The Avid Book Collector: Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Tut: My Epic Battle to Save the World by P.J. Hoover

TUT: MY EPIC BATTLE TO SAVE THE WORLD

by P.J. Hoover

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 3 - 7

Series: Tut: My Immortal Life (Book 2)

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Starscape (February 28, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0765390825

ISBN-13: 978-0765390820

Tut: My Epic Battle to Save the World by P. J. Hoover is the second action-packed novel in a fast and funny series for young readers about the adventures of King Tut, now an immortal eighth-grader living in Washington, D.C.. This rollicking fantasy adventure begins with Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life.

Tut sets out to find his brother and protector, Gil, who has gone missing from their Washington, D.C., town house. Tut discovers that Gil is being held prisoner by the Egyptian god Apep. With the help of the Sun god, Ra, Gil managed to vanquish Apep thousands of years ago, and now the god is back for vengeance. It’s up to Tut and his friends Tia and Henry to stop Apep before he succeeds in his evil scheme to swallow the sun and plunge the world into darkness forever.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for TUT: MY EPIC BATTLE TO SAVE THE WORLD

“Hoover (Solstice) brings her interest in mythology to a middle-grade audience with this entertaining tale, which reimagines the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun as a perpetually 14-year-old immortal…The entertaining premise and fast pace keep this adventure on track, while the way Hoover reimagines the Egyptian pantheon—Isis owning a chain of funeral parlors, for instance—is pleasantly reminiscent of Rick Riordan’s work.” —Publishers Weekly

“Being an immortal 14-year-old pharaoh isn’t all scepters and servants; there’s also the overthrowing of a homicidal cult—and finishing one’s homework…Merging the voice of an outspoken contemporary 14-year-old with centuries-old expletives (“Holy Amun!”) renders Tut both comedic and devoted to his origins…A pyramid history buffs and fantasy fans will delight in excavating.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[R]eaders will be pulled into this adventurous story of the young boy ruler and his ordeal….it quickly becomes a fast-moving adventure with surprising twists. The ending is satisfying, with a hint that a sequel may be in the works. The author provides historical notes about the real King Tutankhamen, which may spark an interest in learning more about Egyptian History. Fans of Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series (Hyperion) will surely enjoy this title. A fine purchase for libraries where historically based adventures are in demand.” —School Library Journal

Where Horus Tries to Kill Me

There were spells and wards all over the door to my townhouse when the shabtis and I got there. I felt chills run over my skin as I pushed past them. But I didn’t have time to ask Horus about it, because he came out of nowhere, landing in front of my feet.

He hissed loudly. “Go away, Tut.” His good eye roved the room, not focusing on me. Huge hunks of his fur were missing, contributing to his mangy look. I’d never seen Horus look so horrible, not even when he’d gone missing with amnesia for a couple decades.

Maybe it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I needed to start making forward progress. I squatted down to Horus’s level and slammed my hands on the ground.

“No, Horus. I am not going to go away,” I said, letting all the frustration running through me filter into my voice.

“I mean it, Tut,” Horus said, but his voice wasn’t as certain as before.

I took advantage of it and moved forward. Horus scooted back. So I took another step. He did, too. And we continued this until I got him into the family room. Behind me, the shabtis slammed the door closed. The chill in the air evaporated.

“Great Master,” Colonel Cody said. “It seems the cat is not feeling well.”

“He’s a god. He’s Horus,” I said, still not taking my eyes off Horus.

“Yes, exactly what I was saying,” Colonel Cody said. “It seem the god cat is a bit under the weather.”

“Horus is fine.” I pressed my hand forward, hoping to make peace, hoping Horus didn’t take this moment to swipe out at me. To tear one of my fingers off.

I held my breath and waited, counting the seconds. One. Two. I got to twelve when Horus finally backed off. He hissed one last time then scurried across the room, grabbing a scarab beetle and biting it in half.

I sank onto the futon. Lieutenants Virgil and Leon ran up balancing a tall glass of ice and a soda on a tray. There were also two warm scones on a bright blue plate. Cranberry maybe? They always knew exactly what I needed.

I nodded at them in thanks, and they ran back into the kitchen.

“What in the name of Amun Ra is going on with you, Horus?” I said.

Horus chewed the scarab beetle slowly, almost like he wasn’t planning to eat it. But then he swallowed it whole.

Uh oh. This was not a good idea. He jumped onto Gil’s chair and started heaving. I knew what was coming. I tried to cover my ears and close my eyes, but the heaves got louder and louder. Finally Horus hacked up a giant scarab beetle hairball all over Gil’s chair. Then, to make matters worse, he started digging his claws into the chair. It was the only time I was glad Gil wasn’t around. He would have skinned Horus.

“It’s the sun and the moon,” Horus said, rolling around in the hacked up hairball.

“What about the sun and the moon?” I said, trying to ignore what he was doing. It was gross. Horus went crazy during the new moon, but we had almost two weeks until then.

“It’s growing darker,” Horus said. “Everything about the world is growing darker. And the tides. Have you seen the tides? They’re way off. The sun and the moon aren’t in the right places. It’s messing everything up. It’s not good, Tutankhamun. I’m telling you that it’s not good.”

Moon. Tides. The world growing darker. It all fit together with what I’d just heard. “This is about Apep, isn’t it?” I said.

Horus didn’t act surprised that I knew. He only flicked his tail in acknowledgment.

“How long have you known?” I asked. The bigger question was why hadn’t Horus told me?

Horus eyed another scarab beetle, but he didn’t pounce. Instead he dug his claws deeper into Gil’s chair, pulling out stuffing. I cringed but kept my mouth shut.

“Since I went to the underworld,” Horus said. “Remember that little trip? Where I went to check up on Horemheb?”

“Oh, I remember, Great Master,” Colonel Cody said. “It’s when the cat god retrieved me from an eternal life without you.”

This must’ve rekindled some fond feelings for Horus because the little shabti immediately ran off and ordered the filling of Horus’s milk bowl.

“You learned about Apep escaping six months ago, and you didn’t think to tell me?” I said.

“There was no reason to tell you, Tut,” Horus said. “I’m a god. He’s a god. It’s a god issue. I’m going to take care of the problem.”

“By doing what? Hacking up hairballs at anyone who comes near you? Attacking people? Don’t you see how this is affecting you? You aren’t yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Horus said.

“Fine? Then why the wards? Why have you tried to rip my eyes out not once but twice in the last week? Why do you look like a rabid alley cat who lost five fights in a row? Does that seem like you’re fine?”

Horus scowled, but he didn’t have much of an argument to make.

“Did you know that Apep kidnapped Gil?” I said. I still couldn’t believe it. Gil was in serious trouble.

Horus stopping digging. Pieces of stuffing clung to his claws. “He what?”

“He kidnapped Gil. He’s looking for an immortal, and he thought he got one.”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Horus said. “He can’t still be stewing over that whole mess. When I find that snake, I am going to pull his tail through—”

I put up my hand. “Enough.” I didn’t need a visual of what Horus planned to do to Apep.

Horus and Gil may have their differences. They argued all the time. But Horus’s claws went up and he snarled. Gil, like me, was one of Horus’s people, whether he wanted him to be or not. And as such, Horus was going to watch out for Gil.

“How do we stop him?” I asked.

“Stop Apep, the Lord of Chaos? The Devourer of the Sun?” Horus said. “We don’t. I do. You stay here and stay safe.”

“Great Osiris, no!” I said. “I am not sitting in this townhouse doing nothing. I’m going looking for Gil with you or without you.”

And this is when things turned ugly. Horus launched at me from Gil’s chair, and landed on my head. His claws dug into me, even as I grabbed at him, trying to get him off me. I fell from the futon, onto the floor, and using strength I didn’t know I had, I clenched my fingers around him and pulled him from my head, throwing him across the room. And before he could get up and come back after me, fireballs ignited in my hands. I held them out, menacingly.

“Don’t take another step,” I said.

Top Ten List

Ten 10 characteristics of a great friend (based on characters in TUT: MY EPIC BATTLE TO SAVE THE WORLD)

1) Makes you cookies (Tia)

2) Isn’t afraid to face-off against Egyptian gods to help you out (Henry and Tia)

3) Never leaves you hanging when it comes to World History projects (Henry)

4) Is pretty cute (Tia)

5) Makes even things like Science Camp fun (Henry)

6) Has always done the research ahead of time (Henry)

7) Always had the perfect comeback (Tia)

8) Likes video games (Henry)

9) Is prepared for any situation (Tia)

10) Will stand by you through anything (Tia and Henry)

P. J. (Tricia) Hoover wanted to be a Jedi, but when that didn’t work out, she became an electrical engineer instead. After a fifteen year bout designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to start creating worlds of her own. She’s the author of Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life, featuring a fourteen-year-old King Tut who’s stuck in middle school, and Solstice, a super-hot twist on the Hades/Persephone myth. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing kung fu, solving Rubik’s cubes, watching Star Trek, and playing too many video games. For more information about P. J. (Tricia) Hoover, please visit her website www.pjhoover.com