The Serpent's Shadow by Riordan is the third and final book in his Egyptian mythology series the Kane Chronicles. Time is running out for the Kanes. It is nearly time for Apophis to break free of his prison, and Ra alone will not be able to stop him. The Kanes must go in search of a spell to banish Apophis by rescuing the ghost of a renegade magician. In the meantime, Apophis has infiltrated the House of Life causing a civil war to prevent the magicians from being able to oppose him. Apophis arrives and the final battle ensues with the fate of the world in the balance.
An excellent conclusion to the series that I would recommend for ages 12 and up.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Book 38 - The Throne of Fire
The Throne of Fire by Riordan is the second book in his Egyptian mythology based Kane Chronicles series. Sadie and Carter are back with a group of apprenticing magicians at their home. The serpent of chaos Apophis after centuries of imprisonment is on the verge of breaking free, and the only Egyptian god with the power to battle him is the sun god Ra, who was forced to retire by Isis and has not been seen since. First they must find the three sections of Ra's scroll and then trace the path of Ra's nightly voyage through the duat.
Another action packed tale on par with his first Kane chronicles book. I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.
Another action packed tale on par with his first Kane chronicles book. I would recommend it for ages 12 and up.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Books 37 - The Red Pyramid
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan is the first of three books in his series the Kane Chronicles based on Egyptian mythology. Carter travels to London with his father to visit his sister Sadie, who lives with their maternal grandparents. Together they go to the British museum where their father disappears after he accidentally unleashes several Egyptian deities including the god Set. The two are found by their uncle who explains that their family roots trace all the way back to ancient Egyptian magicians. In order to stop the god Set, they must learn no only to use their magic but to channel the power of the deities Horus and Isis, a forbidden practice that will cause them to be hunted by other magicians, as their quest takes them across the globe.
The brother-sister duo have the typical sibling rivalry and rebellious attitudes common in modern literature. While I didn't personally enjoy the first book as much as the Percy Jackson series, that is probably due more to the fact that I prefer Greek mythology to Egyptian than to the book itself. As expected, Riordan packed the book with plenty of action, magical battles, narrow escapes, and characters determined to save the world. Another great series for Riordan fans that I would recommend for ages 12 and up.
The brother-sister duo have the typical sibling rivalry and rebellious attitudes common in modern literature. While I didn't personally enjoy the first book as much as the Percy Jackson series, that is probably due more to the fact that I prefer Greek mythology to Egyptian than to the book itself. As expected, Riordan packed the book with plenty of action, magical battles, narrow escapes, and characters determined to save the world. Another great series for Riordan fans that I would recommend for ages 12 and up.
Book 36 - The Lost World
The Lost World by Doyle is another classic science fiction tale that I had never gotten around to reading. Edward Malone, a reporter, is looking for an adventure to impress the lady that he loves, so he goes to interview Professor Challenger. The Professor is seeking to prove to the scientific world that dinosaurs still exist and that he knows where they are. It is decided that noted scientist Professor Summerlee, adventurer Lord Roxton, and Edward will embark on an expedition to the Amazon region of South America to check out Challenger's claims. Challenger himself joins the trio in South America as a guide, and they set off into the remote part of the jungle. They finally arrive at a large plateau and after many days discover a way to fell a tree on a high point to make a bridge to the plateau. When they cross over, one of their hired helpers destroys the bridge and strands the four men on the plateau. They discover multitudes of dinosaurs and plants that were thought to be extinct as well as tribes of hominids and natives. Eventually, with the help of one of the natives, they discover a means of egress from the plateau and return to England with a baby pterosaur as proof of their claims.
I read this tale with both girls this fall for literature. It was a fun read. Like most older literature there is more description than a modern action novel, but still there was sufficient action to move the story along, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it for ages 12 and up.
I read this tale with both girls this fall for literature. It was a fun read. Like most older literature there is more description than a modern action novel, but still there was sufficient action to move the story along, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it for ages 12 and up.
Book 35 - The House of Hades
The House of Hades by Riordan is the fourth book in the Heroes of Olympus series. Percy and Annabeth have fallen into Tartarus and must try to make their way together through the harsh environment filled with monsters to the Doors of Death if they wish to escape and rejoin their companions on the surface. Meanwhile, the remainder of the crew is struggling to work together without Percy's steady, loyal, uniting presence and Annabeth's level headed planning and leadership abilities. Hazel, Leo, and Frank must each step up and take a leadership role for the crew to overcome the many challenges between Italy and Greece in order to reach the earthly side of the Doors of Death. Both sides of the doors are guarded by Gaea's forces, and both teams will need outside help in order to succeed.
The House of Hades is an excellent follow up to book 3 of the series. There were plenty of twists, turns, and adventures to keep the book moving along. I particularly enjoyed watching the development of the character Hazel through the story, and the dogged determination and teamwork of Percy and Annabeth that shone so well in the original Percy Jackson series was back in full form and delightful to watch. The only part of the book that I didn't like was having Nico very uncomfortably realize that he loved Percy. Really it didn't add to the story at all and honestly just annoyed me because it felt forced, contrived, and politically correct. Overall, I would recommend it for ages 13 and up.
The House of Hades is an excellent follow up to book 3 of the series. There were plenty of twists, turns, and adventures to keep the book moving along. I particularly enjoyed watching the development of the character Hazel through the story, and the dogged determination and teamwork of Percy and Annabeth that shone so well in the original Percy Jackson series was back in full form and delightful to watch. The only part of the book that I didn't like was having Nico very uncomfortably realize that he loved Percy. Really it didn't add to the story at all and honestly just annoyed me because it felt forced, contrived, and politically correct. Overall, I would recommend it for ages 13 and up.
Book 34 - The Golden Goblet
The Golden Goblet by McGraw is set in ancient Egypt. Young Ranofer, the son of a deceased goldsmith, lives with his brutal half-brother Gebu. His greatest dream is to become a goldsmith like his father, but Gebu refuses to pay for him to be an apprentice. He tries to content himself with just being a simple helper at a shop, earning meager wages that he gives to his half brother. Then he realizes that he is inadvertently helping Gebu steal gold from the shop by delivering wine given to him by one of the men who washes the gold. With the help of a friend, he alerts the head goldsmith; but then his good deed is rewarded by Gebu ending his work at the shop and forcing him to become an apprentice at his own stone cutting shop. Now Ranofer's only bright spot in the day is meeting his friend from the goldsmith shop and an old man who sells papyrus for lunch every day. When Ranofer realizes that Gebu has also been grave robbing, he enlists the help of his friends to spy on Gebu and his partners to try to figure out a way to catch them and turn them into the authorities.
The book is suitable for reading aloud for ages 8 and up and as a read alone for ages 10 and up. There are a few scenes where Ranofer is beaten by Gebu that might be worth looking at beforehand for more sensitive children. I personally think those are balanced nicely by some of Ranofer's grand daydreams that made DS and I giggle. The only other caveat is that it does take several chapters to really get into the story, but I believe it's worth the effort.
The book is suitable for reading aloud for ages 8 and up and as a read alone for ages 10 and up. There are a few scenes where Ranofer is beaten by Gebu that might be worth looking at beforehand for more sensitive children. I personally think those are balanced nicely by some of Ranofer's grand daydreams that made DS and I giggle. The only other caveat is that it does take several chapters to really get into the story, but I believe it's worth the effort.
Book 33 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
This reread I started on my Kindle when I wanted some light reading in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Here's a link to my original review of the book.
Book 32 - The Story of the Treasure Seekers
The Story of the Treasure Seekers by Nesbit is a delightful children's book. The four Bastable children live with their widowed father and one servant in their very run down home. The adventures begin when the children decide one day that they need more money and each is tasked with coming up with a way of obtaining it. Then the adventures begin. They dig for treasure, write poetry to be published, try holding the neighbor for ransom, and other highly imaginative and elaborate plans. An excellent read aloud for ages 7 and up. My 9 year old and I enjoyed the children's antics very much.
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