Last night on Rock Center with Brian Williams author Rick Riordan shared the title and cover art for his newest book The Serpent’s Shadow (in stores May 1st and now available for pre-order on Amazon).
The Serpent’s Shadow will be the third and final novel in The Kane Chronicles trilogy which follows the adventures of Sadie and Carter Kane as they try to unite the Egyptian gods and fight the forces of chaos.
According the the Disney Publishing Worldwide press release there will be 2 million copies in the first printing. Suzanne Murphy, vice president and publisher for DPW had this to say about the new book:
“Fans eagerly await learning the fate of Carter and Sadie Kane in this final book. Rick, the master of mythology, gives fans a nail-biting conclusion with his signature blend of humor and nonstop action.”
Rick also updated his blog yesterday with his own thoughts about his upcoming book releases which include the release of The Demigod Diaries (out on August 14th). The diaries will be supplementary to The Heroes of Olympus series and will contain a story about Luke’s adventures with Thalia and Annabeth pre-The Lightning Thief. The book will also include a story from Rick’s son Haley. Rick writes:
And, as announced on Rock Center, the anthology includes a debut short story from my son Haley. Since Haley inspired the entire Percy Jackson series, it seemed only right that I asked him to contribute his own original spin on Percy’s world for this book. I was amazed at what Haley came up with. His brother Patrick, who’s a tough editor, was quick to say, “Dad, his story is better than yours!” Haley ponders the question: “What happened to the demigods who fought with Kronos’s army after the battle in Manhattan?” This is the story of one such demigod, and I have to admit, some of Haley’s ideas are so good I wish I’d come up with them!
One of the best things about the announcment of The Serpent’s Shadow is the news about children’s renewed love of reading. In Kate Snow’s interview with Riordan she read him a letter from a fan, Ruby (age 9):
“Dear Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson series has changed the way I look at the world, and everything about me. I used to hate books, and it was hard for me, because I have dyslexia and ADHD. I still don’t like to read. But when it comes to your books, all of that changed. It’s just like you can’t stop reading, you have to just keep on going.”
You can read more about the books on Riordan’s blog (Myth & Mystery) and watch video clips from last nights interview here.
