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.
Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy, it looks like Camp Jupiter is planning for war. And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket, Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving command: 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. Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways and no longer needs his old friends? 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.
Annabeth is a character that we've loved since The Lightning Thief, the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series—yet it is not until The Mark of Athena that we ever get this close to inside of her head. Finally we can follow her logic, her skill, and understand her motivations in ways we've never fully been able to understand before. Because a large part of this novel is Annabeth's pursuit of the Mark of Athena, we need to have that narrative closeness to her. Another reason I believe that narrative closeness is so rewarding is that we get to see the moment of reunion between her and Percy from her point of view, which is very much a deserved perspective to receive that from. Seeing as how Annabeth has spent all the time looking for him, it seems only right to witness such an anticipated moment from her point of view. It was also thrilling watching Annabeth think—finally getting read from a child of Athena's point of view makes readers better understand what it actually means to be smart in life-or-death situations, and that doesn't always equate to being calm and level-headed.
Annabeth and Percy have for so long been the center of the books Rick Riordan writes—and even when they were no longer at the center, they remained at the forefront of the fandom's mind, especially once it was revealed that Percy was missing. While Annabeth and Percy are no longer the center of the Heroes of Olympus series, it seems that Rick is writing towards what the people want and expect, so that he can continue writing the finale of this series. That includes many Percy and Annabeth moments within Mark of Athena that most likely won't exist anywhere outside of this novel. This also gives Rick the opportunity to work on both of these characters' arcs at the same time, with their own points of view. We can watch as Percy and Annabeth rub off on each other's way of thinking, and how their actions are influenced by the other's. This privileged seat for the reader only makes us feel more connected to these characters, which is why the ending is even more brutal than it would have been without those point of views.
With The Mark of Athena, we don't just see Percy and Annabeth reunite and grow together—we also witness the grouping together of the prophesied (or so we think) seven demigods and watch them interact and get used to one another. At first, it seems there are many divisions—the couples vs. the singles, the Romans vs. the Greeks, Percy's crew vs. Jason's crew, and so many more. Yet, it only goes to show how entangled they all are, and how separate they all can be without the others. A major part of both Percy's and Jason's character arcs in this novel is about how to accept help, and how to realize that working together is the better solution than working alone. All seven demigods have a lot of tension to work through—Leo, Hazel, and Frank especially, it seems—yet once they do, they realize that they all work better when they put their heads and skills together. Even Jason and Percy have to step back and realize that their major powers don't mean anything if they don't have Piper's or Annabeth's quick wit and cleverness. Watching the seven demigods work together in a team is so rewarding—you get to the end and think this is why it was the seven of them. It is, of course, yet another reason the ending is so devastating: because now the team is down two members, and how will they function without Percy's humor and Annabeth's levelheadedness. It may sound like doubt, when in fact it's fear that everything might fall apart just as quickly as it seems to have fallen together.
After an even bigger cliffhanger than The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena left fans reeling: Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus, and the team fractured without a clear sense of direction. Resolution can only come in the form of the penultimate book in the series, The House of Hades. Stay tuned for my review!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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