A review by heresyourletter
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional funny 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

A gripping sequel adding a new cast of loveable demigods and formidable monsters to the mix. The world building is really top notch: I enjoyed the creative rendering of a Roman demigod camp and exploring how the Roman gods differ from their Greek counterparts.

Although it is problematic that Alaska is portrayed as the land “beyond the gods” — it’s almost like saying the Arctic is an inferior, morally suspect place.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexism, Slavery, Vomit, Kidnapping, Colonisation

Preparation for war and fighting monsters throughout. One character’s parent dies before the book begins. They grieve the loss throughout the book. Several characters are bullied for being outcasts. Brief scene where men are shown to be enslaved by a group of women. Brief mention of keeping magical animals in cages to sell them.

A character’s grandmother is on her deathbed. It is implied that she will die that day. One character is revealed to have died when she was 13 years old. She sacrifices herself to save her mother, who was possessed by a god and had become verbally abusive. One character’s life is a tied to a piece of wood that was originally burning in a fireplace before his mother snatched it out. He later lights the wood on fire to free a chained up god who had been kidnapped. Alaska is portrayed as “the land beyond the gods”, full of monsters. Although this is not addressed, it is a rather colonial viewpoint