The House of Hades
(Heroes of Olympus, Book 4) - REVIEW
I eagerly finished reading the book of "The House Of Hades". Get ready for another thrilling adventure, this time in the underworld! I've done my best avoiding spoilers online and devoured those book within few days of reading. Be assured that this review is spoiler-free. If you're curious about picking up the Heroes of Olympus series, I highly recommend reading the Percy Jackson series first as it builds upon that series.
Educational Value:
You would think after writing so many mythological adventures Rick Riordan would start running out of monsters and Gods. Not so! In Tartarus, we meet Nyx, Geras, giant Damasen and others. In Europe, we find Notus, Triptolemus, cow monsters- Katobleps, demigod robber- Sciron and others. Can't keep them straight? There's a sizable glossary in the back of the book. Places you can find on a map: Epirus, Croatia, Venice, Malta and Bologna. Places you can't: Calypso's island.
Positive Role Models:
All 7 demigods are admirable for their loyalty to friends and their drive to save the world. 2 stand-outs in The House Of Hades: Frank, for his bravery and budding leadership skills and Hazel, for making one of the most difficult choices the group faces and tapping into her magical gifts. Percy and Annabeth, of course, face horrible trials in Tartarus. The bravest thing they do is not give in to despair, when it's all around them.
Positive Messages:
Many characters face hard choices in this series installment. Which paths should they take? They're driven by loyalty for their friends, love for their boyfriends and girlfriends, and the big picture: how to save the world from destruction? They never take the easy path. When Jason finally takes his tough choice, it frees him to take more control of his life; indecision had kept him stuck. Also, there's plenty of deep food for thought during Percy and Annabeth's trip through Tartarus- there can't be any harder place to stay positive, and not give in to despair, but they manage to never give up hope by relying on each other and using brain over brawn to fight forces too big for them.
What I love most about this book is , it triggers the feelings and emotions. Riordan has really grown into a writer,and he's writing these stories about these characters that make me go from hopeful to sad to angry in an instant. I love that he is able to tap the emotions of readers readily. It's easy to love them once you get to know them, and Riordan takes full advantage of this fact.
I felt a sense of satisfaction after reading. I'm dying to find out how Riordan is going to bring everything to head, and how all will be resolved? I can never quite predict how things will move in his writings and therefore I am content with waiting and enjoying the ride whenever I can.
About The Author:
Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults.
For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary's Hall honored him with the school's first Master Teacher Award.
While teaching full time, Riordan began writing mystery novels for grownups. His Tres Navarre series went on to win the top three national awards in the mystery genre - the Edgar, the Anthony and the Shamus. Riordan turned to children's fiction when he started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his oldest son.
Today over 30 million copies of his Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus books are in print in the United States, and rights have been sold into more than 35 countries. Rick is also the author of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, another #1 New York Times bestseller. In 2011, Rick received the Children's Choice Book Award for Author of the Year. Rick Riordan now writes full-time. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and two sons.
For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary's Hall honored him with the school's first Master Teacher Award.
While teaching full time, Riordan began writing mystery novels for grownups. His Tres Navarre series went on to win the top three national awards in the mystery genre - the Edgar, the Anthony and the Shamus. Riordan turned to children's fiction when he started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his oldest son.
Today over 30 million copies of his Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, and Heroes of Olympus books are in print in the United States, and rights have been sold into more than 35 countries. Rick is also the author of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, another #1 New York Times bestseller. In 2011, Rick received the Children's Choice Book Award for Author of the Year. Rick Riordan now writes full-time. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and two sons.
Details:
Age range: 10 and up
Series : Heroes of Olympus ( Book 4)
Genre : Fantasy, mythology, magic
Hardcover : 608 pages
Publisher : Disney Hyperion (Oct 8, 2013)
Language : English
Dimensions: 5.5 * 8.3 inches
Shipping weight : 1.8 pounds
Rating : 5 stars
Read in :Kindle/ HardCover/ Paperback/ Audio CD
Buy from : Used/ New/ Collectible
Synopsis:
"At the conclusion of Mark Of Athena, Annabeth and percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the underworld. The other 5 demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of Doors of death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades. Then the 7 will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape? They have no choice. If the Demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus".
Rick Riordan, in his new home office
Conclusion:
Each character in the House of Hades receives their own POV. A first in the Heroes of Olympus series! So, we get a multi-faceted story seen from the eyes of 7 unique people. It was very interesting to see what all the demigods thought of each other.
Another benefit of multiple POV's is that, every hero got to exhibit their skills; including Piper with her charm speak, and Nico with his spirit-senses. Old powers and new were displayed throughout. Every character had their role to play. Even some forgotten friends were cast for this 'deathly' production.
Another benefit of multiple POV's is that, every hero got to exhibit their skills; including Piper with her charm speak, and Nico with his spirit-senses. Old powers and new were displayed throughout. Every character had their role to play. Even some forgotten friends were cast for this 'deathly' production.
The plot was tightly knit and never once slacked. House of Hades builds on already strong characters with an equally strong plot line that was extremely well paced.
Rick Riordan's writing is always keen to show that everyone, no matter what they think of themselves, has something to offer and is a valuable person to those around them. "Anyone can be a hero" - A pretty good message.
I just never want this series to end. Rick just continues to amaze readers with his incredible detail with plot line. Not many authors can pull off such a heavily based mythological themed book without it becoming an info dump!.You don't have to be a fan of Greek mythology to be able to read this. Reading this series is like a learning experience, you learn so much about the Greek gods and mythology. It's crazy how it doesn't end up feeling like you're in a class. Once you start reading there is no going back. Percy Jackson is the best series to introduce you this amazing genre.
The action part never slows down until the end of the book. There's always some sort of fight or conflict or problem to solve- sometimes it's a fun, little problem and at other times it is heart-breaking and tearful. There are so many great twists in the book and I loved the way the events of this book tie in with previous books.
It's going to be tough to wait.....
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