Rick Riordan, dubbed "storyteller of the gods" but Publishers Weekly, is the author of five #1 New York Times bestselling series, including Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, based on Norse myths. He is best known for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians books, which bring Greek mythology to life for contemporary readers. He expanded on that series with two more: the Heroes of Olympus and the Trials of Apollo, which cleverly combine Greek and Roman gods and heroes with his beloved modern characters. Rick tackled the ancient Egyptian gods in the magic-filled Kane Chronicles trilogy. Millions of fans across the globe have enjoyed his fast-paced and funny quest adventures as well as his two #1 bestselling myth collections, Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes. Rick is also the publisher of an imprint at Disney Hyperion, Rick Riordan Presents, dedicated to finding other authors of highly entertaining fiction based on world cultures and mythologies. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with his wife and two sons. For more information, go to www.rickriordan.com, or follow him on Twitter @RickRiordan. You can find more of my reviews of Rick's works here.
Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. Somehow he has managed to make it to a camp for half-bloods, but it 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. Now, because of a mistake she made back then, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wishes 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, but he doesn't see it. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend. 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 in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophecy of Seven.
I talked at length about the immense readability of the third person point of views in The Lost Hero. However, I will not lie: it is a little jarring switching to third person point of view with Percy as our narrator. Having for so long been privileged to his closest thoughts via the first person narrative of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series makes the transition to third person—specifically for Percy—a bit more challenging. This is part of the reason why I believe Riordan started the series with Jason's, Leo's, and Piper's story. While there are a lot of timeline reasons why The Lost Hero's story has to come first, another reason for The Son of Neptune to be a sequel was to give readers time to acclimate to the narrative shift to third person. While it was still jarring, I think the transition would have been a lot rockier had Riordan told Percy's quest journey with Hazel and Frank first. While the transition in The Son of Neptune can be jarring and difficult to get comfortable with at first, I do believe that it makes this series, specifically, much more successful, and much more rich in story and character-and-quest narratives.
In The Lost Hero, Riordan alternated with three characters' points of view in two chapter rotations (ie, Jason narrated two chapters, then Piper did two, then Leo). He switches it up a bit in The Son of Neptune, rotating still between three characters, but in four chapter increments. This allows readers to get really invested in each characters' inner monologue early on, which allowed for a quicker connection than with Jason, Leo, and Piper. Part of the reason Riordan made this choice, and especially the choice in starting with Percy, was because we were desperate to know what happened to Percy. Providing a good chunk of it at the beginning—and subsequently providing balance with Hazel's and Frank's four-chapter rotations—allows readers to get the bulk information they desire at the beginning, without sacrificing any of Hazel's or Frank's narration time. While Percy overall narrates the most, you never get the feeling that this is Percy's story more than Hazel's and Frank's. Another reason for this transition to four-chapter increments is because Riordan is doing more world building work in The Son of Neptune than in The Lost Hero. Camp Jupiter is as foreign to us as it is to Percy. It would be jarring if we didn't spend time exploring its possiblities with Percy, especially at the beginning, so having more of Percy's chapters at the top of the novel allows us to see more of Camp Jupiter and gives Riordan space to world build this entire new camp, and its politics.
The physical bounds of his world aren't the only boundaries Riordan pushes past. He quite literally manipulates death and time to allow for the existence of Hazel, daughter of Pluto. The creation of a whole new camp of demigods created a whole new set of possibilities for the gods to have children. Based on the boundaries of The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Hazel and Jason Grace shouldn't exist, but they do. Now, Riordan pushes past even that mind-blowing fact to the next one: that Hazel wasn't even born in the same generation as the rest of the modern day demigod heroes. Having defined very clearly the borders of his world in the first series, Riordan is taking the time to expand the boundaries what is possible in this world. Roman gods, girls coming back from the dead, and more! Having Hazel die and then come back to life is not something we've seen before, and certainly not something we would have expected out of one of the Prophecy's Seven. Riordan making Hazel's life and addition to the team possible gives readers a better understanding of the possibilities of this expanded world, and also foreshadows the even wilder things to come. Because, if Hazel's life is possible and necessary, then what other things can happen to the group of seven in the coming novels? Only time (and reading those books) will tell!
Frank is the other newest addition to the group of seven, and he is the kind of character that is absolutely perfect for the genre of middle grade and young adult. Frank is a boy coming into himself, finding himself, and trying to determine how his family's legacy plays into his singular identity. This is a lot of weight to have on one's shoulders—and Frank isn't able to balance it all perfectly all the time like the world conditions boys to believe that he should. Frank's character is the perfect exploration of all that pressure and excitement that comes with coming of age, as well as the angst and frustration. Frank (and Leo) usually gets overshadowed by Jason and Percy, but Frank is absolutely like Percy in his character arc. He has to go on this journey, this quest, to understand who he is. Frank's narrative is one of finding oneself and learning what one is capable of. Is that not what Percy had to determine in the first series? Is that not what Jason was re-uncovering in The Lost Hero? Frank is certainly fighting the same battle, but in a more nuanced way since it is layered even further with family culture and curses. I am excited to see where Riordan takes Frank's character, and hope he continues to do Frank's character justice, and provide young male-identifying readers yet another role model of how to move through the world.
The moment we are all waiting for—the unification of the seven—is on the horizon. The only way you can find out how it all goes down is by picking up the third book in the series, The Mark of Athena. Stay tuned for my review!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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