There are many themes represented throughout the book. These are the most important ones. When reading, you should always look for the meaning of the novel. This can show you morals and life lessons. Also, you get to fully understand what the novel is trying to teach you.
Egyptian Mythology
The Red Pyramid is a mix of real life situations and egyption mythology. In fact, Egyptian mythology is the main theme of the whole series. Sure, we all know the Sphynx and who Ra is, but most of us, myself included, did not know the dynamic mythological relationships between Set, Isis, Horus, Osiris, and Bast. Well now I do thanks to The Red Pyramid. A great example Egyptian mythology Sadie being to read and cast spells with hieroglyphics. When she wants a door to open she can say a spell in Egyptian and it would do so. Carter's magical weapon is a klopidesh, a sword that Egyptian warriors used in battle a long time ago. There is also something called “combat magic,” which is where a character summons what amounts to a gigantic hologram of an Egyptian god they wear as a four-storey tall battle suit. In ancient egypt, the people thought of the gods being colossal like that. This is really fun to read about. On page 463, Carter attacks little Egyptians with his big machine. Imagine reading that description. The idea of Egyptian mythology makes the story interesting and different, and without it, it would be like any other book.
Heroism
The book is also based on heroism. After their father gets locked up in a coffin, Carter and Sadie must work together to save their father. During the long road to saving their father, they encounter some other problems. Such as on page 129 where Carter and Sadie must save Zia from scorpions. They could have just left her to die but didn't, making them a hero to her. They also killed the Serpopards, evil serpents. If they didn't, the house of life would have been destroyed and Kufu the monkey would have died. But most their most important feat, destroying Set, saved the whole world. By calling Set his secret name, they were able to concur him before he locked their father in the Red Pyramid and turned the entire North America into a desert. This made them a hero to everyone including their mother who sadly died.
Friendship
Friends are like stars. You may not always see them, but they are always there. Everyone has friends or at least people who respect and care about them. Since the death of their mother Carter and Sadie have barely met each other. In the beginning of the novel, the book even hinted that they were sort of enemies. The night their dad got locked in a coffin there was a big explosion. Sadie would have died but Carter put his life on the line to block the shattering glass from her. Ever since then, they loved each other. They Carter and Sadie bonded while saving the world. For example Sadie taught Carter how to read hieroglyphics on page 362. And Carter taught Sadie battle strategies. Friends also are able to work successfully as a team. During the final seconds of the epic battle to save their father, the two helped each other and showed love and compassion. Just like true friends do. And even though they're related, they still are best friends forever.