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3.5/5
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Re-read.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 432
Started: 14 January 2024
Finished: 19 January 2024
Summary:
With Percy's 16th birthday on the horizon, he knows his time to face Kronos and either save or destroy Olympus is near. Thanks to the prophecy foretelling his heroism, Percy knows his own life is likely forfeit, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to save Olympus and his friends.
Thoughts:
What a lovely book to re-read. More than with the other books in the series, this one felt entirely immersive, and I was very involved in the plot despite it being a re-read. The tragic deaths felt genuinely tragic, and the hopeful moments were perhaps more exciting than should be possible in a middle grade re-read.
Jealousy and relationships took a much larger role in this book thanks to Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Annabeth both being interested in Percy. Max pointed out how the tension of maybe between Annabeth and Percy creates a sense of rockiness in their relationship that isn't present in prior books, and Rachel's presence exacerbates that. Percy's awareness is quite subtle, only coming through in his unwillingness to mention Rachel around Annabeth. Though Percy's lack of awareness is a little puzzling, the dynamic brings a very beneficial layer to the plot of the novel. Rachel as a character is also very interesting; she definitely adheres to the principle of Checkov's gun in that she shows up early and randomly but then has huge importance at the end.
Once again, it was the foils that stood out the most in this book, though. Silena and Clarisse are a brilliant pair on Rick's part, war and love with love as the point of betrayal and significantly less palatable war as the savior. The fact that Silena's death was sad because Clarisse loved her is very grecian tragic; very well done. Luke as Percy's foil was equally interesting, especially looking at their heroism and their suicidality. A I've previously mentioned, Percy's immediate reaction to a problem is to try to sacrifice his life for his friends--his hamartia. Yet it's Luke who actually ends his own life to save Olympus, committing an ultimate act of heroism just like Percy always tries to do. Again, it's very grecian tragic.
Re-reading this book made me want to re-read the Heroes of Olympus series so badly, but I've promised myself I can't until I get back home to my copies. It was more engaging and interesting than I expected, and it was so cool to see how I enjoyed the same series as I did in first grade, just with a very different level of understanding.