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It’s the end of the world. Seriously. Apophis is rising and is going to swallow the sun, sending the whole world into Chaos. And the gods, from the dotty old man Ra down to Carter and Sadie Kane’s father in the underworld, are powerless to stop it.
Which means saving the world is up to a 12- and 14-year-old. Can they trust the dead, somewhat evil, ghost magician and go through with their certifiably insane plan? And if they do, will it actually work? (And in the meantime, can they figure out their love lives?)
I’m not sure that I have anything original to say about this one that I haven’t said about the other two in the series. It’s still a fun adventure, and Carter and Sadie are still acting way older than their age (though Riordan deftly acknowledges this: he has a throwaway line about how kids who channel gods and are technically orphans tend to act older). I still think the whole channeling gods thing is weird, though, again, Riordan deals with this in a clever way, addressing the readers’ concerns through the voice of Sadie. It’s not as funny as the Olympus books, but there are moments of laughter.
I do have to admit that Riordan ended the series well. There are a few loose ends so he could revisit Carter and Sadie if he wanted to (including a vague reference to joining up with “other gods,” which should make Percy fans happy), but this story is complete. (And he managed without an overlong epilogue telling us where Carter and Sadie are in 20 years!)
It’s not my favorite series, or even my favorite of Riordan’s work, but it’s a good solid one, that should appeal to those fascinated by Egypt and Egyptian mythology.
Rated: Mild, for violence and a couple instances of mild swearing.
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