The Mark of Athena

Drawing of Athena Parthenos (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: The Mark of Athena

Author: Rick Riordan

Main Characters: Annabeth, Leo, Percy, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Athena, Arachne, Aphrodite (Venus), Bacchus (Dionysus), Coach Hedge, Reyna, Octavian, Phorcys, Nemesis, Gaea, Ephilates, Otis, Chrysaor, Terminus, Nico and Keto.

Description of one of the main characters: Arachne was a weaver who claimed to have skills superior to Athena’s. This angered the goddess, who destroyed Arachne’s tapestry and loom. Arachne hung herself, and Athena brought her back to life as a spider. Arachne guards the Athena Parthenos, a giant statue of Athena, the most famous greek statue of all times. She gets tricked by Annabeth and falls deep into the Tartarus. But she pulls Annabeth and Percy also in with her.

Whom I like and why: I like Leo very much. He is very jolly. He is the son of Hephaestus. He knows everything about machines and machine parts. He can summon fire in his hand, being a son of Hephaestus. He makes Argo II, the fantastic ship which can both sail and fly and has Festus’s (a machine dragon made by Leo) bronze dragonhead as its figurehead. His ship was named after Argo, the ship used by a band of Greek heroes who accompanied Jason on his quest to find the golden fleece. Leo makes Argo II because they needn’t be in contact with Gaea (Earth), the mother of monsters. Leo loves Archimedes(a son of Hephaestus).

Whom I dislike and why: I dislike Phorcys, the old sea God. He was the sea God before Poseidon. He hates Percy, son of Poseidon. He captures Percy, Frank and Coach Hedge. But they manage to break out. Phorcys is very jealous of Poseidon. He supports Gaea. He is the son of Gaea.

Setting/theme of the story: Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Piper and Coach Hedge come to the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter, to reinforce peace between the Romans and Greeks, which had not been there for centuries. They make settlements with Reyna, a Roman, that the ship, Argo II wouldn’t land and that Leo would stay up in the ship to see to that nothing goes wrong. They go to see New Rome and Annabeth meets Percy at last. Just when everything was going smoothly, the Roman camp is attacked by Leo from Argo II. All the Romans panic. Annabeth, Percy, Jason, and Piper do not understand what is happening. They can’t believe Leo had done something to spoil their plan. They can’t stay in Camp Jupiter anymore, so they go back to Argo II with Percy’s two Roman friends, Hazel and Frank. They quickly sail away from the Roman camp. Leo tells the others that he wasn’t himself and didn’t know that he was attacking the Romans. Using her charm-speak  Piper finds that Leo had been possessed by the eidolons, possessing spirits. They continue the journey but at one point Leo tells his friends that he needs coal and celestial bronze. Leo and Hazel meet Nemesis, goddess of revenge. She tells them that Nico, Hazel’s brother is in trouble. Hazel decides to somehow save him. They go in search of the giant twins, Ephilates and Otis. Meanwhile Athena gives Annabeth a coin to follow the Mark of Athena and find the Athena Parthenos. Annabeth goes alone and finds herself alone with her worst enemy, Arachne. She somehow flatters Arachne and asks her to do a Chinese handcuff model using all her silk. Arachne accepts and does the Chinese handcuff. Annabeth says that there is a flaw inside and asks Arachne to go in and see for herself. Arachne gets struck. Annabeth had made Arachne weave her own trap. Just then, Arachne breaks the news that they will fall into the Tartarus if the floor gives away. At that time Argo II appears with Nico in it. Nico had been saved. Percy and Jason had defeated Ephilates and Otis with the help of Bacchus, the God of wine. They safely transport the Athena Parthenos to the ship. But they are too late to save Annabeth. Arachne pulls Annabeth into Tartarus and trying to save her, Percy also falls into the Tartarus. He asks Nico to meet him in Epirus, the door of death from the mortal side. Leo, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel and Nico prepare to go to Epirus. They decide save Percy and Annabeth.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part where Annabeth falsely tells that Arachne’s weavings shall be displayed in Olympus and tricks her to make her own trap. A chinese handcuff tightens when you try two move out of it. So after Arachne goes in and when she tries to come out, it tightens and she gets struck.