A review by kathrynleereads
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

 Having read more than a fair few of Rick Riordan’s books in the past, I began the House of Hades familiar with Riordan’s ability to intertwine humor and tragedy. That being said when the book opened with the downtrodden crew of the Argo II fighting monsters and Percy and Annabeth slowly trudging through Tartarus, it was clear that Riordan was taking his talent to a whole new level.

Without Percy to placate the sea, the crew of the Argo II is forced to travel over land in their attempt to reach the House of Hades, where they hope to rendezvous with Percy and Annabeth to close the Doors of Death. The House of Hades is packed with glimmers of hope, moments of despair, and more than a few instances of desperate demigods completely winging it.

Riordan took the time he needed to sort out the issues and the mythology, not rushing the plot, but not letting it drag either. My only disappointment was the way the two timelines connect. On the Argo II, a month passes while the crew makes their way to the House of Hades, but in Tartarus, Annabeth and Percy only manage to find time to sleep a handful of times. It wasn’t clear whether this was supposed to represent the near-constant-torture of existing in Tartarus, or if it was simply an oversight in the two storylines.
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