The Skinny
(aka Back of the Book Summary in a Sentence)
Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell must unravel the mystery behind an Egyptian expedition’s members falling victim to an ancient mummy’s vengeful curse.
Nutritional Value
(aka What’s Good)
I felt pretty fancy reading this. The book is written in first-person perspective, and the narrator, Veronica Speedwell, is a posh woman from Victorian London. She has a much higher level of etiquette than I’m used to, which was a rather satisfying change of pace. Plus, she lives on a wealthy Earl’s estate and is organizing artifacts for his upcoming museum. One of my degrees is in Ancient History, and all this talk about artifacts got me very excited.
Freezer Burn
(aka What’s Bad)
I wish they talked more about the calamities that had befallen the doomed Egyptian expedition. The author didn’t get into the plot of the book until the very end of the chapter. I’m a fan of books that get the plot ball rolling from the very first page. Listening to Veronica and her colleague, Stoker, banter for most of the chapter was amusing, but I’m more interested in knowing about the mummy’s curse.
Lingering Aftertaste
(aka My Prediction)
Both Veronica and Stoker appear to be fearless adventurers in search of truth and scientific knowledge. I’m expecting these two to find a scientific reason behind the misfortune of the Egyptian expedition and ultimately debunk the mummy’s curse.
Taste Test Verdict
(aka Would I Read More?)
I’m a sucker for a good mystery, and this is definitely one. I want to keep reading and find out the truth behind the mummy’s curse. Plus, Egyptology is a fascinating subject, and I look forward to learning more about it through this book.
Memorable Morsel
(aka Quotable Quote)
If I had access to a time machine, I would travel to Victorian England just so I can have a conversation like this.
“It isn’t a stoat,” Stoker corrected. “It is a platypus.”
“Why has it got a duck on its face?” George put out a tentative finger and Stoker flicked it aside.
“This is Ornithorhynchus anatinus, the duck-billed platypus, native to Australia.”
“But why has it got a duck on its face?” George persisted.
“It hasn’t got a duck on its face. That is just its face.”
“Are you taking the duck off its face?”
What era would you time travel to? Sound off in the comments below!
Get A Treacherous Curse
Gwen thinks that it’s as close to magic as humans can get when a blank Word document is filled with groups of letters, and those groups of letters turn into lines, and those lines turn into a whole new world.
When Gwen isn’t reading or writing, she’s drinking boba milk tea and singing along to Steven Universe. You should sing along with her.