The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan was one of the highly anticipated book release for this year. While it was a satisfying ending to a great series filled with mythology and demigods, I was expecting a bit more from it. Below is a spoiler free review of the book.
Description: Though the Greek and Roman crew members of the Argo II
have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to
defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen-all of them-and
they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of
Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She
needs their blood-the blood of Olympus-in order to wake.
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.
Review: With over 500 pages in length and an ominous title, I was a bit hesitant in reading The Blood of Olympus in fears that my favorite characters would meet their end. With so much plot that involves many characters, I highly suggest reading the Heroes of Olympus series from the beginning as Riordan doesn't fill the reader in with much background information. The story picks up right where it left us in The House of Hades. Time is not on the side for our demigods. With just 12 days to go until Gaea awakens fully on Aug. 1 and brings an end to the world as we know it, the Greek and Roman demigods must put their differences aside and work together to stop her.Aboard the Argo II, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel and Leo race to Athens for the final showdown. Meanwhile, Nico, Reyna, and Coach Hedge.
Each chapter is told from a different demigod's point of view, which keeps the pace, plot, and suspense moving. The book is filled with what Riordan is known for: comedic, action-packed encounters with deities most readers--and sometimes characters--have never heard of such as Nike, the Goddess of victory Nike. With each previous book in this series, we are given herculean obstacles that the characters face and in this book the real highlight are the characters growths of both Nico's and Reyna's arduous and emotional journeys from outcast loners to self-acceptance.
What disappointed me the most in The Blood of Olympus is how anticlimactic it seemed. The blood chilling prophecy was resolved too easily in my opinion with convenient plot points. I also would have liked to have chapters from Percy and Annabeth, the stars of the series and well known to readers. The story's occasional ventures into romance are also a bit stilted and awkward, but fortunately they are brief. While the book ended on a good note, which might bring some peace and quiet to its characters, I was hoping it deliver a greater punch than it did. Overall, I enjoyed this installment but I didn't love it like the other books in the series.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: There are a lot more battle scenes in this book. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.
If you like this book try: Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, Blackwell Pages series by K.L. Armstrong, The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh, Gods of Manhattan by Scot Mebus,
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.
Review: With over 500 pages in length and an ominous title, I was a bit hesitant in reading The Blood of Olympus in fears that my favorite characters would meet their end. With so much plot that involves many characters, I highly suggest reading the Heroes of Olympus series from the beginning as Riordan doesn't fill the reader in with much background information. The story picks up right where it left us in The House of Hades. Time is not on the side for our demigods. With just 12 days to go until Gaea awakens fully on Aug. 1 and brings an end to the world as we know it, the Greek and Roman demigods must put their differences aside and work together to stop her.Aboard the Argo II, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel and Leo race to Athens for the final showdown. Meanwhile, Nico, Reyna, and Coach Hedge.
Each chapter is told from a different demigod's point of view, which keeps the pace, plot, and suspense moving. The book is filled with what Riordan is known for: comedic, action-packed encounters with deities most readers--and sometimes characters--have never heard of such as Nike, the Goddess of victory Nike. With each previous book in this series, we are given herculean obstacles that the characters face and in this book the real highlight are the characters growths of both Nico's and Reyna's arduous and emotional journeys from outcast loners to self-acceptance.
What disappointed me the most in The Blood of Olympus is how anticlimactic it seemed. The blood chilling prophecy was resolved too easily in my opinion with convenient plot points. I also would have liked to have chapters from Percy and Annabeth, the stars of the series and well known to readers. The story's occasional ventures into romance are also a bit stilted and awkward, but fortunately they are brief. While the book ended on a good note, which might bring some peace and quiet to its characters, I was hoping it deliver a greater punch than it did. Overall, I enjoyed this installment but I didn't love it like the other books in the series.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: There are a lot more battle scenes in this book. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.
If you like this book try: Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, Blackwell Pages series by K.L. Armstrong, The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh, Gods of Manhattan by Scot Mebus,
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Too bad it wasn't as good as the others, but it still sounds like a good book in itself. I have a couple of the books on my tbr and really need to get to them.