2013 Book 34: The DemiGod Diaries
Book 34: The DemiGod Diaries by Rick Riordan, isbn: 9781423163008, Hyperion, 242 pages, $12.99
The Premise: (from Goodreads) What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads" ("who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion...all in one hour or less?
With his trademark wit and creativity, Rick Riordan answers these questions and more in three never-before-seen short stories that provide vital back-story to the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson books. Original art, enlightening character interviews and profiles, puzzles, and a quiz add to the fun in this action-packed collection.
My Rating: Four out of five stars
My Thoughts: This is a pretty solid short story collection from Riordan, rounded out with some games ("match the Greek and Roman names for each god," word scrambles, and the like) and some illustrations ( black-and-white maps of the places in the stories; color portraits of the main characters (is it me, or does Hal look a lot like Ian Holm when he plays Bilbo Baggins?)). The stories themselves are overall fast and to the point (a nice change from the padded feeling of the most recent Heroes of Olympus book) and Riordan uses them to flesh out the Jacksonverse's past ("The Diary of Luke Castellan," which takes place before The Lightning Thief and gives us a clue as to why Thalia and Annabeth loved Luke so much before he went rogue, while "Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes" fills in the time between The Last Olympian and The Lost Hero), present ("Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford" gives us a look at what Leo, Piper and Jason were doing during the events of The Son of Poseidon) and possible future ("Son of Magic," written by Haley Riordan, explains the Mist and explores what the still-at-large demigods who fought for Kronos may be up to). I agree with Riordan's other son Patrick, who apparently said that Haley's story was better than any of Rick's: "Son of Magic" is the strongest story in the book, and the one that takes the most risks since it features a character we've never seen before. Commentary on the individual short stories in the book can be found here: http://365shortstories.livejournal.com/94667.html
The Premise: (from Goodreads) What dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads" ("who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion...all in one hour or less?
With his trademark wit and creativity, Rick Riordan answers these questions and more in three never-before-seen short stories that provide vital back-story to the Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson books. Original art, enlightening character interviews and profiles, puzzles, and a quiz add to the fun in this action-packed collection.
My Rating: Four out of five stars
My Thoughts: This is a pretty solid short story collection from Riordan, rounded out with some games ("match the Greek and Roman names for each god," word scrambles, and the like) and some illustrations ( black-and-white maps of the places in the stories; color portraits of the main characters (is it me, or does Hal look a lot like Ian Holm when he plays Bilbo Baggins?)). The stories themselves are overall fast and to the point (a nice change from the padded feeling of the most recent Heroes of Olympus book) and Riordan uses them to flesh out the Jacksonverse's past ("The Diary of Luke Castellan," which takes place before The Lightning Thief and gives us a clue as to why Thalia and Annabeth loved Luke so much before he went rogue, while "Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes" fills in the time between The Last Olympian and The Lost Hero), present ("Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford" gives us a look at what Leo, Piper and Jason were doing during the events of The Son of Poseidon) and possible future ("Son of Magic," written by Haley Riordan, explains the Mist and explores what the still-at-large demigods who fought for Kronos may be up to). I agree with Riordan's other son Patrick, who apparently said that Haley's story was better than any of Rick's: "Son of Magic" is the strongest story in the book, and the one that takes the most risks since it features a character we've never seen before. Commentary on the individual short stories in the book can be found here: http://365shortstories.livejournal.com/94667.html