Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

What’s happening  in New York City?
Giant Squirrels.
A Haunted Mansion.
Six fierce friends with fiercer secrets.
Ananka is in danger of being sent to a remote boarding school; Kiki’s life (as always) is in danger, Betty seems to have found love in all the wrong places, and Oona….well, Oona’s the one in the most serious trouble of all. From Chinatown to Fifth Avenue, whether they are rescuing kidnapped children or resuscitating an ancient Empress at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Irregulars have a knack for finding trouble, and putting it out of its misery.

About the Author

KIRSTEN MILLER lives in New York City where she spends her time drinking coffee, exploring the city, and writing.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 350 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (October 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599900475
• ISBN-13: 978-1599900476
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #614,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 1, 2007

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

Get ready for the next adventure... The Irregulars have returned! On the agenda this time around are the following things:

Finish mapping the Shadow City. Since Livia and Sidonia Galatzina, (supposed) Queen and Princess of Pokrovia, and Kiki's mortal enemies, managed to get an incomplete copy of their map, it's more important than ever that The Irregulars finish what they started.

Stop Lester Liu. He got away last time, and they aren't about to let that happen again. But when Oona seems to throw herself in the middle of the whole thing, no one is sure what to do or who to believe.

Keep Ananka in New York. Ever since Ananka joined The Irregulars, her grades have been plummeting. Now her mom wants to send her to a boarding school on some farm.

Find the squirrels. Trained squirrels are attacking people, and someone is painting life-size pictures of them all over the city. And he seems to know who The Irregulars are.

And those things are just the beginning. This is a book of secrets, and misunderstandings, and sneaky dealings. No one is quite what they seem, not even the people you might think you know. And you can't be too careful about who you trust, or who you don't.

I admit that I had a moment, a split second of concern about this book. I loved the first one (Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City) so much, and second books are historically a letdown even when they're good. After the first page, I was thrilled to admit I was completely wrong to doubt. By the end, I was groveling at Kirsten Miller's feet!

Strong memorable characters, well-written, fast paced, exciting, touching, hilarious... And, of course, indispensable information like how to appear mysterious, how to know if your house is haunted, how to take advantage of the power of scent, and much, much more.

You absolutely must read this book. Trust me.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This series is outstanding, October 4, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

I know the title is Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb but for me, the series is all about fourteen-year-old narrator Ananka Fishbein. She's living the life! She goes to an exclusive school, has exciting adventures in the Shadow City, hangs out with a unique group of girls, and lives in glamorous Manhattan.

But living an exciting life can sometimes get the best of a person. Ananka is no exception. Her duties with her friends have placed her in a perilous position. She needs to stay awake in school and get better grades, or she's going to be shipped off to a remote boarding school. That can't happen! Especially since Kiki is in need of help, not that Kiki would admit it. Kiki's vicious relatives are still after her. And Oona is in some deep trouble also. It's so serious, she doesn't want to share the seriousness with her friends, the Irregulars (who have secrets of their own).

New York City is being overrun by giant squirrels, Oona's evil father takes up residence in a haunted mansion and wants to reconcile with her, and Betty is in love with an unusual character. And there are also kidnapped children, and an Empress's reputation at stake. Will Ananka, Kiki and the gang solve the mysteries without losing their lives? And if they live, will Ananka be forced to leave her school and friends for a rural boarding school?

The primary criticism I had with the first Kiki Strike book was that the Irregulars were interchangeable. We didn't get to know them, and consequently didn't have a deep concern about their welfare. Author Kirsten Miller begins solving that issue in her current book. We see a bit more of Oona and Betty, and therefore care about them. I'm hoping that Miller does the same with the other girls in the next book.

The Kiki Strike series is fun and has a fascinating premise: a Shadow City under New York City. Every time I walk the streets of New York, I think about the Shadow City and wonder if it's real. Miller has been successful when she can get a "mature" woman to believe.

Armchair Interviews says: The Kiki Strike series is a winner.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars imastermind's review (I am a teen reviewer), October 7, 2007

By	Pauline Flanagan "imastermind" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Empress's tomb is just as great as Kirsten Millers first book, Kiki Strike and the Shadow city!
In this book, the Irregulars are faced with some well hidden secrets, a cute squirrel-obsessed boy, and the task of keeping the shadow city secret from all of New York. Ananka, Oona, Luz, Betty, Deedee, Iris, and my personal favorite charachter, Kiki Strike, are the amazing crime fighting Irregulars. Their lives, along with so much else, are at stake.

Go Irregulars!!!