Life for Carter and Sadie Kane hasn't been the same since their father released five Egyptian gods from an ancient artifact. First, they had to defeat the evil god Set, and now they have just five days to stop Apophis, the god of Chaos, from destroying civilization. Fortunately, the siblings have the blood of the pharaohs running through their veins, giving them the natural ability to perform magic and host the power of the gods. To stop the Apophis, these new magicians had to do something that even the most powerful magicians have never tried--awaken the sun god Ra. But that didn't go according to plan. Their only hope now is to locate and destroy the evil serpent's shadow. That is, if they can survive attacks from enemy magicians and Apophis' monstrous minions.

The Serpent's Shadow is the final installment in The Kane Chronicles, a trilogy that brings Egyptian mythology to life in a compelling, action-packed story featuring siblings Carter (fifteen) and Sadie (fourteen), who narrate the story with humor in alternating chapters. Although the reader may be new to Egyptian mythology, it is explained clearly and in the context of themes kids can relate to, such as friendship, sibling squabbles, and crushes. Both Carter and Sadie have love interests, with a bit of innocent kissing. Both characters have evolved over the course of the trilogy into confident, capable leaders. The story involves lots of fantasy violence but the fright factor is pretty minimal as battles with monsters and demons are handled with humor and the children are not overly distressed. Parents will be pleased that historical facts provide the foundation for the story and helpful information about Egyptian terms and gods are provided at the end of the book. The length and complexity of the subject matter make the book appropriate for the publisher's recommended age of ten to sixteen, but it could be a fun read-aloud for a slightly younger child. While the author does spend a bit of time recapping the previous book, this series is best read in order.
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