#17 The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Jason, Piper, and Leo three “troubled teens” who attend a boarding school for kids with problems, only it's a little more complicated than
that. Piper has the ability to talk people into doing almost anything, Leo has a real knack for creating things, and Jason doesn't remember anything about who he really is. When the three are attacked by monsters they are whisked off to Camp Half-Blood, where they discover that they are descended from the Greek gods. Each of them have an important role to play in a prophecy that will change life at Camp Half-Blood forever.
When I turned the last page of The Last Olympian and saw that Riordan was planning on writing another Camp Half-Blood Series, I was somewhat skeptical. I worried that a second series would merely tread the same waters that Percy's books had. Fortunately, this is not the case with The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus. Although there are similarities between the two series (three heroes going on quests, road-trip storylines), there are plenty of differences as well.
The most noticeable difference is that The Lost Hero is written in third person and focuses on the stories of three heroes, instead of just one. Unfortunately, this takes away much of the great humor that was present in Percy's stories, but there are still plenty of laughs to be found. It also slows the book down somewhat, as a lot of time is spent explaining back stories, but I didn't mind that too much. It allows us to really get into the head of our three heroes and develop them quite fully. This ends up being a very wise choice, because I don't think that reading a story from Jason's standpoint would be quite as compelling. I found him to be a rather bland character. I suspect that this is due mostly to the fact that he had no memories. With Piper and Leo, we are able to learn about their past, desires, and fears, making them richer characters. Jason seems kind of empty in comparison.
Another noticeable difference between the two series is that Riordan has expanded the world of the gods to include not only Greek, but Roman mythology. I thought this was a really interesting idea, and liked the impact it had on the story. Another difference that I appreciated was the fact that our heroes are a little older than Percy was in The Lightning Thief. This allows them to be a little smarter and more independent. The novel also dives into larger storylines a lot quicker, which I also appreciated.
The Lost Hero is an entertaining start to a new series that should appeal to fans of the Percy Jackson Series. Although it stumbles in a few places (and has some really awkward dialogue), the book remains quite entertaining. I am looking forward to reading The Son of Neptune, book two, once it's released.
Rating: four stars
Length: 557 pages
Source: borrowed from Tanner
Similar Books: The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, The Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer, The Skulduggery Pleasant Series by Derek Landy.
Other books I've read by this author: The Lightning Thief ( my review), The Sea of Monsters ( my revivew), and The Titan's Curse ( my review), The Battle of the Labyrinth ( my review). The Last Olympian ( my review)
Next up, I will be reviewing The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
xposted totemporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
that. Piper has the ability to talk people into doing almost anything, Leo has a real knack for creating things, and Jason doesn't remember anything about who he really is. When the three are attacked by monsters they are whisked off to Camp Half-Blood, where they discover that they are descended from the Greek gods. Each of them have an important role to play in a prophecy that will change life at Camp Half-Blood forever.
When I turned the last page of The Last Olympian and saw that Riordan was planning on writing another Camp Half-Blood Series, I was somewhat skeptical. I worried that a second series would merely tread the same waters that Percy's books had. Fortunately, this is not the case with The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus. Although there are similarities between the two series (three heroes going on quests, road-trip storylines), there are plenty of differences as well.
The most noticeable difference is that The Lost Hero is written in third person and focuses on the stories of three heroes, instead of just one. Unfortunately, this takes away much of the great humor that was present in Percy's stories, but there are still plenty of laughs to be found. It also slows the book down somewhat, as a lot of time is spent explaining back stories, but I didn't mind that too much. It allows us to really get into the head of our three heroes and develop them quite fully. This ends up being a very wise choice, because I don't think that reading a story from Jason's standpoint would be quite as compelling. I found him to be a rather bland character. I suspect that this is due mostly to the fact that he had no memories. With Piper and Leo, we are able to learn about their past, desires, and fears, making them richer characters. Jason seems kind of empty in comparison.
Another noticeable difference between the two series is that Riordan has expanded the world of the gods to include not only Greek, but Roman mythology. I thought this was a really interesting idea, and liked the impact it had on the story. Another difference that I appreciated was the fact that our heroes are a little older than Percy was in The Lightning Thief. This allows them to be a little smarter and more independent. The novel also dives into larger storylines a lot quicker, which I also appreciated.
The Lost Hero is an entertaining start to a new series that should appeal to fans of the Percy Jackson Series. Although it stumbles in a few places (and has some really awkward dialogue), the book remains quite entertaining. I am looking forward to reading The Son of Neptune, book two, once it's released.
Rating: four stars
Length: 557 pages
Source: borrowed from Tanner
Similar Books: The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, The Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer, The Skulduggery Pleasant Series by Derek Landy.
Other books I've read by this author: The Lightning Thief ( my review), The Sea of Monsters ( my revivew), and The Titan's Curse ( my review), The Battle of the Labyrinth ( my review). The Last Olympian ( my review)
Next up, I will be reviewing The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
xposted totemporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads