The Serpent's Shadow

The Serpent's Shadow is a 2012 fantasy/adventure novel by Rick Riordan and the third and final book in the Kane Chronicles. It was released on May 1st, 2012.

Rick Riordan announced the book on January 9th, 2012 on his blog.

Summary
The book begins with Carter and Sadie visiting the Fifty-first Nome, which is located in Dallas, Texas. They warn JD Grissom, that Apophis is targeting their Nome, because of a scroll in their Tutankhamen exhibition. JD takes them to the artefact, the scroll of Overcoming Apophis by a magician named Setne, who JD mentions as one of the most evil magicians ever. On the way, Sadie sees a face in a wall that tells her that they will never save the scroll but they need to save the golden cabinet, which will give them a clue about what to do.

Apophis attacks the museum, and JD runs outside to help his friends and his wife, Anne Grissom. Sadie summons the concept Ma'at. She passes out, and during that time she meets her mother and Isis. Isis expresses her amazement, saying that the last person to summon Ma'at was | Hatshepsut herself. Ruby tells Sadie not to blame herself for the deaths, and that when Sadie figured out her plan, her father would not like it, but it was the only way he would see Ruby again. Sadie then sees Anubis, who tells her that she is not dead but she came close. Sadie then wakes up. The scroll was destroyed but Khufu saved the golden cabinet. Sadie realizes that, like in the other Nomes that were targeted by Apophis' minions, there are no survivors, which was what Ruby warned her about.

On return to Brooklyn House they discuss the acquired cabinet with Bast in the library. Bast reveals that the cabinet is a shadow box, used to contain shadows, and that King Tutankhamen's shadow is in this cabinet. Carter doesn't recall his father lecturing about it, to which Bast says that shadow boxes are extremely rare, since few have survived. Bast says he was foolish to put his shadow in his tomb, and usually pharaohs had their shadows hidden far from their tombs. Sadie tells them that something is happening to the spirits of the dead. Bast suggests they consult Thoth. Carter recalls the five parts of the soul: the ba, your personality; the ka, the life force that leaves one's body when they die; the ib, the record of your deeds, both good and bad; the ren, one's secret name; and the sheut, one's shadow. Bast gets agitated about the subject of sheut. Cleo interrupts, saying that there was a private call for Carter in his scrying bowl.

Zia calls, demanding to hear what happened. Carter tells Zia about what happened at the Fifty-first Nome. Zia is shocked, saying that she knew Anne Grissom, who taught her healing magic when she was young, and that the Fifty-first Nome was one of Amos' last allies. A message from the rebels, led by Kwai and Sarah Jacobi, is broadcast to Carter. They demand the execution of the Kanes for their "unforgivable crimes": releasing the gods, which Jacobi claimed unbalanced Ma'at, letting Apophis rise, angering Carter. She shows Carter scenes she has caused herself, but which she blames the Kanes for. Jacobi warns Carter that though the Kanes must die, those who are loyal to Amos will be spared if they stop following the path of the gods. Carter realizes the rebels will attack the First Nome. Ra, who Zia is "babysitting", wakes up and attempts to drink the scrying bowl oil. Zia cuts off the call, saying that Sobek arrived.

Later, Horus visits Carter as a pigeon and recalls that in the Ancient Egyptian time, Egyptian used the same word for 'shadow' and 'statue'. Carter suspects that there is a better way to execrate Apophis, and thinks he knows why Apophis is so anxious to destroy the scroll, because it contains a spell to capture his shadow. He decides to find Thoth. He tells everybody during dinner. Sadie agrees, but makes him go to the school dance along with the initiates before they go to consult Thoth, and gets her friend, Lacy, a camper at Camp Half-Blood, to teach Carter how to dance.

Anubis crashes the dance, and he tells Sadie that this would be the last time he sees her. Anubis explains that when Ammit devours one's heart, the soul is not completely destroyed, and the sheut remains, and occasionally Osiris reviews a judgement, so he can use the sheut to retrieve the soul from oblivion. Sadie compares the sheut to a computer backup drive. He says that only one person could teach them the spell for retrieving a sheut, and that his trial was tomorrow, during sunset, and Sadie would have to visit her father before then. He warns Sadie that something is happening with the spirits of the dead, and that her mother was missing.

Shu, Anubis' great-grandfather, arrives at the dance. Shu lowers the air pressure, knocking the people present unconsious. As of the case with Nut and Geb, he is trying to keep Anubis and Sadie apart. Shu tells Anubis that he heard the decree of the gods by the entire coucil, led by Horus and Isis, that since Anubis has become too close to Sadie, they are banned from further contact, which enrages Sadie, making her feel betrayed. The air pressure is raised, and Anubis disappears. Shu says he has brought a Russian boy all the way from St Petersburg to speak to her.

The Russian boy turns out to be the magician they briefly met during the events of last spring, where Carter and Sadie had been running from the Hermitage Museum. He was disguised as a guard, and tried to stop them. Sadie at first wants to attack him, but they agree not to kill each other. His name is revealed to be Leonid. Leonid tells Sadie that Kwai and Jacobi plan to storm the First Nome.

Sadie summons a portal to take them to meet Amos, who Leonid is scared of, due to the stories Jacobi has told his Nome. The portal is off mark, but Leonid summons the power of Shu. Sadie explains to Amos and Zia about their situaiton. Amos casts a spell so they can all understand each other. Leonid tells them that the rebels, led by Sarah Jacobi and Kwai, have teamed up with Apophis.

Leonid explains that the Russians gave Jacobi and Kwai refuge, and they eventually took over. The Russians didn't object, because they hate the Kanes. Leonid was indifferent, since he saw how powerful they were, destroying the tjesu-heru monster, and that they didn't seem evil. He began learning how to channel the powers of Shu. Yesterday, he was in one of the chambers deep underground which Leonid thought was secret. He heard Jacobi and Kwai approaching, so he hid himself. He overheard Jacobi and Kwai speaking. They each were channeling dozens of voices, like a war council, and he heard many monsters and demons. Presiding over the meeting was one voice, Apophis. Kwai and Jacobi set up camp at Abu Simbel, and from there they will lead the rebels to bring siege on the First Nome.

Amos tells Zia and Sadie to visit Bes. Meanwhile, Carter and Walt go visit Thoth. Thoth is being attacked by demons. Walt and Carter kill them, and Thoth helps them understand who Setne is. They realize they have to visit the Land of the Dead at his trial and persuade [Osiris] to help them.

When Zia and Sadie are visiting the House of Rest, Sadie realizes that Amos is calling on the Path of [Set], who he once hosted without his own consent, which broke him down. Tawaret tells them where Bes once hid his sheut. Carter, Sadie, Zia, and Walt meet and exchange information. They meet Osiris and persuade him to let Setne go with them. Sadie and Walt go to look for Bes's sheut, while Zia and Carter go with Setne to find The Book of Thoth.

They go to the temple of Apis, and later Setne tricks them by giving orders to Bloodstained Blade to kill them. Meanwhile Sadie and Walt visit the hunting goddess, Neith, who tells them she will help them if they can survive one of her hunts until sunset. They using their shen amulets to split up and teleport to each other's side depending on who Neith pursued. Despite this, Neith catches them, and Sadie tricks Neith by stalling about hunting Jelly Babies until sunset. Neith shows them a memory of the past, Walt uses the rest of his energy to revive Bes's sheut, and then he survives by becoming the host of Anubis, revealing he was following the path of Anubis. Walt/Anubis warns Sadie that her brother and Zia are in trouble, and to teleport to their side.

Meanwhile they enter the Land of the Demons, and Carter and Zia kiss. Carter realizes that Zia has to become the host of Ra. They let Setne cast a glamour spell over them so they take the appearance of a demon. Just when they find Apophis' shadow, Setne betrays them, turning their glamour into a straitjacket made out of mummy linen. Sadie has teleported to their side and she binds Apophis' shadow to the statue. The shadow sends a distress call to all forces of Chaos, and an army of demons march towards them.

Tawaret arrives with the gods from Sunny Acres and saves them.When they return to the mortal world, the Brooklyn House is at the First Nome, helping Amos and the others protect it. Ra is reborn with Zia as his host and is not senile anymore. The other gods come to help them, while Ra gives Carter the pharaoh's throne. He orders the other gods to help. They go in the First Nome to help protect Amos against the rebels. Apophis eats Ra, and then Sadie and Carter execrate his shadow. He regurgitates Ra and disappears from the world, warning them that the gods have to retreat along with him, because of the balance of Chaos and Ma'at. Ra and the most of the gods retreat from the world, with the exception of Anubis.

Carter takes Zia out on a date in the Mall of America. She tells him that she will be staying in Brooklyn House. They share a passionate kiss and start a relationship. Meanwhile, Bes and Tawaret finally get together after many centuries. Walt/Anubis dances with Sadie and the pair also have a romantic kiss.

Characters

 * Drew ( See Heros of Olympus series also by Rick Riodan) Daughter of Aphrodite
 * Lacy ( See Heros of Olympus series also by Rick Riodan) Daughter of Aphrodite
 * Sadie Kane
 * Carter Kane
 * Zia Rashid
 * Anubis
 * Jaz
 * Walt Stone
 * Ra
 * Bast
 * Isis
 * Horus
 * Apophis
 * Khufu
 * Amos Kane
 * Set
 * Setne
 * JD Grissom
 * Alyssa
 * Hapi
 * Set
 * Khepri
 * Neith
 * Thoth
 * Thawaret

Chapter List

 * 1) We Crash and Burn a Party
 * 2) I Have a Word with Chaos
 * 3) We Win a Box Full of Nothing
 * 4) I Consult the Pigeon of War
 * 5) A Dance with Death
 * 6) Amos Plays with Action Figures
 * 7) I Get Strangled by an Old Friend
 * 8) My Sister, the Flowerpot
 * 9) Zia Breaks Up a Lava Fight
 * 10) "Take Your Daughter to Work" Day Goes Terribly Wrong
 * 11) Don't Worry, Be Hapi
 * 12) Bulls with Freaking Laser Beams
 * 13) A Friendly Game of Hide-and-Seek (with Bonus Points for Painful Death!)
 * 14) Fun with Split Personalities
 * 15) I Become a Purple Chimpanzee
 * 16) Sadie Rides Shotgun (Worst. Idea. Ever)
 * 17) Brooklyn House Goes to War
 * 18) Death Boy to the Rescue
 * 19) Welcome to the Fun House of Evil
 * 20) I Take a Chair
 * 21) The Gods Are Sorted; My Feelings Are Not
 * 22) The Last Waltz (For Now)

Trivia
*it is a reference to the Daleks: a thermos with googly-eyes saying "exterminate" over and over.
 * This is the only book in the series in which Sadie narrates the first chapter.
 * Rick Riordan said via Twitter that there could be a Doctor Who reference in The Serpent's Shadow, and it turned out that Sadie had this idea that she could create shabti to serve her, but her shabti work is less than impressive, with one of the shabti repeating 'exterminate' over and over.
 * There will be a sequel for the Kane Chronicles. Riordan mentioned this on his blog. It is believed it was when he was talking about how many books he would have for the "Camp Half-Bood series" (aka Percy Jackson and the Olympians + Heroes of Olympus set) way at the start of this 3-year plan for his hints at the title of the Red Pyramid.
 * At BAG Drew and Lacy (Heroes of Olympus Book 1) make references to the Heroes of Olympus Series. "Lacy warned me about Drew on the first day of school. Apparently, she went to summer camp with her. "
 * Lacy and Drew are both from the Aphrodite cabin in The Lost Hero.
 * Carter & Sadie's mother hints at a possible sequel in which the Desert and Greco-Roman pantheons meet each other.