I have finally managed to get my hands on the third and final book of The Kane Chronicles and I must say that Rick Riordan did not let me down with how he finished the trilogy when the time came. I was nervous that I would feel a little let down at the end of the series for some reason, but that was something I really shouldn’t have been worried about.

Carter and Sadie Kane have spent the past six months or so since the last book honing their skills as magicians, recruiting more members to the Brooklyn House, and trying to figure out how to stop Apophis from destroying everything they know. It’s a daunting task to say the least and they encounter several obstacles along the way, some of which were a little unexpected if you ask me.

There were several things that stuck out to me in The Serpent’s Shadow. First was how impressed I was with where the characters of Carter, Sadie, Zia, Walt, and Anubis wind up when the story is said and done. In the first two books there were moments when I wondered how Riordan was going to believably bring all of his cast together in the end to vanquish evil (and beyond of course). However, there is a very impressive twist at the end involving Walt and Anubis, and as a consequence Sadie as well. There is even a fun surprise when it comes to resolving Zia’s storyline that had me smiling. Carter, my favorite character from the series wound up exactly where I hoped he would as the reluctant, but capable leader who learned some very valuable lessons along the way.

It’s always interesting to read books like these that feature characters who are placed in their younger teen years because it’s strange to think of 13, 14, and 15-year-olds saving the world, but Riordan made it work. Props to him for pulling that off if you ask me. I’ve never read any of his other work (strange, I know), but I’ll be diving into the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books as soon as I can find the time. There is even a blatant hint at the end of this book that Riordan is eventually going to try and write some crossover books between his three successful series. That will be epic if he does it right.

All in all, The Serpent’s Shadow was a great conclusion to a story full of excitement, action, interesting Egyptian mythology, and a healthy dose of heart and grit. It brought all the characters and plot points together into just the right place and managed to do it in a book that was shorter than the first two without feeling rushed.

Grade: B
Length: 401 pages

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