Thursday, May 6, 2010
Double Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Books 3 and 4
Hardback: 336 pgs
Publisher: Hyperion
When Percy Jackson gets an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he will need his powerful demigod allies at his side, his trusty bronze sword Riptide, and . . . a ride from his mom.
The demigods rush to the rescue to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that’s not all that awaits them. The titan lord Kronos has devised his most treacherous plot yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.
They’re not the only ones in danger. An ancient monster has arisen — one rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus — and Artemis, the only goddess who might know how to track it, is missing. Now Percy and his friends, along with the Hunters of Artemis, have only a week to find the kidnapped goddess and solve the mystery of the monster she was hunting.
Along the way, they must face their most dangerous challenge yet: the chilling prophecy of the titan's curse.
My thoughts:
Riordan's done it again. I loved this book. There's even more intrigue and mystery in this book than there was in the last two, and even more characters to fall in love with. Zoey Nightshade is an interesting character, and one that I wish there was more of. Artemis is not what I expected at all, and the two new kids on the block are definitely going to be important.
As with the last two books, there are some plot points that are a bit predictable, but there are certainly some things I didn't see coming, though whether it's simply because I didn't want to see them or if Rick Riordan's just that awesome is anybody's guess. (I'm betting it's the latter.)
Book number three in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is worth reading, and all of them could probably stand alone if need be, but why read just one? I have a hard time putting these books down because they're so entertaining and such quick reads. Riordan is on my list of favorite authors, and I'll be keeping my eyes open for any other children's books he puts out.
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Hardback: 384 pgs
Publisher: Hyperion
About:
Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun, but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears, pursued by demon cheerleaders, things quickly go from bad to worse.
Time is running out for Percy. War between the gods and the Titans is drawing near. Even Camp Half-Blood isn’t safe, as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth — a sprawling underground world with surprises and danger at every turn.
Along the way Percy will confront powerful enemies, find out the truth about the lost god Pan, and face the Titan lord Kronos’s most terrible secret. The final war begins . . . with the Battle of the Labyrinth.
My Thoughts:
The fourth book is every bit as entertaining as the last three. Riordan's voice is consistent throughout the series, which is something I was extremely happy about; Percy gets older and wiser, but he still has the same voice and personality. Another thing that worried me about the series, because it's happened before, was whether or not Riordan could keep up the stake and the adventure. I've read some series where the books get duller the rather than keeping the pace or raising the level of intrigue, but Riordan doesn't fizzle out at all.My only complaint with the book was with Pan's story arc. For four books we heard about Pan and he was never there. Grover searched for the god for four years, only to have it all over with in the blink of an eye. I felt like there could have been a little more done with it, but it was still handled nicely.
I am definitely looking forward to the conclusion of this series. I want to know what happens, and who survives.
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8 comments:
I've read the first two and can't wait to get to these. Great reviews! :)
I am 3/4 of the way through the first. It seems like the subsequent books are better than the first, so I'm looking forward to them!
BTW, I love your blog design!
:)
I've got multiple copies of each of these books in my classroom - but I can never get my hands on them to read! Maybe in the summer :)
Alex, Yes, it probably would, because I've heard that they changed his age to better suit the audience, and Percy's age is pretty important. :/
Jenn, they're great, I love 'em! :)
Lydia, I think they do get better as they go, simply because there's less world and character building. More characters get introduced, but they aren't as in-depth as the MCs so he gets to spend more time on other things.
And thanks! I think it'll stay this way for a while haha.
Jemi,Definitely snatch them up! LOL Good to know the kids are reading them though, especially since they're rooted in mythology. Who knew learning could be so fun? ;)
I so love Percy Jackson! I actually got one of my friends hooked, and she now swears she's going to name her child Rowan Perseus and call him Percy. (Don't worry. I'll talk her out of it. Hopefully. lol) I've only read 2 books, but the third one sounds AMAZING! I love Artemis! She's prolly my fav Greek goddess.
Great reviews! (And so happy to find another "Roswell" fan!)
Great reviews, Amanda! I'll have to check these out.
Thanks for the reviews! I've read the first two but then I got sidetracked by all the other books in my TBR pile. I plan to come back to the series soon, though! Do you know if they're going to make any more movies?
I haven't read any of his books yet, but The Lightning Thief is on my wish list.
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