The Red Pyramid: Difference between revisions
Film Adaptation |
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The third and final book in the series, ''[[The Serpent's Shadow (2012 novel)|The Serpent's Shadow]]'', was published on May 1, 2012. |
The third and final book in the series, ''[[The Serpent's Shadow (2012 novel)|The Serpent's Shadow]]'', was published on May 1, 2012. |
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==Film Adaptation== |
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On June 13th, Disney Channel star [[China Anne McClain]] tweeted a photo of her with a script with the cover page "Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid" with the message "Oh my God! This is exciting!". Two days later the photo was taken down without any explanation as to why. Many of the fans avid readers have speculated that China will be playing Sadie in the film. |
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Also, new comer, [[Matthew Farris]] is rumored to be playing Carter Kane. He said via Twitter on Mat 23, 2013 "Today's audition with China was amazing! She is a beautiful human being and talented actress!". A little over two weeks later on June 11th, Matthew tweeted again, " I got it! I did it! Say hello to Carter Kane!". His tweet was taken down the same day as China's. |
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Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production has stated "Yes, there is a Red Pyramid film in the works. With Percy Jackson being a commercial success, why not take the leap of faith with Riordan's cultural series? It was a no brainer." |
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No other casting news has been reported or speculated. No director is attached though [[Chris Columbus]] is in talks of signing on. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:36, 1 July 2013
| Author | Rick Riordan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | The Kane Chronicles (Book 1) |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Hyperion Books |
Publication date | May 4, 2010 (hardcover) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 516 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-1-4231-1338-6 |
| OCLC | 488861751 |
| Followed by | The Throne of Fire |
The Red Pyramid is a 2010 fantasy adventure novel based on Egyptian mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in The Kane Chronicles series.
Summary
The books is written as a recording by Carter and Sadie. Carter and his father, Julius , go to London to visit Sadie, Carter's sister. Sadie had to live with her grandparents in London after their mother died. Julius takes them to the British Museum to study the Rosetta Stone. But he actually has deeper motives and tries to summon Osiris, the Egyptian god of the Underworld by using the stone as an anchor. It goes wrong when all the other four major gods are brought out and Set the Egyptian god of madness and chaos, imprisons Julius.
Carter and Sadie were taken to Brooklyn by their uncle, Amos. He goes to find Set, In the library of the Brooklyn mansion, they begin to discover signs that they are descended from famous pharaohs. Julius's side of the family was descended from Narmer while their dead mother, Ruby, had a family originated from Ramesses. When Sadie and Carter reach New York it is discussed how in Egypt people lived on the East side of the river because the sun rose in the east, and buried their dead in the west. Sadie had asked why they couldn't live in Manhattan. Amos replied that there are other gods and they should stay separate.
The mansion is attacked by serpent leopards, also known as serpopards. Sadie's cat, Muffin, turns out be the cat goddess, Bast. She makes quick work of the serpopards but the three are forced to run. They go into Manhattan, which Amos had earlier said had other non-Egyptian gods. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bast attempts to have them go in the Duat – a magical realm right underneath the mortal realm. But the goddess of scorpions, fights Bast and, almost defeated, Bast fled to the Duat.
In the museum, Carter and Sadie find Zia Rashid. She is the main nome of the House of Life, that had magicians trying to protect people and fight gods. Carter develops a massive crush on Zia. Zia combats Serqet and bans her from her host by using the Seven Ribbons of Hathor spell, but it doesn't work.
Zia takes the two to the First Nome, where Chief Lector Iskandar – the House of Life leader – and Desjardins – the second-in-command – brought up the assumption that they were both hosts of gods. Sadie and Iskander have a talk and the old Chief Lector tells her about the hosts. The next day, the two siblings begin their training. Zia teaches them the concept of casting hieroglyphs to use magic. Carter surprises Sadie and Zia by summoning a combat avatar – it is a magic and Bast used it to fight Serqet – of Horus, the falcon, war god. But their training is disrupted when a magician informs Zia that Iskander is dead and Desjardins is next in line for the throne. Sadie creates a portal and she and Carter escape to Paris because Desjardins would want to kill them because they are hosts, but not before bringing sphinxes with them. Bast, who is fine, takes care of them and Carter and Sadie infiltrate Desjardins' house so they can take a book to fight Set. Fruit bats attack them when they find the book, and magicians follow them when they run. Carter, Sadie, and Bast run to the Louvre and transport to the U.S., but since Sadie is not specific they travel to the Washington Monument.
At Washington, D.C they are chased by the Set animal, who Carter named Leroy. Carter stays back at the airport to fight it and manages to wound it with his combat avatar. He throws Leroy in his Duat locker - a short opening to the Duat - and manages to catch the airplane to Memphis, Tennessee, where the wisdom god, Thoth, is. They use tickets given to Sadie by Nut, the sky goddess, while she dreamed back in the Washington Monument.
When they finish Thoth's test, they learn that they were supposed to have the Feather of Truth from the Underworld/Land of the Dead. And they also needed Set's true name, which contained the person's identity and life. Because of Sadie's attraction to Anubis-god of funerals-he gives the Feather of Truth to her. They then continue from New Orleans to Texas, where Carter fights Sobek, but is hopelessly outmatched and outclassed even with the combat avatar. Amos saves them but Bast and Sobek are expelled to the Duat. The only thing left of Bast is Muffin, the cat she inhabited.
They go to New Mexico, as Zia wanted Carter there and the earth god Geb told Sadie to. It turns out that Desjardins had known this and a fight occurs. Thanks to Zia's plan, they defeat Sekhmet, the lion goddess of battle, and drive onwards to Arizona. They spot the Red Pyramid, which is Set's main host. When they arrive, Amos collapses and Set reveals he was hosting Amos as well, all along.
Carter merges completely with Horus and becomes the eye of the war god. He puts up a good fight but Set's strength grows when dawn approaches and the desert glows. Sadie learns from a dying Zia that Set's secret name is Evil Day. She combines with Isis, the magic goddess inside her, and transports Carter and Sadie along with herself to Washington, D.C. Sadie banishes Set to the Duat, reading the book and using the Feather of Truth along with his secret name.
Just then, Set's serpent appears. He is the host of Apophis, the Serpent of Chaos itself. Even though Carter kills the serpent, it is Sadie who rubs the picture of the snake in the sky. They come back for Zia, who turns out to be a shabti-a ceramic doll-and urges Carter to find the real Zia Rashid.
They return to Brooklyn House and rebuild the place with magic. Amos leaves for the First Nome to be healed from being possessed by Set. Carter and Sadie are paid a visit by Osiris, who was bonded with their father. They even see the ghost of their mother who was accompanying Julius. The god of the dead gives them his djed amulet to attract other things. The siblings give up Horus and Isis, who vanish away into the Duat but not before preserving a quarter of their power in the amulets Julius had given them a long time ago. Carter and Sadie store the amulets in Carter's Duat locker and put the djed amulet with it. Once kids began to come, they would teach them divine magic or the path of the gods, which involved channeling a god's power. In the end, Carter and Sadie find their father. Julius decides that he would like to stay with his wife; Carter and Sadie now live with their uncle Amos.
Major characters
- Carter Kane:(Age 14, Red Pyramid and Throne of Fire; age 15, Serpent's Shadow) — The host of the Falcon god, Horus and has the "blood of the pharaohs," being a descendant of Narmer and Ramses the Great through both sides of his family. He is one of the main protagonists, and is initially described as always dressing "impeccably" in dress shirts and pants, but relaxes into a more modern style as the series progresses. He has dark skin, curly dark brown hair and brown eyes. After the death of his mother, he spent six years travelling with his father and, as he put it, "living out of a suitcase". His specialty is combat magic and his preferred weapon is a khopesh, an ancient Egyptian sword.
- Ruby Kane: is Carter and Sadie's mom who dies at Cleopatra's Needle trying to seal away the chaos snake Apophis.
- Sadie Kane: She is twelve and was a host of Isis. She was 6 when her mother died, and lived in England with her grandparents eversince. She is described to have a caramel hair, not brunette nor blonde. As she stays in England, her skin is paler than Carter's and has a slight British accent. Her father gave her a cat whom she named Muffin, although it is actually the goddess Bast who is the protector of the Kane siblings. Sadie is the bold one from the Kane siblings, she is more reckless and more of a troublemaker. She teases her brother all the time, though she actually cares for him.
- Julius Kane: An Egyptian magician who becomes a host of Osiris. He is Carter and Sadie Kane's father. His wife, Ruby Kane, died trying to seal away the chaos snake Apophis in Cleopatra's Needle.[1]He is also an Egyptologist.
- Amos Kane: An Egyptian magician who became a partial host of Set. He is Julius Kane's brother, and a former protector of the Kane children. The children find out that he has been Set's host.[1]
- Zia Rashid: An Egyptian magician who is a host of Nephthys.[1]
- Bast: The Egyptian goddess of cats. She becomes the Kane children's protector after Sadie calls for her to defend and help the children and the world.
Critical reception
The Washington Post said that Riordan "begins [the book] with a literal bang" and "the pace never flags as the narrative cuts between Carter and Sadie".[2] The book also was listed in The Washington Post's summer book club.[3] The New York Times's Bruce Handy said that The Red Pyramid had "eruptions of mayhem every few pages and exposition falling like hail". They also said that reader's minds would begin "to wander for even a single paragraph: you will find yourself cast adrift on a sea of churning narrative". The New York Times also said that "Riordan fans young and old will eat this new book up". It also commented that the book was "wholly satisfying while also setting the table for what promises to be a rip-roaring saga with nasty villains, engaging love interests".[4] Kirkus Reviews thought the story was similar to Riordan's other works like The Lightning Thief in terms of chapters, characters, and plot, but noted, "that's not all bad".[5]
Awards
The Red Pyramid was named a School Library Journal Best Book of 2010.[6] It has also been shortlisted for the 2011 Red House Children's Book Award.[7]
Publication history
The Red Pyramid had a first printing of one million copies.[8] The series was planned to come out with one book per year to build anticipation.[8]
A graphic novel based on the book was released in 2012.[9]
The second book in the series, The Throne Of Fire, was published on May 3, 2011.[10][11]
The third and final book in the series, The Serpent's Shadow, was published on May 1, 2012.
Film Adaptation
On June 13th, Disney Channel star China Anne McClain tweeted a photo of her with a script with the cover page "Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid" with the message "Oh my God! This is exciting!". Two days later the photo was taken down without any explanation as to why. Many of the fans avid readers have speculated that China will be playing Sadie in the film.
Also, new comer, Matthew Farris is rumored to be playing Carter Kane. He said via Twitter on Mat 23, 2013 "Today's audition with China was amazing! She is a beautiful human being and talented actress!". A little over two weeks later on June 11th, Matthew tweeted again, " I got it! I did it! Say hello to Carter Kane!". His tweet was taken down the same day as China's.
Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production has stated "Yes, there is a Red Pyramid film in the works. With Percy Jackson being a commercial success, why not take the leap of faith with Riordan's cultural series? It was a no brainer."
No other casting news has been reported or speculated. No director is attached though Chris Columbus is in talks of signing on.
References
- ^ a b c Riordan, Rick (May 4, 2010). The Red Pyramid. Disney Hyperion. p. 516. ISBN 978-1-4231-1338-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Quattlebaum, Mary (June 20, 2010). "Novels for kids from John Grisham, Candace Bushnell and Rick Riordan". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "Summer Book Club for young readers includes books by blockbuster authors". The Washington Post. June 16, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ Handy, Bruce (June 4, 2010). "Children's Books – Justice League". The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan". Kirkus Reviews. April 15, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- ^ "School Library Journal Best Books of 2010". School Library Journal. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ^ "2011 Shortlist". Red House. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
- ^ a b Farley, Christopher John (May 4, 2010). "'Percy Jackson' Author Rick Riordan on His New Book 'The Red Pyramid': Does the Cover Tell the Whole Story?". The Wall Street Journal. Speakeasy. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
- ^ Riordan, Rick (February 13, 2011). "The Week in Review–Myth & Mystery". Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- ^ Riordan, Rick. "Kane Chronicles – My Books: The Online World of Rick Riordan". rickriordan.com. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ Riordan, Rick. "The Throne of Fire – Kane Chronicles: The Online World of Rick Riordan". rickriordan.com. Retrieved January 18, 2011.