The Red Pyramid (novel)
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| The Red Pyramid | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Rick Riordan |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Kane Chronicles (Book 1) |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Hyperion Books |
| Publication date | May 4, 2010 (hardcover) |
| Pages | 516 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-1-4231-1338-6 |
| OCLC Number | 488861751 |
| Followed by | The Throne of Fire |
Contents |
Summary
The book is written as a recording made by the Kane siblings, Carter and Sadie. The story begins when Carter Kane and his father, Julius Kane, go to London to visit Sadie, Carter's sister who lives separately from them. Julius takes them to the British Museum to "study" the Rosetta Stone. But he actually has deeper motives and tries to summon Osiris, the Egyptian god of the Underworld by using the stone as an anchor. It goes wrong when all the other four major gods are brought out and Set, the Egyptian god of storms and chaos, imprisons Julius (he is now a host of Osiris) in a coffin.Carter and Sadie were taken to Brooklyn by their uncle, Amos. He goes to find Set, leaving the two near-stranger siblings alone with a baboon called Khufu. In the library of the Brooklyn mansion, they begin to discover signs that they are descended from famous pharaohs. Julius's side of the family was descended from Narmer while their dead mother, Ruby, had a family originated from Ramesses the Great. The term is Blood of the Pharaohs. When Sadie and Carter reach New York they talk about how in Egypt people lived on the East side of the river because the sun rose in the east and they buried their dead in the west. Sadie asks why can't they live in Manhattan. Amos replies that there are other gods and they should stay separate. This is a link between this book and the Percy Jackson Series.
Just then, the mansion is attacked by serpent leopards, also known as serpopards. Sadie's cat, Muffin, turns out be the cat goddess Bast. She makes quick work of the serpopards but the three are forced to run when the carriers tail them. They go into Manhattan, which Amos had earlier said had other non-Egyptian gods. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bast attempts to have them go in the Duat – a magical realm right underneath the mortal realm. But the goddess of scorpions, Serqet, fights Bast and supposedly overpowers her.
In the museum, Carter and Sadie find Zia Rashid. She is the scribe of the First Nome, the main nome of the House of Life, that had magicians trying to protect people and fight gods. Carter develops a massive crush on Zia in the book. Zia combats Serqet and bans her from her host by using the Seven Ribbons of Hathor spell.
Zia takes the two to the First Nome, where Chief Lector Iskandar – the House of Life leader – and Desjardins – the second-in-command – brought up the assumption that they were both hosts of gods. Sadie and Iskander have a talk and the old Chief Lector tells her about the hosts. They were mortals who the gods inhabited so they could leave the Duat and be in the mortal realm.
The next day, the two siblings begin their training. Zia teaches them the concept of casting hieroglyphs to use magic. Carter surprises Sadie and Zia by summoning a combat avatar – it is a magic and Bast used it to fight Serqet – of Horus, the falcon war god. But their training is disrupted when a magician informs Zia that Iskander is dead and Desjardins is next in line for the throne. Sadie creates a portal and they escape to Paris because Desjardins would want to kill them because they are hosts, but not before bringing sphinxes with them. Bast, who is still fine, takes care of them and all of them infiltrate Desjardins' house so they could take a book to fight Set.
At Washington, D.C they are chased by the Set animal, who Carter named Leroy. Carter stays back at the airport to fight it and manages to wound it with his combat avatar. He throws Leroy in his Duat locker-a short opening to the Duat-and manages to catch the airplane to Memphis, Tennessee, where the wisdom god Thoth is.
When they finish Thoth's test, they learn that they were supposed to have a Feather of Truth from the Underworld/Land of the Dead. And they also needed Set's true name, which contained the person's identity and life. Because of Sadie's attraction to Anubis-god of funerals-he gives the Feather of Truth to her. They then continue from New Orleans to Texas, where Carter fights Sobek but is hopelessly outmatched and outclassed even with the combat avatar. Amos saves them but Bast and Sobek are expelled to the Duat.
They go to New Mexico, as Zia wanted Carter there and the earth god Geb told Sadie to. It turns out that Desjardins had known this and a fight occurs. Thanks to Zia's plan, they defeat Sekhmet, the lion goddess of battle, and drive onwards to Arizona. They spot the Red Pyramid, which is Set's main host. When they arrive, Amos collapses and Set reveals he was hosting Amos as well, all along.
Carter merges completely with Horus and becomes the eye of the war god. He puts up a good fight but Set's strength grows when dawn approaches and the desert glows. Sadie learns from a dying Zia that Set's secret name is Evil Day. She combines with Isis, the magic goddess inside her, and transports Carter and Sadie along with herself to Washington, D.C. Sadie banishes Set to the Duat, reading the book and using the Feather of Truth along with his secret name.
Just then, Set's serpant appears. He is the host of Apophis, the Serpent of Chaos itself. Even though Carter kills the serpant, it is Sadie who rubs the picture of the snake in the sky. They come back for Zia, who turns out to be a shabti-a ceramic doll-and urges Carter to find the real Zia Rashid.
They return to Brooklyn House and rebuild the place with magic. Amos leaves for the First Nome to be healed from being possessed by Set. Carter and Sadie are paid a visit by Osiris, who was bonded with their father. They even see the ghost of their mother who was accompanying Julius. The god of the dead gives them his djed amulet to attract other things. The siblings give up Horus and Isis, who vanish away into the Duat but not before preserving a quarter of their power in the amulets Julius had given them a long time ago. Carter and Sadie store the amulets in Carter's Duat locker and put the djed amulet with it. Once kids began to come, they would teach them divine magic or the path of the gods, which involved channeling a god's power. In the end, Carter and Sadie find their father. Julius decides that he would like to stay with his wife; Carter and Sadie now live with their uncle Amos.
Major characters
Main article: The Kane Chronicles#Main characters
- Ruby Kane: is Carter and Sadie's mom who dies at Cleopatra's Needle trying to seal away the chaos snake Apophis.
- Carter Kane: He is fourteen and was a host of Horus. Since he was 8, when his mom died, he traveled with his father, Julius Kane. He is Sadie's older brother. When he is with his sister (Sadie Kane) his magic power grows in strength.[1]
- Julius Kane: An Egyptian magician who becomes a host of Osiris. He is Carter and Sadie Kane's father. His wife, Ruby Kane, died trying to seal away the chaos snake Apophis in Cleopatra's Needle.[1]He is also an Egyptologist.
- Amos Kane: An Egyptian magician who became a partial host of Set. He is Julius Kane's brother, and a former protector of the Kane children. The children find out that he has been Set's host.[1]
- Zia Rashid: An Egyptian magician who is a host of Nephthys.[1]
- Bast: The Egyptian goddess of cats. She becomes the Kane children's protector after Sadie calls for her to defend and help the children
References to other books
Both Amos Kane and Bast dislike and avoid Manhattan because it has "other gods". This is a reference to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson novels, which identifies Manhattan and the Empire State Building as the modern home of the Graeco-Roman Olympian gods.Critical reception
The Washington Post said that Riordan "begins [the book] with a literal bang" and "the pace never flags as the narrative cuts between Carter and Sadie".[2] The book also was listed in The Washington Post's summer book club.[3] The New York Times's Bruce Handy said that The Red Pyramid had "eruptions of mayhem every few pages and exposition falling like hail". They also said that reader's minds would begin "to wander for even a single paragraph: you will find yourself cast adrift on a sea of churning narrative". The New York Times also said that "Riordan fans young and old will eat this new book up". It also commented that the book was "wholly satisfying while also setting the table for what promises to be a rip-roaring saga with nasty villains, engaging love interests".[4] Kirkus Reviews thought the story was similar to Riordan's other works like The Lightning Thief in terms of chapters, characters, and plot, but noted, "that's not all bad".[5]Awards
The Red Pyramid was named a School Library Journal Best Book of 2010.[6] It has also been shortlisted for the 2011 Red House Children's Book Award.[7]Publication history
The Red Pyramid had a first printing of one million copies.[8] The series was planned to come out with one book per year to build anticipation.[8]A graphic novel based on the book is planned to be released in 2012.[9]
The second book in the series, The Throne Of Fire, was published on May 3, 2011.[10][11]
The third and final book in the series, The Serpent's Shadow, was published on May 1, 2012.
Most recently, several months ago rumors have surfaced that an official film adaptation of The Red Pyramid is pending. According to these rumors, auditions for the film's cast are or have been taking place. Alex Sawyer is believed to be the top choice of the casting directors for the role of Carter, and Hailey Grace is said to be their best preference for the role of Sadie.
References
- ^ a b c d Riordan, Rick (May 4, 2010). The Red Pyramid. Disney Hyperion. p. 516. ISBN 978-1-4231-1338-6.
- ^ Quattlebaum, Mary (June 20, 2010). "Novels for kids from John Grisham, Candace Bushnell and Rick Riordan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ^ "Summer Book Club for young readers includes books by blockbuster authors". The Washington Post. June 16, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ^ Handy, Bruce (June 4, 2010). "Children's Books – Justice League". The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ^ "The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan". Kirkus Reviews. April 15, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- ^ "School Library Journal Best Books of 2010". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
- ^ "2011 Shortlist". Red House. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- ^ a b Farley, Christopher John (May 4, 2010). "'Percy Jackson' Author Rick Riordan on His New Book 'The Red Pyramid': Does the Cover Tell the Whole Story?". The Wall Street Journal. Speakeasy. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ Riordan, Rick (February 13, 2011). "The Week in Review–Myth & Mystery". Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- ^ Riordan, Rick. "Kane Chronicles – My Books: The Online World of Rick Riordan". rickriordan.com. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
- ^ Riordan, Rick. "The Throne of Fire – Kane Chronicles: The Online World of Rick Riordan". rickriordan.com. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
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