YOUNG ADULT REVIEW: Percy Jackson Series - Rick Riordan

BOOK BLURB:
Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive. This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea. Can Percy find the lightning bolt before a fully-fledged war of the Gods erupts?


REVIEW:
Another one of the YA series that I didn’t catch until quite a way into it. But as I’ve said before sometimes that can be a very good thing as you get the chance to enjoy a succession of tales in the same world with the same characters back to back which can be a magical mystery tour of an adventure for the reader. What makes this one perhaps unique is the beautiful blending of ancient greek myth with the modern world as characters learn their own personal history that they’ve been kept in the dark about since they were born. Its gripping, its got high octane combat and above all the mystery unfurls at its own pace that will more than please the reader. Add strong characters of both genders and it is going to appeal to the girls as well as the boys and is a series that will be enjoyed by the young readers of the house as well as the adults. Make no mistake, there’s something for everyone and as an adult I got just as much of a kick out of this as a number of younger readers have.


BOOK BLURB:
You can't tell by looking at me that my dad is Poseidon, God of the Sea. It's not easy being a half-blood these days. You mortals can't even see the monsters we have to fight all the time. So when a game of dodgeball turned into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, I couldn't exactly ask my gym teacher for help. And that was just for starters. This is the one where Camp Half Blood is under attack, and unless I get my hands on the Golden Fleece, the whole camp will be invaded by monsters. Big ones. Can Percy survive the treacherous Sea of Monsters and restore order to Half-Blood Hill?


REVIEW:
The second offering from Rick for Percy Jackson fans and one that reunites our friends from their previous adventure as new villains appear, old foes return and above all the voice in the darkness continues to taunt. Magical adventure all the way and one that is clear why its becoming a phenomena. Cracking stuff blended with action packed moments of terror. Wonderful stuff Rick.


BOOK BLURB:
It's the last Friday before the winter holidays but Percy Jackson isn't at school: he's battling the fearsome Manticore (half human, half lion), which in itself isn't ideal . . . but with Annabeth missing and the goddess of the hunt held captive, things get a whole lot more serious . . . Greek mythology relocated to modern-day America. Action-packed, funny, accessible writing for both boys and girls aged 10+. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl.


REVIEW:

Life doens't seem to be getting any easier for the Son of Posideon in his latest adventure as he seeks to thwart not only the prophecy but also to rescue his friend who has been captured by the enemy. As usual with Rick, its addictive, its hard to put down and above all Rick plays for keeps as he plays hard and hits harder. Readers are never sure which way things are going to go in his writing and its one reason I've really come to love this series. I can't believe I've missed it for this long. If you're looking for a series thats going to be special this Christmas get it. As with the film of the first novel due in the new year you'll be getting bonus points with the younger members of your household. Great stuff.


BOOK BLURB:
Honestly, blowing up another school was the last thing I wanted to do. As the son of a Greek god, I've had my share of near-death disaster. This summer, I didn't choose to battle the cheerleading squad, but when two hissing she-devils with fangs are heading straight for you, what's a half-blood meant to do? That was just the beginning. This is the one where my arch-enemy, Luke, is looking for a way to invade our camp via an ancient labyrinth. If he succeeds, thousands of bloodthirsty monsters will attack. So it's goodbye sunshine, hello darkness as four of us descend into the terrifying underground and beyond . . .


REVIEW:

Rick's writing really is a difficult thing to put down once you start and the harder you try, the quicker it sucks you back to continue. With other novels with a series attached its been quite hard to read them one after the other but now that the series is complete getting all five (six if you want to include the one released on World Reading Day) is an absolute must have. Its an absolute corker and you won't regret the spending on this series that will appeal as much to adults as it does to the younger reader.


BOOK BLURB:
The greatest monster of all, the storm giant Typhon, is on the loose, wreaking havoc and destruction across the U.S. - while Kronos's army lays siege to Manhattan. Soon Percy Jackson must make the hardest choice of his life - a choice that will save or destroy the world.


REVIEW:

The final novel in the series and lets face it, it's going to have the showdown that we've all been expecting from day one. Its built up to be the end of all and its been something thats been built up so much that when I started I hoped that this wasn't going to be a fizzle instead of the epic war that I'd come to expect from previous outings.

Lets just say that from the outset it doesn't let up and as such makes this a must own. Christmas really doesn't get much better and to have a series that will make you seem like the really cool parent (as they'll have chance to enjoy it prior to the film release) is going to be almost as magical for you as the kids. I've not only bought copies of all these books for my nephew but I've made sure that his Grandad will be the really cool one this year who has also had as much of a blast out of these as his Grandson will. Whilst it may seem that I keep giving mucho props to this series, its difficult to express just how good its been without going into detail that could ruin it for new readers. But trust me, get it. You won't be disappointed as Greek Myth meets the modern age in a no holds barred battle royale.


BOOK BLURB:
The goddess Persephone has summoned Percy, Thalia and Nico to the Underworld in order to retrieve Hades' powerful sword before it falls into the wrong hands. Easier said than done in a world full of evil daimons, ghosts and ghouls. Not to mention Iapetos - brother of the powerful Titan lord, Kronos. This time the young demigods are really up against it - will Percy manage to return the sword before it's too late?


REVIEW:

OK, I’d not read any of Rick’s work before this novel so when this short story offering featuring established characters landed I thought it would be worth a go. I like the premise of the novel and when its backed up with masterful storytelling that will keep the reader glued to see how each character will endeavour to adapt to the changes as well as quests and you’ll find that it not only grows on you but becomes a must read. I will seek out the other novels in order to give them a go and with the language involved will end up reading them to my nephew who loves tall tales of heroes and monsters as they slug it out which nicely demonstrates that the ancient campfire tale telling traditions are alive and well in the 21st Century.


Finally fans of the series will be pleased to hear of two things, firstly that theres a new release scheduled for February in the UK, the Demigod Files, to tie in with the second piece of news, that of the film of the first book hitting UK screens.