The Serpent's Shadow

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss the similarities and differences between Carter and Sadie. Did you like one of their points of view better? If so, which and why? If not, why were both equally compelling?

2. Compare The Serpent’s Shadow (and the Kane Chronicles more broadly) to one of Riordan’s other mythology series (Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief; Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer). How are these novels different or similar?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Which of Carter’s or Sadie’s quests evoked the strongest emotional response for you? Have you ever had to undertake a particularly daunting responsibility, and if so, how did your experience and/or feelings compare to Carter’s or Sadie’s? 

2. Both Carter and Sadie’s understanding of relationships changes over the course of the novel. Do you understand Carter’s fear of failing his loved ones, or Sadie’s struggle to accept Walt/Anubis? How have your own views on relationships changed during your own adolescence and/or adulthood?

3. Explore Sadie’s response to Anubis and Walt merging. Have you ever had feelings for more than one person at the same time? Does Sadie’s response feel realistic? How would you have reacted to the merger?

4. Discuss similarities and differences within power structures between Riordan’s world of Egyptian myth and the real world. Was there anything about the power dynamics in the gods’ realm that reminded you of the power dynamics within your own society?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What is the impact of viewing modern-day life through the lens of ancient Egyptian culture? What does the juxtaposition of these two cultures offer about common experiences or how history does or does not repeat itself?

2. How does the novel reflect ideas about effective or ineffective leadership? How do Carter, Sadie, and the other characters succeed or fail in living up to what your society expects a leader to be?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Analyze Riordan’s choice to use Carter and Sadie’s alternating perspectives. How does this create story and character tension? How does having two perspectives allow you to understand the characters and conflicts in multiple ways?

2. Carter and Sadie’s support system (Bast, Bes, the other magicians, etc.) is hugely important to them throughout the story. What do these characters offer that Carter and Sadie need to complete their quest? How would the story be different if Carter and Sadie didn’t have this network?

3. Explore the significance of how the book takes place both in the real world and in various locations of Egyptian myth (such as Osiris’s court or the Land of Demons). How does each setting illuminate the other? What is the significance of each?

4. How does the balance between order and chaos lead to the conflicts in the text and influence the characters’ development? What other forces are at play in the text?

5. Consider shadows and their meaning as a piece of the soul. How are Carter and Sadie’s character arcs influenced by the shadows of those around them? How do their own shadows influence themselves, each other, and/or their allies?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Using Sadie’s flower-pot shabti in Chapter 8 as a guide, draw or discuss what your own personal shabti would look like. How does your shabti reflect your talents and what’s important to you? What types of tasks would you direct your shabti to complete?

2. Imagine a crossover story in which Carter and Sadie are faced with challenges from a different mythology of your choosing. How would Carter and Sadie use their specific magician abilities to meet the challenges of this mythology? How would the world of your chosen mythology combine with the world of Egyptian myth, and what would the resulting world look like? How would magic function in this world?

3. If you were a magician in Riordan’s world, which of the Egyptian gods would you have as your patron, and why? What would your magician powers look like as a result, and how does your choice of god/powers reflect your personality?