When the Percy Jackson series came to a close with The Last Olympian, many readers were left despondent. With no promise as to whether they would ever see Percy again (which they will), young fans were thrilled with the release of The Red Pyramid, the first book in The Kane Chronicles. Does it live up to their expectations of tensely woven action, witty (if unrealistic) dialogue, and a fantastic world-within-a-world?
In a word: Yes.
The Red Pyramid begins with Carter and Sadie Kane's father blowing up the Rosetta stone and promptly being kidnapped by supernatural forces. (Read the first chapter here.) What follows is the wonderful but chaotic romp that usually occurs when gods and humans meet. Because of the subject material (children connected to the gods through a hidden past, unusual powers, saving the world on a schedule, etc) it feels much like the Percy Jackson books. Riordan does not, however, plagiarize his own material. The Red Pyramid is a story all to its self.
Title list:
Book one: The Red Pyramid
Book two: TBA (release date Spring 2011)
Book three: TBA (release date Spring 2012)
Ups:
A homeschooled character--Finally!
Exciting; non-stop action
Good narrative, no distracting habits on the
writer's part
No cussing (that I can recall)
No inappropriate sex, drugs, or alchol
Downs:
Oh my G*d's
Flat characters (because Carter and Sophie switch off narrating,
we don't see in to their heads like we see into Percy's)
Unbelievable dialogue (while amusing it is much to "action hero-ish"
to sound plausible from a twelve year old and fourteen year old.)
"Transcription" narrative device doesn't work.
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