Theodosia Throckmorton is hardly your average eleven-year-old girl. Not only is she the daughter of the Head Curator of the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London and is deemed unfortunately clever by most adults, she is also the only person who does anything to destroy the curses on the museum's artifacts when they arrive fresh from Egypt courtesy of her archaeologist mum. It's simple enough, really: with the help of her protective amulets and the advice of ancient texts, Theodosia has managed to keep the worst curses from wreaking havoc in the museum. If only her parents consented to wear gloves when touching the artifacts; it would make her job so much easier. But her parents seem to think she's peculiar rather than seeing the curses lurking around the museum at night, and Theodosia knows that if she tried to explain, they'd ship her straight off to boarding school.
When Theodosia's mum returns from Egypt brimming with artifacts, Theodosia is prepared to spend the next few weeks rooting out the curses before they're put on display. She certainly doesn't expect a curse as vile as the one clinging to the Heart of Egypt her mum returns with--one which will leave England vulnerable to its enemies if left unchecked.
Before Theodosia can decide what to do, though, the Heart of Egypt is stolen. And it's up to her to track it down and learn more about the Egyptian magic she's always experimented with in time to stop the curse.
I've wanted to read Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos for years, and it didn't disappoint. Theodosia's character and narrative are absolutely perfect--upper-class, sophisticated, and with a touch of dry humor and seriousness which together make her extraordinarily endearing. The rest of the series is at the very top of my to-read list--I can't wait to read more about Theodosia, and see where LaFevers goes with the successive books! The world is also fully realized: the atmosphere of Edwardian England is skillfully evoked and blended with the Egyptian magic Theodosia discovers in the museum, which I enjoyed immensely. I laughed more than once, was surprised often, and loved the myriad characters, making this book thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos to readers ages ten and up, particularly those who enjoy quirky historical fantasy, or to anyone who regularly identifies ancient curses by moonlight.