Boys Rule Boys Read!: The Red Pyramid...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Red Pyramid...

...is another winner from the mind of the great Rick Riordan. How does he do it??!! First he comes up with the Percy Jackson books and now this one. Well, I don't know how he keeps thinking up all these terrific books but I hope he never stops!

If you've been hiding under a large rock this last year, let me fill you in. The Percy Jackson books are based on Greek mythology and the Kane Chronicles (The Red Pyramid is the first book in that series) are from Egyptian mythology. In The Red Pyramid, the main characters are Carter and Sadie Kane. Their father is a famous Egyptologist but Carter and Sadie were separated when their mother died, so Carter travels around the world with his father while Sadie lives in London with her grandparents. When their father brings Carter with him to London for the annual Christmas visit, they notice he's acting strangely. He insists on taking them to the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone but ends up chanting a spell that releases Set, the god of chaos. Set imprisons their father in a sarcophagus and then...well, you'll just to read to find out the rest, won't you? But let me tell you, it'll be one wild ride! There is slam-bang action, magic, killer villains, mysteries, characters with hidden agendas, secrets that come out slowly, and LOTS of humor. In other words, everything you expect form a Rick Riordan book! Plus, there are lots of things that blow up--a sure sign of a great guy book! Really, though, if you like adventure, thrills and laughs, this is the book for you!

BTW, here are a few extra thoughts:

There's a Kane Chronicles website. Check it out here.

Something to think about--some of the ancient Egyptian deities were just plain weird. Some were grotesque and may creep some guys out. Some of the bad guys' magic can be rather dark. If that sort of stuff bothers you (and it does bother some reader guys), keep this in mind when you get it.

Rick Riordan still comes up the best chapter titles anywhere. Some examples:

"I Drop a Little Man on His Head"

"I Face the Killer Turkey"

"When Fruit Bats Go Bad"

"I Have a Date with the God of Toilet Paper"

"Men Ask for Directions (and Other Signs of the Apocalypse)"

If these don't make you laugh, then you can't laugh!

5 comments:

Susan Kaye Quinn said...: Don't forget the The Lost Heroes coming this fall! More Percy! :); July 19, 2010 at 3:53 PM
Iron Guy Carl said...: Always glad for more Percy. I actually mentioned The Lost Heroes in the post under this one. Take a look. I also mention Erec Rex. Have you read any of those yet?; July 20, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Susan Kaye Quinn said...: I keep getting distracted from finishing Erec Rex, but I need to, because I'd like to interview Kaza (she's a friend of a friend, and a fabulous person) - if she has time, what with a new book coming out and all!

And I should have known you would post about The Lost Heroes - I should read all your posts! :); July 20, 2010 at 8:51 AM
Iron Guy Carl said...: I hope you get to finish Erec Rex soon. I did an interview with Kaza Kingsley a couple of years ago;you can see it if you click on the "Author Interviews" tab under 'Favorite Subjects" list on the left-hand side of the page. She is indeed a fabulous person.; July 20, 2010 at 11:41 AM
TisforTonya said...: I just read and reviewed this recently as well - so glad that Riordan hasn't stopped providing reading material for my boys!!; July 22, 2010 at 12:31 AM

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