Carter and Sadie Kane are a brother and sister who have largely grown up separate from one another. Each sees the other as having a much better life than their own, and neither understands the pains the other has had to learn to live with.
Their father, a renowned archeologist, reunites them in London and takes them to a museum where a magic spell involving the Rosetta Stone unleashes the Egyptian Gods and seals their father in a gold sarcophagus.
Carter and Sadie then embark on an adventure to get their dad back that will take them through the history of Egypt, a secret organization of magicians known as the House of Life, and a plethora of Egyptian Deities.
But will they get there dad back when the cost may be the whole world?
As I said, I enjoyed this one. I've long been a fan of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series, and I finally got around to this one. Carter and Sadie were both very entertaining characters to follow, and the audio version narrators were excellent.
The themes of family and sacrifice are prevalent throughout. There are some very provoking questions posed by the book, such as how much would you be willing to sacrifice to save the world? Riordan blends humor and drama seamlessly in an epic adventure that also proves to be quite educational.
You should read this book if you like books about mythology, especially Egyptian mythology. It is a natural entry level for understanding the Egyptian pantheon even if you are not familiar with it. It deals with honor, honesty, bravery, courage, sacrifice, and growth through overcoming obstacles while at the same time using humor to keep the plot rolling along nicely.
Do not read this book if you don't like mid-grade to young adult characters and some of the campy dialogue and situations that tend to accompany fiction in these genres. If you want more serious, hardcore fantasy, this series is probably not for you.
I do have to give Riordan credit. I feel that Greek Mythology is so widely known and understood that it is relatively easy to write a book using this as a setting. However, Norse and Egyptian Mythologies are not so clear-cut. Some of their stories are just downright weird. I felt the same way about the Thor adaptation by Marvel; it was a great work of art just to meld that craziness into a story that people can quickly follow. Riordan has done an outstanding job of this with The Red Pyramid.
That's all for today, and as always, take care, and I'll catch you next time.
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