The Throne of Fire

Riordan stays true to Bes’s depiction in his novel. However, when Bes moved from Egyptian to Roman culture in the past, Bes’s image was changed. Explore the line between shifting culture and appropriation: Did the Romans appropriate Egypt’s culture by changing the stories and image of Bes? If so, in what way? If not, what would you call the Roman changes?

Nekhbet, the vulture goddess, believes that only the strong should survive and that the weak should be destroyed. Based on her character in the novel, how do you think she defines strength? What qualities in a person would lead her to let them live? What qualities would lead her to destroy someone? What qualities would you deem as strong or weak if you were Nekhbet? Support your answer and arguments with evidence from the text.

Why do you think Ra woke with a fractured mind? What might be missing that would make the sun god his whole self? How might this relate to Riordan’s godly assisted living facility, which houses forgotten gods?

What does Bes’s sacrifice suggest about the knowledge gods have access to in Riordan’s story world? Do you think Khonsu knew Bes would sacrifice himself to ensure Carter and Sadie’s win? it so, is Khonsu evil for allowing it to happen, or do you think Bes had to be lost to maintain balance of order and chaos? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

In Chapter 24, Sadie and Carter promise to restore Bes’s secret name. Given everything revealed about secret names and name as identity, how might Carter and Sadie accomplish this task? What specific magic or specific people may need to be involved in restoring Bes? How does Bes’s memory loss compare to Ra’s loss of identity?

Throughout the book, Carter and Sadie are able to channel godly power by relating to a similar situation that Horus or Isis once faced. What does this sympathetic magic say about the relationship between magicians and gods? What does having more power by relating to someone say about relationships in general, and in what real-life situations might understanding other people give us more strength?

In The Throne of Fire, the ren, or secret name, is a sum of a person and their identity. Based on the rens seen in the novel, what would your secret name look like? What parts of your identity make up who you are, and how does each contribute to your truest self? Describe three to five images that would cycle as part of your ren and illustrate how each is a unique aspect of your identity.

In Chapter 8, Bes mentions that ancient Egypt valued people who were born different, which is why he, as the god of “dwarves,” is powerful and celebrated. Compare this ancient Egyptian belief to modern cultures. Do you feel ancient Egypt was more or less progressive than some societies today? What changes does a society need to undergo to go from celebrating to rejecting differences? From rejecting to celebrating them?