The Red Pyramid (novel)
Encyclopedia
The Red Pyramid is a 2010 fantasy
adventure novel
based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan
. It is the first novel in The Kane Chronicles
series, which tells of the adventures of modern day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his twelve-year-old sister Sadie Kane, as they discover that they are descended from the ancient Egyptian pharaoh
s Narmer
and Ramesses the Great
. Carter learns that he is a host of Horus
, and Sadie is a host of Isis
. The siblings have amulets. Carter has the Eye of Horus
, and Sadie has the Knot of Isis
. Their father, Julius Kane, attempts to summon Osiris
through the Rosetta Stone
, but also releases the five children of the "Demon Days": Horus, Set
, Isis, and Nephthys
. Osiris is confined by Set. Soon, Carter and Sadie scramble to Phoenix
, Arizona
, where they attempt to kill Set, and destroy his red pyramid
.
was Ancient Egypt. The idea of having a brother and sister who were multiracial
came from two siblings that he taught, as well as the fact that Egypt is an ancient multicultural society, although the European tradition has been to separate Egypt from African history.
said that Riordan "begins [the book] with a literal bang" and "the pace never flags as the narrative cuts between Carter and Sadie". The book also was listed in The Washington Post' s summer book club. 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". 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".
Best Book of 2010. It has also been shortlisted for the 2011 Red House Children's Book Award
.
A graphic novel
based on the book is planned to be released in 2012.
The second book in the series, The Throne Of Fire
was published on May 3, 2011.
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
adventure novel
Adventure novel
The adventure novel is a genre of novels that has adventure, an exciting undertaking involving risk and physical danger, as its main theme.-History:...
based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan
Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
. It is the first novel in The Kane Chronicles
The Kane Chronicles
The Kane Chronicles is a fictional trilogy by Rick Riordan about the adventures undertaken by Carter and Sadie Kane, the two main characters, in their quest to awaken the sun god,Ra.He is the god of all the gods or the supreme god. It is set in the modern United States, in the same sort of universe...
series, which tells of the adventures of modern day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his twelve-year-old sister Sadie Kane, as they discover that they are descended from the ancient Egyptian pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
s Narmer
Narmer
Narmer was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period . He is thought to be the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion and/or Ka, and he is considered by some to be the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, and therefore the first pharaoh of unified Egypt.The...
and Ramesses the Great
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
. Carter learns that he is a host of Horus
Horus
Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
, and Sadie is a host of Isis
Isis
Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
. The siblings have amulets. Carter has the Eye of Horus
Eye of Horus
The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health. The eye is personified in the goddess Wadjet...
, and Sadie has the Knot of Isis
Tyet
The tyet is an ancient Egyptian symbol of the goddess Isis; its exact origin is unknown. In many respects the tyet resembles an ankh, except that its arms curve down...
. Their father, Julius Kane, attempts to summon Osiris
Osiris
Osiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
through the Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
, but also releases the five children of the "Demon Days": Horus, Set
Set (mythology)
Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
, Isis, and Nephthys
Nephthys
In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys is a member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis, a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy and the god Osiris and as the sister-wife of Seth.Nephthys is regarded as...
. Osiris is confined by Set. Soon, Carter and Sadie scramble to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where they attempt to kill Set, and destroy his red pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
.
Origins
Riordan, a former middle-school social studies teacher, stated the idea for The Red Pyramid and The Kane Chronicles originated from the fact the only more popular subject than Ancient GreeceAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
was Ancient Egypt. The idea of having a brother and sister who were multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
came from two siblings that he taught, as well as the fact that Egypt is an ancient multicultural society, although the European tradition has been to separate Egypt from African history.
Major characters
- Carter Kane: He is fourteen and was a host of HorusHorusHorus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
. Since he was 8, when his mom died, he traveled with his father, Julius Kane. He is Sadie's older brother. - Sadie Kane: She is twelve and was a host of IsisIsisIsis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
. She loves gum and has lived with her grandparents since the age of six. Most suspect Sadie to be a diviner - Julius Kane: An Egyptian magician who is a host of OsirisOsirisOsiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
. He is Carter and Sadie Kane's father. His wife, Ruby Kane, died trying to seal away the chaos snake Aphophis in Cleopatra's NeedleCleopatra's NeedleCleopatra's Needle is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian obelisks re-erected in London, Paris, and New York City during the nineteenth century. The London and New York ones are a pair, while the Paris one comes from a different original site where its twin remains...
. - Amos Kane: An Egyptian magician who became a partial host of SetSet (mythology)Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
. 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. - Zia Rashid: An Egyptian magician who is a host of NephthysNephthysIn Egyptian mythology, Nephthys is a member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis, a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy and the god Osiris and as the sister-wife of Seth.Nephthys is regarded as...
. In the end of the first book, it is discovered that Iskandar made a shabti of Zia, and the real Zia is somewhere in a deep slumber. It is revealed in the second book that Zia is hidden where her village was destroyed, with the Crook and Flail of Ra. Carter finds her in a coffin made of water, to contain the power of Nephthys. - Bast: The Egyptian goddess of cats. She becomes the Kane children's protector after Sadie calls for her to defend and help the children while in Amos's mansion. She was released by Ruby Kane, who died trying to seal the chaos snake Aphophis in Cleopatra's NeedleCleopatra's NeedleCleopatra's Needle is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian obelisks re-erected in London, Paris, and New York City during the nineteenth century. The London and New York ones are a pair, while the Paris one comes from a different original site where its twin remains...
. She loves the Kane children so much she thinks of them as her own "kittens". Her host in the mortal world is a cat named Muffin, who is Sadie's cat. - SetSet (mythology)Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos...
: The Egyptian god of chaos and evil, who is the main antagonist of book one. His ultimate plot is to, by his birthday, bring about destruction by means of constructing the Red Pyramid, for which the book is named.
Critical reception
The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said that Riordan "begins [the book] with a literal bang" and "the pace never flags as the narrative cuts between Carter and Sadie". The book also was listed in The Washington Post
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
thought the story was similar to Riordan's other works like The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
in terms of chapters, characters, and plot, but noted, "that's not all bad".
Awards
The Red Pyramid was named a School Library JournalSchool Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
Best Book of 2010. It has also been shortlisted for the 2011 Red House Children's Book Award
Red House Children's Book Award
The Red House Children's Book Award is a series of literary prizes for works of children's literature published during the previous year. The prize was known as the Children's Book Award from its inauguration in 1981...
.
Publication history
The Red Pyramid had a first printing of one million copies. The series is planned to come out one book a year to build aniticipation.A graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
based on the book is planned to be released in 2012.
The second book in the series, The Throne Of Fire
The Throne of Fire
The Throne of Fire is a 2011 fantasy adventure novel based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the second novel in The Kane Chronicles series, which tells of the adventures of modern day fourteen-year-old Carter Kane and his thirteen-year-old sister Sadie Kane, as they discover...
was published on May 3, 2011.
External links
- Official USA website for series
- Official UK website for series
- http://kanechronicles.wikia.com/wiki/The_Kane_Chronicles_Wiki/Official Complete Online Wiki for the The Kane ChroniclesThe Kane ChroniclesThe Kane Chronicles is a fictional trilogy by Rick Riordan about the adventures undertaken by Carter and Sadie Kane, the two main characters, in their quest to awaken the sun god,Ra.He is the god of all the gods or the supreme god. It is set in the modern United States, in the same sort of universe...
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