Title: The Throne of Fire
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: 2011
When last we left Carter and Sadie Kane, things were not going well: they have defeated Set (the Egyptian god of storms and destruction), only to the faced with the realization that Apophis, the lord of chaos, will soon break free of his prison and destroy the world.
One year later, the time of the spring equinox draws near. It is one of only two days of the year when the hours of light and dark are the same — when the powers of good and evil are balanced. With help from allies both old and new, the Kane children have four days to awaken the sun god Ra, and return the world to its equilibrium.
The review
I picked up a copy of the second book in Riordan’s Kane Chronicles and couldn’t go to bed that night until I’d finished it. In a word, awesome.
If The Red Pyramid made your heart pump a little faster, The Throne of Fire will have you gripping the edge of your seat for all 446 pages. The imagery in particular is amazing, as Riordan brings to life rivers of fire and a sea of crawling, shiny scarabs.
Even though I feel more of a connection with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I didn’t let that spoil my enjoyment of this series. If you’re into epic adventures with amazingly well-researched story lines and incredibly evil and scary villains, the Kane Chronicles are definitely for you.
Dealing with Set was child’s play in comparison to what it’s going to take to defeat Apophis. I can’t wait to find out what happens!
Kick-ass Quotes:
“Her eyes were luminous gold. I wondered if that was the last color a bug saw when it was trapped in amber — and if the bug thought, Wow, that’s beautiful, right before it was frozen forever.” (p. 326)
Who’s your favorite Egyptian god or goddess? Have you read any of Riordan’s series’?
Is this the second in the series, after The Red Pyramid?
I bought that one for my daughter a few months ago, and was eyeing it today. Did you enjoy it?
Yes indeed it is. I’ve enjoyed the series very much, especially as relates to the historical myths of the Egyptian pantheon. I liked Percy Jackson and the Olympians a bit more though, mainly because I know more about the Greek pantheon, and like more of the gods/goddesses. The Lost Hero, the first book in the Percy Jackson spin-off series, was published last year, and I really liked it too. They’re all worth reading. Has your daughter read all of the series’? What does she think so far?
I’m glad to see someone else enjoying the Kane Chronicles! I read the Percy Jackson series first and I love how Riordan works the different mythologies into his books. I think these are great adventure books for kids and I can’t wait to see how it continues to play out =)
I think all of Riordan’s YA stuff is great adventure stories for any age! 🙂 I also really appreciate how seamlessly he integrates his story and the mythologies of the various cultures. The adventures are great, of course, but there’s a lot more meat there that adults can enjoy too. It’s fun to read the stories and remember back to high school when I read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology — I love seeing how Riordan modernizes the gods without losing the history of their stories.