Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.
The Throne of Fire by Rick RiordanPublisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: May 2011
Pages: 464
Source: Audiobook from Library
For: Fun!
Series: Kane Chronicles, Book 2
*Spoilers for The Red Pyramid are inevitable*
Carter and Sadie Kane may have temporarily defeated Apophis, but he's bound to return if they don't find the legendary Book of Ra and use it to help defeat him. With the help of some old friends and new ones as well, the Kanes are determined to keep chaos at bay until Apophis can be contained completely.
Things I Liked:
I always love Riordan's series. He combines perfectly smart stories, real kid characters, and a level of humor that can entertain kids and adults alike. I love how easily he's taken history and mythology and made it fun, interesting, and readable. The books are so clever too - phrasing and humor and everything done so well. Sadie and Carter are so real, particularly the way their narrations seem almost like a sibling fight. Reminds me of myself and my older brother sometimes. I've really been enjoying the audio versions, because the two narrators are so good - they sound just right for the ages and they make great sarcastic inflections too. And Bes! Oh, how I loved Bes. There are many wonderful things that make these series a blast to read or listen to.
Things I Didn't Like:
I always think the stories last just a little too long. I think if they were a bit shorter and maybe cut out one or two side stories/adventures, they would be better. I also thought it was a bit odd that during the exciting ending Carter seemed to do practically nothing and Sadie did everything important. Just some little qualms, though, because they really are so fun - kids will devour them!
Read-alikes:
Read The Red Pyramid first
It's like the Percy Jackson series, of course
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->->
some action, not descriptive or graphic
Overall rating: ****
What do you think of the surge in mythological-based books?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
Posts
I love that mythology is on the forefront of middle-grade literature! It dovetails nicely with our sixth grade Language and Social Studies standards. The kids are so much more engaged with the subject matter now that there is lit relevant to them that they are excited about.
ReplyDeleteI love that too! So great to have something that will engage them in what you learn about in the classroom. Let's hope for more!
DeleteThe only Riordan I've read so far is The Lightning Thief. I really should finish at least that series. :( I just read a book that was way longer than it needed to be, that's always frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI guess that would be one of my major pet peeves - books that are longer than they need to be. Hopefully you finish that series sometime :)
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