"The Red Pyramid" by Rick Riordan

First, a word from the publisher: “Since his mother’s death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter’s been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants—school friends and a chance at a “normal” life. But Carter has just what Sadie longs for—time with their father. After six years of living apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.“

My significant other and I started reading this book before bed a few months back. We picked it with the expectations that it would be a straight-forward read. After all, I figured that it might be hard to retain details and anticipate plot twists if we were both half-asleep. Now that we’ve finished the book, what are my thoughts?

Here’s my one-sentence summary: Red Pyramid is a globe-trotting YA novel that brings together threads of ancient Egyptian mythology, coming of age, and saving the world.

What Worked For Me:

The work is an easy read, just as I had hoped. We were both able to pick up the work without issue even after a few week’s break.
The work never dropped a YIKES bombshell like Percy Jackson (e.g. that ADHD was the source of the MC’s superpowers).
Though I am not an expert on Egypt or its mythology, the book gives the impression of being well researched. It includes old legends, hieroglyphs, and includes lots of ancient Egyptian gods in its plot, after all.
Both of the MCs are likeable, and their interplay was enjoyable. As brother and sister, they can be hard on each other, but their interactions never cross into mean-spirited or cruel.
Though it is far from a focus in the work’s narrative, the author recognizes the existence of white supremacy in the Western world and says “ACAB.” Nice.
Set, the work’s primary antagonist, turns out to have a really fun, over-the-top personality. Though this isn’t really revealed until the last few chapters of the book, he has a big “dastardly,” mustache-twirling energy about him. He even does finger guns, which basically confirms that he’s family.
The work does a good job setting up for a sequel while still closing more than a few plot threads that were set up.

What Didn’t:

(nit-pick) On one hand, the MCs (who are 14 and 12, respectively) feel a bit too capable for their age. In this way, Red Pyramid reminds me of other YA fiction like Artemis Fowl. On the other hand, it’s a YA novel and the MCs more-or-less end up superheroes by the end of the work. As such, it seems a little silly to nit-pick their capacity.
(nit-pick) I was spoiled on the book’s ending by the publisher’s pitch for the graphic novel adaptation of The Kane Chronicles. This isn’t the book’s fault, of course, but it’s definitely not how I wanted to experience the book’s plot.

Conclusion:

As we hoped, the work was a fun bed-time read. Moreover, I could see how the framing of the work (that it was the voice recordings of two magical young adults) could appeal to the YA audience. Ultimately, we liked the book enough to by the next one in the series (The Throne of Fire); that’s about the clearest endorsement I can give.

Check it out here.