The Blood of Olympus

Goodreads Synopsis:    Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers 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.

My Thoughts:

-    I am very behind on reviews, and I'm in a major reading slump right now. I haven't read a book for weeks! It is awful. I hope I can remember enough of what I thought about this book to write a decent post. Luckily, I have a few notes.

-    At the time I read this, I really needed a good book with old friends, and this one fit the bill perfectly. I loved reading about Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, and everyone else. It was a lot of fun.

-    While there are a lot of characters in this series/book, I didn't get the characters confused or mixed up. It is very easy to remember who is who and what god is their parent.

-    Leo really stole the show in this book. All our heroes did amazing things, but Leo really stood out to me. His role in the whole story was so great! I loved how he knew what needed to be done, and did everything possible to make sure it happened. He had some great character development throughout the whole series.

-    I have been waiting for an all out battle with the gods, demigods, and baddies since the beginning of this series, and I finally got one! It was awesome! I loved it!

-    This was an amazing ending to the series. It had everything! I was not disappointed! Riordan delivered!

-    Overall, I loved the series, and I can't wait to buy my own copies of the book. I can't wait to see what Rick Riordan has in store for his readers next!

Previous Books in The Heroes of Olympus Series:

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

  

The House of Hades

Goodreads Synopsis:    At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

My Thoughts:

-    Not my favorite in the series, but still good.

-    I like how the story is told from the perspective of several different heroes. It is fun to get to know each of them. Even though the perspective is changing a lot, the story flows really well. 

-    All the demigods have their moments to shine, but Frank and Leo really stood out to me in this book. I'm growing to like them more and more.

-    I loved the world building of Tartarus. I've always been curious about that place, and it is as horrible as they say and worse. 

-    One of the things that bugged me was how convenient it was for someone random to show up and save our heroes at the last second. The journey is dangerous and there are perilous moments, but I would have liked to see the heroes figure out a way to save themselves more, especially Percy. 

-    I also thought that some of the god-like powers were stretched a bit. For Piper to turn on Festus with the power of love was WAY out there! The same with Hazel and the mist. I just couldn't buy it.

-    I'm excited to finish the series! I wonder what will happen to everyone.

Previous Books in The Heroes of Olympus Series:

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

  

The Mark of Athena

Goodreads Synopsis:    Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on theArgo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare....

My Thoughts:

-    Our heroes are reunited and assembled! Woo!

-    Great characters and great adventures!

-    I love all the characters, but Leo is one of my favorites. He is so funny! The part with Narcissus was so awesome.

-    There was a lot going on in this book. The characters had to learn to get along. There were couples and their relationships. The quests, the camps, the dreams, etc. Riordan such a great storyteller because he has all these elements, but it isn't confusing and they are all part of the story as a whole. I hope that made sense.

-    Annabeth has some major star moments in this one. She was awesome! I would not have had the courage to do what she did. 

-    I love the Roman Holiday bit!!!! It made this book 10x more awesome when Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn made an appearance! 

-    Gush gush gush! Read this! 

-    The ending has quite the cliffhanger. I'm eager to devour more of the series! 

Previous Books in The Heroes of Olympus Series:

(covers are linked to my thoughts)

 

The Son of Neptune

Goodreads Says:    
Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, 
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth 

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams. 

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely — enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart. 

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

My Thoughts:

-    I read this ages ago, but somehow I forgot to write a review! Oops!

-    I love how the first book was about Jason at Camp Half-Blood, and this one is all about Percy at Camp Jupiter.

-    I loved exploring the new camp. I really glad they provided a map. It was really helpful.

-    It was fun to learn the Roman names for all the gods and who their Greek counterparts were. It was also fun to see the difference between satyrs and fauns and the cyclopes. 

-    I really liked the new characters introduced. Hazel and Frank were great, but I'm really curious about Reyna. I hope there is more of her in the future.

-    Nico is back!!

-    Percy is a natural leader. He grew so much in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, so I'm glad the book focused on Percy helping Hazel and Frank find their strengths. 

-    I can't remember everything I wanted to say, but I really liked this one!

First Book in The Heroes of Olympus Series:

(cover is linked to my thoughts)

Fan Art Friday: The Lost Hero

I'm in the middle of reading this series. I'm loving it so far.

I was a little disappointed with what I found for this book. I like scenes and a variety characters, but mostly I only found illustrations of the main 3 characters.

My favorite are the last two. That is how I pictured Jason, Piper, and Leo. I really love the style and color of the Thalia picture. Plus it's Thalia!

Which is your favorite?

If you are interested in seeing more work from a specific artist, click on their picture and it will lead you to them.

The Lost Hero

Goodreads Synopsis:    Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

My Thoughts:

-    Hooray for more Percy Jackson/Camp Half-Blood books!!

-    I love how adventurous Rick Riordan's books are. They are so fun! I like that our heroes go on epic quests and meet different people from mythology.

-    I love how Riordan modernizes the old myths and people/gods.

-    I liked the new characters. They were fun to get to know better. Jason is a strong character. I can tell he is going to do some awesome things in the future. I wish there was a previous series about Jason and his team. Leo was really fun and quirky. I liked his humor, and I think he had the coolest powers. I liked Piper a lot. I didn't think I would, but I did. I felt like she had the biggest character growth.

-    I loved the mesh of Roman and Greek stuff. Brilliant!

-    More! More! I want more!