AMAITKEN.COM Book Reviews

Long time coming

So, I read this book a while ago now. I’ve been putting off doing the review for it. Not because I don’t want to, I’ve just been a little busy with life. That’s all. It took me a few weeks to even read this book in what should’ve been probably a few days. Why did it take so long? Well, I only actually read the book to and from work, and that was interrupted quite a bit by me hauling groceries (it’s a bit hard to pull out a book when you have two or three full bags of food to carry around the underground).

The end of a series

This is the final book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. It has a clean ending, and everything works out in the end as it should. All the characters have been through their trials and quests and have come out the other end smarter and stronger. Let me just say right now; Gods are dicks. I mean, they hide away for most of the series and only come out to take the glory.

Characters

Throughout the series, there is a prophecy. You get to see that fulfilled quite naturally by a certain character (the hints are there throughout the entire book). The big drama at the end (you know it’s coming) is no real drama because we already know he’s set everything up to beat it. We see in this book, the start of a more unconventional (gay) relationship, which I’m happy that Riordan finally addresses in a mainstream book (rather than after-the-fact).

Themes

One theme in this book is acceptance. As you learnt in the last book, Nico revealed he had a crush on Percy. This time around, he is accepted by everyone for who he is. He is no different to the other heroes (even though he may think so himself). I like that Riordan put this in here as I think children who don’t see themselves as their peers, may feel like outsiders. I hope that this book helps some of them see that everyone is equal in life.

Another theme common across the Percy Jackson series is the theme of approval. In this book, all the heroes (demigods) win the approval of their parents (the Gods). I guess this would be quite a common theme across a lot of teen books because a lot of children just want to be accepted and approved by their parents, and here the Gods reflect that.

Recommendation

In the same light as previous books, carry on reading. You’ll get your happy ending you want, and everything is tied up. If you’re considering this series and you’ve just read the Percy Jackson series, then maybe go to your library and read the first book as there are a lot more characters in this series demanding your attention. Overall, I would say I was happy with this book and the series, but my favourite would still be the original series.