Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Book Jacket

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophecy of Seven.

Review

Percy is back!  I'd forgotten how awesome he is.  My love for him made me a little peeved that the chapters switched narrators between him, Ruth, and Frank.  For about one chapter each, and then I fell in love with these new Roman demigods.

Ruth's past and her curse made her exactly tragic enough to be a daughter of Hades.  And Frank's slowly revealed history felt the most mythological of any character we've encountered so far.  I loved getting to know them, and I can't wait to read more about them (plus the other four demigods from Camp Half-Blood) in the series finale!

There seemed to be less "mythological character of the day" appearances in Son of Neptune.  Mostly the bad guys were creatures I was unfamiliar with.  However, I very much enjoyed Iris's store and her non-Hostess cupcakes.  And really, I didn't notice the lack of characters until the book was over, so maybe it wasn't such a big deal.

Excellent fast read.  It's great to have Percy back, and I can't wait for the conclusion.

Four out of five super fast horses.

Release Date:  October 2011
Reading Level: Grade 5+
Where In Dunlap Public Library's Collection: YPL RIO