shakuni's reviews
13 reviews

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Decent plot development, but something felt off about how the new prophecy unfolded. Some of it was obvious, and the part that was not obvious (about one of the quest members getting struck down by their own father's hand) felt like it was unnaturally obscured by Chiron/others simply refusing to talk about the prophecy (I mean, what's with all the "X and Y exchanged uneasy pointed looks but didn't fudging say anything" or Chiron being all "oh, I'm a God but the interpretation could be any number of things". How convenient, just to keep the plot moving). Also, I don't like it too much when they take away focus away from the established main characters. Yes, the new characters were eventually fleshed out, but it was rather abrupt at the start and felt like a completely different universe in the beginning.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I would have normally given this less than 5 stars because second/third books in an AU setting usually don't inspire the same sense of wonderment as when a magical world is first introduced. However, the pace at which this story unfolded was perfect narration, and the introduction of new characters and Greek monsters never felt overwhelming to take in. The plot development and twists are the icing on the cake.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Always love the introduction of an AU, especially one that involves the protagonist discovering about a magic/supernatural school. Despite being a non-native English speaker, the story-telling was easy to understand, compelling to follow along and get immersed the magical world of Greek mythology.