Afrah Jamal

First Published in Daily Times (Pakistan) / 07 July 2013 under the title ' Walk Like an Egyptian...god ' Author : Rick Riordan Reviewed by : Afrah Jamal When ancients get their marching orders, it comes with an unexpected makeover. When Rick Riordan dabbles in mythology, it comes with some expected upgrades. The Heroes of Olympus , spin off to Percy Jackson and the Olympians series awakened both Roman and Greek gods for a few rounds of ‘mortal’ combat. Things happened. During the brief intermission, he rolled out a fresh set of gods, tracked down more heroes and stumbled upon a shiny new quest. The Kane Chronicles is bound for the land of Pharaohs with a brother, sister duo in tow who are descendent from an ancient line and have an Egyptologist for a father. One “lives out of a suitcase” and the other is “British.” And then they discover their true lineage and hearing voices in their collective heads becomes part of the Kane package. Eastern mythology crackles with the...

First Published in Daily Times / 5 Jan 2013 Reviewed by : Afrah Jamal Demigod fans who bade farewell to Percy – (son of Poseidon) & the Olympian franchise a few years ago must have wondered what the writer was up to as they came across a ‘final’ Prophesy conveniently left unresolved at the end of the saga. ‘ The Last Olympian ’ concluded the five part series wrapping up Percy Jackson & his merry band of demi-gods' extended arc with a high-octane finale and an emotional send-off. Though Rick Riordan had moved on to explore Egypt in ‘ The Kane Chronicles ’, he wasn’t done with Olympus, its ever shifting centre of power or its hoity-toity god population for that matter. The cryptic warning heard in the final pages is used to establish the credentials of this spin-off. The gods return in the ‘ Heroes of Olympus ’ series - distant as ever and in Roman form heralding a brand new dawn with the promise of new crusades, a shiny new quest, fresh faces and an ancient th...

Thanks to S.M. Boyce for the ARC (Advanced Review Copy) First Published in Daily Times / Saturday, November 17, 2012 Published under the Title: Isens and Muses & Vagabonds O' My Reviewed by: Afrah Jamal As Ourea looms into view, young Kara Magari, the only human in this fantasy realm is no longer a rookie, Braeden Drakonin is still a reluctant Heir, the trenches remain occupied and cases of intrigue have been dusted off for a re-match. Treason is the highly anticipated sequel to Lichgates , a YA (Young Adult) novel penned by S.M. Boyce that returns to the magical land of Ourea, home to warring factions, savage critters and disappointed fathers . Kara, who takes a wrong turn and turns up in Ourea, is revealed as the first Vagabond in a thousand years with the ability to control the Grimoire, a book of revelations. The Yakona race, divided into six Kingdoms, finds her irresistible for their cause. Her newfound powers come with a steep learning curve and a roster...