Book Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – The Kane Chronicles – Book 3
- Jason Montero
- Sep 8
- 16 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Book summary by chapter of The Serpent’s Shadow. Includes spoilers from the first vision to the end of the book. As the final dance between chaos and order unfolds, Sadie and Carter Kane plunge into the Duat where Apophis’s shadow becomes humanity’s last hope; its execration rewrites fate through ancient spells, fallen allies’ sacrifice, and a legacy blazing in the eyes of the new pharaoh.
Introduction – The Serpent’s Shadow
Chaos doesn’t erupt—it slithers, whispers, and strikes when least expected. In The Serpent’s Shadow, Rick Riordan delivers the explosive finale of a saga where Egyptian gods are not distant legends, but raw power pulsing through Sadie and Carter Kane. Every chapter is a countdown to Apophis’s rise, as ancient truths resurface with deadly intent.
This chapter-by-chapter book summary captures the pulse-pounding pace of the story, while highlighting the heart-wrenching choices the siblings must face: to sacrifice, to love, to doubt… and to lead. In this final battle, the balance between Ma’at and Chaos no longer lies with the gods—but with those human enough to risk everything.
Because in the final war, what hides in the shadows is not as dangerous as what dares to emerge from them. To follow this journey from the beginning, explore the reading order of The Kane Chronicles ➤
Want to see all the summaries from this series?
Click here to access the Complete Reading Order. 👇
Chapter Navigation
Chapter 1 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – The Party We Crashed Goes Downhill
Sadie Kane narrates the beginning of the chaos, blaming herself and her brother Carter for the unleashed apocalypse. It all began in Dallas, at a party organized by Texan magicians in honor of the King Tut exhibit. While guests enjoyed the event, Sadie and Carter warned leader J.D. Grissom about an imminent attack from Apophis, the serpent of chaos, who was after a specific item in the museum. Inside, they meet the eccentric Brooklyn magicians, who cause a commotion in the gift shop. Despite the chaos, they manage to convince J.D. to let them examine the scroll. As they inspect the museum, Sadie experiences a mysterious vision of a face speaking from the wall, warning her about a golden box crucial to defeating Apophis. Just as they find the papyrus in the protected gallery, the museum shakes and Apophis manifests through the guardian sphinxes. The attack begins.
Chapter 2 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – I Give Chaos a Piece of My Mind
Apophis’s attack unleashes chaos in the hall. The cryosphinxes spew fire, destroying Felix’s penguins and endangering everyone. Sadie tries to protect the papyrus with a spell, but the power of chaos destroys it. While her friends struggle to survive, she hears an inner voice guiding her to save a golden box, previously mentioned by the wall apparition. Though Apophis’s power grows stronger, Sadie channels Isis and utters the divine word “Ma’at,” temporarily restoring order. The hall is left in ruins, but the golden box is saved. In a near-death state, Sadie has visions of her mother, Isis, and Anubis, who hint that the fate of the dead and the key to defeating Apophis lie in her next move. Upon awakening, she learns that all the Texan magicians perished in the attack.
Chapter 3 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – We Win a Box Full of Nothing
Carter takes over the narration as the group escapes Dallas on their griffin Freak, carrying only the golden box as their prize. The Fifty-First Nome has been utterly destroyed, and the loss weighs heavily on them. Back at Brooklyn House, they try to recover while Bast questions them. The golden box, seemingly empty, turns out to be a shadow box containing part of Pharaoh Tut’s soul. Sadie recalls the warnings from the mysterious apparition and her visions of Anubis and her mother, concluding that the box is vital to their mission. Carter reflects on the five parts of the Egyptian soul and realizes that the shadow, or sheut, could be the key to defeating Apophis. Bast, uneasy, warns that speaking of shadows is dangerous. Meanwhile, an unexpected call interrupts the meeting, hinting at more crucial revelations for the world’s fate.
Chapter 4 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – I Consult the Pigeon of War
Carter can’t stop thinking about Zia and spends hours using the scrying bowl to see her, though their relationship remains uncertain. When he contacts her, Zia shows him a terrifying message from Sarah Jacobi, who blames the Kanes for all recent disasters and demands Carter’s surrender. The rebel, allied with Kwai and other dark magicians, shows manipulated footage that portrays them as traitors. Zia fears that the First Nome is the next target. While she tends to Ra, who remains senile, Carter reflects on his growing loneliness and pressure. Horus appears in the form of a pigeon and warns him about Thoth, who might know how to use shadows against Apophis. He mentions that the Egyptian word sheut refers to both shadows and statues. Carter begins to form a new plan: what if they could execrate Apophis’s shadow instead of facing him directly?
Chapter 5 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – A Dance with Death
Sadie insists on attending the school dance, convinced her trainees need a sense of normalcy. Though Walt, weakened, decides not to go, Sadie tries to lift their spirits. At the dance, Anubis appears and invites her to dance, drawing everyone's envy. As they float between the living and the dead, Anubis reveals that their relationship is forbidden by the gods, as Horus and Isis have decreed no more ties between deities and mortals. He also warns that the dead are being pulled deep into the Duat and that her mother may be in danger. He suggests that Apophis’s sheut could be used to destroy him permanently. Just as he tries to tell her something about Walt, Shu appears and forces Anubis to leave. Before Sadie can understand what just happened, a young Russian named Leonid, sent by Shu, appears and says they must talk urgently.
Chapter 6 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Amos Plays with Collectible Figurines
Sadie brings Leonid to Amos at the First Nome, despite the risk of using a portal. Leonid, a magician who defected from the Russian nome, reveals that Sarah Jacobi and Kwai are possessed by multiple demonic voices, including Apophis, and are planning an attack from Abu Simbel. Although Amos and Zia already suspected this, they now have confirmation. Iskandar’s magical map, filled with animated figurines, shows the loss of allies across the globe. Sadie, still shaken by what she didn’t hear from Anubis, proposes the plan to use Apophis’s shadow to defeat him without resorting to the destructive Plan B. Amos and Zia are skeptical, but acknowledge it’s a real possibility. Sadie mentions a potential experiment to test her theory. Amos agrees to help her but insists she rest first. The threat of Apophis looms closer, with the equinox just three days away.
Chapter 7 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – An Old Friend Strangles Me
Carter and Walt travel to Memphis to meet Thoth, the god of knowledge, but upon arrival, they find his pyramid under attack by a horde of demons connected through Apophis’s shadow. With the help of Freak, a golden sphinx, and their own powers, they manage to defend Thoth. During the battle, Carter is attacked by Face of Horror, who tries to strangle him while Apophis tempts him with a vision of surrender. Thoth saves him just in time and inside the pyramid explains that Apophis wants to keep him occupied to prevent him from helping them. Carter learns that only a shadow execration might work, and the knowledge to perform it is linked to an ancient magician named Setne. Although Thoth cannot directly reveal the location of Apophis’s shadow, he mentions a book stolen by Setne, who is to be judged at nightfall by Carter’s father, now Osiris.
Chapter 8 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – My Sister, the Flowerpot
After meeting with Thoth, Carter and Walt return to Brooklyn House, but during the trip, Walt reveals he has only one day left to live. He speaks of a plan Anubis has proposed to save him, though it could have unforeseen consequences. Upon arrival, Sadie’s shabti—a flowerpot figure animated by her magic—greets them with a message: she’s on a mission with Zia to visit Bes. Sadie and Carter share key information, including the imminent attack on the First Nome and the need to convince Osiris to release Setne. Carter decides to train all their trainees for the battle in Egypt, even knowing they aren’t ready. He tasks Bast with taking them to the Nome. Though he distrusts Ra, he realizes the sun god still plays a vital role. Before heading to the underworld, Carter summons an old friend to transport them: the sun boat.
Chapter 9 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Zia Separates a Lava Fight
Sadie and Zia travel to the gods’ retirement home with Isis’s help, but upon arrival, Zia suffers a fiery outburst—sign that her connection to Ra is affecting her mind and magic. Sadie stops her just before disaster strikes. Zia admits being near the sun god distorts her, and that Amos might be using Set’s power again. Sadie is concerned but focuses on the mission: finding Bes’s shadow. Together they descend to the Lake of Fire’s beach, where retired gods relax. Tauret, caretaker and Bes’s friend, reveals she once saw his shadow on the temple walls of Neith, in Sais. Though the city no longer exists, Sadie decides to search there. Just as they must head to Setne’s trial, the sun boat appears, crossing through the flames, with Carter at the helm, ready to take them to the Hall of Judgment.
Chapter 10 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – The Trial of Setne and the Divided Plan
Sadie, Carter, Walt, and Zia board The Egyptian Queen toward the Hall of Judgment, accompanied by Bloodstained Blade, a headless demon with an axe head. As they sail, they discuss the risks of trusting Setne, a dangerous ghost who might hold the key to the spell needed to destroy Apophis. At the temple, they reunite with their father, Osiris, who presides over the souls’ trials. After witnessing the judgment of a modern soul, the siblings present their plan to capture Apophis’s sheut, which could save the world. Setne is brought to trial and, through cunning, convinces Osiris that his knowledge is essential. He proposes splitting the group: Carter and Zia will join him to retrieve the Book of Thoth, while Sadie and Walt will search for Bes’s shadow. Though the plan is full of risks, Osiris agrees, aware that it is their only hope.
Chapter 11 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Hapi, Hapi, Hurrah!
Carter and Zia depart with Setne, who hides his magical bindings under an illusion and acts irritating and mocking. While sailing the Nile, Set appears to warn them about Apophis’s growing threat and reveals he has made a pact with Amos to fight the Serpent. Suddenly, a giant hippopotamus attacks the ship, causing chaos and destroying part of The Egyptian Queen. Zia falls into the water and Carter, nearly devoured, casts a spell to summon Hapi, god of the Nile. Hapi, cheerful and enormous, tosses the monster out of the river. Then, he shrinks and offers help to the group. With good humor, he agrees to take them to the temple of the bull Apis in Memphis, where the Book of Thoth is hidden. Zia and Carter accept mysterious “Hapi pills” to teleport, while Setne laughs, hinting it’s all a trap. The chapter ends with a blue dissolve and a leap into the unknown.
Chapter 12 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Bulls with... Laser Beams?
After a terrifying journey with the Hapi pills, Carter, Zia, and Setne arrive at an ancient serapeum in the desert. Setne, now freed from his bindings, guides them through a catacomb full of deadly traps to a secret chamber holding a living statue of the bull Apis. According to Setne, the Book of Thoth is hidden beneath the altar platform, but to access it they must distract the bull, which acts as a defense mechanism. While Setne stays back, Zia and Carter flee through a tunnel maze chased by the bull, which fires laser beams and flame from its solar crown. In a dead-end room, Carter confronts the beast to protect Zia, who, possessed by Khepri—an aspect of Ra—destroys it with a solar fire spell. Exhausted and feverish, Zia collapses. Carter carries her back to the ship as Setne escapes with the book. All seems calm until Bloodstained Blade arrives, threatening to kill him.
Chapter 13 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – A Friendly Game of Hide and Seek
Sadie and Walt emerge from the underworld in a Nile delta swamp, where they summon Philip of Macedonia, their crocodile shabti, to sail. During the journey, Sadie wrestles with her emotions seeing Walt grow weaker. He reveals he’s been in contact with Anubis and may have a cryptic solution. They reach Sais and are greeted by Neith, the huntress goddess obsessed with pockets. To help them, she proposes a deadly game: survive until nightfall while she hunts them. Sadie and Walt use shen amulets to communicate and teleport, evading her attacks. Finally, in Neith’s temple within a shadow of the past, they find Bes’s sheut. Neith discovers them, but Sadie distracts her with a ridiculous story about deadly gummy bears and triggers a spell at sunset, claiming victory. Grudgingly, Neith agrees to aid them in the war against Apophis.
Chapter 14 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Multiple Personality is Fun
Neith surrenders and promises to fight Apophis, but not before casting a strange curse on Sadie. Then, Walt, near death, invokes the spell to trap Bes’s shadow using a wax shabti. Anubis appears to assist him, and they reveal their mysterious pact. While Sadie watches through tears, Walt completes the enchantment and gives Sadie the figure to restore Bes. She successfully performs the reversal ritual, but Walt collapses. Sadie believes he’s dead, until Walt awakens with a different voice. Using her magical vision, Sadie is horrified to discover Walt and Anubis have fused—the god has shared his mortal form with him. Though Walt insists he’s still the same, Sadie runs away, unable to accept the truth. She races toward the portal, leaving behind the boy she loves, now turned into an unexpected divine fusion.
Chapter 15 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – I Turn into a Purple Chimpanzee
Carter struggles to control a demon-possessed ship while protecting the still-unconscious Zia. The demon Bloodstained Blade relentlessly attacks until Zia awakens with new powers and incinerates him. The ship crashes in the Land of Demons, a realm of fire and bones. Carter and Zia survive with the help of a vulture amulet, and as she heals him with magical balm, they discover Setne was trying to flee with the Book of Thoth. Upon capturing him, Zia reads powerful spells from the book revealing divine secrets. They realize Setne needed them to enter the Land of Demons and find Apophis’s sheut. Wearing demon disguises, they cross a chaotic landscape filled with wandering demons and spirits consumed by darkness. Finally, they reach the Sea of Chaos and the white obelisk, symbol of Ma’at, where Apophis’s shadow is hidden.
Chapter 16 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Sadie as Co-Pilot, Worst Idea Ever
Carter and Zia, protected by Khepri’s shield, reach the obelisk at the edge of the Sea of Chaos. With Setne’s help, they summon the shadow of Apophis, a massive figure anchored to the obelisk. Just as they prepare to capture it, Setne betrays them, immobilizing them with a spell. At the critical moment, Sadie appears through a portal, defeats Setne with Hathor’s Ribbons, and traps the shadow using an enchanted statue. Before they can celebrate, they are surrounded by a demon army. Then, the forgotten gods led by Taweret arrive, clearing the battlefield. Bes appears in a limousine, rescues them, and takes them to the beach to await Ra’s solar barge. The divine boat arrives just in time, and the Kanes board with the sealed shadow. Ready to face the dawn, they know the final battle against Apophis is about to begin.
Chapter 17 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Brooklyn House Goes to War
Sadie reflects on what they experienced in the Land of Demons as the solar barge carries them back. On board, Ra fully merges with Zia, reborn as a rejuvenated god leading the counterattack against Apophis. Surfacing, they witness Giza in chaos: blackened sky, deserted city, and the Great Pyramid cloaked in the Serpent’s silhouette. Bast fights Apophis alone while the other gods await a signal. Ra heads into battle with Sobek and Bes, leaving Sadie and Carter to defend the First Nome, now under rebel attack. In the tunnel to the Sphinx, they find Leonid gravely injured. Reaching the Hall of Ages gallery, they confront traitorous magicians. Sadie and Carter lead their trainees, aided by Walt merged with Anubis, and manage to open the Hall’s gates, where Amos battles, possessed by Set but still in control.
Chapter 18 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – The Death Boy to the Rescue
Inside the Hall of Ages, Amos battles while possessed by Set, as a squad led by Sarah Jacobi and Kwai tries to subdue him. Set enjoys the fight, but Amos manages to control his power. Sadie defends her uncle and convinces allies that Amos retains control. When Jacobi ensnares him with a magical lasso and threatens to kill him, Isis urges Sadie to abandon him—but she refuses. Kwai and Jacobi try to execute the Kanes. When Jacobi hurls a blade to kill Sadie, Walt/Anubis intervenes, destroys it, and condemns Jacobi to the underworld. Kwai, possessed by Apophis, casts a destructive spell, sacrificing himself to collapse the hall. Sadie invokes Ma’at’s balance with Isis’s help and saves the structure. Exhausted but alive, Carter accepts his fate as pharaoh, and with Amos and the other magicians, they march to face the final battle, summoning the gods.
Chapter 19 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – Welcome to the Evil Amusement Park
Carter ascends to the surface as the leader of gods and magicians. Apophis, more enormous than ever, ravages Cairo and shatters reality into multiple layers of the Duat. Zia, as Ra, holds her ground at the chaos’s heart, launching fire as other gods fight scattered. Carter summons the gods from the Throne Hall and leads the counterattack. Amid the chaos, Sadie and Carter fight together to reach Zia, who, upon seeing them, is swallowed by the Serpent. Carter goes berserk and attacks in a fury. Apophis proclaims victory after devouring Ra. Desperate, the Kanes decide to perform the execration spell using the captured shadow. While Bes and Bast sacrifice themselves to protect them, Sadie and Carter, still drained, combine forces and recite the forbidden spell. The fate of the world hangs by a thread as they face chaos incarnate.
Chapter 20 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – I Claim a Chair
Carter and Sadie execute the execration spell against Apophis, resisting the chaos while Bast and Bes fight to protect them. The Serpent’s shadow begins to dissolve as they speak the true name, and Carter realizes the sheut represents a being’s legacy. By destroying it, Apophis loses all ties to the mortal world. The explosion releases thousands of trapped souls, including their mother’s. The Serpent tries to resist, arguing that eliminating chaos also means the gods must exile themselves, but he ultimately disintegrates, and Zia emerges alive from his remains. Ra reappears, thanks the Kanes, and confirms his temporary retreat along with the other gods. Carter, now pharaoh, delegates daily power to Amos, noting that threats still remain. During the celebration, he discovers Setne has escaped with the Book of Thoth. Sadie and he are called by their parents to the underworld, where they receive praise, warnings, and family love before returning home.
Chapter 21 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – The Gods Are in Place; My Feelings Are Not
Sadie, exhausted and emotionally confused, searches for Walt after the battle, but he has disappeared along with the gods. A visit to the underworld brings brief comfort, though her mother warns her about her difficulty trusting others. In an intimate conversation, she encourages Sadie to accept her feelings for Walt, now fused with Anubis, reminding her that both feel the same for her. Sadie learns that Walt-Anubis can remain in the mortal world thanks to his new form, and that the bond they share is still alive. Her mother also warns of future threats: Setne is not the only danger—other magics and gods may still threaten Egypt. That night, a portal leads them to the Lake of Fire, where they reunite with Bes, who has recovered his ren and is building a new life with Taweret. Bast bids farewell to the Kanes, allowing them to continue their path into adulthood. Sadie and Carter return to Brooklyn, knowing much still lies ahead.
Chapter 22 Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow – The Last Waltz, For Now
Walt, now also Anubis, returns to Brooklyn House to stay. With his new power and mortal condition, he plans to live a long life with Sadie, who at first greets him with scolding but soon gives in to affection. They dance on the rooftop under Freak’s watchful eye and Brooklyn’s hum, sealing their relationship with a kiss. Meanwhile, Sadie summarizes the changes after the victory: though Apophis’s threat has passed, Setne is still loose with the Book of Thoth, and new magical forces are rising in the world. Brooklyn House prepares to train new initiates under the guidance of adult magicians, though Sadie and Carter remain in charge. Sadie, determined to protect Walt and face any future threat, encourages those listening to her recording to join the House if they feel magic in their blood. Because chaos never rests—and neither does Brooklyn House.
Conclusion – The Serpent’s Shadow
When chaos fades, silence doesn’t follow—only the echo of what it took to defeat it. The Serpent’s Shadow ends the saga of Sadie and Carter with a blend of loss and destiny, of love that defies gods, and of shadows that reveal more than light. Rick Riordan doesn’t just close a story—he crafts a mythos with its own heartbeat.
This summary has walked through every twist, betrayal, and redemption, letting readers relive the saga that turned two teens into masters of Egyptian fate. But the universe doesn’t stop here. Where there is magic, there is unrest… and new stories are already awakening.
To keep exploring every branch of this mythical universe, dive into the complete Rick Riordan universe reading order ➤
FAQs – Chapter by Chapter Summary – The Serpent’s Shadow
What is Apophis’s shadow and why is it key to his defeat?
The sheut, or shadow, of Apophis symbolizes his mortal imprint—his connection to the human world. Unlike his physical form, the shadow can be captured and execrated, erasing him from existence without direct confrontation. Thoth hints at this ancient technique, revealing it as the only true way to destroy Apophis. By targeting the shadow, Sadie and Carter avoid certain death and alter the battle’s terms. This shift reframes the entire saga: defeating chaos isn’t about brute force—it’s about understanding its essence and erasing its legacy.
How does Walt's fusion with Anubis impact his relationship with Sadie?
Walt's merging with Anubis saves his life, but changes everything. Though he remains physically Walt, his soul now shares space with the god of the dead. For Sadie, this creates both emotional confusion and renewed connection. Their bond deepens into something beyond romance—a sacred, magical link forged by sacrifice and trust. While it takes Sadie time to accept this new reality, the fusion offers a path forward: a life together, even if it defies normal definitions of humanity and love.
Why is Setne still dangerous after the book ends?
Setne escapes with the Book of Thoth right after Apophis’s defeat, setting the stage for future threats. A cunning, power-hungry magician with deep knowledge of dark spells, Setne represents a shift from cosmic chaos to calculated manipulation. While he helps the Kanes during their quest, his motives are always self-serving. His survival implies that danger no longer comes from ancient monsters alone—but from humans who know exactly how to twist magic for their own gain.
What is the fate of Sadie and Carter after the final battle?
With Apophis gone, Carter accepts his role as pharaoh, and Sadie continues leading Brooklyn House. Despite being teenagers, they’re now key guardians of the magical world. Their responsibilities grow: training new initiates, navigating new threats, and keeping the gods’ fragile balance intact. The story hints that their journey is far from over—new enemies will rise, and their leadership will be tested. But now, they face it as the true heirs of divine legacy.
How does Zia change after merging with Ra and what does it symbolize?
Zia’s fusion with Ra is more than a power boost—it’s a transformation of purpose. She becomes the living vessel of Ma’at, embodying order at the heart of the final battle. No longer just a gifted magician, Zia now channels divine justice, blazing with the sun god’s fire. Her arc reflects the saga’s central theme: real strength comes from balance. By merging humanity and divinity, she shows that true leadership doesn’t crush chaos—it restores harmony from within.
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