The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

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The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5)

"The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan is the fifth and final book in the series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." The series is about the half-breed children of the gods, the demi-gods, and the adventures and struggles they go through. It is written towards the middle school level, but I thought it was a really fun read as an adult as well!

In "The Last Olympian" Percy and his friends face their greatest challenges yet. Kronos is posed to attack Mount Olympus, and he's managed to lure most of the gods away. This means it's up to Percy and the rest of the demi-gods to prevent Kronos from destroying Olympus, and maybe all of civilization in the process!

Mount Olympus is located above New York City, so the demi-gods are provided with extra challenge as they try to preserve the city while fighting Kronos's forces. They are also provided with some interesting help because of their location, but I'll let you read the book to find out how that works! Oh yes, and did I mention there is a traitor in their midst?

I was a little sad reading this book knowing that it's the last book in the series, but then I got to the end and there's a note from the author that indicates he will be writing more. It looks like there will be a new series with the same premise, but some newer characters. I can hardly wait to see what he does!

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

"The Battle of the Labyrinth" is the last book printed to date in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series, and I can hardly wait for the fifth and final book to come out!

Book four starts out with Percy attending Freshman orientation at the school his Mom's boyfriend works at. No big deal right? Wrong! The very first chapter is titled, "I Battle the Cheerleading Squad." He's soon running from the scene as fast as he can, hoping to avoid taking the blame for yet another mess!

Meanwhile, back at Camp Half-blood, the danger is ramping up. Kronos's army plans to invade the camp before they attempt to take over Olympians, and again it will fall to Percy and his friends to save the day.

This time Percy and his friends find themselves struggling to make their way through the Labyrinth. That's right, the ancient Greek myth of the labyrinth is actually represented by a real place, and it's under the United States! The labyrinth is a confusing and dangerous place. Logic won't get you through it, bravery will help, and your lucky if you don't lose your mind.

How will Percy and his friends conquer this challenge? Read the book to find out!

The Titans Curse by Rick Riordan

"The Titan's Curse" is book 3 in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. If you missed my reviews on the first two books you kind find them here.

In "The Titan's Curse" Percy finds himself heading off to try and rescue two new half-bloods that his friend Grover has found. Soon their setting off on yet another quest, this time in the company of a Hunter, and it's the most challenging one yet.

Before they set off on their quest the oracle tells them:
"Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,
one shall be lost in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and hunters combined prevail,
The Titan's curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent's hand."

A grim sign to start out under, but start out they do, and you'll have a lot of fun finding out what this omen means!

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

"The Sea of Monsters" is book two in the series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." If you missed the review on the first book that I did, go here to read it!

In book 2 we rejoin Percy at his new school towards the end of the school year. He's had a pretty easy school year for once, no monsters attacking, but of course he can't make it through the entire year free from torment. A "friendly" game of dodge ball turns into a deadly attack, and to Percy's surprise, he finds his friend Tyson protecting him way more than he should be capable of. It turns out Tyson is more than he appears to be!

Soon Percy discovers that Camp Half-Blood is in trouble, as is his friend Grover. The solution to both problems lies in the legendary Sea of Monsters. It, like the gods, moved location with the change of power, and is now located in the Bermuda Triangle. So, of course, he goes off on a new quest to save Grover, and Tyson goes along.

Percy grows up a lot in this book. He learns more about his "family" and about who he is as a person. Does he save the day? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

We're you ever fascinated by the different myths about the Greek and Roman gods? I know I always was as a kid. I could never keep everyone straight (just the major players) but I loved the stories! I still do. I could psychoanalyze for you why I find them so fascinating, but that's a long story for another post some day.

"The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan is a book written for middle schoolers - but don't stop reading this review! It's more than worth the read as an adult! Why? Well, remember those Greek and Roman gods I was mentioning? Imagine that they were real, and that they never actually died out just because the Greeks and the Romans we're no longer around to tell stories about them. No, they changed with the times and followed the center of civilaztions power as it moved from one place to the other, until they finally came to America.

That's right, Zeus, Athen, Poseidon, they all play their part in the real world, and they even have kids! You remember, the gods were always a sucker for a cute mortal. The children born to these mortal parents are demi-gods, heroes. They are also in constant danger. Monsters (which of course are real as well) can smell the god-blood in these demi-god children and they like to hunt them down. Many of these children are doomed to live a very short life, but there is hope for their survival.

Hope comes in the form of Camp Half-Blood, a training camp for the demi-gods, and the children just have to get there! Some find their way on their own, some of them are lucky enough to have their god-parent inform their mortal parent about the camp, and the others are found by scouts. At Camp Half-Blood they learn to fight as well as learning more about their heritage.

"The Lightning Thief" is book one in the series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." Percy thinks he's a normal boy, although he'd be the first to admit he gets in trouble on a regular basis. He soon finds out that his life is a lot more complicated than he thought, his best friend is actually a satyr, and it's going to be up to him to save the world!

It's an easy read, but it's a lot of fun! Go out and get it :)