The Blood of Olympus, Rick Riordan

Ok, so I totally thought I already wrote the post for this one, but I hadn't! And I've read a couple books since finishing this one....so it's not as fresh as I'd prefer for writing.

I did REALLY enjoy this one! Only a few questions left, more so for the characters than the reader, but that's still not completely fair!

I really respect the way things played out with Nico, for sure, with this same gender attraction. VERY age appropriate for the target audience. No glorifying of that type of lifestyle, but a healthy hope for someone who feels similarly and chooses to live the lifestyle (I do know some people who have an inclination to same gender attraction but because of deeply held religious beliefs or some other reason choose NOT to live a lifestyle in accordance with their feelings, and that decision should be as respected as someone's choice to live otherwise). I admire an author who can help a generation build sympathy for a group of people who have been shunned, made fun of, or otherwise ostracized, without saying it's right or wrong, without heroizing it or demonizing it. I think it was a great feat. Especially with how as other people found out, they didn't love him less, they loved him MORE because they knew of some of the pain he was going through. Nico learned that sometimes, it IS better to open up instead of keeping everything inside. Also, I find it slightly ironic how his godly father, Hades, seems to be the BEST godly parent out of them all. How maybe his circumstance of being eternally slighted has given him the ability to understand demigods better than anyone else and dare I say more capable of loving his demigod children? I guess it's also a lesson not to judge too soon, either. How just because someone doesn't fit "the mold" doesn't mean we shouldn't stretch "the mold" to look more like him/her.

I also like how just like in other books, there are many different ways to interpret things and you have to look at problems from multiple angels.

There were happy endings for *most* of the characters. Riordan is quoted saying " There will be no cliffhangers, meaning no one will be left in imminent danger with no clear way out. But that does not mean you will know every single thing that happens to all the characters for the rest of their lives. I don’t do epilogues. I hate epilogues. It’s like nailing the coffin shut on the story, allowing for no further growth and leaving no room for the readers’ imaginations.”" you can read more here: http://www.hypable.com/2014/06/12/rick-riordan-updates-fans-on-current-projects-begins-norse-mythology-series/

However, ALL characters grow in many, many different ways. And all are admirable. While there are no epilogues, there IS a "glimpse into the possible future" as a scene is told in a reminiscent fashion, as the character imagines what it would be like to tell their children/grandchildren about what happened. That was definitely a fun twist of perspective!

And his next book is coming out in the fall, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book One: The Sword of Summer

He says he doesn't know if there will be any other Percy Jackson books, but WHY oh WHY would this new character share a LAST NAME with Annabeth?? Is there a connection? Is he just TOYING with is fans as if we wouldn't notice this oh so tiny detail??