Reviewed by KitsuneBae on
If you have managed to read the Son of Neptune (SoN), you can definitely relate to how I desperately waited for this book to come out. Son of Neptune, though excellent ended with a big cliffhanger that it made me want to read the next book right there and then. I am happy to report that MOA answered the major questions in SoN nicely. Annabeth was finally reunited with Percy and the seven demigods were introduced to each other.
Rick Riordan’s brand of humor was absolutely present in this book that it was hard to get bored even after reading a lot of pages. What’s more is that the humor was multiplied seven times as MOA was told from the POVs of seven demigods. For some books, this approach might confuse the readers but it worked quite well in MOA since for me, it is important to connect intimately with our heroes and heroines. What I admire most in Rick’s character building is that he can manage to make all the seven demigods unique in their own ways. There are no duplicates; each one has his or her own individuality. And how Rick managed to make them all loveable and appealing, I don’t know. That’s still a mystery that I would like to ask Rick if ever I get that kind of opportunity. Amongst all the seven demigods, I think Leo Valdez really shone out in this book with his awesomeness and confidence in beating Narcissus for the “Coolness and Gorgeousness” award.
A lot of things are happening in MOA that I didn’t get bored even for a minute. Its subplots were as engaging as the main plot that I can’t complain about “lack of action scenes.” And the nice thing about it is that every sub-plot connected to the main plot to create an ambitious story such as this one. It neatly integrated the story of the gods into the modern world which makes the story more exciting than ever. Even the world building remained consistent transporting me to the places of so long ago where the godly battles occurred.
Like the previous books, MoA also has its share of interesting entourage of gods and goddesses. And while it is almost impossible to introduce a lot of gods and goddesses in one book without sacrificing their characterization, Rick has managed to pull it off with a flourishing grace. This is perhaps why I love Rick’s version of Greek mythology because he made these gods unforgettable by giving them personalities that the average person can relate to.
I was also thankful that Rick managed to keep the romance to a bare minimum and wholesome. Yet it didn’t fail to show that the romantic relationships of the characters are developing into something deeper. I must admit that I feel giddy every time I arrive on MOA’s romantic scenes.
While I immensely enjoyed MOA, I still wished that we could have gotten glimpses of Grover, Tyson and Percy’s mother. I am quite curious as to what happened to the latter after Percy’s disappearance and I would love to see a heartwarming reunion between mother and son.
In an overall assessment, MoA has done it again, a story brimming with freshness and ending with another cliffhanger. This would surely make Rick’s fans salivate with wanting for the House of Hades to come out.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 1 February, 2013: Finished reading
- 1 February, 2013: Reviewed