Review: Son of Neptune

Title:  The Son of Neptune
Series:  The Heroes of Olympus 
Author:  Rick Riordan
Publisher:  Hyperion Books
Pages:  513
Format:  Hardcover
Source:  Bought

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp 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. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished 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 and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. 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 of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven

 My Review:  I found it so much easier to get through this book then the first book in the series.  I think the main reason is because of the characters.  First of all, Percy was back and that made me incredibly happy.  He is a huge part of why I liked the first series so much.  His humor and loyalty are great.  I loved seeing him grow into himself and find who he is again.  Even though that process was extremely frustrating.  I wanted to jump into the book, sit him down, and make him read the first series so he could be all caught up with his own life.  Still, even without knowing his background, he had all of the qualities we love about him.  His amazing humor which had me laughing out loud throughout the book, his stubborn strength, and his optimistic leadership.  Geez, I love this guy so much!  

I also really enjoyed these new characters we got to know, mainly Hazel and Frank.  Both were very different and interesting.  They brought their own strengths to the table and, with Percy, made one badass team!  There backgrounds were so sweet, too!  It really gave a lot of insight into who they are and where their characters may go in the future.  It was refreshing to get such unique characters in a book.  

 The multiple POVs was awesome.  It was so cool seeing Percy from the perspective of others.  And it was spectacular just seeing all of the myths and the stories from everyone's different perspectives.  It enhanced the story and made it exciting to read through.  I felt as though I was in the adventure with them.  A big round of applause to Rick Riordan for doing such a masterful job with this book. 

All in all, this was as amazing as Rick's other books.  The mythology was absolutely fascinating.  I love learning about all this history through a fun and modern source.  The plot was fast paced and full of adventure.  Seeing all of these characters battling monsters was awesome!  If you have yet to pick up this series, I don't know what you're thinking.  It will suck you in from page one and keep you reading throughout the entire story!

Five Cards