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theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Cursing
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, War, Self harm, Medical content, Vomit, Child death, Infidelity, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder
jasmineslibraryy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
the ending was even more beautiful than i was anticipating. apollo/lester's development through the series HOLY SHIT it's like you can't recognize the man anymore. i love that he went and visited everyone, it was such a nice way to wrap up the series. i loved seeing everyone again!
will & nico <3 can't wait to read the sun and the star.
overall, while it takes immense patience to get through book 1&2, i'm so happy with how this series turned out.
will & nico <3 can't wait to read the sun and the star.
overall, while it takes immense patience to get through book 1&2, i'm so happy with how this series turned out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and War
anjasshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, and Child abuse
building_a_bookdom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Child abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
finnft4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Damn, alright. Color me impressed. This is pretty clearly the best Trials of Apollo book.
Despite how much I hate Nero, he is a pretty good antagonist for Apollo. He's basically a physical representation of his shallow desire to be a god in the first place.
All the character arcs are coming to a close, so that's awesome. Apollo's arc, man... I criticized it at first for seeming a bit rushed, but the pay-off was completely worth it. Absolutely my favorite character arc in the series. Other characters in this book were absolutely the best versions of themselves (Solangelo is sweet! I like it a lot more now. Fierrochase is still my fav tho ). I started off despising Meg and Apollo, but now they're at least solid A tier characters for me. An extremely solid addition to ToA that absolutely elevated my opinion of the series overall (which used to be my least favorite lmao).
Finale-wise, it's great. It's a satisfying conclusion to its individual pentalogy and the main series overall, while still leaving another loose end for another book. This used to bother me, but I'm more chill with it now. And, all things considered, ToA is way less of a stain on the Riordanverse than certain reviews led me to believe. It's a strong pentalogy in its own right and, honestly, I like it more than Heroes of Olympus. It's totally worth a read, even considering it's first two weaker ones. I 100% prefer a series that starts off mediocre and gets better as opposed to one that starts off good, gets better, then eats shit in the finale (Blood of Olympus lol).
Despite how much I hate Nero, he is a pretty good antagonist for Apollo. He's basically a physical representation of his shallow desire to be a god in the first place.
All the character arcs are coming to a close, so that's awesome. Apollo's arc, man... I criticized it at first for seeming a bit rushed, but the pay-off was completely worth it. Absolutely my favorite character arc in the series. Other characters in this book were absolutely the best versions of themselves (
Finale-wise, it's great. It's a satisfying conclusion to its individual pentalogy and the main series overall, while still leaving another loose end for another book. This used to bother me, but I'm more chill with it now. And, all things considered, ToA is way less of a stain on the Riordanverse than certain reviews led me to believe. It's a strong pentalogy in its own right and, honestly, I like it more than Heroes of Olympus. It's totally worth a read, even considering it's first two weaker ones. I 100% prefer a series that starts off mediocre and gets better as opposed to one that starts off good, gets better, then eats shit in the finale (Blood of Olympus lol).
FINAL RANKING
[1] PJO: The Last Olympian (5/5)
[2] HoO: The House of Hades (5/5)
[3] ToA: The Tower of Nero (5/5)
[4] HoO: The Mark of Athena (4.75/5)
[5] MCGA: The Sword of Summer (4.75/5)
[6] PJO: The Lightning Thief (4.5/5)
[7] ToA: The Tyrant's Tomb (4.25/5)
[8] MCGA: The Ship of the Dead (4.25/5)
[9] ToA: The Burning Maze (4.25/5)
[10] PJO: The Titan's Curse (4.25/5)
[11] MCGA: The Hammer of Thor (4.25/5)
[12] HoO: The Son of Neptune (4.25/5)
[13] PJO: The Battle of the Labyrinth (4.25/5)
[14] HoO: The Lost Hero (4/5)
[15] PJO: The Sea of Monsters (4/5)
[16] ToA: The Dark Prophecy (4/5)
[17] HoO: The Blood of Olympus (3.75/5)
[1] PJO: The Last Olympian (5/5)
[2] HoO: The House of Hades (5/5)
[3] ToA: The Tower of Nero (5/5)
[4] HoO: The Mark of Athena (4.75/5)
[5] MCGA: The Sword of Summer (4.75/5)
[6] PJO: The Lightning Thief (4.5/5)
[7] ToA: The Tyrant's Tomb (4.25/5)
[8] MCGA: The Ship of the Dead (4.25/5)
[9] ToA: The Burning Maze (4.25/5)
[10] PJO: The Titan's Curse (4.25/5)
[11] MCGA: The Hammer of Thor (4.25/5)
[12] HoO: The Son of Neptune (4.25/5)
[13] PJO: The Battle of the Labyrinth (4.25/5)
[14] HoO: The Lost Hero (4/5)
[15] PJO: The Sea of Monsters (4/5)
[16] ToA: The Dark Prophecy (4/5)
[17] HoO: The Blood of Olympus (3.75/5)
[18] ToA: The Hidden Oracle (3.75/5)
Avg. Rating: 4.35
PJO Avg: 4.4
HoO Avg: 4.35
ToA Avg: 4.25
MCGA Avg: 4.42
And, since this is the last main story Rick Riordan book (I *may* read TSATS bc the preview was pretty intriguing [gonna see how the reviews and shit are after it comes out before deciding] - I hope the writing style is different though bc it's a bit fanfic-y for my liking, I can mostly deal tho; I'm nervous for the sixth PJO book bc a bad addition to it could certainly ruin it for me, which is currently my favorite, and I don't see how it can end better than it already has):
SERIES RANKINGS
[1] Percy Jackson and the Olympians - While this one certainly had its weak points that the later series improved on, no other series has as good of a story/plot as the original. Riordan absolutely knocked it out of the park with the final book, too (considering it's still my favorite out of all 18), cementing it as my favorite series.
[2] Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - This one definitely surprised me. Out of all the series, this one has the best cast. No contest. While it was weak in its presentation of the Norse gods - and was a bit weak story-wise - the heart of its characters and its world totally sold me.
[3] The Trials of Apollo - This one started off weak. Super weak with its first two. But it vastly improved in its next two and stuck the landing with its final book. Otherwise, I appreciate this series especially for giving more depth to already-established characters (some people will give this praise to HoO; I disagree. I think that series introduced way too many new characters and also weakened already established ones, honestly), like Will, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and others that were a lot weaker beforehand. On the same note, most of the new characters it introduced are likable and endearing. This series had a lot of heart, and nothing will top Apollo's amazing character arc.
[4] The Heroes of Olympus - This placement will definitely surprise some people. And despite my gripes - weak characters, contrived plot, WAY too many pages - it's not a bad series. It had its good moments, peaking at Mark of Athena and House of Hades. While it was often dull, it had plenty of fun, comedic segments (I enjoyed its fresher humor after PJO), as well as some of the darkest I've ever seen from any Riordan book. I enjoyed the depth of mythology Riordan went into, and I think that this is the only series where the journey is better than the destination.
(I didn't read Kane's Chronicles)
Avg. Rating: 4.35
PJO Avg: 4.4
HoO Avg: 4.35
ToA Avg: 4.25
MCGA Avg: 4.42
And, since this is the last main story Rick Riordan book (I *may* read TSATS bc the preview was pretty intriguing [gonna see how the reviews and shit are after it comes out before deciding] - I hope the writing style is different though bc it's a bit fanfic-y for my liking, I can mostly deal tho; I'm nervous for the sixth PJO book bc a bad addition to it could certainly ruin it for me, which is currently my favorite, and I don't see how it can end better than it already has):
SERIES RANKINGS
[1] Percy Jackson and the Olympians - While this one certainly had its weak points that the later series improved on, no other series has as good of a story/plot as the original. Riordan absolutely knocked it out of the park with the final book, too (considering it's still my favorite out of all 18), cementing it as my favorite series.
[2] Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - This one definitely surprised me. Out of all the series, this one has the best cast. No contest. While it was weak in its presentation of the Norse gods - and was a bit weak story-wise - the heart of its characters and its world totally sold me.
[3] The Trials of Apollo - This one started off weak. Super weak with its first two. But it vastly improved in its next two and stuck the landing with its final book. Otherwise, I appreciate this series especially for giving more depth to already-established characters (some people will give this praise to HoO; I disagree. I think that series introduced way too many new characters and also weakened already established ones, honestly), like Will, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and others that were a lot weaker beforehand. On the same note, most of the new characters it introduced are likable and endearing. This series had a lot of heart, and nothing will top Apollo's amazing character arc.
[4] The Heroes of Olympus - This placement will definitely surprise some people. And despite my gripes - weak characters, contrived plot, WAY too many pages - it's not a bad series. It had its good moments, peaking at Mark of Athena and House of Hades. While it was often dull, it had plenty of fun, comedic segments (I enjoyed its fresher humor after PJO), as well as some of the darkest I've ever seen from any Riordan book. I enjoyed the depth of mythology Riordan went into, and I think that this is the only series where the journey is better than the destination.
(I didn't read Kane's Chronicles)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and War
softgalaxy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have mixed feelings about this series, but it was an interesting overall story arc of understanding what it means to be human.
I enjoyed seeing different characters in each book. I know this isn’t the last CHB book as we have The Sun and The Star coming in 2023 as well as a new Percy, Annabeth, and Grover book.
Was this series entirely necessary? I’m not so sure. It had very high stakes, but it all seemed to be solved much more quickly than the other series’ plots.
Regardless, I love this wee CHB world and all the characters. Uncle Rick, thank you once more.
I enjoyed seeing different characters in each book. I know this isn’t the last CHB book as we have The Sun and The Star coming in 2023 as well as a new Percy, Annabeth, and Grover book.
Was this series entirely necessary? I’m not so sure. It had very high stakes, but it all seemed to be solved much more quickly than the other series’ plots.
Regardless, I love this wee CHB world and all the characters. Uncle Rick, thank you once more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Slavery and Grief
embla_v's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
4.75
Oerhört bra serie av Rick Riordan!!! Den är rolig, underhållande och väldigt spännande. Detta är sista boken i serien om Apollon.
Boken handlar om Apollon som blivit skickad till jorden av sin pappa Zeus. Zeus förvandlade även Apollon till en tonårspojke vid namn Lester. Nu måste Lester ta sig an ett antal utmaningar, tillsammans med hans härskare (och vän) Meg, för att kunna återta sin ställning som olympisk gud.
Rekommenderar till alla som gillar Rick Riordan böcker, är intresserade av grekisk (och romersk) mytologi eller bara vill ha en bra fantasy bok att läsa. Jag rekommenderar att vara 10+ år. Oerhört bra bok och definitivt läsvärd!!!
(Jag skulle dock rekommenderar att läsa Percy Jackson- serien först och efter den läsa Olympens hjältar- serien, innan man läser Apollon-serien men det är inte ett måste)
Boken handlar om Apollon som blivit skickad till jorden av sin pappa Zeus. Zeus förvandlade även Apollon till en tonårspojke vid namn Lester. Nu måste Lester ta sig an ett antal utmaningar, tillsammans med hans härskare (och vän) Meg, för att kunna återta sin ställning som olympisk gud.
Rekommenderar till alla som gillar Rick Riordan böcker, är intresserade av grekisk (och romersk) mytologi eller bara vill ha en bra fantasy bok att läsa. Jag rekommenderar att vara 10+ år. Oerhört bra bok och definitivt läsvärd!!!
(Jag skulle dock rekommenderar att läsa Percy Jackson- serien först och efter den läsa Olympens hjältar- serien, innan man läser Apollon-serien men det är inte ett måste)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
laurajeangrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Confinement, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
valeria_gzz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This gave me pretty much the same feeling as the burning maze, so five stars. I’m gonna miss Apollo even though he was really annoying in the first book and part of the second, he learned a lot and I think I did too. I didn’t think there’d be a lot to learn from a middle-grade book but honestly I’ve learned more from this series than most of the books I’ve read this year. I can’t express in words how proud I am of the character growth Apollo and Meg had so I’ll just leave it at that.
I liked how Apollo realized that Nero was just like every other bully and nothing special. Also, I think anyone who is being abused in any way similar to the way Nero abused his children could benefit from reading this. I think it would help them to learn what exactly it is the abusers say to manipulate them to avoid listening to those worlds. <spoilers>I thought the Python fight was going to be underwhelming and it almost was (for me) but then it wasn’t.
I was very pleased with the few parts of Frank Zhang in this book, I treasure any bits I can get. Yes we got to see pretty much everyone BUT WHERE WAS GROVER???!!!
THE NEXT RIORDAN BOOKS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE ABOUT NICO YEEEEAAAAAAHH. I’m so excited I love Nico so much. I don’t like seeing him suffer though so I’m kinda worried. I like that Uncle Rick put more of Will and gave us more of his personality (aka he’s a Star Wars nerd). I totally forgot Bob’s name for a second there but I can’t wait to see him again.
I didn’t know how much I missed Mr D until he was back😭😭. ALSO AAAAHHH SALLY AND PAUL AND ESTELLE ARE SO CUTE AND KIND I LOVE THEM SO SO MUCH.
They still talk about Jason and it’s so realistic, it makes me sad every single time.We got to see him for a little which was really sweet and sad at the same time.
Ok review done and wow I don’t think I’ve ever written this much or had this much to say. I’m going to miss being able to read these books one after the other for the first time, it was a good time. I learned a lot from this specific series and I hope I don’t ever forget it.
They still talk about Jason and it’s so realistic, it makes me sad every single time.
Ok review done and wow I don’t think I’ve ever written this much or had this much to say. I’m going to miss being able to read these books one after the other for the first time, it was a good time. I learned a lot from this specific series and I hope I don’t ever forget it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
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