The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1)

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Rick Riordan (Author)

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Product Description

Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in Books
• Published on: 2010-05-04
• Released on: 2010-05-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 528 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781423113386
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

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Customer Reviews:

“Another excellent adventure”,
Review Date : May 4, 2010
Reviewed By : A-M (Near D.C., USA) -

This review is from: The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Going into this book I had very high expectations. After all, the Percy Jackson books are such a wonderful and unique offering in children's literature. They are funny, witty, filled with action and adventure, they breathe life into some of my favorite myths... They are hard to top. Pretty much this book is what would happen if the 39 Clues series and Percy Jackson books had a baby. There is alot more information being tossed out in this book than in Percy Jackson, but much more fun and mythology than the 39 Clues.

In this first of the Kane Chronicles, Riordan again does a great job of combining humor with action and adventure. This book as a lot to explain in terms of the mythology it is based on, I think most readers on average know less about Egyptian mythology than Greek. However, Riordan again explains it in a way that brings it to life. And once all of the ground work is laid in terms of what is going on in the story everything zooms along at a really fun pace.

Carter and Sadie Kane were raised separately after the sudden and tragic death of their mother. Carter has spent the last half dozen years traveling the world with his father, a noted Egyptologist. Living out of a suitcase and never staying in one place for long, Carter is quiet and a little socially awkward. Sadie on the other hand was raised in London by her grandparents. Even though she's the younger of the two she has a much more forceful personality than her brother. She is loud, wears combat boots and streaks her hair with crazy colors. Carter and his father only are allowed to see Sadie twice a year.

Carter and Sadie barely know each other when the actions of their father leave them on a crazy adventure with only a cat, named Muffin, to help them out. Not only is the crazy chaos god, Set, after them also an ancient group of wizards is tailing them across the world.

Riordan again does a great job of pulling ancient mythology into the modern world. He really grounds his story and makes it believable. By the end of the book you really know the characters and are ready for their next adventure.

Another fun thing about this book is that instead of having one narrator he allows Sadie and Carter to alternate every few chapters. Their voices are very different and how they see things is very interesting. It also sets up a lot of the humor.

In spite of its size (its around 41 Chapters long) I think anyone who enjoyed the Percy Jackson books will find themselves loving this book as well.

I'm only giving it 4 stars because it took me until maybe chapter 15 to really get into the book, there was so much information that it slowed down the narrative for me.

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“Another Great Adventure Begins”,
Review Date : May 4, 2010
Reviewed By : Mary Kate (Wisconsin, USA) -

This review is from: The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) (Hardcover)

Because I so thoroughly enjoyed Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (first book: The Lightning Thief [LIGHTNING THIEF] [Hardcover]), I was happy to see a new series from him coming so soon after The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5). Riordan is smart enough not to mess too much with success - The Kane Chronicles also deals with ancient gods - this time Egyptian - and kids with newly discovered special powers. Luckily, he is also talented enough to keep this, the first of a planned trilogy, from seeming like a carbon copy of the characters and adventures found in the Percy Jackson series.

Sadie and Carter Kane are siblings who were separated quite young in life after the death of their mother. (Aside: I loved that their father is African American and their mother Caucasian - I'm all for increasing cultural diversity in children's and YA books.) Carter traveled the world with his archeologist father while Sadie, his junior by two years, lived a more "normal" life in England with their grandparents. They only spend two days a year together with their father and it is on one of these occasions that we are dropped into their story. The action begins immediately with explosive displays of magic and the disappearance of their father. The siblings - whose powers are enhanced when they are together (which turns out to be one reason why they were raised separately) - begin making one startling discovery after another about themselves and their family and are set on course to rescue their father and (of course) to save the world from the evil forces their father unwittingly released from the Rosetta Stone. A variety of ancient Egyptian forces - both good and evil - appear to help or hinder them on their quest.

Riordan has a gift for making his characters come to life and for making us care about them, a skill I enjoyed in the Percy Jackson books and again here. The Red Pyramid is told from both Sadie and Carter's POV, with each chapter narrated by one of the two. Their voices are somewhat similar, but distinctive enough to make this work and I enjoyed getting to know these two bright, brave and adaptable kids better through this device. The action is virtually non-stop and the 500+ pages seem to fly by. IMHO, the many characters and creatures will probably be enjoyed more by readers 10 years old and over than by those under 10, but, of course, parents should judge that for themselves.

I found this a fast, fun read and am happy to recommend it. I hope that it will inspire kids to want to know more about ancient Egypt, one of the most fascinating civilizations our world has known and I would encourage parents to rent some kid-friendly documentaries about ancient Egypt once their children have finished The Red Pyramid.

Readers who fall in love with this story and are intrigued by the Egyptian aspects of it may enjoy these other stories while waiting for the Kanes to return in book two: The Theodosia Throckmorton series consisting of Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris and Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus; The Children of the Lamp series, which begins with The Akhenaten Adventure (Children of the Lamp #1) and The Pharaoh's Secret (Amelia's Notebook Series).

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“Scoot Over Percy Jackson, The Kanes Are HERE!”,
Review Date : May 4, 2010
Reviewed By : Andrea Griffin "Avid Reader" (Sterling Heights, MI USA) -

This review is from: The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) (Hardcover)

I must say, when I read the Percy Jackson series, I instantly liked it. I enjoyed the whole Greek Pantheon of ancient gods & goddesses, magic, etc. So, naturally, I wanted to read "The Red Pyramid" to see if it had the same magic. I can happily say that it does and then some. I would even volunteer that I liked "The Red Pyramid" even more than the Percy Jackson books for several reasons.

First, in "The Red Pyramid", we're introduced to two amazing lead characters who both share in the story's narration. Carter Kane, age 14, is an African American teen who has lived with his father, Julius, his entire life...due to what is described as an ugly custody battle between Julius and his former in-laws (Julius' wife, mother to both Carter and Sadie Kane, died when the children were quite young). Sadie Kane, age 12, looks caucasian (taking after their mother) with light skin, blue eyes, and hair she likes to put colored streaks throughout. Because of the custody agreement, Sadie lives in London year-round with her grandparents - seeing her brother and father only two times per year, which has resulted in the siblings being more like distant relatives to each other. Julius is an archeologist, traveling around the world studying ancient Egyptian artifacts and bringing his son Carter along with him wherever he goes. Carter, because of his father's teachings, is an awkward 14 year old boy, a bit hesitant and unsure of himself. Sadie, on the other hand, despite being two years younger than Carter, is quite a bit more bold, quick to speak her mind and very sure of herself and her opinions. I must say, I loved both Carter and Sadie Kane...for their differences as well as how they grow together as siblings! I cannot reveal much more than this without revealing too much of the book...but I think you'll know what I mean when you read "The Red Pyramid".

Another reason I enjoyed this book is because of the depth of information given to the reader. It's obvious that Riordan, in his research, learned quite a bit about the ancient Egyptian ways as well as the intricate nature of their belief system....and he definitely gets that information out to the reader in a very exciting and entertaining way.

Magic and mythology come together in a fascinating and fast-paced way in this book. Instantly, the action starts and you'll be pulled into the book. Humor plays a big role in this book as well (especially from Sadie), which just adds to the entertainment.

All in all, I'd highly recommend "The Red Pyramid". If you're a fan of the Percy Jackson series, I'm sure you'll like it. Or, perhaps you'll be like me and like it even more! :)