The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, Book 2) [Hardcover]

Rick Riordan (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 3, 2011 | Age Range: 10 and up | Series: The Kane Chronicles (Book 2) | Lexile Measure: 710L (What's this?)

In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them. 

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Storytelling that will get readers hooked. -- Philip Ardagh The Guardian Witty and inspired. Gripping, touching and deliciously satirical Times A fantastic blend of myth and modern Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl Sure to become a classic Sunday Express --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Rick Riordan (www.rickriordan.com) is the author of three different mythology-based series for Disney-Hyperion: the best-selling Percy Jackson series, the Kane Chronicles, and The Heroes of Olympus series. The first book in the Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid, was a number 1 New York Times bestseller. The five books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series have sold millions of copies, been published in more than thirty countries, and inspired a major motion picture. Rick's novels for adults include the hugely popular Tres Navarre series, winner of the top three awards in the mystery genre. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and two sons.

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423140567
• ISBN-13: 978-1423140566
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.5 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 23.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (433 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults.

For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary's Hall honored him with the school's first Master Teacher Award.

While teaching full time, Riordan began writing mystery novels for grownups. His Tres Navarre series went on to win the top three national awards in the mystery genre - the Edgar, the Anthony and the Shamus. Riordan turned to children's fiction when he started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his oldest son.

Today over 30 million copies of his Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus books are in print in the United States, and rights have been sold into more than 35 countries. Rick is also the author of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, another #1 New York Times bestseller. In 2011, Rick received the Children's Choice Book Award for Author of the Year.

Rick Riordan now writes full-time. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and two sons.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#25 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#26 in Books

#29 in Books > Teens

#39 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction

#41 in Kindle eBooks

#26 in Books

#29 in Books > Teens

#39 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction

#41 in Kindle eBooks

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 122 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bit More Challenging than Percy Jackson, But Extraordinary in the Opportunities it Presents May 8, 2011

By L. Gildart TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

SPOILER FREE:

Young fans of the Percy Jackson series may find themselves a bit slower to warm up to this one. Not impossible, mind you, and I think all of them will still thoroughly enjoy these books. However, I noticed that my ten-year-old was taking longer to read this one, just as he had with book one, The Red Pyramid.

I think the reason for this is not that the books are less well-written, or the characters less well-drawn. These books are every bit as exciting and character-driven as their predecessors. However, they are a bit more densely-packed with unfamiliar information. Geographically, they range much farther than the Percy Jackson series does. Percy's quests take place in the United States. If my son had a question about a location, he usually didn't have to go farther than asking me in order to get more information. Additionally, the mythology itself was more accessible to him (and me). I can't think of any Disney cartoons off the top of my head that deal with Egyptian gods.

Once he realized during the first book that this was slowing him down, he took to reading it near the computer. We bought this book on Kindle, in order to have immediate access to helpful websites, and, suddenly, this is more like his own quest than just a book. He's learning, and he's loving it.

This book, like the last is told from the points of view of dual protagonists: Carter Kane and Sadie Kane. For kids, this may be a bit daunting, as the switch back and forth involves two distinctly drawn characters with different voices. I like it, because my son, who normally shies away from books with female protagonists, is absolutely willing to read this.... Thank you, Rick Riordan, for doing something about the bias in kidlit and helping our next generation to learn how to see things from different points of view.

The book contains just enough exposition to get you through it if you haven't read the first (for example, if your child gets this as a gift, you won't have to run straight out and buy the first book before he or she reads this one; however, your child probably will want to read the first book at some point).

Themes you may want to discuss with your child upon reading:

Empire - the concept of empire plays huge in this series, perhaps even more than it did in the Percy Jackson series. This makes the books both relevant and relatable to current events, if you want to bring them up with your child. There's nothing heavy-handed, though, or preachy or judgmental or especially patriotic, so if you prefer to avoid the topic, you won't be asked any questions you prefer not to answer.

Family - The Percy Jackson series was replete with absentee father issues. The Kane chronicles begin with the loss of a father by two kids who had already lost their mother. To make matters worse, the siblings have been separated for years and they do not resemble each other at all. The books so far have dealt deftly with the kids' discoveries of common ground and likenesses, despite their early separation, and the concepts of love and family are never far beneath the surface.

Chaos versus Order - this is the nature of the struggle, and the book doesn't present the choice as an easy one.

I'm still reading most of what my son reads, and I enjoyed this one as much as he did. I'm looking forward to the next installment, and so is he. Read more ›

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Sequal, Better Than the First July 19, 2011

By Gavin Reviews

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The battle against Chaos continues, and Apophis is very close to rising. The only way to stop him is to awaken Ra. Problem is, no one even knows where Ra is. And to awaken him, they need the three scrolls of the Book of Ra which are unreadable. Sadie and Carter Kane are not alone, though. They now have the assistance of their new trainees and a few of gods.

To add to all the confusion, Carter has found some information leading to Zia's possible location. In this fresh, intense, and humorous race, it is all about the Throne of Fire.

I liked this book even more than the first in the series. It is in many ways, similar. A race to save the world in just a few days, with several battles and bits of humor along the way. This tends to be the pattern in Riordan's mythology books. The difference in this book is that it has a theme of identity. None of his other mythology books seem to as clearly have a theme. A great sequel. I liked how it went further into Egyptian mythology. Very excited for the next, and final book in the Kane Chronicles!

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Action/Adventure PACKED May 13, 2011

By Megan B. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

The world will end soon so who you gonna call? Sadie and Carter Kane, of course. When we last "heard" from the Kane siblings they had just defeated Set and saved the world, so they shouldn't have any trouble doing it again, right? Sadie and Carter now have trainees and are teaching them magic that in the magician world is illegal. They are preparing them for the fight of their life. When they find out that Apophis is rising from his prison they set off to stop him.

Their mission takes them to many interesting (and creepy) places; they meet many new gods, like the dwarf god Bes. And basically put themselves into peril time after time. Well, they are the Kane's, aren't they? The sundial is counting down the hours until the spring equinox a.k.a Aphophis's jail break. And in order to stop him they must find and restore a very old god who is in retirement and is pretty darn elusive.

Will Carter and Sadie with the help of their friends be able to save the world....again?

Throne of Fire was an action and adventure packed book! It was very interesting to learn about the Egyptian gods and their mythology. There were never any moments when the reader felt like they were reading a text book about the gods and their backgrounds. Riordan effortlessly wove learning and fiction seamlessly into one. In the previous book, The Red Pyramid, I thought Carter to be pretty bland and bit personality-less (the complete opposite of his sister, Sadie, who is chock full of personality- practically bursting at the seams), but Riordan did a good job with Carter's voice in this book. There were only a couple of times I was reading a chapter and didn't know which character was narrating....

It was a thrilling roller coaster ride peering into the perilous and hectic lives of Carter and Sadie Kane. I can't wait for the third and final installment of the Kane Chronicles coming out in the spring of 2012! Read more ›

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars **Apophis Rising** May 7, 2011

By Misanthrope™ TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

There is something appealing about all of the books I have read by Rick Riordan. Whether you are a child or an adult, he always manages to communicate with all audiences. He develops his characters, and makes you care for them.

I confess I do not enjoy the Egyptian mythology series, The Kane Chronicles, AS MUCH as the Greek mythology series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or the other new Greco-Roman mythology series, The Heroes of Olympus. However, I do enjoy all of these, and I think they are excellent for all ages. He is enriching our interest in ancient mythologies, and making us look at all mythologies in a humorous way.

This second book of The Kane Chronicles is a little darker than the first book, but there are still plenty of hilarious moments, some comic relief I found timely. New characters are introduced, and we are brought in contact with previous characters, some of which we were not sure we would see in this installment. The new characters span a continuum from good to evil, and bring elements of comedy and tragedy.

I will not give the details of the story, but if you have read the first novel, you already know Apophis, the deification of chaos and evil, is rising in this novel. You may already know, also, that a particular god must be woken if Apophis is to be properly opposed and the balance preserved between Chaos and Ma'at.

This book is highly recommended for anyone with a sense of humor that also has interest in ancient cultures and myth.