The Kane Chronicles
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The US and UK logo for The Kane Chronicles
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| Author | Rick Riordan |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy novels |
| Publisher | Disney Hyperion and Puffin Books |
| Published | 2010–2012 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
The Kane Chronicles are a series of novels by Rick Riordan; based on Egyptian mythology, but set in the same universe as Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus, as well as the subsequent Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The first book, The Red Pyramid, was released on May 4, 2010. The second, The Throne of Fire, followed on May 4, 2011. The third and last volume, The Serpent's Shadow, was released on May 1, 2012.
The novels are narrated alternately by the two protagonists, siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, descended from Pharaohs Narmer and Ramses the Great, forced to contend with Egyptian gods and goddesses.
Riordan explained his inspiration in an interview: "In my classroom, there was only one thing that was more popular than Ancient Greece, and that was Ancient Egypt… This was a matter of listening to a lot of fans, and a lot of young readers."[1]
Contents
Novel series
In the books, Rick Riordan tells that the story is a written down version of a transcript he received from "Carter and Sadie". The story takes place in the same universe as the Camp Half-Blood chronicles and occasional in-jokes are made to that series.
The Red Pyramid
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After witnessing his father releasing a coffin containing the spirits of the Ancient Egyptian gods and being trapped within it by Set, Carter Kane, who is informed to be the descendant of Narmer and Ramses the Great, suddenly has to reconnect with his estranged sister, Sadie, to prevent Set from attaining the kingship of the gods, which he intends to do during the Demon Days. In addition, the siblings also have to revive the Twenty First Nome of the House of Life, a branch of a community of Ancient Egyptian magicians based in New York, and reapply the way of the gods, which has been long since forgotten by everyone. Due to their father's doing, Carter and Sadie are possessed by Horus and Isis, respectively, who help them achieve their goal by channeling their powers. They are also helped by Zia Rashid, a magician from the First Nome based in Egypt whom Carter falls in love with and who is later revealed to be a shabti replica; Amos Kane, their uncle; and Bast, their goddess guardian. At the end of the book, the siblings manage to thwart Set's plan and imprison him, but in the process learn that Set is being manipulated by Apophis, the serpentine god of chaos who intends to bring chaos and destruction to the world.
The Throne of Fire
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Carter and Sadie Kane have established the Twenty First Nome and recruited several students, including Walt Stone, a sickly descendant of Akhenaten who has a mutual crush with Sadie; however, they are now fugitives of the House of Life since its leader, Michel Desjardins, is influenced by the manipulative Vladimir Menshikov, secretly an agent of Apophis, that the way of the gods is a grave crime. The siblings secretly plan to find the long-lost king of the gods, Ra, so they can stand a chance with Apophis, Ra's traditional enemy. Helped by Bast's friend, Bes, Carter and Sadie also rescue the real Zia Rashid, who is protected by the former leader of the House of Life due to a secret legacy. Eventually, the siblings manage to find the three aspects of Ra and, using the execretion spell, briefly expel Apophis, who possesses Menshikov, with the sacrifices of Bes, who loses his ren (name), and Desjardins, who loses his life, though the kingship of the still-senile Ra bothers everyone, while a war with the force of chaos seems to be inevitable.
The Serpent's Shadow
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The entire House of Life, now headed by Amos Kane, faces repeated invasions by the force of chaos, who has destroyed several Nomes around the world. Carter and Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, and Walt Stone learn that an individual's sheut (shadow) is capable of informing its wielder what that person's ren is. They use this logic in retrieving Bes' sheut so his personality can be restored, but also plan to use it to know Apophis' true name and therefore be able to completely destroy it. In addition, the siblings learn that Zia is protected because she is the true vessel of Ra. They get into an uneasy alliance with Setne, an evil magician ghost who soon betrays them and leaves to plan a destruction on the House of Life. During the search for Bes' sheut, Walt dies but manages to merge with the god Anubis, another individual who has a mutual crush with Sadie. In the final battle, the siblings, with its sheut in hand, manage to cast the banishment spell on Apophis, followed by Ra inside Zia blowing it up from within, which completely destroys the force of chaos, but in the process also spells the retreat of the force of ma'at, including the gods (except for Anubis). In the epilogue, Carter starts dating with Zia, as does Sadie and Walt/Anubis.
Supplementary works
Survival Guide
This book was released on March 20 of 2012. Boasting lenticulars, an easy-to-assemble trading card pyramid, and full-color diagrams and maps, this deluxe, lavishly illustrated guide teaches readers how to compile secret messages, read hieroglyphics, and recite ancient magic spells. Featuring enough information and extras to satisfy avid followers and budding Egyptologists alike, this guide will cast a spell on readers of all ages.
Graphic novel
A graphic novel based on The Red Pyramid was published on October 12, 2010. It follows a shortened version of Carter and Sadie adventures in The Red Pyramid with full color drawings.
A graphic novel based on The Throne of Fire was released on October 6, 2015.[2]
Crossovers
The Son of Sobek
The first ever Percy Jackson-Carter Kane crossover story was included in the back of the paperback edition of The Serpent's Shadow, published May 7, 2013, and subsequently became available as an e-single/audio purchase.
In the story, told from Carter's point of view and set on Long Island's south shore, in the vicinity of Moriches Bay, he is devoured by a giant magical crocodile he has been hunting, which immediately spits him out when stabbed by Percy, who has been hunting the crocodile also, because it has been menacing Camp Half-Blood, even devouring one of the camp's pegasi. They find themselves teaming up to fight the crocodile, which turns out to be a petsuchos, an ordinary crocodile turned to giant size and invested with the power of the Egyptian crocodile god Sobek by a magical necklace placed around its neck.
The Staff of Serapis
The sequel to 'The Son of Sobek', entitled The Staff of Serapis is the sixty-page crossover story in which Sadie and Annabeth meet. The sequel came out in April 2014, in the paperback version of The Mark of Athena, and then was released later on in the year in e-book/audiobook format read by Riordan and including a sneak preview of The Blood of Olympus.
In this story, told from Annabeth's point of view, Annabeth pursues a strange chimerical creature she encounters on the New York subway, is attacked by it, and then rescued by Sadie, who says that the creature was a figurine that suddenly came to life on the library table at Brooklyn House and fled the mansion. The two girls deduce that the creature is two parts of a tripartite creature, the Staff of Serapis, which belongs to the Egyptian god by that name, Hellenized after Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt and the subsequent founding of the last Egyptian dynasty by Alexander's general Pharaoh Ptolemy I. Serapis has taken up residence in a ruined lighthouse in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens and Annabeth and Sadie do battle with him.
The Crown of Ptolemy
The sequel to the Staff of Serapis is told from Percy's point of view. Percy, Carter, Annabeth, and Sadie all appear together.
Percy and Annabeth, investigate Governor's Island in Manhattan, as they are informed about trouble. Percy tries to call Carter, but to no avail. Setne, the evil magician, who is responsible for the events of the crossovers, is conducting a ritual for his apotheosis. Using the Book of Thoth, he perfects Greek-Egyptian magic, which results in a freak hurricane.
Percy and Annabeth try to stop Setne, but are overcome by his superior magic skill. Setne absorbs Percy's sword, much to the latter's chagrin. Setne summons Wadjet, the Cobra Goddess of Lower Egypt, and consumes her essence and takes her crown. Meanwhile, Carter and Sadie arrive and Setne flees.
The four teenagers head south, discussing plans. They find Setne summoning Nekhbet, the Vulture Goddess of Upper Egypt, and flees with her crown, although Nekhbet is saved by Percy and Annabeth. Setne leaves the Book of Thoth behind, and the group decide to use a ritual to trap Setne. Nekhbet advises that three of them must prepare the ritual, while the fourth must fight Setne.
Nekhbet chooses Percy as her host, as he is a powerful Greek demigod, and would stand a chance against Setne. Percy reluctantly agrees and hosts the goddess. They find Setne consuming the Duat, a mysterious layer which distorts reality for mortals. Sadie temporarily gives Annabeth the ability to perform magic. Setne blasts the four, but Percy is encased in a purple vulture avatar and shields the girls.
Percy grabs Setne and ascends into the sky. Setne tries to manipulate Percy, saying he was foolish to turn down godhood. This backfires when Percy retains control and justifies his decision. Nekhbet does not cooperate and Percy loses his avatar. He grabs Setne and they fall into the ocean. Percy, being the son of Poseidon, defeats Setne once and for all, grabbing him by his throat and dragging him to the surface.
Percy hurls Setne into a magical circle and pulls out his sword from the magician's throat, making Setne regurgigating all the magic and essence he had absorbed. The Kanes complete chanting and imprison Setne in a snowglobe.
An hour later, the teenagers sit, having lunch. Carter is impressed that Percy did not fall for Setne's manipulation and commends him for turning down immortality. Percy suspects that the crowns left behind is a test by Nekhbet, to see if Percy would wield its power. The Kanes decide to take the crowns and the Book of Thoth, and secure it properly, so that no one would misuse it. The demigods and the magicians decide to keep their mythical realities separate, for fear of chaos. They decide to keep contact and the Kanes bid goodbye.
Annabeth kisses Percy, happy that he is not a god, and they go for cheeseburgers.
Characters
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References
External links
- The Kane Chronicles at The Worlds of Rick Riordan (Disney: readriordan.com)
- Rick Riordan Myth Master at publisher Penguin Books (UK)
- Kane activity ideas and instructional material at RickRiordan.com
- Percy Jackson Universe series listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
