The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles Series #1) by Rick Riordan (audio)

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

My thoughts:
I listened to this book in the car with my children.  We loved Riordan's Percy Jackson series as well as the first two books in the Lost Hero series, so this seemed like  it was going to be a good fit.  Something about this one though never managed to grab me.  My children seemed to like it well enough, but I had trouble getting into it and it took us forever to manage to get through it all.  Maybe because I am mostly unfamiliar with Egyptian gods, maybe because the characters were so sarcastic with each other and bickered so much, or maybe it was something else, but I would call this my least favorite of Riordan's books.  I am not sure I will be looking for any more books in the series.

After their mother's death six years ago Carter and Sadie were split up, Carter has been traveling with their archaeologist father and Sadie has lived in London with their maternal grandparents.  Once a year they get together but otherwise Carter lives out of suitcases like a nomad and Sadie has a pretty settled life.  On this one day their father unleashes 5 gods at the London Museum and then is imprisoned with one of them.  Carter and Sadie get a crash course in the powered they hold, magic they were unaware of, family members step out to help them, and they have to work together to put things right while traveling through the duwat, Europe, Egypt and the USA.  It almost felt like Riordan was using the same formula as he used for Percy Jackson and the other hero books and just changing it to Egyptian gods and folklore.  If my children are insistent enough I am sure we will read the next book, but I have no current plans to look for it.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781423113386
• Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
• Publication date: 5/4/2010
• Pages: 516
• Age range: 9 - 11 Years            

• Series:Kane Chronicles Series , #1

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Percy is confused. When he awoke after his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain-fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight. Somehow Percy managed to make it to the camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he had to continually kill monsters that, annoyingly, would not stay dead. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. When the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother claims he is descended from ancient heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery—although not good enough to help the Fifth Cohort win at war games. His big and bulky physique makes him feel like a clumsy ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough, even, to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far north as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all of whom are destined to play a part in the most important quest of all: the Prophecy of Seven.

My thoughts:
I am enjoying this new series.  I like that it is taking the characters from the Percy Jackson series and adding in new elements to keep it fun and exciting.  It  has kept the books from getting stale or feeling like the characters are doing the same thing again.

In book one Jason woke up with no real memory of who he is and where he was before being on a  class field trip.  Anabeth comes and take him, along with Piper and Leo, back to Camp Half Blood.  This time it is Percy who wakes up and find his way to Camp Jupiter, the camp for the Roman Demigods.  He is continually thrown by things being not as he thinks they should be.  Fawns as lazy beggars and Centaurs fighting for the enemy.  All campers, regardless of parentage rooming and fighting together in cohorts.  The problem is he can't remember why these things don't seem right.

Jason, Hazel and Frank go on a quest to Alaska to look for the Golden Eagle that was lost decades ago in a different quest.  But since death is being held captive, no one they kill stays dead, monsters and demigod alike, which makes it especially hard to get away from anyone or anything.  Along the way they meet Iris, Amazon's who work for Amazon.com in a plot to take over the world, giants, monsters and ghosts.  The three have to learn to trust each other with their pasts so they can move forward and work as a unit.

The flashbacks are well done and the narrator does a great job with the voices.  I think he is the same one who did the other five Percy Jackson audio books as well.  Book three does not come out until fall, but all of my children can't wait to see what happens on the next quest in the Prophesy of Seven.

Product Details

• ISBN-13: 9781423140597
• Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
• Publication date: 10/4/2011
• Pages: 544
• Sales rank: 183
• Age range: 9 - 11 Years

First Frost by Jennifer Estep

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2011

I am Gwen Frost, and I have a Gypsy gift. It’s called psychometry – that’s a fancy way of saying that I see images in my head and get flashes of other people’s memories off almost everything I touch, even guys. My gift makes me kind of nosy. Okay, okay, maybe a lot nosy—to the point of obsession sometimes. I want to know everything about everyone around me. But even I don’t want to know the secrets my friend Paige is hiding or the terrible loss that will send me to a new school – Mythos Academy, where the teachers aren’t preparing us for the SATs, but to battle Reapers of Chaos. Now I have no friends and no idea how my gift fits in with all these warrior whiz kids. The only thing I do know is that my life is never, ever going to be the same...



“Touch of Frost is an intriguing start to an exciting new series!” —Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready 11,000 Words

My thoughts:

I read this book in October, but then got sidetracked before reading more in the series.  I reviewed it at the time but then I was afraid that I had forgotten some of the details so I just reread it since it was pretty short. 

I do this a lot and then find out that I really do remember what had happened and feel a little silly about rereading in the first place, but it is nice to get back into the world of the characters and know that you aren't missing out on any details.

It will be interesting to see where the story line goes with the gods and monsters.  I am listening to Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan in the car so I am already immersed in a story about gods, it will be neat getting another authors take as most of the ones I've read have been by Riordan.  If you want a fuller review click on the link above and it will take you to some deeper thoughts from the fall!