Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Four: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The second to the last book for most, if not all, sagas or series has a certain degree of significance that any reader should be aware of. Authors will improve on early foreshadowing they’ve laid in the early instalments, either bring it nearer to a close or make it more cumbersome, or intriguing, until one reads the last book. The Battle of the Labyrinth surely did both, but more of the latter.

Author: Rick Riordan

Released: May 6, 2008

New York Times children’s best seller series

Synopsis

Luke, son of Hermes, and a follower of the titan Kronos, was ready to lead their army to destroy Camp Half-Blood. He intends to use the labyrinth for his army to pass through. This discovery brought anxiety to the entire camp, perhaps how any camp should feel had they known an entire army of mythological Greek demons and traitors are to wage war against them.

Annabeth Chase; daughter of Athena, receives a quest, to find Daedalus, creator of the labyrinth, and prevent Luke’s army from getting Ariadne’s string, the string that can help one find his way through the labyrinth.

The labyrinth is known to cause madness once inside. It is also known to grow and extend, further mortifying those inside it to be more lost, the only setback for Luke, so he also sets out to find Ariadne’s string.

In the labyrinth, Annabeth is accompanied by, of course, Percy Jackson; son of Poseidon, Grover; a satyr, Tyson; Percy’s cylopes brother, and Nico di Angelo; son of Hades. In their misfortune, they found themselves, like many others, lost in the labyrinth despite Annabeth’s wisdom and inclination to architecture.

Percy seeks the help of Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Rachel, despite being a mortal, possesses the ability to see through the mist and which makes her an effective GPS in the labyrinth. So it becomes a race between their party against Luke’s army, as the countdown begins for Camp Half-Blood’s probable final hour.

But what they found in the labyrinth, was more than any of them intended, and wanted to find.

Reading Experience

Had it not been for Pacific Rims by Rafe Bartholomew, I would’ve finished reading and writing The Battle of the Labyrinth earlier. But since my reading has been preoccupied for quite some time, I only had this chance to write my review.

Riordan maintained his sprint paced storytelling prowess. It is also good news, though expected, when I say that humor is inserted in the plot’s entire run.

Though there were quite a few more additions to the original myths, he was able to include the well-known factoids about the labyrinth. No, Icarus did not make an appearance, but Daedalus surely did. More so, Riordan touched a bit more metaphysical, should I say subjects or rather concepts, when he dabbled on Daedalus’s form (that’s for you to read) and his labyrinth and its sprawling behavior.

Those who know about the labyrinth’s story would be very familiar with Daedalus and Icarus, and their wax wings, but be prepared for King Minos’s portrayal which may eventually make you grind your teeth.

Luke is bound to play a very intriguing role. What Riordan has written about Kronos and Luke in this book will make one more curious of how things would turn out in Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian.  Another character whom Riordan has made more pivotal in the series is Nico di Angelo. My interest in him being the son of Hades, grew more as he demonstrated his capability to call the dead and even command them, but I do have a special interest in the book’s last scene.

In Conclusion

In a nutshell, the pacing and build-up is nothing short of laudable, a satisfying second to the last book of the series. Reading The Battle of the Labyrinth will surely intrigue, since it feels it was meant to intrigue, the reader to join Percy Jackson in his next and last adventure.

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The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

It’s the next best thing to The Lord of the Rings, or even better.

Author: Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson

Released: January 1990

New York Times Bestseller, International Bestseller, Locus Award Nominee, David Gemmel Legend Award Nominee

Synopsis

The Dark One, Shai’tan, is freed from his prison. And the Wheel of Time turns to answer this threat--the Dragon. Lews Therin Telamon is the fated Dragon who led the Aes Sedai, channelers of the One Power, to seal Shai’tan away from the world again. Despite defeat, The Dark One managed to taint Saidin, male half of the True Source. Because of this, male Aes Sedai, including the Dragon himself, is driven to madness. The said taint is described as oil on water; the water which is the One Power, remains devoid of impurities but to touch it means going through the taint.

As time flows, the Wheel turns, and the Dark One’s seal weakens, threatening to unleash himself on the world once more. The Wheel weaves the Dragon again, but the Dragon Reborn would be facing both the Dark One and the madness brought by using Saidin.

Rand Al’Thor, together with Perrin Aybara and Mat Cauthon, are mere villagers of the Two Rivers. This changed when their destinies are interwoven with Moraine Damodred, an Aes Sedai, and Lan, the Sedai’s Warder. Moraine cannot determine the Dragon Reborn from the three, so she brings them all along. The Sedai also saw the potential of two other villagers Egwene al’Vere and Nynaeve al’Meara as future channelers of the One Power. With a party of seven, in the first book of the series, The Eye of The World, they fought a myriad of unfriendly characters to get to Tar Valon, the city of the Aes Sedai.

Rand al'Thor by artist Seamas Gallagher.
See his other Wheel of Time comic artworks
on http://seamassketches.blogspot.com

And from there, the plot thickens, and more characters and subplots are unveiled in a projected 14 part series.

Reading Experience

Robert Jordan brings you an adventure worthy of twelve books. Though I won’t deny that it won’t make you flip through the pages with much haste, it is still quite a page-turner.

Jordan wrote a very elaborate plot for this epic fantasy. Moreover, the characters are fully developed in every page and in every instalment. You may have an affinity to a character, which might turn to adversity in the next chapter or the next book. But the more important part is, you feel them evolving with everything they go through.

I say that the series’ downfall is its length. Readers are daunted by a fourteen-part series, not to mention the width of one book and the span of one page. But serious epic fantasy readers would appreciate this treatment because the book would be able to bring the story to heights that a shortened plot could not. To shed more light, The Lord of The Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien are the last three books of an extensive and much more elaborate epic fantasy plot.

What I enjoy best about The Wheel of Time is its game-like format. Being a fan of Role Playing Games like Final Fantasy, you have an arsenal of predetermined configuration, this is the premise of the One Power for the book. As a gamer, you work around this and you cannot pull something out of the bag for the heck of it, which is the same for The Wheel of Time. Jordan sticks with what was set in the premise and aptly plays around it.

In Conclusion

No I would not recommend reading the Wheel of Time to just any reader. But if you are looking for an epic adventure, determined to see it through the end, then you better start now because the last book is set to be released in 2012 (says me who's still stuck in the 6th book).

The Wheel of Time symbol 
by Matthew Nielsen from www.fantasy-fan.org

Random Wheel of Time facts:

- Characters in the book are mainly humans, compared to other fantasy series with a variety of creatures.

- The series, despite its length, has a prequel, The New Spring, which was originally intended as a short story. 

- Robert Jordan died on September 16, 2007 with the series left unfinished, leaving notes behind on how The Wheel of Time should end.

- Brandon Sanderson, a fantasy writer, was chosen to finish the twelfth book, The Gathering Storm and the last two titles; Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light

-          Prequel. The New Spring

-          Book 1. The Eye of The World

-          Book 2. The Great Hunt

-          Book 3. The Dragon Reborn

-          Book 4. The Shadow Rising

-          Book 5. The Fires of Heaven

-          Book 6. Lord of Chaos (This is where I’ve gotten to so far)

-          Book 7. A Crown of Swords

-          Book 8. The Path of Daggers

-          Book 9. Winter’s Heart

-          Book 10. Crossroads of Twilight

-          Book 11. Knife of Dreams

-          Book 12. The Gathering Storm

-          Book 13. Towers of Midnight

-          Book 14. A Memory of Light

You can get more information about the series at Wikipedia.

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Three: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

You don’t need a black Pegasus to fly through the pages of The Titan’s Curse. It will still have its “new book smell” when you’re done with it.

Author: Rick Riordan

Released: May 1, 2007

#1 New York Times children’s best seller series

Book Sense Top Ten Summer Pick for 2007

Synopsis

It has been prophesied that a child of the ‘Big Three’; Zeus, Poseidon or Hades, will either make or break Mount Olympus. Bringing the mythological world asking who the prophecy is about, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, or Thalia, daughter of Zeus?

Grover, a satyr (demigoat?), has found two sibling demigods and has asked assistance from his demigod friends: Thalia, a temperamental high school student, punk demigod and a former tree, brandishes her Medusa-engraved shield in battle, Aegis, alongside Percy and Annabeth, daughter of Athena.

Rescuing two new demigods brought them across Artemis’ path, which Thalia is not so happy about, and also ended with the loss of Annabeth, which Percy, in turn, is not so happy about. But Artemis isn’t the only well-known mythological character they encountered. Aside from the scheming Titan, Kronos, another ominous unnamed Titan seem to be orchestrating the string of events from behind the scene, ending in an unprecedented battle.

Reading Experience

My copy of The Titan’s Curse still has its new book smell after dashing across its pages with Percy Jackson and the rest of the demigods. Riordan started the book with Percy in search for newfound demigods whose lineage remains indefinite. More familiar Greek mythology characters are introduced, this time, having more bearing with the main plot rather than delaying the heroes from their goals. Perhaps the most popular would be Artemis, the maiden Olympian goddess who has evaded all love pursuits and leads an unending hunt. And I’d rather keep you guessing on who the others are or I might give away the whole plot.

As expected with a children’s book, the writing is fast-paced and every word easily gets through. But what is more noticeable is the flawless balance between the good and necessarily bad turns. Perhaps every children writers’ challenge is to achieve a sense of gloom but not despair for these needed pivotal twists, concepts of death and bereavement are downplayed but not to the point of forfeiting their significance. More importantly, humor and maintaining a child-friendly read further proves Riordan’s writing skill.

In Conclusion

This third instalment in the Percy Jackson series is by far the most engaging and thrilling read. The Titan’s Curse is definitely enjoyable for ages 7 and up. 

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Two: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

I haven’t read a book that screams ‘sequel’ louder than The Sea of Monsters, the second installment in the famous Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.

Author: Rick Riordan

Released: May 2006

New York Times #1 Best selling series

A Child Magazine Best Book of the Year

Synopsis

All is well for Percy Jackson, the demigod son of Poseidon, and his mother. His school year was supposed to end pleasantly, until a seemingly prophesied grand battle of dodgeball jumpstarted another mythological adventure.

Camp Half-blood, the only safe place for demigods, is under siege. Thalia’s tree, a daughter of Zeus who sacrificed herself to ensure the safety of her fellow demigods, that provides the camp’s protective boundaries has been poisoned, and monsters have begun attacking the summer campers. Whether it is considered as good or bad luck, Percy’s satyr bestfriend, Grover, accidentally found the Golden Fleece and at the same time unwillingly prepped for marriage to Polyphemus, the Cyclops who devoured Odysseus’ men. The Golden Fleece was the exact antidote that Camp Half-Blood needs to cure Thalia’s tree and restore safety.

With his friend’s life threatened, and his favorite place on Earth doomed to be conquered, Percy finds himself traversing the Sea of Monsters in quest for the Golden Fleece. The Sea of Monsters is the same sea inhabited by dangerous creatures and treacherous obstacles that Odysseus crossed after the Trojan War, spending ten years in the process, just to return to his home in Thessaly. And Jason navigated through this ominous seascape chasing after the same Fleece that Percy and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, was desperate in acquiring.

Aside from worrying about the huge, one-eyed cannibal who has taken possession of the Fleece, Percy races against two more demigods: Clarisse, daughter of Ares, aboard her daddy-gift war ship, CSS Birmingham, and Luke, son of Hermes, aboard the ship Princess Andromeda, where the scheming Titan, Kronos, is pulling the strings.

As the waves crash on each other, a plan within a plan is slowly unveiled. And Percy learns more about a prophecy which menaces the peace in Mount Olympus.

Reading Experience

Rick Riordan’s well-paced storytelling aptitude remains intact. Humorous allusions and funny lines, delivered with a matter-of-fact tone, ease the reading flow. The accuracy in fitting Greek mythology with the plot is, as usual, ambivalent. The pieces of Greek mythology aptly provide a reliable underpinning for the story. In effect, this feat also causes predictability, especially if the reader is well-acquainted with such allusions. Yet knowing only a tad bit of Greek mythology diminishes the distinct delights offered by the Percy Jackson series.

This second installment reeks of sequel and an awfully strong scent of a not-so-'under'lying plot. Though it is very much expected that there is a third installment, too much spotlight on the saga's storyline deters a more satisfying use of foreshadowing. Before the reader even picks up the book from its commercial shelf, he already looks forward to the next title in the series. And this feeling does not lessen, on the contrary, the sensation intensifies as the book draws to a close. This is actually a good marketing strategy, but it might throw off seasoned readers.

To put it simply, it felt like a halftime break during basketball. A fun watch, it makes you applaud and gasp as the cheerdancers perform tosses and stunts, enough time to recap what happened during the first half, but you just want to get it over with, eager to start the second half.

In Conclusion

I would still recommend reading The Sea of Monsters because there were a lot of materials here which would probably crop up, more significant, in the succeeding titles. But if you expect this installment to stand on its own, it will not—it’s part of a series anyway.

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Kafka On the Shore by Haruki Murakami

(Originally printed in the FEU Advocate August 2007 issue as part of the Refreshments review corner. Republished with certain edits and changes for consistency with this blog’s other book reviews and, of course, applying the virtue of hindsight)

Living is mechanical. Everyday feels like a routine, making ourselves our own slavedrivers. Yet we say we are free, but how free are we if a pre-established ‘morality’ and ‘ethics’ are shoved to our faces? Is existence compelled to destiny?

 

Author: Haruki Murakami

Translator: J. Philip Gabriel

Published: English language release on 2005

New York Times 10 Best Books of 2005, World Fantasy Awards

Synopsis

Kafka Tamura is a fifteen-year old boy determined to leave his father’s jurisdiction. He ran away with a rucksack and money he has been saving for quite some time. Along the way, he meets Sakura who might be his sister, and Ms. Saeki who just might be his mother. Kafka eventually nurtured a seemingly Oedipal complex as his feelings towards Ms. Saeki develops during his short-lived stay in her private library.

Concurrent with Kafka’s wandering is Nakata, whose existence roots deep with Kafka. Nakata ‘was’ smart, but something happened during the war which rendered dim-witted. He has never recovered or matured intellectually, surviving merely from a subsidy, which he calls ‘sub city’, from the City Mayor. Every day seems like yesterday until the good-natured Nakata felt compelled to stab Johnnie Walker—yes, the fine whisky is a character. Running away from the police, Nakata is obliged to meet Kafka, with Ms. Saeki’s private library as rendezvous.

As Kafka and Nakata ran, destiny weaves them both in an indefinite tangle.

Reading Experience

Murakami’s writing is vividly unique. His storyline delivery has a consistent shifting of the two primary characters’ viewpoint. This is not confusing to the reader, but it’s like closing your mouth after noticing that it has been hanging open for awhile. Like a full stop, turn left, another full stop, this time turning right. This style, at times, may make you drop the book for a certain number of hours, days or even weeks before picking it up again until the characters have grown on you, and you feel their grip stronger than before.

But what is most unique in Murakami’s style is his characters. Apart from the obvious connection between Kafka and Nakata, other characters turn out to be deeply interconnected. This is also the book where I met Oshima, probably one of the most complicated contemporary literary characters I have encountered. Furthermore, the characters undeniably felt humane; they pee, they get aroused, masturbate and have sex. With such frames, Murakami was able to target consciousness expansion. He covered several moral sensitive areas of sexuality and individuality; politics, juvenile delinquency, crime, and even incest.

In Conclusion
Kafka on the Shore is probably one of the books close to the epicenter of magical realism. Such is delivered in varying ways; fishes fall from the sky, cats talk, a rain of leeches, dreams can be perpetrated, and a daunting shape-shifter exists.

Departing from the usual presentation of a fresh perspective on not-so-fresh issues, Kafka on the Shore bends your mind’s eyesight into a questioning state which will lead to a renewed outlook. It's a book bound to make you think, ponder, and interpret; a mental exercise for your imagination.

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I jumped on the bandwagon, so what? I enjoyed the ride.

Author: Rick Riordan
Released: 2005
New York Times Bestseller
Already a major motion picture

Synopsis

The Greek gods are still alive, and procreating, with mortals. Percy Jackson is a by-product of an Olympian Deity—more specifically, a son of Poseidon. Kicked out of school every year, friendless, dyslexic and has ADHD, no one knew, especially Percy himself, that his fate will shatter the barriers of myth and reality. Well no one but the Oracle perhaps, since its reason for existence is riddling out prophecies.

Mount Olympus, with the address; 600^th Floor, the Empire State Building, New York City, NY, is at the brink of war. Someone stole Zeus’s Master Bolt, a symbol of power and also a potent weapon of mass destruction. The indignant Zeus points his finger at his proud brother, Poseidon. With his pride hurt, Poseidon is willing to make a stand, refusing to prove his innocence, deeming the act ungodly. 

But as Percy reaches Camp Half-Blood, the blame is passed on, and Percy is suspected of a grand thievery. Fresh from the discovery of being a demigod, Percy has to prevent Mount Olympus from ripping apart and has exactly ten days before a war between the sky and the sea is declared. And to do that, he needs to return Zeus’s Master Bolt, clearing his involvement in the process—or so he thinks.

Reading Experience

If you’re looking for a mature read, as early as now, I’m telling you not to read it. But if you are willing to let the child in you play, then by all means get a copy.

The first of the series ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ is the Lightning Thief. Rick Riordan certainly has a flare for light reading as he toyed with Greek mythology and adventure, and the two already sounds redundant. To review it in comparison to other titles with more depth and maturity in them would be unjust, not to say that the entire plot lacks depth, but not as frequent. It lacks the quality of making you contemplate on a thought, or passage, marvel with the depth of interpretation—but it makes you grin, grope for some knowledge of the Greek gods, if you ever had some.

Riordan’s writing is well-paced, and enjoyable. The pages continually flick from one to the next. His style has this fluidity and adequate humor immersed in Percy’s storytelling. Like Twilight the book is told from the protagonist’s point of view, but unlike Twilight, it doesn’t have a sort of school girl love story fantasy. It is fantasy yes, but more along the lines of Harry Potter; adventure and magic, well in this case, mythology.

Riordan also nailed his characters’ persona and aura well. With use of dialogue, description and behavior the three main characters: Percy, Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, and Grover, the satyr, it is easy for the reader to establish their signatures, preventing a volatile personality.

Mentioning Harry Potter is purposeful. There are a lot of similarities between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, aside from both of them being listed on the New York Times bestseller list. However, most similarities are acceptable because they are original in Riordan’s way. I just have to note such likeness because anyone who have read Harry Potter would be compelled to compare it, and trust me, it would take a lot of willpower not to.

There’s a strong resemblance between The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Lightning Thief, like Harry was 11 when he got through a dungeon full of obstacles designed by adult powerful wizards while Percy is 12 when he defeated Ares, the god of war, in a swordfight.

But it would pay to enjoy the book as it is, well at least I did. A new conceptual world, mythological creatures coming to life and attacking, an oddly similar yet different chase with two demigods and a satyr are all for the readers’ taking. Riordan has his own brand of storytelling, and so far it’s good. You may need to brush up on your Greek mythology but Riordan is able to snug adequate snippets within the storyline. Or better yet, another kudos to Riordan, in making the reader interested in Greek mythology.

In Conclusion

I’m not encouraging you to read the book, well at least for now, since it has already hit the cinemas. And movie adaptations rarely satisfies avid book readers, I would recommend watching the film first, not that I have seen it yet, but I do intend to. In that sequence, you’ll enjoy your seat inside the movie theater and your couch at home. But if you can set aside your expectations from the book to the reel, and judge the film as it is, then go ahead and read it first.

Overall, it was a good, fun read. You may even want to read it again after reaching the last page. As for me, I intend to buy Book Two. Let’s just say that Riordan ended the Lightning Thief well. Well enough to make you wonder what’s up next.

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