The Final Kingdom

Reviewed by: Sheila Dube - Springvale Public Library, Springvale, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 10, 2016

Review

In this fifth and final book of the Tombquest series, twelve-year-old Alex, his friend Renata, and cousin Luke continue to search for the Book of Spells that the evil members of The Order acquired during the cliff-hanging ending of the previous book. Readers will want to start at the beginning of this series for some character development, as this final installment only provides non-stop action until the ending of the adventure. As The Order grows in power over Cairo, the world and the afterlife, Alex, Ren and Luke must return to the afterlife in search of the spells. It becomes clear that the power of the ancient Egyptian gods themselves will be the force that the children need to repair the rift and keep the barrier between life and the afterlife from disappearing. Northrop creates scenes similar to current apocalyptic movies where Cairo is a smoking, burned out wasteland filled with walking mummies and death walkers. The formulaic plot for this final installment provides a satisfying, action-packed ending for fans of the series. Give this series to future Riordan fans.

Overall Book Score: good