I do not think that there can ever be enough books about anything and I say that knowing that some of them are going to be about Pilates.The more knowledge the better seems like a solid rule of thumb, even though I have watched enough science fiction films to accept that humanity’s unchecked pursuit of learning will end with robots taking over the world.-Sarah Vowell

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan


In the last book, we discover that the prophesy states that a child of one of the three major gods, Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades would go on to possibly overthrow the gods of Olympus.  This is to happen when they turn sixteen.  Thalia, Zeus's daughter died protecting Annabeth and Luke getting them into Camp Half-Blood and Zeus preserved her into a giant tree.  When this tree was poisoned by Luke who is working for Kronos who wants to take over the gods of Olympus, Percy and Annabeth go on a quest to get the golden fleece which will heal the tree and protect the camp again.   When they place the fleece in the tree, Thalia comes back to life and now the prophecy can apply to her as well.

Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth are sent out to pick up two half-breeds from their school whom Grover, the satyr, has discovered.  Bianca and Nico Di Angelo don't know what they are and it's a delicate business convincing them to go with them but their Vice Principal, Dr. Thorn, is trying to kidnap them and he's a manticore, a half lion, half scorpion.  They find unexpected help from Artemis and the Hunters.  Artemis and Annabeth both go after the manticore and disappear over the cliff. Zoe Nightshade, Artemis's lieutenant is now in charge of the Hunters and she convinces Bianca to join the Hunters.  They decide to go to Camp Half-Blood to drop off Nico and figure out what to do.

While at Camp Half-Blood Percy frees a sea cow from a net and makes a friend.  Also, he and Zoe are having visions of the people they care about and they both seek out the Oracle who doesn't answer them until one night it comes out and says "Five shall go west to the goddess in chains/ ONe shall be lost in the land without rain/The bane of Olympus shows the trail/Campers and Hunters combines prevail/The Titans' curse must one withstand/ANd one shall perish by a parent's hand" Zoe isn't all that interested in having campers come to help her rescue Artemis, who must get back to Olympus by the Winter Solstice when the gods have their meeting and she casts a crucial vote involving Kornos.  But she'll take Thalia because she's a girl and Grover because he's a satyr. She refuses to take a boy.


But Percy is not going to leave Annabeth in danger. He takes her invisibility cap and rides pegasus and follows them as Gover tracks Artemis's trail.   It leads to Washington D.C. and the Smithsonian. Percy overhears a man known as the General making his evil plans so he rushes next door to warn the others and they find themselves facing the Nieman Lion which Percy helps defeat/  Zoe appreciates his help and realizes that he is meant to be on this mission.   So the five of them head west. 

In the second book, I complained that he wasn't using any original material. Well, he does here as well as a mix of myths that he's twisted a bit to fit the story but in a good way.  I missed Annabeth in this book but Zoe and Bianca were welcome temporary replacements.  Zoe has a thing against heroes for a good reason and Bianca has a secret.  Thalia is complicated and hard to like, which is how Riordan wrote her. She might give in to the prophecy and bring down Olympus in this book.   This was a really good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to see where it goes next.  I give it four and a half out of five stars.

Quotes
 I noticed for the first time how strange it was that the guards hadn’t rused forward to arrest us. They were scrambling in all directions except ours, like they were madly searching for something.  A few were running into the walls or each other.  “You did that?” I asked Grover. He nodded a little embarrassed. “A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time.”
-Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three: The Titan’s Curse p 146)

The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation.
-Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Three: The Titan’s Curse p 298)

    

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