The Red Pyramid

Carter and Sadie Kane haven’t lived together since their mother’s death. He travels the world with their Egyptologist father. She lives with her grandparents in London. When their father accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set, they discover they’re descended from pharaohs and that ancient magic runs in their blood. The Red Pyramid is Riordan’s Egyptian mythology adventure, and it’s the best alternative entry into his work.

Why Start Here

If you already know you love Egyptian mythology, or if you want a Riordan book that stands more independently from the Percy Jackson universe, this is the one. The Kane Chronicles use a different narrative structure: Carter and Sadie take turns narrating, recording their story as a transcript, which gives the book a distinctive rhythm. Their sibling bickering is sharp and funny, and the cultural specificity of their family, Black, British-American, and rooted in Egyptian heritage, adds a dimension that the Percy Jackson books don’t have.

Riordan’s research into Egyptian mythology goes deep. The magic system, based on hieroglyphs, the Duat, and the hosting of gods, feels genuinely different from the Greek-gods-as-superpowered-parents model. If you want to see Riordan stretch into new territory rather than repeat himself, start here.

What to Expect

A globe-trotting adventure from London to Cairo to Phoenix, with two narrators who constantly interrupt and correct each other. The mythology is rich and less familiar than the Greek canon, which makes it feel fresher. The book is longer than The Lightning Thief and takes a little more time to set up its world, but once it hits its stride, the pacing is just as relentless. Expect explosive magic, ancient rivalries, and a pair of siblings figuring out how to trust each other again.