The Throne of Fire: Rick Riordan

The Throne of Fire is Book Two in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series, featuring a brother and sister team who are trying to protect the world from the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. In this second installment, Carter and Sadie are on a mission to awaken the sun god, Ra, before Apophis is freed from the Duat (think of it as the underworld).

After the adventure of The Red Pyramid, Carter and Sadie have returned to Brooklyn to start a school for magicians, knowing that they will need to raise an army before Set returns to make his claim on the world. The school introduces readers to some new characters, most importantly Jaz--a feisty healer, and Walt--a good-looking charm maker. Having had a dream in which Horus directed Carter to obtain the three scrolls of Ra, The Throne of Fire opens with a heist to steal the first scroll from a museum. When things go a little sideways, the heat is on to stay one step ahead of Set and his plans to free Apophis. Of course awaking Ra and returning him to his path through the sky is no easy task, and Carter and Sadie will face new demons and monsters, as well as some ancient sibling rivalry on their path to Ra's new morning.

I think it's fair to say that I was disappointed with this book. The story is interesting enough, but it seemed slow-paced. I kept waiting for the action to pick up, which only happened at the very end. I also notice that Riordan's writing doesn't seem to be improving. There is little difference between the Percy Jackson narration and the Kane narration. The siblings are supposedly very different, having been raised separately--Carter is the darker of the two and was raised on the road by his archaeologist father, Sadie is the sassy girl raised by her grandparents in England-- and yet I don't notice when they switch narrators; Carter and Sadie have essentially the same voice.

Which is not to say it was all bad. My favorite part of Riordan's stories is the history. Ancient Egypt literally comes alive in this book, educating readers about so many Egyptian gods and their fables. The gods are colorful characters who add dimension to Riordan's world.

I have hope that the final book in this trilogy will offer more of the excitement and adventure that Riordan has taught me to expect.

Rating: $.5

The Red Pyramid: Rick Riordan

When I finished the Percy Jackson series, I was anxious to see what Riordan would do next. To be honest, I was a little nervous that there wouldn't be anything "next". So when I first sighted stacks and stacks of the newly released The Red Pyramid, I must admit to a feeling of glee. I could hardly wait to dive into a new Riordan series. This one, The Kane Chronicles, bears some similarities to The Percy Jackson series, except instead of Olympian gods, this series is all about ancient Egyptian gods.

Carter and Sadie Kane are unlikely siblings. Fourteen-year-old Carter takes after his African-American father, with his dark skin, while twelve-year-old Sadie maintains a much fairer complexion. Furthering their differences, Carter has spent his childhood traveling the world with his archeologist father, while Sadie has been stuck with her grandparents in London. After a tragic accident killed their mother, the children were sent their separate ways, only seeing each other twice a year. They are basically strangers when we meet them. That's all about to change as they are united in an attempt to rescue their father and defeat the evil Egyptian god, Set. It turns out that their father has released 5 of Egypt's most powerful gods, and those gods have all taken hosts. Carter and Sadie soon discover that they are descendants of Pharaohs and that they carry enough magic within them to defeat Set. What follows is a pulse-pounding race, filled with gods and magicians, and a lot of unbelievable tricks.

So Riordan has returned to his extremely successful formula. Young people+gods+magic=giant climactic battle. I'm not gonna lie, it's all very familiar. There are elements of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. There are even some hints of the paranormal romance that the Twilight series made so popular. And yet, I couldn't put it down! I devoured this book. I was a little annoyed by the narration style (Carter and Sadie take turns narrating chapters), but I got over it. The gods characters are some of the most wonderful people I've met in YA fiction lately, and I can't deny that I learned a lot about Egyptian mythology.

Ultimately, I can't wait to find out what happens next. And if you want my honest opinion, I think this series would make for a better movie than the Percy books!

Rating: $$$