Percy and Annabeth

Well, the two heroes that I like best are back (they get their storyline). They go through the depths of the evilest place in the world and happen to make a few friends while they’re at it also. The other heroes all go through their quests with their quirks and their powers beginning to show. We also learn of Nico and what is vital to him (why he does everything he does). It feels like there are too many characters in this series. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting exhausted switching between so many characters and trying to keep the stories intact.

Thoughts

I feel like I read this book ages ago. I’ve started writing again so my mornings for reading have gotten shorter. I read this on a plane from Munich to Edinburgh and back again. So, this book has travelled quite a bit with me. I find it nice to read on aeroplanes, it’s relaxing and gives you something to do for the shorter (1-4 hour) flights to do.

Themes

Now, I like to mention themes in all my new reviews. Obviously, since Percy and Annabeth survive in the worst place possible, through impossible odds, one theme I believe prevalent here is the idea of good v. evil. That there is inherently evil people in this world (monsters), and there are good people in this world (heroes). That good will overcome all obstacles. We almost see Percy turn evil at one point of the story, but Annabeth saves him from himself and talks Percy out of the act of evilness. I believe this also plays into the theme of good v. evil, but in another way, in that, there are good and bad sides to everyone. We also see this (spoiler alert) with one of the Titans, who should be an evil creation, but he turns out to be a really good guy.

I guess another theme in this book would also be courage. As with a lot of Riordan’s books in the Percy Saga, courage is something all heroes need. They need the courage to face their worst fears. They need the courage to overcome their greatest weakness. They need the courage to be a hero.

Recommendation

Well, I think if you have liked all the earlier books, you’ll definitely continue to like this book. There is quite a lot of character building in this book, but it still feels like I am watching too many characters in the spotlight. Riordan keeps track of the seven heroes throughout the story, but it can feel overwhelming at times.