Similar to the first book in the series, Pyramid of Souls was easy and fast to read. I would've liked a little more details about Maria, Miranda and the Pyramid of Souls and how it works. The story felt a little hurried or rather, not as much details were added. The history of the Pyramid of Souls and its keeper was interesting. Not as good as the first book but I liked it well enough. Looking forward to reading the next one in the series. ( )

A year or so ago, I got the opportunity to review The Eternal Hourglass, the first book in Erica Kirov’s Magickeepers series. I thoroughly enjoyed the book — so much so that when I found out that the second book was coming out, I actually emailed the press contact to see if there would be a blog tour for it as well. I don’t do that, as a general rule — I end up feeling like a freeloader who doesn’t like to actually buy books. I’m not sure if my email actually got to the right person, because I never actually heard back. But a month or so later, the announcement came for review copies, and you can bet I got back in touch with them as soon as I could.

I’m glad I did. The Pyramid of Souls is an outstanding book that kids of all ages will love, and is a worthy sequel to The Eternal Hourglass.

There’s a magic convention coming to Las Vegas, and the Winter Palace Hotel and Casino is hosting it. This isn’t a normal convention of illusionists, though; this is a convention of Magickeepers — people who have, throughout the centuries, been entrusted with magical abilities and who use those abilities to safeguard the rest of us. There will of course be a magic competition, with bragging rights on the line for the family with the best show. That means lots of practice for Nick Rostov and his cousin Isabella. But when Nick starts seeing black birds and ominous figures, he knows that the Shadowkeepers have arrived as well, and they are up to something big. Then the Pyramid of Souls disappears, and only Nick can save the day. Because the Pyramid of Souls is so powerful that it can actually steal a person’s soul ….

Anyone who enjoyed the first book will love this one. I appreciated the fact that Nick seems to be adjusting to his new life at the Winter Palace; we see him much more comfortable with his family than he was in the first book (even though he still doesn’t like the food). He’s also much more comfortable with his magic in this book, though he hasn’t quite mastered it yet. Too often in young adult books characterization is given a back seat to plot; that doesn’t happen in The Pyramid of Souls.

This is a book that you’ll read in one sitting. The plot moves, and moves quickly. The only real problem I had was that the resolution seemed far too similar to the first book, with the one-on-one confrontation between Nick and Rasputin. I’m hoping that doesn’t turn into a formula with these books. I enjoy Kirov’s writing, so I don’t think it will happen, but two books in it is something that I’m going to be watching for in future volumes. ( )

Series Review:

I really enjoyed the Magickeeper series! It's written for ages 8-14, but even I got really into it and enjoyed it a lot.

The stories were both woven well, with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Once I started to read, it was hard to put it down. I never knew what to expect and was always surprised. It was like walking through a fun-house: you never knew what was going to be around the corner.

My favorite characters had to be Nick and Isabella, followed closely by Isabella's pet tiger, Sascha. Sascha was just a really cool tiger. Vladimir, the hedgehog, was pretty cool, too. It was fun to watch Nick and Isabella together: they balanced each other well and would be fun people to be around. I wish they were real so we could hang out. Haley why would you want to hang out with thirteen-year-olds? Because they're magician thirteen-year-olds who can disappear and fly and look into crystal balls, and have more adventure in a day that I have in a month.

The writing was good and easy to read and easy to follow, but some of the structure was a little confusing at times. It didn't take away form the action and adventure, though.

I really liked the Russian culture incorporated into the stories. It wasn't overdone, but it was really fun to read the descriptions of the foods and the clothes and the decorations, and learn about some of the traditions. In the second book, The Pyramid of Souls, there was a lot of other cultures incorporated into it as well, because there were Magickeepers from Egypt and Nigeria and a Parisian clan, and Australians… so there were a lot of cool things that went on that we wouldn't normally think about—even in the world of magic.

I look forward to the next book in the Magickeeper series! The Eternal Hourglass came out in paperback on March 31, 2010 and The Pyramid of Souls was just published in hardback on May 1st, 2010.

Content/Recommendation: clean, and suitable for ages 8-16(-ish). I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, and parents would enjoy reading the books out loud to their kids as well! ( )