House of Hades by Rick Riordan
3/20/2014Originally posted on
To my wonderful readers:
Sorry about that last cliff-hanger.
Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA.
But seriously, I love you guys.
Sorry about that last cliff-hanger.
Well, no, not really. HAHAHAHA.
But seriously, I love you guys.
Don't you just want to strangle him? Hahaha!
The book easily gets 5 stars from me. You want action and adventure? You got it, and so much more! Lots of loose ends from the past books were tied and I love that the Olympians took a back seat. There were no major stories about them, no chapter dedicated for them at all, and it was refreshing! Gave us readers ample opportunity to get to know the lesser gods and goddesses and even the community of Tartarus, but I was left with a wanting for Gaea. Yeah, it's probably a good thing that there were no developments from her in this story, but I really feel like there should have been something from her to make us feel the impending doom, that she really is rising, that it really is happening! It would've given me nerve-attacks if it were part of the story and to end like that. At some point I may have pulled at my hair! Haha!
We did get a little bit of Tartarus, and yeah I totally felt shivers when Percybeth had their encounter with him. All in all, everyone had major power-ups and character developments, for some it was okay, for some I didn't think necessary. But yeah, it was all good 'cause we need heroes that are whole when they fight their asses off saving this world.
With Percy and Anabeth, I guess this is the only time where they look and feel like shit most of the time. If anything else, the two characters developed as one. They were in that situation together and they stucked through it till the very end, with their relationship intact and more stronger. You'd expect they'd be tested by having a spat on a time when they need each other the most but then reconcile after realizing that one cannot live without each other, but no, Rick did no such thing. He knows his characters well enough to think that, and I love that it went the way it did. We get a little bad side of Percy when it is revealed through Bob the Titan and Calypso. Percy left them with no second-thoughts, no qualms about what could have happened to them right after or how they were, but Percy realizes his faults and I know he will find a way to make up for it, I just know he will. Anabeth, the very cunning Anabeth, is softened by Titans. It's just sad that she, who hadn't trusted Bob and Damasen from the start and sort of toyed with them using her wits, had warmed up to them at the end because of the sacrifice they made so she and Percy could leave Tartarus. So they want to make sure that those sacrifices would not be in vain... we'll see.
Hazel can now control the mist, which is pretty awesome and very scary at the same time. She had her limelight when she rescued her friends from Sciron and the giant turtle, using her ability with the mist. Not bad for a first time. I don't know if she ever got to trusting Jason after that whole debacle with Sciron, thinking that Jason never really cared about Nico at all. Yeah, Jason helped but really it was all Hazel. So I guess we'll find out in the next book.
Frank Zhang! I always rooted for this big guy. The moment you read about him, you just warm up to him, just like a big ol' teddy bear! But he is definitely way pass that teddy bear phase. He didn't just have a major power-up, but he also got HOT! Lucky Levesque! That morning he woke up with the head ache, hearing Mars and Ares in his head, I was ready for my face palm for when Frank screw something up... and boy was I wrong! and man I love that I was wrong! He just did the most bad ass thing in the entire book! He took on a whole herd of katoblepones and he was blessed by his dad... for the second time! And the bad assery just doesn't stop. A level before the Doors of Death, he was able to command a bunch of dead fallen soldiers - perks of being a son of Ares/Mars- that neither Nico, a son of Hades himself, and Jason, high-ranking Roman soldier could do, and therefore saving his comrades!
There wasn't much going on with Jason. He did sort of got Nico's trust, which is probably good, especially for Hazel since she was so much worried about Jason not caring enough about Nico. He was pretty miserable when Khione attacked Argo II, he was incapacitated but he could've avoided it or something, but it was all for the better so that Piper could have her own slice of victory. Jason adds another one to his list of failures when he could not command the risen fallen soldiers, which Frank Zhang did, on the bright side he promoted Frank as Praetor so he could have total control of the army.
For once Piper isn't helpless and emotional. She took care of Khione's unfinished business with them and ended it for good. Rick did a great job in giving her her moment to shine and it was done so beautifully, at the expense of Jason looking pathetic, but it was a good motivator and especially with Leo being blown away somewhere. There wasn't really a power-up but a great self-actualization and empowerment that was well needed if she were to be a part of the team to defeat Gaea. She even had sword fighting lessons with Hazel meaning she won't need to rely on just her charm-speak to get her out of sticky situations.
Leo Valdez, my favorite character of all is inlove, people, yes you heard me, inlove! The downside is that he's inlove with a person he'll probably never ever see again- Calypso. I think they'd be perfect if Leo ever get pass the fact that the island Calypso lives in will be traceable by some miracle of an invention of his. We love Leo because of his comic relief and I was kinda thinking before that a love-interest might ruin that. I knew he would never hit it off with Hazel, re Frank. I already accpeted the fact that Leo would be carrying a broken heart, masked by his humor till the book ends. We see a very, very different Leo after the Calypso episode. He's not twitchy and itching to do something but he was calm. Love did that to him. His restlessness was subdued by this unspoken feeling that he had for a girl he sweared to the River Styx to! Well ofcourse he'll fulfill his promise. I'm betting on this boy!
Nico di Angelo, the gods bless this boy! He didn't had a chapter dedicated to him, but did not make him any less an important character. His story is so inspiring he brought tears in my eyes, and as of this moment remembering his pained confession of his unrequited feelings for Percy -there are tears in my eyes right now... It shocked me, but only for a moment as it was replaced by sympathy for this boy who felt he did not belong, who felt so misunderstood and always alone... and then we learn of another thing that burdens this poor, poor boy. We all hope to be loved back by that one person who matters, but everything's just not that easy! I just wanted to hug him!!! I, myself need a hug! What was Rick Riordan thinking putting us in this situtaion? breaking our hearts into a million pieces?? Damn you, Rick!! *sigh It must really kill him seeing Percy with Anabeth... that he just volunteered right away to get as far away from them ASAP! I truly, truly felt for him when Percy talked to him and he asked for space. It was sooooo like a break-up!! Oh my heart is breaking because I just can't see, even after they defeat Gaea, what happens to Nico? Does he get his happy ending? I think not! Percy has Anabeth and Jason with Piper as well as Frank and Hazel... you can't worry about Leo, but Nico what does he have after everything ends?? Gods, if Rick Riordan doesn't give him a just ending, I swear to the River Styx-
Rick was nice enough not to do the same thing he did in the last book.
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