A wonderful return to the world of Percy Jackson (even if the titular hero is absent for this one). Having just finished The Battle of Olympus, I loved how I could see bits of Riordan’s set up for this series even then. I have such a vivid memory of my best friend and I literally screaming with joy in the park when we learned that this book series was happening. The original series is embedded in my elementary school days, but this series spanned middle and high school for me, and I really enjoyed growing along with the characters. It was always such a thrill each year when the next installment dropped.
In terms of the story itself, Riordan doesn’t disappoint. This one is fairly obviously a set up for the new series, but he still manages to straddle the line between introducing plot and also creating an engaging story. Character wise, Jason’s a bit standardly bland for my tastes, but I ADORE Piper and Leo. One of the things I love most about this series is getting perspectives from multiple different demigods-you really get to understand what its like to be a child of each member of the pantheon. Riordan is such a master of character building. Each character has their own goals, doubts, fears, motivations. Riordan is like a cheerful, classics-loving spider, weaving together so many different plots and subplots in order to guarantee that each chapter is as fascinating as the last.
Emma Cate Reads 