What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kane Chronicles #2
The Throne of Fire
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2011)EVER since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed on the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister, Sadie, have been in big trouble.
As descendants of the magical House of Life, they command certain powers. But now a terrifying enemy - Apophis, the giant snake of chaos - is rising.
If Carter and Sadie don't destroy him, the world will end in five days' time. And in order to battle the forces of chaos, they must revive the sun god Ra - a feat no magician has ever achieved. Because first they must search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells . . .
Can the Kanes destroy Apophis before he swallows the sun and plunges the earth into darkness . . . forever?
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2011
About the author
Rick Riordan
415 books461k followersRick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,369 reviews
February 27, 2026
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: To work well, magical problem solving needs precedent. When 'anything goes' there's no tension. It's deus ex machina.
Notes: To work well, magical problem solving needs precedent. When 'anything goes' there's no tension. It's deus ex machina.
August 9, 2025
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Much coupling drama, godly trauma, low-brow, often cringy, it's pep-profuse but focus-loose and fairly logic-stingy.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Notes: Much coupling drama, godly trauma, low-brow, often cringy, it's pep-profuse but focus-loose and fairly logic-stingy.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
December 30, 2015
Me encanta la relación que tienen los Kane, nuevamente Rick abordando la mitología desde un punto de vista moderno, juvenil y divertido. Todo el viaje de los Kane para despertar a Ra y evitar que Apofis se libere y el caos consuma el mundo es maravilloso, inquietante, trepidante y lleno de aventuras imposibles de superar.
Espero leer pronto el tercer libro y cerrar esta saga
Espero leer pronto el tercer libro y cerrar esta saga
May 16, 2011
Read on the 16th of May 2011
This book was wonderful. I’m always entranced by Rick Riordan’s work. I adored Percy Jackson, and I always will, but I think it’s possible that if this series continues to way it is, I may end up liking it more. Both books in this series have been brilliant and Riordan knows exactly what he’s doing. One of the things I love about Riordan’s writing is how he adds in little sentences that let you know something crazy is going to happen like, “It started when we set Brooklyn on fire" or “Should I describe Waterloo Station as it was before or after we destroyed it?--things like that are just brilliant and you know you’re going to get a fabulous tale from the very beginning.
This book was a fast paced, never ending ride of awesome the entire way through (yeah, yeah, tacky but sue me). It was action packed and fun, with the perfect blend of friendship, humour and romance to draw you in and captivate you the entire way through.
It was great to see all the wonderful characters from the first book back, along with some new inclusions. Bes, Walt, Jaz were all excellent additions to a cast of characters that I love already. Carter and Sadie continue to be fabulous main characters and I love following them on their journeys. I feel like they’re both really growing as characters, especially Sadie, who is really beginning to shine and I find it adorable to watch her face her boy troubles just like every other teenager while trying to save the world. Then again, most teenagers don’t have the choice between a boy who’s dying and a god. Still Sadie is hanging in there and managing to lean things as she goes.
I admit that I don't have the same love for Carter as I do for Sadie. He's not quite as interesting and at times can be bland, but he's beginning to take shape too and I like character growth. I feel sorry for him with how the Zia situation turned out and I’m hoping to see things resolved as the series progresses.
Although I missed seeing Bast in this book, but I thought Bes was a terrific replacement. He was gross and grumpy and kind and funny and just a great guy. It was nice to have the dwarf god in the story and I’d love to see more of him, depending on whether or not Carter and Sadie can return him to his former glory that is.
The battle scenes within this book were many, and the fight scenes between Carter, Sadie and Apophis/ Vlad were interesting. I almost feel sorry for our two heroes. They went through so much and it almost seems like they didn’t gain anything. Desjardins is dead, Apophis is in the abyss (although it’s pretty obvious he’ll claw his way out sometime soon) and Amos is the new Chief Lector. Ra is still, well, senile and Zia apparently has some big destiny that we all know nothing about....things sure are exciting!
I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, although I have no idea when it will be released. Can’t wait regardless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2023
second Kane chronicles book, liked it better than the first the red pyramid!
August 11, 2019
“Sometimes, it takes us a while to appreciate something new, something that might change us for the better”.
No sé por qué me sorprendo, pero Rick Riordan lo hizo de nuevo. ¡Va otro más de sus libros a la lista de los que amo con todo mi corazón y que disfruto como una niña pequeña! En esta segunda entrega de Las Crónicas de Kane, Sadie y Carter siguen batallando contra el destino mismo para evitar que el Caos reine en la tierra y la serpiente Apofis reine sobre todos los dioses y mortales.
Cada vez las aventuras de los hermanos Kane van llegando a niveles más altos y el peligro no se queda atrás. Ambos son conscientes de que de ellos depende detener a fuerzas ancestrales que no van a dudar ni un segundo en matarlos para que dejen de estar en su camino. Lo que más me gusta de Carter y Sadie es que son chicos pequeños que se toman su responsabilidad muy en serio, pero que nunca dejan de actuar como lo que son. No se presentan como seres superpoderosos e inmortales, sino que afrontan las situaciones con ingenio y cautela. Y, a pesar de que tengan algunas habilidades y de vez en cuando cuenten con el favor de los dioses, también sienten miedo y nunca dejan su humanidad de lado.
Debo decir que en The Throne of Fire amé muchísimo que Sadie, además de intentar no morir y salvar al mundo del Caos, esté lidiando con problemas de chicos. Porque, claro, tenía que enamorarse de un chico que tiene una maldición que lo va a matar súper joven y de Anubis, el dios de la muerte. Normal, ¿verdad? Y, por otra parte, Carter... ay, pobrecito mío. Él también tiene sus propios problemas de corazones rotos con Zia.
Creo que quizá mi parte favorita de todo el libro fueron las pruebas finales para llegar hasta Ra, madre mía. Pero no puedo decir mucho porque spoilers... En fin, que definitivamente esta saga me ha sorprendido muchísimo y sigo sin saber por qué no la leí antes. Si son fans de Rick Riordan, la mitología egipcia y las historias llenas de aventuras, anímense a leer los libros de los Kane.
No sé por qué me sorprendo, pero Rick Riordan lo hizo de nuevo. ¡Va otro más de sus libros a la lista de los que amo con todo mi corazón y que disfruto como una niña pequeña! En esta segunda entrega de Las Crónicas de Kane, Sadie y Carter siguen batallando contra el destino mismo para evitar que el Caos reine en la tierra y la serpiente Apofis reine sobre todos los dioses y mortales.
Cada vez las aventuras de los hermanos Kane van llegando a niveles más altos y el peligro no se queda atrás. Ambos son conscientes de que de ellos depende detener a fuerzas ancestrales que no van a dudar ni un segundo en matarlos para que dejen de estar en su camino. Lo que más me gusta de Carter y Sadie es que son chicos pequeños que se toman su responsabilidad muy en serio, pero que nunca dejan de actuar como lo que son. No se presentan como seres superpoderosos e inmortales, sino que afrontan las situaciones con ingenio y cautela. Y, a pesar de que tengan algunas habilidades y de vez en cuando cuenten con el favor de los dioses, también sienten miedo y nunca dejan su humanidad de lado.
Debo decir que en The Throne of Fire amé muchísimo que Sadie, además de intentar no morir y salvar al mundo del Caos, esté lidiando con problemas de chicos. Porque, claro, tenía que enamorarse de un chico que tiene una maldición que lo va a matar súper joven y de Anubis, el dios de la muerte. Normal, ¿verdad? Y, por otra parte, Carter... ay, pobrecito mío. Él también tiene sus propios problemas de corazones rotos con Zia.
Creo que quizá mi parte favorita de todo el libro fueron las pruebas finales para llegar hasta Ra, madre mía. Pero no puedo decir mucho porque spoilers... En fin, que definitivamente esta saga me ha sorprendido muchísimo y sigo sin saber por qué no la leí antes. Si son fans de Rick Riordan, la mitología egipcia y las historias llenas de aventuras, anímense a leer los libros de los Kane.
July 15, 2017
3.5/5 stars
This was so fun! I love Carter and Sadie as characters and narrators, they're so sassy and fun and the best. However, the story and the conflict just hasn't been grabbing my attention. It's fun but not amazing? Would still recommend for fans of Riordan. It's not as good as his other stuff but it's still super fun!
This was so fun! I love Carter and Sadie as characters and narrators, they're so sassy and fun and the best. However, the story and the conflict just hasn't been grabbing my attention. It's fun but not amazing? Would still recommend for fans of Riordan. It's not as good as his other stuff but it's still super fun!
July 10, 2015
If I can say nothing else about Rick Riordan (RR) I will say he is without a doubt an entertaining storyteller no matter what age you are. While his Percy Jackson series are still my favorites I enjoyed this book more than The Red Pyramid.
The best thing about this book is that there are more kids. It just makes for a little more humor when you have kids interacting with other kids instead of adults. Now that Sadie and Carter are helping to train some new kids at Brooklyn house there is rooms for some new and interesting characters.
Carter and Sadie need to find a way to awaken Ra if they are going to beat Apophis (god of Chaos) but he has been missing for quite awhile and they will need to find some ancient artifacts to help them.
RR adds his own spin on Egyptian mythology and ‘The Gods’ that is entertaining, informative and interesting. I always feel like I’m learning about the culture as well as being entertained by the story. There were all kinds of new gods and obstacles to deal with along the way and Sadie and Carter have to prove even to the gods that want Ra to return they are strong enough to complete the task.
I love the sibling relationship between Cater and Sadie. They antagonize and provoke each other but they are also the firt to stand up and fight for their sibling if they are ever in danger. Sadie’s PoV chapters were my favorites but that is probably because she is so snarky and gets to have most of the funny lines.
Carter still feels responsible for Zia and has been trying to find her ever since he found out she was hidden away for her safety. But he might just be a little obsessed, so much so that he is seeing clues everywhere.
There is always something happening with all the mini quests before the big one and I will say that Ra really wasn’t what I was expecting, which kinda made it all the better. Who said waking up a god would be easy never went looking for one with and evil Ice Cream vendor hot on their trail.
Add in the hint of a blossoming romance between Sadie and Walt or Sadie and Anubus and this story has a little bit of everything. It is the cutest crush triangle I’ve read and I’m not sure which way I want it to go. All in all a fun and entertaining ride. Sure this is a MG book but it is just as fun for kids of all ages.
If you haven’t read the Percy Jackson series I’d say read that first (so much better than the movies). But if you have might as well expand your RR mythology and add a little Egyptian to it.
The best thing about this book is that there are more kids. It just makes for a little more humor when you have kids interacting with other kids instead of adults. Now that Sadie and Carter are helping to train some new kids at Brooklyn house there is rooms for some new and interesting characters.
“Felix believed that the answer to every problem involved penguins; but it wasn't fair to birds, and I was getting tired of teleporting them back home. Somewhere in Antarctica, a whole flock of Magellanic penguins were undergoing psychotherapy.”
Carter and Sadie need to find a way to awaken Ra if they are going to beat Apophis (god of Chaos) but he has been missing for quite awhile and they will need to find some ancient artifacts to help them.
RR adds his own spin on Egyptian mythology and ‘The Gods’ that is entertaining, informative and interesting. I always feel like I’m learning about the culture as well as being entertained by the story. There were all kinds of new gods and obstacles to deal with along the way and Sadie and Carter have to prove even to the gods that want Ra to return they are strong enough to complete the task.
I love the sibling relationship between Cater and Sadie. They antagonize and provoke each other but they are also the firt to stand up and fight for their sibling if they are ever in danger. Sadie’s PoV chapters were my favorites but that is probably because she is so snarky and gets to have most of the funny lines.
“Our camels plodded along. Katrina tried to kiss, or possibly spit on Hindenburg, and Hindenburg farted in response. I found this a depressing commentary on boy-girl relationships.”
Carter still feels responsible for Zia and has been trying to find her ever since he found out she was hidden away for her safety. But he might just be a little obsessed, so much so that he is seeing clues everywhere.
“Carter, not to be unkind," I said, "but the last few months you've been seeing messages about Zia everywhere. Two weeks ago, you thought she was sending you a distress call in your mashed potatoes."
"It was a Z! Carved right in the potatoes!”
There is always something happening with all the mini quests before the big one and I will say that Ra really wasn’t what I was expecting, which kinda made it all the better. Who said waking up a god would be easy never went looking for one with and evil Ice Cream vendor hot on their trail.
Add in the hint of a blossoming romance between Sadie and Walt or Sadie and Anubus and this story has a little bit of everything. It is the cutest crush triangle I’ve read and I’m not sure which way I want it to go. All in all a fun and entertaining ride. Sure this is a MG book but it is just as fun for kids of all ages.
If you haven’t read the Percy Jackson series I’d say read that first (so much better than the movies). But if you have might as well expand your RR mythology and add a little Egyptian to it.
June 2, 2026
Ick! I just can't with the incest vibes 🤮‼️
May 18, 2020
#1 The Red Pyramid ★★★★☆
#2 The Throne of Fire ★★★☆☆
#3 The Serpent's Shadow ★★★☆☆
“The right choice is hardly ever the easy choice.”
If you've seen my review for The Red Pyramid, the first book in this series, then you already know this trilogy had a brilliant start for me. I spent the entire first book so pleased and delighted, wondering why on earth nobody ever raves about this series like they do with RR's other series! Sadly, about halfway through this book, I began to see why, because it was a pretty big let-down from book 1.
My two complaints about The Red Pyramid were the pacing (certain important pieces of plot feeling very rushed and under-explained) and the forced romances, and both of those issues were just magnified further in this middle installment. On top of that, the parts of this book that weren't rushed created the opposite problem: they were slow and boring. I don't think I was genuinely happy with any of the pacing in this entire installment.
On top of that, the romance takes a big spotlight in this one, whether it's Carter's weird obsession with Zia, a girl he barely knows and who knows him even less, or Sadie and her creepy love triangle with Walt and Anubis, who is not a teen reincarnation in a modern body, but the literal, several-thousand-year-old god. Sure, he's in a 16-year-old boy's body (which is still a bit off — Sadie turns 13 in the beginning of this book), but it doesn't negate the fact that we have a 13-year-old trying to date this ancient, immortal entity. I honestly usually don't point out age gaps in MG or YA books this much, but everything about this ship skeeved me out.
There is still a lot of fun humor and adventure in this installment, and we meet some very lovable side characters, but all in all, I was pretty bummed out and had lost a lot of my enthusiasm for the trilogy by the time this one finished.
———
Buddy read with Ellyn! ♥
June 1, 2021
2021: 4.5⭐️ woooow qué increíble el recorrido de Sadie y Carter. Las interacciones de Zia, Walt, Bast, Bes y Anubis lo fueron todo. Gracias por otro libro A MA ZING. Háganse un favor y lean la trilogía.
2014: Nuevamente Rick Riordan me sorprende con uno de sus libros, Sadie y Carter siguen sus aventuras mientras tratan de salvar al mundo de su destrucción. No diré más porque no quiero spoilearlos, pero si aún no leen esta saga, les recomiendo leerla "Crónicas de Kane".
2014: Nuevamente Rick Riordan me sorprende con uno de sus libros, Sadie y Carter siguen sus aventuras mientras tratan de salvar al mundo de su destrucción. No diré más porque no quiero spoilearlos, pero si aún no leen esta saga, les recomiendo leerla "Crónicas de Kane".
May 14, 2019
The right choice is hardly ever the easy choice.
I think i've slowly found my grove with these characters and this story to start finally being able to enjoy it more than i did when i finished book one.
I do believe i'm still having trouble really connecting to this story in any sort of way and yes book two is a step up from book one however i'm still finding it difficult trying to love this story in any sort of way which sucks because i love rick riordan books.
Plot: One thing i do love about these books are that we always get a recap on the previous events of the book just incase we step away from these worlds so that's one thing i love about them. This book picks up with Sadie and Carter now training new students who have answered their call and display any sort of magical ability.
I actually did love the three month jump because it gave the characters a chance to grow and mature and this is what really grabbed my interest because i feel like they're all starting to come into their own. Sadie and Carters adventure is now taking them to find the last missing pieces of the book of Ra so they can bring the god back so they can get some help trying to defeat Apophis.
I loved the journey these two had because they both took different journeys but in the end they were both lead and met in the middle because everything slowly came together and it's something Rick does really well.
There are so many different little battles during the course of the book and it was hard to keep up with what was happening but there was so many different revelations for these characters and going forward things learned will either help or destroy things for better or worse.
One thing that really got to me from this book was how the Kanes managed to get an extra three hours to help them but it was at the cost of Bes losing his soul and this really got to me because he did so much to help these two just go be living in the assisted living community for the gods really just makes me incredibly sad.
Sometimes, it takes us a while to appreciate something new, something that might change us for the better.
Sadie and Carter have a huge battle still ahead of them and i hope that it is a strong conclusion because so far i really haven't been that impressed with this series. However book two was an improvement i really just want a strong book from start to finish because these books start of slow and only when they hit half way they get interesting so i need a strong third book to finish this story
I think i've slowly found my grove with these characters and this story to start finally being able to enjoy it more than i did when i finished book one.
I do believe i'm still having trouble really connecting to this story in any sort of way and yes book two is a step up from book one however i'm still finding it difficult trying to love this story in any sort of way which sucks because i love rick riordan books.
Plot: One thing i do love about these books are that we always get a recap on the previous events of the book just incase we step away from these worlds so that's one thing i love about them. This book picks up with Sadie and Carter now training new students who have answered their call and display any sort of magical ability.
I actually did love the three month jump because it gave the characters a chance to grow and mature and this is what really grabbed my interest because i feel like they're all starting to come into their own. Sadie and Carters adventure is now taking them to find the last missing pieces of the book of Ra so they can bring the god back so they can get some help trying to defeat Apophis.
I loved the journey these two had because they both took different journeys but in the end they were both lead and met in the middle because everything slowly came together and it's something Rick does really well.
There are so many different little battles during the course of the book and it was hard to keep up with what was happening but there was so many different revelations for these characters and going forward things learned will either help or destroy things for better or worse.
One thing that really got to me from this book was how the Kanes managed to get an extra three hours to help them but it was at the cost of Bes losing his soul and this really got to me because he did so much to help these two just go be living in the assisted living community for the gods really just makes me incredibly sad.
Sometimes, it takes us a while to appreciate something new, something that might change us for the better.
Sadie and Carter have a huge battle still ahead of them and i hope that it is a strong conclusion because so far i really haven't been that impressed with this series. However book two was an improvement i really just want a strong book from start to finish because these books start of slow and only when they hit half way they get interesting so i need a strong third book to finish this story
August 22, 2016
Sooo cool, as all the others Rick Riordan books :). Can't wait to start the last one.
November 22, 2025
“The right choice is hardly ever the easy choice.”
🔥👑🪄
so much went down in this book, it was pretty insane! riordan sure knows how to write a fantastic storyline.
this series isn’t as great as his others that i have read, but it’s still pretty wonderful! these characters are so easy to love, the plot is incredible, and the romance??? definitely a bit complicated, BUT we definitely do love drama! heck, there’s even a love triangle in this series.
i can’t wait to see what the last book in this series has in store, especially in the romance department….
🔥👑🪄
so much went down in this book, it was pretty insane! riordan sure knows how to write a fantastic storyline.
this series isn’t as great as his others that i have read, but it’s still pretty wonderful! these characters are so easy to love, the plot is incredible, and the romance??? definitely a bit complicated, BUT we definitely do love drama! heck, there’s even a love triangle in this series.
i can’t wait to see what the last book in this series has in store, especially in the romance department….
July 25, 2022
This was much better than the first. I felt much more connected and involved with the characters. I just really love Rick Riordan's writing style. Although this is my least favorite of his series. I love Sadie, she made me laugh a lot and I just have a soft spot for her. Carter is okay. I don't mind him but I much prefer Sadie. The plot that we follow in this installment was very high stakes and that helped me feel much more involved. I'm having an okay time with this series so I'm looking forward to seeing how this will end.
October 9, 2015
Reading dozens of books after this, I may have forgotten most of the events I read in this book but I do recall how much I enjoyed reading this sequel to The Red Pyramid. :)
June 27, 2023
Los Kanes deben enfrentar el renacimiento de Apophis de la unica manera que saben, buscando despertar al unico Dios que lo puede enfrentar, Ra. Pero despertar a Ra es mas facil decirlo que hacerlo, deben encontrar las tres partes del pergamino de invocacion, y cada parte se encuentra en los lugares mas protegidos de la Casa de la Vida. Pero ahora no estan solos, su tio Amos esta de vuelta, tienen a la diosa de los gatos Beast, su amigo el dios de los Enanos Bes, y sus alumnos de la Casa de Brooklyn.
En el camino aprenderan mucho mas de ellos mismos, conoceran a nuevos enemigos, y nuevos amigos, recuperaran la confianza en su destino y lucharan para poder contener una de las fuerzas malignas mas poderosas del universo.
Este libro resulta un poco mas lento que el anterior, pero te presenta muchisimos mas personajes, tanto humanos como dioses, lo que lo hace un poco confuso de seguir, sobre todo porque muchos de los dioses se llaman parecido. Pero tambien vemos que los hermanos han logrado unirse mucho mas y confian en el otro implicitamente, incluso en su forma de pensar.
El problema que vi, es que se nota que es un libro intermedio, te deja mas dudas que respuestas. Y si, muchas de las cosas sabes como van a terminar, por lo que vamos al ultimo libro de la trilogia con los ojos abiertos, esperando a ver como lo resuelven.
En fin, me gusto bastante este libro, es entretenido, divertido e interesante, voy a continuar con la trilogia esperando que tenga un buen final.
En el camino aprenderan mucho mas de ellos mismos, conoceran a nuevos enemigos, y nuevos amigos, recuperaran la confianza en su destino y lucharan para poder contener una de las fuerzas malignas mas poderosas del universo.
Este libro resulta un poco mas lento que el anterior, pero te presenta muchisimos mas personajes, tanto humanos como dioses, lo que lo hace un poco confuso de seguir, sobre todo porque muchos de los dioses se llaman parecido. Pero tambien vemos que los hermanos han logrado unirse mucho mas y confian en el otro implicitamente, incluso en su forma de pensar.
El problema que vi, es que se nota que es un libro intermedio, te deja mas dudas que respuestas. Y si, muchas de las cosas sabes como van a terminar, por lo que vamos al ultimo libro de la trilogia con los ojos abiertos, esperando a ver como lo resuelven.
En fin, me gusto bastante este libro, es entretenido, divertido e interesante, voy a continuar con la trilogia esperando que tenga un buen final.
May 14, 2017
Waaaaaay better than the 1st book!
I advice everyone to start reading this series, It's confusing sometimes, the Egyptian Mythology, but we can't deny a few aspects of it.. the hieroglyphics, which mostly contain a human with an animal head
The Pyramids and the Sphinx
anyhow, it's an interesting myth!
I advice everyone to start reading this series, It's confusing sometimes, the Egyptian Mythology, but we can't deny a few aspects of it.. the hieroglyphics, which mostly contain a human with an animal head
The Pyramids and the Sphinx
anyhow, it's an interesting myth!
June 2, 2013
Enough is enough. The kids are alternatively characterless or annoying. They make stupid decision after stupid decision, and then when things look hopeless, they get bailed out by another Egyptian god who appears out of nowhere. Then, after they have been bailed out and rescued, again and again, everyone bows down to these two idiots for the wonderful things that they've done.
Here, once again Riordan's hero kids are faced with the end of the world coming in five days. So what does the girl do? She says: The end of the world can wait. I'm going to London to celebrate my birthday. Of course, in London a trap awaits her. She can't get out of it herself, but a new god appears and saves her by putting on a speedo and crying "Boo!"
Her brother chastises her for her stupidity. Then with three days left, he finds out the location of the girl he loves (even though he has never met her), and he immediately decides to put saving the world on hold, so he can go rescue her. Of course, its a trap, and...
Later on, the girl finds out that there might be some hope that she might be able to save Walt, the guy she has the hots for, from his curse. That's when she decides that the quest she's on might be worthwhile. Because saving the world from complete destruction just isn't enough to make things interesting. That part actually reminded me of a really funny Woody Allen story where he plays gin rummy with Death. If he loses Death is going to take his soul. As they start dealing, Allen says, "What do you think? A nickel a point?" Death: "What?" Allen: "To make it interesting." Death: "You don't think it's interesting already?"
On top of all this, I can't make any sense out of this world. At the beginning, its clear that five Egyptians got released from the Du'at and they have possessed mortals. That's the only way they can appear in our world: by having a host of some sort. Another example, from several years before, was Muffin/Bast, who is Sadie's guardian and the god of cats. She tried to take Sadie's mom as a host, but settled for a cat instead. Somehow, never explained, she then appears to the Kane's in her own form, without any host at all. How possible? It's never explained. And then, Gods without hosts start appearing all over the place. So what are we supposed to make of this idea of Isis, Osiris, Set, Nepthys and Horus all needing hosts.
What does it matter? Pack in enough fake action and maybe no-one will notice that none of this makes a lick of sense. Finally, the high moment of drama in this book came in a very tense game of Parcheesi. At every moment, when I thought Riordan couldn't possibly make things more stupid and silly, he outdoes himself. It's almost as if he set himself a task to see how lame he could make these books and still draw legions of fans. But, as P.T. Barnum said "Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public."
Here, once again Riordan's hero kids are faced with the end of the world coming in five days. So what does the girl do? She says: The end of the world can wait. I'm going to London to celebrate my birthday. Of course, in London a trap awaits her. She can't get out of it herself, but a new god appears and saves her by putting on a speedo and crying "Boo!"
Her brother chastises her for her stupidity. Then with three days left, he finds out the location of the girl he loves (even though he has never met her), and he immediately decides to put saving the world on hold, so he can go rescue her. Of course, its a trap, and...
Later on, the girl finds out that there might be some hope that she might be able to save Walt, the guy she has the hots for, from his curse. That's when she decides that the quest she's on might be worthwhile. Because saving the world from complete destruction just isn't enough to make things interesting. That part actually reminded me of a really funny Woody Allen story where he plays gin rummy with Death. If he loses Death is going to take his soul. As they start dealing, Allen says, "What do you think? A nickel a point?" Death: "What?" Allen: "To make it interesting." Death: "You don't think it's interesting already?"
On top of all this, I can't make any sense out of this world. At the beginning, its clear that five Egyptians got released from the Du'at and they have possessed mortals. That's the only way they can appear in our world: by having a host of some sort. Another example, from several years before, was Muffin/Bast, who is Sadie's guardian and the god of cats. She tried to take Sadie's mom as a host, but settled for a cat instead. Somehow, never explained, she then appears to the Kane's in her own form, without any host at all. How possible? It's never explained. And then, Gods without hosts start appearing all over the place. So what are we supposed to make of this idea of Isis, Osiris, Set, Nepthys and Horus all needing hosts.
What does it matter? Pack in enough fake action and maybe no-one will notice that none of this makes a lick of sense. Finally, the high moment of drama in this book came in a very tense game of Parcheesi. At every moment, when I thought Riordan couldn't possibly make things more stupid and silly, he outdoes himself. It's almost as if he set himself a task to see how lame he could make these books and still draw legions of fans. But, as P.T. Barnum said "Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public."
December 12, 2021
the creepy attention of both walt and anubis towards sadie hindered my already limited enjoyment of this book (and the 3rd book as well)
i legitimately was quoting this: "that little girl is a child. i don't want to see you sniffing around her any more this afternoon. BOY HAVE U LOST YOUR MIND BC ILL HELP U FIND IT" nonstop throughout all 3 books, but particularly this one and the 3rd one
plot and character wise, my thoughts are quite similar to the 1st books. i like the characters, zia x carter is..fine, the plot wasnt SUPER interesting (but that could also be due to my age) but overall it wasnt that bad
the sadie situation got worse
walt
(and sadie)(and anubis lowkey theyre all connected)
walt is introduced in this book. he is 16. sadie is still 12, but celebrates her 13th bday during this book. sadie has a crush on walt. again, her liking an older guy is fine and normal. what is not normal, is the fact that walt (a 16 year old boy) likes her in return. again, she TURNS 13 in this book.
on the day of sadies 13th birthday, anubis kisses her. the day after, walt confesses his feelings to her.
sadie likes both of them and it turns into a bit of a love triangle, and is a whole thing.
just to be clear, anubis is a 5,000+ year old god, walt is a 16 year old, and they both want to date sadie, who has just turned 13.
are we seeing the problem?
sadie and walts age gap is not okay. that is a 3-3 1/2 year age gap. wtf. also, nobody brings this up. ever. like carter, her older brother (15 years old) doesn't think its weird that a 5,000 year old and a 16 year old like his 13 year old sister. the whole conflict is "who should she choose," not "why the fuck are these guys interested in a girl who turned 13 literally yesterday"
like i said, i already found the plot kinda mediocre, but the progression of sadie and anubis' relationship, along with walts introduction as a new love interest just made me extremely uncomfortable.
like i said in my red pyramid review, these age gaps shouldnt be normalized, especially not to the impressionable middle-grade kids who are the target audience. neither walt nor anubis should be dating sadie, but the book makes it seem like its no big deal.
also side note the descriptions of poc characters skin as food (as mentioned in my red pyramid review) continue through this book and on to the next one.
my red pyramid review
i legitimately was quoting this: "that little girl is a child. i don't want to see you sniffing around her any more this afternoon. BOY HAVE U LOST YOUR MIND BC ILL HELP U FIND IT" nonstop throughout all 3 books, but particularly this one and the 3rd one
plot and character wise, my thoughts are quite similar to the 1st books. i like the characters, zia x carter is..fine, the plot wasnt SUPER interesting (but that could also be due to my age) but overall it wasnt that bad
the sadie situation got worse
walt
(and sadie)(and anubis lowkey theyre all connected)
walt is introduced in this book. he is 16. sadie is still 12, but celebrates her 13th bday during this book. sadie has a crush on walt. again, her liking an older guy is fine and normal. what is not normal, is the fact that walt (a 16 year old boy) likes her in return. again, she TURNS 13 in this book.
on the day of sadies 13th birthday, anubis kisses her. the day after, walt confesses his feelings to her.
sadie likes both of them and it turns into a bit of a love triangle, and is a whole thing.
just to be clear, anubis is a 5,000+ year old god, walt is a 16 year old, and they both want to date sadie, who has just turned 13.
are we seeing the problem?
sadie and walts age gap is not okay. that is a 3-3 1/2 year age gap. wtf. also, nobody brings this up. ever. like carter, her older brother (15 years old) doesn't think its weird that a 5,000 year old and a 16 year old like his 13 year old sister. the whole conflict is "who should she choose," not "why the fuck are these guys interested in a girl who turned 13 literally yesterday"
like i said, i already found the plot kinda mediocre, but the progression of sadie and anubis' relationship, along with walts introduction as a new love interest just made me extremely uncomfortable.
like i said in my red pyramid review, these age gaps shouldnt be normalized, especially not to the impressionable middle-grade kids who are the target audience. neither walt nor anubis should be dating sadie, but the book makes it seem like its no big deal.
also side note the descriptions of poc characters skin as food (as mentioned in my red pyramid review) continue through this book and on to the next one.
my red pyramid review
March 9, 2022
I didn't love the sequel quite as much as the first, but it was still fantastic!
Rtc.
Rtc.
July 25, 2011
This book doesn't really deserve a full four stars, but because I'm such a lenient reviewer nice guy I'll stick with this rating.
I do have a reason for giving The Throne of Fire four stars, though my personal reading experience warrants a three or 3.5. It's because this book is just so good for a certain type of reader, the type that would much rather be playing Xbox or watching mind-numbing television. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. They're referred to as "reluctant readers", but I like to call them by their shorter and sweeter name.
Boys.
I kid, I kid. I actually dislike it when people assume I don't enjoy reading because I'm male. I also dislike it when people assume I enjoy watching football because I'm male, but that's beside the point. The thing is, Rick Riordan knows how to write a great book for boys. He did it with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and he's doing it again with the Kane Chronicles.
The plot of this book is so entrenched in action that readers of all ages will have difficulty putting it down. Rick Riordan's writing is pretty tight, too, which is one reason why I prefer pre-teen males to read his books as opposed to scanning graphic novels or playing video games. If you don't know this about me already, I have a penchant for reading chick-lit and romance novels - so the fact that I got through this The Throne of Fire speaks for itself.
This book had serious flaws though. There were a lot of unnecessary attempts to evoke humor. For example, when the protagonists encountered enemies the author would throw in a "funny" observation that fell flat (like, wow, that thing is really ugly... really ugly). Another problem I had with this novel was that Sadie and Carter never really lost a battle - sure, they would be drained of magic or tired from casting spells, but something would happen to make them revitalized and ready to go a couple of minutes later.
As for the romance... well, let's just say I'm glad Rick Riordan is sticking to adventure/action books. Though I am slightly interested in Anubis because of his sad, sad eyes (which were mentioned about a thousand times throughout the book... okay, that's a small hyperbole).
Overall, a good book. It took me some time to finish because I've been busy and I lost interest a little during the middle section, but that won't happen to everyone.
*cross-posted from my blog, the quiet voice.
I do have a reason for giving The Throne of Fire four stars, though my personal reading experience warrants a three or 3.5. It's because this book is just so good for a certain type of reader, the type that would much rather be playing Xbox or watching mind-numbing television. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. They're referred to as "reluctant readers", but I like to call them by their shorter and sweeter name.
Boys.
I kid, I kid. I actually dislike it when people assume I don't enjoy reading because I'm male. I also dislike it when people assume I enjoy watching football because I'm male, but that's beside the point. The thing is, Rick Riordan knows how to write a great book for boys. He did it with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and he's doing it again with the Kane Chronicles.
The plot of this book is so entrenched in action that readers of all ages will have difficulty putting it down. Rick Riordan's writing is pretty tight, too, which is one reason why I prefer pre-teen males to read his books as opposed to scanning graphic novels or playing video games. If you don't know this about me already, I have a penchant for reading chick-lit and romance novels - so the fact that I got through this The Throne of Fire speaks for itself.
This book had serious flaws though. There were a lot of unnecessary attempts to evoke humor. For example, when the protagonists encountered enemies the author would throw in a "funny" observation that fell flat (like, wow, that thing is really ugly... really ugly). Another problem I had with this novel was that Sadie and Carter never really lost a battle - sure, they would be drained of magic or tired from casting spells, but something would happen to make them revitalized and ready to go a couple of minutes later.
As for the romance... well, let's just say I'm glad Rick Riordan is sticking to adventure/action books. Though I am slightly interested in Anubis because of his sad, sad eyes (which were mentioned about a thousand times throughout the book... okay, that's a small hyperbole).
Overall, a good book. It took me some time to finish because I've been busy and I lost interest a little during the middle section, but that won't happen to everyone.
*cross-posted from my blog, the quiet voice.
July 8, 2020
Actual rating: 3.75 stars
Compared to "The Red Pyramid", this installment was better in some ways and worse in others. As far as character development is concerned, Riordan did a better job with the Kane siblings this time. It was interesting to see the older brother-younger sister dynamic between Carter and Sadie as they struggled with the dramatic changes in their lives and tried to save the world at the same time.
In terms of story, I found "The Red Pyramid" more memorable and stronger as an individual book, probably because there wasn't enough resolution in "The Throne of Fire". I was left with too many questions (which is understandable because there's going to be a next book). ;) Secondly, the fight scenes weren't as exciting because even though Carter and Sadie had become more powerful as magicians, Horus and Isis weren't as involved as before. In this installment, the Rockin' Red Reaper (Set) was the only god who held my attention. Bes was amusing and likable enough but as expected, Set had more presence. He's a very entertaining addition and I'd love to see more of him in the future books.
Another thing I didn't like? The romantic scenes. Yes, you read that right. I love a good romantic scene as much as the next person but if it's contrived, I find it painful to read. I found it strange that apparently, Carter did not just have a crush on Zia's shabti. He had fallen in love with her. Say, what? How the hell did that happen? Don't even get me started on the Anubis/Sadie/Walt love triangle. I thought Anubis and Sadie were quite adorable together in the first book but when Riordan decided to spice things up by making it a love triangle and involving another love interest who happens to be at death's door, it just became awkward.
With all that said, I'll finish by saying that I am still excited to read the third book. Things are bound to get interesting now that Riordan's set the stage.
Compared to "The Red Pyramid", this installment was better in some ways and worse in others. As far as character development is concerned, Riordan did a better job with the Kane siblings this time. It was interesting to see the older brother-younger sister dynamic between Carter and Sadie as they struggled with the dramatic changes in their lives and tried to save the world at the same time.
In terms of story, I found "The Red Pyramid" more memorable and stronger as an individual book, probably because there wasn't enough resolution in "The Throne of Fire". I was left with too many questions (which is understandable because there's going to be a next book). ;) Secondly, the fight scenes weren't as exciting because even though Carter and Sadie had become more powerful as magicians, Horus and Isis weren't as involved as before. In this installment, the Rockin' Red Reaper (Set) was the only god who held my attention. Bes was amusing and likable enough but as expected, Set had more presence. He's a very entertaining addition and I'd love to see more of him in the future books.
Another thing I didn't like? The romantic scenes. Yes, you read that right. I love a good romantic scene as much as the next person but if it's contrived, I find it painful to read. I found it strange that apparently, Carter did not just have a crush on Zia's shabti. He had fallen in love with her. Say, what? How the hell did that happen? Don't even get me started on the Anubis/Sadie/Walt love triangle. I thought Anubis and Sadie were quite adorable together in the first book but when Riordan decided to spice things up by making it a love triangle and involving another love interest who happens to be at death's door, it just became awkward.
With all that said, I'll finish by saying that I am still excited to read the third book. Things are bound to get interesting now that Riordan's set the stage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2011
Wow, I can't believe the second book is already coming out! The first one was OK. I liked The Lost Hero, the first of the Hero's of Olympus series better. I really hope this book is good, better than The Red Pyramid. The cover art looks nice, and the title seems cool. HOPEFULLY this book is worth the wait, but I don't want to get overly excited since The Red Pyramid wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I will totally still read it though! I hope the like this one, and I also can't wait for The Son of Neptune, Hero's of Olympus book two!! =D
This book was amazing!!
It totally surprised me....!!!!!!! Definitely five stars!!!
This book was amazing!!
It totally surprised me....!!!!!!! Definitely five stars!!!
November 25, 2025
Fast paced and packed with magic.
Sadie’s snark and Carter’s anxious determination hit differently on a reread.
I appreciate their growth so much more now.
The stakes feel bigger and the worldbuilding is top tier. 🔥✨
Sadie’s snark and Carter’s anxious determination hit differently on a reread.
I appreciate their growth so much more now.
The stakes feel bigger and the worldbuilding is top tier. 🔥✨
March 28, 2014
I just don't like the Kane Chronicles books as much as I like the Camp Halfblood books. There are plenty of reasons, and the fact that I don't like Egyptian mythology nearly as much as Greek mythology probably has a lot to do with it. I don't know as much about what Riordan is playing with, so I can't fully appreciate it. And I'm just not as invested in, say, Bast as I am in Apollo. That said, I was astounded with how much I ended up liking Best. It took awhile for him to grow on me, but by the end of the book he was one of the best things in it. The system of magic used here is interesting, and it makes internal sense. I'm not nearly familiar enough with Egyptian mythology or magic to say if it's accurate, but it feels right. It's also a refreshingly welcome change from the basically superhero demigods from Camp Halfblood.
The characters in this series also feel younger, even though they're roughly the same age as Percy and company. It's mostly a maturity factor. I would never claim that Percy is a model of maturity in a teenage boy, but Carter and Sadie sure make him look good. Maybe it's because they don't have an Annabeth with them, somebody who is actually responsible. Maybe it's because, compared to demigods, magicians have it easy. Their abilities seem much more predictable and controlled, and they don't tend to have monsters trying to kill them all the time. Whatever the reason, neither Carter nor Sadie seem to be taking this whole saving the world thing quite as seriously as they should be, or as seriously as Percy and company would be in their place. I mean, Sadie takes a day off the quest to celebrate her birthday. Trying to imagine Annabeth's reaction to that was, without a doubt, the most fun that I had with this book. Carter is somewhat better than Sadie, but I just couldn't like either of them. It makes it hard to read a book like this if you don't care about the characters.
I'm also not a fan of the gimmick Riordan went with for the storytelling. Supposedly, the entire book was narrated onto a tape recorder by Carter and Sadie. But it just doesn't read that way. When people are telling a story, they don't remember the huge chunks of dialog that Carter and Sadie are supposedly retelling here. It feels artificial. The best thing to do is just pretend that we're never told it's a tape recording and go from there.
I wonder if maybe I'm being too hard on this book because I love the Camp Halfblood series so much. If I'd never read it, I wouldn't have found this one faintly disappointing. Then again, if I weren't hooked on Percy and company, I might not persist in reading this series. Because I will, if for no other reason than that I want to read the crossover shorts, The Son of Sobek (which has Percy) and Staff of Serapis, The (Annabeth!).
The characters in this series also feel younger, even though they're roughly the same age as Percy and company. It's mostly a maturity factor. I would never claim that Percy is a model of maturity in a teenage boy, but Carter and Sadie sure make him look good. Maybe it's because they don't have an Annabeth with them, somebody who is actually responsible. Maybe it's because, compared to demigods, magicians have it easy. Their abilities seem much more predictable and controlled, and they don't tend to have monsters trying to kill them all the time. Whatever the reason, neither Carter nor Sadie seem to be taking this whole saving the world thing quite as seriously as they should be, or as seriously as Percy and company would be in their place. I mean, Sadie takes a day off the quest to celebrate her birthday. Trying to imagine Annabeth's reaction to that was, without a doubt, the most fun that I had with this book. Carter is somewhat better than Sadie, but I just couldn't like either of them. It makes it hard to read a book like this if you don't care about the characters.
I'm also not a fan of the gimmick Riordan went with for the storytelling. Supposedly, the entire book was narrated onto a tape recorder by Carter and Sadie. But it just doesn't read that way. When people are telling a story, they don't remember the huge chunks of dialog that Carter and Sadie are supposedly retelling here. It feels artificial. The best thing to do is just pretend that we're never told it's a tape recording and go from there.
I wonder if maybe I'm being too hard on this book because I love the Camp Halfblood series so much. If I'd never read it, I wouldn't have found this one faintly disappointing. Then again, if I weren't hooked on Percy and company, I might not persist in reading this series. Because I will, if for no other reason than that I want to read the crossover shorts, The Son of Sobek (which has Percy) and Staff of Serapis, The (Annabeth!).
October 20, 2021
3.5 stars. Enjoyable second book in the series but wasn't as over joyed by this adventure. Might continue the series tough
October 15, 2021
“Sometimes, it takes us a while to appreciate something new, something that might change us for the better.”
In my opinion, this is even better than the first one!!
I really liked the plot and I was hooked from the beginning. I think this might have helped hgetiing me out of he reading slump i've been for soooo long...
I loved the new characters we got to meet, especially Walt and Bes (😥). I still lov Carter and Sadie :) The only thing I probably dislike is the love triangle... come on sasdie seriously ?! It is not that difficult of a decision, actually it is pretty obvious who you should choose.
The writing style was good and kind of funny 😂
“Bebsi?" I asked.
"Pepsi," Walt said. "I read about it on the Internet. There's no 'p' in Arabic. Everyone here calls the soda Bebsi."
"So you have to have Bebsi with your bizza?"
"Brobably.”
I really cannot wait to see what's going to happen in the final instalment of this trilogy!! I really have no clue, these books are so unpredictable!
This is my review for "The throne of fire" hope you enjoyed it :)
My ratings and reviews for other books in this series:
The red pyramid - 3.5/5 ⭐
The throne of fire - 4/5 ⭐
Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,369 reviews