I Write What I Read

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.
One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.
Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them—Set has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe — a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Thoughts
Since the bittersweet ending of The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles had been placed in my TBR list. I didn't know what to expect from Egyptian mythology because honestly I didn't know a thing about it! I'm only familiar with Cleopatra, King Tut and Nefertiti, and they're not gods or goddesses.

In the beginning of the story, my curiosity was greatly piqued, because there was already a lot going on. Written as an audio transcription from the recording of Carter and Sadie, I was reminded of Where'd You Go, Bernadette, not really in the same manner but I love the creativity in relaying the stories to readers. I also love those side comments, mostly by Carter, because Sadie's really cheeky!

I love the series because I'm definitely learning a lot from it, about Egyptian mythology and a whole different kind of culture and magic. But towards the middle part, it felt like it took too long for it to end and I thought it was just going in circles and sometimes I'd forget the point why they where there. It didn't held my full attention, to say it shortly. I was actually considering on not continuing with The Throne of Fire after finishing this book... and totally changed my mind after reaching the last part. I had a teary moment with Sadie when she mournfully wailed to the sky what else she did not sacrifice? Hit me right in the feels.

The prospect of teaching other blood of the pharaoh kids and finding them is what got me excited over The Throne of Fire, because I love the idea of new characters and they'll be spending time in the mansion in Brooklyn, and that will definitely be loads of fun!

Well, those are just my expectations since I don't really know what happens in the next books even though it's been out for years!

Rating
3 stars

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them, and they’re stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake. The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance


Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps. The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea’s army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.


My thoughts on Blood of Olympus are overdue, I know! I was reading it in between making two research papers, can you believe that?

I just want to make this short and sweet. I love everything about The Blood of Olympus and Rick was true to his word about the loose ends of his characters, everything was settled.

I didn't had that same feeling I felt for when Harry Potter ended. I wasn't too emotional about it. I only felt the excitement of wanting to read it right away and know what becomes of our heroes. I love that TBoO was a bit lengthy, and so every aspect was thoroughly discussed. I also liked the sort of review of the past events that happened in previous books, it was refreshing to recall those moments. That's when THAT feeling sort of creeped inside me a little. The dread of everything coming to an end.

The story telling was episodic. It felt like watching a TV series. Some felt the story was rushed, but I didn't. The fact that it really took its appropriate length of every chapter in a character's story to tie all those loose ends.

Every POV was great... and we have our Nico POV! Woooh! This last book was the perfect time for Nico's character to bloom! His POVs endeared him more to the readers, knowing his thoughts, his feelings, his fears... it is such an honor. Chapter 31 was most unforgettable. That was some scary stuff he did! It was frightening! Never ever cross Nico di Angelo! Is it crazy that out of all the 'feels' moment in the book what made my tear drop was when Pegasus honored Reyna as Horse Friend by Lord Pegasus. It was very touching... T_T Reyna is the most bad ass Roman! Her slaying Orion was the best kill ever!

In the House of Hades, it's undeniable that Leo had changed ever since he got stranded on that island with Calypso. He felt the sadness only a girl could inflict upon a boy. Most of all he felt the greatest love he could have ever hoped for. His reform is obvious in TBoO. When you read his POVs you get the feeling it's not Leo your looking into. Not saying that it was a bad change. It's good because he knows how to balance it with his humor. He is not that clueless boy anymore. There's a lot of emotions felt in his POVs. It's scary how his longing for Calypso was channeling to me as a reader. I too longed for them to be together! That same grief I felt for Nico in the previous book was passed on to Leo. You can tell he has matured, but not forgetting his humor of course. Very funny as ever. I literally LOL in his lines.


Knowing how Leo was before, I don't think he would've ever thought of sacrificing himself in order to defeat the Earth mother. He was the perfect pick. It would have been very expected if it were Jason or Percy. He really got the whole flamboyant-guy-turned-serious-hero going. I bet it broke every readers' hearts knowing he would be sacrificing himself. Of course I was sad about it. It's crazy, but just as he reassured his friends that he had a plan, I really believed it. It's Leo we're talking about! He might not be much compared to Percy and Jason, but he's very smart and inventive. If someone could cheat Death, it's him. Heck, he found a way to find Calypso for pete's sake! He is the not-impossible guy! I didn't dwell too much on his death. I never really believed Rick can kill off a character. It was very wonderful the book closed with him very happy and with the person he loves so much, arms wrapped around in him! Very good vibes!
Nico and Will Solace? Yawza! I knew something was up! I love the two of them! I think they would've been the best couple ever. If only Rick Riordan would have a spin-off of Nico and Will's story! So kilig! It's so cute how Nico denies at first that he's having this strange feelings for Will, and I love that Will is the agressive one, giving off those signals to Nico. I know it seems unrealistic that Nico falls for Will that fast. You never really know who's there unless you look around, right? I'm glad Will made him see things another way. OTP! OTP!

It's expected that Jason and Percy and their pairings and also Frank and Hazel, would have a happy ending. So they were quite boring to read about. Hehehe..

I am VERY satisfied with how everything turned out.

In a few days we will be glorifying ourselves with Rick Riordan's final book in The Heroes of Olympus series, The Blood of Olympus that is set to be released on October 7.

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them, and they’re stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake. The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance
Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps. The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea’s army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

Originally posted on Oct 14, 2013, 12:25

 
First off, I just love/hate the dedication page of the book!

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.