TAB Book Review – March 2026
The Mercer County Library System Teen Advisory Board is fueled by creative, book-loving teens who craft social media posts, write zines, and share reviews on the library’s Goodreads page. Meet Jason—TAB member, devoted stargazer, and fan of fast-paced mythological adventures. Enjoy his latest book review.
The two protagonists, siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, have spent most of their lives apart ever since their mother’s death years ago. But on their yearly Christmas Eve reunion, their lives are changed forever when their father brings them to visit the British Museum. In an attempt to summon the Egyptian god Osiris and resurrect their mother, he blows up the Rosetta Stone and releases four other gods. One of them is the evil god Set who banishes their father to the Underworld. After the incident, Carter and Sadie are brought to their family mansion in America by their uncle Amos where they eventually learn the truth about their heritage.
One of the biggest reasons I liked this book was because it was filled with action-packed scenes, such as the attack on the mansion by Set’s minions and the battle against the crocodile god Sobek. The author’s descriptive language helped me visualize these scenes better and, as a result, I was able to stay more immersed in the overall story.
I also really enjoyed how the point of view alternated between Carter and Sadie every few chapters because it helped me gain some insight into their unique personalities. While Carter was a smart character who often stayed calm and collected in most situations, Sadie was reckless and headstrong. The contrasting perspectives highlighted their ability to work together as a solid team, despite being so different. I thought their relationship as siblings was also portrayed very realistically because, although they bickered a lot, Carter and Sadie still had each other’s backs in the end. Similar to the protagonists, the secondary characters were also incredibly likable, being developed enough to make me feel invested in their plot lines, while also being able to move the story along in their own way. In addition, the entire cast was very diverse, which is especially significant in this time where the fight for racial equality is still very much prevalent.
Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was the many positive messages that the author included, such as the importance of teamwork, which was mainly shown through Carter and Sadie’s dynamic. There was also an overarching theme of sacrifice, whether it was Carter and Sadie’s mother giving up her life to prevent Apophis’ escape or the two siblings themselves putting their lives in danger to save their father.
Overall, The Red Pyramid was a book that taught me a lot about Egyptian Mythology, while also immersing me in an action-packed adventure filled with fascinating characters and humorous moments. I highly recommend it to readers of all ages, especially those who have read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and other books by Rick Riordan.
If you are new to reading Rick Riordan’s books, here is a list of his various series which can be found in the Mercer County Library System catalog or Libby app:
Percy Jackson & The Olympians
The Kane Chronicles
The Heroes of Olympus
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
The Trials of Apollo
Daughter of the Deep
In collaboration with Mark Oshiro, Riordan also wrote two Nico Di Angelo adventures:
If you are already a fan of Rick Riordan and have completed all his books, why not try the Rick Riordan Presents books? Rick Riordan Presents is a branch of Disney-Hyperion Publishing. The aim of this imprint is to publish books by middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds. These books are not written by Rick Riordan, but he does promote the books and offers advice as needed.
The stories are written by various authors who want to share stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritages. The stories feature gods and heroes from other world mythologies and are full of action!
Books in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint can be found in our catalog by searching for “Rick Riordan Presents” or searching a specific series. Here are a few series you can search for at your local library.
Pandava series by Roshani Chokshi
Storm Runner series by J. C. Cervantes
Thousand Worlds series by Yoon Ha Lee
Sal & Gabi series by Carlos Hernandez
Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia
Paola Santiago series by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Adventures of Sik Aziz series by Sarwat Chadda
Happy Reading!
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