Rick Riordan has done it once again, folks. We saw it first with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in six wonderfully crafted novels that depict Percy's journeys with his friends and the Greek gods. And now we have the Kane Chronicles.
The first installment of the Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid, tells the story of brother and sister Carter and Sadie Kane. Carter and Sadie have never really managed to share that sibling bond: their mom died when they were little and ever since then, Carter has been traveling the world with his father and Sadie has been living with her grandparents in London, England. Carter's dad, Julius, studied Ancient Egypt, so when Julius Kane brought Carter and Sadie to see the Rosetta Stone on Christmas Eve, it was no surprise. But it was a surprise when he began to recite a magic spell, caused the stone to explode, and summoned the ancient Egyptian gods. Sadie and Carter witnessed the release of Set, the god of evil, who trapped their father in a coffin and sent him through the floor. This launches the two young characters on a journey where they discover their ties to Egyptian gods, a few new...unique friends, and themselves as well, while battling forces such as demons, an ancient group called the House of Life, and, just a few Egyptian gods.
My favorite aspect of Rick Riordan's stories is that he compiles loads of different genres into one tale: adventure, friendship, family, history, mythology, and even romance. Readers will never get bored with his excellent depiction of real life with a little twist. Additionally, as I learned about Greek mythology with the Percy Jackson novels, I also gained a lot of knowledge about the Egyptian culture while reading this book and have actually gained an interest in the topic.
Another high point to Riordan's writing is the narrator's quirky humor. Sadie and Carter alternate in dictating the story. Sadie gets in little sarcastic quips and Carter has his own strange humor. For example, when Carter fights a vicious and bloodthirsty magical creature, he decides to name it Leroy, on a whim. It's these little details that keep the story fresh and alive.
Another great component of The Red Pyramid was the character construction and development. Numerous individual characters inhabit this story. Not only do we read about tough and sharp-tongued Sadie and timid but brave Carter, but there's also Bast, their feline goddess friend; Khufu, a slightly obnoxious baboon with a basketball obsession; Zia, the young magician who assists them in more ways than one; and Anubis, the god of funerals who just might liven up a bit for a certain someone. Riordan displays the characters in a way where readers feel as if they personally know them, but their different personalities make for a fun time.
The only downside to this book was the complicated plot and descriptions. Because we're dealing with magical creatures and ancient gods, descriptions are that easy to imagine. Often readers come across characters with the body of a human and the head of an animal and it's a nearly impossible feat to picture the image in our minds. Additionally, the journey that Sadie and Carter embark on is very complex. They must find objects, obtain information, meet people, and it's very difficult to keep track of things.
Once again, Riordan created a great story for readers everywhere. It contains a fresh plot and a fun slew of characters that mix together to form a great new novel, The Red Pyramid. Those who enjoyed the series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, also by Riordan, The Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus, or Michael Scott's Secret of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series will especially enjoy this book.
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