Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Titans Curse

Another good story! Yet again, I'm glad my friends recommended this series that they'd been obsessed with then they were younger.

In this one, everything goes terribly wrong. There's death. Percy's beginning to have romantic feelings towards Annabeth, which Aphrodite thinks is very cute, unnervingly. Like the rest of the friendships in the book, I like how normal and natural that felt, though. Books aimed at younger readers can often force a romance between primary characters suddenly and for no reason because they're at that sort of age now, but that's avoided - maybe because it's not totally out of the blue, and maybe because Percy seems to come to the realisation of what his feelings are at a realistic kind of pace.

I do kind of think Luke should have just died. I mean, I know that he's the connection between Camp Half-Blood and Kronos, and so it makes sense in that way to keep him alive, but it seems too convenient, and he seems to have outlived a lot of his usefulness for the Titans now - he's a shadow of his former self by the final battle. I think maybe I'd have preferred if one of the recruited half-bloods had taken over his role? But I can see how that might have been a bit odd, too. Either way, I am interested to see how Luke's going to be when he returns.

The Hunters were very cool, and the tension between them and the half-bloods, what with the little pieces of history between them that we learn throughout.

By the time Zoe Nightshade died, I'd grown to really like her, and it was very bittersweet.

I hope they make a return

if only for Thalia (who, I will admit, I'm glad isn't going to be one of The Group permanently - I liked her turbulent friendship with Percy, but it might have got old if it was constant)

.

The next book is led into fantastically this time - the teasers of the next big thing have been getting better with each book.

Grover's heard from Pan! Hades has a son from the past, which complicates the prophecy again even though Thalia's out the picture! It's all happening!

I will admit, I'm worried about what could happen with Bessie. I hope he's going to be okay. He's just a little guy. A creature. A fella.

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sudatot's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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aceofsphades_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

Really entertaining, finished it fast.

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madamenovelist's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-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

3.5

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navayiota's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious 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

5.0

This one might be the best so far. I had forgotten so many plot points, it was a joy to be sucked into this world again. I love Riordan's interpretation of the gods' personalities, and the way they interact with the half bloods. I may be biased, but Hermes specifically is wonderful in this series.

I have a love hate relationship with Thalia, I dislike her as a person most of the time since she reminds me of the people who doubt me and try to stop me from making my own plans, not because I'm unable to do so successfully, but because they feel the need to control everything. The way she undermined Percy, humiliated him in front of everyone and later blamed him for Annabeth's "death" made my blood boil. Every time she did so I felt personally attacked, and I think that's partly due to me seeing myself in Percy but also to how incredibly well written these books are. I understand that she's just a mentally ill child (not an insult, just a fact. Years of parental neglect, having to survive homelessness and violence with only two other kids by her side and to top it all off being murdered and resurrected all before the age of 16 does that to a person) and I think she deserves all the care and patience in the world but I wouldn't enter a room with her in it if I could help it. However I do really appreciate her character, how complex and morally grey she is. This is just as much her story as it is Percy's, and I think that's really cool. I love that at the end she took her destiny into her own hands and joined the hunters to avoid being manipulated again. I can't wait to see her shine more in the next one.
I also enjoyed the subversion of the damsel in distress trope with Annabeth and later with Artemis, how they were captured, yes, but still showed how strong willed and powerful they are by being able to hold up the literal sky. Also, I can't describe how much my body hurt after reading the description of how it feels to hold up the sky. Absolutely terrifying and painful just to imagine. Amazing.
The last thing, I grew to adore Zoe. I was so invested by the end that it felt like a punch to the gut once the prophecy came to be. Incredible character.

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kiwii091's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Gets you hooked into the plot far quicker than the previous book which to me made it a bit more of an enjoyable read. It also didn't spend mass amounts of time re-explaining things that were from the previous books which helped the plot and development along a lot more. Loved getting to meet some more of the Greek gods and seeing them interact with one another and the half-blood characters as well - gives them a bit more depth rather than just being mentioned by name. However it did feel slightly confusing as to how long after the second book it is set - you assume it's bout a year after the previous one (it even refers to the second books events taking place about a year ago), but then mentions that Thalia had only been a person again for a few months, inferring that it wasn't a year ago - so just a little inconsistent with that.

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