Review: The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune

By Rick Riordan

Publication date: October 4, 2011

My review:

In this sequel to The Lost Hero, we find out what Percy Jackson has been up to away from Camp Half-Blood and we are introduced to a whole new cast of characters. There is a new threat to civilization and a prophecy (made at the end of The Last Olympian) and on top of that Percy has amnesia. With only days to stop Gaea from rising, Percy and his new friends journey to Alaska, the "land beyond the Gods".

I found this book to be more enjoyable than The Lost Hero because Percy is back as one of the main characters. We also get to see glimpses of Grover and Annabeth as well as Tyson. I enjoyed the introduction of two other main characters, Frank and Hazel. Frank is a favorite new character in the series and I was surprised by the identity of his godly parent-not at all what I was expecting and kind of funny. I think young readers will be inspired by Frank's growing courage and relate to his insecurities. Hazel also has had a lot of hardships in her life and shows strength and bravery. It is nice to see imperfect characters who grow and find their place.

The addition of Roman mythology to the mix was fascinating. I never knew that there were differences between Greek and Roman mythology beyond the different names for the gods. I did find Percy's amnesia to be annoying after awhile though it does serve a purpose. Frank and Hazel's stories helped to make up for it as did the humor. Some of my favorite scenes involved Percy's continuing fight with Medusa's sisters (who work at a Bargain Mart). The alternating viewpoints work much better here because readers will already be familiar with Percy. It also gives insight into the new characters.

Overall I was really pleased with this sequel. It advances the overarching story line and entertains the reader at the same time.  In The  Son of Neptune, we see some of the brilliance of the original series. I can't wait to read The Mark of Athena.