The Red Pyramid - Rick Riordan - 4 stars

I got this book out of the library and read it as a buddy read with several of my friends. This is book one to the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. I have read the Percy Jackson series by this author and enjoyed them, so I figured it was time to read something else by him.Synopsis
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

I absolutely enjoyed everything about this book, the plotline, which was so engaging, the pacing, so quick and how well it all flowed. There was so much adventure and excitement with the turn of every page and each page was filled with so many magical elements, it made it so fun to read. The imagery was so spot on you felt as though you were right there in the middle of all the action. I was completely whisked away by this story, and taken to places I would never in a lifetime get to see. I also enjoyed that the name of character was on each page so it was easy to tell when there was a switch in perspective. I loved that, it made the book so easy to follow. A lot of research went into the writing of this book with a very gifted Author.

The characters are all so very unforgettable. Such a wide range of very different, vivid characters. Some are eccentric and quirky characters, while others are terrifying and wicked. The author gives readers so many to love and hate. I also found that the author is very good at planting that small seed of doubt in the minds of readers when it comes to some of those beloved characters, so at times it was hard to decide on who to trust. For this being a fantasy, the characters were so realistic and so believable. I really enjoy that and being able to relate to them so well.

I can recommend this book first to anyone who loves Rick Riordan's work. Even if you have not read his stuff, you will still enjoy this if you love fantasy or magic. If you enjoy Egyptian Mythology you will also enjoy this book. It reads more YA than middle grade, in my opinion, so that may appeal to more of the YA audience. I look forward to the other books in this trilogy.