The
Serpent’s Shadow
is the conclusion, (all be it seemingly premature for one of Riordan’s series,)
of the Kane Chronicles… or is it?
With a mixture of confusion and delight, I read that the Egyptian-based mythology
series was in fact a trilogy. I was confused because Riordan’s Percy Jackson series was completed with
five books. And I have assumed, perhaps mistakenly, that Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series would be five
books as well. I was delighted because I prefer short series over those that go
on and on and on and on. Ultimately, I was disappointed because I have
preferred the Kane Chronicles from
the beginning.
As humans chose to ignore, deny and
forget the (Egyptian) gods, said gods went into exile. In some cases, the gods,
including the god of the sun, Ra, checked into assisted living and nursing
homes. At the close of The Throne of Fire,
Carter and Sadie have successfully found and retrieved Ra only to discover that
his mental faculties leave much to be desired. Considering that Ra was their
only and best hope at defeating Apophis, the god of chaos, the Kanes are not
just disappointed, they feel defeated. And Apophis continues to rise growing
stronger on a daily basis. Time for Plan B.
An ancient magician wrote a scroll
titled Book of Overcoming Apophis of
which there are limited copies. The Kanes have spent their time in between
books 2 and 3 trying to acquire and protect a copy. In each instance, Apophis
has beaten them to it and left a wide swathe of destruction in his wake. There
is one copy left in a nome in Dallas. If the Kanes fail, it is almost certainly
the end of the world. You know, it wouldn’t be a long book, over 400 pages, if
they succeeded. And where is the adventure in success?
Some advice comes in the form of a “face
in the wall” in the museum in Dallas. It instructs Sadie to concentrate, not on
the rare scroll, but on a small gold cabinet. There is a clue to the solution
to their problem inside. Unfortunately, the kids find exactly nothing inside. But the nothing is more
than it seems. The face in the wall is more than it seems as well. Can you
guess what was inside? Here is a riddle.
Only
one color, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
What am I?
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
What am I?
The Kanes learn that in Egyptian mythology,
the soul has 5 parts: the Ren - name, the Ba - personality, the Ka - spark, the
Sheut, and the Ib - heart. The cabinet houses a person’s Sheut or Shadow. If
the Kanes can capture the shadow of Apophis, they might be able to send Chaos
away and protect the world for another age. They have already a built a statue
of Apophis in which they can imprison the shadow, but they still need the magic
incantation in which to draw his shadow out and away. With the last copy of the
Book of Overcoming Apophis destroyed,
there is only one option left – the Book
of Thoth. It is hidden and protected by countless enchantments and there is
only one person left who knows where it is and how to obtain it – the ghost of
the son of Ramses the Great Himself – he is not to be trusted – ever.
I don’t think we have seen the last of
Carter and Sadie Kane and here are two reasons why. Number One: The ghostly
spirit of an evil magician named Setne has once again escaped the Hall of
Justice and proper sentencing to Oblivion. At some point, I am sure he will
wreak much havoc upon the world and will have to be re-recaptured. Number Two:
There are other gods at work in the world and we can guess that they will
eventually butt heads – Greeks, Romans and Egyptians meet/merge into a new
series. I would like to see/read that!
Book 2: The Throne of Fire
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