Son of Neptune

[koalakoala]

The second book in Heroes of Olympus is out today!

I got it on my nook and I'm only on chapter thirteen (about a fourth of the way through) right now, but it's definitely a lot better than The Lost Hero so far. Probably because of Percy.

SPOILERS!

Frank and Hazel are adorable and a lot more likable than any of the other trio, imo. I have this horrible feeling that they'll come back from the quest just in time for the Feast of Fortuna and that's when they're voting for praetor, right? so of course Jason will show up along with Annabeth and everyone and then the book will end. It's so RR's style.

Anyone else read/reading it?

[Tokoloshe Monster]

I haven't even read The Lost Hero yet. T.T

I fail.

[Rowena]

Please warn for spoilers in this thread if you intend to discuss events that happen several chapters into the book

I didn't know this book was out now! I intend to convince my mother to take me to Barnes and Noble to get it as soon as possible, which will probably end up being this weekend since I have school and all -.- But I'm very excited now! I enjoyed The Lost Hero so I'll be surprised to see what I think of The Son of Neptune - I didn't like the teaser chapter very much simply because, from Percy's POV, it wasn't as intense as it was from Jason's, since I already knew both who he was and what was going on. (I know it's lame, but it took me quite a while to figure out where Jason was from while reading The Lost Hero, which made it really cool, but with Percy that is kind of ruined.) I didn't like Piper's character very much, because she seemed kind of shallow to me, especially since many of her thoughts involved her crush on Jason and how he had someone else. Still, I worry that there will be another love interest for Percy in The Son of Neptune, because I love Percabeth so much.

Overall I am looking forward to this but actually prefer Riordan's other new series, The Kane Chronicles, to The Heroes of Olympus because the characters are more interesting and varied in that one, even if I do prefer Greek mythology over Egyptian.

[koalakoala]

I wasn't a huge fan of the teaser chapter when I read it either, particularly because of the third person point of view, but the book is actually good. It's not really about where he's from or why he's there, since we already figured that out in the first book. It's more about the prophecy arc. And for some reason, the callbacks to the original series are killing me, a lot more than TLH's did.

The perspective changes to Frank and Hazel, who I think are a lot more interesting than Piper. Which isn't very difficult to achieve, but still.

Ed: I finished! *dies*

[KATE]

SPOILERS ARE AHEAD....this is me after all.



Anywho, I preordered and put off all school work until I finished it. and Personally Iloved it! WOuld anyone be surprised if I said Reyna and Hylla were my favorites out of all of it? I mean come on battle forklifts? haha

Hazel was an awesome perspective to get, Percy's wasn't bad, but kind of boring, and Franks was nice...but not my favorite.

I relaly liked how the Roman camp was split into cohorts, because we go into this thinking about how they would be more...I don't know snobby? than the greeks, but really they pushed your own merits more than just your pedigree. Harsh yes, but very fitting. I found myself liking Camp Jupiter more than Half Blood through the book.

And with the prophecy of seven, I'm not sure I'm going to like it all that much, I think I kind of want it to turn out like TLO with the big war, buts that just so we can have all our favorite characters involved. Because really, i think I will die if the Amazons, Hunters, Reyna, and Clarisse never show up again.

Last comment...I can't get the disembowled teddy bears out of my head.

[koalakoala]

Reyna was definitely my favorite. The Amazon thing was super clever, though.

I don't know about liking Camp Jupiter more; right now, CHB is more nostalgic.

Seven main characters are already pretty crowded. I'm really interested in seeing whose perspectives we're getting in The Mark of Athena. Is Annabeth confirmed as the seventh person?

His poor panda pillow pet! I want Octavian and Rachel to meet.

[KATE]

haha, Amazon.com, I will never be able to think about the same way.

I don't know if Annabeth is confirmed as the 7th, but it would make sense if she was, we can't really see anyone else as THE person representing Athena. But the 'prophecies' that are briefly mentioned really make me think of Annabeth and the romans having issues.

Rachel and Octavian meeting would be hilarious I think. But I think thats kind of why I want everyone to come togeth like in TLO because I want everyone to meet their counterpart(s) Like Hylla-Thalia Jason-Percy Octavian-Rachel-Ella etc etc.

[Rowena]

So yeah...I finished it. Expect spoilers.

(You've been alerted.)

I thought Frank and Hazel were really cool, although I had a little trouble with the age difference at first - just b/c of how young she is - but then I liked it. Although I'm not sure how I feel about the whole Leo-Sammy thing, b/c it's lame if he's returned from the dead too. I'm hoping he's a descendant of Sammy, like his grandson or something. I don't want that to turn into another triangle though.

I much preferred Hazel's narration to Piper's and thought her gift/curse was really clever. However I was a little bothered how both TLO and SoN had the whole "white guy w/ two minority sidekicks" thing. Obivously Percy's already white, so it's not like Riordan could have changed that, and I guess Jason's sort of set as white since he's related to Thalia, and I know that technically Piper & Leo and Hazel & Frank aren't sidekicks, but come on. The two guys who defeated Kronos/Roman Kronos...and 4 kids who are new to camp. I applaud Riordan for making THoO much more diverse than PJO, but I really loved The Kane Chronicles b/c they were so diverse and it felt really effortless. With THoO - to me, at least - if felt more forced.

Also I thought Percy went down a notch in interesting-ness. This could be due to his memory loss and the fact that it isn't first-person POV but I was disappointed b/c I really liked Percy. I did find all the Roman stuff pretty interesting though.

If Annabeth turns out to be bad I'll cry Also I legitamitely screamed at the ending. Not cool, Rick Riordan. Not cool.

[KATE]

I have to agree with the no triangle thing, thats going to get played up enough with the whole Piper/Jason/Reyna thing. I really just didn't get any real emotion from when hazel saw Leo, I'm thinking more along the lines maybe of devestation that he moved on without her while Hazel was basically, well dead and Sammy had a life.

I never thought of that really, but that doesn't play such a big role for me. I mean past hair and eyes I don't pay THAT much attention to characters appearances past what is stressed. They ust pop in my head as they choose.

I liked Percy in this but I was too distracted by all the new stuff that came out. I kind of like the Roman more than the greek, and the romans seem to be a bit more...successful than the greeks. I mean they have adults living in the camp, while at CHB they're lucky to reach adulthood really.

The ending and all the prophecies mixing in just makes me think that Annabeth and her big 'flaw' will get the best of her. Not make her evil, but makes their job harder. I easily see her fighting with the romans...on sight. And in their little trip they'll be taking, she'll probably be needed but not be able to get along with the romans enough to really want to help THEM