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chorne
, January 04, 2012
(view all comments by chorne)
Excellent read! The book flowed fantastically and Riordan really has improved his writing skill since the days of "The Lightning Thief." I was not able to put the book down for the entire time I was reading. The book has some obvious challenges, being the 2nd of 5 books, however Riordan stands to the challenge well and does a good job by allowing this adventure to be (mostly) stand alone, while fleshing out character's and plot for subsequent books. Our new characters, Hazel and Frank are amusing narrators who are fully capable of bring in new perspectives to the 7 Demigod team.
My main complaint is that this book clearly does follow Riordan's typically outline (get quest, work under time constraint, travel the world/USA, get into trouble along the way, save the day) and, after reading the Percy Jackson Series and the Kane Chronicles, this can get a little repetitive. Despite this predictability, I still find Riordan's writings incredibly entertaining and it is always exciting to learn which geographical locations and Greek/Roman gods he will bring in next.
I am excited to say that the series as a whole looks like it is headed for an excellent conclusion. When Riordan started this series I was initially worried that the series could only be an underdeveloped disappointment. However, upon finishing the second book I have become optimistic about the series. The characters and series plot is growing to be well developed, original, and interesting.
As a warning to any readers: the book has a very frustrating cliffhanger! I was very disappointed when I realized I had just finished the book.
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