The Trials Of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle

Title: The Trials Of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle

Author: Rick Riordan

After the previous five-book-series of The Heroes Of Olympus, Rick Riordan is back again to give his readers a story from Greek myth - The Hidden Oracle- the first book in the next saga The Trials Of Apollo.

Since the book has been released only this week, I am not detailing the story. No spoilers!

The story revolves around the Greek God of Sun, Music, Archery and a “bunch of other stuff”, the Lord Apollo, who falls to the Earth after being punished by his father Lord Zeus to undergo several trials and prove his worth before getting restored in his godly form in Olympus again.

The book starts with the heroic landing of the sun God in a pile of garbage in an alley in West Manhattan as a dorky sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester Papadopoulos. The mortal, powerless Lester is forced to serve Meg(Margaret), an untrained demigod in of the Manhattan streets. Their bonding, and their adventures before they reach Camp Half Blood, and an unofficial quest to find the hidden oracle of Dodona is the crux of the story.

This book brings us back many of the characters whom we adore like Percy, Chiron, Will, Nico and even Mrs O’Leary. And towards the end of the book, there is an amazing entry of Leo Valdez with his pet metal dragon Festus. But somehow, when I read the book, I did not feel the same charm that Percy or Leo used to bring, back in the old series. I felt Percy was less cool. He was not the Percy I knew six months earlier(time period according to the book), and I didn’t know Percy can become such an all-time-worried chap from the happy go lucky guy that he was within such a short time. Leo, too, had changed too much. And in all parts that they appeared, I was telling myself: There is something wrong with them. What is it? Probably nothing is. But I don’t know.

The new characters are charming as ever. I especially loved Meg and her pet karpoi named Peaches. Apollo in the form of Lester is also super cool. One other character whom I loved was Harley, son of Hephaestus.

I liked the parts when Apollo was not able to accept and come to terms with the fact that he wasn't a God anymore but a mere mortal. The parts in which Apollo forgets that he is in mortal form without any powers, but talks like a God in his mortal voice, is very funny, and for poor Apollo- it is pathetic!

The book was totally cool. The plot was amazing and there was a very unexpected twist in the end. It was an awesome read!

Thanks, Riordan!

Now, the wait for the next book- The Hammer Of Thor in the Magnus Chase series- begins!

Heroes Of Olympus- The Blood Of Olympus

It all started way back in Class 7.

“Hey, you haven’t read the Percy Jackson series, ah?” - was the question that all my classmates and friends asked me. No. I didn't know any Percy Jackson. But it started there. I read the whole series, and finished it in Class 7. Then, I continued with my favourite friends, Percy and Annabeth, in the Heroes Of Olympus series. From that year on, I've been immediately reading the new releases- The Lost Hero, The Son Of Neptune, The Mark Of Athena and The House Of Hades, as eBooks. One of my classmates always makes sure it comes to me soon after the release.

But this time- The Blood Of Olympus was already out. I assumed that I would get the eBook as usual. But not so.

“Sorry! I don’t think I will be able to send this time!”  was all that my classmate said.

Ah! How was I going to  get the book?! I had to read it! And- be one of the first people to have read it!

Thanks to Eloor, our usual library, I got a copy of The Blood Of Olympus to read.

I finished reading it, and travelled with the seven demigods to the end of the final battle with Gaia, after which everybody is peaceful and happy.

Title: Heroes Of Olympus- The Blood Of Olympus

Author: Rick Riordan

Main Characters: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Hazel, Frank Zhang, Coach Hedge, Reyna, Hylla, Thalia, Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Ares, Asclepius, Victory, Octavian, Nico, Gaia, Giants.

Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel and Frank. They were the seven demigods chosen to defeat Gaia. But they had a problem with the prophecy.

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire the world must fall.

An oath to keep with the final breath,

And foes bear arms to the doors of death.

To storm or fire the world must fall- that presented a problem. This meant Jason, son of Zeus(god of storm and lightning) or Leo, the son of Hephaestus(god of fire), might die in the final battle So, the seven demigods set on three dangerous quests that would help them solve everything- they had to capture Victoria(the goddess of victory), they had to capture the war god Ares’s heartbeat from the Old Temple and they had to talk to Apollo and Artemis(the twin gods) into following them in the battle, and get the secret potion from Asclepius to make sure that Jason or Leo could be brought back alive even if they die.

While capturing Victory, it becomes clear that Leo is going to die, because Victory screams at the Percy, Hazel, Frank and Leo, that one of them will die. But nothing is said about it. The magic medicine that they acquire from Asclepius is handed over to Piper to keep it in safety.

The Gods and the Demigods together successfully defeat the giants. But while doing so, a drop of blood from both Annabeth and Percy seeps into the ground. The Blood Of Olympus has been given. Gaia awakes.

Zeus blows the seven demigods to Camp- Half Blood.

Meanwhile, Reyna, Nico, and Coach Hedge counter problems and finally reach Camp-Half Blood safely with the Athena Parthenos, only to find that Octavian(a Roman) is planning to war with the Greeks. But as Reyna arrives, and earns trust with the Greeks by giving back their sacred statue of Athena, the Romans stop following Octavian and listen to their old Praetor Reyna.

The seven Demigods, the Roman and Greek forces together wage the war against Gaia. Finally, Leo takes Jason and Piper up into the air, where Piper charm-speaks Gaia into sleep-mode. Leo fires Gaia with all his strength. As heat builds up, and Leo understands that one of them must die, he pushes Jason and Piper from the war ship where they might die.

Octavian launches himself on a missile to attack Gaia, in the name of saving Rome. Together, Leo’s fire and Octavian’s missile crumbles Gaia so much that she will never be able to reform again. But Leo’s warship, bursts into flames illuminating the whole sky.

Everybody thinks Leo is dead and pray for him. Things slowly settle down. Greeks and Romans become friends. Peace prevails.

But did Leo die? Of course not! He is the awesome guy who is “all about doing the impossible”. So, what happened to him? Read to find out.

The book is really awesome. I am glad I was able to read it so soon.

Did you pick up your copy?

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.

39 Clues – Book one: The Maze Of Bones

The 39 Clues (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: The Maze Of Bones

Author: Rick Riordan

Main Characters: Amy, Dan, Grace, Nellie, McIntyre, Aunt Beatrice, Ian, Natalie, Alistair Oh, Jonah Wizard and The Holts.

Description of one of the Main Characters: Jonah Wizard is one in the Cahill family. He is a television star. But he has no brains. He is very rich. He is wicked. He tries to get information from Dan and Amy. He is stupid. His father always talks about the television programmes in which Jonah had come.

Whom I like and why: I like Dan very much. He is very quick in mental maths. He is very brave. Dan is intelligent. Without Dan’s courage and reasoning, Amy would have never accepted the quest. Amy is Dan’s sister.

Whom I dislike and why: I dislike Ian Kabra. He is very wicked. He has a younger sister named Natalie who is equally cunning. He always considers Amy and Dan as poor and mocks at them. He is smart. He and his sister were the first to accept Grace’s quest.

Setting/Theme of the story: Grace Cahill is about to die. She changes her will and gives it to William McIntyre, her lawyer. She dies. Amy and Dan Cahill are the grand children of Grace Cahill. Aunt Beatrice, Amy’s and Dan’s guardian takes them to the Cahill mansion. In the Cahill mansion, McIntyre reads Grace’s will. The Cahill family is very big. So, Grace had given them all a million dollars. She had also spoken ,in a recording played by McIntyre, about the Cahill family as one of the most powerful in human history. She had planned an open contest for any Cahill member to accept the challenge of finding 39 clues which will lead them to find a treasure which will make them the most powerful human being. But there was a condition. Anyone who chooses to accept the challenge will not inherit anything but the first clue to the treasure. The one million dollars of theirs will be burned. Amy and Dan accept the challenge. The first clue Amy and Dan get is:

Resolution:

The fine print to guess,

Seek out Richards________

Amy finds out from Grace’s library that 'Richards________ 'refers to Benjamin Franklin as Benjamin Franklin always disguised his real name. Amy and Dan take Nellie, a girl of age 19, to travel to Paris where Benjamin Franklin lived. They go to the maze of bones, and find a magic box to complete. In between the Holts, the Kabras, Jonah Wizard and Alistair Oh try to kill Amy and Dan. But Amy and Dan escape. They go to a church and find a underground room, where Benjamin Franklin lived. Thy find a clue to the second clue, which is:

As though charge this,

So I charge thee.

Use thy skills the

truth to free.

They find a song etched on the walls and take a copy of it. They find the initials W.A.M under the song. Amy recognizes the initials 'W.A.M' as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They get ready to go to Vienna, Austria where Mozart lived to search for the second clue.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Amy and Dan escape from Natalie and Ian Kabra who try to snatch the clue to the second clue from them.

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

Cover via Amazon

Title: Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan

Main Characters: Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Nico, Tyson, Luke, Kornos, Beckendorf, Silena, Chiron, Clarisse, Ares, Athena, Hera, Hermes, Rachel, Apollo and Sally.

Description of one of the Main Characters: Nico is the son of Hades. He had a sister named Bianca who went inside a troll and couldn’t come back out. Nico was not allowed to be in camp Half–Blood ( the place where demigods get training to become heroes) because he is the son of Hades, the Lord of the Dead. Nico convinces his father to fight Kornos and few other Titans for saving Olympus and other Gods.

Whom I like and Why: I like Tyson. He is a Cyclope and the big-brother of Percy. He is also a son of Poseidon. He is very brave. He loves Percy so much that he kills a Titan(Oceanus) for him and to save Olympus. He leads the other Cyclopes in the war between the Titans and Gods. As a reward, Zeus appoints him as general in the armies of Olympus.

Whom I dislike and Why: I dislike Kornos. He is one of the greatest Titans. He was once shattered into numerous pieces by the Gods. But he regained power and took Luke's body. He is wicked and cruel. He escaped the magic of tartarus, a really dangerous pit. He attacks New York City hoping he could capture Olympus. But he is once again shattered into numerous pieces by Percy and Annabeth. Maybe, he can never rejoin again.

Setting/Theme of the Story: Percy and Rachel spend the holiday together but suddenly Beckendorf arrives and calls Percy to help him blast ‘PRINCESS ANDROMEDA’, the ship of the Titan Lord Kornos. Percy and Beckendorf blast the ship but unfortunately Beckenford dies when the ship blasts. Percy goes back to camp Half-Blood and tells everybody the sad news. Then Annabeth, Percy, Chiron and other campers go to New York to save Olympus. At last Percy fights Kornos, the Titan Lord and defeats him. The Gods regain power and reward the brave heroes of Olympus.
Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Titan Kronos gets shattered into pieces by his own weapon.

Kane Chronicles : The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid (novel) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Djed pillar, and ancient Egyptian symbol meaning 'stability', is the symbolic backbone of the god Osiris. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

bw version of the Eye of Horus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Kane Chronicles : The Red Pyramid

Author: Rick Riordan

Main Characters: Carter Kane, Sadie Kane, Julius Kane, Amos, Zia, Iskander, Isis, Bast, Horus, Set, Nephthys, Khufu, Thoth, Anubis, Osiris, Desjardins, Apophis and Ra.

Description of one the main characters: Julius Kane is a brilliant scientist. He is also a magician of the House of life. He is from the ancient blood of pharohs. He tries to bring back Osiris, but unfortunately brings back all the five major Gods of Egypt including the Set, the evil God of chaos. Set, imprisons Orisis and Julius Kane, in a golden coffin.

Whom I like and why: I like Bast very much. She protects Sadie and Carter when they go on a quest to the old Egyptian king. Bast had fought Apophis when she was younger. She was imprisoned with Apophis, the evil, so that she could always fight him and keep him away from the mortal world.

Setting/Theme of the story: When Sadie, Carter and their father Julius Kane go on a outing to the British museum Julius Kane blows up the old Rosetta stone in the museum and unleashes the five Gods of Egypt including Set, the evil God of chaos. Set traps Julius with Osiris in a golden coffin. Sadie and Carter flee for their lives. They meet their uncle, Amos, and stays with him in the House of Life, Twenty-first Nome in Brooklyn. Muffin turns into Bast, the Goddess of Cats, who protects the two children in their terrifying quest to save their father. During the quest they visit the first Nome where Iskander teaches them some magic. They become friends with Zia. Then, suddenly Iskander dies and Desjardins wants to kill Sadie and Carter. Zia help them escape. Finally Sadie and Carter understands that they are hosts of Horus and Isis. They fight Set and free Osiris. Their father becomes the host of Osiris. They go back to the twenty-first Nome in Brooklyn.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Sadie and Carter make Set swear that he will help them and the other Gods. They also make him swear that he will not trouble the mortals. He is sent ack into the Duat, the residence of Gods.

Kane Chronicles- The Throne Of Fire

The egyptian sun god Ra simplified with Maler_der_Grabkammer_der_Nefertari_001.jpg as reference (horiz mirrored) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The moon god Khonsu, depicted as a falcon with the moon-disk on his head. Khonsu could also be depicted as a mummiform child with a large pendent necklace and wearing the same moon disk. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Kane Chronicles- The Throne of Fire

Author: Rick Riordan

Main Characters: Carter Kane, Sadie Kane, Bast, Bes, Zia Rashid, Walt, Jaz, Anubis, Isis, Horus, Ra, Amos, Menshikov, Desjardins, Nephthys, Khufu and Thoth.

Description of one of the main characters: Walt is a magician in the House of Life. He is one of the descendants of Akhenaton. So, the curse of Akhenaton runs in his family. He is sixteen years old and loves to play basketball. He helps Sadie Kane get the third book of Ra.

Whom I like and Why: I like Bes because he is kind to the Kanes. He is the god of the dwarves. He helps Sadie Kane and Cater Kane fight Apophis and also find the books of Ra. He sacrifices his own life to Khonsu, the Moon God to allow the Kanes to go back time. He is Bast's friend.

Whom I dislike and Why: I dislike Menshikov as he works for Apophis. He knows Set's secret name. He tries to make Set work for him.

The US logo for The Kane Chronicles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Setting/Theme of the Story: Carter, Sadie, Walt and Jaz try to wake Ra, so that they can defeat Apophis, the evil God of chaos. For waking Ra, they need to find the three books of Ra. Jaz suddenly falls ill and the other three continue the journey. Bast goes off on her own to check whether Apophis is trying to break free. Bast sends Bes, to help Sadie and Carter in their quest. Carter saves Zia Rashid from the palace of Red sands where Iskander had hidden her. Zia and Walt go back to 21st nome in Brooklyn. Sadie and Carter travel into the Duat and they awaken Ra. To their surprise they find Vlad Menshikov trying to stop them. Desjardins suddenly comes to Kanes and sends Apophis inside the Earth, so that Apophis will take more time to come back. During the process, he dies and Amos becomes the cheif Lector. The Kanes get more time to defeat Apophis.