Fun read from beginning to end. Lots of action. I think this series might be less complicated than the Percy Jackson series. I remember having to look up a Greek god family tree to try to sort out all the different characters and relationships. I didn't have to do that with The Red Pyramid but the story was just as good. In fact, The Red Pyramid seemed pretty phenomenal compared to another book I read immediately before it that was also rooted in Egyptology -- Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos. I thought that book was fairly good until I read The Red Pyramid. It makes Theodosia seem like Mary Poppins.

I like that the brother and sister protagonists are bi-racial. I can't think of another popular book with bi-racial main characters. And while I personally did not care for the narrative switching back and forth between them, I think it might make the book more appealing to both boys and girls.

Was it as good as Percy Jackson? I didn't think so but my 8 year-old son thought it was actually better. And he's a DIE HARD Percy Jackson fan. He loved PJ so much he spent many months reading everything he could get his hands on about Greek mythology. I didn't think The Red Pyramid was nearly as clever as PJ but I'm not passing final judgment on it yet because it's just the first in a series. I'll have to wait and see where Riordan is going.