Rick Riordan is most famous for the Percy Jackson series, which he published in 2005. However, the popularity of these books led to the creation of an entire universe filled with warriors and demigods following various ancient gods, including the Egyptian gods. The first book in this series, “The Red Pyramid,” was released in 2010.
The book uses a framing device in which two siblings, Carter and Sadie Kane, pass a tape recorder back and forth as they recount their story. They explain how they discovered that the Egyptian gods—the very ones their parents dedicated their lives to studying—are real and, in fact, need their help to prevent doomsday. With only a week to stop the end of the world, learn to control magic and uncover what happened to their parents, the story is an exciting blend of ancient mythology and modern-day adventure.
The characters are well-developed, from the siblings playfully teasing each other to the gods, who are complex figures with their own motives. Even the warriors hunting them down add to the intrigue. Readers will find characters to root for, and the way the ancient world of the gods intertwines with the modern one is especially fascinating—particularly in how it connects to the previously established Greek and Roman gods in Riordan’s universe.
Rating: 7/10
