Children of the Storm, The Serpent on the Crown, and Tomb of the Golden Bird
by Elizabeth Peters
Published 2003, 2005, 2006
It’s possible (I have no idea, actually) that Peters intended for Children of the Storm to be the final book in the series chronologically. The next book published was Guardian of the Horizon, which is set earlier in the Emerson family timeline. Children of the Storm does definitely wrap up some loose ends, especially concerning the enigmatic Sethos, but I am definitely glad that Peters went on to write The Serpent on the Crown and Tomb of the Golden Bird. There is a definite sense of finality at the end of The Tomb of the Golden Bird that is satisfying. While I wish Peters could have continued to write about the Emersons indefinitely, Amelia and Emerson have to be in their 60’s by the end of the series, so it makes sense to leave them still hearty and hale and doing what they love with the ones they love.
I really, really enjoyed this series. The characters were so well developed throughout – I loved seeing how different characters and relationships grew and changed as the books went on. While Emerson isn’t someone I would like to be married to, the marriage between him and Amelia is great fun – a pair of people who recognize that “equality” does not necessarily mean “the same” – they work together as a team, but a team works best when each is accomplishing the task at which he is best. The evolution of the character of Sethos was delightful as well, and I loved watching Ramses and Nefret fall more and more in love, even after the birth of their children.
This series covers over 30 years of time, and does it well. The passage of time, especially throughout the war years, felt realistic. Peters’s skillful interweaving of actual people and events makes her books very believable. I actually saw a reference in another book to an event that had occurred in Egypt at this time, and found myself wondering if they were going to mention the Emersons…
All in all, I highly recommend this entire series. I’m looking forward to reading more of Peters’s books in the future (I do believe that her Vicky Bliss series also involves Egypt, although in a more modern setting). Good times reading these – I’m super sad to see them end!
The Aroma of Books 