The Kane Chronicles #2: The Throne of Fire

Rick Riordan has really come into his own as a storyteller. His books are easy to devour, full of suspense and intrigue. There's never a dull moment to be had. Best of all, he's so methodical with research, reading his books makes you SMARTER. With his CAMP HALF-BLOOD books, I'd forgotten a lot of

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Greek/Roman mythology (or never knew it in the first place), so reading about Percy Jackson & Co. really opened my mind. This is even more true when it comes to THE KANE CHRONICLES. I know nothing about Egyptian mythology. I love every nuance Riordan throws our way. Reading THE RED PYRAMID last year and THE THRONE OF FIRE now, I have learned so much. I love these books!

While the two CAMP HALF-BLOOD series are still my favorites, I have a soft spot for THE KANE CHRONICLES as well. I love the alternating point of view between Carter and his sister Sadie. Whenever they bicker, it reminds me of days long past with my own siblings. Riordan excels at portraying their relationship. At times, the gimmick of using a recording device to tell the story gets old. I hate being pulled out of the moment because one of the siblings "says something" into the microphone at the beginning of a new chapter set or in brackets between paragraphs. At the same time, I can see the need for such a device with two POVs. Riordan's books are being put out so fast now, I've noticed that the last couple of books have let silly editing errors slip in. This also pulls me out of the story, but there weren't as many mistakes as the last novel, so it's getting tighter. Overall, the story is captivating enough to make these small errors easy to overlook.

THE THRONE OF FIRE once again takes us on a worldwide adventure with kids racing against time. This time, they're joined by new recruits, kids who have found the audio tape from THE RED PYRAMID and come to study with the Kane siblings at Brooklyn House. While none of the new kids are overly fleshed out, we do get to learn more about two in particular, especially Walt, a boy with a scary secret. I have a feeling that these characters will be fleshed out in the third book (Riordan has stated that he feels KANE will be a trilogy, but may go longer). Riordan also pulls on your heartstrings by bringing back characters from the first book in unexpected ways. Riordan is also deft when it comes to portraying the Gods and Goddesses. Expect the unexpected by everyone, be they previous friends or foes. The kids are too comfortable around the gods; when they bite back, the moments give readers chills. My favorite part is when the journey to find Ra actually *begins* and the magic begins coming together. The siblings must work together to once again save the world...for now.

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The Throne of Fire is a good follow up to The Red Pyramid. We have some great new characters, like Walt, Bes, and Jaz, as well as a bunch of old favorites. I found it to be typical Riordan style. If you’ve read any of his other YA books, they all have the same feel to them. They are extremely

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fast paced, with tons of action. He absolutely loves cliffhangers, and will leave a character in peril for a few chapters while he switches to another character’s point of view. Or a character will be about to reveal some critical piece of information and then gets interrupted. It can also get confusing at times, especially if you’re not well versed in Egyptian mythology. I found the Percy Jackson books a bit easier to follow because I have a better knowledge of Greek mythology. While certain parts are predictable, overall the novel still had some great surprises, and I think it’s a great read overall.

I also thought this book had some really good messages, some excellent food for thought, but it happened very naturally. During their journeys the Kane siblings have to travel through the underworld, which brings up some fascinating thoughts on life, death, and souls. I'm very interested to see where this series heads next. The book does leave some unanswered questions by the end, and we'll have to wait until the 3rd book to get any answers!

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Rick Riordan never fails to impress. This is the eighth book of his I've ever read (Percy Jackson/first Kane Chronicles/first Heroes of Olympus) and I'm still hooked. Every book seems to impress and amaze me even more than the last with edge-of-your-seat action, cheer-worthy protagonists, witty and

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unforgettable characters, quick pacing and an overall excellent story that's just fun to read.

And Throne of Fire is no exception to the standard.

Throne of Fire continues the adventures of the Kane siblings Carter and Sadie. After learning about the truth behind their heritage, the House of Life and the very realy existence of the Egyptian gods in The Red Pyramid, the two are thrown into yet another adventure where life and death hang in the balance. What started as just a simple museum break-in to "borrow" a much-needed Egyptian artifact quickly spirals into more, leaving Sadie and Carter running for their lives and fighting to defend the House of Life from the most notorious of gods.

There really isn't much for me to talk about here. I will note though, that their isn't anything incredibly unexpected for a Riordan novel here -but there doesn't have to be (at least, I don't think so). Riordan delivers more action and witty humor that's the perfect addition to the Riordan library. Fans of The Red Pyramid and other Riordan works will devour Throne of Fire.

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The second book of the Kane Chronicles. Think of the Percy Jackson series, only based in Egyptology. I'm more partial to that other Riordan series; the characters seem more fully realized, and I'm more familiar with Greek mythology. But this is a fun read; siblings Sadie and Carter Kane must

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undergo a series of challenges and ordeals to prevent the coming rise of Apophis, the Chaos snake, whose goal is to tip the world balance toward chaos and destruction of all civilization. Just as in the Lightning Thief series, we have pitched battles against otherworldly beings, light humor and intriguing plots and characters.

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Book Two in the Kane Chronicles.
Carter and Sadie Kane continue their adventures in mastering their magical abilities and learning more about their Egyptian mythological heritage. Many of the their old friends/enemies are back from Book One (The Red Pyramid) and few new friends (and enemies) with

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interesting abilities make an appearance.
While enjoying learning more about Egyptian mythology in this
series, I still find that I enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series more. Carter and Sadie seem to get into lots
of trouble, but resolutions to their problems are a bit too
quick for me.
Expect more books in the series (and I plan to read each and
every one).

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Fantastic sequel to the first Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid. I just love these books, I love the back and forth of Sadie and Carter narrating their journey to awaken Ra. The story had plenty of adventure and humor. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Carterr and Sadie continue there modern mythological adventures in this second book in Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series. As in the last book, the plot moves along despite the characters. The dual narrators is still annoying. When Carter is narrating, the narration is just that, telling what is

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happening. Sadie is still whiny, though she seems to whine about things she should have feelings about, rather than whine about everything. She still seems like an annoying little sister, which she is, but there is more maturity, which makes this book much more readable than the first. The story is more about the mythology and less about other magicians, which was also a plus. I thought that this was a more enjoyable than the first, and look foreward to more adventures, especially if the author is able to make his method of storytelling less important than the story itself.

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I think I may be getting too old for these kinds of books (I know - gasp!). Or perhaps Egyptian mythology doesn't hold that much charm for me. I also forgot most of what happened in The Red Pyramid when I started this one. It seemed like there were an awful lot of new characters - was I supposed to

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have remembered them from the last book? This novel was entertaining, though. The plot is pretty straightforward - Apophis, the god of Chaos, wants to take over the world. To save the day, Carter and Sadie have to revive the sun god, Ra, going on a quest around the world and underworld to do so. I just felt the book was at least 100 pages too long. While it was mildly suspenseful, and there were some funny parts (Bes, the dwarf god, is probably the best character), they fell short of really keeping my attention. But I bet if I were 11, I would've really loved it. And I will read the next book when it comes out.

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egptian gods, magic, and brining order to the universe out of chaos...its all here. while this book honestly felt more slap stick than say the Percy Jackson series, this sequel to the red pyramid was a delight to read. great humor and a cast of characters that shall bedazzel readers for sure, its

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well worth reading. there is definetly a great level of depth and a great level of fun for any perspective reader. so, if you dare walk the path of egyptian gods and face monsters and challenges beyond all ken, this book is for you, so long as you also enjoy a good laugh.

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This is an Excellent book, it is much better then the first book the RED PYRAMID because the characters are put in more depth and the story is much better

Apophis is rising and Sadie, Carter and other kids with the blood of pharoahs are on a quest to stop him.
To do this they must awaken the sun god Ra. They soon the get the help of Bes the dwarf god who helps them throughout their quest. They are also being hunted by a evil magician who is under the

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control of Apophis. They find Ra but he isn't quite sane. Although Apophis was pervented from rising he will be back. Also Carter and Sadie must find a way to bring Ra back to his former glory or the gods will kill them.
I love all of Rick Riordan's books. He is one of my favorite authors. I also loved his other seires Percy Jackson. I have read all of the books from that series and i intend to read any other book he writes including the rest of the Kane Chornicals when they come out. I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read. It is creative and i love the duel narrating. It is truly a great book.

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My Summary: A few months after their battle with Set, Sadie and Carter are doing really well - they've begun training 20 new trainees at their house in Brooklyn, and they've been continuing their own magical training at the same time. The only thing nagging at them is their lack of power - after

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hosting Isis and Horus and using the power of the gods, their own magic seems weak and ineffective. But the Kanes know the dangers of hosting the gods for too long - lesser magicians literally burn up when they try.

One night when Sadie and Carter are sent to steal a scroll from a museum, things go horribly wrong. Sadie and Carter escape, only to realize that their troubles are just beginning....

My Thoughts: You know that old myth that sequels are always worse than the first book in a series? Rick Riordan's books are the exception, no matter what series you're reading.

I loved this book (probably a little more than the first!), and I loved the way the characters have grown since the first book. In a few short months their worlds have been turned upside-down, but Sadie and Carter still managed to pull through stronger than ever. I also liked that there were relationships in this one - it had enough romance to appease any stray romantics who happened to be reading it.

I think what makes Rick Riordan's books so appealing is the way he writes his characters: they are nowhere near perfect, and they make these huge, ginormous mistakes, but in the end they know what they have to do, and they sacrifice their own happiness to do it.

And of course the writing and structure of the book was awesome -being his eighth book, I'd be surprised if it wasn't!

Final Thoughts: Yet another awesome read from the king of mythology! I recommend this series (and his other series too!) to everyone who has ever been interested in Greek, Roman, or Egyptian mythology (or if you're bored of the usual paranormal romances).

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This is the second book in the Kane Chronicles by Riordan. The Kane Chronicles is supposed to be a trilogy with the third, and final, book being released in Spring of 2012. This was a great addition to the series.

Carter and Sadie are back at home training their initiates in the use of the old

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prohibited magic of the Egyptian gods. Then via dreams and messages they realize that they must find the Book of Ra and wake Ra in seven days or the world will end. Of course nothing is ever easy and Carter and Sadie have a billion obstacles to overcome if they are going to get the pages of the book of Ra.

This was a fast-paced and action filled follow-up to the first book in this series. There is a lot of humor woven throughout the story and I found myself laughing outloud a number of times and really enjoying Riordan's writing style. I don't know nearly as much about Egyptian mythology as I do about Greek mythology; so there are lots of interesting things in this book to learn about Egyptian mythology. It is also interesting to watch Sadie and Carter struggle to work through problems together as a family when they still don't know each other that well.

I was a bit disappointed that Bast wasn't in the story more, she is hands down my favorite character in this series. She is replaced by the God of Dwarves who was an okay character, but kind of gross and not nearly of funny as Bast. I am going to be honest and say that I am still not totally sold on Carter and Sadie; I don't know if I just don't relate to them well or what but I just don't find them as engaging as Percy and his friends.

A lot happens in this story and it ends well, but I am eager to see what happens in the next installment of the series when the group finally takes on the God Apropos.

Overall an excellent addition to this series. Full of interesting Egyptian mythology and lots of adventure and action. I am still not totally sold on Carter and Sadie, and because of that I was a bit slower reading this book than the Percy Jackson ones. I still really enjoyed it; there is a lot of humor and the book is hard to put down. I am eager to see how all of this concludes in the third book. Definitely a good series for those who enjoyed Percy and the Olympians. I would also recommend checking out the Theodosia series by R.L. LaFevers; this series is also humorous and features Egyptian mythology, although it is told from the viewpoint of a young girl.

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The second book in the Kane Chronicles starts off with a bang: Sadie and Carter are breaking into the Brooklyn Museum, on a crazy quest to reunite the pieces of the Book of Ra before the spring equinox and the release of Chaos upon the world.

The action is pretty much nonstop from there, leaving

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little time for me to remember the characters or past events from the first book. I could see how this could be an appealing book for its intended audience of upper elementary to middle school age kids. Despite being over 400 pages, the pace stays fast and the pages turn quickly. But I had a tough time believing in such high stakes, made more difficult by not connecting enough with the characters to care that much about what was happening to them on a microlevel - and if I don't care about the end of the world or Sadie and Carter, there's going to be a problem. The Egyptian mythology is interesting, but there's so much more explaining necessary for them than there are in the Greek mythology series (Percy Jackson et al.) that you don't get that sly, humorous nod of recognition when a new god or goddess or demigod is introduced. A fair read, but only recommended to those already interested in the series.

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Decent suspence but terrible plot. No conclusion, no stopping place, not even a getting back together of the main characters. Since the next book in the series is just as likely to just stop, I'll probably not read another and end up dissapointed at the lack of a stopping place.

Riordan's previous

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greek mythology series reached places to end each book. This series based on interacting with the Egyptian gods does not have those plot or scene changes to stop a book. Instead, the text simply cuts off at page 450 in the middle of several happenings.

Riorden's use of two alternating narrators remains confusing throughout the entire book for me.

I have read all Riordan's Greek god series, and both of his Egyptian god series. To me, this series is not as effective due to lack of pauses in the plot for book endings, and the additional of a dual narrator presentation which confuses me every few pages.

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I won't provide any spoilers about the book. As far as the plot goes, we join Sadie and Carter again. They're back in Brooklyn, NY and training new recruits in preparation for stopping Apophis from rising and bringing about the end of the world. They are joined by a few old friends, including Khufu

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the baboon, and some new friends, as they seek to find Ra and bring him back to the living world. The Egyptian gods are about in bounds and some are trying to stop Sadie and Carter from succeeding.

This is an action packed book and we pick up only a couple of months after the events of the last book. Just the like the previous book, Riordan alternates which sibling is telling the story, providing a different view point for the actions occurring. And to me that's a strong selling point of the series. Either gender can get into reading the book and recognizing aspects of themselves in the characters and how they tell the story from the view point. And unlike other authors that take liberties with either making characters sound to old, or to young, or just acting like how they think kids today act, Riordan is fairly close to life. You can actually imagine all of the kids that you meet existing in the real world, perhaps without the magic, but their actions and the way they move are very life like.

One of my favorite aspects of this series and the Percy Jackson series, is that Riordan brings a historical element to his books. And all of it is well researched and interesting to read. If only these books had been around when I was kid I would have remembered the Egyptian and Greek/Roman gods a whole lot better. I can't imagine a better way to introduce someone to different cultures than this series.

I so looked forward to reading this book and I wasn't disappointed at all. It was an action packed page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. And now I eagerly await the next (and supposedly final) volume of the series to find out what happens to the Kane's and their friends.

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This is a great second book to the Kane series. In the last book Carter and Sadie Kane found out that they are descendants from two major Egyptian pharaoh blood-lines. they also found out that they were each hosting a god witch at the end of the book they "released".
They start the book off with a

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great hook. it starts off with Carter and Sadie with two new recruits named Walt and Jaz. they are at museum trying to find the first out of 3 scrolls to reawaken the sun god Ra. they find it and as soon as Sadie picks it up spirits come out and attack. after that a battle breaks loose and Jaz ends up sacrificing herself to save the other three.
In the book it is just battle after battle with a few puzzles here and there. Rick Riordan is my favorite author, I love mythology and he takes the three best known gods, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian, and made them into there own series. i think mythology is great topic to write about because there are endless possibilities of what you can do with it. i think its funny because Rick Riordan makes little references to his other books.
the book Throne of Fire is full of excitement from one page to another. Even when Carter and Sadie are in an nursing home he finds a way to fit in a huge back story and still have time to have allot of excitement.
The book great overall, with them going to an under world nursing home for the gods to an invisible mansion on top of a factory in New York the Kane's adventures never seem to stop. I can't wait for the next book that Rick Riordan publishes

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A very exciting sequel to the Red Pyramid. It includes a lot of information on Egyptian mythology. I loved it!

After the horrors that happened in [The Red Pyramid], Carter and Sadie Kane, one of the two most powerful magicians in the world, sent messages to unknown kid magicians to help them fight and to regain Order from Chaos. In this world, Earth is filled with Egyptian gods, goddesses, monsters, and

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deities, and their personalities are very human and sometimes deadly. And the most deadly god of all is Apophis, a god who spent millennia fighting with Bast, the cat goddess. Now that she escaped, Apophis’s prison is slowly deteriorating, and at the spring equinox he’ll break out and swallow the sun making Chaos rule all.

And as their journey begins, Carter and Sadie realize the only way to defeat Apophis is to awake the old sun God Ra. Problem is, he is retired and hopelessly senile. And the other problem is that they need the Book of Ra, which is currently well guarded in three different places, one of those is in the possession of Vladimir Menshikov, the third most powerful magician in the world, and a minion to Apophis.

The task ahead will be difficult and dangerous, but if they fail, Chaos will take over forever.

This book is the sequel to [The Red Pyramid], and it’s just as “good” as the first one. I used to like Rick Riordan’s book, but now that I’m older, it’s just not targeted for me anymore. Oh well, I’m still a diehard Rick Riordan fan.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars *** ½ (Although any time I read a book where I’m a diehard fan of a particular author, subject, or theme, the rating automatically goes up at least 1-1 ½ stars, so make this rating as you will)

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This story is written by Rick Riordan, the guy who wrote the (awesome) Percy Jackson series. Sadie and Carter Kane come back... as teachers who teach the kids some "magic" (blood of the pharaohs kind of magic). Later, they were going to steal from the Brooklyn museum as per their plan of restoring

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Ra (the Sun God) to the throne of the gods. Later, Sadie wants to spend her birthday in London when it turns out as a trap when the vulture goddess and a baboon god starts attacking her. They travel to the 18th Norm when they find Vlad talking (on friendly terms) with the "forces of Chaos". Later they go to Egypt, so that Carter can find Zia (his crush), and for the information of restoring Ra to the throne. Sadie goes through to the dead people (that are MOVING o_0) to get the info. Carter goes through water to get to the sleeping Zia. They then later go through the Duat (spiritual world, kind of) and goes through and gets Ra back on the throne... when it went wrong.

This book is very reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series, very obvious considering it's written by the same author. There's even references to it (like the pegasus that Carter sees), and they're one of my favorite parts. I really like the turnabout ending, because Ra didn't just return to normal. You just have to wait until the end of the triology. The characters have a nice sense of humor/sarcasm, and some nice plot development. There are some parts that are the unpredictable, like how Ra didn't join up with a part of himself. I really liked how they complained though, like Sadie in the zombie tombs, where she starts panicking and starts to snap at her brother through the record of the video.

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The Kanes have to find the three pieces of a scroll to help Ra come back to the world, bring Ra back and survive evil plotting. They're still not sure who is trustworthy but they have to keep trying to fight the good fight, Not doing anything is against their nature and would probably lead to the

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end of the world anyway, so they have to do something.

It's not a bad series, it's just not really coming to life for me, the characters aren't really clear or do I really care all that much what happens to them, which is kinda sad cause otherwise it is quite interesting, I'm just looking forward to seeing how this sequence wraps up.

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The Throne of Fire, by Rick Riordan brings readers on an action packed sci-fi adventure! Journying all over the world, Carter and Sadie are teenage Egyptian magicians, training others that have the potential to become great magicians.

After what happened at the Red Pyramid (which is in The Red

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Pyramid, the prequal to The Throne of Fire) Carter and Sadie train kids and teens that have the "blood of the pharohs" to be magicians. Since Apophis is rising Carter and Sadie have to think of a plan to stop him from taking over the Earth. They have a plan to awaken Ra (the king of the gods) but getting the scrolls to do it might not be worth it.

I thought The Throne of Fire was an amazing book! I could just imagine battling deadly monsters with Carter and Sadie or hanging out with all the trainees at brooklyn house. Rick Riordan is an amazing author and his writing is awesome, you can pick up one of his books, enter his world and stay there for as long as you want.

I really liked this book because it was different than alot of the books I have read, and it was interesting learning about all the gods in Egyptian mythology. That is why I rated this book five stars.

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Carter and Sadie Kane are a typical young adult brother and sister - who just happen to be descendants of Egyptian pharaohs. Gifted magicians, the two have put out a call to other such talented teens and The Throne of Fire picks up shortly after The Red Pyramid with the Kane siblings providing

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training for their new recruits. Faced with a quest to wake the sun god Ra and prevent Apophis from destroying the world, Carter and Sadie must use their array of magic, brains and strength with powerful human magicians and a host of Egyptian gods joining the fight as both allies and foes.

Rick Riordan has mastered the art of modernizing the history and culture of ancient civilizations. Myths and magic are blended so naturally into the story that the novel is fully enjoyable while simultaneously providing the skills to sweep an Egyptian Gods & Goddesses Jeopardy category. The book is also told in alternating perspectives by both Carter and Sadie (who provide amusing chapter titles and humorous asides to each other throughout the narration). Along with creating two unique voices with which to frame the story, Riordan ensures that the adventures will appeal equally to male and female readers.

A good mix of laughter, action, and education, The Throne of Fire is an exciting continuation of The Kane Chronicles. Rumored to conclude in a yet untitled book three (possibly released spring of 2013), the worst part about this book will be waiting for what comes next.

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The Throne of Fire is the second book in Riordan's 'Kane Chronicles' series. Similar to his Percy Jackson series, this book follows the life of kids with a connection to a magical mythical past…in this case, the world of Egyptian gods and goddesses.

As in the first novel in the series, this book

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alternates narrators between brother and sister Sadie and Carter Kane. The first book was more a book of discovery and introduction to the world. They learned about their ties to Egyptian past and their abilities to wield magic through their ties to the House of Life.

This second book takes us on a new journey of adventure in which the Kanes are hunted both by human magicians from the House of Life (who are against magicians aligning themselves with the gods) and from the Egyptian gods and goddesses who are trying to free Apophis, the ancient lord of Chaos who will destroy the world.

In the previous book, Carter and Sadie were serving as vessels for the gods Horus and Isis. In this book, they still have links to those gods but no longer posses their essence/skill. Thus, the young novices are in even more dire straits than before. Fortunately they have allies willing to help them, but only to an extent. Even with the help of some minor gods, the Kanes still have to do a lot of the heavy work themselves.

There are also strange moments of romantic tension in the book. Carter is pining after the co-starring heroine from the first book (Zia) and Sadie is caught in a love triangle between the god Anubis and a mortal magician she's training. Carter is a little older than Sadie (I think he's 14 and she's 13 in this book), but they still seem a little young to be having so many romantic thoughts…especially in the middle of a world-ending crisis. I guess moments of intensity can lead to intense emotions, but the romantic longings still felt misplaced. Fortunately they weren't terribly overt.

I still find this series a bit slower read than the Percy Jackson series but at the same time it's a bit more interesting and educational since I know less about the Egyptian mythos. I really enjoy the alternate voices of Carter and Sadie. They are both sarcastic and witty but they also have distinct tones and reactions, which makes the narrative deeper and more engaging. I also had a lot of fun with some of the new characters introduced to the mix (the god Bes was very funny).

I found the adventure/plot of this book more intriguing than that of book 1. Looking back at the Red Pyramid, that plot from a high level is very much boilerplate adventure. While this second book still has a lot of standard tropes or cliches from adventure novels, the method of execution felt more fresh and engaging and left me enjoying this book more than the first.

****
4 out of 5 stars

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