Review: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson #4)
by Rick Riordan
Sequel to The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters and The Titan’s Curse
Being a freshman is hard enough for any teen, but for Percy Jackson it’s a real battle. When he shows up for orientation, demon cheerleaders attack him, leading up to an explosion that sends Percy off to Camp Half-Blood to hide. Unfortunately, Camp Half-Blood is no longer the protected haven of the past. Krono’s army is preparing to attack the campers. Percy and his friends are soon on another quest: this time, they must descend into the Labyrinth to find the legendary inventor Daedalus and prevent Luke from leading an invasion force to destroy Camp Half-Blood before continuing on to Mount Olympus.
Rachel Elizabeth Dare, a mortal Percy encountered in the previous book, plays a much bigger role in this story. She’s an interesting character. I like that the fact that she’s a human, not a demigod, is a good thing and not a weakness because it enables her to do what the immortals cannot. It makes me wonder if the ultimate climax of the series is going to lead to a world where the mortals and immortals live together in a much more unified way. Maybe? At any rate, I hope to see more of her.
What can I say that I haven’t already said in previous reviews? Hmmm. Well, for one thing, I’m really pleased with how the quality of this series has been maintained or improved with each book. So many series start off with a strong novel only to slowly decline in quality with every subsequent release. I mean, the Chronicles of Narnia may be one of my favorite book series, but have you tried reading The Horse and His Boy? It’s soooo boring!!! Anyway. Percy Jackson is consistently entertaining, with an energetic, action-packed plot.
Not that it’s perfect. I mean, this is the fourth book and a definite formula has emerged: Percy gets in trouble at school. Percy flees to Camp Half-Blood. Percy goes on a quest, fights monsters, and encounters popular characters from Greek mythology. Luke causes trouble. Annabeth vacillates between the two guys. In the end, Percy triumphs, but a dark shadow lingers over him. Cliffhanger ending.
Riordan has enough creative talent to make the plot seem interesting every time. I can't wait to read the fifth and final book of the series!
4.5 out of 5 stars
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