The Throne of Fire

I finished the library's copy of a The Throne of Fire and it was worth the wait. Rick Riordan's second installment of the Kane Chronicles was as good as I had expected. He has set an aggressive writing schedule releasing a book every sixth months for his Kane series and his The Heroes of Olympus series. The next Olympus book is due out in the fall of 2011.

The children have new recruits from the messages Sadie left at the end of The Red Pyramid . Sadie is struggling with the responsibility of training other children and worrying about the coming struggles with Apophis.

Listening to this story on audio is an advantage as you can hear the change in narrators and hear the difference in voice literally as well as figuratively.

As the children struggle with the decision to bring back Ra they continue to deal with story lines left over from the previous story. Carter wants to find the girl he lost, only to discover he may not have ever had her. Sadie discovers having two male interests is almost as hard as being alone.

The journey demonstrates that being a God is not always protection against harm. Their visit to a nursing home for aging Gods demonstrates that those who are forgotten, regardless of their previous stature, become lost.

This was another great Riordan adventure. I will admit I had to look up a few references, as I was not aware of a couple of things he mentioned. I consider that a positive about his books. It is a chance to engage children in learning more about Egyptian history while getting them interested in an adventure series.

The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid is the first book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series. While the Percy Jackson series have focused on Greek and now Roman mythology, the Kane chronicles introduce readers to Egyptian mythology.

The format for this series is also a departure from the Percy Jackson series. The story starts with a warning to the reader that reminds me a bit of Alcatraz . Riordan draws the reader in by having the characters leave a message for some mysterious person who will be coming for what they are leaving in a locker, indicating that the reader is in danger just by picking up the novel to follow their journey.

This novel also departs from the previous novels by using the first person instead of the traditional third person voice. Sadie and Carter tell the story trading off chapters.

Sadie and Carter are brother and sister raised apart. Her grandparents raise Sadie and Carter travels constantly with his father. While this might seem like a bad custody story, there is a reason for the children's separation, which the reader soon learns.

While Riordan invited readers to learn more about Greek myths in his Olympian series, this series seems like it requires more background knowledge. He spent a significant amount of time in the Percy Jackson series helping readers less familiar with Greek mythology. This novel seems to expect readers to become educated or have more of a background in Egyptian history. I wish this novel had been available when I was teaching Egyptian history and mythology to fourth graders. There would have been a chance to apply what they knew.

Sadie's character is the reader's voice in the novel, as she was not raised with Carter and his father's knowledge of Egyptian history. However, as we discover more about Sadie's heritage, she loses some of that voice for a reader who may not be familiar with the stories of Isis, Osiris, Horus, and Set.

I am enjoying the series and looking forward to the The Throne of Fire due out May 3. If your child is not as familiar with Egyptian history there are some great resources. Mary Pope Osborne's non-fiction series includes one on Egypt, Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide). Eyewitness has long been one of my favorite non-fiction resources and they have two books in their series that would be useful Ancient Egypt and Eyewitness Pyramid .

Riordan has given Carter and Sadie choices that Percy did not have. Readers of the Percy Jackson series will notice the author has managed to avoid contradictions when presenting two opposing religious theories. It will be interesting to see where he proceeds with the characters and the plot as the series continues.

The Last Hero

Rick Riordan has released two new series. He is continuing his Greek Mythology series with a new group of heroes in The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero. His second new series begins an exploration of Egyptian Mythology with the story of a brother and sister. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) introduces readers not only to new characters, but a slightly different format for readers familiar with the Percy Jackson series.

Most of the reviews I have read about the Lost Hero have been excited about the new series. I liked the first book but am not as excited about it as I was the after reading The Lightening Thief.

The story begins with Percy Jackson missing and Annabelle setting off to find him. Three students, who we predictably know will be half bloods, are on a bus traveling to a field trip. Jason awakens not knowing who he is and the story begins with a typical Percy Jackson pace. The Titan's have been replaced with a more frightening opponent that even the Gods cannot defeat alone.

The author is trying to establish an arc using Jason's past and the issues arising from The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5). The goddess Hera is missing and the Gods have stopped speaking. This was one of the great weaknesses of the book. The quest to find Hera was fine. However, one of the great strengths of the Percy Jackson series was the humor provided by Hermes, Hades, and the other Gods. Their missing interactions with the half bloods left a hole in this novel. While parent Gods and the missing Hera are still included the lack of the others was something I hope will not continue in the rest of the series.

The hints about Jason's past start to get old. Riordan has an interest in introducing the Roman Gods to the Percy Jackson series. This could have been a fascinating story line. He did a great job providing parents and teachers with a wonderful way to interest children in Greek Mythology. This new series is a great way to demonstrate the connections between Greek and Roman Mythology. The first book was disappointing in achieving this goal. He did introduce the idea that the Greek and Roman Gods were connected. We learn Zeus and Hera's Greek and Roman names.

Students familiar with the original Percy series will already be wondering why Jason was uncomfortable at Camp Half Blood. They will want to know if there are Roman Half Bloods where are they housed. Here Riordan does make an interesting connection to United States History. I thought that was one strength of the story.

For those concerned with the fate of Percy, the explanation of why Jason is at Camp Half Blood gives hints of Percy’s destination. Suspicions are confirmed at the end of the story when Riordan reveals Percy’s location and some of the dangers he faces.

As typical with the Percy Jackson series, the end of one book sets up the next. As the first book concludes the reader is left with Jason, planning the next adventure for his friends in their efforts to complete the task Jason now understands he was sent to Camp Half Blood to begin.

The author's website says the next book in the series is due to be published in October of 2011. The title listed is The Son of Neptune.


Riordan is promising a book a year for both series, so readers will have a book from each series to look forward to in 2011.