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Children of the Lamp #6
Der Spion im Himalaya
John und Philippa sind ratlos: Jemand hat das irdische Gleichgewicht zwischen Glück und Unglück zerstört. Überall auf der Welt häufen sich die Unglücksfälle. Die Suche nach dem Übeltäter führt die Dschinn-Zwillinge auf die Spur einer Gruppe tibetischer Bettelmönche. Doch wer ist der Kopf der Organisation? Gemeinsam mit ihrem Onkel Nimrod und dem weisen Mr Rakshasas folgen John und Philippa den Hinweisen quer durch den Himalaya. Ziel ihrer gefährlichen Bergtour ist Shamba-La, das bedeutendste Kloster Tibets. Doch dann müssen sie feststellen: Die böse Macht weilt mitten unter ihnen!
Das sechste atemberaubende Abenteuer der "Kinder des Dschinn".
Das sechste atemberaubende Abenteuer der "Kinder des Dschinn".
437 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
29 people are currently reading
2007 people want to read
About the author
P.B. Kerr
30 books207 followersAlso writes as Philip Kerr.
Philip Kerr (P.B. Kerr) was a British author of both adult fiction and non-fiction, most notably the Bernie Gunther series, and of children's books, particularly the Children of the Lamp series.
Kerr was educated at a grammar school in Northampton. He studied law at the University of Birmingham from 1974–1980, achieving a masters degree. Kerr worked as an advertising copywriter for Saatchi and Saatchi before becoming a full-time writer in 1989. He wrote for the Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and the New Statesman.
Philip Kerr (P.B. Kerr) was a British author of both adult fiction and non-fiction, most notably the Bernie Gunther series, and of children's books, particularly the Children of the Lamp series.
Kerr was educated at a grammar school in Northampton. He studied law at the University of Birmingham from 1974–1980, achieving a masters degree. Kerr worked as an advertising copywriter for Saatchi and Saatchi before becoming a full-time writer in 1989. He wrote for the Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and the New Statesman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 9, 2010
I love this series, and this book didn't disappoint. It's unfortunate that it's not a more well-known series, because it's intelligent and fun and perfect for kids who are at that stage where they can't stand children's books but aren't ready for YA yet. There are some mature themes (death, mostly, but it's not talked about much) but they are dealt with in a way that comforts the reader. Also, there's an underlying struggle between the good and the not-so-good in all of us, which I think adds a whole new dimension to the characters and makes them easier to relate to.
I definitely recommend this series for kids ages 10 and up, and I'm sure the older generations will enjoy it as well.
I definitely recommend this series for kids ages 10 and up, and I'm sure the older generations will enjoy it as well.
March 30, 2024
Ein spannendes Abenteuer mit einem schönen aufgeräumten Ende für Mr Rakshasas.
Die Story ist weit hergeholt und trotzdem teils wirklich vorhersehbar (sowas muss man auch erstmal schaffen).
Neben diversen zusammengewürfelten Fakten lernt man auch Sachen fürs Leben. Wie man sich im Falle eines Bärenangriffs nicht verhalten sollte, dass Glück eine Frage der Perspektive ist und dass man vorsichtig sein sollte was man sich wünscht, vorallem wenn es darum geht die eigene Zukunft zu sehen.
Was mich ein wenig verwirrt hat, ist dass die Ereignisse aus dem Buch davor praktisch unerwähnt bleiben. Aber vielleicht finde ich ja dazu im nächsten Band etwas.
Die Story ist weit hergeholt und trotzdem teils wirklich vorhersehbar (sowas muss man auch erstmal schaffen).
Neben diversen zusammengewürfelten Fakten lernt man auch Sachen fürs Leben. Wie man sich im Falle eines Bärenangriffs nicht verhalten sollte, dass Glück eine Frage der Perspektive ist und dass man vorsichtig sein sollte was man sich wünscht, vorallem wenn es darum geht die eigene Zukunft zu sehen.
Was mich ein wenig verwirrt hat, ist dass die Ereignisse aus dem Buch davor praktisch unerwähnt bleiben. Aber vielleicht finde ich ja dazu im nächsten Band etwas.
July 22, 2012
This series just gets worse and worse as it progresses. While it started out as interesting spin on the idea of djinns, it quickly degenerated to ridiculous situations. There is no set-up to the plot elements with all them appearing from thin air. A very disappointing direction for a series that started out so promising.
October 19, 2015
Mr. Kerr ties up a number of loose threads with this story. It's especially satisfying that we discover Mr. Rakshasas's fate. He was missing and possibly dead for several installments of the Children of the Lamp. Also, I enjoyed the fearless changes of scene and the metamorphosing characters. This seems like a culminating tale, but we'll see.
December 8, 2016
It was a very good book, but the author made them go back in time, remembering nothing of what they had done, and none of the events in the book ever happened! That is what made me rate it lower. Good book, but I hated the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2012
Scattered and not interesting enough to keep my attention. I've loved all the others in this series, but this one is worth skipping.
December 30, 2014
This series is really good! I can't seem to put it down. I don't understand what everybody is complaining about.
July 20, 2017
When siblings John and Phillipa Gaunt, age 14, learn they have to complete a Djinn rite of passage by choosing a deserving person to grant three wishes, each twin separately stumbles on a plot to tamper with the luck of the whole world. The goal of whoever is causing an outbreak of bad luck seems to have something to do with a group of mystical Muslim hermits from northern India who, centuries ago, buried themselves alive to protect the five holiest secrets known to their order. Unluckily enough, a group of "fake fakirs," who practice just enough Sufist self-denial to be dangerous, have joined forces with one of the twins' Uncle Nimrod's deadliest enemies. To save the world's luck, not to mention Nimrod's faithful butler Groanin, they must visit the worst hotel in the world, travel long distances by flying carpet, and find the lost shrine of Shangri-La.
Like other books in this series about adolescent Djinn finding their powers in the modern world, this one is filled with thrills, laughs, and a surprising amount of educational value. It satirizes the xenophobic manners of some Englishmen, the unsuitability of some hoteliers for the hospitality industry, and the reasoning behind British spies being expert gamblers. It depicts a chilling (literally and figuratively) encounter with pre-World War II Nazis who have become stuck in time, a man-made monster out of Jewish folklore, a man who has fallen out of an airplane (without a parachute) and lived, an elusive monster of the American west, and a couple interesting cases of reincarnation. It's a globe-trotting, religiously syncretistic adventure for spirits of fire and luck who are, nevertheless, touchingly (and sometimes hilariously) human at heart.
My only quibble, besides advising readers who like their religions straight and unblended about that syncretism, is the book's solution to its final dilemma, which effectively resets the characters (with a few exceptions) to their status at the beginning of the book. If I didn't know they would be haunted by déjà vu during their next installment, I would say the ending made the book pointless. But I just happened to have the next book about the Gaunt twins, The Grave Robbers of Genghis Khan, on deck to read right after this one, so that worry has been mooted.
This is the sixth of, so far, seven "Children of the Lamp" novels by Edinburgh-born young adult author P.B. Kerr, also the author of the standalone book One Small Step. As Philip Kerr, he is also the author of 13 Bernie Gunther/Berlin Noir mysteries, counting Greeks Bearing Gifts, due for release in 2018; three Scott Manson mysteries, featuring a London football coach who solves crimes; about a dozen standalone novels for adults; and the children's book The Most Frightening Story Ever Told, for some reason published under his adult fiction name.
Like other books in this series about adolescent Djinn finding their powers in the modern world, this one is filled with thrills, laughs, and a surprising amount of educational value. It satirizes the xenophobic manners of some Englishmen, the unsuitability of some hoteliers for the hospitality industry, and the reasoning behind British spies being expert gamblers. It depicts a chilling (literally and figuratively) encounter with pre-World War II Nazis who have become stuck in time, a man-made monster out of Jewish folklore, a man who has fallen out of an airplane (without a parachute) and lived, an elusive monster of the American west, and a couple interesting cases of reincarnation. It's a globe-trotting, religiously syncretistic adventure for spirits of fire and luck who are, nevertheless, touchingly (and sometimes hilariously) human at heart.
My only quibble, besides advising readers who like their religions straight and unblended about that syncretism, is the book's solution to its final dilemma, which effectively resets the characters (with a few exceptions) to their status at the beginning of the book. If I didn't know they would be haunted by déjà vu during their next installment, I would say the ending made the book pointless. But I just happened to have the next book about the Gaunt twins, The Grave Robbers of Genghis Khan, on deck to read right after this one, so that worry has been mooted.
This is the sixth of, so far, seven "Children of the Lamp" novels by Edinburgh-born young adult author P.B. Kerr, also the author of the standalone book One Small Step. As Philip Kerr, he is also the author of 13 Bernie Gunther/Berlin Noir mysteries, counting Greeks Bearing Gifts, due for release in 2018; three Scott Manson mysteries, featuring a London football coach who solves crimes; about a dozen standalone novels for adults; and the children's book The Most Frightening Story Ever Told, for some reason published under his adult fiction name.
March 20, 2023
And now Kerr’s back to the alliterative titles.
I’m going to be honest with you: this really wasn’t as much fun for me. There have often been random events happening in these books, and that could be kind of annoying, so I appreciated that this one actually had some sort of explanation for those happenings in this story. There’s a plague of bad luck! In-context, it makes sense. Still, as the story goes on, and characters go in separate directions, some of that randomness feels really weird and sometimes… dumb? Really dumb?
Look, at one point John gets captured by a troop of Nazis who don’t know that it’s not 1938. This contributes NOTHING to the story other than to keep him busy while the other characters catch up to his globe-trotting.
I’ve talked about how Kerr is not always sensitive to depicting other cultures, and I’m, uh, not thrilled with what he did with fakirs here. Some of it is fine, I guess, but the group of evil fakirs is marked as different than normal, legitimate holy men by being “mendicant fakirs”, which, uh, “mendicant” just means they beg for their living. I don’t know why that designates them as evil. There’s also a bit where Nimrod talks about how this evil order of fakirs was thankfully wiped out by the British when they ruled India, and while I realize this is a fantasy and talking about an evil cult, I am *deeply* uncomfortable with ever suggesting that the British wiping out a religious group in one of their colonies is ever a good thing. It’s a throwaway line, but I really don’t like it.
Some of it’s also really dark, in many ways? People get killed! That’s not entirely new, but I was a little surprised at how dark it got, considering how one of the main recurring characters gets mortally wounded, but it felt like overstuffing the Plot too. I don’t know if it needed that.
But worst of all? Spoiler alert! It’s all undone by the end of the novel, in which the timeline is reset to the beginning of this book, so the entire Plot of “Five Fakirs”... never happened.
Ugh.
There’s only one book left in this series; I hope it’s considerably better than this one.
I’m going to be honest with you: this really wasn’t as much fun for me. There have often been random events happening in these books, and that could be kind of annoying, so I appreciated that this one actually had some sort of explanation for those happenings in this story. There’s a plague of bad luck! In-context, it makes sense. Still, as the story goes on, and characters go in separate directions, some of that randomness feels really weird and sometimes… dumb? Really dumb?
Look, at one point John gets captured by a troop of Nazis who don’t know that it’s not 1938. This contributes NOTHING to the story other than to keep him busy while the other characters catch up to his globe-trotting.
I’ve talked about how Kerr is not always sensitive to depicting other cultures, and I’m, uh, not thrilled with what he did with fakirs here. Some of it is fine, I guess, but the group of evil fakirs is marked as different than normal, legitimate holy men by being “mendicant fakirs”, which, uh, “mendicant” just means they beg for their living. I don’t know why that designates them as evil. There’s also a bit where Nimrod talks about how this evil order of fakirs was thankfully wiped out by the British when they ruled India, and while I realize this is a fantasy and talking about an evil cult, I am *deeply* uncomfortable with ever suggesting that the British wiping out a religious group in one of their colonies is ever a good thing. It’s a throwaway line, but I really don’t like it.
Some of it’s also really dark, in many ways? People get killed! That’s not entirely new, but I was a little surprised at how dark it got, considering how one of the main recurring characters gets mortally wounded, but it felt like overstuffing the Plot too. I don’t know if it needed that.
But worst of all? Spoiler alert! It’s all undone by the end of the novel, in which the timeline is reset to the beginning of this book, so the entire Plot of “Five Fakirs”... never happened.
Ugh.
There’s only one book left in this series; I hope it’s considerably better than this one.
June 3, 2023
we're back with the uncle and kids. but 1st, who's that little old lady who was granted 3 wishes just like that?
this book is a bit better than the previous one. it's about badly written Marocco and Tibet, Yellowstone and bears, flying carpets and Kazakhstan. but it doesn't have a purpose at all.
you were given an idea of some sort of exam for the young djinn but there's a twist - it's not that important.
but stereotypes are very important and seems like Kerr can't live without them. maybe because he doesn't have enough knowledge of the world outside the British Isles. but then again, why would you write about something you don't know..for kids?
i feel like John and Philippa are maturing while the butler is degrading day by day. also how can someone have a job of doing nothing but a tea? interesting and promising. i wish that were me.
thanks for the bad take on Jerusalem of all places. who would have thought. just stop saying debatable things like they are facts, save yourself a day.
and save kids from disinformation.
also, flying carpets deserve a 2nd thought.
this book is a bit better than the previous one. it's about badly written Marocco and Tibet, Yellowstone and bears, flying carpets and Kazakhstan. but it doesn't have a purpose at all.
you were given an idea of some sort of exam for the young djinn but there's a twist - it's not that important.
but stereotypes are very important and seems like Kerr can't live without them. maybe because he doesn't have enough knowledge of the world outside the British Isles. but then again, why would you write about something you don't know..for kids?
i feel like John and Philippa are maturing while the butler is degrading day by day. also how can someone have a job of doing nothing but a tea? interesting and promising. i wish that were me.
thanks for the bad take on Jerusalem of all places. who would have thought. just stop saying debatable things like they are facts, save yourself a day.
and save kids from disinformation.
also, flying carpets deserve a 2nd thought.
March 22, 2020
P. B. Kerr
Die Kinder des Dschinn: Der Spion im Himalaya
Rowohlt
Autor: P. B. Kerr wurde 1956 in Edinburgh/Schottland geboren. Er studierte Jura an der Universität Birmingham und arbeitete zunächst als Werbetexter, bis er sich einen Namen als Autor von Krimis und Thrillern für Erwachsene machte. Viele seiner Bücher wurden internationale Bestseller, etliche mit großem Erfolg verfilmt. Für seine Arbeit wurde er u. a. zweimal mit dem Deutschen Krimipreis ausgezeichnet. Mit der Abenteuer- und Fantasy-Serie «Die Kinder des Dschinn» gelang ihm auch als Kinderbuchautor auf Anhieb ein internationaler Erfolg.
Die Filmrechte daran hat sich Hollywoods Star-Regisseur Steven Spielberg gesichert. (Quelle: Rowohlt)
Die Zwillinge John und Phillipa sind junge Dschinn und bekommen von ihrem Onkel mitgeteilt, dass sie nun bereit für die Taranuschi sind. Dabei geht es darum, dass sie sich jemanden suchen, der drei Wünsche verdient hat. Sind die Wünsche erfüllt, entscheidet ein Gremium, ob die Aufgabe bestanden ist. Während John und Phillipa dabei sind ihre Aufgabe zu erfüllen, taucht bei ihrem Onkel Nimrod, eine Frau namens My auf. Diese möchte mit Nimrod über das Gleichgewicht von Glück und Unglück reden.
Die Handlung des Jugendbuches “Der Spion im Himalaya” umfasst insgesamt 44 Kapitel, von denen jedes mit einem kleinen Bild anfängt. Die gewählte Überschrift für das jeweilige Kapitel, ist immer passend. Am Ende eines jeden Kapitels gibt es ebenfalls eine kleine Abbildung, welche allerdings immer gleich bleibt. Gestalterisch setzt das Buch also kleine, passende Akzente.
“Der Spion im Himalaya” ist der 6. Band der Reihe “Die Kinder des Dschinn”. Lesen lässt er sich allerdings auch recht gut, wenn man die Vorgänger selbst nicht kennt (für mich selbst, war dieses Buch auch der Einstieg in die Reihe). Natürlich versteht man, trotz Andeutungen und Rückblicke auf vergangene Abenteuer, nicht jede Einzelheit des Buches, allerdings lässt sich die Hauptstory von Band 6, auch ohne weitere Kenntnisse gut verstehen.
Autor P. B. Kerr hat ein tolles Abenteuer geschrieben, welches eigentlich aus vielen verschiedenen kleinen Abenteuern besteht. Hierbei kann es passieren (gerade bei jüngeren Lesern), dass man im Laufe der 448 Seiten, dass eigentliche Ziel vergessen hat. Am Ende treffen aber alle Handlungsstränge und Abenteuer wieder zusammen. Für einen kleinen Moment des Nachdenkens sorgte bei mir allerdings eine Stelle des Buches, bei der man auf Nazis trifft. Eigentlich nichts für ein Kinderbuch, hat Autor P. B. Kerr diese aber wirklich gut und humorvoll ins Geschehen integriert, weshalb der Auftritt auch nicht negativ ausfällt.
Ist man am Ende des Buches angekommen, wird einem auffallen, das man sich eigentlich wieder am Beginn des Buches befindet. Hier hat die Story sich also im Kreis gedreht und man könnte sofort wieder bei Kapitel 1 anfangen zu lesen.
Die gewählten Charaktere passen gut zueinander und haben auch jeder seine eigenen Züge und Eigenschaften (z. B. John ist etwas trotteliger als seine Schwester), die immer mal wieder zum Vorschein kommen.
Wie es sich für ein Kinder-/Jugendbuch gehört, lässt sich “Der Spion im Himalaya” gut lesen, was am tollen Schreibstil des Autoren liegt. Dadurch sind die, für ein Kinder-/Jugendbuch doch recht lang wirkenden 448 Seiten, schnell gelesen.
Cover: Das Cover von “Die Kinder des Dschinn: Der Spion im Himalaya” ist in einem Cyan-Ton gehalten, der ein wenig verraucht wirkt. Der Titel der Buchreihe (Die Kinder des Dschinn), steht in gelber Farbe, recht groß, auf der oberen Hälfte des Covers. Den Titel des Buches (Der Spion im Himalaya), hat dieselbe Farbe, steht allerdings deutlich kleiner, unter einer Abbildung, eines Wolfes. Hier hat man ein Element gewählt, welches einem im Buch, ebenfalls begegnen wird.
Das Cover ist, besonders für ein Kinder-/Jugendbuch, recht einfach gehalten, was allerdings nicht sonderlich schlimm ist, besonders weil man es als eBook bekommt. Wer allerdings noch die Chance hat, das gebundene Buch zu bekommen, wird mit einem tollen Glanzeffekt des Covers belohnt.
Fazit: Der Spion im Himalaya war mein erstes Buch der Reihe “Die Kinder des Dschinn” und von Autor P. B. Kerr, wird aber sicherlich nicht mein letztes Buch der Reihe geblieben sein. Auch ohne Kenntnisse der Vorgänger, habe ich mich zurechtgefunden und konnte der durchaus humorvollen und abenteuerlichen Story des Buches folgen. Was aber auch mit Sicherheit, an dem wirklich tollen Schreibstil des Autoren gelegen hat.
Von mir bekommt “Der Spion im Himalaya” eine Leseempfehlung und 5/5 Sternen.
Klappentext: John und Philippa sind ratlos: Jemand hat das irdische Gleichgewicht zwischen Glück und Unglück zerstört. Überall auf der Welt häufen sich die Unglücksfälle. Die Suche nach dem Übeltäter führt die Dschinn-Zwillinge auf die Spur einer Gruppe tibetischer Bettelmönche. Doch wer ist der Kopf der Organisation? Gemeinsam mit ihrem Onkel Nimrod und dem weisen Mr Rakshasas folgen John und Philippa den Hinweisen quer durch den Himalaya. Ziel ihrer gefährlichen Bergtour ist Shamba-La, das bedeutendste Kloster Tibets. Doch dann müssen sie feststellen: Die böse Macht weilt mitten unter ihnen!
Das sechste atemberaubende Abenteuer der «Kinder des Dschinn». (Quelle: Rowohlt)
Autor: P. B. Kerr
Titel: Die Kinder des Dschinn: Der Spion im Himalaya
Verlag: Rowohlt
Genre: Fantasy
Seiten: 448
Preis: eBook: 8,99
Erstveröffentlichung: 2010
ISBN: 978-3644472914
Die Kinder des Dschinn: Der Spion im Himalaya
Rowohlt
Autor: P. B. Kerr wurde 1956 in Edinburgh/Schottland geboren. Er studierte Jura an der Universität Birmingham und arbeitete zunächst als Werbetexter, bis er sich einen Namen als Autor von Krimis und Thrillern für Erwachsene machte. Viele seiner Bücher wurden internationale Bestseller, etliche mit großem Erfolg verfilmt. Für seine Arbeit wurde er u. a. zweimal mit dem Deutschen Krimipreis ausgezeichnet. Mit der Abenteuer- und Fantasy-Serie «Die Kinder des Dschinn» gelang ihm auch als Kinderbuchautor auf Anhieb ein internationaler Erfolg.
Die Filmrechte daran hat sich Hollywoods Star-Regisseur Steven Spielberg gesichert. (Quelle: Rowohlt)
Die Zwillinge John und Phillipa sind junge Dschinn und bekommen von ihrem Onkel mitgeteilt, dass sie nun bereit für die Taranuschi sind. Dabei geht es darum, dass sie sich jemanden suchen, der drei Wünsche verdient hat. Sind die Wünsche erfüllt, entscheidet ein Gremium, ob die Aufgabe bestanden ist. Während John und Phillipa dabei sind ihre Aufgabe zu erfüllen, taucht bei ihrem Onkel Nimrod, eine Frau namens My auf. Diese möchte mit Nimrod über das Gleichgewicht von Glück und Unglück reden.
Die Handlung des Jugendbuches “Der Spion im Himalaya” umfasst insgesamt 44 Kapitel, von denen jedes mit einem kleinen Bild anfängt. Die gewählte Überschrift für das jeweilige Kapitel, ist immer passend. Am Ende eines jeden Kapitels gibt es ebenfalls eine kleine Abbildung, welche allerdings immer gleich bleibt. Gestalterisch setzt das Buch also kleine, passende Akzente.
“Der Spion im Himalaya” ist der 6. Band der Reihe “Die Kinder des Dschinn”. Lesen lässt er sich allerdings auch recht gut, wenn man die Vorgänger selbst nicht kennt (für mich selbst, war dieses Buch auch der Einstieg in die Reihe). Natürlich versteht man, trotz Andeutungen und Rückblicke auf vergangene Abenteuer, nicht jede Einzelheit des Buches, allerdings lässt sich die Hauptstory von Band 6, auch ohne weitere Kenntnisse gut verstehen.
Autor P. B. Kerr hat ein tolles Abenteuer geschrieben, welches eigentlich aus vielen verschiedenen kleinen Abenteuern besteht. Hierbei kann es passieren (gerade bei jüngeren Lesern), dass man im Laufe der 448 Seiten, dass eigentliche Ziel vergessen hat. Am Ende treffen aber alle Handlungsstränge und Abenteuer wieder zusammen. Für einen kleinen Moment des Nachdenkens sorgte bei mir allerdings eine Stelle des Buches, bei der man auf Nazis trifft. Eigentlich nichts für ein Kinderbuch, hat Autor P. B. Kerr diese aber wirklich gut und humorvoll ins Geschehen integriert, weshalb der Auftritt auch nicht negativ ausfällt.
Ist man am Ende des Buches angekommen, wird einem auffallen, das man sich eigentlich wieder am Beginn des Buches befindet. Hier hat die Story sich also im Kreis gedreht und man könnte sofort wieder bei Kapitel 1 anfangen zu lesen.
Die gewählten Charaktere passen gut zueinander und haben auch jeder seine eigenen Züge und Eigenschaften (z. B. John ist etwas trotteliger als seine Schwester), die immer mal wieder zum Vorschein kommen.
Wie es sich für ein Kinder-/Jugendbuch gehört, lässt sich “Der Spion im Himalaya” gut lesen, was am tollen Schreibstil des Autoren liegt. Dadurch sind die, für ein Kinder-/Jugendbuch doch recht lang wirkenden 448 Seiten, schnell gelesen.
Cover: Das Cover von “Die Kinder des Dschinn: Der Spion im Himalaya” ist in einem Cyan-Ton gehalten, der ein wenig verraucht wirkt. Der Titel der Buchreihe (Die Kinder des Dschinn), steht in gelber Farbe, recht groß, auf der oberen Hälfte des Covers. Den Titel des Buches (Der Spion im Himalaya), hat dieselbe Farbe, steht allerdings deutlich kleiner, unter einer Abbildung, eines Wolfes. Hier hat man ein Element gewählt, welches einem im Buch, ebenfalls begegnen wird.
Das Cover ist, besonders für ein Kinder-/Jugendbuch, recht einfach gehalten, was allerdings nicht sonderlich schlimm ist, besonders weil man es als eBook bekommt. Wer allerdings noch die Chance hat, das gebundene Buch zu bekommen, wird mit einem tollen Glanzeffekt des Covers belohnt.
Fazit: Der Spion im Himalaya war mein erstes Buch der Reihe “Die Kinder des Dschinn” und von Autor P. B. Kerr, wird aber sicherlich nicht mein letztes Buch der Reihe geblieben sein. Auch ohne Kenntnisse der Vorgänger, habe ich mich zurechtgefunden und konnte der durchaus humorvollen und abenteuerlichen Story des Buches folgen. Was aber auch mit Sicherheit, an dem wirklich tollen Schreibstil des Autoren gelegen hat.
Von mir bekommt “Der Spion im Himalaya” eine Leseempfehlung und 5/5 Sternen.
Klappentext: John und Philippa sind ratlos: Jemand hat das irdische Gleichgewicht zwischen Glück und Unglück zerstört. Überall auf der Welt häufen sich die Unglücksfälle. Die Suche nach dem Übeltäter führt die Dschinn-Zwillinge auf die Spur einer Gruppe tibetischer Bettelmönche. Doch wer ist der Kopf der Organisation? Gemeinsam mit ihrem Onkel Nimrod und dem weisen Mr Rakshasas folgen John und Philippa den Hinweisen quer durch den Himalaya. Ziel ihrer gefährlichen Bergtour ist Shamba-La, das bedeutendste Kloster Tibets. Doch dann müssen sie feststellen: Die böse Macht weilt mitten unter ihnen!
Das sechste atemberaubende Abenteuer der «Kinder des Dschinn». (Quelle: Rowohlt)
Autor: P. B. Kerr
Titel: Die Kinder des Dschinn: Der Spion im Himalaya
Verlag: Rowohlt
Genre: Fantasy
Seiten: 448
Preis: eBook: 8,99
Erstveröffentlichung: 2010
ISBN: 978-3644472914
January 2, 2025
This book makes djinns and fantasy seem like the most boring thing in the world. It has some of the ugliest poorly structured prose, forget about intelligent dialogue, plot points are weak, and the author rambles throughout the book about random facts that add nothing to the story. The story gets worse with every page. There are some weird moral policing moments. Terrible.
August 20, 2025
I had only read book 3 before. But it didn't affect much to this story. Again,I really like the author's writting style and the way plot grows more complex the further i read.I loved the new characters and the concepts that are mentioned in this story. Sometimes the story gets funny and there were some parts that made me so sad.Nevertheless I love this story so much...one of the best reads I've had in 2025. Really enjoyed it
I give 4 stars for the overall plot (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
I give 4 stars for the overall plot (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
November 7, 2017
Another really fun adventure for the djinn twins. When I read the last book, I was just slightly concerned that these were becoming monotonous, but this one banished that from my mind. Very fun and fast-paced.
July 21, 2025
Dieses Buch der Reihe mochte ich nicht so gerne, weil es sehr viele Orts- und zeitsprünge beinhaltet und nicht so ein roter Faden zu erkennen ist, wie bei den anderen Bänden. Die Zwillinge werden älter und es verliert ein bisschen von dem Charme den es bisher immer hatte.. deshalb nur 3 Sterne
April 7, 2018
Enjoyable but the ending seemed a little bit of a letdown...
July 7, 2019
One of my favorites in the series, this book traveled all over the world and brought back an item we typically think of when it comes to djinn or genies.
July 18, 2019
Like the previous books, it's very inspiring. It makes me want to travel and discover new part of the world and History.
November 20, 2021
It may be a young adult series but I'm hooked. What will I read after the last book?
December 11, 2021
Wow, 400+ pages for nothing. Can’t believe someone gives this more than 1*
June 10, 2023
Too much is going on in this one. They are split off on groups and traveling all over the place. Didn’t care for the ending.
June 11, 2018
I’m surprised with this series. I assumed they would slowly start to tank and I wouldn’t enjoy them as much, but this book was a wonderful installment! I feel like John and Philippa are growing up and you can witness that as the reader. Loved the character arcs, the building of the plot, and how the twists resolved. I’m looking forward to reading the conclusion to the series.
September 21, 2015
This is a really cool book. I think it's the best in the series so far, even though it wasn't the funniest, the most mysterious, best storyline, best character development, most exiting or gripping, it wasn't even the most entertaining! I even gave previous books in the series higher ratings than this! So why do I think it's the best? Simple, it was so clever.
Looking back on when I was halfway through the book, I was not impressed. I thought the storyline was badly explained and it was very hard to follow. I stand by that now, and accept that this book is in no way perfect. If there was one, big, main storyline, I didn't see it. The characters were just kind of blundering around looking for these fakirs (which I still am not entirely sure what they were) and a few other things and instead of one main quest and aim, they tried to accomplish all kinds of stuff randomly. If somebody asked me what the main story in this book was, I don't think I'd be able too explain very well, but then again, you'd be confused by a book if you read a few paragraphs - pages of the book at a time while eating breakfast every few days. I think I need to read this again sometime and see if I can actually understand it properly.
A fair few new characters were introduced in this book, including a new enemy. I totally did not follow who the hell the enemy was, and what they were trying to do. Seriously, all I can remember is they were from a "bad" tribe of djinn and their name began with J. I didn't get what they were trying to achieve and how exactly it was stopped. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I think at least some of it is down to bad writing. The new characters of Mr Burton, Mr Swaraswati and Mr Prezzolini gave me a few problems. None of them had a really clear or unique personality and so I found myself being unable to remember which was which. I know one was a fakir, one was Rakshasas' old butler and one was supposedly the unluckiest man in the world, and just when I thought I'd worked out who was who(m?) it tells me Rakshasas' old butler was a fakir too. So confused.
Then there was that old lady, Moo (yes, that's her actual name), who I thought was a great new character. Definitely added something to the tale, although it took me a while to stop imagining a cow instead of an elderly woman!
Of, course, there were the old and familiar characters in the book too, and it was only in this one - the sixth in the series - did I realize how well moulded the character's personalities actually are. It was when Nimrod had a brief personality change as a result of a blow to the head when I noticed how much of a unique and well-written character he is. Well done P.B.Kerr. :)
Anyway, on the whole, this book was all right, fairly interesting in most parts but quite hard to follow, until the end at Shamba-la and the very last chapter, both of which made the book what it is and made me grin with pleasure. The ending was very cleverly done and I enjoyed it immensely. Looking forward to reading the series finale ASAP!
Looking back on when I was halfway through the book, I was not impressed. I thought the storyline was badly explained and it was very hard to follow. I stand by that now, and accept that this book is in no way perfect. If there was one, big, main storyline, I didn't see it. The characters were just kind of blundering around looking for these fakirs (which I still am not entirely sure what they were) and a few other things and instead of one main quest and aim, they tried to accomplish all kinds of stuff randomly. If somebody asked me what the main story in this book was, I don't think I'd be able too explain very well, but then again, you'd be confused by a book if you read a few paragraphs - pages of the book at a time while eating breakfast every few days. I think I need to read this again sometime and see if I can actually understand it properly.
A fair few new characters were introduced in this book, including a new enemy. I totally did not follow who the hell the enemy was, and what they were trying to do. Seriously, all I can remember is they were from a "bad" tribe of djinn and their name began with J. I didn't get what they were trying to achieve and how exactly it was stopped. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I think at least some of it is down to bad writing. The new characters of Mr Burton, Mr Swaraswati and Mr Prezzolini gave me a few problems. None of them had a really clear or unique personality and so I found myself being unable to remember which was which. I know one was a fakir, one was Rakshasas' old butler and one was supposedly the unluckiest man in the world, and just when I thought I'd worked out who was who(m?) it tells me Rakshasas' old butler was a fakir too. So confused.
Then there was that old lady, Moo (yes, that's her actual name), who I thought was a great new character. Definitely added something to the tale, although it took me a while to stop imagining a cow instead of an elderly woman!
Of, course, there were the old and familiar characters in the book too, and it was only in this one - the sixth in the series - did I realize how well moulded the character's personalities actually are. It was when Nimrod had a brief personality change as a result of a blow to the head when I noticed how much of a unique and well-written character he is. Well done P.B.Kerr. :)
Anyway, on the whole, this book was all right, fairly interesting in most parts but quite hard to follow, until the end at Shamba-la and the very last chapter, both of which made the book what it is and made me grin with pleasure. The ending was very cleverly done and I enjoyed it immensely. Looking forward to reading the series finale ASAP!
January 18, 2012
This fifth installation in the Children of the Lamp series really impressed me. This was a substantial book. First of all, I love the title, The Five Fakirs of Faizabad, wonderful alliteration!
Second, this book was very well written. It used a large vocabulary, and although it flowed wonderfully, it certainly wasn't an easy read. Matter of fact, I would say that it was a fairly difficult read and a mature book for something written in this century for children. I really feel that the author is maturing into this series. Some series start to get watered down or feel like they are stretched out or that the author is bored. Not this one. This one has lots of development and growth, especially with this particular book.
There are some deep issues explored in this book. There is the theme of guilt (which is a constant factor in my own life so I really relate to it.) There is an exploration of how to deal with criminals. The book repeatedly dips into a myriad of ideas surrounding death. All this while also being infused with wit and humor.
My one problem with this book and the series as a whole is that the author uses a lot of different locations and quasi historical events in his stories. Many of these are humorous takes on reality, but some are purely made up, and it is hard to discern which is which. I think that children especially could be likely to assume more points of both geography and history are based on fact than is actually the case. Comparing the Children of the Lamp books to other similar series such as The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series this one comes up lacking in the amount of research that went into the reality behind the fiction. Of course, it is fiction, and the author is under no obligation to make any part of the story consistent with reality, but perhaps because so many other contemporary children's authors have, I do feel that the Children of the Lamp books come up lacking in this respect.
Second, this book was very well written. It used a large vocabulary, and although it flowed wonderfully, it certainly wasn't an easy read. Matter of fact, I would say that it was a fairly difficult read and a mature book for something written in this century for children. I really feel that the author is maturing into this series. Some series start to get watered down or feel like they are stretched out or that the author is bored. Not this one. This one has lots of development and growth, especially with this particular book.
There are some deep issues explored in this book. There is the theme of guilt (which is a constant factor in my own life so I really relate to it.) There is an exploration of how to deal with criminals. The book repeatedly dips into a myriad of ideas surrounding death. All this while also being infused with wit and humor.
My one problem with this book and the series as a whole is that the author uses a lot of different locations and quasi historical events in his stories. Many of these are humorous takes on reality, but some are purely made up, and it is hard to discern which is which. I think that children especially could be likely to assume more points of both geography and history are based on fact than is actually the case. Comparing the Children of the Lamp books to other similar series such as The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series this one comes up lacking in the amount of research that went into the reality behind the fiction. Of course, it is fiction, and the author is under no obligation to make any part of the story consistent with reality, but perhaps because so many other contemporary children's authors have, I do feel that the Children of the Lamp books come up lacking in this respect.
June 15, 2020
Another COTL been and gone. With all the different enemy's they've faced I really don't know how the series is going to end. I can't even remember the name of the supposed enemy in this book; he was in it so little. Thankfully this book is much less repetitive than the previous one mainly due to the absence of Sicky and the introduction of a new character, Moo. She made sure Groanin didn’t repeat everything twice.
I get quite confused when reading COTL – there are so many characters that only appear in one book and have extraordinarily stupid or long names. For example there was a town called Bumby where everyone’s last name was something-bottom, WEIRD! As for some of the main characters I kept getting confused between Mr Burton, Mr Swaraswati and Mr Prezzolini. The one thing I noticed that was annoying was that whenever someone found out that someone had died they just said, ‘oh, that’s a shame’ and didn’t seem too sad.
The storyline was clever and the ending was interesting. I have given all the COTLs a four or five star. It’s strange because they’re not particularly heart-stopping or mouth-gaping. The storyline’s aren’t particularly ingenious (although they are weird and original!). The COTLs just exist as a great (altogether strange) children’s book.
I would recommend to 9-13 year olds if it weren’t for the astonishing amount of unpronounceable words. I don’t know if it’s just because they travel a lot and therefore visit foreign places and people with foreign names or just because everything connected to djinn is unnecessarily long (just think focus words). This is not a great book for reading aloud!
I get quite confused when reading COTL – there are so many characters that only appear in one book and have extraordinarily stupid or long names. For example there was a town called Bumby where everyone’s last name was something-bottom, WEIRD! As for some of the main characters I kept getting confused between Mr Burton, Mr Swaraswati and Mr Prezzolini. The one thing I noticed that was annoying was that whenever someone found out that someone had died they just said, ‘oh, that’s a shame’ and didn’t seem too sad.
The storyline was clever and the ending was interesting. I have given all the COTLs a four or five star. It’s strange because they’re not particularly heart-stopping or mouth-gaping. The storyline’s aren’t particularly ingenious (although they are weird and original!). The COTLs just exist as a great (altogether strange) children’s book.
I would recommend to 9-13 year olds if it weren’t for the astonishing amount of unpronounceable words. I don’t know if it’s just because they travel a lot and therefore visit foreign places and people with foreign names or just because everything connected to djinn is unnecessarily long (just think focus words). This is not a great book for reading aloud!
May 20, 2015
This 6th book starts out with the djinn twins meeting their uncle for lunch, where he informs them that, as they are of a certain age, they need to do a special even to prove to the other djinns that they can responsibly handle their powers.
The story of course goes way off the original plan, as just as the twins are starting off on their quests, Uncle Nimrod discovers that he needs their help to save the world - again.
It is a neat idea, with a twist to the plotlines, where the djinn need to use flying carpets instead of whirlwinds, as the evil of the world (homeostasis) is upset and the whirlwind will make issues elsewhere. However - it really doesn't take that much of the book to explain how they work or how they are cut or how they are to be sold. I thought the rug dealer and his sons were very well drawn, and his idea of a good price for the rugs, and the haggling he and Nimrod do is well done.
The search they are doing is for a set of five special fakirs with secrets that will make a major difference. Of course, the group winds up splitting up, and going different directions, but that is okay. The main thing I did like about this book was that the twins' actions had bad repercussions, unlike in earlier books, where their actions or granting of wishes only did good things, such as granting the housekeeper the winning lottery ticket.
The story of course goes way off the original plan, as just as the twins are starting off on their quests, Uncle Nimrod discovers that he needs their help to save the world - again.
It is a neat idea, with a twist to the plotlines, where the djinn need to use flying carpets instead of whirlwinds, as the evil of the world (homeostasis) is upset and the whirlwind will make issues elsewhere. However - it really doesn't take that much of the book to explain how they work or how they are cut or how they are to be sold. I thought the rug dealer and his sons were very well drawn, and his idea of a good price for the rugs, and the haggling he and Nimrod do is well done.
The search they are doing is for a set of five special fakirs with secrets that will make a major difference. Of course, the group winds up splitting up, and going different directions, but that is okay. The main thing I did like about this book was that the twins' actions had bad repercussions, unlike in earlier books, where their actions or granting of wishes only did good things, such as granting the housekeeper the winning lottery ticket.
Read
November 2, 2012John and Phillipa Gaunt must find one of the fakirs who holds a secret of the universe before one of he world's most evil djinn does. The balance of luck in the world is at stake all while they embark on yet another quest. This novel, like others in the series seems to end with a large amount of luck, which does occur a lot in the novel,
After reading the second book in the series, I thought that there was no way any book in the series could top it. The third and fourth were great, but they just couldn't compare, and the fifth one was amazing as well. When I first started reading this one, I thought that it was terrible compared to the rest of the series. As I read on though, I was amazed at how much better it became. There were many unforgettable parts in the novel, such as when (SPOILER ALERT) Mr. Groanin says what I thought were his last two words "Good night." I was nearly in tears (because Groanin is my favorite character in the series), but I suppose that all good books have emotional moments.
Some of my favorite moments in the book include:
. In chapter 2, John rags on Groanin for having Bumby, "he unluckiest town in the world," as a vacation spot.
. In chapter 37,page 367, it seems that John is about to fall to his death from the tallest mountain in the world.
In chapter "1" John and Phillipa insist that they are having deja vu, which makes me wonder if they will ever remember the adventure.
Great book, regardless to the slow beginning. I highly recommend it.
After reading the second book in the series, I thought that there was no way any book in the series could top it. The third and fourth were great, but they just couldn't compare, and the fifth one was amazing as well. When I first started reading this one, I thought that it was terrible compared to the rest of the series. As I read on though, I was amazed at how much better it became. There were many unforgettable parts in the novel, such as when (SPOILER ALERT) Mr. Groanin says what I thought were his last two words "Good night." I was nearly in tears (because Groanin is my favorite character in the series), but I suppose that all good books have emotional moments.
Some of my favorite moments in the book include:
. In chapter 2, John rags on Groanin for having Bumby, "he unluckiest town in the world," as a vacation spot.
. In chapter 37,page 367, it seems that John is about to fall to his death from the tallest mountain in the world.
In chapter "1" John and Phillipa insist that they are having deja vu, which makes me wonder if they will ever remember the adventure.
Great book, regardless to the slow beginning. I highly recommend it.
March 26, 2023
Nice way of writing
Wonderful adventure
Wonderful adventure
January 14, 2011
So, I enjoy this series overall. It's well written, fun for both adults and children and the world created with the Djinn lore is really fascinating and incredibly well done.
That said, I was kind of disappointed in this book. It had a lot of potential, but it felt kind of out of place with the rest of the series. I feel like there was some great stuff brought up in the last book, with Dubyuk and Faustina and what have you, but this book didn't refer back to any of that. It was nice to know what happened to Mr. Rakshasas, but that seemed to be the only connection between this and the other books plot-wise. The eventual overcoming of the villain was ultimately rather anticlimactic, and the whole ending was really frustrating - so, basically, nothing that I read for the last 400 some-odd pages actually happened. Really?
Maybe this will all be relevant as the series continues and I understand where it is eventually headed, but for now I'm just a little sad that a book I was waiting for excitedly just didn't live up.
That said, I was kind of disappointed in this book. It had a lot of potential, but it felt kind of out of place with the rest of the series. I feel like there was some great stuff brought up in the last book, with Dubyuk and Faustina and what have you, but this book didn't refer back to any of that. It was nice to know what happened to Mr. Rakshasas, but that seemed to be the only connection between this and the other books plot-wise. The eventual overcoming of the villain was ultimately rather anticlimactic, and the whole ending was really frustrating - so, basically, nothing that I read for the last 400 some-odd pages actually happened. Really?
Maybe this will all be relevant as the series continues and I understand where it is eventually headed, but for now I'm just a little sad that a book I was waiting for excitedly just didn't live up.
August 2, 2013
Philippa and John return again to help save the world--this time, from an imbalance in luck (towards the negative side) that is trying to draw out the fakirs, humans gifted with an incredibly important secret of the universe. Along the way they meet an invisible gorilla / Jinx, the unluckiest man in the world, and a man who can see the past or the future in drops of ink.
I loved this series as a kid; I was instantly drawn to Kerr's humourous style and the idea of being a djinn and having my own powers. Of course, I'm a bit too old for this series now, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating how it is written. Kerr has subtle messages woven into the story. He also draws into mythologies that are less known to me, and as a mythology buff, I always enjoy learning tidbits about other cultures. I'd recommend this to kids 8-12 who enjoy a blend of fantasy, mystery, and adventure.
I loved this series as a kid; I was instantly drawn to Kerr's humourous style and the idea of being a djinn and having my own powers. Of course, I'm a bit too old for this series now, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating how it is written. Kerr has subtle messages woven into the story. He also draws into mythologies that are less known to me, and as a mythology buff, I always enjoy learning tidbits about other cultures. I'd recommend this to kids 8-12 who enjoy a blend of fantasy, mystery, and adventure.
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