The Heroes of Olympus: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Synopsis:
Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen-all of them-and they’re stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood-the blood of Olympus-in order to wake.
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea’s army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.
Review:
The Blood of Olympus is the fifth and final in the Heroes of Olympus series. The questing demigods have split up yet again to complete their plan to stop Gaia from rising in just a few days. Battling giants, stopping the Romans from attacking the Greeks, and finding a cure to bring back the dead are just a few of what they face. The characters are vivid and engaging. Leo is an easy favorite with his silly humor and genius inventions that always seem to save the day. And we get to learn more about Reyna’s dark background when she confides in a sympathetic Nico.
With plenty of surprises, mystery, action, magic, and humor – this finale doesn’t disappoint. This is truly a team series, instead of focusing on just Percy Jackson as the last series did. And I was surprised that I was okay with that after learning more of each of their fascinating stories and endearing personalities. I hope we don’t have to wait long for another offshoot series with at least some of these familiar characters. This climactic conclusion is an amazingly fast and fun read.