Rick Does It Again!

I finally got to read The Son of Neptune, book 2 in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series, and it was worth the wait. The book was long, 521 pages, but that was actually reassuring because it is a book to savor. We all know it will be at least a year until we get to hear from Percy Jackson again.

In this story, Percy, minus his memory, winds up in California at Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of the Greek Camp Half-Blood. Here Percy makes two new demigod friends, Hazel and Frank. Both of their backstories, doled out in enticing tidbits over the course of the book, are very interesting. Percy, Hazel, and Frank, three appealing misfits, must go on a new quest with extremely high stakes.

I've often experienced jetlag with authors. I tend to like their earlier works best, maybe because the ideas they presented were new and fresh. But somehow Rick Riordan has managed to keep the quality of his books sky-high. The Son of Neptune follows the same basic formula as his other books. Characters take turns narrating chapters. A band of underdogs take on a seemingly impossible quest and overcome incredible odds by discovering their own hidden strengths. It sounds easy to replicate, but it's not. Great job, Rick. I was delighted with Percy's return.