Customer Reviews

Tales of the Mustard Twins: The Ancient Egyptian Ennead

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The Tales of the Mustard Twins is a delightful read. I'm not usually one to read books of the young adult genre but it somehow found me, and having read the back cover, I couldn't resist throwing myself into the story.

The theme is based around two young female twins from a well-to-do family in London. Their super-active imagination actually transports them across time and space into ancient Egypt. This is where the book's cleverness shines through. It is part history lesson and part fairy tale, but will appeal to all ages. The book certainly doesn't condescend to potential young readers, and for Mr Nimmo's first book this is a stellar effort.

I shall certainly be following the subsequent books in this series.

I came to this book through a Google search of "children's literature" without the hype of the fantasy stuff put out by the bigger pubbs and was totally amazed by it. It is a REAL story as opposed to a whole lot of join-the-dots fantasy out there today. It is hard to compare it with anything as it is very original, however in tone and style it is everything from a bit of Alice-down-the-Rabit-hole intrigue, Dr. Suess' grim humour and maybe something like Lemony Snicket.

But better written; this book doesn't patronise. The writer, along with, say, Phillip Pullman, to which I would compare this book, has obviously grasped that kids writing has to be BETTER, not inferior to that directed at adults, as kids are a tough audience. (I have two of my own, 11 and 13, who also loved the book.) As well in this book, the extraordinary notion of childhood development being similar to that of human development at various points in history is an important concept, and creatively surpasses Pullman's idea of externalised "Daemon"s -- this alone should secure R.J. Nimmo's place in world literature.

Oh, and anyone who was dissapointed by "Children of the Lamp" (also set in part in Egypt), which was none of the above, don't despair. THese characters in THe Ennead live and breathe, as does the world they create (set in historically accurate) Egypt of the 1st Dynasty. So no cheap allusions to walking Mummies coming back to life (a Hollywood notion, not an anceint Egyptian one. An ancient Egyptian would be horrified to think that he might come back from the promised afterlife; burials and mummification were designed ot ensure EXACTLY that did NOT happen.)

Another plus witht his book, that goes unremarked on: unlike so many books today written for the YA age group, you CAN actually read this one out loud! Okay, real young kids won't get some of the words but Nimmo has a gift for rythm and syntax which makes it a joy to read to kids (I am a Primary Teacher), and this is rare in books these days, I can assure you. Also, the dialogue here is a treat: so many "kids" books take the route of writiing "childish" dialogue (see: "Children of the Lamp), as opposed to age-appropriate language which is "child-like". Nimmo hasn't forgotten the one thing so many YA authors overlook: children don't appreciate being talked down to any more than adults, and switch off completely, when they are! (So a double thank you for an author that makes an educator's job a bit more engaging and easier!)

So go buy it, have fun, and learn something, regardless of age group. I certainly look forward to the series (with a core idea like in the Ennead -- that of two modern twins who may, or may not, have created the universe through the power of thought and will -- I am more than a little intrigued to see where the author can go with!) Stay tuned...

Rj Nimmo is just about one of my favorite authors right now and with `The Ancient Egyptian Ennead' he doesn't let me down. If you like fantasy books well imagine two girls as the heros battling gods and monsters and you'll have the idea.
The story follows Emily and Nelly Mustard, two English schoolgirl's who are always in trouble with their Mom. They are smart and good at school and don't have many friends and they like to imagine worlds from history, like ancient Egypt in this one to escape to. They are always getting into trouble and when they do they blame gods and monsters they read about in history class to get out of trouble. Then one day their stories come true... I don't want to give away too much more, so I can't say much of anything else but the story is very detailed, so you won't be disappointed. Except to say that I LOVE THE TWINS! Even though it is a really big fantasy, the girls are just like real girls I can relate to! -- Oh, except they are psychic!!!! Read the book! It's worth getting! The gods are ToOO funny!!

I bought the Mustard Twins for my niece (age 11) but once it arrived I started reading and I just couldn't put it down (sorry, Maisie)! The story is complex and multi-layered, following the story of twin English schoolgirls who find out that whatever they do impacts on the history of ancient cultures (in this case Ancient Egypt) and on the fate of humanity itself. Sounds incredible, but RJ Nimmo makes it work. I don't want to spoil the story for future readers, but it's a whirlwind adventure with action scenes and history all thrown together with a lot of humor and insight. I *was* going to give it to Maisie for her birthday, but now I'm going to give it to her for Easter instead - very well used!! The book does say that it's part of a series, so I can't wait to see the rest.

I love fantasy, but this one missed the mark. It doesnt make a lot of sense, and was choppy at best. I wouldnt recommend it. I put it down halfway through, which is something I rarely ever do. Read Phillip Pullman instead!!