The Throne of Fire: 08/24/12

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan is the second of the Kane Chronicles. Carter and Sadie working apart and later together have do everything in their power to stop Apophis and awaken the sun god Ra.

It opens strong with Carter trying to liberate a magical item from a museum, only to have things go horribly wrong. It's a dramatic and funny opening but that initial energy and humor slowly peters out.

Although I normally adore Egyptian mythology, the pacing felt off here. The chapter alternate between brother and sister, just as the first book and just as the latest bunch of Amelia Peabody mysteries (by Elizabeth Peters) have done with Amelia's memoir and manuscript H (standing in for Ramses's adventures apart from his mother). Just as the manuscript H sections take a few pages to fall into Ramses's voice, so do these alternating chapters. It's usually the second of the paired chapters that truly feels like it's written by one sibling over the other.

In the middle there's also some teenage angst over girls and boys (depending on whom is narrating). The crushes are cute in small doses but they too get in the way of ever ticking clock. If Riordan wants to continue growing the romance of the Kane twins, I hope he gives a longer time line for their next crisis. It seems that every single one of his books come down to a two week timeline before the world goes to hell again. It's getting both tiresome and unbelievable.

Three stars

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