The Red Pyramid

Rick Riordan continues to demonstrate that derivative fiction is not necessarily bad fiction. The Red Pyramid has so many parallels to the Percy Jackson series (also written by Riordan), as well as Harry Potter, that it would be easy to discard it.

However, Mr. Riordan blends ancient mythology (this time from Egypt) with modern life in a way no one else is doing. He also writes enjoyable characters who grow in believable ways throughout this books. Carter and Sadie Kane are no different here. As details about their troubled and unconventional childhoods are revealed, they develop a bond that is both believable and natural. The action is well written, the dialog is witty and humorous, and I anxiously await further installments in the series.