The House Of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus) Library Binding – Large Print, October 9, 2013

...and no, I don't really mean that in a good way.I was introduced to the Percy Jackson books by a friend in my late teens, not long after "Battle of the Labyrinth" came out. I gulped down the first four and sat on pins and needles until "The Last Olympian" came out, and then gulped it down like a dehydrated woman. When I found out he was doing a sequel series, I was cautiously excited. When "The Lost Hero" came out, I didn't feel like it was quite as strong as PJatO, but it certainly had its own strengths. With each consecutive novel, I've appreciated the series more and more. Ultimately, I've found myself going back again and again to Percy like one would to an old friend, comfortable and familiar. One I felt like I could introduce to anyone, and they'd find an instant friend, too.Like so, so many others, I have been nearly foaming at the mouth for "House of Hades." I even did a (rather undignified) happy dance when my copy arrived in the mail, and immediately jumped in headfirst, then gulped the whole book down in less than twelve hours.As with any book, there were pros and cons, which I will try to cover below in a somewhat organized manner.PROS (SPOILERS AHEAD, BEWARE):Percabeth: One thing I've appreciated about the series is Rick's including a canonical 'ship without it completely taking over. Percy and Annabeth's relationship remains very real and grounding for the characters without sucking time, energy, and focus from the plot - in fact, it complements the plot, another thread among the many he usually so skillfully weaves. HoH did not deviate from this pattern, allowing Percy and Annabeth to reaffirm and strengthen their bond and relationship as they together faced the horrors of the birthplace of monsters. They had some genuinely sweet moments while still managing to move the storyline along, instead of bogging it down.Richness of background: For me, the setting of a book is almost as much a character as the people involved. I like to be immersed in what the characters are seeing, feeling, tasting, hearing. RR has always satisfied me in this respect, helping me easily visualize the Greek camp, the Roman camp, and everywhere between and beyond. When I read a book, I like to think I'm traveling to that place, and PJ has never disappointed in that respect. HoH is no exception.Character growth: This one is a little iffy. Some characters grow and stretch their wings so beautifully in this one (Hazel, Frank, and Leo, most specifically). At first I didn't like Frank's transformation, but I think RR did a good job growing the character while still maintaining the true sense of who he is, as presented before. Yes, he's a buff version of Frank, but he's still the insecure sweetheart teddy bear we all know and love. Leo also did a LOT of growing up in this one, and while his transformation was in some ways more extreme than Frank's - emotionally, more than physically - I think it was also handled quite well.Inclusion of past characters: Though their cameos were fairly small, it was wonderful to see Grover and Rachel again. It was also wonderful seeing Calypso again, since she was such an intriguing addition in the PJatO series, and we didn't get to see that much of her. Plus, Bob the Titan - a follow-up on him was great, and I love how he develops throughout the story.Canonical follow-ups: This one was OFF THE SCALE for me. There were so many things in this book which recalled things from the original series, and each one was like rediscovering a lost treasure. Rachel still carrying the blue plastic hairbrush she brained Kronos with; Calypso's reappearance and what happened to her after "The Last Olympian"; and, perhaps most poignantly, the fallout of Percy and Annabeth's destroying all those monsters. It was an inclusion that surprised me, but I felt like it definitely helped Percy (and Annabeth as well, though not to as large a degree) grow.Riptide: I always wondered if Percy's sword doubled as a pen. The fact it does? The icing on the cake for me. (I love my theories being right...)Percy's dark side: I was really on the fence about this for a while. One thing I've always appreciated about Percy as a hero is his BEING such a hero, always doing his best to do the right thing. That line definitely blurred in HoH, and he struggled with a surprising darker side of himself several times. To paraphrase Annabeth, some things are not meant to be done, some lines are never meant to be crossed. I think Percy's struggle with his dark side is a very interesting development in HoH, and I look forward to seeing what RR has planned to do in "Blood of Olympus" to further help Percy deal with his dark side.Coach Hedge: He's always been a kind of ambivalent character for me. He was kind of funny in the first book, but sometimes his "DIE!" mantra wore on the nerves a bit. But seeing his softer side in HoH really endeared the character to me, and he's quickly risen in the ranks of likeable characters in the series.CONS (SPOILERS AHEAD, BEWARE):POVs & writing quality: I thought the previous books balanced out quite nicely with the three-or-four POV changes. One of the few things I disliked about PJatO was the entire series being in Percy's POV - I wanted to know more about what OTHER characters were thinking. In HoH, RR put in all SEVEN characters' points of view. It went from Hazel, to Annabeth, to Leo, to Percy... And then to Jason and Piper and Frank as well! While I can see why they all needed their say, it made the story itself feel a bit - cluttered. Almost like RR was trying to fit too much into a single book (and, seriously, the thing was almost 600 pages the way it was!). One thing I've always been able to say is his stories have never felt cluttered or confusing, but this time, he kind of dropped the ball a bit. Having all seven POVs in a single book felt more like a final-book thing, IF it HAD to be done, and since this is the penultimate... Well, I just think it didn't really work out that well. Because of the cluttered feel of the book, it seemed almost rushed, and more of the quality of fanfiction (and not even GOOD fanfiction) than an actual published novel, especially a new novel in a series as beloved and (previously) good as PJatO/HoO.Piper and Jason: Of all the characters in HoO, I've liked these two least. Piper has never really felt that useful - she just seems like a whiny weight dragging the team down (granted, her dagger has been useful, but let's face it, pretty much anyone could wield that). Jason - I don't know what it is about him, but he's always set my teeth on edge. Both appeared to be at their worst in HoH. I don't think either one really added anything to the story, particularly in their points of view. The story could have stood alone quite nicely without them, and particularly without their POVs adding page numbers, but no substance. I think Jason and Piper are meant to be this series' Percy and Annabeth, but since Percabeth is already in this series... Well, that doesn't really make them very useful, I'm sorry to say. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad if Piper would actually grow as a character, but even when she's whining, "What can I really do?" the question never gets answered. And sure, Jason can fly and all that, but he doesn't really feel like a strong main character. And I REALLY don't agree with a lot of Jason's views throughout the story. Though I am happy to say his "do I go with my Roman roots or Greek friends?" inner argument with himself is finally resolved in this one...Mythology vs. the real world: One of the things I've always appreciated most about PJatO has been how easy it is to escape into it. After all, it's not real, and it doesn't FEEL real. Sure, it's cool, but not probable. It's escapism at its best. This is a fantasy series, and it FEELS like a fantasy series, which is part of the reason it's so enjoyable. But I feel like RR crossed the line too much in HoH. Instead of focusing on the mythology and fantasy aspects, like in previous books, he instead tried to throw in way too many "real world" conflicts that were nonsensical, pointless, and sometimes downright insulting. As I mentioned above, Jason's views in this story really made me dislike him more than in previous books. I think one of the book's biggest faux pas is best summed up in Chiron's words from the first book: "We don't deal in the metaphysical." The few times Christianity was mentioned in the book, it felt degrading and insulting. It would have been best if he'd done like in previous books and stuck with the Greek/Roman mythology, and left everything else alone.Maturity: Ultimately, these books are aimed toward KIDS. Can adults enjoy them too? Definitely. I'm an adult, and I love them. Even my mother reads and enjoys them! Having said that, I think HoH held too many mature themes for the target audience. Do I think some kids can handle it? Yes. Some kids mature faster than others. BUT, I still STRONGLY caution parents to read this book first before handing it to your kids - especially younger ones like 9 or 10 year olds. This book deals with a LOT of darker themes than the others (Percy and Annabeth are in the birthplace of monsters, after all - not gumdrops, lollipops and roses), and one subject (which I mention below) in particular is NOT something an author should put in a book aimed at kids. PERIOD. This is a young adult series, first and foremost, and there are some lines that should never be crossed, and I'm sad to say RR did so in HoH. Several times. I think RR was going somewhat for a Harry Potter type of effect - each book got progressively darker as the series progressed and the protagonists (and the fans) got older. But I think RR saved everything for HoH and just threw it all in the pot at once, out of the blue and without buildup or warning beforehand.Nico di Angelo: Since he was first introduced, Nico has been one of my favorite characters. I myself sometimes struggle with the feeling that I don't really fit in to my surroundings, and that everyone is looking at me and wondering what I'm doing there, because really, why do I think I belong? For that reason, I've always felt more of a connection to Nico than any other character, though I've liked others more. What Rick did to the character in this book was not ONLY out of the blue and completely out of the character HE HIMSELF set forth in the past five books (I mean, only NOW after the "big reveal" is everyone else noting his strange behavior?), but it is entirely inappropriate in a young adult novel. For one thing, Nico is only fourteen years old (which means he was around ten when he first encountered Percy), and that is nowhere near old enough for someone to know what love IS, let alone what it feels like. One thing I've always appreciated about this series is how CLEAN it is. Mr. D (or Mr. B, in his Roman persona) doesn't even drink wine (Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi is substituted, depending on whether he's Greek or Roman)! There's been no swearing or sexual content, and it has been a refreshing addition to YA literature. The inclusion of a gay character is NOT something that should be put into a YA novel - and also NOT something an author should take upon himself introduce to children. I am seriously disappointed in and disillusioned with RR for adding that completely useless part in an otherwise great series. I am not saying this to spark some sort of heated debate in the comments (heaven only knows, there's more than enough of that going around in others), but I feel this is something that should be addressed, and parents should be warned about before unknowingly handing this book to their children and finding out about this unnecessary inclusion later. I can't in good conscience let it go unmentioned. I mean, I'm an ADULT and I felt shocked and off-put by that detail. I shudder to think how it might affect a child.(END SPOILERS)Will I read the book again? Probably. Did I enjoy it as much as I thought I would? No, sadly. What with some very disturbing reveals and the at times unorganized writing, this is definitely the weakest of the "Heroes of Olympus" novels. Will I get/read "Blood of Olympus"? Probably. Am I as excited about it as I was when I first found out there would be a fifth (when I was reading the dust jacket of the fourth, before I even read word one of HoH)? No. After HoH, I'm sad to say my expectations for the series have dropped quite a bit, which really does sadden me as this is one of my favorite book series. Ultimately, this book received a 3 of 5 star rating for the cons mentioned above, but the three stars I heartily gave it for the pros were well-earned. I gave this review serious thought before I posted it (and, thus far, it is the only review I have written for this series), and I hope I have helped some people make up their minds one way or the other about the purchase/reading of this book.Thank you for your time.

I think, out of all the wonderful books Rick has written, this specific series really shines. He understands his readers who read Lightning Thief in their youth have grown. Just as Percy and Annabeth have grown. This book has some extremely dark, haunting moments that are much more adult than we have in some of the other books, but they never outweigh those wholesome, well written moments of pure just… good that makes Rick Riordan stand out as a writer. I’ll keep coming back to this series over and over, just as I’m sure others will.

Great reading material. One of his best books. Amazing how he described Nyx and Thartarus.Can't wait to see the series in Disney plus

It’s a pretty special thing, friends, when an author manages to create a world and fill it with characters that endear themselves to you for books and books and books and their story never gets old or boring or LESS endearing. The opposite, in fact. Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books are exactly like this. I read all five books in the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and instantly fell in love with the writing and the characters and the world, and now I’m in pretty deep with The Heroes of Olympus. The most recent installment in that new series, THE HOUSE OF HADES, is really proof of something that has been sneaking up on me for a while: Percy is all grown up, and I am NOT ready. But what an amazing young man he is, and what incredible young people he has around him.I don’t want to spoil things for people who haven’t read this series yet (WHAT ARE YOU DOING GO READ THESE), but I will tell you that in THE HOUSE OF HADES, Percy and Annabeth are stuck in Tartarus, where all the evil immortal things go when they are “killed” so that they can be reborn and again unleashed. Percy and Annabeth meet some familiar faces and encounter pretty nasty creatures there. Of course, they also need to make it to a certain spot in Tartarus by a certain deadline in order to prevent the annihilation of humanity, as one does. Meanwhile, the other heroes—Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Nico, and Leo—are trying to meet up with Percy and Annabeth to play their own part in the prophecy and to stop the annihilation of humanity. ALSO, they are trying to stop the Roman and Greek camps from going to war with each other. No pressure. As usual, Rick Riordan keeps things fast-paced, funny, and plenty emotional enough to tug on the ol’ heart strings.I love how Rick Riordan is able to make these books about everyone equally. In the original series, things were obviously about Percy, but The Heroes of Olympus series encompasses a group of unique, brave, smart young people who have to navigate their awkward teenage years while also trying to prevent the goddess Gaea from raising her army of monsters and giants to basically take back the earth from humans. We get just enough time spent with each of the heroes so that we know what they’re going through, what things look like where they are, and how they are dealing with being one of the prophesied 7. THE HOUSE OF HADES gives each character time to shine and show how important they all are to the story (and each other, let’s be honest).To me, though, the storylines that have stayed with me from THE HOUSE OF HADES involve Percy and Annabeth and Nico. SIGH. These kids. I’ve spent so much time with them over the years that I feel really attached to them, and I think they had some of the more emotional storylines in THE HOUSE OF HADES.Percy and Annabeth are, as they often seem to be, the heart of this series. Of both series. They are spending time together in the horrid waste that is Tartarus, running not just for their lives but also to save the lives of everyone and everything they know and love. It was lovely to see them fight for each other and worry about one another and find strength in each other. They’re growing up so fast! WAH! But it’s really impossible not to love them, separately and together. It’s been so great to see their relationship mature.And so that leads me to Nico. OMG GUYS. There are a million reasons that I want to give Nico De Angelo big squishy hugs, but his storyline in THE HOUSE OF HADES is kind of heartbreaking and very emotional and just makes me love him even more. Mostly, though, I imagine that it’s empowering for lots of readers and that’s what makes it so wonderful. Rick Riordan deals with an important issue with lots of heart and grace, and the way the other characters react to it is lovely. NICO ILYYYYYYY!Of course the drama surrounding our heroes in THE HOUSE OF HADES is, as always, full of surprises and fun and danger. Gaea is growing stronger the closer it gets to her appointed date for TOTAL EARTHLY DESTRUCTION. She’s making it almost impossible for the crew on the Argo II to make it where they need to go to help Percy and Annabeth. Plus, Hazel is coming into her magical abilities and realizes that she’ll need to play a really important role in the success or failure of their mission. The situation is growing more and more dire for our heroes. It was hard to put THE HOUSE OF HADES down because so much was going on.I honestly can’t recommend Rick Riordan’s Greek/Roman mythology books enough. Percy Jackson is an excellent hero: flawed, brave, confident. The other heroes in THE HOUSE OF HADES all have their own doubts and strengths as well, and Rick Riordan doesn’t shy away from showing us any of them. Honestly: READ THESE. You’ll be feeling like a mama bear over these kiddos in no time. THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS, I need you and fear you all at once.

I particularly enjoyed this novel! Everything was really unexpected! Amazing!PERCY JACKSON, SON OF POSEIDONPercy was reallllllly awesome in this book. Really he was just fantastic, though I'm not sure if he'll have a POV in the next book since he had one in this book. He and Annabeth's experience in Tartarus obviously brought them closer than ever before, and I found Percy's "death scene" so dramatic!!!!!ANNABETH CHASE, DAUGHTER OF ATHENAMy gurl Anna was great in Tartarus, but if she had her knife she would'nt have been the damsel in distress. Poor Annabeth was isolated from her mother,who, like a couple other gods and goddesses, is torn between her Greek and Roman sides. Overall she was amazing and a worthy daughter of the wisdom goddess. Also, after this book I realized she has LONG hair not SHORT hair. Darn fanfictions!JASON GRACE, SON OF JUPITERJason... oh..... uh....... Sorry fans of Jason....... I gotta be honest.HE IS A RIDICULOUS BLONDE SUPERMAN WHO IS FULL OF HIMSELF!!! HE HAAAAAATES PERCY BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT PERCY IS MORE POWERFUL!!! HE TOYED WITH REYNA'S HEART! HE MADE HER FEEL LIKE HE LOVED HER THAN STARTED DATING PIPER!! AGHHHHHH I HATE YOU JASON GRACE!!!!!!PIPER MCLEAN, DAUGHTER OF APHRODITEI know what I said about Jason, but I actually like Piper. She's not really like children, especially daughters, of the love goddess are portrayed most of the time. In the previous book, I enjoyed how Piper was torn between saving herself and Jason, or herself and Percy. It's the usual "one-girl-two-boys" situation that you'd find in most of these type of books. Piper slays with that charmspeak too!LEO VALDEZ, SON OF HEPHAESTUSThe only thing I didn't like about Leo: He nearly got in the way of my precious Frank/Hazel ship, and that was pure EVIL....... anyway, I think he will succeed in getting back to Ogygia to find Calypso (how cute!) and Caleo will come true! Not much more to say about this joker, except......DON'T EVER GET IN THE WAY OF MY FRANK/HAZEL SHIP AGAIN!!!!!!!FRANK ZHANG, SON OF MARSB

I love this book i have read it about 7 times i cried when Annabeth punged into the tartrus and Percy loved her soooooooooo much he also plunged into the pit of horrors so Annabeth would not go through it alone. I think jason is too much of a goody-too-shoes and Piper deserves a better boyfriend though i was still sad when they killed him off in trials of Apollo. Leo is hilliarious I think Calypso and him make a great couple and i am gland he found her again. I love tbe fact Leo is like a brother to Piper. I feel really bad for Piper because she has been through so much especially when her ex-boyfriend dies. YES THIS IS RIGHT EX THEY BREAK UP!!! Which i was a little sad about. Nico is awesome he went to tartrus alone a son of Hades can summon zombies out of the ground put him self in a coma to stay alive and on top of all of that still has the energy to shadow travel. I think Couch Hedge os great a very comical character and i think his baby sounds very cute and sweet. I think Reyna is awesome she lends strength for others she is not selfish and she has an amazon sister.Thanks for reading this very long reviewbye!

This is the last book before The Blood of Olympus and it is a stunner. Oh wow there were so many things that happened in this book that I just didn't expect. After the Mark of Athena ended I was thinking that things could not get worse than that ending but they did...and it was great. I was shocked and stunned and gripped and wanting more from the very start to the very end of this book.I loved that there were characters that appeared in the previous books briefly mentioned, in some cases like Grover, but also sort of a main character like Bob. I loved Bob he was so cute. I also loved how we got more information from Nico and eveything made much more sense when his secret came out. It was brilliant.Just like the rest of the series this book was completely and totally brilliant. It grabbed you from the first page and did not let you go until the very end. It was fantastic with its twists that I just did not see coming and it really makes you excited and impatient for the last book in the series because you just cannot wait to find out what will happen with these heroes.

I settled down on the sofa this morning for a wonderful day with 'The House of Hades'. Rick Riordan tracks the simultaneous adventures of Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus, and the crew of the Argo II, without a dull moment between them. The book starts in the middle of the action. The first line of the book says it all - "During the third attack, Hazel almost ate a boulder" - and excitement-levels remain high throughout.The adventures feature exotic creatures, including a magical farting polecat, a stealth turtle and a bunch of dwarf monkeys. Not to mention all the hell-monsters from Tartarus, which Riordan describes with his usual dry humour, exemplified by Bob the amnesiac Titan janitor's description of his job: "Bob, mop up these tortured souls. Bob, a zombie exploded in the dining room ...''The House of Hades' gives a truly original portrayal of love and of the love god Cupid. AT LAST Leo (one of my favourite characters) gets a love story, and the tale of the developing feelings between the two of them is incredibly sweet. My one issue with Riordan's exploration of feelings between characters is that his presentation of Nico's crush as some kind of life-shattering, shameful secret is probably not helpful to kids in similar positions.Moving on from the lovey-dovey /tortured-soul stuff, there are some fantastic fight scenes in which Rick Riordan masterfully builds his characters through their actions and decisions. Frank grows in stature when he takes the lead of the ghostly Roman army; and Annabeth's luring of Nix's children into a 'darkness competition' so she and Percy can slip away, is a brilliant illustration of her smart thinking.All in all, a well-written, hilarious, 5 star-tastic tale of adventure.I was genuinely sad when "The Argo II sailed into the night," knowing that I won't be able to find out what happens next for another year.

Rick Riordan is an amazing author for all ages inspiring all who read his amazing work. I love the entire mythoogyverse by RR from Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief all the way to The Trials of Apollo The Tyrants Tomb(and ofcourse the son to be released Tower of Nero) but this is one of the greaest of all of his books. Among one of the most enjoyable and best reads ever! For all ages this book cn be appreciated as a masterpeice despite being aimed for kids and teens. The characters are perfect and the plot is epic and satisfying. With surprising twist, new characters and arcs aswell as fantastic description this book is a must read for all kids, teens, mythology lovers an basically everyone wishing to have a great time enjoying Percy and Annabeth facetheir gravest challenge yet.