The Serpent's Shadow
Chapters - Rick Riordan
Chapter 1: We Crash and Burn a Party
Sadie Kane opens the final recording by apologising for Doomsday. Six months after the events of the previous book, the Kanes travel to Dallas to protect the Fifty-first Nome and a critical artefact - the last surviving copy of a scroll about overcoming Apophis. The Texas magicians, led by JD Grissom, are hosting a party in a sculpture garden while Brooklyn House's team waits at the museum.
Sadie's 'crack squad' includes Felix (with penguins), Khufu, Walt, and Alyssa, who are caught raiding the gift shop. JD leads them to the King Tut exhibit where the scroll is kept under heavy guard. Sadie explains that Apophis has been systematically destroying copies of this scroll at other nomes on new-moon nights.
Fire-breathing sheep summoned by Apophis's forces attack the party outside while two obsidian criosphinx guardians inside the museum come to life, speaking with the voice of Apophis himself. The Serpent taunts Sadie, declaring he will destroy her with the very guardians meant to protect Ma'at. Carter fights alongside the team while JD runs to save his wife Anne. The chapter ends with the criosphinxes blocking the exit, Apophis's voice echoing: 'No one leaves this place alive.'
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Amos Kane, Bast, JD Grissom, Anne Grissom·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, Horus
Source: Fandom
Chapter 2: I Have a Word with Chaos
Carter narrates the battle against the possessed criosphinxes inside the museum. Felix's penguins are vaporised by their fire breath, sending the young magician into a rage. The team fights desperately - Sadie and Carter combine their magic while Walt uses his amulets and Alyssa employs earth magic to crack the obsidian statues.
They manage to retrieve the scroll and destroy the criosphinxes, but the victory is hollow. When they rush outside, they find the sculpture garden reduced to a smoking crater. The entire Fifty-first Nome has been annihilated - every magician vaporised or devoured by the forces of Chaos. The hieroglyph for Isfet, Chaos, burns in the grass like a calling card from Apophis.
The team returns to Brooklyn House in shock. Carter reflects on the pattern of attacks over the summer - Toronto, Chicago, Mexico City, and now Dallas. Apophis is systematically destroying the House of Life's nomes, eliminating magicians who might oppose him. The scroll they recovered, a version of the Book of Overcoming Apophis, has been partially burned but contains clues about a secret weakness of the Serpent: his shadow. Carter, Sadie, Bast, and Walt discuss the desperate Plan B they have been considering in secret.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Amos Kane, Bast, Khufu, Walt Stone, Felix, Julian, Alyssa, Cleo, Jaz, Shelby·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, JD Grissom, Anne Grissom
Source: Fandom
Chapter 3: We Win a Box Full of Nothing
Carter narrates as Brooklyn House processes the Dallas disaster. He and Sadie hold a strategy meeting with their senior initiates, revealing the concept from the burned scroll: to truly destroy Apophis, they need to capture his shadow and use it in an execration spell. This shadow magic is ancient and forbidden, considered too dangerous by the House of Life.
Bast confirms that every being has a shadow - a sheut - which is one of the five parts of the Egyptian soul. Capturing and destroying a god's shadow through execration could annihilate even an immortal being permanently. The problem is that the scroll detailing the spell was partially destroyed, and they need someone who understands shadow magic.
Walt suggests consulting Thoth, the god of knowledge, who might know the answers. Carter agrees they must visit Thoth immediately. But Sadie insists that before they do, the initiates deserve one normal night - they are attending a school dance at the Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted. Carter protests, but Sadie argues that their people need something worth fighting for. She gets her way.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Amos Kane, Walt Stone·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, Horus, Set
Source: Fandom
Chapter 4: I Consult the Pigeon of War
Carter receives a private scrying-bowl message from Zia Rashid, who has been helping Amos at the First Nome in Egypt. Zia reports alarming news: rebel magicians led by a man named Kwai and backed by a woman named Sarah Jacobi are planning to attack the First Nome. Worse, Zia hints at something wrong with herself that she cannot fully explain - she has been experiencing strange episodes of uncontrolled fire magic.
Carter and Zia share an awkward but tender video-call conversation. Their relationship has progressed through months of scrying-bowl chats, but Zia seems troubled by secrets she is keeping. She warns Carter that the rebel magicians are openly allying with the forces of Apophis, believing the Kanes have doomed the world.
At a meeting the next morning, Carter explains the shadow execration plan. They will need to create a shabti statue of Apophis to bind his shadow to, then perform the execration. The plan requires finding the ghost of an ancient magician named Setne, who wrote the original shadow spell and whose ghost is imprisoned in the Underworld awaiting trial. Walt and the others agree the plan is their only chance, and Carter decides to visit Thoth after the school dance.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Amos Kane, Sarah Jacobi·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, Petrovich, Sir Leicester
Source: Fandom
Chapter 5: A Dance with Death
Sadie narrates the Brooklyn Academy school dance, which she insisted upon for morale. She wears a black strapless dress and her shen amulet from Walt. The evening starts well, with the initiates enjoying a normal teenage experience. Sadie watches Carter awkwardly slow-dancing and reflects on her tangled feelings for Walt and Anubis.
The dance is interrupted by the arrival of two gods. Shu, the god of wind, appears and puts everyone to sleep with a blast of dry air. He delivers a warning: Apophis is close to breaking free permanently, and the gods are being recalled to the heavens. Then Anubis materialises on the dance floor in his teenage form and shares a brief, bittersweet moment with Sadie. He tells her that a friend needs to speak with her and hints at the solution to Walt's mysterious illness.
After the gods depart, a young Russian magician appears - the same guard from the Hermitage whom Sadie encountered in St Petersburg. Leonid has fled the Russian nome and begs for help, warning of an imminent attack on the First Nome by rebel magicians allied with Apophis. Sadie realises they are running out of time on multiple fronts.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Amos Kane, Bast, Khufu, Walt Stone, Anubis, Felix, Julian, Alyssa, Cleo, Jaz, Leonid, Shu, Shelby·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, Horus, Set, Osiris, Ramesses the Great, Setne
Source: Fandom
Chapter 6: Amos Plays with Action Figures
Sadie narrates as she debriefs with Uncle Amos at the First Nome via a magical shabti communication. Leonid, the Russian deserter, provides intelligence about the rebel forces gathering to attack. Amos, now Chief Lector, has been struggling to hold the House of Life together - many nomes refuse to acknowledge his authority, and the rebels led by Sarah Jacobi and Kwai are gaining followers.
Amos devises a plan: Sadie will travel to the Fourth House of the Night (Sunny Acres) to visit Bes and attempt to learn more about shadow magic from the gods there. Zia will accompany her. Meanwhile, Carter will fly to Memphis, Tennessee, to consult Thoth about the ghost Setne.
Amos assigns Zia to go with Sadie, despite Zia's nervous reluctance. Something unspoken has passed between Amos and Zia about her condition. Sadie senses there is a conversation she has missed but does not press the issue. The chapter ends with Sadie and Zia preparing to depart at dawn for a quick trip to the Netherworld.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Amos Kane, Walt Stone, Anubis·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, Shu
Source: Fandom
Chapter 7: I Get Strangled by an Old Friend
Carter narrates his journey to Memphis, Tennessee, where Thoth resides disguised among the mortals. He and Walt fly on the griffin Freak to find the god of knowledge, who is obsessed with basketball and running a barbecue restaurant. Thoth confirms that the ghost of Setne - an ancient magician prince and master of shadow magic - is the key to their plan.
Thoth explains that Setne was the most brilliant and dangerous magician who ever lived: a son of Ramesses the Great who wrote forbidden spells, tried to steal the Book of Thoth, and murdered his own siblings. His ghost has been imprisoned in the Underworld for three thousand years, awaiting judgment. Thoth suggests they petition Carter's father Osiris to release Setne temporarily so he can guide them to Apophis's shadow.
Walt's condition is visibly worsening - his hands tremble and his amulets glow erratically. Thoth hints at a solution for Walt that involves Anubis, but Walt cuts him off, saying he will tell Carter himself. They depart at dawn to visit the Underworld and negotiate with Osiris for Setne's release.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Walt Stone·Mentioned: Osiris, Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra, Horus
Source: Fandom
Chapter 8: My Sister, The Flowerpot
Carter and Walt travel through the Duat toward the Hall of Judgment. Walt finally reveals his secret: he is descended from the cursed bloodline of Akhenaten, the heretic pharaoh, and carries a death curse that has been killing the men in his family for generations. He is dying, and no healer can save him.
Anubis has been counselling Walt for months and has proposed a radical solution - a permanent merging of Walt's soul with Anubis himself, similar to the path of the gods but deeper. Walt would become a host for the death god, which would sustain his failing body with divine energy. The cost is that Walt and Anubis would become one being, neither fully god nor fully human.
At Brooklyn House, Sadie struggles with Ra, who is still babbling nonsensically and has taken to gumming random objects. Bast watches over the old sun god while Carter and Walt head deeper into the Duat. Carter is disturbed by Walt's revelation but realises it explains everything - Walt's growing powers of decay, his closeness to Anubis, and why Bes warned against bringing him on the quest.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Bast, Khufu, Walt Stone·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Ra
Source: Fandom
Chapter 9: Zia Breaks Up a Lava Fight
Sadie narrates as she and Zia travel through the Duat to Sunny Acres, the nursing home for retired gods. Sadie calls upon Isis to open doorways, though the goddess is characteristically demanding and difficult. They visit the hippo goddess Tawaret, who is faithfully caring for the vacant-eyed Bes.
Sadie learns crucial information about shadows from Tawaret and the Book of Ra's annotations. Every being's shadow contains a reflection of their deepest nature. To capture a shadow, one must find where it was cast at a moment of great significance. Tawaret also shares a touching story: Bes once told her he had left his own shadow behind at a place where he had been happy, so the shadow could remain joyful even when he was not.
Zia has a frightening episode where her fire magic flares uncontrollably, revealing the truth about her condition: she is unconsciously hosting the spirit of Ra. The sun god's dormant power has been smouldering inside her since Carter freed her from the water sarcophagus. Sadie realises this is what Amos and Zia have been keeping secret. A lava fight breaks out between Zia and some fire elementals, which she eventually calms. Carter arrives on the Egyptian Queen steamboat to collect them.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Isis, Walt Stone, Anubis, Tawaret, Liz, Emma, Mrs. Faust, Mr. Faust·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Apophis, Nephthys
Source: Fandom
Chapter 10: "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" Goes Horribly Wrong
Sadie narrates their arrival at Osiris's Hall of Judgment in the Underworld, where Carter petitions their father - now the god Osiris - to release the ghost of Setne temporarily. Their mother's ghost, Ruby Kane, is also present and warns Sadie not to blame herself for the coming deaths.
Setne appears at his trial - a transparent ghost in a Hawaiian shirt and fedora, radiating charm and menace in equal measure. He is everything they were warned about: brilliant, manipulative, and completely untrustworthy. But he offers a deal: he will guide them to Apophis's shadow and teach them the execration spell. In return, he wants the court to consider leniency at his sentencing.
Setne divides the party, sending Sadie and Walt to find Bes's shadow at the ruins of Sais in the Nile Delta, while Carter and Zia will accompany him to find Apophis's shadow at the edge of the Sea of Chaos. He baits each pair with exactly what they want most: Sadie gets a chance to save Bes, and Carter gets time alone with Zia. Despite knowing they are being manipulated, none of them can refuse. Osiris reluctantly approves the arrangement.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Zia Rashid, Osiris, Walt Stone, Anubis, Setne, Ammit·Mentioned: Apophis, Thoth, Ramesses the Great
Source: Fandom
Chapter 11: Don't Worry, Be Hapi
Carter narrates as he, Zia, and the ghost Setne sail the Egyptian Queen down the Nile toward the ruins where Apophis's shadow hides. Setne flirts with Zia and tries to befriend Carter, sharing stories of his crimes with disturbing pride. He claims the Book of Thoth, which he stole millennia ago, contains the ultimate shadow-binding spell.
They encounter Hapi, the god of the Nile floods, who is a cheerful, obese figure covered in river plants. Hapi gives them 'Hapi pills' - magical tablets that dissolve their bodies into water, transporting them rapidly through the river system to their destination.
Setne guides them through increasingly treacherous territory, and Carter grows suspicious of the ghost's motives. Zia confides in Carter about her condition - the dormant spirit of Ra flickering inside her. Their relationship deepens during quiet moments on the boat. Meanwhile, Setne reveals that finding Apophis's shadow will require venturing to the very edge of the Sea of Chaos, where creation meets destruction.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Bast, Setne, Hapi·Mentioned: Apophis, Ra, Horus
Source: Fandom
Chapter 12: Bulls with Freaking Laser Beams
Carter narrates as the Hapi pills transport him and Zia to a tomb near the Sea of Chaos. Setne guides them through ancient traps and corridors toward the edge of creation. They emerge onto a terrifying landscape: a jetty of crumbling stone extending into an infinite ocean of liquid Chaos, with only a single white obelisk - the symbol of Ma'at and perhaps the first piece of creation itself - standing against the void.
Setne teaches Carter the shadow execration spell from memory, having written the original version in his Book of Thoth. But Setne's treachery becomes apparent: he secretly plans to use the spell for himself, intending to bind Apophis's power rather than destroy it. During the ritual preparation, Zia's condition flares dangerously. The dormant power of Ra inside her surges, and she collapses with a burning fever.
Carter and Zia fight off bull-shaped demons with laser-beam horns that guard the approach to the Sea of Chaos. Setne provides just enough help to keep them alive while clearly positioning himself to steal the shadow once they capture it. Carter realises that trusting Setne is like handling a live grenade, but they have no choice - the ghost is the only one who knows the spell.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Bast, Setne·Mentioned: Apophis, Horus, Thoth
Source: Fandom
Chapter 13: A Friendly Game of Hide-and-Seek (with Bonus Points for Painful Death!)
Sadie narrates her parallel adventure with Walt as they search for Bes's shadow at the ruins of Sais in the Nile Delta. Isis deposits them waist-deep in a swamp, and they trudge through mosquito-infested marshland to reach the ancient fortress.
Sadie discovers that Bes left his shadow at Sais because it was where he had shared a happy moment with Tawaret - the place where they once held hands on the ramparts. The shadow appears as a silhouette of the stout little god, forever frozen in a moment of contentment.
Before they can capture it, the goddess Neith - an eccentric huntress who has been hiding in a bunker preparing for doomsday - confronts them with a bow. Sadie must outwit the paranoid goddess by appealing to her hunter's pride, ultimately convincing Neith that hunting Apophis would be the greatest trophy of all. Neith agrees to join the fight and allows them to take Bes's shadow. Walt uses the spell Setne taught them (via Carter) to capture the shadow in a shabti figure of Bes.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Zia Rashid, Isis, Bast, Walt Stone, Anubis, Setne·Mentioned: Apophis, Horus, Nephthys
Source: Fandom
Chapter 14: Fun with Split Personalities
Sadie narrates as she and Walt succeed in capturing Bes's shadow but the emotional cost becomes clear. Walt's condition has deteriorated severely - his hands shake, his skin is grey, and his magic flickers. He collapses in the ruins of Sais, barely alive.
In the moment of crisis, Walt makes his choice. His body goes still and cold in Sadie's arms. Then his eyes open, glowing with golden light. Walt has merged with Anubis - the god of death has fused permanently with the dying boy, creating a new being that is both Walt and Anubis simultaneously. He speaks in two voices, sees with divine and mortal eyes.
Sadie is horrified and heartbroken. The boy she loved and the god she was drawn to have become one person without asking her permission. She feels betrayed by both of them. When Walt/Anubis tries to explain that this was the only way to save Walt's life and that Carter needs help immediately, Sadie flees through a doorway of darkness, unable to process what has happened.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Zia Rashid, Bast, Walt Stone, Setne·Mentioned: Apophis, Ra, Set, Osiris
Source: Fandom
Chapter 15: I Become a Purple Chimpanzee
Carter narrates his battle with the demon Bloodstained Blade, captain of the Egyptian Queen, who has been turned against them by Setne's treachery. The ghost has stolen the crook and flail and escaped with the Book of Thoth. Carter fights the demon with Zia's help, but she is weakened by the dormant Ra spirit inside her.
Setne's plan becomes clear: he never intended to help them destroy Apophis. He wanted to steal the Book of Thoth back and use the shadow magic for his own power. Carter and Zia pursue him to the edge of the Sea of Chaos, where Setne is attempting to bind Apophis's shadow to himself rather than destroy it.
In a desperate confrontation, Carter channels the full power of Horus to battle Setne while Zia's internal fire finally erupts. The dormant spirit of Ra awakens fully inside her, and she blazes with solar fire. Together, Carter and the Ra-empowered Zia manage to wrest Apophis's shadow from Setne and capture it in the shabti they prepared. Setne escapes with the Book of Thoth, but they have what they need. The chapter ends as the ship plunges back into the Duat.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Bast, Setne·Mentioned: Apophis, Horus
Source: Fandom
Chapter 16: Sadie Rides Shotgun (Worst. Idea. Ever.)
Sadie narrates as she arrives at the First Nome in Egypt to find it under siege. The rebel magicians led by Kwai and Sarah Jacobi have launched their attack. Amos is fighting for his life inside the Hall of Ages, channelling the power of Set - not because he is possessed, but because he has learned to walk the path of Set as an equal.
Carter arrives on the sun boat with Zia and the captured shadow of Apophis. Sadie finally confronts Walt/Anubis outside the First Nome's bronze doors. Her anger gives way to practicality - they need his power of death to open the sealed entrance. She tells both of them (or the one being they have become) to open the doors, and Walt/Anubis obliges by crumbling the bronze to dust.
They charge into the Hall of Ages to rescue Amos and rally the remaining loyal magicians for the final battle against Apophis.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Bast, Setne·Mentioned: Apophis, Ra, Horus
Source: Fandom
Chapter 17: Brooklyn House Goes to War
Carter narrates the battle inside the Hall of Ages. Amos fights in a massive avatar of Set - a red sandstorm warrior - battling the rebel magicians Kwai and Jacobi, who wield Chaos lightning and dark magic. Sadie, Carter, Walt/Anubis, and Zia join the fight.
The rebels are defeated. Kwai is destroyed by Amos's Set avatar, and Jacobi is subdued. But the real threat emerges above ground: Apophis has risen fully from his prison and manifests as a colossal serpent of Chaos, dwarfing the pyramids. Fire and destruction spread across Egypt as the Serpent begins unravelling the fabric of reality.
Amos formally offers Carter the kingship - the throne of the pharaoh, as Eye of Horus and bearer of the crook and flail. Carter accepts the leadership but says the throne will have to wait. He summons the gods to war, calling every deity who will answer. The surviving magicians - including some former rebels who switch sides when they see the scope of the threat - rally behind Carter as he leads them to the surface for the final confrontation with the Lord of Chaos.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Amos Kane, Khufu, Walt Stone, Bes, Apophis, Ra, Sarah Jacobi, Felix, Julian, Alyssa, Cleo, Jaz, Leonid, Petrovich·Mentioned: Zia Rashid, Horus, Setne
Source: Fandom
Chapter 18: Death Boy to the Rescue
Carter narrates the final battle against Apophis at the pyramids of Giza. The Serpent of Chaos towers above them, a writhing mountain of darkness that swallows light and cracks the earth. Gods and magicians fight side by side - Horus, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and dozens of others engage Apophis's demon army.
Walt/Anubis proves invaluable in the fight, using the combined power of death magic and charm-making to destroy swathes of demons. Zia's inner fire blazes as Ra's power surges through her. She becomes the conduit through which the senile sun god can channel his ancient strength.
Bast and Bes - restored by Sadie's shadow magic, his ren and identity returned - charge Apophis directly to buy Carter and Sadie time to begin the execration spell. Bast apologises to Bes for toying with his emotions, and Bes tells her he has found someone better. The two gods, the Kanes' oldest and most faithful protectors, hurl themselves at the Lord of Chaos so the siblings can attempt the spell that will either save the world or destroy them.
POV: Sadie Kane·On page: Carter Kane, Zia Rashid, Isis, Amos Kane, Khufu, Walt Stone, Bes, Apophis, Ra, Sarah Jacobi, Felix, Julian, Alyssa, Cleo, Jaz, Leonid, Petrovich
Source: Fandom
Chapter 19: Welcome to the Fun House of Evil
Sadie narrates the casting of the shadow execration. She and Carter chant the spell together, channelling every ounce of magical power they possess into the shabti figure that holds Apophis's captured shadow. The temperature drops, the earth splits, and red lightning fractures the sky as Chaos and Ma'at war at the most fundamental level of reality.
The Serpent fights back, trying to disrupt their concentration. Apophis's voice whispers in their minds, tempting them to give in. But Zia steps forward, blazing with the full awakened power of Ra, and adds the sun god's ancient authority to the spell. Ra, channelling through Zia, speaks his own name - the secret name that Isis once stole - and the balance tips.
The shabti shatters. Apophis's shadow dissolves, and the Serpent screams as his essence is ripped apart. The massive form of Chaos disintegrates into the Sea of Chaos, driven back beyond the boundaries of creation. Zia collapses, exhausted but alive, the spirit of Ra finally at peace within her. Carter catches her as she falls. The sky clears, dawn breaks, and the world is saved - battered, broken, but still standing.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Isis, Amos Kane, Walt Stone, Bes, Apophis, Ra, Sarah Jacobi·Mentioned: Horus, Setne
Source: Fandom
Chapter 20: I Take a Chair
Carter narrates the aftermath. The battle is won, but the cost is enormous. Many magicians and gods were destroyed or wounded. The pyramids are damaged, and Chaos energy still crackles across Egypt. The surviving nomes begin to pick up the pieces.
Carter and Zia share a quiet moment in a Cairo food court, of all places. Zia explains that Ra's spirit has settled peacefully inside her - not possessing her, but resting. She can channel his power when needed, making her the living vessel of the sun god. She asks if she can stay at Brooklyn House to help teach initiates, and Carter enthusiastically agrees. Zia kisses him, and Carter happily shuts up.
The gods announce they must withdraw from the mortal world to heal and rebuild their own realm, but promise to answer if called. Horus tells Carter the throne of pharaoh is his whenever he wants it, but for now Carter's leadership will be informal. The ghost of Setne remains at large with the Book of Thoth, a problem for another day.
POV: Carter Kane·On page: Sadie Kane, Zia Rashid, Amos Kane, Walt Stone, Bes, Apophis, Ra, Sarah Jacobi·Mentioned: Horus
Source: Fandom