(via Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3fvfe4tgQ0)

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3fvfe4tgQ0)

Here is part 2 of my current TBR pile, this time regarding book series! Man oh man, am I going to be busy this year!

And I’m so looking forward to it!

Too true.

Reblog if...

Reblog if you don’t like it when parents pressure their kids too much

Reblog if you hate favoring one child over another

Reblog if you wish child abuse can just BURN IN THE FIERY PITS OF HELL

Reblog if you know that raping your own child and brainwashing them is just disgusting

Reblog if you believe that neglecting your kid is just another way of killing them without looking at them

Reblog if you know that terrible childhoods usually end up with broken children

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Book Review

AUTHOR: Rick Riordan

RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2005

SERIES: Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Book 1)

PAGES: Approx. 377

RATING: 10/10 STARS

 Admittedly, I’m as late to jumping onto this bandwagon as a person can get.

 I mean, the first book was published in 2005 and it’s only now, over a decade later, that I finally found the time to buy myself the complete book boxset and start reading them. Talk about lazy, huh?

 When I first heard about this series all those years ago, I can remember the first and only thing people kept on telling me whenever they recommended the books to me: “It’s just like Harry Potter, I swear to god, it’s just like the Harry Potter series!”

 Being practically obsessed with everything Harry Potter, to the point where I scare off potential friends with my fanaticism, I found this comment intriguing and had immediately put Percy Jackson at the top of my To-Be-Read List. How I managed to not pick up these books sooner is due entirely to the fact that I had over a thousand other books to read long before this series first started and even now, almost eleven years later, that list still hasn’t gotten any shorter.

 However, I am a person who sets out to finish what she starts, no matter how long ago those tasks were set, and it was earlier this month that I picked up the first book, The Lightning Thief, and started into the world of Percy Jackson and his entry to Camp Half-Blood.

 In the beginning, as I was getting to know Percy Jackson, I could see how the character and story could be compared to Harry Potter, in that it’s a fantastical read, filled with adventure, magic and danger, and which we learn about and explore alongside a young hero-to-be that had no knowledge of another world’s existence but has a part to play in it. But as the novel progressed, Percy Jackson became something new, something different. Its story is incorporated with actual history and information of the Greek gods, heroes, monsters and myths that we either heard about in school or learned from Disney’s Hercules, although Rick Riordan was careful not to overwhelm the reader with so much that it took focus away from Percy or the other characters taking center stage.

 Percy Jackson isn’t a normal kid, but he is a kid that people can relate to. He doesn’t do well in school sometimes. He can get in trouble. He stands up to bullies. He sometimes doesn’t know when to rein in his anger. He loves his mom and his friends, and seeks approval from his previously-unknown father. He’s brave (I mean, who else would take on a mythological creature capable of killing you without a weapon? Besides Harry Potter, I mean.) And, last but certainly not least, he has a sharp tongue. I mean, boy, is he sarcastic!

 For those of you out there who still haven’t picked up this book series, two things I want to say to you:

 First, unless you’re like me and have a gigantic ever-growing list of books to read, you have no plausible excuse for not having read this series because I’m betting my life savings that even those living under rocks have done so by now.

 Second, Percy Jackson is a great and quick read. I’ve finished this book within four days and, like Harry Potter, it’s a book that can be enjoyed at any age, filled with characters that you immediately want as your best friends, complicated histories that made me want to look up Greek mythology, and mounting drama that has you guessing to its conclusion.

 The Lighting Thief was a great start into a new series with a satisfying end that made me want to immediately pick up the second book. It’s a story that introduced a new world of heroes, myths and adventures, much like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and A Song of Ice and Fire.

 I’ve never read any of Rick Riordan’s other books but he has proven to be a great writer and I highly look forward to not only finishing the rest of the Percy Jackson books (nearly done with the second right now), but venturing into his other book series.

PS - Originally posted on my personal blog on January 12, 2016 @ https://thefandomsqueenblogs.blogspot.com/

I'm pretty sure this can be talking about anyone, especially heroes.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian Book Review

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian Book Review

AUTHOR: Rick Riordan

RELEASED DATE: May 5, 2009

SERIES: Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Book 5)

PAGES: Approx. 381

RATING: 10/10 STARS

 “The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car.”

 And with that, I began The Last Olympian.

 For the past year, Percy Jackson and his friends have been preparing for battle and have successfully thwarted Kronos and his army from invading New York City. The odds, however, are still grim. With each monster, demigod and minor god that joins him, the Titan’s power only grows.

 Kronos will stop at nothing from destroying Mount Olympus and dethroning his children. With his father Poseidon preoccupied in battle with Titan Oceanus in the realm of the sea, Hades lurking in the Underworld refusing to help, and the remaining Olympian gods battling the Titan monster Typhon in the west, it’s up to Percy, Annabeth, Grover and the remaining demigod children to defend Mount Olympus and Manhattan from Kronos and his invading army. As if things weren’t grim enough, Percy’s 16th birthday approaches. The Great Prophecy is finally revealed. A single choice made by a child of the Big Three Gods (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) will determine Mount Olympus’s fate: to save it, or destroy it.

 Between protecting his friends, his family and his city from destruction, Percy has a lot on his plate. Out of options, and ever fearful of the spy in Camp Half-blood, Percy and Nico (son of Hades) journey into the Underworld to enact a plan, a most dangerous one, that could be the only way to save them all.

 The Last Olympian is a phenomenal success, with the mystery of the long-awaited prophecy concerning Percy’s 16th birthday finally revealed in full detail. As the last book in the series, it had a lot of expectations to fulfill, with many plot holes and problems that needed resolution and explaining. Rick Riordan delivered with his usual gusto. There were points here and there where the plot seemed to drag and I wasn’t as enthused to continue, but overall it was a great read. Not a fast read, because The Last Olympian is bit longer compared to the previous novels, but I enjoyed it immensely.

 With The Last Olympian, many questions I’ve had while reading had finally been answered. What was up with the Oracle mummy? What role does Rachel Elizabeth Dare play in Percy’s world? Who is the spy that’s keeping Luke/Kronos informed? How did Nico and his sister end up in the hotel? What happened to their mother? What happened to Luke’s mother? How will Percy survive a prophecy foretelling his death? What is the choice he has to make that would determine Mount Olympus’s fate? And who is the Last Olympian?

 One of Rick Riordan’s most amazing qualities as a writer is that he was able to answer all of these questions and have it all tied in to the main storyline. Every revelation added something to the plot, and although it gave growth to regular characters like Percy and Nico, it also gave insight into characters like Luke and Hades that no one would’ve guessed.

 I’ve hated Luke since the end of The Lightning Thief, and each time his character appeared in subsequent books, that hatred deepened. But revelations made in The Last Olympian have turned my anger into sympathy, as information about his past and his relationships with his mortal mother and godly father are revealed via flashbacks and dreams. I can’t say that I wholly forgive Luke for his decisions, or that I even understand them – I mean, he isn’t the only demigod child that has great bitterness for his godly parent about their absence in life. On the other hand, when you’re raised by a mother like his, it’s not a surprise that he ran away so young, or that he’s angry that his father never gave his assistance. In the end, Luke had one redeeming quality, and that was his loyalty to his friends. As much as I still believe he should be held accountable for the bad decisions he’s done, he proved in the end that the only thing he ever wanted is the one thing that could’ve prevented the war in the first place: the knowledge that their parents – especially his – cared for their children.

 Nico’s storyline also came to a close with the revelations about his mother and how he and his sister Bianca ended up in the Lotus Hotel in the first place. It was one of the most shocking revelations I’ve read, and it gave a great deal of insight into Hades’ character and his past. The fact that Hades was the only Big Three God that hadn’t broken his oath of celibacy after the Great Prophecy was made had always struck me as ironic, but it hadn’t occurred to me until afterwards that Bianca, back in The Titan’s Curse, revealed that she and Nico had been stuck in the Lotus Hotel for over seventy years – and if that were true, she and Nico would’ve been alive just as the Great Prophecy was made. (Dun dun dun!) The only thing that made that part of the story even more exciting was the revelation that the Oracle who made the Great Prophecy was still technically alive during that time. When I found out what happened to her, well… (Cue sympathy music.)

 So many things have happened in The Last Olympian, and so many characters die. (Sob) From start to beginning, readers are introduced to new mythological beings and creatures – like the Titans Prometheus and Hyperion who, just as Riordan had done with the Greek gods, were given modernized personalities but retaining the essence of who they are remembered as in Greek stories – and reunited with old familiar ones, such as the Minotaur. Rick Riordan also made sure that every character – like Luke, Ethan Nakamura and Silena Beauregard – are given a say, so readers have a peek into their psyche and we begin to understand them and their motivations better.

 Ultimately, The Last Olympian was about family, or more specifically, parent-child relationships. This is a large theme that appears in each of the Percy Jackson novels. Kronos had been able to sway many of the demigods to his side and that was because half of the demigods were bitter toward their godly parent, and the other half were the demigod children of lesser unacknowledged gods. Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis, claimed allegiance to Kronos because he was promised that the minor gods would be recognized and given respect when Olympus fell. Many of lesser gods – Morpheus and Hecate, for example – aligned with Kronos because Kronos promised them the respect and prestige they were denied.

 Percy recognizes this and he understands it as well. One of my favorite parts to read throughout the series involved Percy and his continuous understanding of the gods and their children. He recognizes that the Olympian gods are nowhere near as perfect as they appear; recognizes that many of them are actually selfish and careless in regards to their children, and that they can and have done awful things, whether out of anger or paranoia. He doesn’t excuse any of it and doesn’t accept any of it; we see him get frustrated and horrified; we see him question himself and everything he’s told; we even see him get bitter and resentful toward the gods. But he never wavers from the loyalty he has for his loved ones. The interesting thing about Percy understanding all this is that his empathy for children like Luke and Ethan Nakamura leads him to make a decision to further prevent war and, hopefully, create a better future for the demigod children not yet claimed.

 Readers and fans of Rick Riordan will not be disappointed with The Last Olympian. Set against the Manhattan skyline, The Last Olympian is truly an epic end to a fantastical world and series, featuring battles, romance, treachery, and shocking twists that will leave readers wanting to know more and read more. The latter most especially, as in the end of this long book, Rick Riordan guessed – correctly – that five books just wasn’t going to be enough for us readers. The Last Olympian has one last surprise, and that surprise leads to a whole new set of adventures: the Heroes of Olympus series.

 And that, ladies and gentlemen and fandom lovers alike, is where my next journey lies!

PS - Originally posted on my personal blog on March 6, 2016 @ https://thefandomsqueenblogs.blogspot.com/

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth Book Review

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth Book Review

AUTHOR: Rick Riordan

RELEASE DATE: May 6, 2008

SERIES: Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Book 4)

PAGES: Approx. 361

RATING: 7/10 STARS

 Much of the predictions I made before I started reading The Battle of the Labyrinth came true: Kronos rose, Luke fell deeper into his evil and hatred, and Percy gets one year closer to his 16th birthday. What came as a surprise was practically everything else that happened, from start to finish.

 I’m being serious when I say that this was one of the most difficult books to finish in the series. So much happened in this one book and I’m still reeling from all the details, plot twists and character additions that made The Battle of the Labyrinth such a good but challenging read.

 In the beginning, Percy goes to an orientation for a new school. Considering his previous experiences, he shouldn’t have been too surprised by what happened next: the appearance of monsters bent on killing him, the destruction of school property, and, ultimately, him escaping back to Camp Half-Blood while people blame him for the aforementioned events.

 What’s different about this particular attack was the reappearance of a mortal girl that Percy (and readers) had met once and certainly never thought he’d meet again: Rachel Elizabeth Dare, a mortal who – like Percy’s mother – can see through the Mist.

 He has little time to ponder on the situation however. He travels back to Camp Half-Blood with his fellow camper/friend, Annabeth, and discovers new changes since his last stay – a new swordsman instructor, Quintus, with his hellhound pet, Mrs. O’Leary; a half-blood camper-turned-traitor reappearing in an insane state of mind; the god-supervisor Dionysius on assignment to help with the rising Titan threat; satyr Grover being threatened with exile unless he succeeds in finding the wild god Pan – as well as being reunited with familiar faces: the arrival of his Cyclops brother Tyson; and archenemy Clarisse of Ares Cabin returning from a secret mission.

 A secret mission that Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson must now undertake, should they wish to protect Camp Half-Blood from Luke, his army and the evil Titan lord Kronos.

 Bent on destroying the camp (alongside all the heroes), Luke and his army will seek to bypass the powerful protection barriers by journeying into the Labyrinth – a massive underground maze that, without the help of Ariadne’s string (a mythical item), would be near impossible to navigate and escape from. Percy and his friends enter the Labyrinth themselves to seek out the creator, Daedalus (whom possesses the string), and ensure the camp’s safety.

 The quest is difficult from the beginning, for the Labyrinth is full of tricks and surprises: it takes our heroes from one end of the country to the other; a variety of monsters dwell within the corridors and caverns, ready to attack; illusions and ever-changing hallways and paths lead them astray; Grover and Tyson separate from the group to find Pan, whose godly presence Grover senses; and to our heroes’ surprise, they are joined by Nico, son of Hades, who is determined to bring his sister back to life, aided by a ghost with its own sinister agenda.

 This is definitely one of the hardest quests Percy and his friends have taken on, and if they want to succeed, they’d need their own way of navigating the Labyrinth. What other way can succeed, besides Ariadne’s string? According to Hera, Zeus’s wife, Percy knows the answer. And it takes causing an earthquake, nearly destroying the Northwest U.S.A., and washing up on an island inhabited by one immortal for him to realize the answer: a mortal much like Ariadne, who aided Theseus. A mortal who can See.

 I enjoyed reading The Battle of the Labyrinth. It was a long book, longer than its predecessors, anyway. There were so many introductions to new characters and mythical monsters, and I fully expect to see them in the final installment, The Last Olympian. The Battle of the Labyrinth was also a great deal darker in tone and storytelling, compared to the previous three books, featuring more death, betrayal, tragedies and battles than it did humor. Stakes have risen since The Titan’s Curse; and I was right when I compared Rick Riordan to J.K. Rowling when it came to killing off characters. He had no trouble doing so.

 Rick Riordan’s concept of the Labyrinth from myth was, as I’ve come to expect, refreshing: it’s not just a maze anymore. It’s a sentient masterpiece that sprawls from coast to coast beneath the ground, always changing and adding onto itself, with exits and entrances appearing in the most unlikely of places. It’s cleverly used to transport our heroes from one unexpected place to the next, furthering the plot and giving us both cliffhangers and resolution.

 Nico’s reappearance has cemented my theory that he will play a role in the next book; despite being the son of Hades, he gives off the impression that he can be just as much a hero as the next person, despite the change in personality– from cheerful to dark and brooding – which is understandable, giving recent circumstances.

 The return of Rachel Elizabeth Dare also makes me wonder if she will come to play a pivotal role in the upcoming war between the Olympians and Kronos. As a mortal who can see through the Mist, I’ve no doubt that her ability will be used, in the future, to warn Percy and his friends of dangers they cannot see. The fact that her appearance causes some tension between Percy and Annabeth is a bonus, adding a bit of humor to the otherwise dark storyline.

 Grover’s search for Pan finally comes to a close, with the wild god passing and extending his final blessing to Percy and company. He also leaves behind a message, one that everyone could take to heart, and which Grover must tell the other satyrs:

 “You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you.”

 Pan looked straight at me with his clear blue eyes, and I realized he wasn’t just talking about the satyrs. He meant half-bloods, too, and humans. Everyone.

 This message, which Grover does tell the other satyrs (including the Council of Cloven Elders), receives a mixture of responses from other characters that not only deepens the mythology of Rick Riordan’s world, but gives insight into the inner politics of the immortal realm.

 It can also be viewed in a philosophical and religious manner, citing the nature of the gods and what it means to act in their name. An example would be Percy’s fight with Antaeus, a giant who has killed many in the name of his and Percy’s father, Poseidon.

 Other themes that feature in The Battle of the Labyrinth are brought forth in the characters Calypso and Daedalus. Calypso, who sided with the Titans in the previous Gods-Titans war and was punished for it, made Percy question whether his loyalty to Olympus is borne out of loyalty to his family, or to what is right. In Daedalus, we see the price one pays by cheating death: he has preserved his life for two thousand years by becoming an automaton, but at the cost of his own humanity.

 This kind of deep thinking and reflection, with Percy and his friends questioning the rights and wrongs, is what made The Battle of the Labyrinth a complex but immensely satisfying read.

 However, as much as I enjoyed it, there was one thing that I didn’t like, one thing that made me rate this book lower than the others – Annabeth.

 Annabeth, for the longest time, has been a character favorite. She’s wise and strategic, an excellent fighter and a loyal friend. Her resourcefulness and quick thinking is the perfect counterpart to Percy’s impulsiveness and improvised planning. And while her hostility toward Rachel may seem a bit much, I thought it perfectly understandable.

 That being said, towards the end of Battle of the Labyrinth, Annabeth became the sole reason I couldn’t finish this book near as quickly as I could’ve done. With each book, Annabeth and Percy’s friendship has deepened and slowly evolved into something else. The awkward tension between the two characters was adorable and during a certain scene (readers know which one I’m talking about) you think that it’ll be resolved and the main focus will shift from the romance to the fantasy and action.

 But then Luke appears. And from the moment that happened, Annabeth became impossible to handle. Her constant defense of Luke and his actions, her fervent belief in his goodness and redemption, and her willing to overlook his more devious acts in hopes of swaying him back to the side of good, had me slam this book down in frustration many times. Every time she spoke up in his defense, I couldn’t help thinking: “What does he have to do to get you to stop this? He has killed and betrayed others, tricked and deceived you, and is actively plotting to destroy your friends and Camp Half-Blood! He even left you to suffer the weight of the sky back in book three – I mean, seriously, WHAT needs to happen to make you stop defending him?”

 That it causes her to act coolly with Percy made it all the more infuriating.

 A part of me sympathizes with Annabeth: on the one hand, she lost a friend to a bad influence, and she wants to believe he can be redeemed, if she only got close enough and spent enough time trying to talk to him. It had been obvious in the previous books that she and Luke were close, and she had harbored feelings for him. And she also believed that she could accomplish in making him good again.

 On the other hand, after what Luke has done and continues doing, and most especially after his actions in The Titan’s Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth, there comes a point where I want to smack her for saying it was Kronos’ doing: he may have been the bad influence but it was ultimately Luke who done those bad things without a second thought.

 I have a feeling I may come to eat my words, but until then, I can’t be too sympathetic for Annabeth, nor do I like her too much at the moment for her treatment towards Percy and her conflicted – often stupid – decisions when it comes to Luke. Right now, I’m rooting for Rachel.

 I guess I have to read The Last Olympian to figure out where Percy and the other heroes end up next. It’s the final installment – the long-awaited battle is coming. And with Kronos fully risen, you can bet that things are going to go from bad, to worse, to tragic, to “NOOOO!”

PS - Originally posted on my personal blog on February 15, 2016 @ https://thefandomsqueenblogs.blogspot.com/