The Throne of Fire

Carter Kane is one of the Kane siblings and protagonists of The Throne of Fire. In The Red Pyramid, Carter shared power and headspace with Horus, the Egyptian warrior god. As a result, Carter still feels some of the god’s residual traits, “like the occasional urge to hunt small furry rodents or challenge people to the death” (5). Throughout much of the first book, Carter was reserved and cautious, but Horus’s influence has led him to be more impulsive, as shown by his decision to go against the plan to find Zia.

In The Red Pyramid, Carter’s character arc focused on learning to become a magician and harness his new power. In The Throne of Fire, Carter is more capable and confident, and his character arc bends toward finding a balance between fulfilling his responsibilities and following his heart. This ties him to the theme The Difficulty of Making Choices. Carter’s feelings for Zia motivate many of his actions, but it does not end how he’d hoped, as Carter never bonded with the real Zia—only her replica. Carter also struggles with the decision to wake Ra, as Horus constantly warns him that Ra might not want to be woken and urges him to use Ra’s powerful weapons himself.