Review: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Title: The Son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Series: The Heroes of Olympus #2
Related Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

While I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Hero, I didn't realize how much it was that I really did miss Percy in that book until I got to read him again in this one. I am so happy to see his humor and voice revisited in this spin-off series, and I found myself smiling and laughing like a crazy person pretty much anytime Percy said or did anything. And it was awesome. And, though I really do like Hazel and Frank, their personalities just can't compete with the largeness of Percy's, to me. So I found myself always looking forward to finishing their chapters so that I could get back to Percy. I am not sure that I gave Hazel and Frank the attention that they deserve, because Percy completely steals the show. Maybe this is due in large part to my personal bias at seeing an old friend again. It probably is. But I would imagine that many of Riordan's fans will go through the same sort of thing.

The plot is pretty much what you can expect from one of these hero/quest middle grade stories. A task must be completed and these are the people who must complete it and it is really far away and there is a deadline. Failure means destruction. Oh noes! So the story follows a pretty standard quest plot line, though this particular one had me unsure as to whether or not several of these characters would survive or bite it. Despite having a plot that is pretty typical, The Son of Neptune is still so much fun to read. The pacing is fast, and there are plenty of fun surprises and lots of laughs to be had (the smart humor plays a large role in how much I enjoy these books). And yes, there are some old friends from the Percy Jackson series.

If you are a fan of Percy Jackson, then you'll definitely want to pick this one up. Even if you didn't care as much for The Lost Hero, you'll want to read this one just to get back in touch with Percy and his antics and attitude.