The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan
The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan
Riordan continues his literary survey of mythology, this time from Egypt, in The Kane Chronicles.
Sadie and Carter Kane are siblings, and yet they're virtual strangers to one another. When their mother, Ruby, died six years ago, her parents sued for custody of Sadie and won. As a result, Sadie has grown up with a stable home life in London, while Carter has wandered the world with their Egyptologist father, Julius.
During one of their twice-annual visits with Sadie, Julius takes them to the British Museum, where he performs a magic ritual that blows up the Rosetta Stone and nearly destroys the Egyptian wing of the museum.
After being told that they are being deported for their involvement in their father's "act of terrorism," Sadie and Carter go to live in Brooklyn with their Uncle Amos, whom neither has ever met before. This is where they learn that they are descended from the pharaohs and that they also are magicians.
And that's all before the quest actually starts.
In Riordan's typical style, the tension is broken by plenty of humor. There are also creatures, magical and otherwise, to keep things moving (one of the characters is a baboon named Khufu who only eats things that end in "o" -- Doritos, Cheetos, Cheerios, . . . flamingo . . . ).
Riordan continues his literary survey of mythology, this time from Egypt, in The Kane Chronicles.
Sadie and Carter Kane are siblings, and yet they're virtual strangers to one another. When their mother, Ruby, died six years ago, her parents sued for custody of Sadie and won. As a result, Sadie has grown up with a stable home life in London, while Carter has wandered the world with their Egyptologist father, Julius.
During one of their twice-annual visits with Sadie, Julius takes them to the British Museum, where he performs a magic ritual that blows up the Rosetta Stone and nearly destroys the Egyptian wing of the museum.
After being told that they are being deported for their involvement in their father's "act of terrorism," Sadie and Carter go to live in Brooklyn with their Uncle Amos, whom neither has ever met before. This is where they learn that they are descended from the pharaohs and that they also are magicians.
And that's all before the quest actually starts.
In Riordan's typical style, the tension is broken by plenty of humor. There are also creatures, magical and otherwise, to keep things moving (one of the characters is a baboon named Khufu who only eats things that end in "o" -- Doritos, Cheetos, Cheerios, . . . flamingo . . . ).