Review: The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena

Rick Riordan

Released: October 2, 2012

Published by: Disney Hyperion

 

x Infinity ☺

 

 

It's the review we have all been waiting for: The Mark of Athena, which I also now call: The-Book-That-Killed-My-Soul.

 

Description from Goodreads:

 

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close— the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare. . . .

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. What else can you expect from a Rick Riordan book? It did not disapoint and I could not put it down. I. Flipping. Loved. It. I need my copy back from Magnus ASAP. I have to read this again. And again. And again. Until House of Hades comes out next year. One. Flipping. Year. To. Go. I will not go crazy....I will not go crazy...

 

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Don't say I never warned you

 

 

 

 

The Reunion. It was PERFECTO. Annabeth saw Percy. Percy gave Annabeth his award-winning smile. Annabeth was like, "Screw the Romans. I am going to hug and kiss my boyfriend." She charged Percy. They kissed. (Aaawww!) She threw him over her shoulders. Percy slammed against the ground. Annabeth cried, "Don't you ever leave me again!" (I cried, "DON'T LEAVE HER PERCY! KEEP THEM TOGETHER FOREVER RICK! My mom looked at me all funny). The Romans stared in horror. (I laugh). Classic Annabeth. It was just the reunion everybody hoped for and it did not disappoint. Our favorite couple was together again.  It only took 3 years.

The Romans. They were nice. Then they were bad. Now, I feel like I need to kick some Roman butt. STAY AWAY FROM CAMP HALF-BLOOD. If they hurt my camp, I am going to be seriously pissed off. And Octavian, I am so glad Percy threw you off the ladder. I wish it did some serious damage. You are such a sick soul. Cutting up teddy bears? You disgust me.

The Seven Demigods. I was so glad that everybody mostly got along. Sure, there was times when there was tension between people, but nobody flat out hated anybody. Thank the gods for that! There was an awkward mini love triangle between Leo, Hazel, and Frank. But it didn't bug me because Leo stood no chance against Frank (Which you know, I really do like Leo and Hazel as a couple. Leo needs a girlfriend. I feel bad for him. He is like a 7th wheel. He only has Festus :( Leo, I feel like you need a hug!) But Frank and Hazel are good for each other. Jason and Piper are perfect for each other also (Sorry to all you Jason/Renya shippers). I love how clueless Jason could be sometimes when he would mention stuff about Renya and Piper would be jealous. And of course, Annabeth and Percy are the best couple in the whole stinking book. Also, there was the major quest: head to Rome, but also, there was a lot of mini quests. Hazel and Leo tricked Narcissius. Percy and Frank visited an aquarium. Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper have a nice long chat with Aphrodite/Venus. Jason, Piper, and Percy battled crazy nymphs that trapped them in a well. Leo, Frank, and Hazel went on an adventure underneath Rome. Annabeth and Percy went on a date in Rome. Then there is Annabeth's solo quest.

 

The Mark of Athena. Let's give Annabeth a big round of applause. She had to go on this dangerous quest her crazy mother gave her, which nobody had ever survived. She knew that there was huge chance that she would die and yet she still went. You go, girl! I have a lot of respect for you. She had to trick these crazy ghosts, walk around this underground Roman labyrinth (Not that she hasn't been in a labyrinth before) with a broken ankle, and face her biggest fear: Arachne, the Mother of all Spiders. Holy crap! I would have easily died or chickened out. I am so so so proud of her. No wonder she is my ultimate favorite character ever. The best part? She succeeds. Then I read the ending.

My friend, Courtney, spoiled it for me. Here is what happened:

 

Courtney: Hey, whatcha reading?

 

Me: Only the best book ever! The Mark of Athena. I have been waiting a year for this!

 

Courtney: Awesome! Is that a glossary?

 

Me: Yeah. I cannot pronounce half the names, let alone keep who's who is straight. But I have to be careful, the book ends, then the glossary picks up.

 

Courtney: Can I see?

 

Me: Sure, just be careful! I had to go to 3 different stores to find that book.

 

Courtney: *Reading*

Who's Percy?

 

Me: Only the best darn character since Will Herondale. Son of Poseidon. Amazing.

 

Courtney: Sounds like a cool dude. And Annabeth?

 

Me: Only my favorite character in the whole series. Daughter of Athena. Blonde. Extremely smart. Dating Percy. They make the cutest couple ever.

 

Courtney: Aaaww! Sweet. Now what is Tartar Sauce?

 

Me: Tartar Sauce? What the heck?

 

Courtney: Tartar Sauce! Something about them being in Tartar Sauce? I know Percy is the son of Poseidon. Why is he swimming in Tartar Sauce?

 

Me: *Furious*

Do. You. Mean. Tartarus? As in the deepest part of Hell?

 

Courtney: Yeah! That's what Admiral Leo said!

 

Me: ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME? YOU JUST SPOILED THE WHOLE BOOK! MY FAVORITE COUPLE IS IN HELL! WITH MONSTERS THAT THEY HAVE KILLED! THEY ARE GOING TO DIE! DON'T YOU SEE I AM ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH? I HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THAT PART YET. #$#(*$&@W#($(*E#W& WHY DID YOU TELL ME?

 

Courtney: Why did you ask?

 

Me: You better run. Run as fast and far away as you can. I am pissed!

 

Courtney: Oh crap. I am glad the teacher is in the room.

 

Wasn't that just enlightening?

 

The Rickhanger. Okay. When Rick Riordan warned us that we have not seen the cliffhanger, he was so right. The endings to The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune seem like babies compared to this hellhound of all Rickhangers. Seriously. The guy literally took a shotgun, blew out my heart, and tossed it into the bowels of hell along with Percy and Annabeth. WHY RICK WHY? HAVEN'T YOU DONE ENOUGH TO US? WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS? I bawled. I bawled like a freaking baby and I still knew what was going to happen. Buffy bawled. We both bawled together over Skype. Why can't Percy and Annabeth just get a flipping break? Wasn't one prophecy enough? They were just reunited with each other. They were happy. Throw Frank and Hazel into the pit. Throw Jason and Piper into the pit. Heck, throw Leo, Coach Hedge, and Nico into the pit (Nico can even show them around). Why these two? Why our beloved characters? I just lost my little hold on sanity. Rick Riordan, you are an evil mastermind. You deserve an award for "Most Heartbreaking Ending since Until I Die". Congradulations.

 

And Percy and Annabeth held hands as they fell into hell. ROTFITFPSLAB. Rolling on the floor in the fetal position, sobbing like a baby. That was when I lost it. You guys, you need to live. You can make it. I have hope for you. If not, all of the fandom will show up at Rick Riordan's home demanding that he change the ending. They. Will. Live.

 

Percy. Annabeth. May the Gods be ever in your favor.

 

 

 

 

END OF SPOILERS END OF SPOILERS



 

People, READ THIS BOOK. This has become my favorite Heroes book and you will not be disappointed by it. As you read, you will feel as if you are alongside the Seven as they face their impossible quest. But be warned, keep a box of tissues next to you as you read the last chapter. It will kill you. Trust me.

 

How many more days until House of Hades?



 

Review by Calypso

follow on Twitter: @bookworms4vt

Review: The Demigod Diaries

The Heroes of Olympus:

The Demigod Diaries

Rick Riordan
Published by: Hyperion Book CH
Released: August 14, 2012

Description from the ever-so-helpful Goodreads:

What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads" ("who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion...all in one hour or less?

With his trademark wit and creativity, Rick Riordan answers these questions and more in three never-before-seen short stories that provide vital back-story to the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson books. Original art, enlightening character interviews and profiles, puzzles, and a quiz add to the fun in this action-packed collection.
Finally! Something to satisfy myself until The Mark of Athena comes out. After reading this, I really want to read that book now! Why can't October come quicker? I was only saisfied for an afternoon. But oh well. It was well worth it.

So with this book I'm going to review each section separately because that's how it is broken down. It's similar to The Demigod Files, only much larger :)

Letter from Camp Half-Blood

So this isn't one of the stories, just basically a letter of introduction by Rick. I just love how he makes it sound like everything exists and actually there. I'm tempted to go down to Long Island and search for Half-Blood Hill. It summarizes the whole book in Rick's own fun way.

The Diary of Luke Castellan

Mini Summary:

Follows Luke and Thalia when they were young. Brought into a mansion from a magical Pepsi depensing goat, Luke and Thalia become trapped and have to fight their way out. This was just before they met up with little Annabeth and started their journey to Half-Blood Hill.

There are no cons. None. What-so-ever. It's a Rick Riordan book. Did you seriously expect cons from a Rick Riordan book? No. This is just all pros.

You get some insight into Luke's mind. I really like that. I don't know about anybody else, but I always liked Luke. I was really upset when he died in The Last Olympian. It made me really really sad. It was interesting to read from his head. I'm use to how Percy looks at the world or how you follow Jason, Piper, and Leo.

You finally see the good ol' days. Thalia and Luke talk about what they went through in order to get to Camp Half-Blood. You only had what Percy gained from them telling him. Here, you get it from them, the actual source.

There was some dramatic irony that drove me crazy! AAWW! Hal would tell Thalia and Luke stuff that you know based off of reading Percy Jackson. It drove me crazy. I kept laughing and yelling because I knew what would happen to the both of them. I knew Thalia would become a tree. I knew that Luke would basically betray everyone. But they didn't. Because it's set before Grover found all of them.

I like how after the story, there was a diagram of the house Luke and Thalia were trapped in. It helped me visualize it better. Very helpful. Then there was a quiz on which Greek God was a match to their Roman side (I got 100 :D )

Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes

Brief Summary:

Percy and Annabeth in Central Park, 1 month exactly after the end of The Last Olympian. Hermes need them to go save the amazing George and Martha who were stolen from him by a "mini" giant who happens to breathe fire and lives below Manhattan's Meatpacking industry. Lovely!

WE ARE FINALLY BACK IN PERCY'S MIND! Oh how I missed being in Percy's head. I almost started crying when I began to read. It brought me back to the good ol' days when I was just reading The Lightning Thief for the first time and then again and again until my paperback needed some repairs (Tape fixes everything. Even a well loved book). It just felt amazing to be back in his head. I really missed it.

You got your epic Percy/Annabeth adventure again. Again, something to do with the good ol' days. I never realized before how much I missed that. My head has been wrapped around The Heroes of Olympus for so long, I forgot how different they are set up from the first ones. This was really a nice refresh of that. And...PERCABETH! Not the reunion I have been waiting for for two years, but something just to hold me over. The only thing we need now is Grover chewing on a tin can.

Return of the Seaweed Brain. Yup. He get's called Seaweed Brain again :D I missed both of their bickering.

**MINOR SPOILERS**

You get to see laser mode. Yes. Laser Mode. Very exciting indeed. Go George and Martha.

Percy and Annabeth get to go to Paris. WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS IN APRIL? If I knew those two were written into Paris before I went, I would have worn my Camp Half-Blood shirt to one of the restuarants or even the Eiffel Tower dinner. Of course, my French teacher probably would not like that, I would have most likely done it. After all, I can place it next to me inside the Empire State building in my orange camp shirt, make them two of a kind. Am I obsessed? Definitely.

**END OF MINOR SPOILERS**

Afterwards, you get an interview with George and Martha similar to the ones in The Demigod Files. I just love those two. Hate snakes, but love those two. Then there's a picture of the giant's er...lovely home.

And da da da DA! A picture of the totally amazing Thalia Grace.

(Sorry if the quality is horrible)

Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford

Summary:

Leo needs the help of Jason and Piper to go find Buford, the magic table. If they don't find him within the hour, the uncompleted Argo II will explode and take half of the forest with it. They also need to escape Dionysus's biggest stalkers, I mean, fans who want to party then kill them. You know, typical stuff for this trio.

I really missed these guys. Before the book came out, I was just excited to see Percy and Annabeth together again. I completely skipped over this trio. I suddenly realized halfway through the story, that I really missed them. Like really really missed them. I really love these guys.



Those Maenads are seriously messed up. Completely messed up. Wow. Let's party with Dionysus! You're not him? DIE! (That last one sounded a lot like Coach Hedge...)

I seriously doubted good for a second. I thought everything was going to turn out horribly. Then again, I know that everything should be fine because of The Son of Neptune. I still thought something horrible was going to happen. I should never doubt the power of good ever again. And yet....I still do.

Everyone gets a special peak at some of the wonders of Bunker 9. And the seven demigods of the prophecy are now official! With my extreme guessing skills, I got everyone. It was nice to be confirmed :D (Poor Percy. You always get stuck with horrible prophecies). Then an Olympian Word Search which I skipped because I am horrible at word searches.

Son of Magic written by Haley Riordan

Ever since I heard that there was a story written by Rick's son in here, I was really excited to read it. I'm the same age as him and I want to go to college for writting and hope to someday get a book published. So this was really cool for me to read, something that someone who was my age wrote himself.

Wow. This is some seriously good writing. Haley Riordan, if you are reading this, you are an amazing writer. I will read anything you publish, because you have some serious talent.

You get some info that was always a mystery before. You find out what happened to those demigod betrayers from the second Titan war. You find out the mystery behind the Mist. You now know why monsters can sniff out demigods. It was nice to know these anwsers! I guess I just have always accepted that not everything can be explained. But I'm like a child of Athena who just craves knowledge, and I'm glad I have these now.

I hope to see Claymore and Alabaster in some possible future books. I think it would be cool if they showed up suddenly in say...The Mark of Athena. I want to know what Alabaster would do if he saw Percy. I think that would be very interesting!

So if you are a major Rick Riordan fan and haven't picked up this book. Okay. What is wrong with you? (Just to put it bluntly) PICK UP THIS BOOK! It will help stitch up the broken heart The Son of Neptune left behind until The Mark of Athena will do it fully. So yeah. Go buy this book. Help yourself.

Review by Calypso  





Random Thought

How to read a Rick Riordan Book

by Calypso "Caly"

All right everyone. It's time to admit the truth. If you are a die hard Rick Riordan fan like moi, then you know that you go through one or two of the same steps I do.

There is a specific way to read a Rick Riordan book. Steps need to be followed in order to get maximum enjoyment from Uncle Rick's books. You can't pick up one of his books without going through any of these steps. It is downright impossible.

So what are they?

STEP ONE:

Prepare yourself for the heartbreak the ending will cause.

Every fan of Rick knows how each and every one of his endings leaves you with a shattered heart that just becomes mere splinters as the long year passes by. If someone is picking up his books for the first time. Wait. Wait until all of them are out and buy them as a bundle. Trust me. You will save your sanity. It's like being a demigod. The more involved/aware you are, the worst it becomes. His endings are not cliffhangers. They are cliffhangers of doom that just make you skip the cliff and go straight for the free fall into the Underworld.

Every time one of his new books come out, I have to mentally prepare myself as I walk into the store to buy it. Some people call me crazy. I don't. If I don't prepare myself, I will become crazy. And nobody wants me crazy. Ask my friends. These endings kill me.

STEP TWO:

Now that you have prepared yourself for the worst ending ever thought of, admire the cover. You know that these covers are just downright amazing. Look at The Lightning Thief and place it next to the cover of The Son of Neptune or whatever the latest one is. Admire how much your beloved Percy has grown.

Hug it to your chest. You know that it is the best purchase you have made since you bought the last one. How can any book compare to it? How can anything compare to it? Who needs food when you have a Rick Riordan book? Am I being too dramatic? Maybe. Why am I writing like this and answering myself? I'm going crazy waiting for The Mark of Athena.

STEP THREE:

You have officially bought the book. You made your mom or dad drive you to whatever store you bought it from so you can start it in the car. But wait! Before you can even dream of flipping to the front page, you have to read the inside jacket or the back of the book. Best know what you are diving into. Even though you have probably read the Amazon description a bajillion times already. It's nice to read it from the actual thing.

STEP FOUR:

Here comes the time to read the funny chapter titles. Each one gives you a hint at what you will find in each chapter. If you are reading a Heroes of Olympus book, there is no chapter titles, but simple names like Percy, Jason, Hazel, ect. Instead, you carefully flip to the glossary in the back to get a good sense on which god/goddess/monster will make an apperance. BE CAREFUL. You do not want to ruin the cliffhanger before you even start the book. That means you won't even want to finish it.

STEP FIVE:

Look for the title of the next book. Just something to do to make your heartbreak begin a little early. Coming Fall 201-Blah? AAWW!!

STEP SIX:

You are now fully prepared to delve into the book. Get ready for heart pounding action, good ol' good vs. evil, quests, the cliffhanger...You can now enjoy the book. The steps are completed. You can read the book in one sitting and then wait the killer year for the next one.

***

There you go. All of the proper steps needed to read a Rick Riordan book. Okay. Not really. Those are just the crazy steps I take to read them. I cannot read any of the books without doing that first. Crazy? Probably.

Caly



Random Thought: Mark of Athena

So this is how I basically feel about The Mark of Athena right now. Magnus most likely agrees. Is it October 2nd yet? I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING NOW!

Casting News: SEA OF MONSTERS UPDATE

So I haven't been following the casting news for THE SEA OF MONSTERS as much as I have with CITY OF BONES because the first movie is already out. I know a lot of people hated THE LIGHTNING THIEF, but I loved it. You can't go into the movie thinking you are going to see an exact copy of the book. I was totally okay with the changes that was made to the movie and looked past them all. I like Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth. Brandon T. Jackson as Grover was downright hilarious. That guy is great! And I love Logan Lerman as an actor. Period. So when I found out he was Percy, I accepted it through and through. The movie is coming out in March and I am REALLY EXCITED!

So Cast Update? I'm trying to get photos from them on set. (And thanks to imdb for keeping it updated!) **Indicates ON SET PHOTOS

Nathan Fillion as Hermes.

Rumored that Mark Hamill as Tantalus

Stanley Tucci as Dionysus (Caesar Flickerman from THE HUNGER GAMES!!)**

Missi Pyle, Mary Birdsong, Yvette Nicole Brown (Helen from DRAKE AND JOSH!!)  as the Grey Sisters

Apparently Pierce Brosnan has been replaced as Chiron. Anthony Head is the new one. I can't picture it. He will always be Buffy's watcher in my mind!

Robert Maillet as Polyphemus/Laistrygonian (Canadians. Like the reference to the book? haha.) He's also in CITY OF BONES. AWESOME!!!!

Zoe Aggeliki as Silena Beauregard. Didn't realize that she was in SEA OF MONSTERS. But hey, not complaining. At least she's there!

Leven Rambin (Glimmer, THE HUNGER GAMES) as Clarisse La Rue. GUESS WHAT GUYS?? She's in the movie. And calm down. She dyed her hair!**

Douglas Smith as Tyson. And quick question: Why does he have 2 eyes?? Hahahaha. Was that lame or what??**

Grey Damon as Chris Rodriguez (SECRET CIRCLE, NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING)**

Paloma Kwiatkowski as Thalia Grace. Apparently, she nailed her first time audition and I can see Thalia in her. And that is one heck of a last name!

Derek Mears as Cyclopes? Okay. Sure. Why not. Looks scary.

Daniel Cudmore as Manicore? Is the manicore even in SEA OF MONSTERS?? Okay. I'm totally okay with this. Calm down. Apparently, he's also in BREAKING DAWN?

Alisha Newton as Young Annabeth. Guess there is going to be a flashback!! YAY YAY YAY!! And how adorable is this kid?

Aleks Paunovic as another Cyclopes. Didn't realize there was so many cyclopes in the story other than Tyson. But, open mind, Caly, OPEN MIND!

Christopher Redman as Reardon. Who the heck is Reardon? My Ultimate Guide has no such name in it!

Katelyn Mager as Young Thalia. Another adorable kid. Even though, I think the actresses should switch. She looks more like an Annabeth, and the other a Thalia. But that is just a thought!

Sara Kenley as Selina. Wait a second...I'm confuse now. Imdb, something is wrong here. It's SILENA. Not SELINA. Unless there is 2 in the movie? Huh?

Bjorn Yearwood as Young Grover. He looks so much like Brandon T. Jackson in this picture. It is so creepy. I have a feeling this flashback is a way to make up to the fans that they started with older actors/actresses in the first place...Or is it just me?

Samuel Braun as Young Luke. OMG! He is sooo cute!

And some other actors for the roles that you can look up on Imdb yourself because I feel like they aren't really major:

Ichneutae (What/Who is that? Again, my Ultimate Guide fails me)

Ganymede (Shouldn't he be in the 4th one?)

Barista (Again, who/what is that??)

Customer (I should have tried out for this role!)

Lydian Drakon (Shouldn't this appear later?)

Camping Girl (I would have been perfect for this role)

Tereus (I need to get an actual Greek Mythology textbook now...)

Another Barista (Am I missing something obvious here? Never heard of that before)

An Uncredited Half Blood Demigod Teen (Sorry for being uncredited. I will credit you and cheer when you appear in the movie!)

*UPDATE*

Now I feel really stupid at the fact I never realized that a barista is like a coffee server person. To think I call myself a senior in high school and never heard of that term before!

*END UPDATE*
And soooooo...Here are some pics of Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson from the set. Now I'm really excited for the movie!!

YOU CAN RELAX NOW. HER HAIR IS LIGHTER. Gods, why does hair color matter people??

Oooohhh. The gang with Clarisse. Glad she made it into the movie!

Uh oh. What's going on?

I love this guy as Tyson!

I'm so glad they lighten her hair. If I had to hear anybody else complain about her after this movie, I would seriously scream.

Oooohhhh. Really excited now!

 LOGAN! Fangirling right now!

Grover in trouble still? Uh oh. Is that Chris? IT IS! Oh my gods. Who is the other guy?


Okay. Now I am uber excited for this movie! March is going to be an AMAZING month. And people, it sounds like it's going to semi follow the book more than the first one did. So don't be stuborn and refuse to see it. That's stupid. Go see the movie and don't critic it so harshly.