by Rick Riordan

416 pages of adventure for middle grade, Riordan fans.

The Serpent’s Shadow does a nice job of wrapping up the loose ends left in the first two books.  Sadie and Carter Kane work to defeat Apophos to ensure that creation rather than chaos remains the dominant power in the world.  The Kanes and the magicians of Brooklyn House are the last hope to save the world from final destruction.

There are opportunities to right past wrong and to appreciate the beauty of true friendship and the commitment through time of a family’s love.  Each time I read one of these books I realize that I don’t understand the underlying order of Egyptian mythology and the hierarchy of their gods.  I am curious about the Egyptian’s definition of time as all ages seem to coexist at the magician’s level.  And I wonder at how similar this tale is to the Norse tale of Ragnarok – the end of the gods.  They make me wonder at how people through time and from different parts of the world find such similar ways to share their stories of life and creation.