Jake Atlas and the Quest for the Crystal Mountain by Rob Lloyd Jones

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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

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