** spoiler alert ** Not sure why, but it took me awhile to get into this book. I like Carter and Sadie both a lot, and the magic is very cool. Plus, while there are a few moments that read like the Percy Jackson books, and the humor is similar, this is definitely not "Percy Jackson, only with Egyptian mythology." In particular, the idea that the the gods are not necessarily good news gives it a different flavor . . . until, of course, it turns out that the gods are necessary to restore balance to the world etc. etc.

(I will note that the frequent dreaming-but-really-seeing-stuff-that's-currently-happening business reminds me strongly of the Percy Jackson books. No one can ever get a restful night's sleep in this man's books, ever. :P)

I saw a lot of things coming, which is pretty unusual. I basically guessed who all of the gods' hosts were, including Zia and Face of Horror. Was unsure whether Set had possessed Amos or Desjardin, though. Which ties in nicely to one of the things I think the book does quite well: giving you the sense that you're actually not sure who the characters should trust. It's all too often in books, especially middle-grade ones, that the characters are unsure who to trust, but it's obvious to the reader. This makes it hard to identify with the characters, and makes them seem, well, stupid. But I could totally identify with Carter and Sadie.

Speaking of cool emotional things the book does, I LOVE that Anubis asks Sadie whether she would lose her father to save the world. Her reaction is amazingly awesome. She knows what's expected of her (be "the good daughter," choose her dad, then find a way to save the world anyway), and knows that she WANTS to save her dad, but acknowledges that that isn't the choice she's been offered. Here, she really transcends her medium, without being terribly meta about it. Yeah, it's a horrible choice, and she hates to be offered it, but since it's a clear-cut, and theoretical, question, there is no "Option C: Save both." And in the end, though she feels awful about it, Sadie chooses the world. Virtually no fictional character does this - they're all too busy grandstanding about how the villain is a monster for offering such a choice, then saving everyone.

(Also, the fact that their dad DOES have to die to complete the story is pretty powerful and well-done.)

Lots and lots of cool stuff here, well woven together. And that's just the fantasy world - there are also tons of nice emotional/character development touches. I love when Carter totally fails at basketball (but he knows all the players and statistics!) and can only say that it's his dad's favorite game, and Sadie understands.

I think the "we're recording this for someone who will need to know" framing device is pretty neat, if not without a few glitches. As with books that are supposed to be diaries or similar, I'm absolutely willing to suspend my disbelief as to the level of detail the characters remember and some of the word choices that these tween characters use. What mostly gets me is that Carter and Sadie are recording everything together, and the interruptions make it clear that each is aware of what the other says, but they sometimes speak as if they're a bit clueless about things that have been said before.

I'm ambivalent about the bloodline stuff. As with the Percy Jackson books, lots of people get saddled with wacky powers and destinies just because of their parentage. Yes, they end up proving themselves, but it's still hardly democratic. I think this appeals to many people, especially maybe insecure kids/teens, because of the idea that you can be powerful just because of who you were born, without having to seek or earn that power. And it's not as if this is an uncommon instance, especially in MG fantasy. It just sometimes bothers me a bit. Because it isn't, you know, fair.