House of Hades - A Review

The Seven Demigods of Prophecy have been split up. Percy and Annabeth are making their way through Tartarus to find the Doors of Death and seal them from the Underworld side. Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Piper are trying to reach the mortal side of the Doors of Death to assist, and hopefully, rescue Percy and Annabeth. Yet Gaea is determined that they will not succeed. With more monsters and no real help from their godly parents, the five aboard the Argo II have to use all of their wits to survive. Will they make it in time?

I love this series. Unlike the others in this series, this fourth book allows for each of the Seven to have a point of view. While that was nice, I'm not sure I really liked that aspect. But I loved seeing how each of them had to really come into their gifts and roles they must play. Both Greek and Roman are more united than ever before, at least as far as the Seven are concerned. War is coming and the forces of Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood are gathering to do battle. So while the Seven are united, their compatriots are not. I loved loved loved Frank in this book. He's always been a bit in the background, but here he finally gets a chance to shine. The trials that the demigods face makes the reader wonder what else can be thrown at them. Thankfully, for me at least, this book didn't end with the drastic cliffhanger that Mark of Athena did. It's still a cliffhanger, and will have me counting the months until the final book comes out next October.

I read this book for pure pleasure. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 4.5 stars.

Recommended to fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel, middle school students, elementary/middle school librarians

Mark of Athena - A Review

The seven demigods, a mixture of both Greek and Roman, of prophecy are together aboard the magical Argo II and are heading to the ancient lands to defeat the giants. What they don't know is that Gaea will use what ever forces and monsters she can to stop them before reaching the ancient lands. Will the seven learn to work together and use their powers as a team or will their individual powers cause the entire quest to fail?

The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series doesn't disappoint. The book's told in the point of view of four different demigods. What I loved of course was the reunion between Percy and Annabeth. But there were other moments that I loved as well. Watching the demigods realize that working together, they are stronger than on their own because the strengths of one compliment the weaknesses in another. That and they're way more powerful when they work together. The cliffhanger at the end of the book has me eagerly awaiting the 4th book due out next fall.

I read this book for pure pleasure. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommend to fans of Harry Potter, Nicholas Flamel, young adults, Percy Jackson, and those who love Greek/Roman mythology.

Rating - 4 stars

Demigod Diaries - A Review

Four short stories set in the world of Percy Jackson, a few games, pictures, and some questions answered, this book will hold readers' attention until Mark of Athena is released in October. Three of the stories take us back to Camp Half-Blood, and the fourth is written by Rick Riordan's son, Haley. Share an adventure that Luke Castellean and Thalia Grace had before arriving at Camp Half-Blood. Join Percy Jackson and Annabeth on a quest just weeks after they started dating. Leo Valdez, Piper, and Jason Grace have an adventure at Camp Half-Blood in search for a walking table and find monsters instead. The fourth story is written by Haley Riordan and answers important questions like how do monsters always know a demigod is near and how was the Mist created.

I really enjoyed this book. It's always a delight to return to the world of Percy Jackson and his friends. The games were simple and the stories were very entertaining. I am eagerly awaiting Mark of Athena in October. This was a fun read until then.

Recommended for Percy Jackson fans, Harry Potter fans, Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel fans, and young adult literature lovers.

Rating - 4 stars