The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (Hyperion Books for Children, 2010) is the first installment in the middle-grade fantasy adventure Kane Chronicles series and is followed by The Throne of Fire (2011) and The Serpent’s Shadow (2012). The book follows siblings Carter and Sadie Kane on a journey across North America to stop the Egyptian god of chaos from destroying the world. The Red Pyramid won a School Library Journal Best Book Award and was shortlisted for the 2011 Red House Children’s Book Award.

The audiobook of The Red Pyramid was a finalist in the Audiobook of the Year Award, and the book appeared on the Amazon Children’s Bestseller list. Riordan holds dual bachelor’s degrees in English and history from the University of Texas at Austin and taught mythology at the middle-school level before pursuing his career as an author. He has penned over 20 books for young readers utilizing mythologies from Greek (the Percy Jackson series) to Norse (the Magnus Chase series) and has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. This guide follows the 2010 Hyperion Books version of The Red Pyramid.

Plot Summary

The Red Pyramid follows siblings Sadie and Carter Kane. Through alternating perspectives between the kids, the story shows the trials they face as Egyptian magicians, orphans, and interracial preteens. The narrative is presented as a recording made by Carter and Sadie after the events of the book have finished, and much of the story relies on the assumption that Carter and Sadie have shared information with one another outside of what’s written on the page.

The story opens on Christmas Eve in London. Since the death of Carter and Sadie’s mother eight years ago, Carter has traveled the world with their dad while Sadie has lived with her mom’s parents in England. Carter and his dad see Sadie twice a year, and this night is one of their two visitation days. They go to the British Museum, where their father performs a spell to release the Egyptian god Osiris from his prison in the Rosetta Stone. In doing so, he also releases the other four gods trapped there, including Set, the lord of chaos. Freed at last, Set means to sacrifice Osiris and claim his place as king of the gods. Since Osiris has taken up residence in Carter and Sadie’s dad, Set imprisons him, which sets Carter and Sadie on a journey against ancient Egyptian forces to rescue the only parent they have left.

Carter and Sadie quickly learn they are magicians descended from the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. With the release of the gods, Carter and Sadie became hosts for Horus and Isis, respectively, giving the kids access to power they would not normally have. With mere days until Set unleashes chaos on the world, Carter and Sadie race across the United States, pursued by the magicians of the House of life, the worldwide organization of magicians who want Carter and Sadie dead for breaking magician law and siding with the gods.

Carter and Sadie face off against gods, demons, and creatures of chaos from Egyptian mythology. Along the way, they learn to use their power while growing closer to one another and discovering the meaning of family. With the help of Bast (Egyptian goddess of cats and their protector) and Zia (a magician from the House of Life who believes Carter and Sadie are the world’s only chance), they reach Set’s domain in the desert of Arizona, where he builds a pyramid that will amplify his powers of chaos and allow him to overtake the world.

To defeat Set, the kids must use Set’s secret name, which Zia somehow knows. In the process of banishing Set to the realm of the dead, Sadie reveals that Apophis (the ancient chaos serpent that is more powerful than the gods) has escaped captivity and been behind Set’s plans. Still weak, Apophis is easily defeated, but the serpent vows to return when it is stronger. Set is stopped, and Zia is revealed to be a decoy for the real Zia, who is also hosting a god and has been hidden away for her own protection.

In exchange for saving the world, Carter and Sadie could not rescue their dad. Orphaned, they go to live with their uncle in New York at a safe house for magicians. One night, they are summoned to the realm of the dead, where they find their dad has become Osiris, king of the underworld. Their father warns them about the trials ahead, and the book ends with Carter and Sadie preparing to mount a defense in preparation for Apophis’s return and the impending battle of order against chaos.