Reposting this review because Red Pyramid is free on Kindle. I was not a huge fan, but I have heard from several who thought that I was too hard on the book and have finished the trilogy. Free is worth picking up, and kindle format is probably better than the audiobook.
Summary: A brother and sister must figure out a way to save their parents and the world from a vengeful Egyptian god.
I found this free on audiobook from my local library. I am listening with two purposes. One, I need some lighter fiction. I have been over-doing the theology and heavy stuff and if I am going to keep blogging I need to maintain an intellectual balance of books. Too much intellectual challenge is draining. There has to be time to process and relax. But I also have several friends who have children that are reading faster than they can keep up. They are good parents that want to read what their kids read and try to have conversations and discussions with their kids about books, but there is a point when kids and parents reading speeds start converging and kids often have more time to read than their parents. So I am trying to keep an eye out for good middle grade, early young adult books that I can recommend.
I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson series and was interested in a new take on mythology from Riordan. This is definitely a different take. Instead of the gods of Greek mythology, these are the gods of Egyptian mythology. Instead of being focused on children that are half human/half Greek god, these are more like possession by the Gods. The subject matter is just more problematic and the books feel a bit darker, although not much.
My real issue is that the book jointly narrated by the two main characters as a joint project. The a brother and sister alternate each chapter, telling it from their point of view. In audiobook, they actual narrators change and the two almost fight to tell their side. But the characters, especially the sister seems a bit unreal. She is 12, but sounds more like 15-16. It lends itself to some problems in the story development. It might be better in a kindle or print format.
The brother is a bit better developed, but there is always the problem about how and why some teen come to a point where they need to save the world, and are actually the only chances. I have read a lot in the genre both as a teen and recently. This is not a bad book, but there are many better. I am a bit disappointed. I think the subject matter will concern some parents in a way that I am not concerned with the Percy Jackson series. And after the Percy Jackson series, this just does not stand up. It is ok, just not great.
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