Review: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Finally a review!! Woohooo! I had plans for this review last week, but with the bed rest... you know how it turned out :)

Quick update about me. First, a big thank you for all the comments and encouragements! It's really heart-warming to know that there are people who care :) So, unfortunately, the dizziness is not completely gone yet. The good news is that it hasn't worsen either. I read online that some symptoms can last a few weeks after the injury... so I'm figuring that the dizziness will go away on its own eventually. I have a family doctor appointment next week, so I'll talk to her about it and if anything feels abnormal or get worse, I'm heading to the emergency right away. Although I gotta say, this morning, it felt better! Not gone, but less. I'm also taking it easy at work and going to try to limit my reading and blogging and so on. However, there's no way I'm going back to veg :( I also plan to resume curling this week. So you have it, the latest with me :)

Onto the review now!

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
published by Hyperion in October 2012

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: 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. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Heroes of Olympus, Book #3/Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #8

The Story: The Mark of Athena starts off where The Son of Neptune left off, with a delegation of Greek demigods consisting of Annabeth, Piper and Leo, as well as Jason, arriving at Camp Jupiter aboard Argo II. Both camps are still suspicious of each other, but know that Hera/Juno has gone through all this trouble for some reasons and come to a consensus on the seven demigods who will undertake the Great Prophecy/Prophecy of the Seven: Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank. However, the truce comes to an abrupt end due to a misunderstanding and our seven demigods are forced to flee Camp Jupiter. Now, their journey to the ancient lands is even more critical because not only do they have to stop Gaea from waking and creating havoc, but the success of their mission will also prevent a war between the two demigods camps.

However, as usual, things are not simple. Just before making their escape, our group of demigods gets a new prophecy... and this means a detour to Rome to save Nico who's been imprisoned by the giant twins. Also, Annabeth has been tasked by her mother, Athena, to avenge her by following the Mark of Athena... A mission that countless demigods before Annabeth has failed. Our heroes also cannot count on the help of their gods because a lot of them are out of commission, busy fighting headaches brought on by their Roman and Greek personas. And as usual, they only have a few days to succeed...

My Opinion: I really enjoyed The Son of Neptune and as a result, was anxiously looking forward to The Mark of Athena. As soon as I got the book, I simply devoured it :) As you can imagine, the expectations were quite high. All in all, I do think that Mr Riordan delivered with The Mark of Athena as it was enjoyable... but I feel the book could have been more.

One of the best parts of the book for me was Annabeth. I'm actually not a big fan of Annabeth, I always felt she was a bit too "know-it-all," too stuck-up, too conservative... However, in The Mark of Athena, I found her more likable. I feel Annabeth has softened up and it suited her well :) Part of it is her maturity, but another part I believe is Percy's influence on her. It was a good change especially since we finally got Annabeth's POV for the first time and I have to say, I enjoyed it. I thought she was interesting. Still very smart, but more approachable. It also made her storyline more interesting because I was rooting for her :) I gotta say, at first, I was a bit skeptic at how much this book would focus on Annabeth. Yes, I wanted to read Annabeth's POV, but there's a big difference between wanting her POV and wanting her to be the central element of the book. In the end though, Mr Riordan did a good job at balancing out the storylines and yes, Annabeth's mission was important, but it didn't steal the show. Not only that, but Mr Riordan was very subtle with Annabeth's role throughout the book and that really fit with her character :) In any case, it was nice to see Percy and Annabeth reminisced about the past, to see how strong their relationship has become. They really complement each other very well :) The reunion between the two was very sweet and so is the ending of The Mark of Athena, in a way.

As usual, The Mark of Athena is full of clever and funny elements such as the idea of the Greek/Roman schizophrenia that some gods suffer. It's a really good idea and I loved how the gods that only had one persona (Greek or Roman) or the ones where both personas were so similar in function such as Nemesis were unaffected. One of my favorites was Bacchus/Dionysus with the Pepsi/Coke relationship. It was so clever. And of course, some of the situations and how Mr Riordan mixed in the Greek and Roman mythology made the book :) Oh and I also really liked that Mr Riordan answered the Leo/Sammy question and didn't let the readers wonder and speculate too much. That would have been really annoying... although I have no idea what it means in the future for Leo, Hazel and Frank.

Also, The Mark of Athena was very action-orientated. It was really one adventure after another. That's usually how it is with this series' books... However, in The Mark of Athena, it didn't work as well in my opinion. Yes, it was still very fun and entertaining... but at the same time, it felt a bit too cartoonish. There wasn't much transitions between the adventures and that hurt the flow of the book. Especially after the first quarter of the book, it was simply non-stop. In addition, for logistical purposes I assume, Mr Riordan had to split the group of seven demigods into smaller groups for these adventures. So very rarely were the seven demigods together. And that's where I think Mr Riordan missed his chance to make The Mark of Athena more memorable. I think he should have focused more on developing a dynamic, a trusting relationship between the characters than the adventures. I wished we've seen the characters interact and bond more with each other, to overcome the Greek/Roman prejudices as well. Oh it was somewhat still achieved in the book, but it lacked something in my opinion to be totally believable. I felt the trust they were able to establish was too reluctant, in the sense of "we're in this together, I don't have a choice" instead of it being truly genuine. Also, I would have liked to see more of Jason and Percy dealing with each other, the two leaders cooperating. As I said, there was some, but more would have been better :P

Finally, my only negative about The Mark of Athena was Piper ^_^; I'm really not a fan of hers and I could have done without her POV. There was so much going on and there she was, worrying about her relationship with Jason. It didn't help that we didn't have Jason's POV in this one, but I can bet that her doubts were unjustified. Perhaps I'm being mean, but in comparison to the other characters, I felt she didn't bring much to the story.

My Grade: B. The Mark of Athena was entertaining and enjoyable :) It would have been even better if there had been more chemistry, more cohesion between the characters. Overall, I thought it was better than The Lost Hero, but not as good as The Son of Neptune... hence the in-between grade :) Looking forward to the next book! Hoping to get Nico's POV this time around!

Review: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

***Warning: There are spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!***

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

published by Hyperion in October 2011

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 tol 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 and 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 he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and 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 od Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Genre: Young Adult, fantasy
Series: The Heroes of Olympus series, Book #2/Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book #7

The Story: The Titans' defeat has stirred up Mother Earth - Gaea - from her slumber and she is now slowly awakening. Meanwhile, her sons - the giants - are being reborn and are getting ready to challenge Mount Olympus. This is really bad news for the Olympus gods as it means another battle looms in the near future. Juno (Hera) believes that the only way Olympus will be able to defeat Gaea this time around is if the demigods from the Roman and Greek camps unite. In order for this alliance to happen, she's taken the leaders of each camp - Jason and Percy, stripped them of their memories and sent them on their way to the opposite camp.

After months of slumbering, Percy finally makes it to the Roman demigods camp. Because of previous incidents, other campers are wary of children of Neptune and as a result, Percy finds himself in the legion's weakest cohort, the Fifth Cohort, which is composed of the misfit demigods. Quickly, he becomes friends with Hazel, daughter of Pluto (Hades), and Frank who's still unclaimed. Both demigods are part of the Fifth Cohort, new to the camp and have secrets of their own.

Before Percy can get comfy at his new camp, he is sent on a quest with Frank and Hazel. Pluto (Hades)'s lieutenant Thanatos has been captured by the giants and chained which means the Doors of Death has been forced open and no one is policing them. Therefore demigods and monsters have stopped dying, Gaea's pawns and minions are being resurrected and eventually, even mortals will find it impossible to die. Frank, Hazel and Percy are tasked to go to Alaska to free Thanatos before June 24th, which is only a few days away... On their journey, Hazel will have to face her past, Frank will need to find out what is his family's secret and Percy hopes to regain his memories.

My Opinion: Wooohoooo, my friends, Percy Jackson is back! LOL. Okay, so I wasn't dying to get my hands on and The Son of Neptune earlier this month, because I've been disappointed with Mr. Riordan's last couple of releases. The first book in this new series, The Lost Hero, was only okay and I really had difficulty finishing The Throne of Fire earlier this year... All in all, I was a bit wary of The Son of Neptune, wondering if the magic was gone for me... Well let me tell you, it isn't!! :)

As soon as I started reading The Son of Neptune, I knew this book was going to be a winner :) A big part of it was due to seeing Percy again. Actually, it's not so much his familiarity, but his personality :) Percy is such fun character to follow because he is clever and witty. A real smart-ass LOL. He is very likable and also has a lot of charisma which makes people pay attention to him and want to follow him. In comparison, Jason from The Lost Hero was bland and boring. His personality did not shine through his amnesia, while Percy's did. I also think that Percy has come a long way from The Lightning Thief in term of maturity. I think it shines throughout the book: when he assessed Octavian during the senate, when he faced Phineas, when he coordinated the rescue at the end, etc. Also, everything he went through  has made him a good leader, someone caring, compassionate and easy to interact with :) Of course, Percy's not perfect and sometimes, he can still act like a kid such as when he discover Frank's family gift. LOL. However, I think it's normal and it adds to Percy's depth :P

While Percy is a big presence in the book, his companions aren't about to let him outshine them :P I think a lot more thoughts went into Hazel and Frank's background stories and personalities than Piper and Leo's from The Lost Hero. Hazel and Frank are definitively more interesting characters, but more importantly, more likable. Hazel and Frank both have big secrets and things to worry about, but it doesn't stop them from forging ahead and do what they believe needed to be done. Also, they don't constantly doubt everything and believe in themselves and Percy. I think that was a big difference with Piper whom I really didn't care about in The Lost Hero. In this book, Hazel and Frank really hold their own with Percy and prove they are worthy to be part of the big quest :) I have to admit that even now, Frank's ancestry still confuses me a bit LOL. However, it definitively makes him more intriguing... The potential he has!! Another thing that's interesting is that Mr. Riordan has not wrapped up their storylines yet - both of their curses - and I'm looking forward to see how all this will be resolved :)

Something else that made me wary of The Son of Neptune was the storyline. I knew coming in that Percy would have amnesia and he would find himself in the Roman camp, etc. and I was afraid that the storyline would be a repeat of what Jason went through in The Lost Hero. I should have had more faith in Mr. Riordan ^_^;  First, Mr. Riordan did not dwell on the fact that Percy had amnesia too much and the memories and glimpses from the past came back to him much faster than for Jason. Also, I think it was fun to discover the Roman demigods and their camp, how they did things. It's quite different from the Greeks, while still being familiar. Does that make sense? I appreciated it even more because I had just re-read the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher which is very heavy on Roman legions and stuff, so some elements were very familiar such as the way they fight, the gladius, etc. :) Happy coincidence LOL. Finally, I liked the quest Percy, Hazel and Frank went on. I liked how the quest was connected to Hazel's story as well as Frank. I also thought Mr. Riordan is relying less on the myths which is a good thing. Oh, there is still a lot of elements taken from mythology such as the Amazons, Hazel's horse Arion, the gorgons and so on... but what I mean is when facing foes, our heroes have to rely on themselves and their wits more instead of thinking back on how these monsters were killed in the myths and legends and then, tricking the monsters into situations mimicking those circumstances/situations to win. Yes, that way is clever... but this way is more exciting and unpredictable :)

All in all, I really enjoyed The Son of Neptune and I think this was a great installment to the series. I was really glad to see some familiar faces such as Nico and Tyson!! Two of my favorite characters!! Tyson is just cute because of the love and loyalty he has for Percy... and seriously, the possibility of him having a harpy as a girlfriend is just so cute! And Nico!! I can't wait to find out what happens to him and I really hope that we'll get his POV at some point. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be in the next book... At the same time, I think Mr. Riordan did a great job at not overdoing it - not adding Grover, Annabeth, Jason, Leo or Piper. This story was really about Percy getting accepted by the Roman camp and I say it's a success :)

Finally, I don't have any major issues with The Son of Neptune. I read this book in one sitting and it was just so much fun :) If I'm going to be picky though and have to find fault, well it'll be the usual quick timeline the book has. Why do the kids always have only a few days to complete the quest?!?

My Grade: I'm splitting hair with this grade. I've been debating whether to give The Son of Neptune a B+ or A- and so, I went back to look at how I graded the previous books in the series. My favorite book remains The Last Olympian, although this one comes to a close second. I'd say, my feeling for The Son of Neptune is on par with The Lightning Thief and so, B++ it is :)

I really, really enjoyed The Son of Neptune :) It was great to meet up with Percy again and this book really re-ignited my love for this series and Mr. Riordan's books. My hands are already itching for The Mark of Athena  - a year is really looong! I'm looking forward for the demigods heading to Rome! (Is this the first time they get out of America?) I also hope that we'll get a bit of Nico's POV in the next book. Sigh, I can't help but hope we're in for a great adventure!