PlotOverview

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes

TheRedPyramid

RickRiordan

I
nthestory,theRedPyramid,SadieandCarter

RickRiordanisaNewYorkTimesbestselling
Kanearesuddenlybroughtintothisworldofthe
authorwhoisfamousforwritingbookonancient
EgyptiangodsbytheirfatherJulius,anegyptologist. mythology.Heisfamousforthe
PercyJacksonand
Carterisa14yearoldboywhereheis
theOlympians
series,the
HeroesofOlympus
homeschooledbyhisfatherwhiletheytravelaround series,andthe
KaneChronicless
eries.Hewrote
theworld.SadieisHeattemptstousetheRosetta
aboutEgyptianmythologybecauseasateacher,he
stonetosummonOsirisandtrytorevivehiswifeso noticedthattheonlythingmorepopularwith
hecanmakethingsright,butheaccidentally
childrenthanGreekmythologywasEgyptian
summonsallfiveofthemajorEgyptiangodsalong
mythology.Sincehewasalreadyfamousforhis
withSet,thegodofevil.SetimprisonsJuliusina
characterPercyJackson,hewentintowritingthis
coffinandtrapshimaway.CarterandSadieare
newseriesofbooks.Thebooktakesthegodsof
thentakenawaybytheirUncleAmos.Amostakes
ancientEgyptandintegratesitintothemodern
themtothefamilymansioninBrooklynwherehe
world,makingitrelatabletoanyone.
discusseswiththemthatSetistryingtorulethe

EmilioSanchez
worldandwhatJuliushasdone.Amosleavesthe

mansion,andCarterandSadiefindoutthattheyare
28September2015
relatedtoalonglineofpharaohs.Theyareforcedto

leavethemansionwhentheyareattackedbySets

minions.TheyaresavedbythegoddessBastwho

wassworntoprotectthemasalastwishtotheir

mother.BastisthemoverrunbythegoddessSerket
andtheyaretakentotheHouseofLifebythe

magicianZiasotheycanbetrained.Thereitis
Addtwoquotesthatcapturetheessenceofthe
This
novelwaswritteninthemodernday
determinedthattheyarehostingthegodsHorus
novel.Besuretocitethequotationsproperly.
andIsis.Sinceitisacrimetohostgods,Carterand perspective.TheEgyptianmythologydescribedin
thisstoryisintegratedintoourmoderndaysociety.
SadieareforcedtoescapeandtrytostopSetby

Whenyouonlyseeeachothertwiceayear,it's
themselves.TheygotoParistostealabookthatwill ThemythologyincludesthegodsofEgyptlike
Osiris,Ra,Isis,Horus,Thoth,andotherimportant
likeyou'redistantcousinsratherthansiblings.We
teachthemhowtodefeatSet.Theretheylearnthat
gods.Theyalsointegratethemythsinreallifelike
hadabsolutelynothingincommonexceptour
itisrequiredtohaveaFeatherofTruthandSets
RastravelingastheSunpassesbyeverydayand
parents(Riordan8).
secretname.TheygototheDuattoretrievea
howSetkilledOsirisandtriedtotakethethrone.
FeatherofTruthandmanagetosurviveattacksfrom

thegodsSobekandSekhmet.TheyfindSetin
I'dknownwhatwascomingeversinceAnubis

Phoenix,andasCarter/HorusfightSet,Sadie/Isis
askedmethatimpossiblequestion:Tosavethe
recitethespelltostopSet.SheforcesSettojoin
world,wouldyousacrificeyourfather(473)?
theirsideinthefightagainstChaos,andtheygooff
torecruitotheryoungmagicianstotrain.

EssentialQuotes

HistoricalContext

CharacterAnalysis

CarterKane:
CarterKaneisfourteenyearoldboy
whotraveledaroundtheworldwithhisfatherbefore
hewassuddenlyintroducedtotheworldofEgyptian
Mythology.Carterisveryresponsibleandfollows
therulessettohim.Heisveryprotectiveofhis
sisterandisnotaccustomedtoherlifestyledueto
thefactthathelivesoutofasuitcase.Hedosent
reallythinkhefitsinwithkidshisage,sincehes
neverreallygonetoschoolorhadalocker,andisa
geekwhenitcomestoEgypt.Heisverygoodat
protectinghissisterintimesofdangerand
summonshispowerswhensheneedshishelp.He
isanAfricanAmericanboywhodresseslikejunior
professor,whichbuttonupshirtsandkhakis.The
wayhedressesfurtherlyoutcastshimfromhis
peers.

SadieKane
:SadieKaneisatwelveyearoldgirl
wholiveswithhergrandparentsinLondonbefore
shewassuddenlyintroducedtotheworldof
Egyptianmythology.Sheisacompleterebeland
doesn'tlistenwelltoauthority.Sheisvery
headstrongandcapableofhandlingherselfevenin
themoststressfulofsituations.Shethinksvery
sarcastically.Herfamilyrelationshipisvery
importanttoherbecauseshemisseshermother
verymuchandwishedshegottospendmoretime
withherfatherlikeCarterdoes.Shehasalotof
pentupragebecauseshefeelsherfather
abandonedher.Sheisverysmartandclever
enoughtogetherselfandherbrotheroutoftough
situations.Sheisalightcomplectedgirlwho
dressesinrippedjeans,leatherjacketsandcombat
boots.

Themes

OrderV.S.Chaos:
Throughoutthewholebook,the
forcesofOrderandtheforcesofchaosarefighting
fordominance,andthemagiciansoftheHouseof
LifejustdontseemtoseethatCarterandSadieare
onthecorrectsideofthings.TheforcesofOrderin
thisbookareCarterandSadie,whoarehostingthe
godsHorusandIsis.AndtheforcesofChaosinthe
bookareSetandallofhisminions.TheKane
siblingsaretryingtocorrecttheirfathersmistake
andstopSetfromreleasingastormofchaosand
destroyingallofNorthAmerica.Sadieseesthetrue
enemyintheendofthestoryhowever,asshesees
Apophis,theembodimentofchaos,appearabove
oftheRedPyramidusingthechaosSetcreatedto
trytoescape.SadieforcesSettojointheirsideand
thesiblingsgoprepareforthefightagainstApophis.

Family:
Inthebeginningofthethestory,Sadieand
Carteralmostseemlikedistantrelativeratherthan
brotherandsister.Theyaresodistantbecauseof
theywereforcedtobeseparatedwhentheirmother
diedreleasingBastfromherfightwithApophis.
Theirmotherisdead,theirgrandparentshateJulius
forwhathappened,theyenvyeachothers
lifestyles.Theirideaoffamilyseemspretty
shattered.Asthestoryprogresses,theybecome
closerandlearntotolerateeachotherwithout
arguingandaccidentallymakingthingsexplode.
Theycareforandprotecteachotherinorderto
savetheworldfromSetandtrytosavetheirfather.
Becauseoftheirexperiencesthroughoutthiswhole
adventure,theylearnedtolookaftereachotherand
probablehavebecomecloserthantheywouldever
haveimagined.

MotifsandSymbols

Maat
:TheEgyptianideafororderandjustice,
whichistheideathattheworldoftheEgyptian
godsandmagiciansisbased.CarterandSadie
mustgoonthisjourneytorestoreMaatandstop
Setfromcausingmorechaos.Intheend,itis
revealedthattheymustunitethegodstostopthe
embodimentofchaos,Apophis.

Chaos
:TheoppositeofMaatinancientEgypt
thatmeantinjusticeandwickedness.Setisa
chaoticbeingwhowasbentondestroyingNorth
Americaandthentakecontrolofthethroneof
Pharaoh.Itisrevealedthathewasbeing
manipulatedbytheembodimentofChaoshimself,
Apophis,andhejoinsthefighttostopit.

Names
:Thestoryemphasisestheimportanceof
secretnames,or
ren
,whichbasicallystandforan
entity'ssoul.Knowinganentityssecretname
gaveyoupoweroverthem.Inthestory,Sadie
learnsSetssecretnameinordertostophimand
hisplottodestroyNorthAmerica.