Bruce Zick, The Anubis Tapestry: Between Twilights

The Anubis Tapestry: Between Twilights

Bruce Zick

Actionopolis, August 2006, $9.95

ISBN: 1933925035

Thirteen year old Chance Henry says "it started out to be a normal day" in Portland, Oregon. The weeks of rain had stopped and the sun was shining as Holly "Hercules" Whipple whips his butt in basketball again. However, before she can humiliate him, he hears the dreaded words "I need your help"; his dad Dr. George Henry, curator of the Portland Museum of Eastern Antiquities Museum has paged him again. Like Chance thought earlier, this is just a normal day.

However, normal becomes quite abnormal when a light shines from inside a recently acquires sarcophagus. A mummy steps out of a tomb, and soon George is wrapped inside the bandages while the creature collapses into a pile of sand. Chance is unaware that the Time of Anubis has begun, as Sehti has taken over his father's body, while George's soul is drifting amidst the Egyptian Underworld. Chance knows he must somehow save his father, so he risks binding some of the mummy's bandages on his arms, trusting that he can keep himself from turning and rescue his father; Chance's friends like Holly and Hayden, and a new pal Blixx help him with his quest.

Targeting elementary school children, this is a terrific horror-fantasy, starring a young teen who gains confidence that he had previously lacked, while on a dangerous quest to rescue his father and perhaps the world. The storyline is filled with action, while illustrations enhance the solid plot. Young readers will root for Chance and his trusty team mates, as they battle against ancient evil that has returned.