The Serpent's Shadow

“It’s hard to describe what it’s like to experience the world on many levels at once—it’s a bit like looking through 3D glasses and seeing hazy colorful auras around things, except the auras don’t always match the objects, and the images are constantly shifting. Magicians have to be careful when they look into the Duat. Best-case scenario, you’ll get mildly nauseous. Worst-case scenario, your brain will explode.”

During the battle against Apophis in Dallas, Sadie peers into the Duat spirit realm to understand what’s happening on a magical level. This is the first experience of the Duat in the novel, and here, Riordan sums up what Sadie sees to remind readers how the Duat functions, as well as the dangers it poses for magicians. As Sadie’s description suggests, magic is not straightforward, and the realm of ancient Egypt does not directly align with that of the modern world, creating the disconnect she sees.

“We were all in shock, but we didn’t have time to mourn our comrades. The mortal authorities would be arriving soon to check out the scene. We had to repair the damage as best we could and remove all traces of magic.

There wasn’t much we could do about the crater. The locals would just have to assume there’d been a gas explosion. (We tended to cause a lot of those.)”

Following the battle against Apophis, the Dallas stronghold is leveled to the ground. These lines from Carter’s perspective are an example of The Challenges of Being an Effective Leader and his ability to focus on what needs to be done while putting his feelings aside. This moment also highlights how magic must operate in secret. While the destruction of the building cannot be hidden from the mortal world, traces of magic can be removed so the nonmagical humans don’t learn of the Egyptian realm existing alongside their own. Carter’s note that the magicians cause a lot of “gas explosions” shows how the regular mortals rationalize the destruction caused by the magicians and gods.

“‘Lost shadows,’ I muttered. ‘This sounds like that Peter Pan story.’

Bast’s eyes glowed like paper lanterns. ‘What do you think inspired the story of Peter Pan’s lost shadow? There have been folktales about shadows for centuries, Carter—all handed down since the days of Egypt.’”

This exchange between Carter and Bast comes after the teens return to the Brooklyn stronghold with the shadowbox from the museum. The box contains King Tut’s shadow, which reminds Carter of Peter Pan and how Pan got separated from his shadow. This is just one example of how Riordan links familiar stories to Egyptian mythology.

“Well, I looked for a falcon, but they’re a little scarce in New York. I wanted something with wings, so a pigeon seemed the best choice. They’ve adapted well to cities, aren’t scared of people. They’re noble birds, don’t you think?”

Here, Horus has taken the form of a pigeon to visit Carter at the Brooklyn stronghold. With the exception of Bast, gods cannot enter the stronghold in their natural form, so Horus must inhabit a creature of the Earth to visit Carter. Horus mentions falcons because that is his patron animal. His substitution of a pigeon when necessary, and his insistence that pigeons are “noble,” is an example of the text’s gentle humor.

“The school the kids and I attended was Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted. Everyone called it BAG. We had no end of jokes about this. The students were Baggies. The glamour girls with nose jobs and Botox lips were Plastic Bags. Our alumni were Old Bags. And, naturally, our headmistress, Mrs. Laird, was the Bag Lady.”

All of the students at the Brooklyn stronghold, except Carter, attend the Brooklyn academy Sadie describes here. While Carter was homeschooled and traveled between archaeological digs with his dad, Sadie and the others had more typical lives. Thus, Sadie had them enroll in school so they could all have a part of their lives that felt normal. Sadie’s jokes here show off her sense of humor. In addition, they remind the reader that the protagonists are still very young, making the novel partly a coming-of-age tale.

“No doubt Carter would describe the underground city in excruciating detail, with exact measurements of each room, boring history on every statue and hieroglyph, and background notes on the construction of the magical headquarters of the House of Life.

I will spare you that pain.

It’s big. It’s full of magic. It’s underground.

There. Sorted.”

Here, Sadie enters the Cairo stronghold, and this excerpt shows one of the many differences between her and Carter—namely, what they focus on as important. Carter loves history and details, as Sadie notes with her description of how he would describe the stronghold. By contrast, Sadie sums up the stronghold’s appearance in three sentences that say the same thing with far fewer details. While Carter and Sadie have also learned to be a team over the course of the series, this excerpt reminds the reader that they are siblings and that siblings don’t always get along.

“‘He was a pathological liar,’ Thoth said. ‘A scoundrel, a traitor, a thief, and a brilliant magician. He prided himself on stealing books of knowledge, including mine. He battled monsters, adventured in the Duat, conquered gods, and broke into sacred tombs. He created curses that couldn’t be lifted and unearthed secrets that should have stayed buried. He was quite the evil genius.’

Walt tugged at his amulets. ‘Sounds like you admire him.’

The god gave him a sidelong grin. ‘Well, I appreciate the pursuit of knowledge, but I couldn’t endorse Setne’s methods.’”

This exchange about Setne between Thoth, Walt, and Carter highlights how the gods of Egypt are, by and large, neither truly good nor evil, highlighting the theme of Maintaining Balance Between Order and Chaos. While the gods represent order and certainty, they are also individuals with their own interests and powers. As the god of knowledge, Thoth views Setne as a threat who used dangerous methods of discovery, but also acknowledges what Setne was able to accomplish. More broadly, this exchange shows that knowledge itself is neither good nor bad. Rather, knowledge is a tool that can be put toward good or evil ends.

“I told Bast about our plan to visit the Hall of Judgment.

‘I don’t like it,’ she said.

Walt managed a laugh. ‘Is there a plan you’d like better?’

She tilted her head. ‘Now that you mention it, no. I don’t like plans. I’m a cat.’”

This conversation between Bast, Walt, and Carter shows the rapport between the goddess and the magicians. It also highlights Bast’s protective nature, seen through how she dislikes the idea of the teens putting themselves at unnecessary risk. The final line calls to Bast’s true nature and reminds the reader that, while she looks human now, she is truly a cat. Her dislike of plans is a humorous take on how cats are notorious for behavior that makes it difficult for human owners to make plans and get them accomplished.

“Yet every time I visited, the crowd changed. Some gods disappeared. Others popped up—gods of cities that no longer existed; gods who had only been worshipped for a few centuries before being replaced by others; gods so old, they’d forgot their own names. Most civilizations left behind pottery shards or monuments or literature. Egypt was so old, it had left behind a landfill’s worth of deities.”

Here, Sadie and Zia visit the nursing home of the gods in the underworld. In The Throne of Fire, Carter and Sadie discovered Ra was at the nursing home because his mind had fractured, which also led them to learn the nursing home’s true purpose, as Sadie describes it here. More broadly, the nursing home represents the vastness of Egyptian myth and the multitude of gods that populate it. Further, through the appearance or disappearance of those gods within the nursing home, the place tells the shifting tale of Egypt’s history and how gods rise and fall based on how mortal beliefs fluctuate.

“‘The afterlife looks different to every soul,’ he said, ‘depending on what they believe. For that guy, Egypt must’ve made a strong impression. Maybe he read the stories when he was young.’

‘And if someone doesn’t believe in any afterlife?’ I asked.

Walt gave me a sad look. ‘Then that’s what they experience.’”

This exchange between Sadie and Walt comes as they observe a soul’s trial in Osiris’s court. Each soul experiencing the afterlife in accordance with their own belief system is another way Riordan incorporates Egyptian myth into every facet of his modern world. Whether a person believes in the Egyptian tales or not, the afterlife exists, which allows the Egyptian world to operate regardless of whether mortals understand it. Walt’s knowledge of the underworld here also represents how he has started absorbing knowledge from Anubis, and foreshadows the two merging later in the book.

“My father turned toward me. I could practically see the grief and rage roiling inside him. He’d lost his wife again. He was powerless to assist his brother. A battle for the end of the world was about to begin, and his children were on the front line. Dad needed to serve justice on this ghost magician. He needed to feel that he could do something right.”

Here, Carter and Sadie have just pleaded with their father to let Setne’s spirit go because Setne is the only one who can help find and destroy Apophis’s shadow, with both siblings embracing The Challenges of Being an Effective Leader. Carter and Sadie’s father feels responsible for the situation his children face because he failed to awaken and harness the gods, and since he merged with Osiris in The Red Pyramid, he is limited in what he can do to help them now. As described here, he views sentencing Setne as something he can do to stop a threat and begin to fix the damage he’s caused. However, he also understands the importance of execrating Apophis and decides to let Setne go because, ultimately, the magician is less of a threat than the serpent.

“You figure that out all by yourself? The god of evil is evil? Sure I am, but not pure evil. Not pure Chaos, either. After I spent some time in Amos’s head, he understood. I’m like that improvisational jazz he loves—chaos within order.”

These lines are spoken by Set, the god of chaos, to Carter and reflect Maintaining Balance Between Order and Chaos. Set was the main antagonist of The Red Pyramid, and as the series has progressed, Set has transformed from a pure antagonist to an antagonistic force. In keeping with how the gods overall represent order, Set’s description here shows that he is not the embodiment of chaos the way Apophis is. Rather, the orderly influence of his godhood makes Set a bit of both order and chaos, meaning he does not want total destruction or uncertainty. His comparison to improvisational jazz music highlights how chaos itself is not a purely bad or evil force—that chaos becomes such a force when it is unchecked.

“Being liquidated is not fun. I will never be able to walk by another LIQUIDATION SALE sign without getting seasick and feeling like my bones are turning to tapioca.

I know I’m going to sound like a public service announcement here, but for all you kids at home: if somebody offers you Hapi pills, just say, ‘No!’”

This excerpt from Carter’s thoughts comes after he and Zia are transported to the Temple of the Apis Bull via the god Hapi’s pills. The first paragraph highlights how Carter’s magician experiences are sometimes very unpleasant, as well as how access to magic does not mean all magic is compatible with his system. The second paragraph is a nod to Nancy Reagan and her campaign against substance use. Riordan’s use of it here carries forward the message to young readers that they should not use drugs, even though Carter did so in this situation.

“I wanted to throw my arms around Walt, but there was a wall between us—this knowledge that he was doomed. My feelings for him were so mixed up, I didn’t know whether I was driven by simple attraction, or guilt, or (dare I say it) love—or stubborn determination not to lose someone else I cared about.”

Here, Sadie has an outburst at the thought of Walt not surviving until sunrise and the battle with Apophis. Her thoughts here are erratic and confused, representing the hold chaos currently has over her and speaking to Maintaining Balance Between Order and Chaos on an individual level. Her specific situation with Walt represents the complexity of romantic feelings. Sadie knows she cares about Walt, but she is not sure how to cope with the threat of losing him, which reflects her young age and inexperience.

“I can’t pretend I was thinking clearly, but one thing was obvious: these two had been talking behind my back much more than I’d realized. What on earth had they been telling each other about me? Forget Apophis swallowing the sun—this was my ultimate nightmare.”

Sadie thinks this when Anubis arrives just before Walt dies. Walt and Anubis engage in a cryptic conversation about their merger, and Sadie realizes there is more to their relationship than she understands, which prompts these thoughts. Sadie’s realization shows the power of perspective in storytelling. Since she does not know what Anubis and Walt are talking about, the reader likewise doesn’t know, which creates tension leading into the final section of the book. Anubis and Walt’s plot to merge also speaks to The Resilience of Relationships in Difficult Times, as the merger enables both to stay near Sadie.

“But it’s the symbol of Ma’at, for sure. Everything else, that’s Apophis’s power, always chewing away at creation, always eating and destroying. You tell me, which force is more powerful?”

Setne says this while he, Carter, and Zia look out over the Sea of Chaos and the obelisk of order at the middle of the churning waves. This location is a representation of the ultimate battle around Maintaining Balance Between Order and Chaos. Setne’s question remains unanswered in this scene and throughout the rest of the book, implying that there is no definitive answer. Both order and chaos are powerful in their own right, but each also has weaknesses when faced with the other.

“I concentrated on the glowing white obelisk—our lighthouse in the storm of Chaos. I didn’t know if that spire was really the first part of creation, or how that myth jibed with the Big Bang, or with God creating the world in seven days, or whatever else people might believe. Maybe the obelisk was just a manifestation of something larger—something my mind couldn’t comprehend. Whatever the case, I knew the obelisk stood for Ma’at, and I had to focus on it. Otherwise I was lost.”

Carter thinks this as he, Zia, and Setne cross the narrow strip of land over the Sea of Chaos to reach the obelisk. Carter compares the obelisk to other creation concepts, highlighting the similarities across belief systems. This moment also represents how order and chaos are choices, not just forces. Carter doesn’t have to choose order here, but he does because it aligns with what he wants and is part of accepting The Challenges of Being an Effective Leader.

“I WAS SORRY TO LEAVE THE LAND OF DEMONS.

[Yes, Carter, I’m quite serious.]

After all, I’d had a rather successful visit there. I’d saved Zia and my brother from that horrid ghost Setne. I’d captured the serpent’s shadow. I’d witnessed the Charge of the Old Folks’ Brigade in all its glory, and most of all, I’d been reunited with Bes. Why wouldn’t I have fond memories of the place?”

These lines of Sadie’s thoughts come after she’s reunited with Carter and Zia following her confusion over Walt and Anubis’s merger. In the wake of Walt’s death and resurrection, the Land of Demons feels like a welcome reprieve, which highlights how even terrible situations can be good in a specific context. In addition, Sadie’s list of achievements invokes The Challenges of Being an Effective Leader, demonstrating how Sadie is growing in strength and confidence as she confronts and overcomes challenges.

“Most important, I faced down my own chaos. I accepted my jumbled emotions about whether I belonged in London or New York, whether I was a magician or a schoolgirl. I was Sadie Kane, and if I survived today, I could bloody well balance it all.”

Sadie thinks about Maintaining Balance Between Order and Chaos in her own life and identity as she prepares to cast the ma’at spell to neutralize the rebel magicians. As before with Carter at the obelisk, this moment shows how order and chaos are choices. While Sadie chooses order, this does not mean chaos is gone from her life. Rather, she chooses to work toward order and acknowledges that chaos will always be there. This moment marks the culmination of Sadie’s character arc, reflecting her emotional growth.

“‘And in case we die, I’m sorry about all the times I toyed with your emotions. You deserved better.’

Bes snorted. ‘That’s okay. I finally came to my senses and found the right girl. Besides, you’re a cat. It’s your nature to think you’re the center of the universe.’

She stared at him blankly. ‘But I am the center of the universe.’”

This exchange between Bast and Bes calls to their shared history where Bes loved Bast and Bast toyed with him before leaving him. This moment shows how even gods make mistakes and can learn from those mistakes to do the right thing, speaking to The Resilience of Relationships in Difficult Times. This also builds upon Bast’s cat persona to poke fun at cat behavior and the common jokes made about cats, reflecting the novel’s persistent humor, which can help diffuse tension in moments of danger.

“A person’s shadow stood for his legacy, his impact on the world. Some people cast hardly any shadow at all. Some cast long, deep shadows that endured for centuries. I thought about what the ghost Setne had said—how he and I had each grown up in the shadow of a famous father. I realized now that he hadn’t just meant it as a figure of speech. My dad cast a powerful shadow that still affected me and the whole world.”

This passage contains Carter’s thoughts as he and Sadie execrate Apophis’s shadow. Shadows are an important motif in the text, here symbolizing how each person’s life and choices create a legacy. As the angle and strength of a light source change the appearance of a shadow, the shadow of a soul is also altered based on how a person lived, making life the light to the shadow. This also helps Carter realize that he’s been living in the shadow of his father and that he doesn’t need to. He will always look up to his dad and be linked to his dad’s shadow, but in this moment, Carter steps into his own light and starts to cast his own shadow on the world, embracing The Challenges of Being an Effective Leader.

“For the first time in history, our Chief Lector had the god of evil, strength, and Chaos on speed dial. That might make people trust him less, but magicians were like the gods—they respected strength. I doubted Amos would have much trouble enforcing his rule anymore.”

Following the defeat of the leaders of the rebel magicians, many of the rebel followers return to Carter and Sadie’s side of the conflict. Here, Carter has just accepted his position as pharaoh but given power to Amos while he finishes school and tries to experience a normal life. Instead of suspicion at the idea of a magician working with Set, the magicians now seem on board with the idea, which shows how quickly public opinion can change. After the battle with Apophis, it is also clear that Set’s chaos is not like the serpent’s chaos, meaning some magicians are more willing to give Amos a chance. The restoration of order reflects the culmination of Maintaining Balance Between Order and Chaos.

“‘Will they stay this way? I mean, they won’t fade again?’

Tawaret spread her stubby hands. ‘I suppose that depends on you mortals. If you remember them and make them feel important, they should be fine.’”

Following the battle with Apophis, Sadie visits the nursing home of the gods, where many of the gods have remembered who they are. The battle in the Land of Demons gave the gods purpose, and that purpose restored their memories, highlighting the importance of feeling needed and meaningful. This moment also shows the power Sadie, Carter, and others have in preserving these deities by just remembering them.