Book by Rick Riordan
I am fanatic about Greek Mythology. I will read just about anything related to the gods, heroes, and monsters of Ancient Greece. Periodically I search for new stories inspired by myth; that’s how I came across Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series.
What started off as a sort of Harry Potter knock-off using the Greek gods has morphed into a compelling series in its own right. Percy Jackon and the Olympians is a series of five books focusing on the adventures of Percy, son of Poseidon, as he discovers Half-Blood Camp–for demigods like him–and a world were the gods and monsters of legend are very real and very much alive. He and his friends, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, and the satyr, Grover, must recover Zeus’ stolen thunderbolt in The Lightning Thief. As the series progresses, they must fight against the evil Cronus and face a prophecy that could spell the end of the gods. The series seemingly ended with The Last Olympian, but recently, author Rick Riordan has launched a sequel series, The Heroes of Olympus.
The first book in this new series, The Lost Hero, introduces a new trio of demigods: Jason, son of Jupiter; Piper, daughter of Aphrodite; and Leo, son of Hephaestus. Percy Jackson has gone missing, and Annabeth is desperate to find him. In the meantime, a new prophecy–alluded to at the end of The Last Olympian–announces a new danger to gods and demigods alike. Central to this new prophecy is Jason and his two friends. However, Jason continually refers to the Greek gods by their Roman names and his appearance at Camp Half-Blood is very wrong.
The Lost Hero focuses on Jason’s quest to free the goddess Hera from a prison that could spell doom for the gods. A new villian–or should I say villianess–is awakening. For those like myself who know their mythology, it’s not to hard to figure out certain plot points. Still, it is an entertaining journey. Riordan has taken the legends of the Titanomachy and Giantomachy and translated them into our modern era with relative ease. Reading these new takes on “old friends” has been a delight. Just take a look at the book’s cover! You can see Jason, Piper, and Leo flying on the mechanical dragon, Festus, over the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, Quebec. Just one of their many stops on the quest to rescue Hera. I actually stayed at this Chateau a couple years ago on a trip to Quebec, so this section of the book, where the characters encounter Boreas, the North Wind, was extra fun for me.
Geared to preteens and older, these books should appeal to Harry Potter fans or any lover of Greek mythology. I know I’m certainly looking forward to the next book!
Special note: This happened to be the first book I’ve read on my Nook!
The Poisoned Martini 