc., while giving yourself the latitude to be eclectic and inauthentic? It seems strange to me for an author to want the cachet of Classical antiquity, to act as if she were presenting ancient facts and artifacts, but then to have those fictional facts and artifacts be so incredibly different from anything that we actually know.
I was also disturbed by Laurie's presentation of archaeology as treasure-hunting. Not cool. I imagine that Laurie would excuse herself by saying that she set her story in the 1930s, when heritage management and archaeological standards of conduct were different, but that doesn't get her out of this jam (in my opinion). Young readers deserve to know that archaeology should be more than a search for buried treasure and that responsible people who make significant finds do not get rich from their discoveries.
At the end of the book Laurie says that she hopes readers will give her leeway since she's writing fiction--I'm not sure fiction excuses authors from all representational responsibilities, especially when their primary audience is one of young people.
But I grew increasingly frustrated with the way in which the author presented Classical elements. I don't expect artists and authors to be "true" to ancient sources or even always faithful to ancient historical facts, but when there's a departure, there should (I think) be some pay-off, some reason why the author twisted the tradition in a particular way. I couldn't tell why Laurie made certain unhistorical choices when it would have been possible for her to stay true to history without hurting her plot. Her treatment of the development of the Greek alphabet, for instance, is quite oddly inaccurate and to no real end. Of course, she's not obligated to be historical--but why not be historical when you can be? Or, if she wanted to go off-road as much as she did (the alphabet issue is just the tip of the iceberg!), why not create a fictive Mediterranean culture and imbue it with aspects of Greece, Rome, Phoenicia, etc., while giving yourself the latitude to be eclectic and inauthentic? It seems strange to me for an author to want the cachet of Classical antiquity, to act as if she were presenting ancient facts and artifacts, but then to have those fictional facts and artifacts be so incredibly different from anything that we actually know.
I was also disturbed by Laurie's presentation of archaeology as treasure-hunting. Not cool. I imagine that Laurie would excuse herself by saying that she set her story in the 1930s, when heritage management and archaeological standards of conduct were different, but that doesn't get her out of this jam (in my opinion). Young readers deserve to know that archaeology should be more than a search for buried treasure and that responsible people who make significant finds do not get rich from their discoveries.
At the end of the book Laurie says that she hopes readers will give her leeway since she's writing fiction--I'm not sure fiction excuses authors from all representational responsibilities, especially when their primary audience is one of young people.
February 14, 2012
A hellhound wants the blood of orphans Ian Wigby and Theodosia after they discover a box from a cave at the White Cliffs of Dover. The box contains a three-thousand-year-old prophecy written by the great Oracle, Laodamia. As the mystery unfolds the two end up on quest with the likes of a professor, two teachers, and an orphan as they try to save the world from being taken over by a demogorgon or demon God of the Earth.
The pacing is a little slow in spots but picks up toward the end as the characters of Caphiera and Magus chase after the group of questers. Caphiera is like Medusa except people turn to ice rather than stone. Magus controls the hellhounds and fire. He can burn a person from the inside out. The characters are 8 and 14 years old but sound older and have incredible physical stamina. They seemed older to me than the ages they were given in the book. I wished that the teachers Perry and Thatcher bantered more and could provide some comic relief but they argued with each other through most of the story. I thought Perry in his persistant belief that nothing was real got ridiculous because the author drew it out too long.
The book gets more violent toward the end as the two tribes in Morocco fight in a bloody battle. Most of the story draws from Greek mythology and Druids from Celtic mythology. This is the first book in a series and fantasy lovers should enjoy it although it might be dense for some readers at 552 pages.
The pacing is a little slow in spots but picks up toward the end as the characters of Caphiera and Magus chase after the group of questers. Caphiera is like Medusa except people turn to ice rather than stone. Magus controls the hellhounds and fire. He can burn a person from the inside out. The characters are 8 and 14 years old but sound older and have incredible physical stamina. They seemed older to me than the ages they were given in the book. I wished that the teachers Perry and Thatcher bantered more and could provide some comic relief but they argued with each other through most of the story. I thought Perry in his persistant belief that nothing was real got ridiculous because the author drew it out too long.
The book gets more violent toward the end as the two tribes in Morocco fight in a bloody battle. Most of the story draws from Greek mythology and Druids from Celtic mythology. This is the first book in a series and fantasy lovers should enjoy it although it might be dense for some readers at 552 pages.
July 14, 2017
Literally the only thing I can say positive about this book is that the prose is decent. Other than that, this is atrocious in every regard. There's a lot to complain about here, from the bland characters, to the incredibly slow pacing, to how boring and cliched the fantasy elements are, to the shoddy structure, to the fact that this is ostensibly an adventure story where the adventure doesn't start until two thirds of the way into the novel, to the way Laurie sets up way too many mysteries early on in the novel and fails to address all of them by the end, to the fact that Laurie's interpretation of Greek mythology is so far from the actual myths that this is basically classical in name only. But the absolute worst thing about this novel is Laurie's complete disregard for historical accuracy regarding Morocco, and the racism that results.
Now, I'm no expert on African history, but provided you know how to use Google, you don't have to know a thing about Morocco to know how awful this portrayal is. For example, there are multiple references to a Moroccan government, despite the fact that this book is set in 1937 and Morocco was a French colony at the time. But far worse is the fact that the Jstor and Jichmach tribes featured in the novel appear to be completely fictional. They might be based on real Moroccan tribes - like I said, I'm no expert on African history - but somehow, I doubt it. The tribes have no real culture to speak of - their only characteristic seems to be that they're at war with each other. This resulted in some pretty bad racism, where only a couple of the African characters are sufficiently humanized - most of them are portrayed as savage warriors, whose only motive is tribal wars. Even when Laurie does humanize an African character, she undermines that humanization - when Ian interacts with Jifaar, he remarks that he didn't expect Jifaar to be so "civilized". Accurate to how a European interacting with an African would think? Yes. But when you consider that this book is written for kids roughly 7-12, who are very impressionable and probably know nothing about Africa except for stereotypical portrayals... yeah, it's a dangerously bad writing decision.
Like I said, this book has a lot of other problems, and I don't recommend it to anyone. But I haven't seen anybody else discuss this book's awful, awful portrayal of Morocco, and I wanted to let any prospective readers know about the problem before they pick this book up. Don't worry - if you decide not to read the book for that reason alone, you're not missing anything.
Now, I'm no expert on African history, but provided you know how to use Google, you don't have to know a thing about Morocco to know how awful this portrayal is. For example, there are multiple references to a Moroccan government, despite the fact that this book is set in 1937 and Morocco was a French colony at the time. But far worse is the fact that the Jstor and Jichmach tribes featured in the novel appear to be completely fictional. They might be based on real Moroccan tribes - like I said, I'm no expert on African history - but somehow, I doubt it. The tribes have no real culture to speak of - their only characteristic seems to be that they're at war with each other. This resulted in some pretty bad racism, where only a couple of the African characters are sufficiently humanized - most of them are portrayed as savage warriors, whose only motive is tribal wars. Even when Laurie does humanize an African character, she undermines that humanization - when Ian interacts with Jifaar, he remarks that he didn't expect Jifaar to be so "civilized". Accurate to how a European interacting with an African would think? Yes. But when you consider that this book is written for kids roughly 7-12, who are very impressionable and probably know nothing about Africa except for stereotypical portrayals... yeah, it's a dangerously bad writing decision.
Like I said, this book has a lot of other problems, and I don't recommend it to anyone. But I haven't seen anybody else discuss this book's awful, awful portrayal of Morocco, and I wanted to let any prospective readers know about the problem before they pick this book up. Don't worry - if you decide not to read the book for that reason alone, you're not missing anything.
January 13, 2010
While there are the bones of a great story here, the book would have benefitted from a more adept editor to skillfully slice away the repetitive and sometimes cringe-ingly cliched prose and let the story stand on it's own two feet. The writer's attempts at cockney/British English are forced, uneven, and ultimately unconvincing. The addition of a British copy editor could have strengthened the writing and made the wordy prose easier to chew.
Sadly, the characters are a casualty of over-writing. While vivid and interesting at the start, too much time is spent allowing the characters to verbalize their thoughts about whatever is happening (tediously repetitious) and not enough time allowing them to grow. By the end, even the roundest characters seem flat, and rather than feeling sypathetic with the children in one of the later scenes when I should have been bawling my eyes out, I struggle not to just skip past their tears and get back to trying to finish the book.
The only thing that kept me reading were the story and the interesting choices for weaving history and fiction together (although I agree with others assessments that it trivializes an atrocity to imply that magical forces caused the Holocaust...as if humans aren't capable of such evils without a bit of netherworldly help).
Here's hoping book two has a better set of editors (preferably British) that can save this writer from her case of montezuma's revenge (of the keyboard).
Sadly, the characters are a casualty of over-writing. While vivid and interesting at the start, too much time is spent allowing the characters to verbalize their thoughts about whatever is happening (tediously repetitious) and not enough time allowing them to grow. By the end, even the roundest characters seem flat, and rather than feeling sypathetic with the children in one of the later scenes when I should have been bawling my eyes out, I struggle not to just skip past their tears and get back to trying to finish the book.
The only thing that kept me reading were the story and the interesting choices for weaving history and fiction together (although I agree with others assessments that it trivializes an atrocity to imply that magical forces caused the Holocaust...as if humans aren't capable of such evils without a bit of netherworldly help).
Here's hoping book two has a better set of editors (preferably British) that can save this writer from her case of montezuma's revenge (of the keyboard).
February 11, 2017
3.5/5
Ha sido una lectura entretenida, y me arrepiento de no habérmelo leído cuando me lo compré hace unos años porque estoy segura de que la habría disfrutado mucho más.
Me ha enganchado bastante y eso es algo que siempre me gusta, pero al final el comportamiento de algunos personajes me empezó a cansar.
Algo que no me ha gustado es que el protagonista, que es un niño (no me acuerdo de su edad pero diría que ronda los 12), se comporta de una manera demasiado "heróica" para alguien de su edad, y eso le quita credibilidad a la historia.
A parte de eso, he disfrutado bastante leyéndolo, y puede ser que lea el segundo libro.
Ha sido una lectura entretenida, y me arrepiento de no habérmelo leído cuando me lo compré hace unos años porque estoy segura de que la habría disfrutado mucho más.
Me ha enganchado bastante y eso es algo que siempre me gusta, pero al final el comportamiento de algunos personajes me empezó a cansar.
Algo que no me ha gustado es que el protagonista, que es un niño (no me acuerdo de su edad pero diría que ronda los 12), se comporta de una manera demasiado "heróica" para alguien de su edad, y eso le quita credibilidad a la historia.
A parte de eso, he disfrutado bastante leyéndolo, y puede ser que lea el segundo libro.
August 13, 2017
Fantastic book! Excellent characters, well crafted story, fascinating scenario, and beautifully written. One of the best things we've encountered since Harry Potter, and well worth checking out. Can't wait to continue with the second book in the series, and here's hoping that Victoria Laurie will keep writing beyond book three! Many thanks to friend Glenda for recommending these books to us!
March 9, 2010
Ian, an orphan living in 1930s Britain, loves nothing more than to go exploring. When he and his sister Theo spend their day away from the orphanage exploring some nearby underground caves, they come across some strange writing on the wall and a small silver box half buried in the ground. Unfortunately, they inadvertently disturb a huge dog-like beast from which they barely manage to escape in one piece.
When the Earl of Kent learns of the beast, he instructs Ian to show direct the adults to where exactly he saw the writing in the cave and found the box. This kicks off a wild adventure that involves Ian, Theo, a new orphan named Carl, 2 of their instructors, and a former university professor. They use Theo’s psychic powers and their wills to survive to help them make it back home safely.
This is a great fantastical adventure book full of references to Greek mythology and legend (though the author uses these figures unusually), along with monsters, villains, and soldiers. The second book of this series, The Curse of Deadman’s Forest, is coming soon. Until then, suggest the Tapestry series (Neff), the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (Riordan), or the Bartimaeus Trilogy (Stroud) to readers who enjoyed this book.
When the Earl of Kent learns of the beast, he instructs Ian to show direct the adults to where exactly he saw the writing in the cave and found the box. This kicks off a wild adventure that involves Ian, Theo, a new orphan named Carl, 2 of their instructors, and a former university professor. They use Theo’s psychic powers and their wills to survive to help them make it back home safely.
This is a great fantastical adventure book full of references to Greek mythology and legend (though the author uses these figures unusually), along with monsters, villains, and soldiers. The second book of this series, The Curse of Deadman’s Forest, is coming soon. Until then, suggest the Tapestry series (Neff), the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (Riordan), or the Bartimaeus Trilogy (Stroud) to readers who enjoyed this book.
August 26, 2013
reader: Susan Duerden
Trilogy:
1. Oracles of Delphi Keep
2. The Curse of Deadman's Forest
3. Quest for the Secret Keeper
I really enjoyed this fantasy adventure story about a few orphans from England in the late 1930's who follow a path left for them by an oracle from ancient Greece. The audio edition was great, too! The characters are young (13 & 10), but it can get a little dark at times, so I wouldn't recommend it for the younger set.
Trilogy:
1. Oracles of Delphi Keep
2. The Curse of Deadman's Forest
3. Quest for the Secret Keeper
I really enjoyed this fantasy adventure story about a few orphans from England in the late 1930's who follow a path left for them by an oracle from ancient Greece. The audio edition was great, too! The characters are young (13 & 10), but it can get a little dark at times, so I wouldn't recommend it for the younger set.
January 4, 2013
I love Victoria Laurie's adult mystery, psychic, and ghost busting books so I started this book, her first book for children, with high hopes. Honestly, I didn't like it much at first but thank goodness I persisted! I ended up loving this story- all 550 pages. It's a fantasy story with dark mythology creatures, seers, magic, travel, portals, ancient treasures and prophesies all set in pre-World War II England.
Ian Wigby lives in the orphanage of Delphi Keep, set on the Dover Cliffs, where he watches over his adoptive little sister Theodosia. This is a nice orphanage where the children are kept clean and warm and have enough to eat. And the Earl who lives in the nearby castle is the children's benefactor. However, soon strange things start to happen in the caves in the cliffs and Theodosia starts to have terrifying visions. I want to buy the next book in the series to learn what happens next.
Ian Wigby lives in the orphanage of Delphi Keep, set on the Dover Cliffs, where he watches over his adoptive little sister Theodosia. This is a nice orphanage where the children are kept clean and warm and have enough to eat. And the Earl who lives in the nearby castle is the children's benefactor. However, soon strange things start to happen in the caves in the cliffs and Theodosia starts to have terrifying visions. I want to buy the next book in the series to learn what happens next.
March 16, 2010
"Oracles of Delphi Keep" was a particularly frustrating read because, while an interesting concept, most of the first 200 pages were pure infodumping on the author's part and the characters weren't engaging enough to keep my attention from wandering during the first half of the book. I'm usually a fairly fast reader, but "Oracles" took me ages to finish because I had to keep putting it down because it was terribly boring. The book does pick up quite a bit in the back half and I really got into the storyline within the last 100 pages. It ends on an fairly intriguing cliffhanger, so hopefully the author will be able to keep the momentum going with the sequel.
December 2, 2012
I want to like this book, I really do. The story isn't half bad, albeit a little too far fetched, but the writing just grated on me. Cliché characters, youth whose wisdom sometimes defies logic and other times is sorely lacking, and far too many plot points to follow all but killed my enthusiasm for what was actually happening. I constantly lost track of what time period the kids were supposed to be from, and struggled with the cultural elements as well. I'm sure there are others who will really enjoy this book, and that's fine with me, but I don't think I'll be continuing in with the rest of the series.
June 30, 2018
Great story, but just a couple things. 1) edit it. it is way too long for the story over 500 pages? for kids ?? wow. Bits could be cut without harming the story at all. 2) it is the first of a series, but it could have given us a bit more. I mean 500 pages and that is all I get for it? I'm not inclined to continue if it is going to be so slow.
Now, I LOVE that adults were involved as co-contributors to the adventure. They didn't necessarily lead all the time, they needed the children, but the children needed them too. That was nice and rather unusual in most YA/Kids stories. Usually the adults are just annoying or come in to punish or save at the last moment. Not so here.
The magus/magic part of the story was fine, but it didn't blend well. It should have been incorporated in the world of the Keep more. Everything about this world is OUR world pre-WWII, but then poof...magic users....what? It might have been better to skip the magical beings and just keep the magical artifacts. Ala Indiana Jones type of thing. I guess that would change the story a bit, but it would be more consistent. Just my thoughts, of course.
Now, I LOVE that adults were involved as co-contributors to the adventure. They didn't necessarily lead all the time, they needed the children, but the children needed them too. That was nice and rather unusual in most YA/Kids stories. Usually the adults are just annoying or come in to punish or save at the last moment. Not so here.
The magus/magic part of the story was fine, but it didn't blend well. It should have been incorporated in the world of the Keep more. Everything about this world is OUR world pre-WWII, but then poof...magic users....what? It might have been better to skip the magical beings and just keep the magical artifacts. Ala Indiana Jones type of thing. I guess that would change the story a bit, but it would be more consistent. Just my thoughts, of course.
December 6, 2018
edited: How disappointing to discover after Book 3 that the publisher refused to publish book 4. Fair warning as the book 3 ending will leave you guessing. I was totally captivated by this series and not knowing how it ends is quite disturbing.
Original: I found the story intriguing. Of course it was fanciful and because of that I don't hold the author to the same rules of "believeability" as I would in historical fiction.
It wasn't easy to guess where the plot was going. I am not into most fantasy-mystical books so I am probably more easy to please then others.
There's a bit of humaness- compassion, caring, evil, etc and a bit of mystery and intrigue as to how things will work themselves out. Then there's the aspect of the quest- what it's about and can they accomplish it?
I didn't find it too long a read as some others pointed out with their lower ratings. I do enjoy a good length novel and this one lasted me nearly 2 full days.
Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Original: I found the story intriguing. Of course it was fanciful and because of that I don't hold the author to the same rules of "believeability" as I would in historical fiction.
It wasn't easy to guess where the plot was going. I am not into most fantasy-mystical books so I am probably more easy to please then others.
There's a bit of humaness- compassion, caring, evil, etc and a bit of mystery and intrigue as to how things will work themselves out. Then there's the aspect of the quest- what it's about and can they accomplish it?
I didn't find it too long a read as some others pointed out with their lower ratings. I do enjoy a good length novel and this one lasted me nearly 2 full days.
Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
October 18, 2018
The Oracles of Delphi Keep is a fantasy novel about an orphan named Ian Wigby and his “sister” Theo. In the book the two and a group consisting of a professor, two of their teachers, and their friend goes on an adventure escapeing a hellhound and finding an Ancient Greek artifact. This book is great for reader who have read the Percy Jackson series or any other books about Greek Mythology and want to read a thriller on the topic. I would highly suggest it.
May 16, 2019
Ian has cared for Theo since the day she was dropped off at the orphanage, but when the duo end up locating a mysterious silver box and being chased by a vicious creature, they and their friends must begin a journey guided by ancient prophecies in order to save the world! Laurie begins what is sure to be a heart pounding ride that is brimming with history and magic. Will Ian be able to figure out his place in the prophecies in time to protect those he loves?
did-not-finish
August 5, 2021I never really got into this... it's a fun book, with The Mysterious Benedict Society vibes but in pre-WWII England (though not quite as interesting (in my opinion)). It has promise, but the pace is so slow that I never felt invested enough to finish.
June 4, 2017
Have had this one on the 'to read' list for far too long. I love the Abby Cooper Psychic Eye books. The psychic thing features in this tale - but it's very different from her other books. It's YA and told from the point of view of two scrappy orphans who reside at Delphi Keep. It's the first book in a series. Very enjoyable. I look forward to reading the rest in the series.
January 18, 2018
So, I loved reading this book. It was well-plotted with good (believable) characters and amazing settings. I also liked that the orphanage in this book did not fall into the "hard knock life" trope of Annie and Oliver Twist-- it was a good orphanage with stern but loving headmistresses and an amazing benefactor.
December 18, 2020
What an enjoyable book! Just what I needed to turn my mind off the politics and COVID of these days. Full of adventure, fun/likeable characters, archaeology and ancient myths, good guys and bad guys - it has everything! I'm so glad I chose to wrench myself from my reading doldrums by turning to Y/A books. And, to top it off, it was well-written!!!
July 21, 2024
Some of the orphan’s of Delphi Keep are rather special. 3 of them have strange histories & even stranger presents. Ian, Theodosia, & Carl It’s 1938 the second World War is looming & the orphan’s legacy will take them from Dover to Morocco on a quest to stop the evil behind all evils.
Victoria Laurie has created a well thought out fantasy world that lies along side our own.
Victoria Laurie has created a well thought out fantasy world that lies along side our own.
January 9, 2019
I really enjoyed the characters, and for that alone, I might dive into the second book. However, the book was a little too long ... I’m by far not afraid of long stories. But, this one feels like it can be tightened up more.
June 25, 2019
Borrowed audio from library:
The narrator is an excellent match to this story!
I must still he young enough for YA books, as I loved this@
Can't wait to read books 2 & 3.
Only wish my library had them in audio also! ♡♡♡♡♡
The narrator is an excellent match to this story!
I must still he young enough for YA books, as I loved this@
Can't wait to read books 2 & 3.
Only wish my library had them in audio also! ♡♡♡♡♡
August 16, 2023
4.5/5I felt that there was so much going on that it was almost overwhelmingly long and could have been made into two seperate novels.
However it was a very fantastical story and I loved the character building and tibidts of the past and future combining.
However it was a very fantastical story and I loved the character building and tibidts of the past and future combining.
September 5, 2017
It was a great book with a satisfying mix of action and story in an entertaining and suspenseful time period.
October 23, 2017
i found it predictable, not a terrible read, but nothing new. Also for the age group, long winded. Not going to continue the series.
October 24, 2017
The story was very good but the end is not good.
April 30, 2018
Really good book for older kids. Like how the author combines Phoenician/Greek mythology and the pre-WW2 era. Looking forward to reading the next book.
November 21, 2018
Orphans Ian and Theo stumble upon a life-changing (and life-threatening) adventure. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
January 28, 2019
I do like supernatural books with children at the center. This one is action packed, almost too much. Am interested in completing the series
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