Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

*****

Son of Neptune (“SoN”) picks up the story introduced in The Lost Hero tracking the progress of seven heroes who will rise against a burgeoning evil. In the final installment of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series we first heard the prophecy which foretold the struggles to come:

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

 

The Lost Hero introduced Jason, Leo and Piper to us and Camp Half-Blood (see Nat’s review here). The Lost Hero also warned us that our beloved Percy had gone missing, causing frantic searches by Annabeth, Tyson and Percy’s friends.

SoN picks up several months after The Lost Hero and finds Percy fighting to survive without his memory. He knows he is a demi-god and he remembers his girlfriend, Annabeth, but other than that, he has no memory. Percy is led to a hidden camp filled with the descendants of the Roman gods. Percy is declared a son of the Sea God, Neptune, and the goddess Juno vouches for him. He is accepted into camp and befriended by two warriors, Hazel and Frank. The three set out on a quest to the land beyond the gods to stop the rise of powerful giant.

The Heroes of Olympus series is a little more complex and confusing than Percy Jackson and the Olympians because of the distinction between the Romans and Greeks and the duality of the gods, monsters and even the heroes. My nieces and nephew (5, 7 & 9) just finished a family reading of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and I am not sure they would understand the duality in SoN. These themes were hinted at in The Lost Hero; however, Hero took place in the familiar world of Camp Half-Blood and the Greeks. The issues and differences are much more pronounced and essential in SoN. While Camp Half-Blood deals with life and death situations, the Roman camp seems much more intense, making Camp Half-Blood seem light-hearted in comparison.

All this aside, it was wonderful to spend time with Percy again, like hanging out with an old friend you had not seen in a long time. SoN allows you to catch up with Percy and see how he has grown and changed in the 10 months since the Battle of Olympus. We also get to meet some fun new heroes and friends, as they try to defeat Gaea and her giants.

Unlike Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, where each book seemed self-contained, Heroes of Olympus leaves you hanging and clamoring for answers. SoN ends just when things were getting good and left you needing to know what happens next. I hope that Mark of Athena starts where SoN left off, but if Lost Hero and SoN are any indication, I cannot begin to guess where Rick Riordan is going to pick up the story.

Heroes of Olympus is darker, funnier and more mature than the Percy Jackson series. Riordan really brought the funny in SoN, there were several sections that had me laughing out loud. I thoroughly enjoyed Son of Neptune and was sad to see it end. I rarely give 5 stars, but I am giving them to Son of Neptune because Riordan really is brilliant to enthrall me so…

~Shel

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

* * * *

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?


Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.



I’ll probably start a riot by saying this but I love Percy Jackson more than…Harry Potter.

There. I said it. Did the world combust?

*Looking around waiting for flashes of lightning*




http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/photo_double_rainbow_with_lightning_bolt/



Alright, looks like I survived saying the unthinkable.


There is just something about Percy and his friends that I find so endearing. So when I finally found the time to pick up The Lost Hero at the beginning of this year, I was ecstatic and suspicious all at the same time. I was ecstatic because, the world of Camp Half-Blood was back. I was suspicious because Mr. Riordan was starting a new series with new characters. What if I didn’t like them as much as Percy? What if the story was disappointing? What if, what if, what if?

Well I worried needlessly. The Lost Hero manages to stay close enough to the original series to make young fans happy but also holds its own apart from the Percy Jackson books. Jason, Piper and Leo end up being just as lost and loveable as our Percy.

The story begins with Jason waking up on a bus that is taking him and his friends on a field trip. The problem? He doesn’t know who he is, where he is or how he got there. Leo and Piper are at a loss as to why their friend doesn’t remember them. But before they can find a way to regain Jason’s memories, disaster strikes and the three of them find themselves as the newest guests of Camp Half-Blood. As they learn about their parentage and Jason tries to regain his memories, a new prophecy is given:

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

The three of them head off on a quest to not only fulfill the prophecy (or at least part of it) but also to learn more about Jason. And here begins what Riordan does best. Non-stop action. Along the way they meet both old and new friends and enemies. They overcome and/or escape ridiculously dangerous obstacles. It’s a wild ride that leaves you with a doozy of a cliffhanger.

There were three things that I absolutely loved about this book. First, Riordan cleverly alternates between three points of view (Jason, Leo and Piper). And even though each POV is in third person, you are still able to get a clear view into each characters personality. Second, it was super AWESOME to see both Greek and Roman mythology woven together. And third, I loved the age of the characters. Unlike the beginning of Percy, where the kids are 12 years old, Jason and his friends are 16/17 years old. The age difference allows for more action and a slightly more mature narrative.
I honestly could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book but I don’t want to spoil any part of it for you. So I will just tell you this - buy this or borrow it. One way or another, you MUST read it!

And then when you are done reading it (because I told you to and you should all listen to me, Bel and Shel) go and buy or borrow Book 2, Son of Neptune, which was just released today. Just in case you didn’t figure it out from the title, PERCY IS BACK and the Bibliojunkies could not be more excited!

Now let’s live it up a little and celebrate Greek Week in true book blog fashion. We are GIVING AWAY a hardcover copy of THE LOST HERO by Rick Riordan. You can enter up to three times by doing one or more of the following - Leaving a comment on this post, Following us on GFC, or following us on Twitter.  Be sure to click on the “I Did This” button in the box below after each entry. This contest is open through 12:01AM CST on 10/9/2011. A winner will be announced on 10/10/2011.








If you haven’t yet done so, check out yesterday’s interview with the FABULOUS Jennifer Estep. She talks about her book, Touch of Frost and also tells us what fictional boy she would most want to date. Let’s just say that her response left me in a tizzy as she (along with Tahereh Mafi) is now direct competition for one of my long time fictional loves!  And don't forget to enter to win a copy of Touch of Frost!

And check back tomorrow as we continue our celebration of Greek Week with Shel’s review of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini!



~ Nat