Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

***Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos*** is a children's fantasy book and the first installment in R.L. LaFevers' Theodosia series. It is 352 pages in length and features illustrations by Yoko Tanaka. The second edition was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on May 5, 2008.

## Synopsis

Theodosia's parents run the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. However, it is Theodosia—and only Theodosia—who can see all the curses and black magic still attached to the ancient artifacts...

## Plot

Theodosia Throckmorton, a clever but seemingly ordinary eleven-year-old girl, spends her time researching and nullifying dark curses from ancient Egyptian relics, unbeknownst to everyone around her. When a shipment arrives at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities sent by Theo's mother, she finds a statuette of Bastet reeking of cursed magic and seeks to fix it before Clive Fagenbush, the museum's second assistant curator, gets his hands on it. She finds a spell to transfer the curse so it can be destroyed, but the process is interrupted and the curse is accidentally transferred to her cat, Isis, turning her once docile pet into something demonic. She has to put finding a cure for Isis on hold, however, when her mother and brother return for the holidays.

At the station, while awaiting her mother's arrival with her father, she stops a pickpocket named Will from stealing her father's wallet, though she decides not to turn the boy in to the authorities. Not long after, Theo's mother arrives with several trunks in tow, and Theo spots a suspicious-looking man eyeing the luggage. Back at the museum, Henrietta is showing off the artifacts she'd found, Theo reeling from the stench of dark magic coming from each item—in particular, a carved scarab littered with jewels known as the Heart of Egypt.

Theo offers to pick up dinner while her parents sort through the remainder of her mother's finds. While out, she is surprised to run into the pickpocket from earlier, who says he was following a man that had been tailing her family since they left the station. She makes a deal with Will to keep following the man and arranges to meet at the station tomorrow when she goes there to pick up her little brother. The next day, she learns from Will that the man is staying near the German Embassy.

During the holidays, Theo and her family go to their house in the country. When they return to the museum, Theo finds something has changed and later discovers the Heart of Egypt has been stolen. Determined to prove her usefulness to her parents, she follows a lead to the British Museum and learns a man named Tetley knew about the artifact. She follows him, with Henry and Sticky Will coming along for the journey, and they watch as Tetley gets assaulted and robbed. The man gets away and makes it as far as the church before he's attacked by three men, one of them German. Will volunteers to follow the three men, while the injured man asks Theo and Henry to find help at Somerset House.

Theo leaves Henry to try and keep the man alive and follows the lead to the Antiquaries Society at Somerset House.

## Characters

In order of appearance:

* Theodosia "Theo" Throckmorton
* Clive Fagenbush
* Alistair Throckmorton
* Henrietta Throckmorton
* Dolge
* Sweeny
* Isis
* Nigel Bollingsworth
* Flimp
* Lavinia Throckmorton
* Sticky Will
* Von Braggenschnott
* Henry Throckmorton
* Mrs. Pilkington
* Edgar Stilton
* Cook
* Andrew
* Lord Snowthorpe
* Tetley
* Stokes
* Lord Wigmere
* Boythorpe
* Thornleigh
* Dodson
* Bramfield
* Dr. Fallowfield
* Danver

## External links

* *Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos* at HarperCollins