i promise not to blow the address again

[musesfool]

So last night I turned off the debate about five minutes in and instead finished The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, book three of the second Percy Jackson series. Imagine me, if you will, practically dangling off the couch in my excitement because the climax of the book is really excellent and clever, and then... CLIFFHANGER. I put my iPad down

Comments

[grimorie]

Thanks for the warning! I'll hold out from reading the books!

[musesfool]

Yeah, this whole waiting a year in between is not my favorite thing ever. Sigh.

[destina]

You are making me think twice about the Percy Jackson books. I hated the first book, so clunky and awkwardly written. And then I loved the movie of it, and so I was conflicted. I should try again?

[musesfool]

I think the first book is the worst? They get better as they go, and I find Percy really likeable. But they're very definitely middle-grade books - there is a lot of "HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THIS MYTH?" kind of ridiculousness in the first series; there's a lot less of it in the second.

[cupiscent]

Oh dude, DUDE, I love Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant books. :) I really enjoyed Rivers of London (I think it was called Midnight Riot in the US) but I found that Moon Over Soho hung together even better. All the story elements just fit together seamlessly for me, and I was swept along in it and - despite all the ways in which the resolution of the book is totally open-ended - I was vehemently satisfied. I mean, I totally see what you mean about the taking so long to figure out Simone was involved, but I think (trying to remember how I felt when reading it) that there were these layers of lying to/trying to convince himself, and that, in turn, stemmed really realistically from his horror (and self-horror, and denial, and coping) over what happened to Leslie... basically, I think for me this one just deepened so much further everything the first book had (brilliantly) established, and I was so very, very happy with it

[musesfool]

Yeah, I really liked Midnight Riot, though I don't understand why the title was changed - Rivers of London is a really apt title! And I really liked how the world - and Peter's characterization - deepened in the second book.

I totally see what you mean about the taking so long to figure out Simone was involved, but I think (trying to remember how I felt when reading it) that there were these layers of lying to/trying to convince himself, and that, in turn, stemmed really realistically from his horror (and self-horror, and denial, and coping) over what happened to Leslie.

I get that, and I think that's what Aaronovitch was going for, but to me, it was SO OBVIOUS right from the start that having it take the whole book for Peter to finally get there was making me grit my teeth. But I really did like the book a lot and am enjoying anticipating the third one.

[lyras]

I love Ben Aaronovitch's books - really enjoyed the way the second one kind of deepened the world/Peter's life as we knew it from the first book. (Waiting for the paperback of the third.)

Hmm, somehow I'd got the idea that Riordan's new books weren't about Percy and Annabeth - may have to rethink my reading plans now!

[musesfool]

The first book of the new series focuses on three new characters - Jason, Piper, and Leo - but the second, Son of Neptune - is about Percy, and then Mark of Athena focuses heavily on Annabeth, though all the others are in it too. I'm really enjoying the new series. Though as I said, cliffhangers might make it worth waiting until they're all done.

[ibmiller]

So, did Percy have to make the "choice" that keeps getting foreshadowed? Or is that still to come? I have it on hold at the library (but my library is super slow, so I'm expecting next month), but I'm hoping that the whole choice thing at least gets out of the way - I'm not a fan of that kind of tension.

[musesfool]

I don't believe so. He makes a couple of choices that are fairly important, but the book is really Annabeth's story.

[ibmiller]

Drat! Well, Annabeth is my favorite. That is a plus.

[musesfool]

Then you'll probably enjoy it.