The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Title: The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5)

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 2014

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Pages: 528

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books; Finishing the Series; 52 Books - W19

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen-all of them-and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood-the blood of Olympus-in order to wake.
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

Such a great end to the Heroes of Olympus series. I loved coming to the end of this great epic story. Seeing all the demigods come together to battle Gaea was great. My favorite is still Annabeth, but I have to say this book made me love Nico. Riordan has a great way of switching between the characters for the narrative, but still allows the reader to dig into each character. This volume dove right into the story, but kept the nice character driven moments for growth. After reading this series, I'm curious to start some of Riordan's other series. I'm thinking the Kane Chronicles next to cover some of the crossover stories and then the new Magnus Chase series.

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

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Title: The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus #4)

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 2014

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Pages: 590

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read My Own Damn Books; Popsugar - YA Bestseller; Finishing the Series; 52 Books - W2

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

I so enjoy this series! I love the allusions to classical myths and legends. I love the twists Riordan puts on the various gods and goddesses. This was a fast paced enjoyable read for a rainy week. I am excited to see how this series ends. I'm sure we will re-meet many characters and monsters in the last volume of this series.

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

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Title: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 2012

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Pages: 604

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: YA/MG Fantasy; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W30; Bingo - 2 from everyone but me

How I Got It: iPad read

In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven? The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . . With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.

The boys and I started reading this before bed at the beginning of the summer. And we just finished... Can I tell you how much I love Rick Riordan's writing? Each one of these books are ones that everyone in the family enjoys. I don't feel like I'm reading a children's book. I'm reading a well crafted adventure story full of great characters and death defying action and even a few introspective moments. The boys and I get a kick out of guessing which mythological creature or god will pop up next. We gasp along with the cliffhangers. We get excited when the heroes succeed. We've all fallen in love with his characters. As soon as we finished this one, the boys were asking when the next one will be published (October 2013 if you care). You best believe I will be buying that as soon as it's released. The hard part will be to not read it before I'm with the boys.

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

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

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

The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

Title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Demigod Files

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Hyperion Books 2009

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 151

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library

Since the boys and I finished the Percy Jackson series, we've been reading other books until I could get a hold of The Lost Hero. Well I got a copy, but I didn't want to dive into the story right away. So, I found this little volume at the library to tide us over. (We've actually started a stand alone adventure book, Rex Riders, since reading The Demigod Files.The Lost Hero is pushed back a bit.)

It contains three original Percy Jackson stories set before the fifth book. We especially loved "Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades." A great story featuring Percy, Thalia, and Nico working together to retrieve Hades' new sword. All set in the Underworld, we encounter Persephone, Sisyphus, Melinoe, Ethan Nakamura, and the Titan Iapetus. Of course life threatening actions occur and plenty of little sarcastic asides from Percy. A great little story to for the series.

The volume also included interviews with the Stoll Brothers, Clarisse, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. Fun little extra information for fans of the series. Also, a word search, a crossword puzzle, map of Camp Half-Blood, contents of Annabeth's trunk, and chart of the major gods and goddesses.

Overall, fun little book!

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Title: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book #5)

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Scholastic 2009

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 381

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Young Adult; 2011 - Mind the Gap

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time. In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

The boys and I started reading the Percy Jackson series a few months ago. They were finally at an age where they were interesting in reading a "big book" but couldn't necessarily read it on their own. So this series became our bedtime book. We would snuggle under the covers and dive into a world where the Greek gods still exist and their children are the new heroes.

I must say that I came into their series with a bit of trepidation. Would I, a grown adult, like a children's series? I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the series. I love the characters. They are relatable, but also age appropriate. None of this "I'm 12, but I act 30" crap. I loved the retelling of the Greek myths. Often Riordan mentions part of a myth or we meet a character from the myths. Every time that happened, my boys (especially N) would then want to hear the rest of the myth and story. I love that this series inspired my boys to go and seek out more information. Riordan gives us just enough to spark an interest. I love it! My only pet peeve: I couldn't read it faster.

The boys are bugging me to buy the first book of his next series, The Lost Hero, but it's still only in hardback. I refuse to pay new hardback prices. I'm waiting until I find it at Half Price Books or a really good bookstore coupon to use. In the meantime, we've decided to read Ruyard Kipling's Just So Stories. I'm excited to read it!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The Lightning Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian