Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

This is the second book in the Kane Chronicles. I hadn't planned on reading it so soon after reading the first one (I am now trying to switch up genres when I read so I don't get in a rut. Besides, with school starting in two weeks, I'll be reading plenty of YA books during our school's daily SSR time - yes, I get paid to read a book of my choice for 20 minutes a day! It's a bit of heaven I must say.) But, it was on the shelf, and nothing else looked good at the time.

My review is pretty similar to The Red Pyramid. As with the Percy Jackson series, more about Sadie and Carter's past and family history gets revealed. Their ultimate goal/mission is also made clearer, but I'm also guessing that the full plan has  not been disclosed to us yet. There's also a few twists and turns woven into the plot that you didn't necessarily see coming, which is part of the reason Riordan's books are compelling; he makes sure to keep you on your toes.

I'm glad I read this, and I'll be picking up the third one when it comes out next spring.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

I have touted and recommended Riordan's Percy Jackson series since I first read it five years ago. I think it is a great series and gives kids a good introduction to the basics of Greek mythology. I read it to my sixth graders, and I had kids who didn't read at all start to read more myths and other series that were similar.

Now that Percy Jackson is finished, Riordan has started two new series. One is the Kane Chronicles and The Red Pyramid is the first in that. Instead of looking at Greek myths, he's moved onto looking at Egyptian mythology, which I think is even more fantastic because this is often overlooked in our education systems. Again, it presents the basics to kids in a non-threatening, action packed method.

The book is told through a "recording" by Carter and Sadie Kane, a brother and sister duo who get swept up into an adventure where Egyptian gods are released into the modern world. They ultimately have to save the world from the god Set, who has a plan to send the world into chaos. As the story unfolds, Carter and Sadie slowly discover their family's history and how important they are in Egyptian history as well as to the safety of the world.

I wouldn't say this is as good as the Percy Jackson series, but it did keep my interest on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's a quick read, fast paced and interesting. I'd say it's a definite for kids, and their parents might just enjoy it too.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

This was an excellent book. It could be a little daunting at almost 600 pages, but it really is a quick read. Gaiman does a great job of weaving an intriguing, interesting, and amazing tale.

I don't want to describe too much of the book, because you are given very little from the beginning and part of the magic of the book is that Gaiman very deftly weaves in details as the story progresses. You start out with your main character, Shadow, who is just getting out of prison. On his trip home, he meets Mr. Wednesday, a very mysterious character, who gives Shadow a job. The two then embark on a very odd trip throughout America, although the main part of the story really does take place in the Midwest.

I really can't say enough about this book. It's only the second book I've read by Gaiman. The first was Stardust, which is also fantastically written and is more fairy tale than science fiction (think along the lines of The Princess Bride). I think some people may be automatically turned off by Gaiman because he's considered science fiction, but you really owe it to yourself to try at least one of his books. While some of the things in American Gods are definitely science fictiony, it really doesn't read like that. It truly is just a great story. If you love words and how they work together, then you really need to read Gaiman. You won't regret it.