Rick Riordan – Page 2

Marshmallow reviews The Throne of Fire (Book Two of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan

Last week Marshmallow reviewed The Red Pyramid, the first book of Rick Riordan‘s Kane Chronicles series. Today she writes about the second book, The Throne of Fire, first published in 2011.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like reading about Egyptian mythology or you have enjoyed some of Rick Riordan’s other books, then this might be the book for you (though you should probably read The Red Pyramid first).

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): After learning that Egyptian mythology is real and active in the modern world, Sadie and Carter Kane’s lives have been transformed. Now, danger lurks around every corner. The snake / god of Chaos, Apophis, is trying to break out of his eternal prison, and if he escapes, the Ma’at (basically the order in the universe) will fall, chaos will reign, and the world will be in big trouble. In order to prevent this from occurring, Sadie and Carter must release the sun god Ra who will hopefully be able to defeat Apophis and put him back in his prison. Unfortunately, finding and reawakening Ra will be difficult. Stronger magicians failed and were permanently scarred.

Sadie and Carter must find Ra, but Apophis is not their only enemy. Many of the other Egyptian gods also do not want Ra back and will try to prevent the Kane children from reaching him. Even with help from their trainees, uncle, and some of the nice gods, can Carter and Sadie find Ra and save the world before chaos rules over everything?

Marshmallow is reading The Throne of Fire (Book Two of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *The Throne of Fire* (Book Two of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan.

Marshmallow’s Review: I liked reading about the many characters in this book, and they are all relatable. Though their situation is not something I can relate to, their emotions are very human / bunny-like, a testament to Rick Riordan’s writing skill. The characters’ voices are all unique but very entertaining.

I also really liked the plot of The Throne of Fire. It is fun to read but still keeps you on the edge of your seat. I especially like how you get to learn new things about Egyptian mythology throughout the book and how the plot is based around actual Egyptian mythology. Everything in the book is based on real Egyptian myths, which I think is really cool.

I must admit that I was a bit taken back by how stereotypically Sadie behaved sometimes, and I also felt that the characters were not terribly kind to one of the characters who was losing his mind. Still, I really enjoyed reading The Throne of Fire and would recommend it to anyone. Readers of all ages would like the book because it is not very scary or inappropriate.

The Throne of Fire is the second book of a trilogy, so the ending does require / make you want to read the next and last book in the Kane Chronicles series. I look forward to reading and reviewing that next.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates The Throne of Fire (Book Two of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 95%. — Marshmallow rates *The Throne of Fire* (Book Two of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 95%.

Marshmallow reviews The Red Pyramid (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow is an avid reader and Rick Riordan is one of her favorite authors. She has read and reviewed several series by Riordan. Today she finally starts talking about The Kane Chronicles, Riordan’s books about the Egyptian mythologies. Below you will find her thoughts on The Red Pyramid, first published in 2010.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about Egyptian mythology or have enjoyed reading some of Rick Riordan’s other books, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Since his mother’s death, Carter Kane has traveled the world with his father. His father, a famous Egyptologist, got custody for Carter, but Carter’s younger sister, Sadie, was given to their maternal grandparents in London. Sadie and Carter are not particularly close, despite the fact that they are siblings. Given their strikingly different personalities (Carter is more reserved, quiet, and cautious, whereas Sadie is more outgoing, rebellious, and impulsive), different accents (Sadie has a British accent), and dissimilar appearances, most people would not assume that they are siblings.

Every year, Carter and his father are given a day to visit Sadie. On the day Carter and their dad visit Sadie, they go to the British Museum and their father releases several ancient Egyptian gods that were trapped in the Rosetta Stone. From there on, Carter and Sadie’s already-complicated lives get more complicated. The father is kidnapped by the evil, chaotic god, Set. Then Sadie and Carter are rescued by their uncle Amos, who they haven’t seen for many years. He takes them to a house in Brooklyn. (Yes, they were in London, but their uncle has magical abilities.) There, Carter and Sadie learn that they are descended from a line of magicians.

Eventually, they must flee Amos’s house and escape to Cairo, the first nome of the House of Life. As it turns out, Sadie and Carter’s dad did something illegal (in the House of Life) when he summoned the gods as gods are banned from the House of Life. In the House of Life, Carter and Sadie find new friends and new enemies. Sadie and Carter are trained to do magic by magician and scribe Zia Rashid (Carter’s new love interest). Unfortunately, Set plans to take over the world, bring chaos, and destroy all order. Can Carter and Sadie fight him with newly learned magic and prevent him from bringing about the end of the world?

Marshmallow is reading The Red Pyramid (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *The Red Pyramid* (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really enjoyed reading The Red Pyramid and would highly recommend it to any and all people who liked any or all of Rick Riordan’s previous books. The writing style and narrative is the same: funny, fresh voice that we know and love from his Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.

I really liked the characters and the interactions between them all. It was interesting to see the characters grappling with, not only impending doom and ancient Egyptian gods, but also losing family members and dealing with crushes. The emotions and thoughts portrayed in the book made the characters feel more real and more relatable.

The Red Pyramid is written as if it were an actual audio recording by Carter and Sadie. The book opens with Sadie and Carter instructing the reader to open a locker; this is explained later in the book.

Fair warning: The Red Pyramid is the first book in the Kane Chronicles trilogy, and if you read this, you will likely want to read the other books. The end reveals new information and promises a continuation of the plot. Some narrative threads are left unfinished, and it is clear that this is not the end of the story. I am really looking forward to reading and reviewing the other two Kane Chronicles books.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Red Pyramid (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Red Pyramid* (Book One of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 100%.

Marshmallow reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow reviewed all three books of Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. (You might want to check out her reviews of The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, and The Ship of the Dead before moving on.) She has also reviewed Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds, a companion book to the trilogy. Today she reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds, a 2018 book of short stories written by Riordan about the nine worlds of the Norse mythology. As a fan of many of Riordan’s series, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow reviews *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, what would you like to tell us about this book?

Marshmallow: This is a collection of short stories Rick Riordan wrote about the nine worlds of Norse mythology. There is one story for each world.

S: Are any of the stories or the characters in them related to the Magnus Chase series?

M: Yes. All of them actually.

S: So these stories complement the Magnus Chase trilogy then?

M: I think they happen after the trilogy ends, but many of the characters are people we met before in the trilogy. There are some new characters, too, of course.

S: Of course. So what did you think of the stories? Did you enjoy them?

M: Yes, I thought the stories were really good.

S: Can you tell us about one or two of them? Did you have a favorite?

M: I liked “This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping” by Amir Fadlan the most.

S: Wait, weren’t these stories all written by Riordan?

M: Yep. Amir Fadlan is a character from the world of Magnus Chase. Maybe you remember? He was engaged to Samirah al Abbas.

S: Oh, yes, I remember. So the stories are each narrated by a character from the Magnus Chase trilogy.

M: Yes. I guess I should have said that earlier. Anyways, in the story by Amir, he gets tricked into wearing a pair of pants and the pants are– oh wait, no spoilers, so I cannot tell more.

S: But somehow some weird stuff happens about the pants, right?

M: Yes. Some magical stuff.

Marshmallow is reading Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

S: Okay, so how does Riordan manage to narrate nine stories from nine different voices?

M: I really don’t know how he does it, but he definitely does it well. And they are all very funny. Or at least lighthearted.

S: And I saw that there were some full-color pictures in the book. Can you tell us a bit about those?

M: Yes, there are sixteen full-color full-page pictures, by James Firnhaber, Jim Madsen, and Yori Elita Narpati. Eight of them portray eight of the narrators, all except Amir actually. And the remaining eight depict eight of the nine worlds. Midgard is missing, probably because that is our world, the world of humans and bunnies, so we already should know what that looks like. There might be bunnies in Alfheim, too, actually, but I would not know. I have not been there.

S: Do the portraits of the characters fit your image of them in your mind from before?

M: A little. It is always interesting to see how other people visualize a character.

S: For sure. So overall, you enjoyed this book, right?

M: Yes, and it definitely is a quick read, and since it is made up of many short stories, you could stop and start and it would be okay. Just keep in mind that the stories are all kind of connected.

S: So does one need to read the book in order?

M: I think it would be better to read the stories in order.

S: And do you think one would need to have read the Magnus Chase trilogy before diving into these stories?

M: That would probably be a good idea. There might be some spoilers. And you would know the narrators much better then.

S: Okay Marshmallow, it seems like you will be lending me yet another book of yours soon. I am eager to read this book now that I know more about it.

M: Sure. I think you will like it!

S: Okay, it is time to wrap this up now. How would you rate the book?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Great! And what do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

As a big Rick Riordan fan, Marshmallow could not pass on the opportunity to read a new book about the world of Greek and Roman demigods he created. Today she shares with us her thoughts on The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, which came out this month. Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. — Marshmallow reviews *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, as far as I understand, this is supposed to be the story of the quest hinted at at the end of The Tower of Nero, which was the fifth and last book of the Trials of Apollo series and which you reviewed almost a year ago. Did you need to reread the series or at least that last book before you dove into this one?

Marshmallow: Well, it might have been a good idea I guess, but honestly, I did not reread anything. I just dove right in.

S: But at least you already knew who Nico di Angelo and Will Solace were, right? So should readers know them before they read this book?

M: I think it would be good to have read some of the earlier Rick Riordan books, so that you would know some of the characters, and the general thrust of the world they are living in, but the plot of this book is solid enough and can stand on its own, so I think one could actually enjoy this one on its own. Of course you would get much more out of it if you had read all of the other books before.

S: Okay, so let us talk about that plot. What is happening? And tell us in a sentence or so who Nico and Will are.

M: So these books are always about adventures of certain demigods. That means that the heroes are always children of one of the Greek or Roman gods or goddesses. So Nico is a son of Hades, and Will is a son of Apollo. And they fell in love some time in the third or fourth book of the Trials of Apollo series, and they are already a couple in this book.

S: Okay, now we know the main characters. And what is the quest they are on?

M: They are going to save Bob from Tartarus. Bob is a Titan but he eventually became friends with Percy Jackson and helped him and his friends but now is taken prisoner and so needs saving.

S: That sounds dangerous.

M: It is. There are many monsters and evil spirits that they have to fight along the way. And the place itself, Tartarus, is trying to kill them. Or rather driving them insane, by making them lose all hope and such. And Nico, being a son of Hades, already feels pretty dark and unpleasant feelings. Will calls him his “little grumpy ball of darkness”, or something. And Will is of course so opposite, always bright and cheery. Not to mention he can glow! But in this book he needs to also figure out the darkness in himself.

S: Ooh, that sounds intriguing.

M: Yes, Sprinkles, I think you should probably read the book some time.

S: I just might.

Marshmallow is reading The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. — Marshmallow is reading *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

S: So overall what did you think? Two authors writing a book together is not that common. I know Caramel reviewed The Menagerie series by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, but other than that, I don’t think we reviewed any fiction authored by more than one person.

M: I did review one book like that: To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. But you are right, I have not read too many other books like this one. And this book, especially the first half of it, did not sound like Rick Riordan’s other books. So it was clear it was not only him.

S: I understand that Riordan wanted to share this task with Mark Oshiro because the book centers two gay characters and he did not want to assume their perspective as a straight man himself. I think that is a good thing, but of course he also wrote several books where he told the story from the points of view of female characters.

M: I guess a lot of men write from female perspectives. And lots of women write from male perspectives. I’m thinking of the Harry Potter series for example.

S: I guess it is good that he was being thoughtful. It makes sense that he felt out of his element when thinking about a relationship of two young men and wanted to be careful.

M: Anyways in the end, the book turned out pretty good.

S: So you clearly enjoyed it. You did finish it rather quickly, and after all, it is more than 450 pages.

M: Yep. It was scary at times, and a bit mushier than some of the other books, but it was a lot of fun.

S: So how would you rate it?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Sounds great! I will then have to borrow it from you for a while.

M: Sure.

S: And in the meantime, what would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!