The Burning Maze

I think I have discovered Riordan's trick when it comes to these books. He puts in a few characters from the Heroes of Olympus series beside our own characters and then tries to make them all work in this new story.

The problem here is that I tend to remember the character arcs from those who were in the Heroes of Olympus series more than I do anyone new. This makes me think that, while I like this book, I will have to dock points for not having characters that can stand on their own.

(Also, regarding the spoiler of this book, I'll only say this: It is the single event that I remember most because it was the most shocking. Yet, from a writing standpoint, I wonder if Riordan did this only because this was the best way for us to have sympathy for his characters.)

In the end, I give this book a three out of five. Yes, the spoiler event hit me hard, but I can't overlook that by now, I care very little for Apollo and the rest of the gang.