With two of their magician trainees, Jaz and Walt, the Kane siblings manage to retrieve the scroll, fighting off a griffin and evil spirits.

That night as she sleeps, Sadie's ba (soul) leaves her body and travels to the Hall of Ages, the House of Life's headquarters.

On Sadie's birthday, she decides to go to London to visit friends, but is attacked by the baboon god Babi and the vulture goddess Nekhbet, who are possessing her grandparents.

The siblings travel through a Lake of Fire, and Bes joins them at the Fourth House, a special care facility for elderly, forgotten minor gods.

Tawaret, a fertility goddess who takes the form of a hippo and shares a turbulent romantic history with Bes, runs the facility.

To finish their journey, Carter, Sadie and Bes play a game of senet with the moon god Khonsu, gambling their rens (secret names) for three extra hours of moonlight.

While Carter keeps Menshikov preoccupied, Sadie reads the third scroll to wake the third part of Ra's soul, which takes the form of a golden scarab.

As dawn approaches, the Kanes travel back to Brooklyn House, which is being attacked by demons, evil magicians, monsters and flying snakes.

Carter and Sadie help defend it while Bast escorts a still incoherent Ra to his place in the sky, but not before he gives the golden scarab to Zia.

The gods reluctantly acknowledge Sadie and Carter's victory and pledge to fight beside them in the coming war against the forces of Chaos.

Riordan supplies them with his trademark wisecracking voice and explores themes of power, responsibility, family, love and loyalty as the tale hurtles along.