The Serpent's Shadow

The Serpent’s Shadow (2012) by Rick Riordan is the third and final installment in the fantasy Kane Chronicles series, following The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire. The Serpent’s Shadow continues the adventures of Carter and Sadie Kane, descendants of the Egyptian pharaohs and magicians, in their modern-day battle against the chaos serpent Apophis. 

Rick Riordan has written over 20 books for young readers in the genre of mythological fantasy. These include Egyptian myth in the Kane Chronicles, Greek in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Norse in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The Kane Chronicles books have received positive reviews and various awards, including a School Library Journal award for The Red Pyramid. Riordan also created the Rick Riordan Presents Imprint within Disney Hyperion as a platform for #OwnVoices tales of mythology for authors from marginalized communities. Such titles include The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes and Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. 

This guide uses the 2012 Disney Hyperion print first edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, death, and child death.

Plot Summary

The Serpent’s Shadow picks up six months after the end of The Throne of Fire. In that time, the chaos serpent, Apophis, has sought out and destroyed a version of The Book of Overcoming Apophis that was written by the long-dead magician Setne. As the novel opens, Carter and Sadie Kane, along with fellow magician Walt Stone and others, have traced the last copy of the book to the Dallas, Texas, magician stronghold. The magicians arrive in time to battle Apophis for the book, but are unsuccessful. Prompted by a vision of Setne, Sadie instead rescues a golden cabinet containing the shadow (sheut) of King Tut—the fifth part of the soul in Egyptian mythology.

King Tut’s shadow prompts the magicians to research shadows and learn there is a way to execrate them—i.e., ritually destroy or thwart them—so that a being is removed from existence. With no other options, Carter and Sadie resolve to execrate Apophis, knowing the spell will likely kill them both too. As they make plans to visit Thoth (god of wisdom) to ask about the execration spell and how to find Apophis’s shadow, both children also deal with feelings of inadequacy and romantic entanglements. 

Carter is linked to the god Horus and meant to rise as the next pharaoh, but he questions his ability to lead. In addition, he struggles to rebuild his relationship with Zia Rashid, a magician he fell in love with only to realize she was a clay replica. Sadie knows she is supposed to be supportive and studious like her patron goddess, Isis, but Sadie’s impulsive nature makes her wonder if she is smart enough to do what needs to be done. She also struggles with her feelings for Walt, who is dying slowly, and the god Anubis, who is off-limits to her as a mortal magician.

Before visiting Thoth, the two teenagers attend a school dance so they can feel unburdened by the weight of the world for one night. While there, Anubis visits Sadie to warn her that her uncle (Amos) and the Cairo magician stronghold will soon be attacked by a group of rebel magicians who have been corrupted by Apophis. That night, Walt and Carter visit Thoth, who is being attacked by demons. Thoth refuses to tell them how to execrate Apophis’s shadow because such magic can be used against him as well. Instead, he directs the boys to the underworld, where Setne will come to trial before Osiris soon. Meanwhile, Sadie journeys to Cairo to offer Amos aid and explain her plan to practice shadow magic on her godly friend Bes, who gave up his soul to save her. Sadie reasons that if she can restore Bes’s shadow, she should be able to destroy Apophis’s. Amos agrees and sends Sadie and Zia to Setne’s trial.

Several months prior, Carter and Sadie’s father (Julius) was bonded to the god Osiris when he woke Osiris, Horus, Isis, and Set from their enchanted slumber. As a result, when their father died, he became the latest incarnation of Osiris, meaning the teens are reunited with their father as they plead Setne’s case. Osiris is reluctant to let Setne help because he fears the magician will betray and harm his children. However, Osiris realizes there is no other option, since Setne both knows how to find and execrate Apophis’s shadow. Since Walt won’t live long enough to battle Apophis, he and Sadie will work on restoring Bes while Carter and Zia accompany Setne to capture Apophis’s shadow. The first step involves retrieving the Book of Thoth from a temple in Egypt. To do so, Carter calls upon the Egyptian Queen ship and its demon captain, who is bound to serve him.

At the temple, Carter and Zia must distract a giant bull while Setne retrieves the book. Zia channels the power of the god Ra to save Carter’s life, making Carter realize Zia is the key to awakening Ra’s power to fight Apophis. Next, Setne, Carter, and Zia journey to the Land of Demons and the Sea of Chaos, which churns wildly and draws everything but a glowing obelisk of order into its depths. Using the Book of Thoth, Carter and Zia summon Apophis’s shadow, which is as massive and violent as the serpent himself. They bind the shadow in a shabti clay replica of the serpent, which they will use to execrate the shadow. Before they can leave to meet Sadie in Egypt, Setne betrays them and steals the shabti.

Meanwhile, Sadie and Walt go to the Egyptian ruins rumored to be the location of Bes’s shadow. The ruins are under the protection of the hunting goddess Neith, who will help them find the shadow if they can evade her until sunset. During the hunt, Walt tries to tell Sadie something about Anubis, but keeps getting interrupted. The two manage to outlast Neith, who gives them permission to take Bes’s shadow. Walt casts the spell to bind the shadow to the shabti, but the magic is too much for him, killing him. Sadie casts the spell to send the shadow back to Bes. When she finishes, she’s shocked to find Walt alive again. Walt opens a portal—god magic—and Sadie realizes he merged with Anubis. Feeling confused, Sadie jumps through the portal, leaving Walt behind, and lands atop Setne just after he stole Apophis’s shabti.

Sadie rescues Carter and Zia. With help from a restored Bes, the three escape the underworld and join the gods in Egypt, where Zia harnesses Ra’s power to fight Apophis. Carter and Sadie rescue Amos and the stronghold from the rebel magicians, reuniting with Walt/Anubis in the process. The three rush back to the battle with Apophis in time to see Zia fall. 

Refusing to give up, Carter and Sadie execrate Apophis’s shadow. The spell is successful, but in banishing chaos, order, too, is banished. The gods the teens have relied upon can no longer offer power, with the exception of Anubis, who now sustains Walt’s lifeforce. Following the battle, Carter ascends as pharaoh of the magicians but leaves power in Amos’s hands. Carter and Sadie return to the Brooklyn stronghold to train magicians. They also get together with Zia and Walt, respectively, and both move forward, knowing there will be more challenges ahead.