My reviews, My views, No apologies
Totally not about books, but I'm so happy about my haircut! It was way longer before. Last year I lost a lot of weight, over 10 kg, and my previously round face turned narrow. So today, I decided to go short. :D
I have finished this book some months ago, but only got around to reviewing now.
This is the last book in the series. I was saddened by this, because I had really grown to love the characters. I did like the ending though. However, I wouldn't mind short stories about them like five years down the road. Some story lines had a rather abrupt ending, I felt.
The story branched off in this book as well. I was very glad to see Nico have his own voice. He had been a favourite of mine for some time.
Overall, it's very hard to talk about this book without spoiling the others. I am glad that I read all five books together, because they came together as one more than the previous five. They were also more adult than the previous five. While both end in battle and some deaths, this was different. In fact, there were more than one battles, and all of them were unique. The talents of the different demigods were used in complex ways, and there wasn't just one individual that stood out.
Reading this series as someone completely out of the target demographic, as a 32-year-old woman, I still enjoyed it. It was fun on one hand, but the characters were complex and individual enough to make me care about them. Even though they were half my age, their struggles were very adult. I wondered if it really was for kids, and they are, but for the more mature. However, adults can also enjoy them, because the topics are very mature. What were those topics? Well, dear reader, you'll just have to find out for yourself. ;-)
Instead of warming up to the characters, they're starting to annoy me more and more. And now the story becomes more like Ender's Game. Seriously? I stopped reading that thing because the games were too boring, and I just couldn't bear another one. This is leaning more and more towards a DNF.
Another thing is the description of big space. You lost me at about the second river. All this North-East mountain this, South-East river that is just too much for me. I would have preferred a map. The whole scene was just too busy.
Oh, and this whole gorydamn business! I seriously hate it. Why in the world do you have to invent such words? Okay, a lot of people use such words, but it just sounds silly. Especially because the only time a cuss leaves my mouth is if I'm really angry, and cussing is always weird to me in books.
My reading experience of this book is kind of weird. I'm not liking any of the characters, and the story evolved into some sort of a twisted version of Harry Potter with a dash of Ender's Game thrown in. Yet I'm still reading. It reminds me of watching Teen Mom. Absolutely horrible, but I'm curious as to what will happen to these people.
This movie reminds me of one of my favourite sci-fi movies of all time, The Fifth Element. Mostly, because when I saw it, I thought it was one of the most gorgeously shot movies I've ever seen. This was the same way. I keep remembering pictures from it, environments that I kind of wanted to melt into, and be in that scene. The space ships were majestic. The dresses that Jupiter wore, I want all of them. They were intricate, beautiful, and sleek. Kym Barrett is a goddess.
I have a few problems with this book for now. One is that I can't decide if I like it or not. The story seems interesting, but I'm not liking the main character, Darrow. I can't put my finger on why.
My other problem is the way the world is described. There are a lot of words that seem to be specific to this world, and I have to guess what they mean. Same with things. It's not always clear though.
Often in world that are not our own they try to resolve the problem of world-specific items through different means. One way is to have the world as similar to ours as it can be, then the author has to explain very few things. Second resolution is that the main character is not of that world, so they have everything explained to them. The third is that they have lived in one part of that world, and then travel to another part, where a lot of things are new. In the book, they aren't really explained. You sort of have to guess.
One such instance is the "tumbler". At first I had no clue what it was. So far, I'm still not sure. I'm thinking some sort of a vehicle, but the picture in my mind is fuzzy, and is trying to make up something that is part car, part truck, part something I must have seen in a sci-fi movie. However, it could be something totally different.
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Unspeakable Moon Quarterly - I kind of like it.
This was the book that made me glad that I waited for the series to end. The end of the previous book was a major cliffhanger, and if I had to wait for it, I would have been really agitated.
The story branched off in two directions. One was the path that Annabeth an Percy took. I really liked the emotional side of it. The hardship, the fight to stay together, and the people they meet there. I could see real character development in them, growing up. Especially Percy.
The rest of the group, who took the other route to the House of Hades, also did some growing up. Frank, I didn't pay much attention to before. However, in this book he came into his own. I loved Leo's story, and it was quite a surprise. I had forgotten about that part in the previous series. Hazel found new powers, and it was interesting how Piper and her could develop their own while working together. It was good to see that kind of cooperation between the two girls. Jason was more support in the story. He often went with the others on the small side quests that they had, but didn't seem to take the lead in any of them. Still, I would love to have him as a friend, he sounds like good support. Nico, I was so happy to have in the story. He had always been my favourite minor demigod, and I really didn't see the secret that was revealed about him. It made me very happy though, to have such a character in the series.
Overall, a really exciting book. It even felt longer than the previous ones. I did take longer to read it, but that was more about not having time to even sleep these past weeks, let alone read more than the page on the metro.
Cross-posted at http://unapologetic-reviews.blogspot.com, where you can find more reviews.
This book was actually quite frustrating. I was promised a trip to Rome. It took the majority of the book to actually reach Rome. Once there, it was fun to remember the places they were visiting, where I've also been. I actually wrote a short travel memoir of my trip there.
This is the first time when the full cast comes together. It was interesting to see how they clashed with one another. The two groups kind of did remain, but that was understandable.
I was happy to see Annabeth playing such an important role in the story. It's been a while since I read the first series, but I can't remember her being so prominent even in that. The love story with Percy continues, and they are quickly becoming one of my favourite couples.
In this story, most people have coupled up. This would probably make other books too full of sap for me, but while the relationships were there, the quest, and the fate of the world was more important.
Leo often felt like the odd one out, partly because he was the only single person on the ship, though in a way he seemed to be married to his gadgets. Still, he seemed to be happier tinkering with everything.
The book probably has the biggest cast that I've ever seen in this series. However, all of the demigods and even the satyr played an important role in the story. It would have been easy to side-line someone, but no, everyone had a purpose.
Overall, a good edition. It breaks the usual mould of these books, except for the boss fights at the end. It marks the start of the real quest. The big one, probably the last one.
Cross-posted at http://unapologetic-reviews.blogspot.com, where you can find more reviews.
This one was actually kind of epic. When I first started the book, I was thinking: "YAY PERCY!" And also: "YAY Roman Camp!" I loved getting to know this new environment. It was close to my heart, because the history of the Roman Empire is kind of a hobby of mine, among many others. I've also been to Rome, and while there I tried to imagine how it would have all looked whole. Imagining myself in New Rome was great.
I also have to note that most of this book I listened to as an audiobook while running Xmas errands. I was so keen on the story, I had to put it on my phone and listen to it while walking around. The audiobook was quite good, but I think they said Geae wrong. Okay, I also don't like it spelled that way, Gaia is the more common spelling. Still, I have no clue why they would say Geae that way. Yes, this REALLY bugged me.
If the person reading this review has read the previous book, then it comes as no surprise that Percy doesn't remember who he is. In this case it is different, since we, the readers, know all about him. I found it interesting how he discovers himself. There was also a very romantic aspect of the story, which was really sweet.
Hazel is the girl this time. I found her really interesting, and I loved how her past and present unfolded at the same time. I also seem to have a soft spot for the children of ... Perhaps because I always feel sympathetic towards groups that are looked down on by others. It probably comes from my childhood, where I often felt like most of the other kids hated me, and thought of me as less than they are.
Frank is the first person of Chinese descent in the books that I can think of. If there had been others, then they made no serious impact on me. He also has a secret, and in a way a secret that is about him, but he doesn't know of. All of this was interesting to find out, and I loved how the kid who was probably the one always being shoved to the side slowly came into his own power. I also kind of loved his mum, without having actually meet her.
This story also takes the Camp-Quest-Trip pattern, with the big boss fight at the end. Still, the addition of the really interesting side stories, and the main adventure make this the most epic Rick Riordan book I've read.
Cross-posted at http://unapologetic-reviews.blogspot.com, where you can find more reviews.
At first, this one was a disappointment. I read the Percy Jackson series last year, and put off reading this one until the last book came out. I knew I would be frustrated to wait for the ending of the next adventure, so I read other stuff. When I started, I expected Percy and Annabeth. Groover. So I was asking: "Who is this Jason guy? Where is PERCY???"
I got over my need for Percy quite fast. Though frankly, Jason is still not a favourite, but Leo was great. I also like Piper. I loved how they were the children of other gods, not the ones we've seen before. The adventure followed a familiar pattern. Meet, Camp, Quest across the country. What was different was that it felt more dangerous. There were many moments when I was wondering how the heroes could survive.
The reason why I never really feel near Jason is that he's too perfect. Clean cut, great power, son of ..., handsome. Not that if he was my boyfriend I would throw him out, but he's just not the kind of character I'm usually drawn to. It was interesting how we found out little by little who he actually was though.
Piper is the girl in the group. Usually in these books there is a girl in the group. I like how she's part Native American, and also the daughter of ... It was interesting how she made comparisons between Native American legends and the Greek ones. There was a mystery surrounding her, and there was a scene with her and her father that made me tear up.
Leo is the anti-social boy. I like him because he's funny, clever and unsure of himself. He's the kind of character you cheer for, you want to see just how much he's really worth. He has his own secret, but his reason for hiding is more about being scared of his own abilities than them being actually dangerous.
Overall, another enjoyable adventure book. Fun moments, scary moments, excitement, just what I want from Rick Riordan.
Cross-posted at http://unapologetic-reviews.blogspot.com, where you can find more reviews.