The Blood Of Olympus

Well, I've finally done it. I have managed to read over three thousand pages, and five novels to finish the Heroes of Olympus series. Yet, there is more feelings present for me than the usual sense of finality that one gets with the completion of a series. I can't help but also feel a sense of disappointment. While this novel was still good, it did feel like it was rushed and not up to the admittedly high standards I have come to expect from Riordan.

Let me begin by saying that there are very few problems with this novel, but those few that are there are extreme in their scope and consequences. One of the biggest was the points of view. While I loved Nico and Reyna, I didn't feel like they needed to both be in this novel. We could have only had one of them be in here and that would then have left the scenes open to more development from other characters. The fact that we have to establish Reyna's backstory means that she takes up far too long of this novel. This leads to other elements previously established being ignored on the whole. Hazel possibly going back to the Underworld after the quest is over? Never explained. What the heck actually happened to Leo, and how he was able to survive at the end? Dido. Frank having to worry about his firewood burning out? Done and hardly explored again. While what I said in my House of Hades review is true, and much of the character development is completed there, what development is in the Blood of Olympus seems to pale in comparison for what we had earlier.

Another major problem is the fight scenes. They pale in comparison to the other's in the series, especially the major ones at the end. They are over so fast, one wonders what made the antagonists such a challenge at all. Then the way that Gea was defeated...for the sake of spoilers, I'll say that to me it was underwhelming, and I am still scratching my head as to how her defeat was possible, given what we know about the universe.

Overall, this book was still an enjoyable read. I liked seeing how much more powerful Neco had become in this series. I can actually believe that he had some awesome character growth as well. I even liked Reyna, despite her point of view being incorrect for the final novel, in my opinion. I also liked the relationship growth that Annabeth and Piper had. It was very touching and believable. Never the less, this novel still felt rushed to me, especially the ending. Perhaps it is that I have just developed high standards for Riordan over the years compared to other authors, but I expected more from this final installment of the Percy Jackson universe.I still would recommend this to anyone who has read the first series, or who is interested in Greek mythology. This novel, however, is the weakest of the series, in my opinion, and for that I give it a four out of five.