Jake Atlas and the Quest for the Crystal Mountain by Rob Lloyd Jones
Jake Atlas series, book 3. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781406385007. 303pgs., pbk.
Exciting, gripping, action packed adventure which is easy to get
into this is a great book to get pre-teens into reading. I was
hooked into the adventure right from the start and wanted to know
what happened next right to the end, while also learning about the
culture in Tibet. I do wonder what Yak butter would taste like.
Jake, Pandora (his twin sister), mum and dad are in search of the
fifth Emerald Tablet to reveal the secret of the history of
humankind. They take on a fast paced adventure with plenty of twists
and turns while trying to out run and outsmart The People of the
Snake and other enemies they make along the way.
Both twins are great and totally opposite of each other. Jake the
smart, funny, cheeky but likeable boy, Pandora the level headed
genius who is a bit moody, are awesome characters that work well
together. We are reminded that mum and dad had a secret life as tomb
raiders which has caught up with them and led to the great hunt for
The Emerald Tablets.
The story felt like I was watching an Indiana Jones movie crossed by
Mission Impossible with all the history, artefacts and high
tech gadgets and explosions all the way. Still can't believe a young
kid can go through so much and still survive.
The story takes us through China and on the way to Tibet. I enjoyed
reading about the history of these sacred places and how Jake
discovers himself and the people he meets along the way like Tenzin.
Rob Lloyd has written many books and Quest for the Crystal
Mountain is the third instalment in the Jack Atlas
series. It can be read as a stand-alone book. There was lots of
referencing back to what happening the other books in the series so
I think reading them first would be good. I think you learn more
about how the Jake and Pan discover the secret life their parents
had and who The People of the Snake are.
Quest for the Crystal Palace was fun to read and I'm looking
forward to more Jake Atlas adventures.
Maria Komninos