What starts as an educational voyage quickly turns perilous when Dante’s blog about his experiences on the trip draws the wrong kind of attention, particularly when he starts looking into a secret organization known as Ibis—a shadowy group notorious for their ruthless dedication to collecting legendary antiquities. The mystery deepens when a series of hieroglyphs appear to Dante; he’s convinced the ancient Egyptian god Thoth has sent them as a key to uncover hidden truths—truths about himself and his mother’s death. Dante sets out to decipher the visions, in the process discovering the dangerous secrets of Ibis as well as a potential link to his estranged father.
The narrative intertwines Dante's soul-searching exploration of his own supernatural abilities with the enigmatic and threatening world of Ibis. As Dante is guided by his teacher through the twists and turns of their trip, he’s finally able to relinquish certain elements of his past and pursue self-acceptance. Person deftly weaves myth, memory, and archeology into the narrative, creating a compelling mystery-adventure, rife with metaphor, that serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of ancient wisdom and the timeless quest for self-discovery.
Takeaway: Ancient intrigue, archeology, and mysticism make this a compelling mystery-adventure.
Comparable Titles: G. Edward Marks’s Return of Bastet, Rande Goodwin’s The Witchfinder’s Serpent.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
