Notable Quotable: Rick Riordan (#175)

"Being productive. Ugh. It's such a human concept. It implies you have limited time (LOL) and have to work hard to make something happen (double LOL)."
     --The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy

Notable Quotable: Rick Riordan (#111)

"Myths are simply stories about truths we've forgotten." 
     --The Sword of Summer

The Blood of Olympus

by Rick Riordan
published: Disney-Hyperion Books, 2014
pages: 516

Gaea will rise unless the Greek and Roman demigods work together to stop her and the Giants.  As Nico and Reyna take the Athena Parthenos back to Camp Half-blood, Jason, Percy and the rest of the crew make their way toward Athens on the Argo II.  Both groups must complete their mission if they wish to stop Gaea from destroying the world.  Will they be able to unite the camps of demigods or will the obstacles prove too great for these heroes of Olympus.

As with all stories, this one had to come to an end.  Honestly, I wasn't getting my hopes up because lots of endings have let me down recently.  But, I needed to know what happened to my favorite demigods and if all hell broke loose.  This also happened to be the first Olympus book I had to wait for and it was an extremely long wait!  After having the entire series back to back, I knew it would be irritating, but I did not expect to like this series as much as I did.

There were plenty of voices to finish telling this story, which can be difficult if each voice isn't distinct enough to tell the difference between them.  In this book, each character's voice was unique and defined.  I loved seeing the story play out through everyone's eyes because each demigod saw things slightly different.  It allowed for characters to have moments with each other without having the entire crew present, which was crucial since there are nine or so main characters.  Even though each character didn't get even page time, I'm okay with that.  This is possibly my favorite part of these books, the storytelling from all the different points of view.

My biggest annoyance with this story is the climax seemed to be over too soon, like the entire series was building up to this potential fight with Gaea and then it was done.  I won't say much more because of spoilers, but I wished there had been more here.

Rick Riordan seems to be the master of greek and roman god storytelling.  I fell in love with the characters from the first Percy Jackson book and read steadily until the very end.  These characters will always have a spot in my heart. Well done Mr. Riordan, well done.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

Notable Quotable: Rick Riordan (#54)

"Some pain shouldn't be wished away so easily. It had to be dealt with, even embraced."
     -- The Blood of Olympus

6 Reasons Why I Love Percy Jackson and the Olympians

1. The mythology in these books are incredibly weaves into the current world. I absolutely love that locations in the mythology are found in different parts of the country.

2.  These books have the good old fashion epic adventure feel that greek mythology has only it's set in modern day and the hero is a sarcastic teenage boy.  There's nothing like a good quest with commentary by a hero who is also trying navigate teenagedom.

3. Among all of the characters, which there are quite a few, there is no one I like more than Tyson.  I love his enthusiasm and his energy and dedication to family and friends. He may have started out somewhat hopeless but he grew into himself. Plus I love how much he loves Percy. 

4. Not only do we meet a crew of incredible Demi-gods but we also get to meet gods in their natural habitats.  How they've adapted to life in America is quite hysterical at times, but always incredibly clever. 

5. The villains are worthy opponents. Sometimes in books it's clear that the main characters will overcome because the antagonist is weak but the ones in these books are worthy of a good fight. 

6. Annabeth and Pery were a long time coming, but I loved that they weren't pushed together. They got to develop as characters individually and together as friends. Later, we got to see Percy agonize over his feelings for her and his confusion of the female gender together.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters

by Rick Riordan
published: Disney Hyperion Books, 2006
pages: 279

Percy Jackson finds himself in the midst of adventure once more when Annabeth suddenly appears at his school on the last day of class.  They race off to Camp Half-Blood just in time to see that the camp is in danger.  It is up to them to find the only thing that can save the camp, the golden fleece.  Along the way, Percy meets new people and and discovers more about himself.  But how will he handle all this new information; will he use it to his advantage or let it get the best of him?

The characters in this book/series truly grow before my eyes.  Even though Percy and Annabeth are only a year older, they seem wiser and their friendship has grow closer.  The new characters are wonderful.  Tyson is one of my favorite characters, though he seemed like a very insignificant character at the beginning.

The world building that happens in this story is incredible.  We get to see more of the mythical world, and how the mist works on Percy and on mortals. (This mist is what conceals monsters and other mythical creatures and people from mortals.)  We meet new monsters and learn more about Greek mythology.  I think one of the coolest things about this series is that there are so many Greek myths recounted within the stories.  Percy gets ideas from them and takes their advice.  At the same time, these stories help build our own knowledge and that helps us understand Percy and Annabeth a little bit better.

Rick Riordan continues to be very impressive in this installment of Percy Jackson's adventures.  I am in love with Percy and his world.

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riodan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut in this second adventure.  With humor, intelligence and expert pacing, the author uses this tale of believable teens and their high-stakes struggle to bring the mythical lore up to date."
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[A] fast and funny tale, full of action, wisecracks, and superhuman powers.  It's an entertaining retelling of Greek mysths and a good bet for adventure and fantasy fans as well as reluctant readers."
     --KLIATT

"Riordan settle into the classical world he's created, introducing new monsters and the Odyssean ruses to defeat them, and balancing intensity with humor throughout the clevely constructed adventure."
     --Hornbook

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan
published: Hyperion books, 2005
pages: 389

Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old troublemaker that finds himself being chased by creatures and gods that have only been heard of in Greek myths.  When Zeus' master bolt is stolen, Percy is the biggest suspect. He and his friends set out to prove his innocence, but they only have ten days to keep the peace on Mount Olympus, and prevent war between the gods.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The application of the Greek mythology into modern day America is quite entertaining.  I liked that certain gods owned shops and that others gods disguised themselves as humans. Apart from the main plot, I thought the subplots were solid and incorporated really well with the rest of the story.  They are very deliberate, seemingly insignificant scenes were tied back into the plot.

 I absolutely love the way Rick Riordan explains ADHD and dyslexia not as disabilities, but different ways of understanding.  I thought that was really cool.  Along with this, the humor in this book is noteworthy.  Being that the book was narrated by Percy, it felt very natural, not in the least forced.  Each character had their own sense of humor and it was revealed through their interactions with each other.

The characters in this book are excellent, mainly Percy and his friends, Annabeth and Grover.  Their character development throughout their journey is incredibly paced and evident.  Each of them grow into their themselves; they become more mature and yet they still retain believability as 12-year-olds.

This book is full of action-packed adventure that had me captivated from the beginning.  I cannot wait to continue Percy Jackson's story in the rest of series.

Also, I can see why people like the book so much more than the movie.  You just get so much more from the book!  (This doesn't mean I didn't like the movie.)

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator.  Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity.  Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised."
     --School Library Journal

"The sardonic tone of the narrator's voice lends a refreshing air of realism to this riotously paced quest tale of heroism that questions the realities of our world, family, friendships and loyalty."
     --Kirkus Review

"If you want a young person to read a book, take a lesson from Rick Riordan and start it by warning readers to close the book right away and go back to their uninformed lives.  This book will bring out the readers...with its fast pace and adventure.
     --KLIATT

This is an Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge Book!