Percy Jackson has been fighting gorgons for days, but they just won't die. Why won't they just stay dead like normal monsters? Why can't he remember how he knows what they are or where he learned to fight? He's running out of steam...and options. Suddenly, he feels a pull towards the two people standing guard at a tunnel across the freeway. Is it salvation or is it a trap? A hippie bag lady appears at his side and tells him that he has little time to decide between staying where he is and reaching the tunnel. If he chooses to cross the freeway, she asks if he would be so kind as to carry her to the tunnel. The gorgons are circling close and Percy chooses to lift the woman and make a run for it. The two guards are dressed in battle armor and tell him they'll cause a diversion until he can make it into the grounds. But where is he exactly?
Once in the grounds, he crosses the Little Tiber and puts the woman down. Quickly he turns and summons the water to crush the gorgons. How did he just do that? The bag lady smiles, spins and turns into a seven foot tall beauty sheathed in a goat skin cloak. Juno stares down at Percy and the two guards from the tunnel, Hazel and Frank, and welcomes him to Camp Jupiter. She apologizes for stealing Percy's memories and warns that trouble is coming. Without much more, she disappears and leaves the campers confused.
After a tour of the camp and dinner, the camp begins to assemble for war games. Frank and Hazel have vouched for Percy and he falls into their ranks of the Fifth Cohort, a group that has been shamed since the 1980s. However, during the games, the three of them prove to be a triumphant trio and help win the game for their side. Just as the battle has ended, the cheering quickly stops as Mars himself appears in the middle of the battlefield. He claims Frank as his son and issues a quest stating that three demigods must head towards the land beyond the gods and face the threat that awaits them before the Feast of Fortuna. He also states that Frank must head it and is allowed to choose his companions. Mars also states that it would be wise to choose Percy because he feels Percy needs to prove himself. Frank chooses Hazel, a daughter of Pluto, as his second companion. They set off the next day, each with their own powers and each with their own secrets that could be their downfalls.
Wow. I could not say more about this book. It's a sequel to the previous book, The Lost Hero. I'm a pretty big Percy Jackson fan and was nervous that he was never to be found even though I knew that Juno (Hera, whatever) switched Jason and Percy out to help fight the bigger fight. However, I smiled like an idiot whenever I would read his chapters. He's Percy freaking Jackson, man! I mean, this was an amazing sequel. I almost cried a few times because it was so emotional. Your heart broke when you discovered Hazel's secrets, were awed when you found out Frank's skills and you felt bad every time Percy mentioned Annabeth. I mean, come on! Just the thought of Annabeth was what kept Percy motivated to carry on! And what Riordan did to tie together the two stories and the characters from both was absolutely amazing. The guy knows how to write a riveting, hilarious, can't-put-this-down book.
The worst part? Waiting until October of NEXT YEAR for The Mark of Athena. What are you waiting for? Go pick up the first five Percy Jackson books and then these two! You won't regret it!
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