The Akhenaten Adventure
Encyclopedia
The Akhenaten Adventure is a novel by P.B. Kerr
(a Scottish author) and the first book of the Children of the Lamp
series. It tells the story of John and Philippa Gaunt and their adventures of finding out they are djinn. The book earned a place on the New York Times Best Seller list
for children's books and received generally favorable reviews.
It precedes The Blue Djinn of Babylon
.
, on a hot day in Egypt
with a man, Hussein Hussaout, digging illegally in a solitude desert for historical artifacts he could sell in his shop, assisted by his son, Baksheesh and his dog, Effendi. The hot desert climate slows down Baksheesh, so Hussein asks his son to take a break by going to their Land Rover
and getting some food. Baksheesh obeys, however when he reaches the truck, it moves away from his out-streched hand. He tries a second time but the Land Rover moves once again, and the ground begins to shake; the beginning of an earthquake
. A frightened Baksheesh enters the shaking car, however by the time the earthquake ends, he fears his father may have gone mad due to the way he was laughing; this was due to finding a mysterious symbol in the ground, a stone that would apparently help them solve a mystery that had been pondered for centuries.
John and Philippa Gaunt lead an upper class life in New York City
, New York
. Their life changes when their Wisdom Teeth(also called Dragon Teeth by Djinns) appear after their Uncle Nimrod appears to them in a dream. He tells them that they are Djinns, and that their mother is trying to take away their powers. Suddenly John's acne
disappears, and they both have a sudden desire for the heat, as well as hitting a growth spurt,and granting their housekeeper a wish. After some debate, the children are sent to spend the summer with their Uncle Nimrod.
On the plane, they accidentally make two people disappear Their uncle begins to train them on how to use their powers. They meet a french named Coeur de Lapin, a woman who is the wife of the ambassador. Nimrod, John and Philippa are trying to discover where the 'Seventy Lost Djinn of (Akhenaten)' are hidden, which leads to the capture and binding of Nimrod, a murder of a man called Hussein Hussaout and a confrontation of Iblis, the leader of the most wicked tribe of djinn, the Ifrit. This could tip the balance in the ongoing fight between djinn who attempt to promote good luck, of which Nimrod is the nominal leader, and those who promote bad luck. After several adventures in Cairo
, Egypt
the book concludes with a battle in the British Museum
between them and a ghost king, cobra, crocodile, and baboon. However, while ensuring that the Djinn will not be controlled by bad Djinn to tip the balance of luck in the universe towards more bad luck, Nimrod gets confined in the same jar as Akhenaten himself, who turns out to be a bad Djinn. In order to release Nimrod from the bottle without releasing Akhenaten, they go to the North Pole, because the cold causes the Djinn to become very weak and tired. The cold temperature slows down Nimrod and Akhenaten, so John and Philippa go inside the lamp. They make themselves spacesuits to wear in the cold so that they would stay warm and not get weakened themselves. They have to bring Nimrod out quickly so that Akhenaten, who is warming up (due to a polar bear sniffing through the lamp), does not escape. But eventually they save Nimrod and go back to London. When they later go back home to New York City, it turns out their mom really knows more about what the twins were doing than they thought.
Philip Kerr
Philip Kerr is a British author of both adult fiction and non-fiction, most notably the Bernie Gunther series of thrillers, and of children's books, particularly the Children of the Lamp series....
(a Scottish author) and the first book of the Children of the Lamp
Children of the Lamp
Children of the Lamp is a series of fantasy novels for senior children as well as adolescents and adults written by the British author P.B. Kerr. It tells the story of twin djinn, John and Philippa Gaunt, and their challenges with adapting to the world of djinn. The story has a variety of themes,...
series. It tells the story of John and Philippa Gaunt and their adventures of finding out they are djinn. The book earned a place on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
for children's books and received generally favorable reviews.
It precedes The Blue Djinn of Babylon
The Blue Djinn of Babylon
The Blue Djinn of Babylon is a novel by P.B. Kerr which tells the second chapter of John and Philippa Gaunt and their adventures as djinn. It is the second book of the Children of the Lamp series...
.
Plot
The story starts as a prologuePrologue
A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Greek prologos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance...
, on a hot day in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
with a man, Hussein Hussaout, digging illegally in a solitude desert for historical artifacts he could sell in his shop, assisted by his son, Baksheesh and his dog, Effendi. The hot desert climate slows down Baksheesh, so Hussein asks his son to take a break by going to their Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and getting some food. Baksheesh obeys, however when he reaches the truck, it moves away from his out-streched hand. He tries a second time but the Land Rover moves once again, and the ground begins to shake; the beginning of an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
. A frightened Baksheesh enters the shaking car, however by the time the earthquake ends, he fears his father may have gone mad due to the way he was laughing; this was due to finding a mysterious symbol in the ground, a stone that would apparently help them solve a mystery that had been pondered for centuries.
John and Philippa Gaunt lead an upper class life in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Their life changes when their Wisdom Teeth(also called Dragon Teeth by Djinns) appear after their Uncle Nimrod appears to them in a dream. He tells them that they are Djinns, and that their mother is trying to take away their powers. Suddenly John's acne
Acne vulgaris
Acne vulgaris is a common human skin disease, characterized by areas of skin with seborrhea , comedones , papules , pustules , Nodules and possibly scarring...
disappears, and they both have a sudden desire for the heat, as well as hitting a growth spurt,and granting their housekeeper a wish. After some debate, the children are sent to spend the summer with their Uncle Nimrod.
On the plane, they accidentally make two people disappear Their uncle begins to train them on how to use their powers. They meet a french named Coeur de Lapin, a woman who is the wife of the ambassador. Nimrod, John and Philippa are trying to discover where the 'Seventy Lost Djinn of (Akhenaten)' are hidden, which leads to the capture and binding of Nimrod, a murder of a man called Hussein Hussaout and a confrontation of Iblis, the leader of the most wicked tribe of djinn, the Ifrit. This could tip the balance in the ongoing fight between djinn who attempt to promote good luck, of which Nimrod is the nominal leader, and those who promote bad luck. After several adventures in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
the book concludes with a battle in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
between them and a ghost king, cobra, crocodile, and baboon. However, while ensuring that the Djinn will not be controlled by bad Djinn to tip the balance of luck in the universe towards more bad luck, Nimrod gets confined in the same jar as Akhenaten himself, who turns out to be a bad Djinn. In order to release Nimrod from the bottle without releasing Akhenaten, they go to the North Pole, because the cold causes the Djinn to become very weak and tired. The cold temperature slows down Nimrod and Akhenaten, so John and Philippa go inside the lamp. They make themselves spacesuits to wear in the cold so that they would stay warm and not get weakened themselves. They have to bring Nimrod out quickly so that Akhenaten, who is warming up (due to a polar bear sniffing through the lamp), does not escape. But eventually they save Nimrod and go back to London. When they later go back home to New York City, it turns out their mom really knows more about what the twins were doing than they thought.