The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb

Anthony Monday Mysteries #3

by John Bellairs

Anthony Monday and Miss Eells recover a magic lamp that was stolen from a warlock's tomb and is spreading evil to further the wicked ends of the thief.

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens

168 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1988

About the author

John Bellairs (1938–1991) was an American novelist. He is best known for the children's classic The House with a Clock in its Walls (1973) and the fantasy novel The Face in the Frost (1969). Bellairs held a bachelor's degree from Notre Dame University and a master's in English from the University of Chicago. He later lived and wrote in Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the books I read as a young reader and loved. It is the reason I'm so into John Bellairs. I had 2 books in the Anthony Monday series and they were great. The funny thin about this book, is I can't remember anything from reading it as a kid. Usually, little plot details come back and I realize I've read it before and it didn't happen with this one. It was on my bookshelf for years and I enjoyed it.

It was good to re-read it. This was exciting in that Mr. Ells has a helicopter. I mean, the story is set in the 50s and he owns his own helicopter. I would say that's unusual.

I love the setting. It's winter and there is a big snowstorm to blow up. It's cool outside today and I sat wrapped up in my blanket reading about this snowy place. It was great. John knew how to bring the creepy. There is a line that made me chuckle. A note is written in cuniform form ancient Babylonian and Anthony could make it out because he studied it in class. I guess the public education I got skipped the ancient Babylonian language module and I never got it.

Bellairs uses Babylion, Sanskrit, ancient Anglo Saxon languages in this story. He pulls from all over. I will say that this seemed less focused than some of his other works. Could just be me.

These Bellairs books are such a treat. I'm so glad I have re-found them. I have one book left to read of John's and then the series is taken over by a new author. I don't know if I will go on or not.

[✦BookishlyRichie✦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Re-read in August 2020!!!

My favorite JB book! :)
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Re-read in September 2019:

It's my favorite book of all-time for a reason, go pick it up!

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Re-read for the 4th time (July 2015)


My favorite book of all time!

[Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lamp From The Warlock's Tomb is my least favorite book from the Anthony Monday series (so far, there is still a final fourth book). It took way too long for anything to happen; the first 100 pages or so were kind of hinting at something but you really already knew what it was. Then, an evil woman showed up. I missed the part where she was introduced, I must have skimmed too much of a page. The pacing was off and the ending of this book was very poor.

I don't know why it felt so confused in its writing, but the whole story was all over the place. I didn't like how there is no character development. Also, the different mythologies didn't work together and the whole situation with the antagonist was just thrown in there randomly without strategic placement.

Let's hope the last book is better, because I really want the series to have a strong finish. I guess it doesn't really matter, since there is only one more book so I can't say I will stop the series after, because it will already be over. I liked the first two enough that I still enjoy the series overall.

[Samantha Hohmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

no one loves these books like i love these books, shaped my consciousness into the little freak i am

[Vincent Desjardins · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Bellairs knows how to set up a creepy situation. In this book, one of Bellairs' Anthony Monday/Miss Eels mysteries, the mismatched duo get caught up in a deadly plot involving a possessed lamp with the power to bring back the Goddess Ashtaroth. There are several suspenseful scenes as well as a couple of cliffhangers that make this a fun read. My biggest complaint about this book is that it's too short and not very well fleshed out. There is a lot of plot, but because it's such a short book, there is little in the way of character development. I think the book would have also benefitted from a more condensed timeframe. There are several times where Bellairs mentions that 'half a week dragged by,' or 'nothing happened for several months,' giving you the impression that this story takes place over quite a long period of time. I know that Bellairs probably wanted to give the feeling that his characters had begun to feel somewhat relaxed after a long period of calm, and then amp up their fear again when the evil reappears, but I felt it would have been more suspenseful if the events had been packed into a few weeks.

[Apurva Khadye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book in Anthony Monday series. The book has a good premise. Kinda of scary in between. However, I didn't like the ending. I felt as in Mr. Bellairs tried to force antogonist upon us when that was not the case. And it was pretty easy to guess who was behind all the evil doing. Overall book was good I just didn't feel it. Maybe because I started with this one. Definitely will this one another try.

[Justin K. Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is Bellairs by the numbers, so to speak. The plot relies a bit too much on coincidence and the characters remain passive for far too long. Anthony Monday and Miss Eels aren't my favorite Bellairs characters to begin with, but I did enjoy Mansion in the Mist and Dark Secret of Weatherend a lot. This may be the weakest of the Monday/Eels series.

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was AMAZING because it was really scary and I couldn't put the book down! (I also think it was supposed to be scary). It was about a lamp that was part of the recipe to summon ghosts and evil gods. 😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿😨🎃👿

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Bellairs, but appreciate the Minnesota/Wisconsin setting

[Nico]

I had been wanting for so long to reread books from my favorite childhood author and this year I got finally to one. It was a good nostalgia read, but I’m pretty sure not the best by Bellairs - I should have started with “The Curse of the Blue Figurine.” Sometimes I have no idea how to rate children’s books, so a B- for creepy vibes. I actually think it would have been better as a winter read due to the snowy and cold atmosphere.

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Monday and his friend Miss Eells are once again embroiled in a spooky mystery. This time it involves and old oil lamp and the mysterious Willis Nightwood. What do the two have in common with evil spirits?

True, the lamp was stolen from a strange underground tomb on Nightwood's property and possibly part of some sort of occult rituals, but why when it is lit does murder happen and strange sightings of a man in a long black coat with cobwebs on his face come into play? What are the strange forces that are released when the lamp is lit?

John Bellairs' books may be on the list of juvenile books, but adults can get just as much enjoyment from then as a they would from an adult book. The characters are relate-able and there is just enough tension and mystery to keep you reading.

[Lisa Feld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Bellairs; while the book has the creepy gothic plot Bellairs usually does so well, and Anthony Monday has an older friend he goes on adventures with, another Bellairs trope, he’s a pretty normal, happy kid who is not affected by the plot beyond occasionally needing to get out of physical jeopardy. I think Bellairs is at his best when a good chunk of the tension comes from a lonely, vulnerable kid who is worried this is all in his head and that no one will believe him, as what might be madness or might be something worse slowly builds to a crescendo (Lovecraft for kids). But here there’s no description, no good pacing, just moving from one plot point to the next with no chance for the fear to build.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the John Bellairs book that has been embedded in my memory since I first read it as a child. It wasn't until I came back and read it again that I remembered the significance of the fleeting images that I still had in my head: a blue lamp, a boy running screaming through the night, an underground chamber, and an incredible sense of doom pervading everything. Despite the basic reading level, this book still put its hooks into me and kept me reading as an adult just like it did as a child. It should be noted that this book deals with a good many occult rituals and topics, so parents may want to screen it to make sure that the content is something their child can handle.

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Monday and his librarian friend Miss Eels once again find themselves dealing with the supernatural in this, the third of their adventures. When Miss Eels acquires a strange old lamp, mysterious (and deadly!) events force them to investigate the lamp's history. As a result, they uncover occult conspiracies, ghostly happenings, and all the usual creepiness one can expect from a John Bellairs novel.

Bellairs is really due for rediscovery. His novels are creepy, well-written, and full of intriguing (and unexpected) plot twists. While this novel doesn't rank among my favorites, I did find it a fun read, and it's always fun to spend time in the weird worlds that Bellairs created.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing compares to the Lewis Barnavelt mysteries, but Anthony Monday is a fair substitute. Lewis' backstory is far more compelling than Anthony's seemingly normal family-- and that normality makes his relationship with his older friends less understandable than Lewis' love for his uncle Jonathan. Anyway, spiderwebs and bug-eyed goddesses are creepy enough; it's just that I miss Lewis.

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better Anthony Monday books. An interesting story, though (as seems to be occurring more and more as I read these books by Bellairs) a bit unbelievable. I like that there is some darkness and magic to the story rather than just a mystery.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS

"Anthony Monday and Miss Eells recover a magic lamp that was stolen from a warlock's tomb and is spreading evil to further the wicked ends of the thief." (From Amazon)

A great mystery paranormal children's novel.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty entertaining and cohesive, but it seemed a little less polished then the others; maybe a bit of atmosphere was lacking? Still worth a read, though I liked all the other Anthony Monday books better, along with many other Bellairs books.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I had read this one before, and of the John Bellairs books I've read this year, it may have been the best so far. Quite a few things happen, some of which remain unexplained, but overall it was pretty good

[Bill Remington-Hubner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading 'clock in the wall' now and it seems Bellairs has a formula that he repeats in each book. The preemies is flawed with holes in the narrative. Not sure if I'd even enjoy it even if I was younger.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grades 5+. Anthony Monday and Miss Eells recover a magic lamp that was stolen from a warlock's tomb and is spreading evil to furth the wicked ends of the thief.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember liking this as a kid and, bonus, the illustrations are by Edward Gorey.

[Alicia A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the three I've read so far.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm knocking off a star from the 5 I give a book for fully hitting its target. I've read some others by Bellairs, and this one falls just a bit short of being coherent and gripping by comparison.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a middle-grade book, but it was genuinely terrifying.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

First: This is a book for middle school children, and I'm 34 years old.

My husband was a huge fan of John Bellair's books as a child, we have about 8 on our bookshelf. He has fond memories of reading these creepy tales and has always suggested I read one. I recently listened to the biography of Edward Gorey, who illustrated many of Bellair's book covers, so while I was waiting for my bookclub pick to arrive in the mail, I picked up The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb.

Apparently it's one in a series (it didn't matter that I hadn't read any others) following a high school boy, Anthony Monday, and his best friend, a 70 year old librarian, Miss. Eells on a series of supernatural adventures. This one in particular was pretty good, the end was a little more intense than I thought. I was disappointed to find that Gorey only illustrated the cover and the title page. It think the story could have benefited from having a single illustration at the start of each chapter.

Overall it's a little Scooby Doo, but I would recommended for a 6th - 8th grade reader who is into mystery and suspense.

[Rachel]

I bought this off Thriftbooks and you bet I gasped QUITE AUDIBLY when this ex-library copy arrived WITH the creeptacular nightmare-inducing Gorey jacket. This art is some of the best Bellairs/Gorey work (no screams, only stares) and made me remember why I loved it so dang much as a kid.

You can tell Bellairs has hit his stride here--we're in book 3 of the Monday series (and well into Johnny Dixon) and everything checks out: spooky magic? Check. Ancient religions? Check. Devilish rites that aren't outwardly Satanic but occulty as hell? Check plus! Delightful post-climax scene with cake and conversation? Very plus.

Emerson Eels might be my own brother: "Even so, the little man was a mine of information about pentacles and amulets and demons and spectres and things of that sort." "Emerson was a strange and infuriating person." He also flies a helicopter in this one!

Might take a detour into The Secret of the Underground Room because this, too, features a secretive (and deeply spooky) underground room, home of the titular lamp that causes all sorts of trouble!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Both charming (with quaint & cozy details) and terrifying (moreso than ANYTHING Clive barker or Stephen King have ever written). John Bellairs is an unrivaled master of the genre with an incomparable vision.

This book centers around an accursed lamp and stars Anthony Monday, miss EElls and Emerson EElls. It takes place in various rural Wisconsin towns and backroads — an old antique ship, an ancient, sprawling city hall, remote farmsteads, and an abandoned castle on a frozen lake. As well as in the town of Hoosac, Minnesota including its library, high school, and airport.

SPOILER

Plenty of macabre happenings — people turning into dust or mummies, a strange shadowy figure, a maze-like bathroom complex beneath a cemetery, a haunted well, strange statues, a summoning ritual, a ghostly ball and more.

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

My remembrance of these books were grander than the books themselves. This one fares somewhat all right. Though assuming that they are told in chronological order, there is a significant continuity error: In The Dark Secret of Weatherend, Miss Ells' Dodge ends up with a broken axle and deemed not worth repairing. Emerson provides her with a Cadillac to replace her vehicle. Yet in this book, she's back to driving the Dodge. It's a small nitpick, but a pretty noticeable one when you read them back-to-back.

The other issue with this book is that once again, there is very little going in terms of mysteries. There isn't even really a hint for them to work out. They simply decide to investigate things and come across something each time.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick start and then a slow burn. Sort of like the lamp in the title! Hmm. Either way it felt like the pacing was slightly off. It still works as a story but it just didn't seem to flow as easily as some other stories by John Bellairs. Maybe this one was rushed by a publisher or something. I feel it could have done with a little rework to put it at 4 stars. At least the protagonist is able to thwart the villain instead of letting the villain dooming themselves which is where I feared this one was going because they weren't really getting much in the way of clues to stop this one. Definitely feels more mystery with impending unknown doom lingering in the shadows. Too many chapters wasted where heroes were waiting on someone or something to come about. The protags weren't protaging :D