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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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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Mythology by Edith Hamilton

There is practically no easier read or convenient reference for Greek Mythology other than Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. Over the years, this book has been published for educational purposes and leisure. A book bound to quell a thirst for knowledge about the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.

Author: Edith Hamilton

Published: 1942

In 1957, Edith Hamilton was made an honorary citizen of Athens

Reading Experience

Mythology; Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, is an authoritative compendium of Greek Mythology. Hamilton effectively collated various Greek poems and stories into fluid, readable texts. Readers can also deduce from her introductions, the meticulous and detailed binding of cohesive and resonant story chunks from various Greek writers. Through this careful undertaking, Hamilton was able to determine certain disparities especially with the Olympians' persona and certain story lines.


She is also consistent in describing the style of Greek literary authorities such as Ovid, Aeschylus and Homer. I find her consistent description of Ovid’s ‘unnecessarily decorative’ style funny, providing timely humor amidst the grim fates of most characters. But she does give credit where it is due not only with Ovid, but also with other Greek writers who were sources for her compilation. In addition, the writing style is straightforward, inclusive only of what is essential. 

I also commend the inclusion of a mythological genealogy at the back of the book. Since the Olympians have a persistent affinity in procreating with mortals, I had a huge temptation of actually jotting down their lineage. Fortunately, I read the table of contents, which is usually overlooked, and was quite surprised that Hamilton has already done it for the readers. This is highly convenient especially for those who have academic endeavours, like a report or an essay about a god or hero.

Furthermore, there is ease of transition between the Greek gods and goddesses and their Roman counterparts. A reader would not be lost in the woods trying to identify who's who.

It also included Norse mythology and the harrowing belief in heroism in the face of defeat, that Odin can only delay Ragnarok but everything is bound to end in ruins.

In Conclusion

If you find yourself facing a Greek mythology report as an academic hurdle, or a hunger for knowledge about the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, you can never go wrong with Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. It’s complete, compact and a clean smooth read. It’s like having a textbook without its daunting read, but a novel’s fluid storytelling.

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