A review by emilynied
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-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 book is absolute perfection..*chefs kiss.* From the very start, the reader knows that this is what Riordan has been building towards for the past two books and his intricate plotline, intra-book character development and action packed scenes certainly aren't going to stop anytime soon. 

Let me just say...

the Percabeth reunion when Percy and Annabeth run towards each other from across the circle of demigods and they embrace and THEN queen Annabeth judo flips him into the pavement

is quite possibly one of my favorite book scenes OF ALL TIME. The character interactions in this book are just spectacular because you're getting demigods from all walks of life and two (very differing) camps and historical empires to admire. 

My favorite part of this book was (first the cutie Percabeth scenes) but in actuality, it was Annabeth's final question to finish off the book. I think that even though Annabeth has been a main character for an entire series now, we really haven't gotten to see her on her own on a quest all about her. In "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," I think that she was always seen as second to Percy in relation to her quests, so seeing her fully on her own and independent in this story was super special. The way she truly embodied a child of Athena in the last couple chapters of this book was just great. 

The ending of this book...whew.

Reading about Annabeth falling through those cracks and Percy saying they're "never going to be apart, not again" was just...wow... If I thought the cliff hangers were bad before reading this...man.

This was just an amazing read.