Rick Riordan (www.rickriordan.com) is the author of the # 1 New York Times best-selling The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero; The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two: The Son of Neptune; The Heroes of Olympus, Book Three: The Mark of Athena; the #1 New York Times best-selling Kane Chronicles; andthe five books in the #1 New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. His previous novels for adults include the hugely popular Tres Navarre series, winner of the top three awards in the mystery genre. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and two sons.
For Percy Jackson fans, it's been a long year since the cliffhanger
at the end of The Mark of Athena(2012). Now Riordan picks up the
story and carries it to a rewarding conclusion, with the main set
of characters reunited and preparing themselves for the final
showdown with Gaea. Throughout the book, Percy and Annabeth make
their harrowing way through the underworld to the Doors of Death.
Meanwhile, Hazel, Leo, Frank, Piper, Jason, Nico, and Reyna endure
their own perils, all the way through to the story's climax. In
addition to experiencing growth spurts, several of the teen
demigods take significant steps toward understanding their powers,
accepting their feelings, trusting each other, and taking
responsibility for leadership. Adventure fans will relish the
action as their heroes confront formidable foes, while readers who
have come to love the characters will enjoy following the different
individuals as they take the stage in scenes that are usually
dramatic, often witty, and occasionally surprising. A satisfying,
penultimate entry in the Heroes of Olympus series. - Carolyn Phelan
Booklist Online"
Gr 5-8 Fans won't be disappointed as the cliff-hanger ending from
the previous book, The Mark of Athena (Hyperion, 2012), leads to
further exciting adventures by the intrepid demigods in this
penultimate book in the "Heroes of Olympus" series. Annabeth and
Percy have fallen down into Tantarus, and they must fight off the
attacks from the monsters stuck there long enough to find the Doors
of Death. The other five demigods must get to Eprius in Greece,
find the House of Hades to open the Doors of Death on the mortal
side, save Annabeth and Percy, and seal the entrance to stop Gaea's
forces from escaping into the mortal world and destroying it. The
Gods are incapacitated by their Greek and Roman personalities
warring with one another, and the demigods from Camp Half-Blood and
Camp Jupiter are on the verge of an all-out war. As Annabeth and
Percy struggle to survive Tantarus's poisonous atmosphere and
creatures, the other demigods must undergo harsh trials
particularly Hazel, Frank, and Leo, but they learn and grow
mentally and physically from their experiences. The heroes realize
that they cannot change their parentage but they can control their
legacy. While more serious than the previous titles, there are
lighthearted moments here, many involving a farting polecat. The
horrifying monsters are nicely balanced by peace-loving Titan Bob,
a skeleton calico cat called Small Bob, and gentle giant Damasen.
Fans will be thrilled to know the series continues with The Blood
of Olympus in 2014. Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library,
Trenton SLJ"
Having plunged into Tartarus at the end of the last book, The Mark
of Athena (2013), Percy and Annabeth struggle toward the Doors of
Death, while their friends hurry to meet them on the other side at
the titular House of Hades. Riordan is most successful in his
evocation of Tartarus and its hellish, monster-infested landscape.
Without lightening his heroes' miseries in any way, the author
provides a helper and necessary mood-lifter in the person of
Iapetus/Bob, the Titan whose memory Percy had obliterated with the
waters of Lethe in a previous adventure. Now Hades' janitor, Bob,
along with a skeletal saber-tooth kitten he names Small Bob, joins
Percy and Annabeth on their trek, causing them both to plumb
unexpected moral depths. Meanwhile, on board (and off) the Argo II,
Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank similarly must come to
understand themselves better in order to accomplish the tasks set
before them (though not to equal extents). Though Riordan doesn't
stint on action or laughs (fart jokes abound, and a tart-tongued
Calypso is a special treat), readers may find themselves
appreciating these moments of contemplation all the more for the
depth of characterization they reveal. The denouement finds the
demigods poised for the final battle with Gaea and her minions;
they have exactly 14 days to save the world. In this adventure,
victories are hard-won and the essence of bravery nuanced, making
the journey as satisfying as it is entertaining. (Fantasy. 10-14)
Kirkus"
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