I'm a fan of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. When I saw that he had started a new series based on Egyptian Mythology, I was already hooked. And I wasn't disappointed. There are even a couple of vague references to the Percy Jackson series in the Red Pyramid, which made me grin like a stupid fangirl.

What Riordan did for Greek mythology he does in the Red Pyramid for Egyptian mythology. Ancient deities have always fascinated me and I'm somewhat familiar with Egyptian mythology; as to be expected, Riordan has taken certain liberties regarding Egyptian deities, but he also stays true to the original concept, expanding on it and pulling it into the modern era. There is also no small amount of historical content hidden throughout the book and it is so easy to fall into the pattern of hunting for historical incidents which could have been influenced by the ancestors of characters in the book.

Carter and Sadie Kane's father is an Egyptologist; their mother was a scientist. After their mother's death, Sadie settled with her grandparents in London while Carter traveled with their father. Each is convinced that the other has the better deal: Sadie only sees her father and brother once a year but Sadie gets to go to a regular school and have friends beyond the people that work with their father at a dig site. When a freak accident kills their father on the one day a year they get to visit each other, Carter and Sadie find themselves learning more about each other and their family than they could have ever imagined.

The action begins almost immediately and doesn't stop. Carter and Sadie take turns narrating the story and the sudden switch between perspectives is a bit confusing at times. That is my only complaint with this story. The Red Pyramid is well written and intriguing. Different Egyptian deities appear throughout, helping and hindering Sadie as they search for a way to save their father, and they manage to stay true to their role in Egyptian mythology, though there is no need to have a prior understanding of Egyptian deities as it is explained throughout the text. We learn of Carter and Sadie's heritage as they do, though the reader can easily decipher where things are leading because we do see both of their stories as they evolve.

This is the first in the series and there is no indication of when the next book will be released. Hopefully soon. I didn't start reading the Percy Jackson series until book five was released and I fear the wait for book two of the Kane Chronicles may kill me, especially since it looks as if Riordan is dipping back into the Percy Jackson series for a book or two.