Author Jenny Elder Moke turns back time to the 1920s and takes young readers on a fast-paced, mysterious adventure to uncover dangerous secrets that await Sam, Joana and Bennett in the first book in an all-new series by Disney books.
What is Curse of the Specter Queen about?
When her father didn’t return home from the Great War, Samantha Knox put away her aspirations for archaeological adventures, retreating to the safety of her workplace – the antique bookshop established by the wealthy father of her childhood friends, Joana and Bennett. But when a mysterious package arrives, Sam's peaceful, uneventful life comes to an end.
Ruthless strangers intent on reclaiming the contents of the package are after Sam, Joana and Bennett, on a high-stakes chase that lands them in the green hills outside Dublin, Ireland. It is here that they discover an ancient order with a dark purpose – to perform an occult ritual that will raise the Specter Queen, the Celtic goddess of vengeance and death, to bring about a war unlike any the world has ever seen.
Sam must solve a deviously complex cipher to save the world – one that will lead her on a treasure hunt to discover the ancient relic at the heart of the ritual. Will she find the relic and stop the curse of the Specter Queen, or will the ancient order bring about the end of the world?
If you like Indiana Jones, National Treasure and The Mummy,
you will like Curse of the Specter Queen
Indiana Jones meets National Treasure in this exciting, unique, female-driven mystery adventure. Being set in the 1920s and full of ciphers, ancient relics, and non-stop action, this book falls into an entirely new young reader category – one which will likely appeal to an even broader audience base.
This is the first young reader novel that I have had the pleasure of reading that centers around a dark archaeological mystery. Some parts of the story are quite dark, giving off vibes reminiscent of expeditions like those in The Mummy film series. While the beginning of the story starts out with a bang, it does slow in some of the middle chapters; the characters taking their time to flaunt their problem-solving savvy and archaeological prowess. Readers who love puzzles are in for a real treat. This book fills a gap in storytelling setting that I have not seen in books targeted towards this age group. It also provides a great pathway perhaps to other historical adventure novels. My younger brother was not much of a reader as a kid, but I expect he would absolutely get onboard with this all-new – based on all-old relics and mysteries – adventure.
Compelling characters and context
The story also provides a compelling character dynamic between Sam, Joana and Bennett, as well as other characters on the periphery. There is character baggage, history, secrets and pet peeves that keep the story moving forward even during those parts of the story where readers are given a brief reprieve from being on-the-run with the trio.
While I did find one of the characters overbearing at times, the historical context helped me keep the relationships in perspective. The great thing about this story is that while acknowledging that the male characters consider their role to be the protector (particularly during the early 1900s), here we have a brave, resilient, female protagonist. Sam ultimately hauls this tale into the present not by words, but by action. Samanatha Knox is someone readers will want to get to know and may want to emanate.
A thrilling ride for problem solvers and adventure seekers
The chapters of this story are paved with hints and clues about what comes next, so not only is it a great historical adventure story, but a keen detective novel too. More than that, it is history illuminated by dark magic. How could this ever be a bad thing? Who wouldn’t enjoy this? Beats me.
Thus, author Jenny Elder Moke largely mapped out a winner with these themes even before she started writing the substance of the story. Thankfully, the substance, too, does not disappoint and I encourage young readers to strap in for a thrilling ride in book one and beyond.
Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke was released on June 1, 2021 and is available now.