Tag Archives: Kane Chronicles

The Serpent’s Shadow brings the Kane Chronicles to an end as the third (and “probably”) final recording of Sadie and Carter. Just like the previous two novels, this one has a great hook:

“Sadie Kane here.
If you’re listening to this, congratulations! You survived Doomsday.
I’d like to apologize straightaway for any inconvenience the end of the world may have caused you. The earthquakes, rebellions, riots, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and of course the giant snake who swallowed the sun — I’m afraid most of that was our fault.”

So there you have it: Apophis swallowed the sun! That’s one burning question down, and a whole lot of others to go — like, how did they survive Doomsday if the snake got away with his plan? Well, I guess that’s when you need to read and find out.

However, I did have some other very serious questions at the end of The Throne of Fire:

Are they making the right decision? Despite Ra being a crazy old guy who played with cookies, he was rather needed. 

Is this a trap? Everything’s a trap! You need to go with it anyway. 

Why would anyone try to ride a double-headed snake? Clearly this earned Carter some serious street cred. It was totally necessary.

What’s with the zebras and the weasels? Well, Zebras are clearly awesome and Ra’s very favorite… and Weasels are sick… though not beyond salvation. 

Who’d make a better boyfriend, Walt or Anubis? The answer is… YES.

So many things go wrong as Doomsday approaches — go figure. Sadie and Carter, along with Walter and Zia, the Brooklyn House, and any stragglers… er, supporters, of the First Nome, must fight the greatest threat to human kind. What could possibly go wrong? … Well, they survive to tell the tale, so clearly a few things go right.

The Serpent’s Shadow is driven not only by the impending deadline of the end of the world — as Sadie and Carter search for a way to defeat Apophis and vanquish him– but also by the characters’ interactions, hilarious events (just imagine a kindergartener running around with crayons, screaming “Die! Die! Die!”), and senile senior gods who just want to partake in the fun of fighting the forces of chaos. The third and final installment of this trilogy may not tie everything into a neat little bow (because we know Rick Riordan loves his loose ends… as do we, since it leaves the possibility of continuing the tale), but it is a satisfying end.

In an effort to get over the Percy dry spell, I thought I’d give Rick Riordan’s other ventures a try:

The Red Pyramid grabbed my attention from the very first line: “We only have a few hours, so listen carefully.” Since the death of his mother, Carter has been traveling all over the world with his dad, who is an archeologist. His sister Sadie, however, has been living with her grandparents in London, and only sees Carter and her father twice a year. The relationship between Carter and Sadie is rather strained, since they are practically strangers — until their dad decides to blow up the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum. Nothing brings a brother and sister together like being possessed by gods and running for their lives. The siblings are on the run from Egyptian gods who want to destroy the world, the House of Life who wants to destroy them, and any other suspicious obstacles they meet along the way.

Throughout the story Rick Riordan brings up some very interesting observations about mixed race families: Carter is dark-skinned like his father, while Sadie is light-skinned like her mother — people look twice when they say they’re related. Carter’s father makes it a point to let him know that as a person of color, he needs to try harder to look and act his best at all times– which just isn’t fair to him. But as Julius say, “Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same… Fairness means everyone gets what they need. And the only way to get what you need is to make it happen yourself.” There’s a lot of pressure on Carter! Meanwhile, Sadie has a more rebellious streak: she has the freedom to dye her hair with different colors, wear combat boots along with her school uniform, and break the rules any time someones say “Don’t…” Still, the siblings find a way to care for each other, join forces for the greater good of the world, and come together as a family.

With humorous chapter titles, slightly deranged and funny-looking gods, as well as some passive aggressive clay statues, The Red Pyramid makes for a really fun read. You just need make sure to keep your accents straight while reading!