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Quick answer: If you loved The Red Pyramid, read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, then Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl, then Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah and the End of Time, and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and Christopher Paolini's Eragon. All are mythic adventure for young readers.
Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid (2010) begins the Kane Chronicles, with Egyptian myths and siblings. These picks share its action.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief | Rick Riordan | 10-14 | teens who want a quick start |
| Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | 10-14 | readers who like clever heroes |
| Aru Shah and the End of Time | Roshani Chokshi | 9-13 | younger teens who want funny myth |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | 9-14 | a classic dragon story |
| Eragon | Christopher Paolini | 12+ | older readers ready for long epics |
| Amari and the Night Brothers | B.B. Alston | 9-13 | readers who like secret worlds |
| The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide | Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi | 7-11 | younger fantasy fans |
| Inkheart | Cornelia Funke | 10-14 | book lovers |
| The School for Good and Evil | Soman Chainani | 9–13 | fairy-tale school |
| Mythos | Stephen Fry | Adult | fans of funny retellings |
| Dragon Rider | Cornelia Funke | 8-12 | readers who love a quest |
| The Storm Runner | J.C. Cervantes | 9-13 | fans of Latin American myth |
| The Ruins of Gorlan | John Flanagan | Teen/Adult | the first book |
| Circus Mirandus | Cassie Beasley | 9-13 | young readers |
| Gregor the Overlander | Suzanne Collins | 9-13 | readers who like adventure |
1. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy learns he is the son of a Greek god and is sent to Camp Half-Blood, then accused of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt. Fast, funny and packed with mythology.
Best for: teens who want a quick start.
2. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Twelve-year-old criminal genius Artemis Fowl kidnaps a fairy to steal its gold. Clever and high-tech.
Best for: readers who like clever heroes.
3. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Aru, a girl who lies to fit in, accidentally unleashes a demon and learns she is a reincarnated Pandava. A Rick Riordan Presents title with Hindu mythology.
Best for: younger teens who want funny myth.
4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins leaves his comfortable hole to join thirteen dwarves and the wizard Gandalf in reclaiming treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. The original dragon quest and a good read-aloud.
Best for: a classic dragon story.
5. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A farm boy finds a blue stone that hatches into the dragon Saphira and becomes a Dragon Rider in a war-torn land. It is longer and more serious, with a strong human-dragon bond.
Best for: older readers ready for long epics.
6. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Amari discovers a Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and trains to find her missing brother. Fast and fun.
Best for: readers who like secret worlds.
7. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Three kids find a field guide to faeries in their attic. Short and richly illustrated.
Best for: younger fantasy fans.
8. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
A girl and her father can bring characters out of books by reading aloud. A love letter to stories.
Best for: book lovers.
9. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Two girls are taken to a school that trains fairy-tale heroes and villains, and each lands in the wrong place. Darker and bigger.
Best for: fairy-tale school.
10. Mythos by Stephen Fry
Fry retells the Greek myths from the birth of the gods through Prometheus and Pandora in a witty, conversational voice. It is the closest to Percy's humor.
Best for: fans of funny retellings.
11. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Firedrake the silver dragon, a brownie and a boy named Ben travel to find the legendary Rim of Heaven, a safe home for the last dragons. Funke builds a vivid world with real stakes.
Best for: readers who love a quest.
12. The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
Zane Obispo, a boy with a limp, learns he is the son of a Maya god. Action and Maya mythology.
Best for: fans of Latin American myth.
13. The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
The first Ranger's Apprentice book. Will trains as a Ranger and faces dark forces. Start here if you are new.
Best for: the first book.
14. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
A boy tries to find a magical circus to save his grandfather. Sweet and magical.
Best for: young readers.
15. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Gregor falls into the Underland beneath New York and finds giant rats and bats. The author of The Hunger Games writes a classic adventure.
Best for: readers who like adventure.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Red Pyramid: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The Red Pyramid. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For myth, read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. For fantasy, try The Hobbit. For quests, pick Artemis Fowl.
Related: Rick Riordan Books in Order Printable List · Inkheart by Cornelia Funke: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Red Pyramid?
Rick Riordan, in 2010.
What is the series?
The Kane Chronicles.
What age is it for?
About 9 to 13.