Title: The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1)

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Hyperion 2010

Genre: Children and YA/Fantasy

Pages: 576

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Mixing It Up -- Children's and Young Adult;

How I Got It: I own it!

After saving Olympus from the evil Titan lord, Kronos, Percy and friends have rebuilt their beloved Camp Half-Blood, where the next generation of demigods must now prepare for a chilling prophecy of their own: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.Now, in a brand-new series from blockbuster best-selling author Rick Riordan, fans return to the world of Camp Half-Blood. Here, a new group of heroes will inherit a quest. But to survive the journey, they’ll need the help of some familiar demigods.

An absolutely amazing follow-up to the Percy Jackson series.  We started with a bang and ended with a bang.  Riordan knows how to pull the reader in, let them get to know the characters, and then throw the characters into heart-pounding situations.  I loved that we get to meet three new major characters while revisiting some of our old favorites (Annabeth, Rachel Dare, Chiron).  Piper quickly became my favorite new character.  She had a great sense of loyalty and confidence (except when it came to Jason).  And all of the action sequences were great.  Lots of mystery.  I always love trying to figure out the new characters (friend or foe) before the heroes do.  I am glad to say that I called two of the major baddies before the reveal.  (The one in the department store was definitely my favorite).  My boys loved every minute of it.  Just like the Percy series, they learned a ton of mythology along the way.  They are definite fans of Riordan.  Of course Riordan ends this book with a cliffhanger.  Thankfully we have the second book and will be starting soon.  Unfortunately we have to wait until the fall for the third book... Oh well, I must be patient for great books.

Heroes of Olympus:

• #1 The Lost Hero
• #2 The Son of Neptune
• #3 The Mark of Athena
• #4 The House of Hades
• #5 The Blood of Olympus