The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan

"Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride."

Available now at PERIPLUS! Bloody hell.. Terlanjur baca ebooknya, kirain belum ada. Di sequel The Red Pyramid ini, muncul beberapa karakter atau trainee baru yaitu Walt, Jaz, etc dan banyak dewa-dewa lainnya. Juga lebih banyak aksi dari buku pertamanya. Interaksi Carter & Sadie yang kadang-kadang berantem tapi juga saling support bikin hubungan kakak beradik ini terasa nyata.

Rick Riordan berhasil menanamkan emosi ke pembaca dengan baik dengan ketegangan, humor, dan narasi yang jelas. Alur ceritanya juga cepat, langsung masuk ke aksi-aksinya Carter & Sadie. Can't wait for the next one!

LOL Sadie, Carter, I'll be on the lookout for your tape!

The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

"It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess."

The Goddess Test? Baca judulnya aja udah langsung bikin tertarik ditambah baca sinopsisnya yang kayaknya lumayan seru. Dan pas baca nama Hades langsung, "Another Nico!" hehe. Dari Maret aku nungguin buku ini keluar sampai akhirnya download ebooknya gara-gara permintaan ARC ke NetGalley nggak disetujuin-_-

Nggak tahu kenapa, tapi buku ini ngingetin aku sama Beauty and The Beast. Kate yang orangnya pemaaf & baik banget ke siapa aja walaupun orang itu jahat sama dia, apalagi sama ibunya. Henry yang terkesan introvert, dingin tapi aslinya baik. Ditambah Kate yang dipaksa tinggal di kastilnya Henry (yang katanya Elysium).

Alurnya lumayan cepet & susah ditebak, love story nya juga bagus, nggak lebay. The Olympians, yang menurutku kemuculan mereka disini jadi agak aneh gara-gara wujud modernnya. Cocok buat yang lagi males baca buku yang konflik nya rumit. Dan yang jelas aku nggak sabar nungguin sequelnya Goddess Interrupted.

Goddess Test Series

• The Goddess Test (out April 26, 2011)
• Goddess Interrupted (out February 2012)
• Untitled (out October 2012)