*TEAM A*
~ The Egyptian deification of Darkness and Chaos, Apophis (who also takes the form of a sincerely scary humungous snake)
~ The third most powerful (and evil) magician in the world; Menshikov also fondly termed as ‘Vlad, The Inhaler’. He dresses like an ice-cream salesman but pretty much wants the world to end in chaos, in like four days time.
~ Host of minor Gods ranging from Nekhbet (Goddess of Vultures) to Babi (God of Baboons). I.kid.you.not
*TEAM B*
~ Brother-Sister teen Magician team of Carter and Sadie Kane
~ A griffin with a personality disorder that goes ‘FRE-EEEK’ in response to most calamities.
~ A team of fledgling magicians still undergoing training.
~ BES, the God of Dwarves who scares people by appearing in nothing more than a Speedo.
Yep, a fairly unequal battle there.
The Kane siblings had just won a gruesome round with Set in The Red Pyramid.....only to discover that more evil lurks around the corner. Evil, that makes Set look like a wilful kid who doesn’t want to eat his broccoli. Apophis is soon going to break free from his centuries-old prison. If he succeeds, he will swallow the sun and plunge the world into Chaos. Ergo, *Doomsday*.
Sadie and Carter have a fighting chance only if they can find Ra, the ancient and powerful Pharoah of The Gods. Legend has it that only Ra, The Sun God who battled Apophis on a nightly basis has the ability to vanquish the latter. To recall Ra from his retirement, Sadie and Carter need to lay their hands on The Book of Ra( three separate scrolls, hidden in three different, unknown and obviously dangerous locations ).
And so begins the....yes....I’m going to say it.....rollercoaster ride! (Thank God for tried and traumatised clichés)
The tale is splendid. Choc-a-bloc with action, adventure, mythology and devious and dastardly plots. All the above elements are welded together with Riordan’s trademark wit. As usual, he makes the ancient Gods approachable and infuses them with foibles and flaws. Obscure myths are woven into an urban fantasy that keeps you turning the pages with growing anxiety. Sadie and Carter are a delightful, snarky brother-sister duo. They are extremely likeable and foolhardy enough to carry the story forward.
As usual, I do what I always do after reading a Riordan book. I go into full-on Wiki-Mode and read up on the ancient Gods. I cannot stress enough as to how the author deserves credit for dusting off forgotten stories and repackaging them in a way that retains the essence while giving them a contemporary edge.
Kudos, Mr.Riordan.
