Her Book Self

From The Lightning Thief to The Last Olympian, last year I read through Rick Riordan's entire Percy Jackson series.  I've long been a fan of ancient civilizations so I enjoyed the modern take on Greek mythology, but I was even more excited to dig into The Red Pyramid, Riordan's newest book in which he brings a contemporary spin to another ancient culture.

Carter Kane has spent his life traveling with his Egyptologist father.  For Christmas, Carter and his father head to England to see Sadie, Carter's sister, who lives with her grandparents and only sees her dad and brother twice a year.  Their visit is drastically changed after a trip to the British Museum when Carter's father unleashes a spell that releases five ancient Egyptian gods into the world.  It's up to Sadie and Carter, with the help of some unlikely bodyguards, to stop Set, god of chaos, from destroying the world.  Along the way, they'll have to learn about their father's secret life of magic and the truth of their family heritage.

It's difficult not to draw a comparison between this first installment of The Kane Chronicles with Rick Riordan's hugely popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, but although there are many similarities, The Red Pyramid is a unique and original tale.  This story was told from both Carter's and Sadie's perspectives and both narrators infuse the story with Riordan's signature humor - including witty chapter titles.  The book is filled with action and packed with details and information about Egyptian gods and mythology, encouraging learning alongside entertainment.  

I found the ending of the book to be interesting and unexpected and I'm very curious to read how The Kane Chronicles will continue in the future.  Riordan knows how to weave a great story and fans of his writing will definitely want to pick up this book.

Interestingly enough, I started The Red Pyramid last week when Chicago was in the throes of Stanley Cup fever.  I really enjoyed this story about the Kane family and their connection to magicians of ancient Egypt, and I  also had a smile on my face watching the final game of the hockey playoffs as - in overtime - the Blackhawks #88 scored the winning goal, a shot that only he and the Flyer's goalie saw go into the net, to bring Lord Stanley back to Chicago.  Who was this miracle shot maker?  Who was this Blackhawk winger with a touch of magic up his sleeve?

Why, it was Kane, of course!