Thursday, November 27, 2014

The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan * * * * *

This one was actually kind of epic. When I first started the book, I was thinking: "YAY PERCY!" And also: "YAY Roman Camp!" I loved getting to know this new environment. It was close to my heart, because the history of the Roman Empire is kind of a hobby of mine, among many others. I've also been to Rome, and while there I tried to imagine how it would have all looked whole. Imagining myself in New Rome was great.

I also have to note that most of this book I listened to as an audiobook while running Xmas errands. I was so keen on the story, I had to put it on my phone and listen to it while walking around. The audiobook was quite good, but I think they said Geae wrong. Okay, I also don't like it spelled that way, Gaia is the more common spelling. Still, I have no clue why they would say Geae that way. Yes, this REALLY bugged me.

If the person reading this review has read the previous book, then it comes as no surprise that Percy doesn't remember who he is. In this case it is different, since we, the readers, know all about him. I found it interesting how he discovers himself. There was also a very romantic aspect of the story, which was really sweet.

Hazel is the girl this time. I found her really interesting, and I loved how her past and present unfolded at the same time. I also seem to have a soft spot for the children of ... Perhaps because I always feel sympathetic towards groups that are looked down on by others. It probably comes from my childhood, where I often felt like most of the other kids hated me, and thought of me as less than they are.

Frank is the first person of Chinese descent in the books that I can think of. If there had been others, then they made no serious impact on me. He also has a secret, and in a way a secret that is about him, but he doesn't know of. All of this was interesting to find out, and I loved how the kid who was probably the one always being shoved to the side slowly came into his own power. I also kind of loved his mum, without having actually meet her.

This story also takes the Camp-Quest-Trip pattern, with the big boss fight at the end. Still, the addition of the really interesting side stories, and the main adventure make this the most epic Rick Riordan book I've read.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, #1) by Rick Riordan * * * *

At first, this one was a disappointment. I read the Percy Jackson series last year, and put off reading this one until the last book came out. I knew I would be frustrated to wait for the ending of the next adventure, so I read other stuff. When I started, I expected Percy and Annabeth. Groover. So I was asking: "Who is this Jason guy? Where is PERCY???"


I got over my need for Percy quite fast. Though frankly, Jason is still not a favourite, but Leo was great. I also like Piper. I loved how they were the children of other gods, not the ones we've seen before. The adventure followed a familiar pattern. Meet, Camp, Quest across the country. What was different was that it felt more dangerous. There were many moments when I was wondering how the heroes could survive.

The reason why I never really feel near Jason is that he's too perfect. Clean cut, great power, son of ..., handsome. Not that if he was my boyfriend I would throw him out, but he's just not the kind of character I'm usually drawn to. It was interesting how we found out little by little who he actually was though.

Piper is the girl in the group. Usually in these books there is a girl in the group. I like how she's part Native American, and also the daughter of ... It was interesting how she made comparisons between Native American legends and the Greek ones. There was a mystery surrounding her, and there was a scene with her and her father that made me tear up.

Leo is the anti-social boy. I like him because he's funny, clever and unsure of himself. He's the kind of character you cheer for, you want to see just how much he's really worth. He has his own secret, but his reason for hiding is more about being scared of his own abilities than them being actually dangerous.

Overall, another enjoyable adventure book. Fun moments, scary moments, excitement, just what I want from Rick Riordan.