The Throne of Fire
The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles, #2)by Rick Riordan
Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride. (goodreads.com)
Hmm, this summary makes up for the last two lame ones. Need to make sure my review is at least as long as this. Good grief. (Yes, I could very well write my own but I suck at that immensely.)I was super excited to read this book, which is why when I was finally able to go out and buy books last weekend it was the first one I picked up. (I might have left the store with seven books in total, which was actually me being very reserved with my buying...) Unfortunately I just can't get into anything I read this month (which is why I have only read a total of 6 books so far, when last year I read 12 in June!) I struggled through Throne of Fire because I knew that I was enjoying it, I just didn't feel like reading it. But I WANTED to read! I just didn't want to. Does that make sense?As is the norm with Rick Riordan novels, there were a ton of laugh out loud moments. I even contemplated taking notes while reading to remind myself what pages the best lines were on so I could share them with you. However, I was having enough time trying to focus on reading the book that I didn't think adding some steps to the process would be the smartest thing I could do. You'll have to trust me on this one - I cracked up a LOT while reading the book.I am still holding to the fact that I like this series better than Percy Jackson. I think it's better written (I think) and I find the humour a lot funnier. There is something about the plot and action that hooks me a little better as well. I have yet to read The Lost Hero which is set in the same world as PJ and I have heard great things about it so I will read it at some point. That series I think I will collect in paperback. The only reason I am going hard cover with the Kane Chronicles is because I got the first book in HC at BEA last year. My book OCD will not allow me to change the other books lest the series look out of sorts on my shelf. (I say this as if the books are actually on a shelf and not in a pile on the floor since I have no shelves and need some desperately.)Look at me saying a whole lot of nothing about the book just to fill some space. Heh.My one problem with the series is that I keep forgetting how young Carter and Sadie are supposed to be. Sadie only turns 13 in this story and I have hard time thinking she's that young. Especially since she's all gaga for Walt who is sixteen. Am I that old and crotchety already that a relationship between a 12-year-old (now 13) and a sixteen-year old is creepy? I know three years is no big when you get older, but for some reason that just made my skin crawl. Plus I didn't really get Walt's deal. (Or even get his name right since I have called him Will all this time and only noticed I got his name wrong when I was proof reading.) Carter and Zia also bugged me. I guess I just enjoy these books as adventure stories and I don't need the added love story to muck it up. Now is it there because publishers and authors feel that every story now needs some sort of romantic angle like Twilight? Is it there because at the ages of 13 and 14 these crushes and obsessions happen normally (because they do seem like normal every day teen activity). Is it there to try to grab more girl readers? I don't know. There could be many reasons, I just don't like it. I am apparently old and crotchety. Sigh. (In my defence I wouldn't have liked that aspect of the story when I was a teen either, so maybe I was just born old and crotchety.)Based on the ending of this installment of the series I am extra curious and excited to read the next book (which I believe should be the final book). Some interesting things happened that I can't wait to see where they go.Maybe this summer I'll see if I can find myself a copy of The Lost Hero so I can get another Riordan fix. His books always seem to make me laugh and I need that more and more these days!Kane Chronicles