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kstango 's review for:
The Blood of Olympus
by Rick Riordan
This book was a solid conclusion to the series. Ultimately though, I felt like Riordan could've wrapped up the series in a bit of a different way. The conclusion to the original Lightning Thief series was so well done, and I felt that this book pales in comparison. I appreciated getting to hear from even more perspectives than usual in this book, and I did enjoy how he fleshed out Reyna's character. Ultimately though, I know the characters are just kids, but I think they got off easy. In the previous book, Riordan spends pages upon pages getting readers attached to Iapetus/Bob, and ultimately when he sacrifices himself for Percy and Annabeth, it's truly gut-wrenching and very powerful. So for the conclusion of the series to keep all the beloved characters alive and to barely have them in any danger at all? It just didn't seem appropriate for the ultimate showdown described in the prophecy. Most of the novel was your typical Riordan shenanigans, with the characters managing to cleverly fight and talk their way out of sticky situations, with the humor that makes me really appreciate this series. However, the final act of the novel really disappointed me. Gaea - supposedly the most dangerous enemy they've ever faced - awakens, and immediately gets scooped up by a mechanical dragon, immediately charm-spoken to sleep, and then blown up? I found it exceedingly anti-climactic. Every part of the final battle sequence felt way too easy, and ultimately I was left saying "That's it?" However, I was still very happy with Riordan's characters, and how he further diversifies his storytelling through new characters and new perspectives. The characters themselves are why I love the series so much, and I will always love the nuances that Riordan brings to them, both old and new. Percy and Annabeth deserve to rest and be happy for once. I also think Riordan set up the next series well, and I haven't yet explore the Trials of Apollo series, so I am definitely looking forward to that.