The Red Pyramid: Chapters 7–15

by Rick Riordan
In the first volume of The Kane Chronicles, siblings Carter and Sadie must use their newly discovered magical powers to defeat an ancient Egyptian god.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–15, Chapters 16–23, Chapters 24–31, Chapters 32–41

Here are links to our lists for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian

Here are links to our lists for The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan: The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, The Blood of Olympus
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    “Want it?” I coaxed. “Just take it to the couch and pretend you didn’t see us, yes?”
  2. grudging
    unwilling or reluctant
    Carter looked at me with grudging admiration.
  3. stylus
    a pointed tool for writing, drawing, or engraving
    At any rate, one statue held a stylus and scroll. Another held a box. Another held a short, hooked staff.
  4. papyrus
    paper made from a plant by cutting it and pressing it flat
    Carter pulled out several lengths of brown twine, a small ebony cat statue, and a thick roll of paper. No, not paper. Papyrus. I remembered Dad explaining how the Egyptians made it from a river plant because they never invented paper.
  5. maim
    injure or wound seriously and leave permanent disfiguration
    Magicians are very mean. They maim statues to control them.
  6. pneumatic
    relating to or using air or a similar gas
    The plastic cylinders were the kind you might find at a drive-through bank—the kind that shoot up and down the pneumatic tubes.
  7. lineage
    the descendants of one individual
    So here it probably means more like Blood of the Pharaohs, all of them, the whole lineage of all the dynasties, not just one guy.
  8. sinewy
    possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful
    Its body was like a leopard’s—lean and sinewy, with golden spotted fur—but its neck was completely wrong.
  9. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    In her place was a woman—small and lithe like a gymnast.
  10. futile
    producing no result or effect
    She launched herself between them, dancing and dodging with incredible grace, letting them lash at her futilely while she threaded their necks together.
  11. breach
    make an opening or gap in
    “Carter, the defenses were too easily breached. Someone sabotaged them.”
  12. devious
    characterized by insincerity or deceit
    Magicians are devious creatures.
  13. shroud
    burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped
    The box was covered with a black shroud and looked big enough for at least two bodies.
  14. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    I looked back, just as the carriers turned the corner, a horde of cats materialized all around them.
  15. auspicious
    indicating favorable circumstances and good luck
    There’s a window of auspicious time starting right now, at eleven thirty, but it won’t last long.
  16. rapier
    a straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges
    The glowing green warrior did the same, unsheathing claws as long and sharp as rapiers.
  17. garbled
    lacking orderly continuity
    A garbled voice came on the loudspeaker and said something about proceeding calmly to the exits.
  18. commission
    place an order for
    “The Temple of Dendur,” Zia said. “Actually it was built by the Romans—”
    “When they occupied Egypt,” Carter said, like this was delightful information. “Augustus commissioned it.”
  19. sleight
    adroitness in using the hands
    The wand was a diversion, I thought. A magician’s sleight of hand.
  20. concourse
    a wide hallway in a building where people can walk
    It was a two-level airport concourse, with shops, lots of windows, and polished steel columns.
  21. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
    The ancient city was pillaged centuries ago. Some of its monuments were carted away, like Cleopatra’s two needles.
  22. supplicant
    one praying humbly for something
    “This is an entrance to the First Nome, the oldest branch of the House of Life, headquarters for all magicians. My job was to bring you here safely, but I cannot help you cross. Each magician must unbar the path for herself, and the challenge is different for each supplicant.”
  23. gyroscope
    rotating mechanism in the form of a mounted spinning wheel
    I felt like one of those gyroscope toys, spinning and wobbling as I crossed the narrow plank.
  24. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
    The red light coalesced into a strange form: a five-foot-tall bird with a man’s head.
  25. frond
    compound leaf of a fern or palm or cycad
    Every chamber was lined with massive stone columns like the ones I’d seen in Egyptian ruins, but these were in perfect condition, brightly painted to resemble palm trees, with carved green fronds at the top, so I felt like I was walking through a petrified forest.
  26. brazier
    large metal container in which coal or charcoal is burned
    Fires burned in copper braziers.
  27. initiate
    someone introduced to the mysteries of a field or activity
    “Our initiates,” Zia said, “learning to scry. The First Nome must keep in contact with our brethren all over the world. We use our youngest as...operators, I suppose you would say.”
  28. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    She glanced at me apprehensively, and I knew she was still thinking about what the bird spirit had called me: a good king.
  29. encompass
    include in scope
    “Each year,” Zia said, “the Hall of Ages grows longer to encompass our history. Up until the present.”
  30. gilded
    made from or covered with gold
    In front of us stood a dais and on it an empty throne, a gilded wooden chair with a flail and a shepherd’s crook carved in the back—the ancient symbols of the pharaoh.
  31. flail
    an implement with a handle and a free swinging stick
    In front of us stood a dais and on it an empty throne, a gilded wooden chair with a flail and a shepherd’s crook carved in the back—the ancient symbols of the pharaoh.
  32. consort
    keep company with
    “So,” Desjardins said coldly, “you admit to consorting with gods. That makes our investigation much easier. Bast is not your friend. The gods caused the downfall of Egypt. It is forbidden to call on their powers. Magicians are sworn to keep the gods from interfering in the mortal world. We must use all our power to fight them.”
  33. ensnare
    take or catch as if in a trap
    “Lord Desjardins,” she pleaded, “there was something strange. When I ensnared the scorpion goddess, she re-formed almost instantly. I could not return her to the Duat, even with the Seven Ribbons. I could only break her hold on the host for a moment. Perhaps the rumors of other escapes—”
  34. dais
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
    He opened his hand and a flood of glowing hieroglyphs poured out, swarming around the dais. There was a blinding flash of light, and when I could see again, the dais was empty.
  35. venture
    put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation
    “Sounds fun,” Sadie ventured.
  36. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I had to stifle a scream, because I’d seen that wolfish face before.
  37. thwart
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    Even when they tried to change their shapes, the gods had no luck, as if the magic of the box were thwarting them. No one fit exactly.
  38. estrange
    arouse hostility or indifference in
    “Can I not celebrate my brother’s birthday? Are we so estranged that I cannot even apologize to the king?”
  39. formidable
    extremely impressive in strength or excellence
    The combination of human creativity and godly power can be quite formidable.
  40. divination
    the art or gift of prophecy by supernatural means
    "...Your mother...well, aside from being a brilliant scientist, she had the gift of divination. One of the most difficult forms of magic, and she was the first in centuries to possess it.”
Created on Thu Aug 01 10:06:36 EDT 2019 (updated Wed Aug 07 10:04:24 EDT 2019)

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