Children of the Storm

The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 15

By: Elizabeth Peters

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The Great War has ended at last. Archaeologist Amelia Peabody and her husband, Emerson, the distinguished Egyptologist, no longer fear for the life of their daring son, Ramses, now free from his dangerous wartime obligations to British Intelligence. Delightful new additions to the growing Emerson family and new wonders waiting to be discovered beneath the shifting Egyptian sands mark a time of new beginnings in Luxor.

However, the theft of valuable antiquities from the home of a friend, including a magnificent gold bracelet adorned with the image of the goddess Hathor, causes great concern. Ramses's encounter with a woman costumed in the veil and gold crown of Hathor herself only deepens the mystery.

With those in her circle suddenly plagued by a series of "accidents", Amelia attempts to connect these troubling threads into a pattern. But her investigation is setting her on a collision course with an adversary more formidable than any she has ever encountered.

Don't miss the rest of the Amelia Peabody series. You can also check out more of our Most Addictive Series.

©2003 Elizabeth Peters (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Romantic Times Award Winner - Best Historical Mystery, 2003

"This is an enjoyable read in its own right, powered by evocative depictions of 1919 Egypt and the engaging voice of Amelia herself, a bright, independent woman, who relishes her role as family matriarch. Her affectionate, give-and-take relationship with her Egyptologist husband, Emerson, continues to enchant." (Publishers Weekly)

Love this series.

I love this Amelia Peabody series. The heroine is a feisty woman based in the late 1800's early 1900's. I have always been interested in Egyptology and this is a wonderful mystery series set in this context. Early feminine Activist. Great humor and character development.

No more abridgements Please

Please. Please. Please, no more abridged versions unless there is an unabridged version also available. I can't help but give this a 4 star review for the engrossing story line and reader.

Alexis

Abominable Abridgement

Is there anything you would change about this book?

What in the world! How can we get to books 14 and 15 - after being faithful followers of not only Amelia, but Elizabeth and Barbara - and be betrayed by such an abominable abridgement??? For shame! Leaving so much out of this work leads the reader to believe that perhaps Ms. Peters is losing her touch. . . carry on dear reader - the rest of the books are whole as is the author's continued ability to charm and entertain.

Has Children of the Storm turned you off from other books in this genre?

Certainly not of the genre, but certainly of abridgements, most abridged books are disgraceful. (I will have to admit that The Professor and the Madman is a noteable exception to my ranting.)

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Absolutely! I keep wishing I could see Amelia and Emerson on screen and have spent some considerable minutes imagining who should play the parts. I have come to no satisfactory conclusions.

Any additional comments?

I would gladly pay again for this book should it come out in an unabridged version.

A poor abridgement

I don't like abridged books. Unforunately books 14 and 15 in this series only come abridged. Book 14 was abridged a bit better than 15. This book did seem to jump from place to place at times. And at 5+ hours compared to the usual 14+ hours for a book in this series, I can only imagine what I missed. Especially since some of the people in this plot were from the Hippo Pool book that is not on audiobook at all.

I would have given the it 5 stars because I love this series, but because of the poor abridge version, I can only give it 3.

Mikki

Fabulous historical fiction

Would you listen to Children of the Storm again? Why?

I already have. I love the character of Amelia Peabody and Barbara Rosenblat is and excellent narrator.

What other book might you compare Children of the Storm to and why?

Sherlock Holmes. The tone of both authors is similar as are the mystery plots.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Amelia figures out the mystery.

WHY ONLY ABRIDGED?

Elizabeth Peters writes a wonderful story, why only offer the abridged versions? Barbara Rosenblat is wonderful there is no one who could do justice to this series more than her. I have purchased the abridged versions because that is the only option I have been given to continue with the series. I think that we should be able to listen to them as Ms. Peters intended full and uncut. Those who don't want such a long story, can find another series. Amelia Peabody should not be silenced into an abridged version. I want to hear every long speech Ramses gives! I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because it is ABRIDGED!

Better Than No Version

This is one of the few "Amelia Peabody" books that are only offered in an abridged format. I read the full book after listening to this version, and can say that the abridged version does cover the plot and storyline adequately. The larger missing parts have to do with the (tedious) grandchildren, which are no big loss. I gave this 5 stars because of the excellent narration - how can I give Barbara Rosenblat any less? She captures the spirit of Amelia and her family, and always entertains. So given a choice of "no version" or the "abridged" version, I can easily recommend the abridged.

Significantly better than the last two

Although I can't say Molly's character bears any resemblance to her former incarnation, this is still one of the more memorable installments. The post-climax conclusion feels very short (I don't think it's more than five minutes), but the ramp up to the climax is pretty fun. On the whole, solidly enjoyable.

abridged versions are terrible

After reading/listening to all the Amelia Peabody books I was VERY disappointed to see that several of them are only available in an abridged version. Half the story was gone including all the subtle action which makes this series so fantastic. Why, after producing 12 books would they choose to ruin 3 of them by only recording abridged versions? HUGE LETDOWN.

Never buy an abridged book.

What did you like best about Children of the Storm? What did you like least?

I love the Amelia Peabody series. But this one is abridged and it turns a great tale into "just a book". Find the unabridged story or you lose too much of all that is good in these stories.

If you’ve listened to books by Elizabeth Peters before, how does this one compare?

The author is great, the abridging sucks.

What does Barbara Rosenblat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Barbara is great. She does an amazing job bringing out the characters with her voice.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably

Any additional comments?

Don't abridge.