Kiki Strike Bk. 2:
The Empress's Tomb
by Kirsten Miller
THE EMPRESS'S TOMB by Kirsten Miller
Category:  Action-Adventure
Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
Release Date:  10/2/07
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Reviewed by:  
Carrie Spellman
Rating:  5 Stars


Get ready for the next adventure...  The Irregulars have returned!  On the agenda this time around are the following things:

Finish mapping the Shadow City.  Since Livia and Sidonia Galatzina, (supposed) Queen and Princess of Pokrovia, and
Kiki's mortal enemies, managed to get an incomplete copy of their map, it's more important than ever that The Irregulars
finish what they started.

Stop Lester Liu.  He got away last time, and they aren't about to let that happen again.  But when Oona seems to throw
herself in the middle of the whole thing, no one is sure what to do or who to believe.

Keep Ananka in New York.  Ever since Ananka joined The Irregulars, her grades have been plummeting.  Now her
mom wants to send her to a boarding school on some farm.

Find the squirrels.  Trained squirrels are attacking people, and someone is painting life-size pictures of them all over the
city.  And he seems to know who The Irregulars are.

And those things are just the beginning.  This is a book of secrets, and misunderstandings, and sneaky dealings.  No one
is quite what they seem, not even the people you might think you know.  And you can't be too careful about who you
trust, or who you don't.

I admit that I had a moment, a split second of concern about this book.  I loved the first one (INSIDE THE SHADOW
CITY) so much, and second books are historically a letdown even when they're good.  After the first page, I was thrilled
to admit I was completely wrong to doubt.  By the end, I was groveling at Kirsten Miller's feet!

Strong memorable characters, well-written, fast paced, exciting, touching, hilarious...  And, of course, indispensable
information like how to appear mysterious, how to know if your house is haunted, how to take advantage of the power of
scent, and much, much more.

You absolutely must read this book.  Trust me.