Jenn's Review: The Blood of Olympus

Author: Rick Riordan
Series: The Heroes of Olympus #5
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 516
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  YA Fantasy
Rating: 5.0
Bottom Line: The final epic battle!
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Blurb:  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.

Review:  I read The Blood of Olympus shortly after it came out in October.  I've re-read it several times since then.  I should have reviewed it ages ago, but in all honesty I just haven't been ready to say goodbye to such a fabulous group of characters. I love that the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series started as Middle Grade novels and grew with the characters into the YA series The Heroes of Olympus. The demigods have grown up and we have been watching and cheering them on all the way.

This final novel starts with the team reunited but with seemingly insurmountable tasks ahead of them.  Being separated has bound them together and made them appreciate each other even more, more than that they've learned to trust themselves and rely on each other.  I think the relationship that shows the most growth is between Percy and Jason.  As sons of  Posiedon and Zeus they are naturally a little wary of each other but they learn that their father's quarrels are their own.

The individual characters that go through the biggest development are Reyna, Nico, and Jason. Jason has to reconcile his Greek and Roman side, as he more than any of the heroes was affected the most by Juno's deception.  In the end he decides that he will control his fate.  Meanwhile Reyna and Nico are thrown together on a quest.  Nico has come to the forefront in the last two books and the reader suddenly becomes painfully aware that while all the characters have been interacting and growing Nico has remained painfully isolated.  It takes a quest with others for Nico to accept himself, trust his friends, and come out of his shell.  For Reyna, it is in helping Nico that she finds herself.

I won't spoil the ending for anyone.  Suffice it to say I laughed and I cried.  I will miss these characters immensely.  It is the interactions between the characters that make Riordan's novels so rewarding --isn't that true of all the best novelists?  Rick Riordan left a small loop hole that leaves the possibility of more --and I sincerely hope there will be more.  Until then, I've started reading them to my daughter from the beginning and (who am I kidding?!?) I know I will be re-reading them for myself!

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