The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) by Rick Riordan

Title: The Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Last of 5 books

Published: May 2009 by Disney Hyperion

Pages: 381

ISBN: 9781423101475

Source: Library

Description: All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time. In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

I Give This ...
 

  I thought this was an extremely satisfying ending to the series.  Everything is neatly tied up and explained.  The events are the most part fast paced.  I did get a little bored during some of the in between battle times while they were defending NYC.  But, then Kronos would attack again with some new monster and the action would pick back up.  I loved Hestia's role in this book.  It felt like a much needed recognition for the lesser known Gods.  I thought it also played in nicely to the inclusion of Pandora's box and that all that was left was hope.  I was happy to see the relationship between Percy and Annabeth finally progress.  It was once of those it's about time moments.  I loved Rachel's finally place in the story.   It just made sense to me, especially since I never felt the connection between Percy and her.  It always felt forced. 
Overall, just a wonderful book and great tie up.  I'm looking forward to the author's next series involving the Egyptian Gods.  I don't know as much about them, so I'm interested to see if holds the same pull as this one did.

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan

Title: Battle of the Labyrinth
Author: Rick Riordan
Published: May 2008

Pages: 361

ISBN: 9781423101499

Source: Library

Description: Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.  In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth-a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

I Give This Book 3.5 Stars!

This book in the series just didn't have the same pull as the first 3 did.  The story lost me a little.  I think I expected more action while they were in the labyrinth.  But at times, I felt like the story was going in circles.  There are parts that I really liked.  The story of the labyrinth and it's place in the modern world was extremely interesting.  I loved that an actual human plays such an intricate part of the story.  I think the story weaving was better in this one.  It's starts to connect everything together and sets up for the final book.  Although this one made me curious what part the gods would actually play in the final battle.  They seem to interfere  (or help) and the strangest times and I'm not sure what they actually want out of the demigods.   I still think the author does a fantastic job of weaving Greek mythology into the story.  It reminds me how much I love mythology.

The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) by Rick Riordan

Title: The Titan's Curse
Author: Rick Riordan
Published: May 2007
Pages: 312
ISBN: 9781423101451
Source: Library

Description: When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the Titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

I Give This Book 4 Stars!

This book starts out with a bang. The gang finds two new powerful demigods, the Goddess Artemis is kidnapped, and Annabeth goes missing. I have to admit, I don't recall the Hunters from Greek mythology very well. I was happy to learn more about them. They made for an interesting addition to the story. Especially since I think this series is directed more at boys, and the Hunters are basically "man-haters." Their leader, Zoe, was a wonderful addition to the cast of characters. I wasn't sure about Thalia at first. She kind of annoyed me. But, I think the explanation of being frozen as tree for 7 years without really aging explained a lot. Percy continues to keep me interested in the story. And now that we think we know what his flaw is, should make the rest of the series that much more interesting. Especially since I would consider his flaw to be more "noble." I loved learning a few new things about Greek mythology that I didn't know before. The author continues to weave even the lesser known myths into the story! I especially enjoyed how the story of Atlas was worked in.

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) by Rick Riordan

Title: The Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Published: April 2006
Pages: 279
ISBN: 9780786856862
Source: Library

Description: After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long.
Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle.
Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

I Give This Book 4 Stars!

I'm still amazed at how the author manages to work in Greek mythology into today's world.  And it works wonderfully!  These books are just as believable as the Harry Potter series.  Although, I see the similarities that I'm sure many people pick at.  But, the context is different for me.  And, that makes the story different.   I find the adventures interesting and the Greek stories and lore work right into the story.  These are books that kids can pick up and not realize they are actually learning something while reading it.  I like watching Percy grow into accepting who he is and what his future responsibilities may be.  I'm very happy that I found this series!

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Publication: April 2006 by Miramax
Pages: 375
ISBN: 9780786838653

Description: Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse: Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Percy's mom decides it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves

I Give This Book 4 Stars!

I've always been interested in Greek mythology, so this book caught my eye really quick!  The story is extremely simple, which is not suprising since it is written for middle schoolers.  But, it was a fun and fast read.  My only issues were the ease in which the problems were solved and the mythology presented in the book.  For example, why would a 6th grader be able to take out a minotaur so easily?  And then beat Ares, the God of War, in a battle?  There was also a lot of mythology introduced in this book, with little explanation behind it.  I knew most if because I've studied Greek mythology in high school and in college.  But, how much of this would the average middle schooler know?  Still, a very fun way to introduce mythology to young readers!  I'll continue on with the series.