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sammspott's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible sequel! I couldn't get enough of the second installment that was chalked full of adventure and surprising plot twists.
k_hanvey's review against another edition
4.0
Let me just start by saying that it's probably not fair to give this a four-star rating when I also gave the first book four stars. Lost in Babylon is definitely better, more like a 4.5.
The setting of the second book was far more complex and interesting than that of the first, as were the newly introduced minor characters. The four main characters also did a fair bit of growing and there were some interesting -if unsurprising - wrinkles thrown into the plot which made it much more fun to read.
I do feel like this book should have ended about 10 chapters before it did; it felt like the author chose not to stop it at the natural stopping point just so he could end on a cliffhanger, which seems entirely unnecessary because the story isn't even close to over.
Minor Spoilers Ahead:
I also have a bit of an issue with the underutilization of the female characters, particularly Allie. She's one of the main characters and she doesn't get to have much of a plotline except "falling in love with the main character" which I find annoying and bland. Even more annoying is Marco's power hungry Benedict Arnold routine. I get it, he's 13, he's going to make choices like that. I even understand why he did it (to prove that he was more than just an athlete/jock) but it's just such an obvious move, plotwise.
Speaking of obvious [MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD]
I honestly knew from the moment that Jack mentioned his mother was lost and assumed dead that she would be making a comeback. I figured she would turn out to be wrapped up in this whole situation, maybe having intentionally attempted to have a child who was a select, but when the voice started talking to Jack in the pyramids, I kind of figured it was her. I didn't expect she would help them escape, but when Allie said the eye was female, I knew who it was. I'm not sure that it was necessarily easy to guess, but it was a fairly obvious plot choice for the author to make (which is absolutely not a negative thing).
The setting of the second book was far more complex and interesting than that of the first, as were the newly introduced minor characters. The four main characters also did a fair bit of growing and there were some interesting -if unsurprising - wrinkles thrown into the plot which made it much more fun to read.
I do feel like this book should have ended about 10 chapters before it did; it felt like the author chose not to stop it at the natural stopping point just so he could end on a cliffhanger, which seems entirely unnecessary because the story isn't even close to over.
Minor Spoilers Ahead:
I also have a bit of an issue with the underutilization of the female characters, particularly Allie. She's one of the main characters and she doesn't get to have much of a plotline except "falling in love with the main character" which I find annoying and bland. Even more annoying is Marco's power hungry Benedict Arnold routine. I get it, he's 13, he's going to make choices like that. I even understand why he did it (to prove that he was more than just an athlete/jock) but it's just such an obvious move, plotwise.
Speaking of obvious [MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD]
I honestly knew from the moment that Jack mentioned his mother was lost and assumed dead that she would be making a comeback. I figured she would turn out to be wrapped up in this whole situation, maybe having intentionally attempted to have a child who was a select, but when the voice started talking to Jack in the pyramids, I kind of figured it was her. I didn't expect she would help them escape, but when Allie said the eye was female, I knew who it was. I'm not sure that it was necessarily easy to guess, but it was a fairly obvious plot choice for the author to make (which is absolutely not a negative thing).
salemravenart's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
m00dreads's review against another edition
5.0
That cliffhanger just RUINED me. This one's a whole lot better than the first installment to be honest.
stinalee's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. The characters annoyed me rather than making me care about them.
librosyalgomas's review against another edition
5.0
Esta es la segunda vez que lo leo y me volvió a encantar!! Esta es una saga que todos deberÃan leer!!
scostner's review against another edition
4.0
The kids from the Karai Institute are back again in another incredible adventure. At the end of the first book (The Colossus Rises), Marco was missing along with the first Loculus that the team had found. Readers have been told that the island of Atlantis sank because the seven Loculi which contained all the energy sources for the island were stolen away by Prince Massarym and that his brother Prince Karai tried to stop him. Descendants of Atlantis have an unusual gene that gives them amazing abilities, but also kills them before their 14th birthday. The KI was formed to find the Loculi and a cure for the descendants. A rival group, the Massa, are trying to stop them and find the artifacts for themselves.
This time the KI finally pick up the signal from Marco's tracer and follow it to the Euphrates River. Marco tells Aly, Cass, and Jack he has found an entrance to Babylon and he believes another Loculus is hidden there. Is it true? Is there another magical artifact from the lost kingdom of Atlantis hidden on the other side of the strange portal? Will they be able to find it before the Massa find them? How can the Hanging Gardens of Babylon contain the next Loculus when the gardens have been gone for centuries?
If you enjoy exotic world locations, learning about the history of ancient places like the pyramids, and adventure similar to that found in The 39 Clues, then you will jump right into this series.
This time the KI finally pick up the signal from Marco's tracer and follow it to the Euphrates River. Marco tells Aly, Cass, and Jack he has found an entrance to Babylon and he believes another Loculus is hidden there. Is it true? Is there another magical artifact from the lost kingdom of Atlantis hidden on the other side of the strange portal? Will they be able to find it before the Massa find them? How can the Hanging Gardens of Babylon contain the next Loculus when the gardens have been gone for centuries?
If you enjoy exotic world locations, learning about the history of ancient places like the pyramids, and adventure similar to that found in The 39 Clues, then you will jump right into this series.