Review: The Mark of Athena

Well, there's a 2-hour delay to school starting today for me, so, considering I just read a book in the last couple days, I figured I'd go ahead and review it.

The Mark of Athena
Rick Riordan

What can I say without spoiling the series? Not much. Should I write a summary anyway? I'll just copy what the book has to say for itself:

"Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close— the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare. . . ."

For those unfamiliar with the Percy Jackson series, it is a children's series (Percy starts at 12 and grows a year in most, but not all of the books) that mixes greek mythology with the modern world. It is full of pop culture references and jokes to make you laugh while at the same time being largely character driven to get you to feel for the characters. The first 5 books constitute one complete series and I have just finished reading the 3rd book, The Mark of Athena, in the next 5-book series (which also adds Roman mythology to the mix).

This series isn't only focused on Percy anymore, a truth shown by the switching narrators and this book, out of all the books, has a slightly different feel from the rest, in a good way. I mentioned before how the series is largely character driven because, although the plot is good and exciting, it is also largely unpredictable (chapter to chapter, not from beginning to end) (due to gods and possible myths being almost unpredictable). That being said, the plot here seems slightly less unpredictable and the characters are emphasized even more to great effect. It was a joy reading through this book.

Now, the trouble with me reviewing just one book in the middle of a series is that I don't want to recommend just this book, I want to recommend the whole series starting with "The Lightning Thief." It's pretty safe to say that your opinion of that book will likely be your opinion of the series.

Here's why you and your children should read these books:

1. They are page-turners - you and and your children will devour these books, all of them, in a short amount of time. I generally managed one per day with the first series and one per couple of days with this new series. If you want to read or you want your kids to read, these work.

2. The values contained in these books are good. You're not going to find anything offensive in these books. And what's more, the characters have great characteristics that really shine, while still acknowledging their faults and striving to improve. Mercy, Justice, Forgiveness, Trust, Loyalty, Courage, and more you'll find here.

3. These books teach history and mythology at the same time. I mentioned before that the plot is slightly unpredictable from chapter to chapter; this is because Riordan seeks to introduce the characters (and you) to as many myths as he logically can. He makes you realize how connected the modern world is to the past.

In short, yes I recommend "The Mark of Athena," which I just read, but I really just recommend the series. If you've already read most of the series and have specific questions, ask away.