samtherat17's reviews
138 reviews

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional 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

Finally, we come to the end of the Heroes of Olympus, and Rick really delivered a banger here. I'm torn between this and The House of Hades for the best book in the series, but The Blood of Olympus was really great. Quite surprisingly, I actually thought Reyna and Nico were the MVPs in this book--especially a certain Reyna moment at the end was really powerful. Apart from that, the main seven were also excellent as always and I really love the bonding between them, because at this point in the series they've all become best friends with each other and the moments in which they just interact with each other are some of my favourites in the book. And man, we have to talk about the absolutely epic ending.

When the gods showed up during that fight...whoa. That was just such a crazy moment. And of course, Leo's "death". I'm gonna be honest, Rick really fooled me there, because I thought Leo had discarded the physician's cure, but him getting an injection from Festus? That was a really excellent and clever subversion of expectations. It was also really great seeing Leo reunite with Calypso, but how's that cliffhanger gonna be resolved? I guess I'll now have to read The Trials of Apollo😅.

So yup, The Blood of Olympus was an excellent conclusion to the series. I have to say, I do prefer PJO as a series overall--maybe it's just because of nostalgia, but still, Heroes of Olympus was a really great series and I'm looking forward to reading The Trials of Apollo soon. I need to find out what happens after that cliffhanger!

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional tense 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

To be honest, this book isn't very different from the other Heroes of Olympus books. I mean, I enjoyed all of them (at least till this point), but I felt like none of them had that extra "something" which could have made them 5 star reads. Well, The House of Hades had that special something. I think the major reason why I liked this one more than the others was because there was just so much more emotional development for all the characters. I mean, it's a bit crazy how Rick fit this much character work into a single book, but you know what? He pulled it off pretty well. Minor spoilers here for the previous book, but a certain event at the end of it leaves Percy and Annabeth isolated from the rest of the seven; and I just love how Rick handled their relationship throughout the book. One of my favourite couples in fiction for sure.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another pretty great instalment in the Heroes of Olympus, but I didn't find this to be as good as the first two. I don't know if there is a something like a 'too many monsters' syndrome, but to be honest that's what I felt while reading this book. The book was just a bit overlong, and the plot was a little convoluted. However, I would be lying if I said that I didn't find the the final act to be absolutely spectacular.

Annabeth's showdown with Arachne, Percy and Jason uniting against the giants

...it was really tense and exciting. 

THAT ENDING THOUGH!!! I almost teared up. I mean, Percy and Annabeth falling into Tartarus and him telling her that he won't let her go again...oh man. Absolute cinema.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I found The Lost Hero to be an excellent read and The Son of Neptune continues that tradition. Our favourite seaweed brain Percy is finally back, and even as an amnesiac he is entertaining as always. The new PoV characters Hazel and Frank are also pretty great, and they both have compelling backstories and character arcs. And of course the plot is engaging and full of twists, turns, and monsters; but at this point you expect that from Rick. So yup, another amazing entry in the Heroes of Olympus. 

WHY DID RICK HAVE TO END THE BOOK THERE?????? Oh man, now I have to pick up The Mark of Athena!

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Well, it seems like the Percy Jackson re-read has now turned into a full Riordan-verse reread, and if I get to read books like The Lost Hero, I'm not complaining about it. Rick tries his hand at a longer, more mature book/series, and you know what? He does it pretty well. The first instalment of the Heroes of Olympus is just as much of a thrill-ride as any of the PJO books, and has much more epic action and story packed into it. I think the only thing that pulls it down from a 5-star rating is that I'm not the biggest fan of Jason. Rick already set the golden standard for main characters with Percy, and while Jason is cool, I don't think he (or anyone tbh) measures up to Percy.

Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A pretty good, accessible and humorous retelling of the Greek myths--narrated in his signature style by our favourite teenage demigod! I do think that the jokes were a bit too much here though--maybe this book would have benefited from being a bit more serious at points. Although I may just be saying this because I've grown out of the target audience for this book.

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So finally, we arrive at the end of the great PJO re-read. And well, what better way to end it off than with The Last Olympian--my favourite Riordanverse book! Let's start off with how this book is paced. Man, this is just a rollercoaster ride from start to finish with enough epic battles, funny quips, and emotional moments to keep you engaged the whole time.
Also; Percy, Annabeth, Nico,

Luke, Silena,

Clarisse--what I find crazy is that how each of these characters (and others!) have their own amazing moments throughout the book. And of course, we have to talk about the ending. What a marvelous way to bring things full circle. So yeah, if you haven't figured it out yet, I absolutely adore this book. Maybe some of my love for it is due to the nostalgia of having read it as a kid, but the book is still really excellent. The best in the PJO series for me, and like I said--my favourite Rick Riordan book overall.

That ending was really something. Luke really did come around at the end--what a powerful scene. Percy rejecting immortality in favour of choosing to tell the gods to claim their children is also such a well-written character moment. And of course, I have to mention the Percabeth kiss at the end. It was just really satisfying and heartwarming as a reader.

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

To be honest, I don't have much to say about this that I haven't said about the other PJO books. This is just a fast-paced, tense, thrill-ride with some funny moments thrown in here and there. The execution of the Greek myth elements (especially the labyrinth!) is excellent as usual. I am a bit iffy about the 'love triangle' though. Overall I'd say that this book isn't as great as something like The Lightning Thief or The Last Olympian, but it's still amazing.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. I didn't remember The Titan's Curse being this good the first time I read it but I was really surprised by how excellent this was.
While I didn't dislike Sea of Monsters, I did feel like the stakes in that book were a bit low. However, that is definitely not the case here as this book has way higher stakes with the

capture of Annabeth

and the series keeps becoming more mature--which I love. I thought the quest in this book was excellent throughout, with constant jokes (and monsters) keeping you entertained. I also thought the climax was really amazing. And of course, the final twist. Of course, on a reread it doesn't hit the same as it did before, but I remember being absolutely mind-blown the first time I read it. 
So yup, all-in-all, The Titan's Curse was unexpectedly great! Can't wait to continue with the PJO re-read journey!

Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

One of the most unusual things about the first two books was how there would be sometimes be pretty big time jumps in between chapters. Well, Fonda Lee really dials that up to 11 in this book. All jokes aside though, how this book covers a 20-year time period is very unique and is executed really well. It certainly makes the title of 'Jade Legacy' fitting.

The characters are the heart and soul of this trilogy and Fonda Lee knows it. The character development of Hilo, Shae, and others over the years is truly excellent to read. I've grown really attached to these characters, to the point that when any action scene happened, I was just thinking "please don't die, please don't die!!"

Also, the characters' perceptions of various things (including each other) change over time is perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of this book/series. It's not easy to write something taking place over so many years, while keeping it interesting and tense, but again, it's just executed so well and elevates this book to another level.

On a side note, while the 'newer generation' characters don't have the most screen time, they are all unique in their own way and interesting to read about whenever their chapters come about. Also, Anden is a real MVP in this book -- I just love him.

After the characters, I'd say that the world is the most important part of the Green Bone Saga, and it is really expanded upon and we explore many more areas other than just Janloon and Port Massy. Just like the character development, the evolution of the world over the years is also a delight to see. And while I've already repeated this many times in my Jade City and War reviews, the world is just so damn immersive. 

And of course, the emotional beats of this story. While I can't say too much here due to spoilers, the ending will hit you right in the feels. It's a bittersweet conclusion--sad in some ways but hopeful and triumphant overall. After putting down the book, I mulled over the ending for a long time and realised just how much I had grown to love this world and its characters. It's not every day that a book makes me feel that.

Would I say that there are any flaws in this book? Well, it could have been shortened, and some of the stuff here doesn't feel too necessary, but I don't think that the book has any major flaws.

Overall, a spectacular conclusion to the Green Bone Saga. Probably my favourite read so far into 2024. Fonda Lee used a bold technique for this book, but it paid off massively. I would say that this series has definitely become one of my all-time favourites--perhaps even my favourite fantasy trilogy!

Hilo, man. His death scene was just so powerful--I would have cried if I wasn't sitting in a public space. What an absolute legend of a character. Also, Bero driving Anden to the Twice Lucky--talk about things coming full circle.