Kids who’ve enjoyed Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series won’t want to miss his bestselling and very well-reviewed Kane Chronicles trilogy.
The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $7.99)
From Booklist:
*Starred Review* Since their mother’s death, six years ago, 12-year-old Sadie Kane has lived in London with her maternal grandparents while her older brother, 14-year-old Carter, has traveled the world with their father, a renowned African American Egyptologist. In London on Christmas Eve for a rare evening together, Carter and Sadie accompany their dad to the British Museum, where he blows up the Rosetta Stone in summoning an Egyptian god.
Unleashed, the vengeful god overpowers and entombs him, but Sadie and Carter escape. Initially determined to rescue their father, their mission expands to include understanding their hidden magical powers as the descendants of the pharaohs and taking on the ancient forces bent on destroying mankind. The first-person narrative shifts between Carter and Sadie, giving the novel an intriguing dual perspective made more complex by their biracial heritage and the tension between the siblings, who barely know each other at the story’s beginning.
The first volume in the Kane Chronicles, this fantasy adventure delivers what fans loved about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series: young protagonists with previously unsuspected magical powers, a riveting story marked by headlong adventure, a complex background rooted in ancient mythology, and wry, witty twenty-first-century narration. The last pages contain a clever twist that will leave readers secretly longing to open their lockers at the start of school. Grades 5-8. –Carolyn Phelan
The Throne of Fire – The Kane Chronicles (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $5.99)
In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.
Amazon reviewer Gavin Reviews says:
The battle against Chaos continues, and Apophis is very close to rising. The only way to stop him is to awaken Ra. Problem is, no one even knows where Ra is. And to awaken him, they need the three scrolls of the Book of Ra which are unreadable. Sadie and Carter Kane are not alone, though. They now have the assistance of their new trainees and a few of gods. To add to all the confusion, Carter has found some information leading to Zia’s possible location. In this fresh, intense, and humorous race, it is all about the Throne of Fire.
I liked this book even more than the first in the series. It is in many ways, similar. A race to save the world in just a few days, with several battles and bits of humor along the way. This tends to be the pattern in Riordan’s mythology books. The difference in this book is that it has a theme of identity. None of his other mythology books seem to as clearly have a theme. A great sequel. I liked how it went further into Egyptian mythology. Very excited for the next, and final book in the Kane Chronicles!
The Serpent’s Shadow – The Kane Chronicles, Book Three (5/5 stars, currently priced at $8.54)
In their exciting final adventure, Carter and Sadie Kane are the mortal world’s only hope of defeating the forces of chaos.
One Amazon reviewer says:
With “The Serpent’s Shadow,” Rick Riordan sticks with his winning formula: gods and heroes (or magicians) must work together to save the world–and they only have a few days to do it. In the final book of the Kane Chronicle, Carter and Sadie have to complete a quest to stop Apophis and the forces of chaos before they destroy all of the created order. Along the way there’s plenty of humor, a little romance, some crazy outfits, and lots of fun twists as Riordan brings Egyptian mythology into the modern world. Fans of Riordan’s Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series will notice a couple cameos–and some hints of more adventures to come. It’s a fun romp of a read. Highly recommended.