The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

I'm sure many of you have heard about or read The Percy Jackson series and if you enjoyed those I know you'll love the new Kane series starting with The Red Pyramid. The second in that series recently came out and it surprised me so much that I felt a book review coming on. 

Rating: 9 & 1/4 out of 10

Pages: 446

First Line: "Carter here. Look, we don't have time for long introductions."

Synopsis: After the Egyptian gods and goddesses were let lose, Carter and Sadie have been pretty busy. They've been fighting monsters, training kids with Egyptian magic, and trying to save the world. I know you're probably thinking that a fourteen year-old  boy and an almost-thirteen year-old girl cannot possibly be trying to save the world because: a. they're too young, b. they just found out about their magical abilities not too long ago, and c. if the world were in danger, you would have heard about it--right? Wrong. You see Carter and Sadie have only just released the tape-recordings that tell their story. In just a few days, less than a week, in fact, the snake Apophis is going to swallow the sun and Chaos will take over. Basically, the world will end. But not if the Kanes can help it. They are planning to bring Ra, the sun god, out of retirement and have him stop Chaos from overruling Ma'at, order. To do this they have to find the three different scrolls that make up the Book of Ra, chant the spell correctly, and actually find the missing sun god. As they face their newest adventure, the odds are against them, but this never stopped before. Too bad that this is an impossible task, harder than anything they've ever seen. 

Review: I had thought the first book in the series to be just okay. This was caused by not enough explanation about the complex magic. Also, I found that I do enjoy the Greek gods in the Percy Jackson series and The Lost Hero, more than the Egyptian gods. I had thought The Red Pyramid was decent, but really didn’t think it was up to par as a Rick Riordan book. Well, the second book in the series definitely changed my mind.

            The Throne of Fire was jam-packed with adventure. There were all sorts of fights that were both won and lost by the protagonists, making the storyline very realistic. They traveled, got captured, and made daring escapes. Everything that makes a fast-moving, good action story was there.

            Also, there were secondary storylines and conflicts, such as Walt’s secret or Carter’s quest to find Zia. These added a lot of dimension to the story and complicated the main conflict, just like in real life. *SPOILER ALERT* And though not everything worked out with Zia and Carter, I found that she was a very important part of tying the first two books together and I believe we will see much more of her funky character in future books.

            I really love how these books are written as if they are transcribed. It makes them even more interesting and I enjoy the biting side comments that the sibling exchange. This brings me to the comedy in this book. Though Mr. Riordan does not put a whole bunch of comedic dialogue or jokes in, there is a humorous side to this story. He works in bits that are so random and his characters have such ridiculous quirks that you’ll be giggling out loud. I almost always found myself smiling as I read this book from the pure absurdity of it all. (This may not sound like a compliment to some of you, but from me it is.)

            One of the few things I thought the booked lacked was a really great climax. The rising action and the building momentum of the story were wonderful, but they promised so much more than we got. I found the main fight to be almost boring, partially because Carter and Sadie were not very involved. *SPOILER ALERT* Yes, Sadie reads an immensely difficult spell while Carter protects her, yet the fighting is mostly between Desjardins and Apophis. I thought that this did fit in with the story and was well thought out, yet I could not help but become disappointed after all the other minor fight scenes that led up to the big challenge.

            By and large, I was quite immersed in this book. I found the mythology and magic to be better explained than in the first book of the series and I thought the voice recording bit still fit in with the story quite nicely. The action was intense and there was just enough comedic relief. The Throne of Fire was a joy to read and the level of writing happily surprised me.

Recommended: Mhm. If you don't like mythology or fantasy then this will probably not be an exciting read for you, but if you enjoyed Mr. Riordan's other books or like this genre then I recommend it highly. 

Similar: The Red Pyramid, anything by Terry Pratchett, The Akhenaten Adventure by P. B. Kerr

The Game of Vingt Cinq

Twenty-five random facts about moi:

1. I was named Madison Lark Meyer because my mother thought I looked like a baby bird when I was born.
2. I own a butter churn and use it regularly.
3. I know the names of almost all the animals at the Maryland Zoo. 
4. I enjoy dancing in the rain.
5. I don't have a favorite genre of music. I just like good music.
6. I've taken a bookbinding class. 
7. When I was a child I loved playing imaginary games with my friends--Imaginaries, Olden Days, Fairies, House, etc.
8. I have no clue what I'm going to be when I grow up, my life feels like it could go in so many different directions.
9. My iPod is named Wilhemina. She has exactly 199 songs on her, as of now. 
10. I am a bibliophile and most of the local librarians are on a first name basis with my family.
11. My miniature schnauzer's favorite color is green.
12. I have a fear of being alone.
13. I love being onstage--whether I am in a dance recital, play, or musical.
14. I wish I could play an instrument, but I've never been musically talented.
15. I have recently discovered a love for Nutella (I'm eating a spoonful right now :D) and Glee.
16. I enjoy listening to NPR and also HCC's station.
17. I am a nerdfighter a.k.a. one who fights worldsuck.
18. My first grade class help decide my little sister's name.
19. I am a Mac. This is most likely because I learned how to use Photoshop on a Mac. 
20. Sometimes I sit on my roof.
21. I love old things.
22. I'd rather sew by hand than with a machine.
23. I've never been out the country, though I've always wanted to travel.
24. Even though my voice is nothing special, I love to sing--especially show tunes.
25. I always try to pick out the funkiest and most unusual glasses when I get a new pair.

My spirit animal and me 

A Most Delightful Safari into the Capital

Yesterday, our Honors English class visited Washington D. C. for the day. We went to the Folger Theater where we saw Bill's Buddies, an acting troupe. They performed a medley of Shakespeare scenes and taught us about them. We heard about how Shakespeare still relates to modern life in his plays and how we could understand them better. While I am pretty comfortable reading Shakespeare, I will now be reading his plays out loud more often, so that I can hear the way his writing creates sound and emotion. My favorite part of the show was probably the fight scene from Hamlet, for after Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet is my favorite play of Shakespeare's. They were very talented actors and I enjoyed seeing their interpretation of the plays. I had a lot of fun and recommend this trip highly, though I would have liked to stay longer in D.C. considering the length of the trip there and back.

Hero-- n. 1 a. a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b. an illustrious warrior c. a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d. one who shows great courage 2 a. the principle male character in a literary or dramatic work b. the central figure in an event, period, or movement 3. an object of extreme admiration and devotion

Heroic Traits:

• Brutus
• saved Mark Antony 
• is working for the greater good of Rome, even thought he is close to Caesar
• takes control of the conspiracy
• wants freedom for the Romans
• has noble intentions
• idealist
• driven by his principles
• stoic
• loves Rome and is very loyal 

• Caesar

• Brutus says that he was:
• valiant
• loving
• ambitious
• already led Rome to victory
• catalyst that makes everyone else act

sources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSxvUTNz5oUDSMAewudA5EFVBIgfhlFPPYrneEayFDJpPWUjs8m1A&t=1

Tragic Flaws

Caesar

• overly ambitious
• intelligence tainted by hunger for power
• prideful
• ignores superstitions
• headstrong

Brutus

• naive 
• trusting
• stoic
• unselfish
• feels guilt strongly

That Zora Sure Does Love Her Some Symbols

• The checkers stand for Janie's equality and how Tea Cake treats her.
• Janie's braid is for freedom.
• The head rag meant bondage and slavery.
• Booker T. was an example of black success.
• Mrs. Turner personified racism and all of its complexities.
• Guitars stood for the playful side of people and the life-loving atmosphere of the Muck and Tea Cake.
• Overalls were for the working class and hard, honest work.
• The packet of seeds holds new life and starting over.
• The horizon is for new beginnings, hope, and planning for the future.
• The color blue  is proof of Janie and Tea Cake's love. It also symbolizes their partnership.
• The fish were a symbol of sharing of relationship between Janie and Tea Cake
• The Muck and the dirt were for the working class and a community rich and fertile in fun and love.
• The hurricane is God's power and how it is scary and amazing.
• The rabid dog is a symbol for hatred and how it is blind to who it hurts.
• The street lamp showed a new start and a fire just being lit. It also stood for Joe's ambition.

• The spittoons were for unnecessary luxury and Joe's way of keeping Janie content.
• The Eatonville store is the meeting place and center of the community.
• Mules stand for the burden of women, especially black women.
• Guns and shooting show that Janie is being empowered.
• The pear tree is for perfect harmony and marriage. 
• The sun and the way Janie associates Tea Cake with it means that life goes on and the sun continues to rise and set.