Percy Jackson continues

Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse
Rick Riordan
Published: 2007; Pages: 294

Could an Olympian parent turn against his half-blood child? Would it sometimes be easier just to let them die? If there were ever any half-bloods who needed to worry about that, it was Thalia and me. I wondered if maybe I should have sent Poseidon that seashell-pattern tie for Father’s Day after all. (92-3)

 

Since the end of Harry Potter’s reign, it seems as though every new children’s series has been scrambling to fill its void. Now I’m not crazy enough to suggest that Percy Jackson has succeeded in this goal (I have far too many Harry Potter obsessed friends all too willing to whack me over the head with their wands), but I would like to suggest PJ as a contender. Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse is the third book in the series and by now things are very much underway – if you haven’t already read the first two books, I highly recommend your tracking them down.

After two years of summers at Camp Half-Blood (and the life threatening quests that come along with it), Percy once again finds himself facing his once friend Luke and the plans to take over Mount Olympus. However Luke has aligned himself with formidable allies that pose more than a passing danger to Percy and his friends.

The time is getting nearer when Percy or Thalia will fulfil the prophecy laid out by the Oracle. One of them will make a choice – a dangerous choice – that may signal the end of the gods’ reign. Will one of them slip? Will they fall prey to the Titan’s curse and, in doing so, endanger everyone they hold dear? This is what lies ahead.

Percy Jackson continues to be an engaging read. There’s enough mythology to keep myth buffs happy, but is unique enough to be entertaining to the uninitiated. Percy is a likeable and relatable hero, one who does what he thinks is right, even though it often results in trouble for himself. The series is progressing in a pleasing manner, and I am looking forward to see what is coming next. 4/5